Archives

August 2005

Activity Breeds Activity!

Posted at 9:31 PM, Aug. 31, 2005

The success of this very young Weblog (less than 12 hours!)  supports an old, but core mantra.... "Activity Breeds Activity!"

Positive activity has already come from this effort. Some are obvious in the post, others via private, supportive e-mails. 

For now, we ask contributors to accept a very sincere "Thank You." 
Your support, suggestions, links, and/or e-mails are greatly appreciated.

A few things you can expect by tomorrow afternoon:

1) A categorized list of links along with a brief summary

2) More links regarding animal rescue services

3) More links to housing related inititives

If equipment is needed for a presentation, send an e-mail.

RSS Feed

Posted at 4:08 PM, Aug. 31, 2005

You might want to try receiving these postings right on your desktop shortly after they are released.

If you do not yet have a RSS Reader, I recommend

http://www.sharpreader.net
http://www.Attensa.com

For those with a RSS Feed Reader on their desktop, here is the URL to copy and paste into your reader.

REALTOR Relief Efforts Site

Posted at 3:25 PM, Aug. 31, 2005

The National Associations of REALTORS has dedicated a special web page for the REALTOR Relief Efforts For Hurricane Katrina.

Go to http://realtor.org/realtororg.nsf/pages/katrina

Housing Resources

Posted at 2:03 PM, Aug. 31, 2005

Since housing is one of the major purposes of this Weblog, we are in search of every resource possible.

NOLA.com is an extremely informative site in a variety of of aress, including a "missing" forum and a "reach out" forum.  Besides well wishing and prayers, the site also lists those who will take in evacuees. 

We will be adding this list.  In the meantime, if you have other resources or want to make an offer, please do so as sharing is what we all need to be doing right now.

Bottled Water On The Way

Posted at 1:51 PM, Aug. 31, 2005

There's a lot that can and needs to be done right now........today.... to

help out along the Gulf Coast.

NAR has set up a fund and is picking up 100% of the administrative costs

so that all the money gets to where it's needed.

One of our local radio stations filled up an 18 wheeler with bottled

water and it's on it's way as of about 2 hours ago and they're working on

a second one.

My local title company set out yesterday with a U-Haul type trailer full

of bottled water and canned foodstuffs.

Our office has a huge stack of bottled water in the lobby that we're

putting on the next truck heading south.

"REALTORS® Relief Foundation Provides Funds for Katrina Relief Effort

WASHINGTON, DC (August 30, 2005)­The REALTORS® Relief Foundation is

spearheading donations to REALTOR® associations in Alabama, Louisiana and

Mississippi this week by contributing $50,000 to each of three state

REALTOR® associations impacted by Hurricane Katrina.

REALTORS® Relief Foundation President Pat Kaplan said the initial

contributions will help fund the establishment of state relief funds.

However, much more will be needed to help the many who have lost their

homes or businesses, she said.

"There are so many on the outskirts of New Orleans who have lost

everything," says Sandy Lash, an executive at the Louisiana Association

of REALTORS® in Baton Rouge. The storm left 6-7 feet of water in areas

around New Orleans, including Metairie and Kenner, where virtually every

structure sustained damage. "It will be weeks or months before full power

is restored to these areas, and the entire water system in the area has

been compromised," says Lash.

In Alabama, communities around the Gulf, still recovering from Hurricane

Ivan a year ago, are once more digging out. "We have thousands who lost

everything in Ivan and had built their homes back up only to have them

destroyed again," says J. Danny Cooper, association executive at the

Alabama Association of REALTORS®.

NAR CEO Terrence M. McDermott is calling on REALTORS® to reach out and

help their colleagues in this time of tremendous need. "We would probably

all like to run down and pitch in and help, but since that's not

possible, we should all pray that our REALTOR® community finds the

strength to make it through this trial," he says.
"We ask that you send whatever you can to the REALTORS® Relief Foundation

and we will pass your donation along in a rush."

All administrative costs of the project will be absorbed by NAR; 100

percent of all donations will go directly to aid the victims.
Contributions can be made online through the following secure site

powered by NARs e-commerce
system:
<https://www.realtor.org/relief>https://www.realtor.org/relief
. Contributions are tax deductible. To make contributions by mail, checks

should be made payable to the REALTORS® Relief Foundation and sent to:

REALTORS® Relief Foundation, Attn: NAR Finance Division, 430 N. Michigan

Ave., Chicago IL 60611.

For those who would like to make donations directly to the states, in

Alabama please send checks payable to the Alabama REALTOR® Disaster

Relief Fund, P.O. Box 4070, Montgomery, AL 36104.
Donations can be made by credit card by calling the Alabama Association

of REALTORS® at
334/262-3808 or by going online to
<http://www.alabamarealtors.com/relief.cfm>www.alabamarealtors.com/relief.cfm
.

For Louisiana, checks payable to the Louisiana REALTORS® Association

Relief Fund should be sent to P.O. Box 14780, Baton Rouge, LA, 70898, or

to Regions Bank, attn: Louisiana REALTORS® Association Relief Fund, 5353

Essen Lane, Suite 150, Baton Rouge, LA 70809."

Jim Lee, CRS, ABR, GRI, e-PRO, e-JIM
Realty Executives Associates, Knoxville, TN
www.KnoxvilleMLS.com     mailto:JIM@JimLee.com

Time For Us To Give Back

Posted at 1:48 PM, Aug. 31, 2005

Paula Bean provides an update from Jacque Stanly at NAR on how we can help our fellow agents dealing with the Katrina disaster.

I emailed the CEO and the VP of communications at our Board in Orlando as to how they dealt with last years hurricanes in Florida, and how we could help with this years Katrina catastrophe.   They responded back immediately, as I knew they would.  Our Board here is so awesome! Here is what I found out (copied below).  IMHO, I think we should all form a coalition from RT and EPT to make a lump sum distribution to all of these programs... what does everyone else think?

 Tres Amigo's - are you in?  It would be very nice, as well as a powerful statement on the numbers of RT to contribute to these very worthy causes. {John's note: Thanks for the update, Paula. Yes, we are in. We're setting Up a special blog, along with Lake Charles, LA REALTOR and NAR Certified e-PRO Trainer, Mary Kay Hopkins - "The purpose of this Weblog is to match needs resulting from Hurricane Katrina with the talents and resources of the real estate community." More to follow later today.}

Then again, everyone could do what they want on their own, but there is power in numbers, and I'd be more than happy to spearhead it if need be. Let's talk Realtalk!!  It is time for us to give back, help out others and make a difference!

Paula Bean, REALTOR
e-PRO Certified Internet Expert
Certified Real Estate Consultant
Carib Gulf Realty 321.228.4663
http://www.HomeOrlando.com

REALTOR RELIEF FOUNDATION PROVIDES FUNDS FOR KATRINA RELIEF EFFORT

WASHINGTON, DC (August 30, 2005)?The REALTOR Relief Foundation is spearheading donations to REALTOR associations in Alabama, Louisiana and Mississippi  this week by contributing $50,000 to each of three state REALTOR associations impacted by Hurricane Katrina.

REALTOR Relief Foundation President Pat Kaplan said the initial contributions will help fund the establishment of state relief funds.
"However, much more will be needed to help the many who have lost their homes or businesses," she said.

"There are so many on the outskirts of New Orleans who have lost everything," says Sandy Lash, an executive at the Louisiana Association of REALTORS in Baton Rouge. The storm left 6-7 feet of water in areas around New Orleans, including Metairie and Kenner, where virtually every structure sustained damage. "It will be weeks or months before full power is restored to these areas, and the entire water system in the area has Been compromised," says Lash.

In Alabama, communities around the Gulf, still recovering from Hurricane Ivan a year ago, are once more digging out. "We have thousands

who lost everything in Ivan and had built their homes back up only to have them destroyed again," says J. Danny Cooper, association executive at the Alabama Association of REALTORS.

NAR CEO Terrence M. McDermott is calling on Realtors to reach out and help their colleagues in this time of tremendous need. "We would

probably all like to run down and pitch in and help, but since that's not possible, we should all pray that our Realtor community finds the

strength to make it through this trial," he says. "We ask that you send whatever you can to the REALTOR Relief Foundation and we will pass your donation along in a rush."

All administrative costs of the project will be absorbed by NAR; 100 percent of all donations will go directly to aid the victims.

Contributions can be  made online through the following secure site powered by NAR's e-commerce system:

https://www.realtor.org/RelFundTrack.nsf/Contribution?OpenForm. Contributions are tax deductible. To make contributions by mail, checks

should be made payable to the REALTOR® Katrina Project and sent to:REALTOR Katrina Relief Project, Attn: NAR Finance Division, 430 N.

Michigan Ave.,Chicago IL 60611.

For those who would like to make donations directly to the states, in Alabama please send checks payable to the Alabama REALTOR Disaster Relief Fund, P.O. Box 4070, Montgomery, AL 36104. Donations can be made by credit card by calling the Alabama Association of REALTORS at 334/262-3808 or by going online to www.alabamarealtors.com/relief.cfm.   For Louisiana, checks payable to the Louisiana REALTORS Association Relief Fund should be sent to P.O. Box 14780, Baton Rouge, LA, 70898, or to Regions Bank, attn: Louisiana REALTORS Association Relief Fund, 5353 Essen Lane, Suite 150, Baton Rouge, LA 70809.

The National Association of Realtors, "The Voice for Real Estate," is America's largest trade association, representing more than 1

million members involved in all aspects of the residential andcommercial real estate industries.

The Spirit of Outreach

Posted at 1:46 PM, Aug. 31, 2005

As I watch in disbelief the pictures of devastation coming from the

vulnerable belly of our nation, of a vibrant city destroyed, the area's

citizens now homeless refugees in a land of plenty, I see firsthand the

spirit of outreach and caring we Americans possess, both individually and

at the corporate level...

"Dear Associates,
RE/MAX Allegiance has donated $10,000.00 to The American Red Cross for

the Hurricane Katrina relief effort. We strongly encourage everyone

associated with RE/MAX Allegiance to donate something ...
Sincerely, Charlie Bengel
Chairman - RE/MAX Allegiance"

... and I am proud.

Donate where and what your heart dictates, but do give. This disaster

will drain more than any levee could begin to contain.

Rani Covington, CRS, e-PRO, JIM66 -- "Ronnie"
RE/MAX Allegiance ~ Serving Northern Virginia
800-344-7253 x4391 ~  Cell Ph: 703-980-6063 Mailto:Rani@realtor.com

www.RaniCovington.com

Communicate with the Blog Master

Posted at 12:57 PM, Aug. 24, 2005

1. Post a message on this thread by clicking "comment"

2. e-mail Mary Kay Hopkins at mkh@mkh.com

3. call May Kay at 337-310-7701