A Publication of the
Mid-S t a t e A s s o c i a t i o n o f R E A L T O R S ® , I n c .
Jan./Feb. 2008
Volume 10 Issue 1
Letter from our 2008 President:
NEWSLETTER CHANGE
Dear Members:
I am very excited about 2008! Even though economists are talking of a possible recession, the outlook for MidState is exciting. We have reached a historic point for our Association in the 4th quarter of 2007 having surpassed our 500th
member, which for the first time brought us into the category
recognized by N.A.R. as a medium size board. This could not
have been possible without the efforts of our wonderful A.E.
Sue Pyzynski, Member services committee chair: Mary Betterini,
and the 500 plus members that make up the MID-STATE TEAM.
Now more than ever we need to work as a TEAM in the
coming months as we prepare and begin our strategic plan and
business plan. It will take a combined effort of the membership
to make this planning year successful, such as replying to short
surveys, serving on a committee, or simply sharing with us your
ideas for the association. As Basil S. Walsh once said “Planning
is the open road to your destination. If you don’t know where
you are going, how can you expect to get there?” I would like
to thank you all in advance for being a part of the planning
process, which will allow Mid-State to continue to grow, provide
great benefits, and be the board of choice for it’s members.
On behalf of the Mid-State Leadership Team, we would
like to wish you all a healthy and prosperous New Year!
If there is anything I can help you with during the
course of the year please feel free to contact me.
My cell # is: 860-833-8634
Sincerely,
Eli Wirtes
T
he Mid-State Association is making some
changes in the way our newsletter gets delivered. As we are trying to be environmentally correct,
we are now going to offer you the choice in how you
receive your copy of the Mid-State Messenger.
We will be posting our newsletter online at our website and send everyone out an email with the link to
access the newsletter. This way, you can read it
online, or print it out.
But if you wish to still receive a copy of the newsletter in the mail, we will be happy to continue sending
it out to you. All we ask is that you send us the
“Subscription Request” found inside this issue.
Please fill out your name, your preferred mailing address and just fax it into the board office. We will
make sure that you receive your copy of the MidState Messenger in the mail just like you always
have.
By making this change, the association is looking at
saving some money that we can use towards other
member programs in the future.
Remember, if you want to continue to receive
your newsletter in the mail, please let us know.
If we do not hear back from you, we will assume you
prefer getting your newsletter online. Please make
sure we have a current email address for you to receive your issue.
2007 Top Producers Announced:
Mary Jean Agostini of Realty 3 Carroll & Agostini (63 Transactions) and Northeast Asset Pros of RE/MAX West of the
River (99 Transactions) were named the Top Producer and Top Producer Team at the recent Membership meeting at
the Aqua Turf.
Other inductees into the Top Producer Club included: Claire Akerley, Leslie Bajorski, Marti Correia, Nicholle Dagata,
Rebecca Davis, Karen Diamantes, Kori Gauvin, Paula Kendall, Carrie Korenkiewicz, Diana McDougall, Robert Siemiatkoski, Marie Simmons, Kathy Veneziano, Sandra Wieczorek, Steve Wollman, Laura Zarotney, Kevin Zettergren, The
Gayle Dennehy Team and the Joan Vallee Team.
Congratulations to everyone!!
Letter from our outgoing President
WELCOME NEW OFFICES
Dear Members:
Last year at this time I wrote to you about my
belief in teamwork. The definition, Together Everyone Achieves More. I still believe this to be
true. Together, combining our talents and efforts Mid-State has grown and achieved.
Mid-State reached over 500 members and that is
definitely growth from where we started some
years ago. We held our first Legislative night,
expanded our community programs to include
“backpacks for children” in the New Britain area,
exceeded our RPAC goal both in dollar amount
and in member participation and saw the transformation of our affiliate night to the first MidState Trade Expo. We investigated and are still
investigating expanding our member services in
several areas.
This happened with the time and commitment of
many and I thank all those that participated. So,
I would like to ask you again to get involved,
even a little, and stay involved as I know that if
you do Mid-State will be GREAT in 2008 and beyond.
On a personal note, I would like to let you know
that it has been an honor to be your 2007 President, to represent you at a local level and at
State and National events. I have formed so
many wonderful relationships and look forward
to working with all of you in the coming years. I
hope 2008 is a happy and prosperous year for all
of you.
Carol Nevrivy
2007 Mid-State President
Congratulations to Jay Steeves
of Century 21 Access America,
Kate DiValentino and Brian
Greenslate of North Star Real Estate who recently completed the online e-PRO certification
course. This training certifies Real Estate Professionals as Internet Professionals.
Congratulations to Ellie Giannelli
from Realty 3 Carroll & Agostini who
recently completed all the necessary
requirements to earn her ABR Designation. The ABR designation is the benchmark of
excellence in buyer representation .
Page 2
Paula Ray, broker/owner of Century 21 A-Gold Action Real Estate in Bristol has switched her entire
office over to the Mid-State Association.,
We look forward to seeing her and her agents, Barry
Mackiewicz, Rosemarie Nash, Sandra Meier, Mary
Johnson, Jim Kunda, Susan Gorski, and Bruce LeBeau
at our meetings.
Peter Gorski of WPI– Star Realty & Mortgage in
Bristol has also recently joined our association. We
look forward to seeing Peter at our upcoming meetings as well.
Welcome to our New
members:
Paul Carobini– Prudential CT Realty
Daniel Bielert of Coldwell Banker Premiere
Lois Howard of Country Manor Realty
Welcome to a New Affiliate!!
Wendell Davis of Blackwell, Davis &
Spadaccini in Manchester
Congratulations to Affiliate
Michael Thompson of
Freedom Mortgage on his
recent wedding.
We wish he and his new bride all the best!
Success is a state of mind. Basically,
anything you want, you can have! You just
have to have dreams, believe that you deserve those dreams, and work your butt off
to acquire them.
But success is there for the taking, so TAKE IT!!!
2008 GOLF TOURNAMENT
The 2008 MidState Golf Tournament will be held
on June 13, 2008
at the Tunxis Plantation
Country Club in Farmington.
Start working on getting
your group together now!!
All proceed from the Golf
Tournament benefit Christmas Wishes for Kids.
2008 Mid-State Board of Directors:
“Live your life each
day as you would
climb a mountain. An
occasional glance
towards the summit
keeps the goal in
mind, but many
beautiful scenes are to
be observed from
each new vantage
point.”
President– Eli Wirtes
Pres. Elect– Marti Corriea
Vice President– Sal Calafiore
Treasurer– John Dunn
Directors: Mary Betterini, Steve Wollman, Laura
Zarotney, Joanne Younger, Linda Tosta,
Priscilla Dunn, Carol Nevrivy, Diana Brandi,
Mike Casey, Beata Malicka, Gayle Dennehy
WELCOME TO OUR NEW MEMBERS
WHO RECENTLY TRANSFERRED
FROM OTHER ASSOCIATIONS:
Richard Monteiro– Real Estate Results
Harold B. Melchart
Sonia Higley– Century 21 Bay-Mar
Gary Girouard– RE/MAX Precision
UPCOMING CONTINUING
EDUCATION CLASSES
Mimi Syharat– Prudential CT Realty
Henry Bendlin– CB Premiere Realtor
Josefina Tiburcio– Michael Ganem & Assoc.
FEB. 13: 9AM-12NOON– OPPORTUNITES AND ADVATAGES
OF HOME WARRANTY CONTRACT DISCLOSURE- courtesy of
Stu Kaufman of First American Corp.
ABOVE CLASS HELD AT CLARION HOTEL
Frank Loukoumis– Michael Ganem & Assoc.
Kara Cirilli– SalCal Real Estate Connections
Mary Ann Gorr– Prudential CT Realty
FEB. 28– 9AM-12NOON- HOUSE STYLES
Ray Hogan- Prudential CT Realty
FEB. 28- 1-4PM– ARCITECTUAL STYLES
Lisa Parker– Prudential CT Realty
MARCH 29- 9-12NOON CURRENT ISSUES IN REAL ESTATE I
MARCH 29- 1-4PM– CURRENT ISSUES IN REAL ESTATE II
APRIL 7- 6-9PM– WHY DEALS FALL APART
MAY 27– 6-9PM– CODE OF ETHICS
Gena Sciaraffa– Realty 3 Carroll & Agostini
REALTORS® on the
MOVE!!
The February Classes are FREE For Mid-State Members and
the March , April and May classes are $25 each for Mid-State
Members
Jolanta Stachowski is now with Realty Executives Vision in Unionville
Classes are being held at the
Holiday Inn Express in Southington.
Elvera Corcoran is now with United
Realty of CT in Bristol.
General membership meeting schedule for 2008
Mark you calendars!!!
Maria Mountinho is now with SalCal
Real Estate Connections in New Britain
March 26– Dinner at Nuchies, Forestville
John Gissas is now with North Star
Real Estate in Southington.
May 22– Lunch at Hawthorne Inn, Berlin
Sept. 25– Dinner at Chippanee Golf Course
Suzanne Bouchard is now with
Country Manor Realty in Bristol.
Nov. 13 (tent)– Clarion Hotel with Trade Show
Volume 10 Issue 1
Page 3
A Publication of the
Mid -State
Association of
REALTORS®, Inc.
73 East Main Street
Plainville, CT 06062
Phone: 860-793-9414
Fax: 860-793-9515
Email: [email protected]
www.midstaterealtors.com
ETHICS: Code Update
Each year, NAR’s Professional Standards Committee reviews and evaluates the Code of Ethics to ensure that it addresses current issues
and practices in real estate. In 2007, the committee focused its attention on Article 12 of the Code, which requires REALTORS® to “present
a true picture in the advertising and representations to the public.”
The committee decided that the exponential increase in the use of instant messaging, e-mail, and other forms of electronic communication
made it necessary to expand the scope of the Article’s coverage to include e-promotions. The change, which goes into effect Jan. 1, 2008,
requires a true picture in “advertising, marketing, and other representations.”
In addition, the amendment states that REALTORS® must ensure that “the recipients of all real estate communications are, or have been,
notified that those communications are from a real estate professional.”
Two new Standards of Practice addressing public representation and Internet promotional practices were added.
Standard of Practice 12-12 provides: “The obligation to present a true picture in advertising, marketing, and representations allows REALTORS® to use and display only professional designations, certifications, and other credentials to which they are legitimately entitled.”
Standard of Practice 12-13 provides: “REALTORS® shall not: use URLs or domain names that present less than a true picture, or
register URLs or domain names which, if used, would present less than a true picture.”
To ensure the smooth implementation of these new rules, a case interpretation explaining Article 12, as interpreted by Standard of Practice
12-10, was adopted by the committee in November and can be found in the Law and Policy section of REALTOR.org.
Like the real estate business itself, the Code and Standards of Practice continue to evolve, reflecting both the new forces in the market and
the timelessness of ethical practices.