Happy Holidays

Happy Holidays from the GFC CMLS Directors and Staff

The following hours will be in effect:

Thursday, December 23rd - 8:30 am - 3:00 pm
Friday, December 24th - Closed
Saturday, December 25th - Closed
Monday December 27th - Thursday December 30th 8:30 am - 5:00 pm
Friday, December 31st - Closed
Saturday, January 1st - Closed

Normal hours will resume Monday, Janaury 3rd 2011

Have a Safe and Happy Holiday Season!

GFC-CMLS Products

RE/Xplorer 2.5
The GFC CMLS’ main MLS program, RE/Xplorer allows agents to search listings, email reports to clients, manage Contacts, create CMAs, search tax records, get neighborhood reports and search the GFC CMLS membership roster. RE/Xplorer is also the only way to add or modify listings and search for Tours/Open Houses on the MLS.

Paragon 4
Paragon provides an upgraded contact manager that enables you to set up your clients for customizable automatic email notifications of matching listings- you control the type of report and the timing of the email that your contacts receive. Additionally, Paragon includes a powerful, highly customizable CMA module that allows you to print out robust presentation CMA reports. For appraisers, Paragon offers a report format that automatically generates the information required for the 1004MC report.

Listingbook
Listingbook provides comprehensive, up-to-date real estate information, straight from the GFC CMLS. Used by both agents and clients, Listingbook fosters communication and allows clients the ability to search listings, mark properties as favorites or rejects, modify their property search, and see competition for their home. With Listingbook, it is very simple for agents to keep track of their client’s activity and know exactly what they are looking for.

DocCentral
DocCentral enables agents to safely and easily upload and store documents for their listings. Documents can be set to private (so only the agent can access them), or they can be made public and available for any GFC CMLS user to view. Transaction management documentation has never been easier or more efficient.

rDesk
rDesk is a free IDX solution that allows agents to easily integrate customizable MLS searches into their personal websites. In addition to the IDX functionality, rDesk also includes many other valuable resources: a contact manager, a lead generator, neighborhood and school reports, flyers, mapping and driving direction tools, mortgage calculators and a calendar

reInsight Mobile
Any GFC CMLS member with a smartphone and a data plan can perform customizable MLS searches while out of the office using reInsight Mobile. You can search by MLS number, address, style and many other criteria. The membership roster can also be searched to find an agent’s phone number or email address. You can even email listings to your clients directly from your handheld device.

Supra
Supra provides agents with an integrated key/keybox network with reliable and secure information on showing activity and feedback on listings as well as allowing agents to chose the device they use and the level of service they receive. The Supra iBox system - opening doors for the real estate industry.

Happy Holidays

The GFC CMLS will be closing at 5:00 pm Friday December 17th.

Windows 7 Users

If you have a computer that is running Windows 7 and would like to make it compatible with RE/Xplorer, we have just created a step-by-step guide that walks you through the settings that need to be configured.
Please click here for the instructions.

As always, if it is during our normal business hours and you'd like a GFC CMLS technician to walk you through the configurations, or take over your computer and do it for you, please do not hesitate to call us.

These instructions are also applicable if you have recently upgraded to Internet Explorer 8 and need to make RE/Xplorer compatible with it.

PCD - PROPOSED CLOSING DATE

Our Data Checker program is set up to check for any CTS or Pending listing where the PCD has passed (by seven days) and has not either been SOLD/RENTED or the PCD adjusted to reflect some date in the future.
When you receive notification from us that the PCD on your listing has passed, please adjust the date or close the transaction out. Not doing so will result in a $10 fine for both agent and office. Sometimes, you may not know the specific date of closing, in these cases please enter your best estimate. As always, do not hesitate to contact our office if you have questions or need assistance.

Our Congratulations to Cheryl Scott-Daniels

Our Congratulations to Cheryl Scott-Daniels on her selection as Connecticut's REALTOR® of the year.The GFC CMLS officers and staff congratulate our Chairperson, Cheryl Scott-Daniels on being honored as Connecticut’s 2010 REALTOR® of the Year by the Connecticut Association of REALTORS® (CAR) during last night’s annual Connecticut Association of REALTORS® Awards and Installation Program.

Cheryl was nominated for this prestigious award by the Mid-Fairfield County Association of REALTORS® (MFCAR) and was selected from a field of 18 other REALTORS® nominated by their local boards and associations from across Connecticut. Cheryl’s selection was based on her current and past Local Board, State Association and civic activities.

Please click here for additional information.

Windows 7 Users

If you have a computer that is running Windows 7 and would like to make it compatible with RE/Xplorer, we have just created a step-by-step guide that walks you through the settings that need to be configured. Please click here for the instructions.
As always, if it is during our normal business hours and you'd like a GFC CMLS technician to walk you through the configurations, or take over your computer and do it for you, please do not hesitate to call us.
These instructions are also applicable if you have recently upgraded to Internet Explorer 8 and need to make RE/Xplorer compatible with it.

Happy Thanksgiving

Our holiday hours will be:

Wednesday, November 24th 8:30 am - 3:00 pm

Thursday, November 25th - Sunday, November 28th Closed

We will re-open on Monday November 29th at 8:30 am

Please note: LPS will be available for support 800.347.6367:

Wednesday- 7:00am-9:00pm
Thursday- CLOSED
Friday-7:00am-9:00pm
Saturday- 10:00am-4:00pm
Sunday- 12:00noon-4:00pm

Happy Thanksgiving from the GFC CMLS Staff

WCR Installation of State and Local Officers

You are invited to the Women's Council of Realtors 2011 Holiday Party and Installation of State and Local Officers. 11:30 am to 2 pm at the Crown Plaza in Southbury on Monday, December 6th. Contact Betty Hensal at 203.775.4561 or bhensal@ctrealestate.com for additional information. Amy Chorew and Peggy Doepper will be the guest speakers.

Windows 7 settings for RE/Xplorer

If you have a new PC, it will most likely have Windows 7 installed.

To read the directions on how setup a Windows 7 PC for use with RE/Xplorer, go to our home page: http://www.ct-mls.com

Click Support, and then login.

The link for the directions is near the middle, and titled "Windows 7 and IE8 settings that are necessary for RE/Xplorer".

As always , you can also call our office for support, (203) 840-6674 ext 310.

Quarterly Dues Invoices

As of August 15, 2009, quarterly dues invoices are emailed 45 days prior to the beginning of each quarter.
Invoice dates are: Feb 15th, May 15th, Aug 15th and Nov 15th.
Payments are due 30 days following the invoice date.

Due dates are: March 15th, June 15th, Sept 15th and Dec 15th.

Please be sure your email address has been updated since this is the first form of notification you will receive about your bill.
All payments must be made prior to the beginning of each quarter.

The GFC CMLS will suspend MLS Services to those who fail to pay his/her quarterly dues by the 1st of each quarter: Jan 1st, April 1st, July 1st and Oct 1st at which time all MLS services will be suspended and a late fee of $25 will be imposed.

Invoice reminders are mailed to the office on the 1st of each quarter, for those members who are still unpaid.

If payment is still not received 60 days from the invoice date, (Feb 15th, May 15th, Aug 15th and Nov 15th) MLS services will automatically be terminated and a termination fee of $25 will be assessed in addition to the $25 late fee.

1st Quarter - January 1st - March 31st
2nd Quarter - April 1st - June 30th
3rd Quarter - July 1st - September 30th
4th Quarter - October 1st - December 31st

EXAMPLE:
Invoices created and emailed - November 15
Due -December 15
Unpaid agents are suspended & late fee of $25 applied - January 1
Unpaid agents are terminated & $25 termination fee applied - January 15

Town Profiles

Did you know that there are links on several of the reports in RE/Xplorer and Paragon that will bring you directly to that listing’s town profile website?

Among other things, this site gives useful information about that town’s history, culture, dining, recreation, and leisure activities.

In RE/Xplorer, you can access the town profiles by clicking on the town number or name on the Book, Full, Public, and Public with Map reports.In Paragon, there is a Town Profile hyperlink on the Book, Full, Public, Public with Map, and Book with Map reports.

GFC CMLS Training Classes

The following sessions are available:

Listingbook Advanced Webinar 11/05/10 9:30 am - 12:30 pm

RE/Xplorer Webinar 11/9/10 6:00 pm - 9:00 pm

reInsight Mobile Webinar 11/16/10 10:00 am - 10:45 am

RE/Xplorer (Westport) 11/17/10 10:00 am - 1:00 pm

RE/Xplorer (Bridgeport) 11/18/10 9:30 am - 12:30 pm

Listingbook (Bridgeport) 11/18/10 1:30 pm - 4:30 pm

RE/Xplorer (Bethel) 11/19/10 9:30 am - 12:30 pm

Listingbook (Bethel) 11/19/10 1:30 pm - 4:30 pm

Listingbook (Norwalk) 11/30/10 9:30 am - 12:30 pm

Click here to register or call the GFC CMLS office at 203 840-6674

reInsight Mobile search

When you start a new search in reInsight Mobile, and it is something besides a Single family search, (Condo or other) follow these steps:

1. Change the property type.

2. Make sure to click "Refresh Criteria".

3. Add your other criteria and run the search.

Otherwise, it may say that there are no listings found.

How would you like to be able to advertise your listing for FREE?

We’ve recently noticed that many agents are not taking full advantage of the power of attaching listings to the Sellers they have entered into Listingbook. Therefore, we are excited to make the following offer; for every SF or CN listing that has at least 50 prospects for it within the Listingbook community (which currently has almost 66,500 buyers and sellers within the Greater Fairfield County area), you will get a free, 7-day Featured Listing promotion when you attach the listing to a Seller Client that has a unique, valid email address.
If you have added your sellers into Listingbook, but have not associated their listing with their account, you are missing out on a very powerful feature of Listingbook. Once a listing has been assigned to a Seller account, that client will be more informed and, through the Morning Report, they will see what is happening with listings that are in direct competition with their property. Additionally, through the use of Featured Property promotions, you can make sure that your seller’s property is effectively marketed to those buyers (and their agents) in Listingbook whose saved searches closely match the property. It is the most efficient way to get your listing in front of the buyers and agents who would be most interested in it.

Click here for detailed instructions on how to create a seller account and attach their listing to it.

Click here for instructions on how to attach your listing to an existing client.

If you have any questions, please contact the GFC CMLS office at 203 840-6674 or support@ct-mls.com

Continuing Education Cruise

The Valley Board of Realtors is offering a Continuing Education Cruise on the Carnival Glory, Sunday June 5th - Thursday, June 9th.

Click here for more information.

Market Watch Reports

Click the link below for the Quarterly Market Watch Reports
http://www.ct-mls.com/GeneralInfo/EconomicWatchReports.aspx

reInsight Mobile Maintenance

The reInsight Mobile application will be down for maintenance tonight from 11pm until 7am Wednesday morning. During this downtime, you will be unable to log into reInsight on your mobile device (Palm, iPhone, Blackberry, etc.) to search the MLS.
RE/Xplorer, Paragon, and Listingbook are not affected by this downtime.

Women's Council Annual Event

Women's Council of Realtors Presents Allan Dalton. Tuesday, October 12th at the Westport Country Playhouse. $20 for members/$30 for non-members. RSVP or for more information call 203.259.8326 or email nadine@vanderblueteam.com. 9:30 am Continental Breakfast, 10:00 am educational seminar.

AVG Antivirus Users

The latest version of the AVG Free Antivirus program (AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition 2011) just became available the other day. Until further notice, do not upgrade to it. Currently there is an incompatibility with RE/Xplorer which leads to error messages and the inability to log into REX. Programmers are aware of this and are researching ways to make them compatible. If you have already installed the 2011 version, you will have to uninstall it in order for RE/Xplorer to work again.

We will let you know when it is safe to upgrade to AVG 2011.

REO vs Short Sale

A listing cannot be both a SHORT SALE and a REO property. These are mutually exclusive fields.

A short sale is a sale of real estate in which the sale proceeds fall short of the balance owed on the property's loan. It often occurs when a borrower cannot pay the mortgage loan on their property, but the lender decides that selling the property at a moderate loss is better than pressing the borrower. Both parties consent to the short sale process, because it allows them to avoid foreclosure. This agreement, however, does not necessarily release the borrower from the obligation to pay the remaining balance of the loan, known as the deficiency. The Compensation Code field is not a required field however you can mark your listing as a Possible Short Sale by placing a “S” in this field.

Real estate owned or REO is a class of property owned by a lender, typically a bank, after an unsuccessful sale at a foreclosure auction. As soon as the bank repossesses the property, it is listed on their books as REO – Real Estate Owned – and is categorized as an asset. REO Property shall mean a property listed by a lender or the lender’s authorized representative.

This is a required field for SF, CN, MU, CI and LA property types.

GFC CMLS Training Classes

The following sessions are available:


Listingbook Basics (Norwalk)- 9/28/10 - 10:00 am - 12:00 pm

Listingbook Advanced (Norwalk) - 9/28/10 - 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm

Listingbook Webinar - 10/07/10 1:30 pm - 4:30 pm

DocCentral (Norwalk) - 10/13/10 9:30 am - 11:00 am

Listingbook Basic (Bridgeport) - 10/13/10 10:00 am - 12:00 pm

Listingbook Advanced (Bridgeport) - 10/13/10 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm

RE/Xplorer (Norwalk) - 10/14/10 9:30 am - 12:30 pm

REInsight Mobile Webinar - 10/15/10 10:00 am - 11:00 pm

rDesk IDX Webinar - 10/15/10 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm

RE/Xplorer (Saturday, Norwalk) - 10/16/10 10:00 am - 1:00 pm

Paragon Webinar - 10/19/10 6:00 pm - 9:00 pm

RE/Xplorer (Norwalk) - 10/20/10 1:30 pm - 4:30 pm

CMA Webinar - 10/22/10 9:30 am - 12:00 pm

Listingbook Basics (Bethel) - 10/25/10 10:00 am - 12:00 pm

Listingbook Advanced (Bethel) - 10/25/10 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm

RE/Xplorer (Bridgeport) - 10/26/10 9:30 am - 12:30 pm

Listingbook (Bridgeport) - 10/26/10 1:30 pm - 4:30 pm

RE/Xplorer (Westport) - 10/27/10 10:00 am - 1:00 pm

RE/Xplorer (Bethel) - 10/28/10 9:30 am - 12:30 pm

Listingbook (Bethel) - 10/28/10 1:30 pm - 4:30 pm

Click here to register or call the GFC CMLS office at 203 840-6674

Did You Know.....

...that listings cannot be entered into our system for comps only? Listings entered solely for statistical reasons are not allowed as per section 4.2 of the GFC CMLS Rules and Regulations. Ironically, entering these listings to enhance the comparables actually do the system an injustice by skewing market time calculations as well as other information.
If you receive a Listing Validity Check from Data Verification, please do not delay in contacting us at 203-840-6674 ext 320 to avoid unnecessary penalties for you and your office.
Section 4.2 - Listings May Only Be Filed to Offer Cooperation and Compensation to Other participants.(bold) The Service will not accept for Filing a Listing that is (a) not freely available to offers from cooperating brokers at the time it is Filed; (b) filed strictly for the purpose of enhancing the Listing Broker/Agent's "Market Share" statistics; or (c) filed only to provide comparable sale information. Violations of this section 4.2 are subject to "Second Tier" fines and penalties as set forth in Section 3 of Schedule C.

Women's Council of Realtors Presents

Time Management - Kim Kasparian presents:
"Manage Energy, Create More Time - Energetic Time Management"

$10 for WCR Members $20 for Non-Members RSVP to nadine@vanderblueteam.com

Wednesday, September 22nd, 1:30 pm - 4:00 pm Westport Public Library McManus Room

E-Readers at Norwalk Library

The Norwalk Public Library has made e-readers available for a one week checkout.

They also have iPads available from within the library, but those are not available for checkout.

Click the link below for more information:
http://tiny.cc/xwgla

Paragon Update Process

Programmers have been working since yesterday to repair the process by which listings and rosters are updated from RE/Xplorer to Paragon. The process has been fixed, and they are now going through the backlog of updates that have been on hold since yesterday (Wednesday Sept. 15). There are a lot of updates to process, but they are hoping to make it through all of them within the next several hours.
To be safe, you may want to continue to use RE/Xplorer for reliable, up-to-date listings information for the remainder of the evening.
We appreciate your patience.

Special Events

Be sure to check out our Special Events Page by clicking on the link on the right side of our homepage for details regarding upcoming events!

Currently you can find information regarding a "Round Table Forum" with candidates for state office in Region 1. See page for details.

Compass Maintenance

The Compass system (RE/Xplorer and PC Access) will be down tonight, Tuesday, August 31, 2010, for about an hour, starting at 9:00pm. During this downtime, engineers will be upgrading some hardware components.

Paragon and Listingbook are not affected by this downtime.

We appreciate your patience.

Market Watch Reports

Click the link below for the Quarterly Market Watch Reports

http://www.ct-mls.com/GeneralInfo/EconomicWatchReports.aspx

Happy Retirement

We would like to wish Thursa Merritt and Sharon Scofield many thanks for their years of dedication to the GFC CMLS. Enjoy many Happy and Healthy years of Retirement. In honor of their retirement we will be closing the office at 5 pm, Thursday August 26th.

You're Invited to Join the Fairfield County YPN for a Free Webinar

Have you ever felt so bogged down by your day to day duties as a Realtor that you either work what seems like all day and night or just forget to do things because you get overloaded?
Do you ever wish that you could automate all of your processes through a series of systems generated from one central location?

Now you can!

On this call Real Estate Coach Jared James is going to demonstrate how a Contact Management Software can facilitate your email & calendar, automatically send out your customer service letters and on going marketing pieces, manage your listings & contacts and much much more!
There is literally too much information to write about here.

If you never sign up for another Webinar again, sign up for this one now! You won't regret it!

You can choose from either...

Date: 08/26/2010 - Time: 12:30 p.m. - Click here for webinar registrationor

Date: 08/26/2010 - Time: 9:00 p.m. - Click here for webinar registration

Jared James is the CEO & Founder of Jared James Enterprises and travels around the country speaking to and coaching REALTORS®.

The Market Watch Report

The Market Watch Report for the 2nd Quarter 2010 is now available.
Please Click Here.

The GFC CMLS and Listingbook Present "Back to Basics"

Today's constantly evolving technology can be overwhelming and distracting. It's time to focus on what makes you money. Amy Chorew, a real estate technology strategist, will teach the industry secrets for turning leads into clients, knowing exactly what your buyers want and selling more listings faster.
Wednesday, September 1st
10:00 am - 12:00 pm
Westport Country Playhouse - 25 Powers Court Westport CT 06880
Registration, Coffee and Continental Breakfast start at 9:30
Complimentary to GFC CMLS members
Click here to register. Seating is limited.

Support Information

You can get support documentation for our programs and other helpful links by logging in to the Support section of our website.

Go to http://www.ct-mls.com, click Support and login.

From this section of our site, you can:

-Print out the latest versions of our training materials for all of our programs (RE/Xplorer, Paragon, Listingbook, and rDesk).

-Search our online knowledge base for answers to common issues.

-Open up an instant message chat with a technician (during business hours).

-Download free programs to help keep your computer clean of virus and spyware infections.

August Training Schedule

Thursday, August 5th - Webinar Paragon Advanced Searching

Friday, August 6th - Webinar DocCentral - Getting Started

Wednesday, August 11th - Introduction to RE/Xplorer (Hands on)

Thursday, August 12th - Webinar Tax and Status Searches

Thursday, August 12th - Listingbook

Tuesday, August 17th - Webinar RE/Insight Mobile

Wednesday, August 18th - RE/Xplorer (Hands on in Westport)

Thursday, August 19th - RE/Xplorer Webinar (Evening Session)

Monday, August 23rd- RE/Xplorer (Hands on Bethel)

Tuesday, August 24th - Webinar CMA

Thursday, August 26th - RE/Xplorer (Hands on Bridgeport)

Thursday, August 26th - Listingbook (Hands on Bridgeport)

Friday, August 27th - Webinar rDesk IDX

Wednesday, September 1st - Back to Basics with Amy Cherow at
the Westport Country Playhouse (Seating is Limited)

Click here to register for any of the above sessions.

How would you like to be able to advertise your listing for FREE?

We’ve recently noticed that many agents are not taking full advantage of the power of attaching listings to the Sellers they have entered into Listingbook. Therefore, we are excited to make the following offer; for every SF or CN listing that has at least 50 prospects for it within the Listingbook community (which currently has almost 61,000 buyers and sellers within the Greater Fairfield County area), you will get a free, 7-day Featured Listing promotion when you attach the listing to a Seller Client that has a unique, valid email address.
If you have added your sellers into Listingbook, but have not associated their listing with their account, you are missing out on a very powerful feature of Listingbook. Once a listing has been assigned to a Seller account, that client will be more informed and, through the Morning Report, they will see what is happening with listings that are in direct competition with their property. Additionally, through the use of Featured Property promotions, you can make sure that your seller’s property is effectively marketed to those buyers (and their agents) in Listingbook whose saved searches closely match the property. It is the most efficient way to get your listing in front of the buyers and agents who would be most interested in it.

Click here for detailed instructions on how to create a seller account and attach their listing to it.

Click here for instructions on how to attach your listing to an existing client.

If you have any questions, please contact the GFC CMLS office at 203 840-6674 or support@ct-mls.com

Please note: A Recent Change to the Condominium "Total Units" Field

The “TOTAL UNITS” field has been renamed “TOTAL UNITS IN COMPLEX” within the RE/Xplorer Condominium Listing Input and Change systems. The field has also been designated a field that requires a number greater than “1”. These changes were made in response to frequent concerns expressed by GFC CMLS Subscribers that this data was both important and frequently inaccurate or missing. Our research discovered that in over 50% of all active Condominium listings this field either contained a “1” or was left blank. We renamed the field to help clarify that it should identify the number of housing units within the entire condominium complex. Please take a few minutes to check each of your Condominium listings that have not yet Sold, Expired or been Cancelled to ensure the “TOTAL UNITS IN COMPLEX” accurately reflects the total housing units in the complex. Thank you for your cooperation.

Suspected Theft at a Danbury Open House

We have received a report of a suspected theft of jewelry and a credit card from bedroom drawers during Danbury open house on Sunday July 18th. A group of three suspects entered the open house about 3PM. They are described as a Caucasian male in his 20s, medium build and about 5’10”, and two heavy-set females either black or Hispanic one appeared to be a teenager who referred to the other as “mom”, the car they were driving was a charcoal grey 4 door vehicle. The male asked to see the garage & basement, while the women went upstairs to the bedrooms. The women were only alone in the bedrooms for a couple of minutes. Later in the evening the homeowners discovered that jewelry, watches and a credit card had been taken from the back of a bedroom drawer. We have reason to suspect the trio may have visited other area open houses. The incident has been reported to the Danbury police.

Meeting of the Minds

When to report a property as CTS or PEND......Please reacquaint yourself with the proper procedure for reporting a "meeting of the minds".
Section 7.9 Requirement to Report Accepted Offers. The Listing Broker/Agent must report to the Service all Listings on which a Buyer and Seller have arrived at “a meeting of the minds” which has been documented by a Binder, Offer to Purchase, Sales Agreement, Contract of Sale or similardocument signed by both the Buyer and “Seller. Any such Listing shall be reported as appropriate, as either “Continue to Show,” “Pending,” “Hubbard Clause” or “Rented,” within two (2) business days after all necessary signatures of Buyer and Seller, or his/her/their authorized agent, have been obtained.Any violation of Section 7.9 is subject to “Third Tier” fines and penalties as set forth in Section 4 of Schedule C. The Listing Broker/Agent shall take all actions necessary to comply with the requirements of Section 7.9 within two (2) business days of written notification that Listing Broker/Agent is not in compliance.

I-BOXES

Do you have I-boxes lying around that are not being put to use? Would you like to sell them?
The GFC CMLS is offering to consign those boxes for you. You can bring any boxes you wish to sell (new or used), to the GFC CMLS office in Norwalk, set your price and we will sell them for you. For more information, call Patty at ext. 229.

Just To Refresh Your Memory...

...Internet Address is a required field for all property types which gives the list agent the ability to allow or disallow the display of the property's address on all IDX sites and REALTOR.com. By default, this field will be set to "Y". It is the list agent's responsibility to change it to "N" if the owner does not want the property address to appear on REALTOR.com or any IDX sites.

Just To Refresh Your Memory...

...Internet Address is a required field for all property types which gives the list agent the ability to allow or disallow the display of the property's address on all IDX sites and REALTOR.com. By default, this field will be set to "Y". It is the list agent's responsibility to change it to "N" if the owner does not want the property address to appear on REALTOR.com or any IDX sites.

Buyer Agent Compensation

The compensation specified on listings published by the GFC CMLS shall be shown in one of the following forms: (a)as a percentage of the gross selling price; (b) as a definite dollar amount; or (c) as an amount equal to a number, or fractional number, of monthly rent to be paid in the case of a rental listing.
All listings on the MLS must offer compensation to the selling broker.

Help Us, Help You!

-When calling for assistance with listings, please have the listing number and other pertinent information ready (ie:closed date, sales price, selling office ID and selling agent ID when reporting a sold).
-When calling to pay an invoice, please have your credit card info on hand
-Please do not call us while driving! That's just dangerous!

Events for this 4th of July Weekend

There are many events all over Connecticut for this 4th of July weekend.

Mystic Seaport has an 1876 Independence Day ceremony, Quassy in Middlebury will have a special "3-D" fireworks display ($1 for the glasses), and there are other firework displays in Trumbull, Madison, Wallingford and many other locations.

For more information, click the link below:

http://www.visitconnecticut.com/events_fourth.html

Avoid a Late Fee!!!

3rd quarter MLS dues and fees were due on June 15th. If you have not yet paid, please do so before June 30 to avoid a $25 late fee! Don't forget, you can pay online, over the phone and you still have time for snail mail.

Westport Tax Assessor's Office

The Westport Tax Assessor's office has expanded their office hours to Monday - Friday from 8:30 am - 12:30 pm until after the revaluation notices go out in November.

Fairfield County YPN Event

You're Invited to a YPN Social Event.
Thursday, June 24th from 6 - 8 pm at Two Steps Downtown Grill, 5 Ives Street, Danbury, CT 06810. Hors d'oeuvres & Non-Alcoholic Beverages, Cash Bar Available.
Everyone's invited for only $10 per person! Click here to download the registration form, or register by calling NFCAR 203.744.7255.
To learn more about the YPN Network click here

Auto-Pay versus Paying Online

You have 3 options when paying dues and fees with your credit card.
1. You can call any administrative staff person to pay your invoices over the phone. 2. You can go to the MANAGE ACCOUNT section on our website and use your credit card (or check) to manually pay any outstanding invoices. Please note - this is a manual function that YOU initiate. This will not automatically pay your future invoices. 3. You can complete and fax to us the Automatic Credit Card Payment Authorization Form from this website. We will keep this information attached to your membership file and will automatically charge your quarterly dues and fees to this card on 3/15, 6/15, 9/15 and 12/15 each year. No other charges will automatically be charged to this card. You are responsible for letting us know if the card has been changed or the expiration date extended.
As always, you can stick your check in the mail too!

Did you know...

The difference between a Courtesy Notification and a Violation Notification from Data Verification?
A Courtesy Notice is simply a notice to let you know that the info in our tax database differs slightly from the data you input on your listing. Please double check your info. There is no need to contact the GFC CMLS office. No fines will result from a Courtesy Notice.
A Violation Notice is a notice informing you that your listing info 1) differs greatly from our tax info and/or 2) requires your immediate attention. All Violation Notifications require you to either change/fix your listing OR contact us via phone or email BEFORE the noted Grace Date. If the Grace Date passes and no changes have been made or no reply is received, a fine will be issued to both the listing agent as well as the listing office. If the issue is not resolved, additional fines will accrue every 30 days.

Holiday Hours

In observance of the Memorial Day holiday, the GFC CMLS office will be closing at 5pm on Friday, May 28, 2010 and reopening 8:30am on Tuesday, June 1, 2010.
The LPS helpdesk will maintain its normal business hours on Saturday (10am-4pm) and Sunday (12pm-4pm). If you need assistance with RE/Xplorer, please call (800) 347-6367. For Paragon support, please call (877) 657-4357.

Using a Mac with RE/Xplorer and Paragon

If you'd like to get RE/Xplorer and Paragon to run on an Intel-based Mac, there are a couple of ways you can do that.
You can buy a copy of Parallels or Fusion, and either of those will let you run the Windows operating system.You will also need to buy a copy of Windows to install in one of those 2 programs, such as Windows 7.
Another way to get Windows running on a Mac is to use BootCamp, which is included with newer Macs, but then you have to reboot the computer each time you want to switch between the Mac or PC operating systems.
You would also still need to buy a copy of Windows to install with BootCamp, just like with Parallels or Fusion.

For more info (system requirements, etc.)
on Fusion, Parallels and Bootcamp, click the links below:

http://www.vmware.com/products/fusion/

http://www.parallels.com/products/desktop/

http://www.apple.com/support/bootcamp/

Learn more about Listingbook

Are you utilizing all the benefits of Listingbook? Buyers utilizing Listingbook have the advantage of being able to conduct their own searches on the MLS, while sellers have an insider’s view of competitive listings, helping them strategically market their home for sale. Communication and collaboration between agents and their customers has never been easier or more comprehensive.
Click here to learn more about Listingbook (a brief 5 minute overview), or register for any of the following online webinars.
May 19th 1:00 pm - Adding Buyers 45 minutes
May 19th 2:00 pm - Adding Sellers 35 minutes
May 19th 3:00 pm - Client Manager 35 minutes
May 21st 1:00 pm - Welcome To Listing: The Perfect Follow-up to an Introduction to Listingbook 60 minutes
May 24th 1:00 pm - CyberCMA™ 45 minutes
May 24th 2:00 pm - Communication Tools 40 minutes
May 24th 3:00 pm - Showing Package 35 minutes
May 26th 1:00 pm - Communication Synergy - Create Clients for Life 60 minutes
May 27th - Adding Prospects 30 minutes
May 28th - Welcome To Listing: The Perfect Follow-up to an Introduction to Listingbook 60 minutes
If you are not already taking advantage of all Listingbook has to offer, you are missing out.
(Posted on 5/19/2010)

Search for Properties on Handheld Wi-Fi Devices

reInsight Mobile lets you run searches and email reports on handheld Wi-Fi devices.
You just need a Wi-Fi capable device (with a data plan) and access to the internet.
Navigate to this address, and login with your GFC-CMLS ID and password:

http://cmls.mobile.fnismls.com/

For documentation on how to use reInsight Mobile, go to http://www.ct-mls.com/
and click Support, and then on the left side, click reInsight Mobile for the Quickstart Guide.

GFC CMLS May Training Sessions

The following sessions will be held:


Paragon (Webinar) Thursday, May 13th 9:30 am Online

RE/Explorer - Monday, May 17th 9:30 am - Bethel

CMA - Monday, May 17th 1:30 am - Bethel

RE/Xplorer - Tuesday May 18th 9:30 am - Fairfield

Listingbook - Tuesday May 18th 1:30 - Fairfield

RE/Xplorer - Wednesday May 19th 9:30 am - New Milford

Listingbook - Wednesday May 19th 1:30 - New Milford

RE/Xplorer - Thursday May 20th 9:30 am - Stamford

Listingbook - Thursday May 20th 1:30 - Stamford

RE/Xplorer - Friday May 21st 9:30 am - New Haven

Listingbook - Friday May 21st 1:30 - New Haven

RE/Xplorer - Saturday May 22nd 10:00 - Norwalk

RE/Xplorer - Tuesday May 25th 9:30 am - Bridgeport

Technology Tools - Tuesday May 25th 1:30 pm - Bridgeport

RE/Xplorer - Wednesday May 26th 10:00 am - Westport

RE/Xplorer - Thursday May 27th 9:30 am - Derby

CMA - Thursday May 27th 1:30 - Derby

Click here to register for any of the above sessions or call our office at 203 840-6674.

Using the SupraWEB site

SupraWEB is the agent website where you can go to:
-Obtain an update code for your key
-Identify the name of a keyholder by key serial number
-Manage your keybox inventory and listing information
-View, Email and schedule activity reports
-View and send showing feedback
also, eKEY (Blackberry,Palm,SmartPhone) users you can:
-Manage your bill
-Change your PIN code
-Set up your market area
-Obtain an authorization code for installing eKEY software
SupraWEB can also be accessed using your mobile phone by navigating to http://supraweb.suprakim.com

For your SupraWEB Guide, click here.

Difference between types of notifications

Do you know the difference between a Courtesy Notification and a Violation Notification from Data Verification?
A Courtesy Notice is simply a notice to let you know that the info in our tax database differs slightly from the data you input on your listing. Please double check your info. There is no need to contact the GFC CMLS office. No fines will result from a Courtesy Notice.
A Violation Notice is a notice informing you that your listing info 1) differs greatly from our tax info and/or 2) requires your immediate attention. All Violation Notifications require you to either change/fix your listing OR contact us via phone or email BEFORE the noted Grace Date. If the Grace Date passes and no changes have been made or no reply is received, a fine will be issued to both the listing agent as well as the listing office. If the issue is not resolved, additional fines will accrue every 30 days.

Did you know...

When you receive an email from Data Verification you can reply 2 different ways, by calling 203-840-6674 x 320 or by simply hitting REPLY on the email and providing a short explanation of the situation. It’s that easy!

Cancelled Vs. Killed Listings

So you’re inputting a listing and save it then realize something major like price is very wrong…what do you do? Call our office and our administrative staff will correct the mistake WITHOUT taking it out of the NEW status. If this occurs when our office is closed, please call during regular office hours for assistance. In cases when you must have it removed ASAP and CMLS staff is unavailable, you can CANCEL the listing provided you call us when next we open and report this to us. We will then KILL the listing from the system therefore removing all traces of said listing. Leaving a CANCELED listing in the system and inputting a NEW, correct one will skew our statistics and cause both the listing agent and office to receive data verification violation notices. When in doubt, call us!

Better CT Sales Feb 2010 compared to Feb 2009

Single-family homes and condos had better sales and prices in February 2010 vs. last year at the same time in Connecticut.

Read more by clicking the link below:
http://www.dsnews.com/articles/residential-real-estate-market-is-picking-up-in-connecticut-2010-04-07

New England Regional Conference

The National Association of Real Estate Brokers (NAREB) New England Regional Conference will be held at the Hilton Hartford Hotel, April 22-24. The conference will provide professional training designed to provide you with cutting edge advantages and industry insights. You will learn how to develop a unique selling position that will differentiate you from your peers. The conference will provide opportunities to network with Lenders, REO, State & Gov. Officials, Community Leaders and the Public thus giving you the opportunity to advance your business ventures and increase profit margins. Complete information including the conference schedule and registration form are available at: http://www.narebregion1.com/Regional-Conference.html

RE/Xplorer Labels

LPS has just loaded code to the system that vastly improves the functionality when you print tax or membership mailing lables from RE/Xplorer. This upgrade includes the ability to see a print preview of the labels before you send them to the printer.

Market Areas

Did you know that there is a complete list of all towns and their corresponding market areas listed on our website under RESOURCES?
When used properly, the MARKET AREA field is a great way to market your listing as well as help your fellow agents narrow their searches. Please try to be as accurate as possible when choosing a market area for your listings ,especially if you are not familiar with the town.
Each town within our service area is broken down into geographic market areas, which have their own unique code. Each town also has its own unique NONE area, which should be used if your listing does not fall within any of the established areas. Make sure to use the NONE code that corresponds to the correct town. If you enter the wrong NONE code, your listing will appear in the wrong town.

Tax Credit for Homebuyers

Time is running out on the federal homebuyer tax credit, but there is still time to meet the deadline. Click the link below to read about some good tips you can follow:


http://www.bankrate.com/finance/mortgages/last-minute-homebuyer-tax-credit-tips-1.aspx

REO vs Short Sale

A listing cannot be both a SHORT SALE and a REO property. These are mutually exclusive fields.
A short sale is a sale of real estate in which the sale proceeds fall short of the balance owed on the property's loan. It often occurs when a borrower cannot pay the mortgage loan on their property, but the lender decides that selling the property at a moderate loss is better than pressing the borrower. Both parties consent to the short sale process, because it allows them to avoid foreclosure. This agreement, however, does not necessarily release the borrower from the obligation to pay the remaining balance of the loan, known as the deficiency. The Compensation Code field is not a required field however you can mark your listing as a Possible Short Sale by placing a “S” in this field.
Real estate owned or REO is a class of property owned by a lender, typically a bank, after an unsuccessful sale at a foreclosure auction. As soon as the bank repossesses the property, it is listed on their books as REO – Real Estate Owned – and is categorized as an asset. REO Property shall mean a property listed that is being marketed by a lender or subject to a lender or the lender’s authorized representative’s approval. This is a required field for SF, CN, MU, CI and LA property types.

The definition of CTS/Contingent and when to report

CONTINUE TO SHOW/ CONTINGENT – a listing that has ANY form of written sale/lease agreement, which documents a meeting of the minds and is signed by both the buyer/tenant and the seller/landlord, but that the seller(s) and listing agent have agreed should still be available for showings to other perspective buyers/tenants. A “CTS” listing will “Expire” when it reaches its Expiration Date or will automatically change to a

PENDING - status 31 days after being changed to CTS if it has not previously Expired. Section 7.9 Requirement to Report Accepted Offers. The Listing Broker/Agent must report to the Service all Listings on which a Buyer and Seller have arrived at “a meeting of the minds” which has been documented by a Binder, Offer to Purchase, Sales Agreement, Contract of Sale or similar document signed by both the Buyer and “Seller. Any such Listing shall be reported as appropriate, as either “Continue to Show,” “Pending,” “Hubbard Clause” or “Rented,” within two (2) business days after all necessary signatures of Buyer and Seller, or his/her/their authorized agent, have been obtained. Any violation of Section 7.9 is subject to “Third Tier” fines and penalties as set forth in Section 4 of Schedule C. The Listing Broker/Agent shall take all actions necessary to comply with the requirements of Section 7.9 within two (2) business days of written notification that Listing Broker/Agent is not in Compliance.

Let's review...

The difference between a WITHDRAWN listing and a CANCELLED listing is:
WITHDRAWN – a listing that is still the subject of a valid listing agreement and would otherwise be available for sale, but is not being actively marketed on the MLS at the current time. A property subject to a Withdrawn listing IS NOT FREE to be listed by other agents.
CANCELLED – a listing which both the seller(s) and the listing broker have signed a written agreement, legally documenting their mutual agreement terminating an existing listing contract that has not reached its expiration date. The Cancellation agreement severs their obligations to each other. A property subject to a Cancelled listing IS FREE to be listed by other agents.
Please keep these definitions in mind when making changes to your listings especially in the case of properties taken over by a bank in a foreclosure situation. A listing taken over by a bank or financial institution needs to be marked as CANC.

50,000 Consumers and Counting

In just 21 months since rolling out Listingbook, GFC CMLS members have empowered over 50,000 of their clients and prospects by giving them accounts and adding them to our Listingbook community. By activating their accounts, buyers have the advantage of being able to conduct their own searches on the MLS, while sellers have an insider’s view of competitive listings, helping them strategically market their home for sale. Communication and collaboration between agents and their customers has never been easier or more comprehensive.

If you are not already taking advantage of all Listingbook has to offer, you are missing out.

Home Prices/Sales in Connecticut are up

The prices for single-family homes climbed in January, and home sales in Connecticut increased for the fourth month in a row.


Read more on this by clicking the link to the article:
http://www.rep-am.com/articles/2010/03/02/business/469609.txt

GFC CMLS University Week

During the last week of February, GFC CMLS is excited to be offering University Week. Throughout the week, we will be conducting traditional "hands on" classroom-style classes, as well as modern "remote learning" webinar style classes. We will be showcasing several of the programs that are provided as part of your membership.

The following remote learning webinars are scheduled: Sessions are between 30 and 45 minutes. Please note, when you register for a remote learning class you will be emailed instructions on how to access that particular session the day before your scheduled session. You will be given a website to go to on your computer and a phone number to call so you can hear the instructor.

Monday, February 22nd , 10: 00 am DocCentral - How to Get Started Using DocCentral

Monday, February 22nd , 1:00 pm Listingbook - Are your Sellers getting the Maximum Listingbook Benefit?

Tuesday, February 23rd , 1:00 pm DocCentral - Adding Public Documents, i.e. disclosures to your listings for other agents to view

Tuesday, February 23rd 2:15 pm Listingbook - Harnessing the Power Behind Listingbook's Client and Prospect Manager.

Wednesday, February 24th 11:00 am Listingbook Reports and How to Evaluate Them

Thursday, February 25th 10:00 am DocCentral - How to Get Started Using DocCentral

Thursday, February 25th 2:00 pm Listngbook Cyber CMA and its Analysis

Friday, February 26th 10:00 am Listingbook - Your personal Listingbook Business Builder Website



The following Traditional (hands on) classes will be held. Sessions are approximately 2.5 hours

Monday, February 22nd , 10:00 am RE/Xplorer at the Mid-Fairfield County Association of Realtors (MFCAR) in Westport

Tuesday, February 23rd, 9:30 am RE/Xplorer at the Northern Fairfield County Association of Realtors (NFCAR) in Bethel

Tuesday, February 23rd, 1:30 pm Technology Tools at the Northern Fairfield County Association of Realtors (NFCAR)

Thursday, February 25th, 6:00 pm RE/Xplorer at the GFC CMLS office in Norwalk

Saturday, February 27th, 10:00 am RE/Xplorer at the GFC CMLS office in Norwalk


To register, goto the class offerings section of www.ct-mls.com or call the GFC CMLS office.

U.S. Census Bureau recruiting applicants for temporary, good-paying jobs

U.S. Census Bureau’s Bridgeport Local 2010 Census Office is recruiting applicants for temporary, good-paying jobs with flexible hours to help ensure the 2010 Census is a success.
The Bridgeport Office services Fairfield as well as other towns in coastal Fairfield County.
For more information call 866-861-2010.

http://www.2010censusjobs.gov

Job applicants must be at least 18 years old, have a valid Social Security number, be able to pass a background check, and complete a 30-minute, multiple-choice, employment test that measures knowledge, skills, and abilities required to perform a variety of census jobs.
In most cases, workers will also be required to possess a valid driver’s license and have use of a vehicle.
U.S. Citizenship is required to work for the 2010 Census except in rare occasions when no qualified U.S. citizens are available.
We are seeking bilingual applicants throughout the district.

Search by County now available

You are now able to search for listings by County. If you are on a search screen in RE/Xplorer, click Edit Search (in the upper left), go to New Fields and select County. This will add the County field to your search screen, and then you can use the lookup to select the specific county you want.

If you are in PC Access, you can go to a blank line in your search and type county= and then the name of the county you want. You can also select County from the lists of fields at the top of the search screen. Hit the Page Down button to navigate through the pages of fields. County is at the end of the list (number 102).

Keep in mind- you will not be able to input a County when entering a listing- the County field will automatically populate based on the town your listing is in.

Please Help Our Haitian Neighbors

In light of the devastating earthquake that recently struck Haiti, the United Haitian-American Society in collaboration with Save the Children, Brien McMahon High School and Red Cross have begun efforts to raise funds in our area to help our Haitian neighbors and are now calling on you to help in that endeavor. If you have already made a contribution, thank you. In the event that you have not yet contributed and would like to, you are asked to make your contribution to The Haiti Relief Fund of Fairfield County. Accounts have been set up at Wachovia, Webster, People’s Bank and Fairfield County Bank where you can make a direct donation in the form of check or money order. The United Haitian-American Society would like to extend our committee to you and to all others who would like to get involved. If you are interested in helping out please call GFC CMLS member, Guy Bocicaut at 203 855-8200.
You can also make a donation via credit card right from your computer simply by going to either the Americares website: http://www.americares.org/ or the American Red Cross website: http://www.redcross.org/

January Training Schedule

The following training sessions are available this month:

Wednesday, January 13th RE/Xplorer 6 pm - 9 pm, Norwalk

Tuesday, January 19th, Technology Tools 9:30 am - Noon, Norwalk

Friday, January 22th, RE/Xplorer 9:30 - 12:30, Listingbook 1:30 - 4:30, Bethel

Saturday, January 23rd, Listingbook 10 am - 1 pm, Bridgeport

Monday, January 25th, RE/Xplorer 9:30 am - 12:30 pm and Paragon 1:30 pm - 4:30 pm, Bridgeport

Tuesday, January 26th, Listingbook Advanced Webinar

Wednesday, January 27th, RE/Xplorer 10 am - 1 pm

Thursday, January 28th, RE/Xplorer Webinar 6 pm - 9pm