Bay State REALTOR® Law and Ethics
| Multiple Offers |
| 5/1/2013 |
| The year 2013 marks the 100th Anniversary of the Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice of the National Association of REALTORS®. In recognition, Jeffrey Chute reviews key components. |
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| {legal Realtor®} 'CLUE' Yourself In About Homeowners Insurance |
| 5/1/2013 |
| Massachusetts buyers and REALTORS® have recently learned that difficulties in obtaining homeowners insurance will delay or prevent real estate closings. Understanding this potential pitfall will assist buyers and sellers to avoid problems and enable a transaction to proceed smoothly. |
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| What Is Government Affairs? |
| 5/1/2013 |
| As the 2013 Chair of the Government Affairs Committee, I was recently asked by a fairly new sales associate, “What does Government Affairs do exactly, and what does it have to do with me?” It was a legitimate question. It’s not a topic taught in licensing schools or sales skill development classes. I welcomed the chance to share the answer. |
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| Antitrust Issues Remain a Concern for REALTORS® |
| 2/26/2013 |
| Antitrust claims are generally aimed at stopping combinations and conspiracies to restrain trade. Any practice that is viewed as anti-competitive could give rise to an antitrust claim. Recently most high profile antitrust cases have involved technology companies, such as Microsoft, Google, and Apple.
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| Shaping the Debate on the Qualified Mortgage Rule |
| 1/30/2013 |
| The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) released its qualified mortgage (QM) rule in early January, 2013. The rule was created by the Dodd-Frank Reform Act and although NAR achieved significant victory in shaping the rule which broadly defines the qualifications necessary to achieve a mortgage, NAR will continue to work with CPFB, Congress, and industry partners to address several key issues that are critical to consumers, our industry, and the real estate market before the rule’s effective date of January 10, 2014. |
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| {legal REALTOR®} Of Joyce Kilmer, Hurricane Sandy, and Trees |
| 12/19/2012 |
| It has been 100 years since Joyce Kilmer published the poem, “Trees.” It begins with the words: “I think that I shall never see a poem lovely as a tree.” With the arrival of Hurricane Sandy last October, we were reminded of the power of nature and that when a tree falls, it may not be lovely at all. Sandy wreaked havoc on power lines, cars, and homes up and down the east coast. |
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| Vapor Intrusion |
| 11/27/2012 |
| Recently revised policy and regulations regarding how indoor air vapors associated with contamination are assessed and remediated could impact commercial and residential property owners and possibly affect a commercial or residential sale.
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