Hardly a day passes without an email or a Facebook message asking me:  “what’s the best Smartphone for REALTORS?”  In turn, I normally ask them the same questions: “do you use Supra?  If so, how important is opening the lockbox? What type of contact management system do you have? And, are you willing to take some time and learn a new phone?”

One out of five of the agents I work with decide they don’t want a ‘fob’ for the lockbox and their contact management system prevents them from getting the smartest Smartphone.  No problems—go to eBay and buy a Treo 680 for my AT&T and T-Mobile friends or a Treo 755 for the other carriers and live happily ever after or the next 2 to 3 years whichever comes first.

iMapp has recently upgraded their current residential phone number database with direct links to whitepages.com.  This enhancement will help ensure data accuracy and reliability.

iMapp decided to offer this enhancement after analyzing the increased replacement of land lines with the various cellular carriers. The iMapp research team has determined that the link to whitepages.com is the best option to provide the most accurate and current data possible.  Because this is a live link, the data will be as current as White Pages listings and may also be updated by individuals who access their profiles from within the whitepages.com on-line directory. Keep in mind that that it will be your responsibility to cross-reference the Do Not Call Registry via the government website link provided within the iMapp system.

Should you have any questions regarding this change, please feel free to contact the MFR Help Desk at 1-800-686-7451.

Free Friday Tradeshow Admission on Aug. 27!

Don’t miss the boat at this year’s Florida REALTORS® Expo on August 26th and 27th. Located at the beautiful Rosen Shingle Creek in Orlando, you'll love the resort setting in the heart of Florida while learning new techniques to help you navigate through today’s uncharted waters. While there, be sure to visit our trainers and member services staff at the MFRMLS booth (117/119). New this year, we will also be staffing a second separate booth for our Commercial offering—My Florida Commercial Real Estate—at Booth 113.

Returning this year is the Free Friday promotion for the Trade Show. For more information and registration information, please visit http://convention.floridarealtors.org.

Register Today for this FREE Event!

Learn, share, network and brainstorm with your colleagues at the Real Estate Barcamp at the Rosen Shingle Creek Resort in Orlando on Wednesday, August 25, 2010. The RE Barcamp is an ad-hoc day-long event where the attendees set the agenda! Conveniently scheduled around the events at the annual Florida REALTORS® Expo, come on down and check it out.

Best of all, it’s FREE thanks to MyFloridaHomesMLS.com and the many other sponsors that help make this event possible.

For more information regarding the RE Barcamp, please click here»
Click here to access the FREE Registration Page»

My Florida Regional MLS is pleased to announce that Fannie Mae has revised the recently launched Short Sale Assistance Desk submission guidelines.  These new guidelines are intended to assist REALTORS® with obtaining the necessary approvals for short sale properties if the loan is backed by Fannie Mae.

Help can now be as few as 20 days away!

 Please review the following NEW guidelines and remember that all information regarding the Short Sale Assistance Desk can be found by visiting www.mfrmls.com/ssad.

Submission Guidelines

Real estate professional must first make a reasonable effort to resolve the issue by working through the servicer.

• Real estate professional may submit the case in the event the servicer has not provided:
  • an initial response within 20 days,
  • a final property valuation within 30 days,
  • a final decision or specific direction to facilitate a decision within 60 days from the original offer submission date,
  • or, if the real estate professional has received an approval from the servicer for the transaction, but either the mortgage insurer or second lien holder has imposed a closing condition that is not possible for the borrower to meet.