GREC REnews, Vol. 9, Issue 1 (Jan. 2013)

January 2013 Volume 9 IssLue 1

GGRREECCRREENNeewwss Monthly Newsletter
of the Georgia Real Estate Commission

R

This Issue:

www.gareinfobase.org P.1

2013 Calendar

Proper Use of Technology P.1-2

Focus

P.2

GREC Brokerage Course
HU
& Trust Accounts Class Dates:
UH
January 16 & 17,, 2013 GIRE
http://www.goldenislesrea ltors.com/

The Appraisers Page

P.3

Online Resource for Real Estate
Georgia real estate customers, practitioners and legal professionals can now access information on a broad range of industry topics at the Georgia Real Estate

February 27 & 28, 2013 Albany Board
http://www.albanyboardof realtors.com/
March 27 & 28, 2013 East Metro Board
http://www.embor.com/

InfoBase Project, a free online resource presented by the Georgia Real Estate Commission and the Georgia State University Department of Real Estate.
The InfoBase is an expansion and update of a widely used reference book, The Georgia Real Estate Guide to License Law, Brokerage, and Related Topics by Joseph Rabianski and Roy Black, both emeriti faculty of the GSU Department of Real Estate. Industry volunteers from the Georgia Chapter of the Institute of Real Estate Management, the GSU Department of Real Estate, the Georgia Real Estate Commission and its Education Advisory Committee worked on the revision, which provides material

on subjects including:

GREC Georgia Instructor Training Workshop May 8 & 9, 2013
Atlanta, GA http://www.grec-git.com/
Register Online

Brokerage and license law Finance and valuation Real estate principles and terminology Property management Real estate math

Online education for real estate professionals

HU
Common Violations Class dates for 2013 courses will
U
be posted on the GREC home page in February.

"The InfoBase offers a wealth of real estate information and should be used as a reference point," said James Vernor, an emeritus member of GSU's real estate faculty. "It is not a transactions database or a legal bibliography for attorneys, and it is not intended to serve as an alternative to hiring professional counsel."
To learn more about the Georgia Real Estate InfoBase Project,

please visit www.gareinfobase.org.

Click here to see GREC Disciplinary Sanctions
Georgia Real Estate Commission Suite 1000 International Tower 229 Peachtree Street NE Atlanta, GA 30303-1605 Phone 404-656-3916

Proper Use of Technology in Real Estate
Brokerage & Education
Newly licensed agents, clients, customers, and those recently out of college or high school are more technology dependent and inherently more collaborative. The preferred method of communication is through technology and results in less face-toface time with associates and clients. Therefore many marketing programs focus on the latest technology, whether it is videos, online brochures, or phone apps. The GREC Annual School meeting featured speakers focused on the proper use of technology in real estate brokerage and education. Here are a few highlights from the meeting: Different generations view communication and technology from a different
perspective and use it to varying degrees and for a multitude of purposes. Consider your target market before creating a marketing plan based on mobile applicationPasg...e 1.

Clipart from MicrosoftTM Office

H
Online Courses from
GREC
$10 each 3 Hour CE
Course
Total of 9 Hours CE Available
"Avoiding Trust Account Trouble"
"Practicing Real Estate & Staying Out of Trouble"
"Being a Broker and Staying Out
of Trouble"
Click Here
Comments or Suggestions Click Here.

GREC RENews January 2013, Volume 9 Issue 1

Proper Use of Technology in Real Estate Brokerage & Education

..... Continued from Page 1

When using certain listing services, online video distribution services, social media sites, or other online services, be sure to actually read and understand the Terms of Use (T.O.U.). The Terms of Use state the rules that must be followed in

"Copyright protection subsists from the time the work is created in
fixed form. The

order to use the service. This applies to video creation, search copyright in the work of

sites, listing services and clip art distribution.

authorship immediately

In a training seminar, you usually need to obtain permission to becomes the property of

play music, even music you own.

the author who created

Although the intent of social media and video distribution is

the work."

often to increase exposure for the listing or the licensee, it is

http://www.copyright.gov/circs/ci rc01.pdf

important to remember that if something goes viral, it can have

unknown consequences.

If you rely on apps for marketing presentations, make sure they look the same on a

mobile device as not all software or browsers are compatible

Remember that most everything created privately after 1989 is copyrighted and

protected whether it has a notice or not. Copyright protects "original works of authorship"

that are fixed in a tangible form of expression." Original works include literature,

pictures, music, images, graphics, computer programs, audiovisuals, maps, architectural

plans and more. http://www.copyright.gov/circs/circ01.pdf

When using marketing materials (digital or otherwise), be sure to use them properly and

without copyright infringement. Society is more mobile and technologically dependent,

and the real estate professional must adapt to meet the needs of the industry.

Identity Scam Targeting Licensees
Although no reports have been received in Georgia, Florida has seen an identity theft scam targeted toward real estate licensees. Unsolicited emails were sent to brokers indicating that the brokers' license was being investigated for disciplinary action. The email entity posed as the real estate licensing authority. The email instructed the broker to call a toll-free number.
If you receive any email claiming to be the Real Estate Commission stating that you are involved in an impending disciplinary action, call the Commission at 404-656-3916, and report it to the Commission's staff. Do not call an 800 number, and do not respond to those emails or provide any personal identification information to those emails or numbers.
If the Georgia Real Estate Commission must contact you regarding a potential investigation or disciplinary action, the GREC staff Investigator would contact you directly by phone, not by email, and identify him/herself clearly.

Focus: "marketing listings"

To sign up to
HU
receive the GREC RENewsletter Click Here
U
Georgia Real Estate Commission Suite 1000 International Tower 229 Peachtree Street NE Atlanta, GA 30303-1605 Phone 404-656-3916

Technology provides tools and ideas to assist licensees in marketing listings. The Georgia Real Estate InfoBase Project is a resource to assist the licensee in performing marketing and other duties in compliance with License Laws, Rules, and Regulations. For example the Table of Contents of the gareinfobase.org reveals the following as a refresher for the licensee beginning a marketing plan for a listing: "The sales associate responsible for marketing the listed properties prepares advertising copy for the broker's review, shows the property, communicates with other sales associates who wish to show the property, and negotiates with prospective buyers. The actions of the sales associate can make the broker and seller, as well as the sales associate, liable for breach of confidentiality, unfair business practices, breach of contract, and a host of other claims. Thus, it is essential that the sales associate use discretion, not give away any of the seller's bargaining position, and treat everyone fairly and honestly. The relevant information falls into three major categories: physical information on the property, financial information about any existing loans on the property, and information about expenses associated with owning and using the property such as ad valorem taxes and utilities." Link to excerpt from Chapter 24
Page 2

The Appraisers Page

Georgia Real Estate Appraisers Board

January 2013

Measuring Your Home Correctly

Useful Links:

By: D. Scott Murphy, SRA

This is a follow-up article to "Gross Living Area, GLA" - where I described and defined

GREAB Web Site

what gross living area is. This article will teach you the basics of correctly measuring your property and using the information from the previous article you can calculate your true gross living area.

Measuring and sketching a property is not as easy as it looks. This is often one of the



more difficult and challenging skills a new appraiser learns. It is essential to have good space relationship skills and a bit of artistic ability.

It is probably best to use some graph paper or at least lined paper. I also strongly recommend
Appraisal Act writing in pencil for obvious reasons.

When measuring a home we will measure the entire structure but it is important to make


GREAB

note of areas of GLA and non-GLA. All measurements are made on the exterior of the home (with the exception of a condominium, where you are only measuring the interior space). This includes all second story areas. Many times it will be necessary to make an interior measurement such as

Disciplinary in a bonus room. It is then necessary to allow for the width of the wall (typically six inches on each

Sanctions


side) to be consistent with all the other measurements. When measuring in a bonus room or any room with sloped or vaulted ceilings/walls, it is necessary to use only "usable" square footage. Usable square footage is defined as GLA which has a minimum wall height of four feet which

slopes up to a height no less than seven feet.

When measuring, the measurement is generally rounded to the nearest one half foot, although some

appraisers measure to the tenth of a foot as is specified in the ANSI measuring standard. It is important to measure

two story family rooms, two story foyers or any areas which would not be included in the GLA of the home. To

calculate the GLA of the home it is then necessary to multiple the length time width of the sides of each living area.

In April, 1996 the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) adopted a standard for measuring single-

family residential buildings. American National Standard Z765-1996 was developed through a process of consensus

among a wide variety of participants. These included the American Institute of Architects, the Appraisal Foundation,

the Building Owners and Managers Association, the Manufactured Housing Institute, the National Association of

Realtors, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, HUD and others.

The ANSI standards are NOT LAW, only a voluntary guide, and are subject to periodic review and revision.

But anyone using these standards must apply them as a whole, and not just pick out the parts they like or agree

with.

Level ceilings must be at least 7 feet high, and at least 6 feet 4 inches under beams, ducts and other

obstructions. There is no height restriction under stairs. If a room has a sloped ceiling, at least one-half of the

finished floor area must have a ceiling height of at least 7 feet. Otherwise, omit the entire room from the floor

area calculations.

Lofts and finished attics must be accessible by a conventional stairway to be counted. Rooms accessed by

exterior stairways, ladders or spiral stairways cannot be counted in the GLA but may be given contributory value

elsewhere in the report.

Detached Rooms, Guest Cottages, Granny Units and Dwelling Units

According to the ANSI standards, finished areas which are not connected to the main residence by a finished

hall or stairway must be listed separately. If you have to leave the house to get to the room, it's not part of the

finished floor area.

A 16-page booklet describing the ANSI standards with examples and illustrations can be purchased for

$20.00 (plus $4.00 shipping and handling) from the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) Research Center

in Maryland at 301-249-4000.

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