February 25, 2021
Member News



CORE 
Phone System Upgrade: We’re excited to announce that CORE’s phone system is getting an upgrade! With the new system, you’ll have automated options to select membership, SUPRA, or education when you call. This also means more staff will be available to answer your calls and also be able to immediately transfer to staff members as needed, while CORE staff continues to work remotely during the COVID crisis. The new system will go live tomorrow, February 25, at 11:30 am. We appreciate your patience during this transition time.
 
2020 Circle of Excellence Awards: We are expecting to receive CORE members' Circle of Excellence Awards toward the end of April, and then to be distributing them to members at a parking lot event at both CORE locations in May. Keep an eye out for the official announcement with the dates in future communications!

New Technology, No More Paper with CasePro! CORE has a new online system for arbitration requests and ethics complaints which was adopted to provide better service and automation for our members. With CasePro, there are no more fillable forms. Links and additional info can be found on the CORE website under Realtor Resources / File a Complaint.

Continuing Education (CE)

Save the Date - NJR EDUCADE As a way for Realtors in the Garden State to finish up their NJ CE credit requirements prior to the April 30 deadline, NJ Realtors is offering NJR EDUCADE, from April 6 - 9. EDUCADE consists of virtual sessions totaling 12 CE credits, including ethics, fair housing, financial literacy, technology, first-time home buyer opportunities, legal issues, low inventory markets, and more. The member fee is $21 for all sessions. Additionally, in observance of Fair Housing Month, an At Home With Diversity NAR Certification course will also be offered during the EDUCADE week for an additional fee. More details and registration info are coming soon.
NJ 2021 CE Term Ends Soon Finish your NJ CE credit requirements before April 30 to avoid a $200 late fee from the NJ Real Estate Commission. The 2021 CE term ends June 30, and any licensee who does not complete their CE before then will not be able to renew their license, which will then expire.

Don't Forget About ACE New Jersey Realtors Academy of Continuing Education offers a variety of low-cost and no cost online CE courses. Click here to learn more about NJ Realtors ACE.
Bright MLS

Join the Hunt! Complete the scavenger hunt for your chance to win one of three prizes: $250 gift card, $100 gift card, or a Bright cooler. To learn more and to register, click here. 
Market Reports

ShowingTime Market Reports The real estate market in NJ has been extremely active and characterized by dramatically low inventory. View here. 

Commercial Real Estate
One Day Left for CREXi Deep Discount Offer! February 25 is the deadline for CORE members to sign up for a 50 percent discount on the CREXi PRO plan. CREXi reports that CREXi PRO generates six times the activity versus non-PRO subscribers. To sign up for this offer, contact Daniel Colom at dcolom@crexi.com. After February 25, the PRO price will revert to a 35 percent discount. CREXi’s platform houses commercial and land listings with more than $1 trillion in property value and includes state-of-the-art tools. To hear a recording of the last CREXi webinar, click here.
 Local
Patch.com: COVID Vaccine Sites in Mercer County Here are all the places you can get the vaccine in Mercer County. Read more.

Somerset County: Transportation Expands Para-Transit Services for Seniors and Persons with Disabilities Effective March 1, residents can schedule trips to pharmacies and more. Read more.
 
Somerset County: Buy One, Bring One (BOBO) Fridays Food Drive Just buy one extra can of food when grocery shopping and bring one can or more to the County’s Administration Building, located at 20 Grove St., Somerville, NJ, on non-holiday weekdays from 8:30 am to 4 pm. Place donations in the blue bins located in the breezeway of the Administration Building. Read more.
Issues logging in or viewing your credits? Click the button above to Contact PSI directly.
To view a list of FAQs, click the button above.
Post your legal questions to legal.njrealtor.com and you'll receive a notification when an answer is posted. Also, browse other legal questions & answers.
New Jersey

State Increases Capacity Limits for Religious Services and Large Sports and Entertainment Venues Read more. 
 
Lead Plumbing Legislation The Senate Community and Urban Affairs Committee approved S-829, legislation that would require a question be added to the Property Condition Disclosure Statement concerning the presence of lead plumbing in residential properties. New Jersey Realtors supports this legislation which would add protection for real estate licensees, and would ensure consumers have access to information about the presence of lead in a property’s water. This bill would not add any new requirements concerning the presence of lead at the time-of-sale. S-829 must still be considered by the full Senate and Assembly before it reaches the Governor’s desk. Learn more here. 
 
News from the House The following information was recently received from two US House members whose districts cover portions of Hunterdon, Mercer, or Mercer county:
US Representative Bonnie Watson Coleman from NJ’s 12th District recently announced:
  • She has been named Chair of the Homeland Security Committee’s Subcommittee on Transportation and Maritime Security, and this year’s agenda includes restoring the aviation system, resolving issues of surface transportation, and securing the US Coast Guard ports.
  • She is holding tele-townhall this Thurs, Feb 25 at 6:30 pm where she, state officials, and medical experts will discuss the safety of COVID-19 vaccinations. She urges everyone able to get vaccinated to do so as soon as they are eligible and says COVID vaccinations are not only safe, they are imperative to our ability to reopen New Jersey. Register here or listen on Facebook here.

US Representative Tom Malinowski from NJ’s 7th District recently announced-----that the Congressman recently:
  • Toured COVID-19 vaccination sites serving residents of NJ-07 to learn more about-the early challenges and successes of vaccine distribution in the state. Learn more here.
  • Hosted a taxpayer virtual Q&A and was joined by representatives from the IRS Taxpayer Advocate Service and United Way of Northern NJ, who answered-questions and reviewed the tax preparation/filing process. A recording is here.
  • Hosted a Paycheck Protection Program Loan Application and Forgiveness Webinar for small business owners and was joined by Al Titone, NJ District Director for theUS Small Business Administration. A recording is here.
  • To learn about Rep. Malinowski’s upcoming events - including a Telephone Town Hall this Thurs, Feb 25, 6:00 - 7:00 pm, and a 2021 FAFSA Information Session this Fri, Feb 26, 4:00 - 5:00 pm, click here.

Greenbaum, Rowe, Smith & Davis: NJ Decriminalizes Marijuana-Related Offenses; New Law Also Vacates Prior Verdicts & Diversionary Programs Read more.

NJBIZ: Shipping Containers Refashioned into Mobile Clinics are Being Used to Test Patients for COVID-19 at RWJUH Hamilton. Read more. 
National


NAR Wire Fraud Email Notice Template NAR has created a wire fraud email notice template for Realtors. For more information, click here.   

NAR: ‘Here It Is, Literally the Worst House on the Street!’ The real estate agent for a $69,000 listing used brutal honesty to market a decrepit home in Florida. And it worked: The house has a pending offer. Read more.
 
NAR: Land Is in Demand: Purchases Pick Up During Pandemic “Investors rediscovered a safe haven in land real estate in 2020, which made for a very good year for land sales,” a new report shows. Read more. 
NAR: HUD Extends Housing Protections to LGBTQ Americans The Department of Housing and Urban Development said it would prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity in its enforcement of the Fair Housing Act. Read more. 
 
NAR: More Buyers Waive Home Inspections in Hot Housing Market Last June, the real estate brokerage Redfin reported that nearly 20% of buyer offers submitted by their agents waived the inspection contingency. Read more.

NAR: New Rules for PPP Loans Open Funding Up to Smaller Businesses Companies with fewer than 20 employees will be given an exclusive window to apply for the forgivable PPP loans. Read more.
Lone Wolf: Notification of Challenge in Transactions (zipForm Edition) Lone Wolf is aware of a challenge in Transactions (zipForm Edition), in which some users are experiencing slower than normal performance. They are investigating the cause of this challenge and expect to have a resolution shortly.
  • As they work to resolve this issue, they will regularly update status changes. At any time, you can see the status of the challenge at statuspage.lwolf.com.
Useful Links

Save these Links for Key NJ Real Estate Commission Information: