Thank You to Tom Rusco with

HouseMaster For sponsoring our

New Member Orientation on Dec.

3rd.

Thank you to Chuck Hage with

Prime Lending for sponsoring our

Con-Ed class on Oct. 1st and Thank

you to Frank Lucarelli with First

American Title for sponsoring our

Con-Ed class on Oct. 21st.

Thank you to Chuck Hage with

Prime Lending and Title One for

sponsoring our General

Membership Meeting on Dec. 8th.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS Directors

Sam Baydoun—President Laura Adamson

Robert P. Marx—President Elect Hossam Harb

Ted Easterly—Treasurer Sally Mrozowski

Al Makled—Past President Benjamin Welch

Maria LaCaria

REALCOMP

GOVERNOR

USER

COMMITTEE

DABOR

STAFF

Ted

Easterly

Mahmoud

Sobh

Laura

Green—CEO

Sandra

Kolar-Alt

Andrea

Fitzgerald

Victoria

Strojny—

Admin. Asst.

January 2016 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1 Happy New

Year!

2

3 4 5 6 7 8 9

10 11 12 13 14 15 16

17 18 Happy MLK

Jr. Day!!

19 20 21 Board

Meeting

22 23

24 25 26 27

Membership

Committee

Meeting

28 29 30

31

Contact your local

American Home Shield

Representative

Mark Light

Senior Account Executive

800.800.8880 ext. 6116

jmlight@ahslink.com

Click the button to

view Home

Protection Plan

Benefits for Real

Estate

Professionals

brought to you by

American Home

Advertise Here! Call for

details!

Become a Preferred Contractor

REALTORS and contractors in all areas of home

services are an integral part of each others

network. From building to cleaning to windows

and doors. From floors to ceilings, painting and

decorating. DABOR is looking for well-established

companies specializing in quality of workmanship

and customer service. Join our network of

PREFERRED CONTRACTORS for $25.00 per

year. Your $25.00 will put your company Infor-

mation on the DABOR website and on our

monthly e-newsletter that is distributed to over

700+ REALTORs each month. Additionally, the

Preferred Contractor list (updated) is distributed to

each REALTOR member four times per

year. Contact us to start advertising today.

CLICK HERE for Preferred Contractor Form

On January 1, all MVP Subscribers will receive this:

YOUR OFFER DATES: January 1–15, 2016

YOUR ACTION: Claim your realtor.com® agent profile

YOUR REWARD: Best Texts and Tips to Connect with Buyers! This product con-tains 2 free booklets from realtor.com®

REWARD VALUE: $100.00

1. Click the “ACT NOW” button to be taken to the realtor.com form.

2. Provide your NRDS ID.

3. A link will be given to you where you can review your profile, and if needed, make adjustments, add a photo or request recommendations and reviews.

4. After updating you will be given the links to download your booklets!

http://www.housemaster.com/home_inspector/office/000261

Take Note: Important Transfer Tax Changes to Begin the New Year

At the close of 2015, Governor Snyder signed into law legislation providing clarity to Michigan’s State Real Estate Transfer Tax. House Bill 4173, sponsored by Realtor®-member and Representative Dave Maturen (R-Brady Twp.) revises the State Real Estate Transfer Tax to clarify two items:

1. The party that paid the transfer tax may request the refund if a refund is due, and

Clarify that Exemption (u) applies when the SEV at the time of sale of a Principle Residence is less than or equal to the original SEV on the purchase.

The Michigan Supreme Court recently broadened the application of Exemption (u) by removing the requirement that True Cash Value be realized in a transfer. The legislation enshrines this change, offering important clarity and tax relief to distressed sellers. In addition, this legislation gives buyers the same refund rights as sellers when it is determined that the transfer tax was paid un-necessarily by a buyer. Refund rights under the Sate Transfer Tax are available up to 4 years and 15 days from a transfer. To better aid members in reaching out to their former and current clients that may qualify, the refund application form is found here. (Please note that the current refund form does not reflect the change in law. The State Treasury will be updating the form in the coming weeks). The following Q&A’s are intended to illustrate exemption (u)’s applicability: QUESTION: Some clients of mine sold their principal residence in 2013 and the SEV was lower at the time they sold it than when they purchased it. They just found out that they might be entitled to a refund of the state transfer tax they paid. They sold the house at a profit; will they still be entitled to the refund? ANSWER: YES, to qualify for the state transfer tax refund, the SEV at the time of purchase must be higher than the SEV at the time of sale. The fact that they sold the house at a profit has no effect on their ability to get a refund. QUESTION: Some clients of mine bought vacant land in 2011 on which they had a house constructed in 2012. They sold the house in late 2014. Will they be entitled to a state transfer tax refund if the SEV of their property at the time the house was completed was more than at the time of sale? ANSWER: NO, since at the time of purchase, the land was vacant, they cannot claim a refund of the state transfer tax since the property was not their principal residence at the time of purchase. Please contact Brian Westrin at bwestrin@mirealtors.com or 517.372.8890 with any questions.

When to Have 'the Talk' With Your Sellers DAILY REAL ESTATE NEWS | WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 06, 2016

Is your listing lingering on the market with no takers? Here are some questions to review when approaching home

owners about lowering their asking price.

1. Why are so many buyers visiting but then walking away? What’s turning them off? “If 35 to 40 buyers have

passed through your home and not a single one has placed an offer, it’s time to seriously consider a price improve-

ment,” Brad Malow, a real estate professional in New York, told realtor.com® for a recent article. Also, what feedback

are buyers and their brokers giving about the home following private viewings? Are they complaining about the

price?

2. How long has the home been on the market? Is it within the average time a home stays on the market in that

neighborhood? If so, you may want to keep the price as it is. But homes set at the right price usually begin getting

offers “within the first few weeks,” Malow says.

3. How are comparable properties faring? Are they selling quickly or lingering? What was their closing price?

4. How many other homes in the neighborhood have required a price reduction? How long did the sellers wait

until they reduced the price? Did they then sell it once they reduced the price?

5. Are comparably priced houses selling quickly? If that’s the case, you may want to actually take the house off

the market for a short while and do some touch-ups and relist in again later, some real estate professionals say.

“Once you’ve been on the market for five weeks or so, you’re chasing the market,” Mike King, a real estate sales as-

sociate with Partners Trust Realty in Brentwood, Calif., told realtor.com®.

6. Are they afraid the home will be underpriced if the asking amount is reduced? If so, reassure them that likely

isn’t going to happen. “It’s almost impossible to underprice, because the market will bring it back up,” King says. Buy-

ers will start bidding and you’ll likely have more offers to work with than if you had overpriced it. “It’s called leveraging

power,” King says. “If I’m a [motivated] buyer and I know there’s only three offers, I’m going be less aggressive than if

you had 10 offers.”

To learn more about the Dearborn Public Schools and the many programs they offer.

1. Superintendent Blog, realtors can sign up by entering their email and receive automated email updates. Go to the subscription box on the right had side of the blog. http://superintendent.dearbornschools.org/

2. Here is a link to a talk show titled Happenings in Dearborn Public Schools. This episode is aligned with much of our discussion today regarding options for students. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ejBwKo4Q-Es&feature=youtu.be

3. Here a link to a previous Happenings in Dearborn Schools episode on the Feeder Track Model. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sPNzDKy-8Uw&list=PLXkPl0dZzj_l8Z70PDOwCuVhX7n60wpzr&index=4

4. Here is the link to the Dearborn Public Schools Home Page. https://dearbornschools.org/

8 Ways ‘Star Wars’ Relates to Your Business

At the box office, we love a tale of good triumphing over evil. We love it in real estate, too.

JANUARY 2016 | BY LEIGH BROWN

The force can awaken inside you in 2016 if you take these principles from the latest “Star Wars” box office mega-hit and apply them to your real estate business. (Note: I don’t know what is or is not a spoiler since the last “Star Wars” episode I saw was in 1983. I’m a nerd — but an ‘80s nerd.)

1. Music puts you in the mood to kick ass. How can you hear those first few notes of the “Star Wars” theme and not immediately get excited? I bet even John Williams gets goosebumps when he hears them, and he wrote the dang thing. What do you listen to on the way to a buyer consultation or a listing appointment? There’s definitely power in music to change your mood and outlook! I like listening to Iron Maiden’s “Run to the Hills” before a listing appointment to get myself ready for the conversation. What’s your go-to?

2. Age is irrelevant. Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher don’t have to be young to be amazing. Except for a few nasty trolls on Twitter, I think everyone was glad to see them in their aging glory because Lord knows there is dignity in growing old. (It’s not for the faint of heart.) Plus, those youngsters who thought the Jedi were a myth? They were crazy awesome as well. Real estate has tradition-ally been the home for the second- or third-career folks, which is part of how we wind up with an average REALTOR® age of 57. But we are seeing a surge of agents making this their first career. And consumers don’t care about the age of their agent; they care about their knowledge, expertise, and compassion, none of which are age-exclusive. So rock on — no matter how old you are.

3. Old can teach new. I’m pretty sure Finn and Rey weren’t too thrilled about visiting with Maz, but boy did she rock their worlds. Han Solo and Chewbacca had the knowledge and background to get moving again. Princess/General Leia rocked the house, peri-od. We see this in real estate all the time. Older/experienced agents are routinely taking new agents under their wings to show them the ropes, teach how to overcome objections, explain terminology, and be a sounding board in a crazy world. I think it’s hap-pening more than we know, and I would love if we talked more about those who lifted us all up along the way. We need remind-ers that any experienced professional has an obligation to return the favor to newcomers.

4. New can teach old. Han Solo was thrilled to get the Millennium Falcon back but was a little grumpy at Rey having already been on board. He grudgingly accepts her help flying the ship and realizes that her expertise is a benefit. I see this with the newer/younger agents who have an organic knowledge of technology and who are reaching out to older agents who hold it at arms’ length. We are all better when we help each other. It doesn’t have to be a fist fight all the time, even in a competitive business.

5. We all need someone. Han Solo needs Chewbacca. Leia needs Han Solo. Luke needs someone (bless him). Ren needs a soul. Finn needs Poe. And Rey needs Finn, even if she hated to admit it. Life is lonely if you think you can manage by yourself. Not just lonely, but so much harder than it needs to be. I don’t know of many careers as lonely as real estate. When you’re a bunch of 1099s running around competing, it’s hard. When things get tough, your spouse/partner tunes you out, your friends don’t get it, and you can feel isolated. Find a friend, maybe in your market or somewhere else across the country. But build the support sys-tem that helps you survive because survivors do a heck of a lot better of a job for clients.

6. The chasm may open, but it’s not over. In the awesome battle scene in the snow, when the world is starting to turn on itself, the chasm opens. We never know if the one side is done or just resting — but that’s not where the movie or the possibility of sav-ing everything ended. That’s kind of like a negotiation. Just when you think it’s over and the crazies have won, the world awakens and you have one more chance. Sometimes, that’s all you need. So never give up.

7. Screwing up doesn’t mean you’re done. Every character in any episode of “Star Wars” makes a mistake. Yet 38 years later, they are still here, saving the universe one system at a time. And guess what — we still love them. Even ol’ Ren still is loved despite his choices. In the trenches of real estate, it’s the same way. Some transactions go bad no matter how hard you try. But you get an-other chance the minute you pick up the phone and talk to your next potential client. You live, you learn, you get better.

8. Light wins. Of course, we don’t really know what’s going to happen when the next two episodes are shot and screened, but as long as there’s good left in the world, it will win out. Maybe you’ll run across an unethical, lying, cheating so-and-so, but at some point, they’ll flame out when karma hits ‘em from behind. Just do right by your client. Even if the client is screaming and yelling and cussing, do what’s right and protect them. Be their light in the darkness of the transaction and everyone will win

Thank you to everyone that helped with

the Food Drive and donating toys to the

boys and girls club of America!

Thank you to everyone that helped with

the Food Drive and donating toys to the

boys and girls club of America!

WELCOME NEW DABOR MEMBERS!!!

ISSAM ABBAS

HUSSEIN ABDULSALAM

MARIA CABALLERO

HIBA CHATILA

ALI FAWAZ

JEFFREY FAYZ

BRUCE GILBERT

NOFILA HAIDAR

ALI KARKABA

RENEE MEYER

KELLE ANN RODRIGUES

IBRAHIM TALEB

Tip #29

Nothing personal…

When talking to clients and prospects, be friendly but still keep your personal information private. This

means avoiding mention of where you live, your after-work or vacation plans, and similar details.

Tip #30

Take two seconds as you walk towards your destination to check out potential risks.

Are people coming and going or is the area unusually quiet?

Do you observe any obstacles or hiding places in the parking lot or along the street?

Is anyone loitering in the area?

*Safety First*

Realcomp has been made aware of a concerning situation involving an area agent. A fairly new pro-spect of hers, who sounded extremely legitimate, has been identified by the Washtenaw Sheriff's De-partment to be using an alias.

This agent became concerned about the legitimacy of her new prospect when she happened to catch him (quite unexpectedly) in a lie. Additional oddities in their communications caused the agent to feel uneasy and ultimately, to contact the police.

No one knows for sure why this person decided to pose as someone else. However, it is a very good reminder for all agents to follow your company's safety procedures regarding meeting new clients. This agent says... "It is a good reminder to everyone that asking for identification prior to meeting a client alone is always a good idea, even if you're meeting them after hours at your office."

DABOR Tuesday Listing Tour...New for MEMBERS

Add your listing to the DABOR Tuesday Tour

Notify the DABOR office each Monday by 12 noon and your listing will be featured on the Tuesday Tour. DABOR will send out a Tour list to members on Monday afternoons. Every listing on the tour will be held OPEN by the listing agent for REALTORS from 11a-12p the following day. For REALTORs only.

DABOR Tuesday Listing Tour...New for MEMBERS

Send your listing information to laura@dabor.com

REALTORS and contractors in all areas of home services are an integral part of each

other’s network. From building to cleaning to windows and doors. From floors to ceil-

ings, painting and decorating. DABOR REALTORS have established relationships with

well-established companies specializing in quality of workmanship and customer ser-

vice. Browse our network of PREFERRED CONTRACTORS.

2015 PREFERRED CONTRACTORS LIST

DABOR Preferred Contractors

Come on by and check

out our supply store!

A crusty old man walks into a real estate office and says to an female agent, “I want to sell my Gosh damn house.”

To which the astonished female agent replies, “I beg your pardon, sir; I must have misunderstood you. What did you say?”

“Listen up, damn it. I said I want to sell my freaking house!”

“I’m very sorry sir, but we do not tolerate that kind of language in this office.”

So saying, the agent goes over to the officer broker to tell him about her situation. They both return and the broker asks the old geezer, “What seems to

be the problem here?”

“There’s no damn problem,” the man says, “I want to sell my freaking million dollar home.”

“I see,” says the manager, “and this witch is giving you a hard time?”

- See more at: http://capropertyfinder.com/real-estate-jokes-pictures-comics-cartoons-humor-one-liners/#sthash.5pHfrQXR.dpuf

Legal Hotline

QUESTION: I am representing the sellers in the sale of their house. There have been some delays and the buyer is asking for yet anoth-er extension. My sellers will only give the buyer an extension if the buyer agrees to a $2,000 non-refundable deposit. I have heard that non-refundable deposits are illegal. Is this true? ANSWER: NO. A buyer and seller can certainly agree that a deposit will be non-refundable. You will want to make certain that this is explicitly stated in the contract so that there can be no argument about the parties’ intent.

Article 17

In the event of contractual disputes or specific non-contractual disputes as defined in Stand-ard of Practice 17-4 between Realtors® (principals) associated with different firms, arising out of their relationship as Realtors®, the Realtors® shall mediate the dispute if the Board requires its members to mediate. If the dispute is not resolved through mediation, or if mediation is not required, Realtors® shall submit the dispute to arbitration in accordance with the policies of the Board rather than litigate the matter. In the event clients of Realtors® wish to mediate or arbitrate contractual disputes arising out of real estate transactions, Realtors® shall medi-ate or arbitrate those disputes in accordance with the policies of the Board, provided the clients agree to be bound by any resulting agreement or award. The obligation to participate in mediation and arbitration contemplated by this Article includes the obligation of Realtors® (principals) to cause their firms to mediate and arbitrate and be bound by any resulting agreement or award. (Amended 1/12)

Code of Ethics

State Licensing Requirements

During the 3 year licensing cycle each agent must complete a minimum of 2 hours approved legal

coursework each year. In addition, each agent must also complete 12 hours of approved course-

work of their choice. The additional 12 hours of coursework may be completed anytime during the

3 year cycle.

**New licensees

In the first and second year of the license cycle, licenses issued on or after November 1 of the cur-

rent year do not require con ed for the current year. In the third year of the license cycle licenses

issued on or after July 1st no con ed is required.

Cycles-2010-2012 / 2013-2015 / 2016-2018 / 2019-2021 etc.

Click here for the Quadrennial Code of Ethics Training requirements

DABOR Bulletin Board

Continuing Education Requirements

DABOR Presents along with NCI and Associates 6 hours of continuing education

including 2 hours of yearly mandatory legal update. The following dates are

scheduled for 2016. Check-in for all classes is 8:30am. Class time is 9:00am-

3:30pm. Lunch is included. All students must register and pay prior to class.

No walk-ins.

2016 Con-Ed Classes

April 20, 2016

June 8, 2016

September 14, 2016

October 26, 2016

November 16, 2016

December 7, 2016 (Tentative)

Accuspect Home Inspection Co. (734) 678-0975

- Dale Raines

Adam's Cleaning Services, Inc. (313) 561-3303-

Adam Seccombe

American Home Shield (800) 800-8880 - John

M. Light

America's Preferred Home Warranty (800) 648-

5006 - Jeff Becker

Assenmacher and Associates P.C. (313) 277-

5800 - Jerome E. Assenmacher

Capital Mortgage Funding (248) 833-5163 - Sam

Mansour

Dearborn Federal Credit Union (313) 322-8239-

Peggy Richard

Dearborn Federal Savings Bank (313) 565-3100

- William White

EHomeScore.com (248) 912-5512 - Frank

Mastroianni

First American Title Insurance (734) 692-9914 -

Frank Lucarelli

Home Inspection by Pros (734) 483-3400 -

Robert Armstrong

Housemaster Inspection Services (888) 848-0202 -

Tom Rusco

Morse Moving & Storage, Inc. (734) 484-1717-John

Green

Parks Title (313) 505-6606 - Mark Jefferson

Pillar To Post, Home Inspections - (734) 427-5577-

Dave Dalfino

PNC Financial Services (734) 281-5219 - Ali Shami

PrimeLending A Plains Capital Company

(313) 274-6500 - Chuck Hage

Title One Inc. (734) 427-8006 - Bernie Youngblood

Title One Inc. (313) 561-6631 - Debbie Kudla

Title Solutions Agency, LLC (734) 259-7130 - Brad

Noblit

Venture Title Agency (313) 486-0100 - Lola Elzein

Wells Fargo Home Mortgage (515) 213-6500 - Vince

Corbin

Zeal Credit Union - (734) 466-6111 - Corrine Dye-Hale

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 1 2 3 4 5 6

7 8 9 10 11 12 13

14 15 16 17 18 Board Meeting 19 20

21 22 23 24 25 26 27

28 29

FEBRUARY 2016