CCAR NEWS
Tomorrow is Election Day
Tomorrow, March 2 is Election Day. To find your polling location, please click here.

CCAR has endorsed the following candidates in the Primary Election:

• Mabrie Jackson - District 66 State Representative
• Keith Self - County Judge, Collin County
• Jerry Hoagland - Collin County Commissioner, Precinct 2
•  Kathy Ward - Collin County Commissioner, Precinct 4

To read candidate-submitted bios of each of the above individuals, please click here. If you have questions about these races, please contact Diane Donley, CCAR Government Affairs Director, at diane@ccar.net  or 972-618-3800.

Casting Call This Thursday: CCAR's Got Talent...or Not!
Come join us for a "CCAR's Got Talent...or Not!" casting call this Thursday, March 4 at 2 p.m. in the CCAR Banquet Room. Individual and group acts are welcome to audition. If you plan to attend the casting call, please notify Diane Donley at diane@ccar.net. For more information, please click here. The actual "CCAR's Got Talent...or Not!" event is scheduled for April 23 at 7 p.m.

UPCOMING CCAR EDUCATION CLASSES
NEW CLASS: NAR Short Sales and Foreclosure Certification (SFR)
According to NAR, nearly one-third of all existing homes sold recently were either short sales or foreclosures. To help REALTORS® meet the needs of home buyers and sellers who need these services, NAR has launched a new Short Sales and Foreclosure Certification Program (SFR).
 
The SFR certification program is offered by the Real Estate Buyer's Agent Council of NAR. The program includes training on how to manage short-sale, foreclosure, and real-estate owned transactions, and provides resources to help REALTORS® stay current on national and state-specific information as the market for these distressed properties evolves.

To earn the certification, REALTORS® must complete a one-day education program as well as three one-hour Webinars, or attend the Texas Affordable Housing Specialist (TAHS) "United Texas" four-hour class. After completing the one-day SFR course and the four-hour TAHS course (total of 12 hours), you will receive two certifications: SFR and TAHS.  

Date and time: Saturday, March 6, 8:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Cost: $35 for CCAR members. MCE: Eight hours (no legal). Instructor: Pat Strong or Peggy Santmyer. To register for this class, please click here.

NEW CLASS: CRS 205 "Finance & Tax Advantages for Agents and Their Clients
This course will help you get the inside scoop on savings and finance management strategies. You'll:

• Learn different financing and tax strategies and how to make them work for your clients
• Get creative and responsible financing information that will allow your clients to broaden their options
• Explore practical financial applications and tools to save you and your clients money

Dates and time: Wednesday and Thursday, March 17-18, 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Cost: $285. MCE: 13 hours (no legal). Instructor: Pat Zaby. To register for this class, please click here.

NEW CLASS: Take the Listing Almost Every time
If you have a desire to master the art of listing residential real estate, you need to attend this class. This fun, hard-hitting course gets straight to the point on the who, what, when, where and how.

Date and time: Tuesday, March 23, 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. (registration begins at 8 a.m.). Cost: $59 for CCAR members, $70 for non-members. MCE: Eight hours (no legal). Instructor: Dan Robertson, ABR, ASR, CRB, CRS, GRI. To register for this class, please click here.

NEW CLASS: SRES® "Senior Real Estate Specialist" Designation
SRES® is the only designation and marketing program specifically designed to serve senior property owners ages 55 and older. Nearly four out of 10 property owners who are more than 65 years old have lived in the same home for more than 30 years. Nevertheless, unexpected events such as illness or the inability to care for their property may force senior citizens to move from their homes. In fact, it has been estimated that three million seniors will move in the next two years. Increasingly, seniors are looking for specialists to ease their transition from a long-time residence into their next home. The Senior Real Estate Specialist designation is one of the fastest growing designations in the nation. In just three years, it has become the sixth largest designation for REALTORS®. The goal of the SRES® designation is to equip REALTORS® to help seniors make wise decisions about selling the family home, age appropriate financing, buying rental property, managing capital gains and tax implications of owning real estate. For more information visit the SRES website.

Dates and time: Monday and Tuesday, March 29-30, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. (registration begins at 8:30 a.m.). Cost: $215 for CCAR members, $235 for non-members. MCE: 14 hours (no legal). Instructor: Pat Strong. To register for this class, please click here.

THIS WEEK'S CCAR NETWORKING MEETINGS
Plano - March 2, Networking - 8:30 a.m., Meeting - 9 a.m.
Location: CCAR - 6821 Coit Rd., Plano 75024
Host: RE/MAX, Dallas Suburbs
Speaker: DR Horton Homes and Sharon Harrison
Topic: New HVAC Laws
Advertiser: Nations Residential Warranty and DR Horton Homes

Farmersville - March 4, Networking - 8:30 a.m., Meeting - 8:45 a.m.
Location: O.E. Carlisle Center - 201 Orange St., Farmersville 75442

Frisco - March 4, Networking - 8:30 a.m., Meeting - 8:45 a.m.
Location: Train Depot - 6455 Page Street, Frisco 75034
Host: RE/MAX Premier
Speaker: The Honorable Maher Maso, Mayor of Frisco
Topic: State of the City
Advertiser: Republic Title, Ruth Darling

UPCOMING CCAR EVENTS
Casting Call: CCAR's Got Talent...or Not!
Come join us for a casting call for "CCAR's Got Talent...or Not!," which is sure to be a night of lighthearted fun.

What: Casting Call
When: Thursday, March 4, 2 p.m.
Where: CCAR Banquet Room
Information: Individual and group acts are welcome to audition. If you need a talent or skit idea, contact Stephanie Allen, Show Director, at 214-728-0998. If you plan to attend the casting call, please notify Diane Donley at diane@ccar.net. For more information, please click here.

The actual "CCAR's Got Talent...or Not!" event is scheduled for April 23 at 7 p.m.

PAID ADVERTISING