Grab a cuppa coffee and take 8 minutes to get an update on Private Flood insurance, Rural Housing Loans after June 4th, Competitiveness, Cultural of Success and Fair Housing.

Get Ready – We’ve got an AWESOME event in the works… we are still working on the details, but we want you to save the date now for SEPTEMBER 20^th!  We are happy to share that have planned a major Berkshire Realtors’ 2018 Housing Summit at the Colonial Theater in Pittsfield to offer an opportunity for legislators, town leaders, housing practitioners and the general public to get the latest information on our market, exchange ideas to overcome challenges and build relationships to support a healthy housing market and ultimately a healthy Berkshire economy.

We are still in the planning stages for the detailed agenda but are hoping to secure an AMAZING keynote speaker for this event.  It’s important now, because we know that every successful region has dynamic and diverse neighborhoods with a mix of housing opportunities, legislation that supports a well-balanced housing market, and protection of private property rights for all.  And we need to work together with committed individuals at this crossroad.  Our Housing Summit will:

• Update and inform the housing community about the current housing state of affairs;
• Engage participants with different viewpoints in positive conversations;
• Provide targeted information on barriers to housing production or housing in general;
• Advise policy makers and housing providers about necessary local changes; and
• Promote opportunities for action to help our Berkshire housing market.

Community Stakeholders to Be Invited:

• Legislators on the local, state and national levels.
• MA Secretary of Housing and Economic Development, MA Office of HUD
• Town Managers, Councils, and Local Housing Authorities and Trusts
• Regional Housing Authorities, Boards and Associations.
• Massachusetts Association of REALTORS, MassHousing, MA Citizens’ Housing and Planning Association’s
• Real Estate Professionals, Area Builders & Lenders and Interested Members of the General Public

If you have suggestions or input, please send Sandy@BerkshireRealtors.org a message and she will make sure the Government Affairs or Leadership working on the details see it!

It’s that time again – time to create the 1st Quarter Market Watch Report!  Please check the MLS system to make sure all your sales are reported correctly, that your pending listings are marked and the data is accurate.  Looking at the preliminary numbers, we ask … where are all of the listings?  Inventory is …

The MA Association is hosting a webinar with Former IRS attorney, Sandy Botkin.  In this webinar, he’ll teach you, in plain English, what the new tax law means for you and your business. Webinar:  April 3rd at Noon

As a reminder, when a seller wishes to delay submission to the Multiple Listing Service, you should have the Delayed or Refusal to List paperwork completed, along with your Exclusive Right to Sell contract.  This form, together with the contract, should be on file with the Board Office within 2-business days of the seller’s signature.  …

Construct, Inc., will be hold an open house for REALTORS at their new affordable housing development, Forest Springs, immediately following the end of the South County Tour on Tuesday, March 27th (from noon to 2:00 p.m.). Located at 316 State Road, Great Barrington; Forest Springs is an 11 unit housing development with set asides for …

The Contracts and Forms Committee, chaired by Mark McIlquham, met on March 21st to review some requested updates to our Purchase and Sale Agreement.  They have not yet completed that review and will be meeting again in the next few weeks.  If you have any suggestions / requests for changes to this document, please email …

Are you interested in learning more about the Code of Ethics processing of ethics complaints and arbitration matters?  Are you a member of the Grievance Committee, Boards of Directors or the Professional Standards Committee who hasn’t attended training since 2016?  Then this is the class for you! Sandy and Sue will guide you, with hands-on …

Members have been receiving referral emails from legitimate Realtors throughout the US.  One such Realtor that we’ve heard has been sent to Berkshire members is Barbara Dunlap. She is the unfortunate victim of this scam, and is a real Realtor in California. Our own Donna Thomas in North Adams has been the victim of this …

The short answer is yes, but there are many considerations that need to be accounted for in determining whether an agent’s actions have bound their client. The first question to address in the analysis is whether the agent had authority to bind their client. The agent may have express actual authority, which means that the …