La Crosse Area REALTORS® Association : Home Page

Association Happenings

LARA 4th Annual Snow Bowl

Ready for a fun break out of the cold? Our Annual Snow Bowl will be on Friday, March 19 at Features in West Salem! It will begin at 3:00 p.m. and the cost is only $5.00 for members. Cost includes: 2 games of bowling, shoes, pizza and prizes. Sharpen up your bowling skills and join us for a winter break! Click here for more information! RSVP today by emailing Kevin at membershipservices@larawebsite.com. Space is limited!

La Crosse “Extended Home Buyer Tax Credit” Campaign Announcement!

Recently, the Directors of the La Crosse Area REALTORS® Association allocated monies to create a billboard campaign to promote the “Extended Home Buyer Tax Credit” and most importantly promote calling a “REALTOR®” for the information. The campaign will run February – April. Keep an eye out for the billboards as they start popping up around the community and outlying areas.

REALTOR® Government Day 2010

REALTOR® Government day is Wednesday, February 24, 2010 from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the Monona Terrace in Madison. This is YOUR opportunity to help shape laws that impact you. We will eat lunch that will be provided FREE. We will then meet with our state lawmakers at the Capitol. This is a unique opportunity to advocate for issues that impact your business and the real estate industry in Wisconsin.

Registration is FREE to the first 500 registrants. Due to the lunch guarantee, anyone registering at the door will be charged $20 to cover the cost of the lunch.

To register, contact Kevin at 608-785-7744 or email Membership Services. Click here for Registration information and a full schedule of the event.

2010 Wisconsin Homebuyer Tax Credit Explained

Whether you are an existing homeowner or first-time buyer, get a detailed explanation of how the tax credit works. You could be eligible for up to an $8,000 tax credit from Uncle Sam. Presented By John Flor 2009-2010 WRA Chairman Of The Board. Click here to view the full video on how to get the most out of the 2010 Homebuyers Tax Credit.

Tax Credit Extension A Positive Step

As part of its plan to stimulate the U.S. housing market and address the economic challenges facing our nation, Congress has passed new legislation that extends the First-Time Home Buyer Tax Credit of up to $8,000 to first-time home buyers until April 30, 2010 and expands the credit to grant up to $6,500 credit to current home owners purchasing a new or existing home between November 7, 2009 and April 30, 2010. Click here for more information about how the Extended Home Buyer Tax Credit can help prospective home buyers become part of the American dream.

Update on Real Estate Forms Revisions

The following revised forms are now available for purchase at the LARA Office:

WB-11 Residential Offer to Purchase, WB-40 Amendment to Offer to Purchase, WB-41 Notice Relating to Offer to Purchase, WB-42 Amendment to Listing Contract, WB-44 Counter Offer, WB-46 Multiple Counter Proposal and WB-47 Amendment to Buyer Agency/Tenant Representation Agreement.

The mandatory use date for all forms currently in circulation is March 1, 2010.

In addition to DRL approved forms, the following WRA drafted forms have been modified and are also now available:

WRAADA Addendum A to the Offer to Purchase, WRAADO Occupancy Agreement Addendum to Offer, WRACR Condition Report (2 pages), WRASCR Seller’s Real Estate Condition Report (3 pages), WRAF Real Estate Condition Report – Farm, WRARCC Seller Disclosure Report – Commercial and WRARV Seller Disclosure Report – Vacant Land.

Addenda O and A were revised to reflect the removal of the occupancy provision from the new WB-11 and to more closely match other provisions in the new form. Changes to the condition/disclosure reports are necessary to include the new farmland preservation conversion fee required as of January 1, 2010 and to match the list of disclosure items to those listed on the new offer to purchase.

Click here for more detailed information on the changes and to watch a line-by-line video explanation of the form changes.

Tom M. Wheeler GRI Scholarship Update!

Congratulations to Michelle Grimm from Prudential Lovejoy Realty for winning the 2009 Tom M. Wheeler GRI Scholarship! Michelle has been a Realtor for 3 years. Prior to her career in Real Estate, she was a stay at home Mom with 3 children. Currently they are 17, 14 and 9. She was very active in PTA and volunteering with Irving Pertzsch Elementary and Eagle Bluff Elementary. She was also a freelance graphic artist during this time. She has a commercial art degree from WTC and enjoys the various activities of her children, ranging from OHS Marching/Pep band to karate and photography. Congratulations Michelle!

Submit Your MLS Single Family Profile Sheet Electronically

You can now enter your Single Family listing electronically. All required fields must be populated before successful submission. Online submission will give you the opportunity to send up to two confirmations to two different email addresses. Don’t forget to either fax your listing contract for verification to 608-785-7742 or email it to Membership Services. To access the electronic form, Click here.

Submit Your Open Houses Online

By submitting your Open House form via this website, you take the guess work out of checking to make sure that all of the required information has been entered. This ensures that your Open House will be processed in a timely manner. Online submission also allows you to receive an automatic confirmation email at up to two email addresses. Remember to call the Association Office to make sure we've received all of your Open Houses. To fill out your Open House Directory Form, click here.

Most Current Issue of the River City REALTOR®

The LARA Newsletter is always available for viewing, downloading, and printing. Keep an eye out for the most recent flyers and announcements. Find out what's happening with the Association and our members by clicking here to open this month's issue.

New Continuing Education Requirements and Dates

With the start of the 2009-2010 biennium, all licensees must complete six Department of Regulation and Licensing (DRL) approved courses for a total of 18 hours before December 14, 2010. There are four mandatory courses and a list of DRL approved electives. Licensees must complete the four mandatory courses and two electives from the DRL approved list. If you have questions, please call the Association Office.

Core Health Insurance for REALTORS® Launched by NAR

The REALTORS® Core Health Insurance (RCH) provides guaranteed – issue, affordable, Limited Medical health insurance plans to REALTORS®. The coverage is exclusively designed and priced for NAR members under the age of 65. It is intended to help meet costs associated with everyday healthcare needs and provide a safety net for those not covered by a comprehensive health insurance plan. Limitations and exclusions apply. For more information, contact 877-CORE-PLAN.

What is a REALTOR®? What a REALTOR® can do for you!