Realtors® Congregate for Mid-Year Meetings in Washington, D.C.

by John Glaab

Over 7,500 Realtors® from inside and outside the U.S.A. gathered recently for the mid Year Meetings of the National Association of Realtors.

Among the more interesting sessions at the mid-year meetings were; The International Operations Committee, The MLS Association Committee, The International Local Council Meeting and the International Forum and the Resort Forum and Second Home Real Estate Forum. Two other events were a tour of the new NAR®, “Green Building” close to Capital Hill at 500 New Jersey Avenue and International Night Out, a cruise on the Potomac River.

The leading issue at the International Operations Committee was the proposed creation of A Silver Visa Card. The subject sparked a lively debate. A major issue has to do with taxation based on “world-wide” income. Proponents cited the massive U.S. foreign trade deficit as well as the aggressive marketing of countries like Mexico and Panama. In Panama a buyer of property receives a twenty-year tax break. In the United Kingdom, a foreigner may own property and only be taxed on the income in his/her home country. It was decided to send the proposal back to the association’s economic research department for further research.

Among the Highlights reported at the session were the NAR/AMPI Membership Alliance and AMPI/NAR meeting held in Monterrey last March and the success of the Doing Business in Mexico class. (Linda Neil Founder of The Settlement Company is one of the three authors and an instructor for the class.)

At a special CIPS (Certified International Property Specialist) breakfast, 72 members received their Pin as qualified designees. There are now 1,590 CIPS designees. Of these 1,410 are from the U.S. and 180 are from 34 other countries with Italy, Mexico and Singapore representing the largest non-U.S. groups.

Not including Mexico, NAR ®currently has 315 International REALTOR® Members from 27 countries with Costa Rico, Canada and Honduras representing the largest groups. All 1,500 AMPI (Mexico) members are automatically in the process of becoming REALTORS® in 2007 as per the NAR®-AMPI bilateral agreement.

In addition to 107 scheduled courses to date to be offered in the United Sates in 2007, CIPS courses are scheduled for the following locations; Nicaragua, South Korea, Spain, Austria, Latvia , Romania and Portugal; with Bangkok scheduled for January 2008. A new comprehensive resource guide, “Everything You’ve Ever Wanted to Know About International But Were Afraid to Ask.” was distributed at the meeting.

The Institute of Estate Agents of South Africa (IEASA), the Latvian Real estate Association( LANIDA) and the Camara Inmobiliaro de Venezuela. (The latter has submitted a letter ofre-affiliation. The group had resigned in 2006 due to domestic matters.) Product Managers from Microsoft and Google presented new mapping programs at the MLS Association Committee meeting. The Seattle MLS Association invited everyone to come to their 50th Anniversary celebration this summer. At the International Council Forum several, “Ambassadors” for foreign countries, including those from Romania, The United Kingdom and Thailand, reported on incoming Trade Missions. A new book, “International Local Council Resource Guide,” was distributed. Due to so many similarities and problems, the International Forum and the Resort and Second Home Forum were combined into a single session. Immigration was a major topic.

NAR® will hold its Annual Conference and EXPO in Las Vegas form November 13 to 16, 2007.

For Further Information:
John. glaab@settlement-co.com

Property Shop now Prudential

Looking for Property Shop? They’ve changed names. Still located in the same glass front office on Nicolas Bravo in central Zihuatanejo, and still offering the same quality services, Property Shop is now Prudential. Broker Assistant and Sales Agent Gloria Perez, who launched Property Shop two years ago, tells us they are now Prudential California Realty, Ixtapa/Zihua Division. Citing Prudential’s recognized and respected brand, and commitment to professionalism, Perez is proud to be part of such an extensive international network.

Prudential California has over 150 offices across the US, Mexico, and Canada, and covers more territory than any other US firm, with offices from San Luis Obsipo to Zihuatanejo. They are the fourth largest real estate company in the USA, and the largest in the Prudential network. The Ixtapa/Zihua division joins Puerto Vallarta and Los Cabos, as only the third Prudential California office in Mexico, but plans are to bring as many as 30 new divisions to Mexico.

Prudential California Realty is especially sensitive to the needs of foreign buyers in Mexico and states as their mission to maintain the highest ethical standards, as they recognize that many of their clients are new to real estate in Mexico. Their goal is to provide each client with the finest comprehensive real estate service and personal attention. Gloria Perez invites you to visit their new website www.pruzi.com.mx, and she can be reached at Tel. 755-544-8787, or e-mail: gperez@pruzi.com.mx

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