2009 Nomination Procedures for Office                                                                Are you a REALTOR who has served your local Board Association as an elected officer or Alaska Association of REALTORS director and have visions for an AAR office? Elections for the 2009 positions will be held during the State Convention, September 16-19, 2008.  Deadline to file for office is noon of the last business day immediately preceding the annual meeting and election.  A Credentials Committee will review applicants in adherence to the qualifying criteria.  Positions available for 2009 are President-Elect, Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary and two Director at Large positions.  All are one-year terms beginning in January 2009.     2009 Nomination Form

REALTOR® Of The Year Nominations                                                                      The Association is seeking candidates for the 2008 REALTOR of the Year Award.  Each year AAR recognizes an active member who has provided outstanding service to their profession and the community during the year.  The recipient is announced in September at the annual convention and is also recognized nationally at the NAR annual convention. Nomination Form

Request for 2009 Convention Proposals                                                               The Association is accepting proposals for the 2010 Annual State Convention.  Member boards or individual members need to submit a letter of intent to the Association by August 15, 2008.  The letter should include facility specifications, including sleeping, meeting and banquet rooms for consideration.

Online Education                                                                                                     The Alaska Association now has online courses approved for continuing education credit.  All 8 hours of designated credit (DCE) along with 24 hours of elective credit (ECE) are offered online.  Courses include:                                                                                            Property Disclosures - 2 hrs DCE/4 hrs ECE = 6 Hrs                                                      Buyer Representation - 2 hrs DCE/4 hrs ECE = 6 Hrs                                                         Ethics in Today's RE World - 2 hrs DCE/4 hrs ECE = 6 Hrs                                                      Mortgage Fraud & Predatory Lending - 2 hrs DCE/4 hrs ECE = 6 Hrs                           Electronic Transactions - 6 hrs ECE                                                                            Property Management & Managing Risk - 6 hrs ECE                          

To access the course, go to www.alaskarealtors.com and click on RE campus.

Business License in Alaska                                                                                       At the last Alaska Real Estate Commission meeting a very important opinion came out of the Attorney General's office regarding business licenses.  Several licensees had asked whether a State business license was required to operate as an independent contractor.  The opinion from the AG's office is as follows: All licensees operating in the State of Alaska and conducting business as an independent contractor must have a State business license.

Education  Changes                                                                                                The Alaska Real Estate Commission has announced the the education requirement for pre- and post licensing will change in February, 2008.  Pre-licensing hours are set to increase to 40 hours effective February 1, 2008.  This will affect anyone applying for a real estate license after this date.  All applications received after February 1st must include 40 hours of pre-licensing instruction.  Post-licensing Education (PLE) hours are also set to increase to 30 hours effective February 1, 2008.  This applies to new salespersons or those upgrading from a Salesperson to an Associate Broker or Broker.  This education must be completed within 12 months of obtaining a new license.  Your license will lapse if you fail to complete your required PLE.

How To Deal With Multiple Offers                                                                          The National Association of REALTORS® developed this document to assist buyers and sellers when negotiating multiple offers. Multiple Offers

RESPA Dos and Don'ts For Real Estate Brokers And Agents                          Recent articles in the press indicate that some of those involved in real estate settlements may not fully understand their obligations under the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (RESPA) The following will educate REALTORS® about RESPA requirements. RESPA Form