Weekly Market Activity Report

We here at MAAR trust you enjoyed a relaxing and respectful Memorial Day weekend. For the week ending May 16, there were 1,960 new listings, 10.2 percent less than the same week in 2008. The decline in new listings has helped improve the larger picture of total active listings.

Inventory is being sold through at a rate that is still flying high above last year's numbers. Breaking the 1,200 pending sales threshold for the first time in three years, the 1,235 pending sales occurring during the most recent reporting week is up 36.9 percent over the same week last year. While many of these sales are lender-mediated properties, the increase in sales is welcome news regardless.

The decline in new listings, coupled with increased pending sales, has resulted in active listings supply dropping significantly. A year-over-year comparison of active listings from last May reveals a drop of 20.5 percent, bringing our Supply-Demand Ratio down to a healthy 5.23 houses for sale per buyer.

The rebalancing is beginning but the journey back will be slow. It appears that enough houses will soon be off the market, thus creating a rebalancing of the buyer-seller mix and a reversal in price trends.

Click the logo below or click here for this week's full report. Visit Market Info for more research reports.

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Monthly Skinny Video for May 2009

The May 2009 Monthly Skinny Video is online now! This month's edition is narrated by our Immediate Past-President, Kevin Knudsen (aka "K-Kanood" or "K2").

YouTube version  |  High-Quality MPG version

Please feel free to share this whenever and however you'd like. For other great stuff like this, visit our market insight blog, also called "The Skinny," by clicking here.

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More Love for North Metro

Lynn Leegard
Last week, we noted that Jerry Teeson of the North Metro REALTORS® Association had a highlight moment at Midyear (see below). We neglected to also note that Lynn Leegard, has been elected to serve as the National Association of REALTORS® Regional Vice President for Region 8 (MN, ND, SD, IA, NE).

Lynn is a Past-President (2004) of the Minnesota Association of REALTORS® and has served on various local, state and national committees throughout her career. She is also a past executivecommittee member of MAAR. Congratulations, Lynn!

Jerry Teeson
The winners of the 2009 Distinguished Service Award are Jerry Teeson, GRI from Coon Rapids and David Peretti, GRI, from Winchester, Mass.

Hey, we got a Minnesota guy in the mix! Jerry may be one of North Metro's, but we still like him!

Congratulations, Mr. Teeson. It is an honor truly deserved.

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Do You Think You're a Leader?

Be a NAR Director
Then prove it. An awesome blossom is available to you right now via MAAR. Applications for NAR Directors are now being accepted. If you have an interest in being a voice for real estate on a national stage, then display your interest by contacting Donnie Brown at donnieb@mplsrealtor.com or 952.988.3133 by Friday, June 5.

NAR Leadership Academy
Speaking of leadership AND speaking of Lynn Leegard (see story above), another round of congratulations are in order for her graduation from NAR's Leadership Academy. Another shout-out goes to Minnesota Association of REALTORS® President, Rob Mehta, CIPS, who graduated this year as well. It all starts at the local level, folks. Launch your leadership with a role at MAAR and find yourself receiving national accolades and making national decisions that affect your industry.

The NAR Leadership Academy was formed to identify, inspire and mentor emerging leaders for the association. For more information on the NAR Leadership Academy program, contact Bobbie Albrecht at 312.329.8275. Information is also posted at www.realtor.org/LeadershipAcademy.

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Broker Support Series – Next Meeting is Friday, June 12

Friday, June 12, 9:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
Social Networking, Blogging, Websites
A panel discussion to guide you through the how and why of social media. Location: MAAR office.

MAAR is pleased to host a successful series of broker monthly meetings on managing your broker business. The broker support meetings are held every second Friday of scheduled months from 9:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. at the MAAR office. Events are free unless otherwise noted. Register with Linda Stoeckicht at 952.988.3157 or lindas@mplsrealtor.com.

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Next Yo Pro Squaretables Event – Thursday June 18

Thursday, June 18 | Yo Pro Squaretables
2:30 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. at MAAR office
(happy hour option to follow at Spasso)

Squaretable Topics
• Zoe Liston, "Facts About Appraisals in Our Current Market"
• Terry McDonough, "Selling Your Listings Contract for Deed"
• Greg Sax, "The Value of Free: Click Marketing Makes You Tick"
• Steven Logreira, "The 5 Crucial Things You Must Know When Working on a Short Sale"

"Squaretables" is the name of our quick-hit information and networking event geared toward young professionals (and welcome to all). The format is fairly fast and fun. You check out one table for about 20 minutes, take what you need, ask what you want to ask, move on to the next table, take some more, and so on.

Why Squaretables? Because our tables aren't round. Attendance is limited by the size of our room. Register early with Aubray Olson at aubrayo@mplsrealtor.com or 952.988.3120 or find us on Facebook. This free event tends to fill up fast.

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Referral Expo 2009

In case you haven't yet registered for the free Referral Expo 2009, it's not too late! Even if you cannot hear all ten speakers, you can pick and choose any that interest you. The Referral Expo is a virtual event held over the phone. There is a great line-up of referral experts who are still presenting over the next week—each business day for 1 hour over the lunch hour (11:00 a.m.–noon, Central Time). | REGISTER NOW

Dates: May 18–29
Time: one-hour presentation each day
Cost: FREE

Source: nsight Marketing

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The REALTOR® – Summer 2009 Issue

The magazine's in the mail but you don't have to wait. It's also available...

RIGHT HERE!

Click the "RIGHT HERE" link or on the image to the left to view our new "flippy book" version of The REALTOR®. We're not sure if that's the proper term, but we like it. If you're all teched up and you no longer need a print copy in the mail, send a message to...

notice@mplsrealtor.com

that says...

"no print magazine"

...in the subject line.

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Public Affairs

Midyear
A couple of weeks ago, REALTORS® from across the nation converged on Washington, DC for the National Association of REALTORS® Midyear Legislative Meetings and Trade Expo. REALTORS® met with Members of Congress and United States Senators about a number of important issues. | READ MORE

Making Home Affordable
The Obama Administration has introduced a comprehensive Financial Stability Plan to address the key problems at the heart ofthe current crisis and get our economy back on track. A critical pieceof that effort is Making Home Affordable, a plan to stabilize ourhousing market and help up to 7 to 9 million Americans reduce their monthly mortgage payments to more affordable levels.

The Home Affordable Refinance Program gives up to 4 to 5 million homeowners with loans owned or guaranteed by Fannie Mae orFreddie Mac an opportunity to refinance into more affordable monthly payments. The Home AffordableModification Program commits $75 billion to keep up to 3 to 4 million Americans in their homes by preventingavoidable foreclosures. | LEARN MORE

Source: Making Home Affordable

HUD: Homebuyer Tax Credit Loans Still on Track
News reports that the federal government is backing away from its plan to permit eligible borrowers to monetize the first-time homebuyer tax credit are off the mark, a spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development says.

Under the guidance that's under development, state agencies and other HUD-approved entities would be able to provide short-term bridge loans that households could use to help with their downpayment. The loans would be repaid with the proceeds from the households' federal tax credit.

The loans were announced on the opening day of NAR's 2009 Midyear Legislative Meetings in Washington, DC. In his announcement, HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan said guidance would be issued shortly. When the guidance is released, it is expected to cover eligible lenders and set parameters for loan terms and repayment.

Source: REALTOR® Magazine Online

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Education and Professional Development

Renewal Time!
Postcards containing information necessary for license renewal were mailed by the Department of Commerce to all individuals and companies who are scheduled to renew by June 30, 2009. Step-by-step renewal instructions, given by the Department of Commerce, are available on our website. | GO THERE NOW

IMPORTANT
Renewals are performed online at www.pulseportal.com.

One of our instructors, Chris Prescott, goes over information about license renewal in a fun and memorable way. He's allowing us to share it with you. | WATCH HIS VIDEO

Upcoming Classes
May 27, 9 a.m.–noon, Short Sales – SOLD OUT!
May 28, 9 a.m.–4 p.m., Foreclosure Opportunities (Not eligible for the $99 Unlimited CE Pass)
May 28, 9 a.m.–noon, eEssentials 4: How to Excel in MS-Excel – SOLD OUT!

June 1, 6 p.m.–8 p.m, Agency & Fair Housing (held at the Maple Grove Community Center, 12951 Weaver Lake Rd, Maple Grove MN 55369) – seats available

June 3, 9 a.m.–noon, Fraud – SOLD OUT!
June 3, 9 a.m.–11:30 a.m. Matrix CMA (held at PDC @ RFC) – SOLD OUT!
June 3, 1 p.m.–4 p.m, Size Matters – SOLD OUT!
June 4, 9 a.m.–noon, eEssentials 5: PowerPoint (held at PDC @ RFC) – SOLD OUT!
June 8, 9 a.m.–noon, Identity Theft – SOLD OUT!
June 8, 1 p.m.–4 p.m., Real Estate Math: Mortgages – seats available

Newest addition
June 11, 1–4 p.m., Matrix (held at PDC @ RFC) – seats available

More classes available! Click the Calendar at www.mplsrealtor.com.

CE From the Convenience of Home—New Discount for Online Courses!
Earn continuing education credits in the comfort of your own home at hours convenient to you. Work on your continuing education anywhere with an Internet connection. All of our Hondros Learning online courses are approved for Minnesota CE credit.

Register now and take $5.00 off each individual course or $10.00 off a package. Simply use one of the discount codes listed below during checkout. Hurry! These offers expire on May 31, 2009.

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MAAR Bylaws Under Review

MAAR's bylaws are under review. A membership meeting will be held in June. Proposed bylaw amendments will be published in enotes and on our website in June.

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News from NorthstarMLS

BookAShowing Announcement:
Starting Tuesday, May 26, Overlapping
Appointments Allowed By Default
Currently when you enter a new listing into NorthstarMLS, it is automatically set on BookAShowing to not allow overlapping appointments. You have to manually adjust the settings on the appointment to allow overlaps. Due to popular demand, that will change starting Tuesday, May 26. On that date, the default will be to automatically allow overlapping appointments. If you do not want to allow overlapping appointments for a new listing, it's easy to change the setting (click here for instructions).

Appointment overlap settings for listings entered before May 26 will not be changed. Whatever settings you have for overlapping appointments on those existing listings now will remain the same. If you have questions, contact the NorthstarMLS Help Desk at mlshelp@northstarmls.com or 651.251.5456.

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Green is Good

Green By Design
How to plan and build healthy, sustainable, affordable housing and communities in Minnesota.

Register for the 4th annual statewide Green by Design conference and training aimed at providing housing developers, builders, contractors, architects, city planners, environmentalists, funders, and other professionals the tools needed to build energy efficient, healthy, and sustainable housing. Multiple tracks will be offered, including sessions by local and national experts that focus on various elements of the Green Communities criteria (a set of nationally recognized green affordable housing standards) and other related topics. Examples of successful green building projects, including both multifamily and single-family developments, new construction and rehabilitation, will be highlighted throughout the conference.

Topics of interest include:
Residential Green Building • Minnesota Housing Green Funding Requirements • Green Rehabilitation • Ensuring Healthy Homes and Communities • Green Opportunities and Issues Surrounding the Foreclosure Crisis • Sustainable Land Use Planning • Equitable Green Economic Development • Green Building Materials • Energy Conservation and Climate Protection Strategies • Rural and Urban Greening Strategies • and other great topics on green building, design, and public policy.

Save the dates: June 10 and 11, 2009
Evening program: June 10 • Conference sessions June 11
The Depot • Minneapolis • www.mngreencommunities.org/gbd

Source: Minnesota Green Communities

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NAR's REALTOR Benefits® Program

NAR has partnered with industry leaders to provide you with value-added offers and significant savings on products and services you use on a daily basis as part of the REALTOR Benefits® Program.

Take a few minutes to browse this month's REALTOR Benefits® Newsletter which is full of news, resources, and unique promotions designed to help you both professionally and personally. Things like:

• New REALTORS® Federal Credit Union
• New Limited Medical Insurance Program
• Xerox Introduces New First-Of-Its-Kind Color Printer
• Up to 50% on eNeighborhoods PowerSuite

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Next Free Seminar with RealEstateHomePages.com is June 5

JOIN US... for our informative 2 hour seminar to grow your business, automate your marketing, and preview the best website and property search system in the Twin Cities. Sign Up Below.	SEMINAR INCLUDES Full Training on Website Options Search Engine Optimization Lead Capture Drip Email and Much More!
Friday June 5 Click Here to Sign Up Today! MAAR at Real Financial Center 4450 W, 76th St. Edina, MN 9:30-11:30am Directions
WEBSITE FEATURES Google Map Property Search 100% Editable Lead Capture Search Engine Friendly Unlimited Pages Free Local Phone Support No Contracts $39.95 Includes website and MLS Search

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e-PRO® – Next Workshop is Monday, June 1

Attend the InternetCrusade® Technology Workshop featuring the e-PRO® Certification course, the only technology course offered and endorsed by NAR. You don't have to be a technology expert to attend this program. Get in tune with the wants and needs of today's Internet-empowered buyers and sellers. Start working smarter. Enroll at this FREE workshop and receive a $25 discount from the normal $359 fee and an 8-month enrollment (instead of 6 months) for this online course. Call 1.866.377.0627 (toll free) or click the link below to sign up today!

e-PRO® Workshop at MAAR's Office:
5750 Lincoln Drive, Edina, MN 55436
Monday, June 1, 2009, 10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
(with 30 minutes extra minutes for questions)

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So, You Want To Sell Your LAND Conference

One of the largest real estate events in the Twin Cities.
Over 500 people attend each year!

So, You Want To Sell Your LAND Conference: Successful Strategies for Marketing Your Property

Date: Thursday, May 28
Location: Golden Valley Country Club , 7001 Golden Valley Rd, Golden Valley, MN 55427
Time: 7:15 a.m. (registration & continental buffet), 7:55 a.m.–noon (program)
Cost: $99, $129 Day of Event
Credits: 4 hours of real estate, appraisal and legal CE credits applied for
Register

Speakers Include

• Congressman Erik Paulsen, U.S. House of Representatives
• Elwyn Tinklenberg, The Tinklenberg Group
• Mayor Doug Anderson, City of Dayton
• Samantha Orduno, City of Dayton
• Henry Fischer, St. Cloud Area Economic Development Partnership
• Catherine Mehelich, City of Elk River
• Tom Gump, Neighborhood Development Partners LLC
• Kevin Goodno, Fredrikson & Byron PA
• Brian McCool, Fredrikson & Byron PA
• Joe Springer, Fredrikson & Byron PA
• James Lockhart, Wipfli LLP
• Tim Lenway, Braun Intertec
• Ron Shaffer, Braun Intertec
• Steve Schwanke, RLK Incorporated
• Ted Gonsior, NAI Welsh
• Jon Rausch, NorthMarq

On the Program

• The Importance of Transportation Infrastructure and How Governmental Dollars and Regulations Will Impact the Development Industry
• Stimulus, Infrastructure Funding, and the Double-Edged Sword
• How to Maximize the Value of Your Land and How to Find Equity and Protect Your Proceeds
• Engineering & Environmental Work to Improve Your Land Value
• How to Effectively Work With Municipalities
• How to Sell Your Land in Our Current Market

Register | Full Program

For registration questions, contact Stephanie Awe at sawe@recg.com or 952.405.7785.

Source: Real Estate Communications Group

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Membership Appreciation Week Winners

It's been a couple of weeks since we took the tent of Member Appreciation Week down, but we still wanted to list all of our prize drawing winners in one place. Thanks to everyone who contributed to the success of this inaugural event, and congratulations to those who left with additional goodies beyond free CE credits and full bellies.

Monday
Linda Coughlin, Lisa Mosley, Kent Olson, Vivian Ringold, Dee Wentworth, Greg Yurick

Tuesday
Lori Amundson, Andrea Goodlund, Galina Kamenir, Heather Melton, Lorraine Smith, Jonathan Zabrocki

Wednesday
Sue Cameron, Kay Glossop, Dave Hendricks, Sandy Willis, Dan Saplis, Denise Schnabel

Thursday
Deb Birchler, Judith Houston, Ben Joerg, Jane Lewis, Karen McKernan, Jane Revsbech, Gina Schedivy, Louise Schneider

Friday
Andy Fazendin, Karina Grazovski, Dan Heinicke, Julie Olsen, Jeff Shuman, Chris Sutton

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