Julia Paul

As we finish out 2008 alot or Realtors are going to question their ability to stay in the business. You know the saying 20% of the Realtors do 80% of the business. The question then becomes ....are you one of the 20%? Having been in the business over 26 years I have seen more than than one cycle. With the current economy we are going to see more Realtors go inactive which has its good and bad aspects. The high side is that there will be more business for those Realtors that stay active and the negative aspect is that costs will go up as we have less members of our Realtor Boards. As always there are trade offs. One thing I have noticed is that in the down market we seem to obtain a higher level of professionalism...this is a good thing. It is a great time to try out new marketing ideas, further your education and my personal favorite...travel. NAR as well as CRS, ABR and other designation programs are so extensive that we can pretty much go anywhere in the United States and find a class to attend. Not only does this give us an opportunity to perfect our skills but it also provides a great opportunity to network. I look forward to a stregthening market and in the meantime I will enjoy the calm before the storm and do all those things I have not had time for. See you out in the world...let's do some business together and raise the standards of professionalism while we are at it. A hui ho from the Big Island, the home of aloha!

Having just recently returned from the Pac Rim conference held on the Big Island of Hawaii (The Big Eye) I have to say I was amazed that it wasn't better attended. This was a great opportunity for Realtors on the Big Island to attend a conference that did not require getting on a plane. This conference is only held every other year and is specific to issues in the Pacific Rim area, as well as marketing and professionalism in the real estate arena. There were many excellent presenters and a wealth of information. I could not write fast enough. This conference provided a wonderful opportunity to network with agents from other islands and to meet the President of HAR and members of the the State of Hawaii Real Estate Commission. There was also a trade show during the conference where you had a chance to explore new business building products and services.

One of the most talked about presentations was the panel on Friday morning that was opened by Richie Richardson, the president of Hawaii Association of Realtors. The panel discussed the recently passed ACT 137 also known as "Mortgage Rescue Fraud Prevention Act" dealing with Distressed Properties and how to avoid becoming a "Distressed Property Consultant". This is a fairly large issue considering the amount of short sale and distressed properties currently in our market place. For those of you who were unable to attend I encourage you to become more informed about this new bill and the impact it has on your current business. Until this new bill is amended to exempt Realtors and CPA's there will be trouble on the horizon as we can no longer provide servicing to our customers once their home is considered a "distressed property" without taking on much greater liability. It is a very fine line as to staying on the right side of this Bill without the much needed amendment. For those of you wanting more information, you can contact your local Board, speak with your in-house attorney and/or attend a presentation regarding the Act as well as consult your Principal Broker to find out what your office policy is regarding this Act. Don't get caught with your pants down as this is an issue that will not be going away anytime soon.

A special note of appreciation to Central Pacific Home Loans and their gang for the cocktail party and hospitality suite they so generously provided for all to come and enjoy. You are much appreciated!

Wow! What a powerful class. Again, I can not tell you enough how valuable the Courses that CRS provide their members. The people you meet, the course material and the instructors are first class. Each time I attend another class I am reminded about the value of continuing education and what means to me and my business. What I have learned is that marketing is very important but it is no substitute for education! I wish someone had taken the time early on in my career to share with me the value of becoming a Certified Residential Specialist. To me, this designation represents a level of professionalism obtained and the ability to be on the leading edge of real estate and hang with the "Big Dogs". I want to thank all the members of the class that I recently attended for their great participation and for being a part of my learning experience. It is truly a pleasure to be among other professionals who are upping their level of standards and practices and who appreciate the heights to which we all aspire to. We are all winners!