The holidays sector of the year has come! This is one of the best times of the year. I love this time, with all the lights outside, all the presents, and just the fun of presents. We want to thank you for staying with ANCP during hard times, during the holidays, during sad times, during happy times, or what I mean, is staying with ANCP every single day. We have grew so much, and having all of you as all of ANCP’s fans is the best present I can get! To thank you, we are having a GIGANTIC CONTEST! Here is what we are offering from ME:

3 Card jitsu Codes

1 Membership

1 EPF Code

Series 6 coin code

And now Chilly_cp has another contest of his own! Here is what he is including. FOR ALL THE INFO, GO TO THIS LINK: Here are his prizes!

Club Penguin coin codes (multiple series)

Card Jitsu codes (fire,regular,golden,multiple series)

Ultimate Game Cards (can be redeemed for 1200 xats and 60 subscriber days onwww.xat.com)

Mod/Owner/Main Owner/ on my chat, www.xat.com/cpicp

Isn’t this contest going to be GREAT? Here is how to win my contest

How to win the contest:

To win, you MUST follow me on Twitter! Once I get 300 followers (only about 40 more followers) I will give away all of those things! Here is how you follow someone on Twitter (me)

How to follow me

To follow me, just go to http://twitter.com then click sign up:

Now, you sign up, then you go to http://twitter.com/EunesCP

Once you are there, just click follow, and you are officially entered into the contest!

Now, you’re ready! Good luck!

Special Messages from all our writers:

Zachpenny: (Coming soon)

Chilly_cp: (Coming soon)

Gators Nc: (Coming soon)

Sammyrunner: (Coming soon)

Zecktroid: (Coming soon)

Eunes: (My message was EVERYTHING up above!

Good luck, and happy holidays!

It has been suggested many times that Young Living has one of the strongest product lines in the MLM/network marketing industry.  It keeps bringing customers back month after month for years on end.  We have also seen numerous reactivations of memberships after 2 to 3 years of inactivity.

What’s the attraction?  The Therapeutic Grade Essential Oils, followed by the Ningxia Red (goji/wolfberry juice)  followed by the ART (Age Refining Technology) Skin Care, followed by the essential oil based Nutritional products.  Customers just can’t seem to live without them.  Distributors/members are impressed by the retention rates of their downline customers and by the quantity of the average monthly orders.

I’m making my wish list and checking it twice. It’s a simple list.

1) More Members. I’d like to see our current members recruit more members to NFPW. I’m not interested in reaching some arbitrary goal for membership. I am interested in helping others navigate the communications field. NFPW offers a great annual conference, plenty of networking and a professional communications contest (deadline is rapidly approaching). At the affiliate level there  is more of the same — all designed to enhance your communications skills and experience. So why not recruit a colleague? Membership in NFPW is the gift that gives back year round. To learn more about membership, please visit http://nfpw.org/joinus.htm.

2) A trip to Chicago. Illinois Woman’s Press Association is hosting the NFPW conference in Chicago, Aug. 26-28. I’m looking forward to the learning, the networking and the sightseeing. Information about the conference and the pre- and post-tours is available online at http://nfpw.org/conference.htm. You can book your hotel room now, too. I look forward to seeing everyone there!

3) NFPW gear. What better way to let people know what a great organization NFPW is then through logowear. We’ve got a great collection, including polo shirts and vests. Wear it with pride. Go to the NFPW Web site at www.nfpw.org, click on members only and scroll to the bottom you can shop until you drop.

Happy Holidays!

At this point in the holiday shopping season, people generally fall into one of two camps. There are those with a relaxed (some might say smug) air, whose gifts are all wrapped and neatly labeled for distribution. Then, there are others, marked by a desperate, almost crazed appearance, still frantically wandering from shop to shop in an effort to find the perfect present for everyone on their lists.

For individuals in the latter category, the CMA’s Gauguin exhibition boutique, general shop, and online store just may provide the perfect solution, as well as a way to eliminate some of that last-minute holiday stress. Unique items include colorful jewelry, gifts for the home, and even tasty treats for the kitchen. Objects inspired by the Gauguin exhibition feature a French theme and include silk scarves and ties, fragrant soaps, and hand-painted pottery.

If you want to avoid crowds entirely, the museum’s online store features books and posters, stationery, and artistic apparel. All orders placed by 2 p.m. on Wednesday, December 23, can even be shipped next-day air to arrive on December 24.

Finally, if you have art aficionados in the house, you may want to consider a gift they can continue to use year-round. Museum memberships provide free tickets to exhibitions, discounts at the store and on art classes, and a subscription to the members magazine, among other great benefits. Memberships, too, can be purchased online or by calling 216-707-2268.

The museum will remain open until 4 p.m. on December 24—giving you plenty of time to procrastinate your shopping trip just a little longer.

Today, Teenocracy is very proud to open registration to its first prospective members. This first step in “Beginning the Legacy” will give Teenocracy its first membership base for the upcoming 2010 Inaugural Season

You can click the “Register Now” button to…well….register now!

We will look forward to having you aboard the Teenocracy Team and look forward to spreading the importance of political awareness and leadership in our generation.

In all my Royal Holiday vacation trips, Argentina holds a very special place in my heart and has the best vacation destinations ever. People typically think north for a skiing resort and vacation well let me tell you Argentina has the best skiing resorts I have been to, and one of them is located literally in the end of the world, in Patagonia region, in Ushuaia “Tierra del Fuego” the farthest south city in the world. We stayed there one summer we were running from the sun and hot weather for a change and since in the southern hemisphere everything is upside down we ended up in Argentina skiing in July! We stayed at the Australis Kauyeken thanks to our Royal Membership which we simply loved. We enjoyed our vacation and learned that thinking outside the box really works in planning a great vacation skiing trip.

http://www.argentina.ar/_es/turismo/esqui/index.php

http://www.royal-holiday.com/resortsByDestination.aspx?id=97&a=&b=&c=97&e=

www.lonelyplanet.com/argentina/tierra-del-fuego/ushuaia

Just in case I don’t post again inbetween now and Christmas, can I take this opportunity to say thanks to all my regular readers and twitter followers. Irrespective of whether you’ve joined me through my business blog, or one of my personal diary blogs, thanks for being with me. Your support means so much to me, your comments are always welcome and I’ve learned lots of new things from some of my 7,000 readers this year, which is the reading from my page counter on some of my blogs.

Thank you.

It’s been a difficult year, yet it’s been one of the most exhilerating for me as well. Although my marriage may be in tatters, I have successfully fought two redundancies notices and kept my job; I have taken the baliffs to court and won that case, and I have successfully battled against the mortgage company’s repossession order and kept my house.

I am now almost at the end of my first year of my three year self imposed self improvement programme; and although I have not yet achieved my main goal of earning £30,000 per year by the end of 2009; I’m only around £4,000 short, which equates to a daily shortfall of £11.30. That, I guess, is not bad from a job that only pays £17,000 basic. But this year has been full of small achievements for me on my way up as well. I now have 7 books published and being sold worldwide through Amazon and other similar online places.

Royalty payments are now starting to come through my Paypal account, and although they are really small and insignificant, every penny counts, and it’s a good start to my recurring income business where I get paid for ever for work I do once.

Over the next week or so I’m going to concentrate on writing out my goals for next year, and as a basis for this, I’m using the guidelines again from my Debt Free Lifestyle book to help increase the recurring income and reduce all the debts. I will continue using the same power of Focus that I have this year, as readers of my wordpress and blogger.com blogs will notice from my daily income table updates.

My first membership site is now on line ready for the new year selling Private Label Right products which I can’t advertise on my itsmymarket.com blog, but for other readers you can check it out here.

Next years going to be difficult, again, but it’s also going to be great as well.

Thank you readers, no matter whether you’re reading my blog on wordpress.com. blogger.com., or itsmymarket.com. You are my witnesses to my struggle. And I hope that, by continually writing like this, I help others as I help myself. Because if I can do it, so can anyone else.

Stay with me, dear reader, and I’ll show you that you can do it as well.

Give the gift of EBSQ this holiday season!

Who says it’s too late to purchase gifts online in time for holiday delivery?  Support your favourite artist by gifting them with a membership to EBSQ. Available as a one-time fee for an annual, biennial, or permanent account. (This is also a great option if you’d like to purchase an account for yourself without an automatic recurring payment.) And what’s better, we can deliver TODAY.

Plus, by popular demand we’ve back our half-off permanent account sale. You’ll be able to purchase a permanent account now  through December 23, 2009 for just $325.  A permanent account means you’ll never have to pay dues again.  Ever. That’s a pretty good value for an unlimited-upload art portfolio! 

With prices scheduled to go up for new memberships in 2010, this is the ideal time to lock in at 2009 rates.

So–finish up your holiday shopping with EBSQ. The artists in your life thank you in advance

Thank you to everyone who came out to the Westin Charlotte on Thursday, December 17th for our 2009 Annual Meeting.  We enjoyed a strong turnout and another great CRCBR end-of-year meeting program.

The first order of business was to vote in our 2010 slate of officers & directors.  Congratulations to the following members on their recent appointment:

Officers (1 year term)
President – Steve Gassaway, CB Richard Ellis
President Elect – Robby Kirby, Lincoln Harris
Vice President – Tim Bahr, NAI Southern Real Estate
Secretary – Howard Bissell, The Bissell Companies
Treasurer – Tricia Noble, Childress Klein
Immediate Past President – Rob Pressley, Coldwell Banker Commercial MECA

Directors (3 year term)
George Macon, Merrifield Partners
Andy Dinkin, Levine Properties
Scott Hensley, Piedmont Properties of the Carolinas, Inc.
Brad Cherry, Keystone Partners, LLC
Jim Schepp, Cox & Schepp

We also honored outstanding achievement by handing out our annual awards.  Congratulations to our 2009 award winners:

Corporate Associate of the Year — David Larr, AccuMeasure
President’s Award – Doug Smith, formerly with the Charlotte Observer
REALTOR of the Year Award – Landon Wyatt, Childress Klein Properties
Citizen of the Year Award – John Crosland, Crosland
Cornerstone Award – Jim Rogers, Duke Energy

Our request for 2010 Leadership Program applications was very well received and we took the time to recognize our selected participants.  These six individuals are:

Jon Beall, Coldwell Banker Commercial MECA
Joe Franco, Colliers Pinkard
Parker Melvin, CB Richard Ellis
Eric Parris, Jones Lang LaSalle
Jade Paunovich, NAI Southern
Kerri Robusto, Clear Springs Development

Our program also featured a keynote address by new Charlotte Mayor, Anthony Foxx, who shared his plans for Charlotte for the next four years.

Thank you, again, to everyone who came out to the Annual Meeting. We wish all CRCBR members a joyous holiday season and a very happy and prosperous new year!

January at the Edison & Ford Winter Estates is highlighted with Sneak Peeks, Rain Barrel Workshop , the annual Estates Tropical Florida Bridal Fair as well as a variety of other special programs throughout the month.  The January schedule of programs and events include:

Edison & Ford Holiday Nights, Through – January 2, 5:30 PM – 9 PM

The Estates holiday tradition continues with “Edison & Ford Holiday Nights,” southwest Florida’s 34 year annual event.  The winter homes of the Edison and Ford families will be seasonally decorated with the “favorite things” of the Edison and Ford families.  The Edison Botanic Lab and Estates Museum will be open every evening with special exhibits as well as nightly holiday performances by area students and groups.  Group rates are available to groups of 20 or more people with advance reservations.  For more information call 239-334-7419. 

Home Schoolers: “Eager Engineers,” January 8, 1 PM – 3 PM

Home schooled students and their parents will be inspired by Henry Ford’s inventions and learn how simple machines become complex machines, as well as the science of building bridges.  The programs follow the Lee County mandated program and addresses environmental science, history and reading SOLS.  Pre-visit curriculum materials will be mailed to registered families.  Registration required. Estates Members $5; non members $15 (one adult, one child) additional $5 per child. 

Etiquette at the Estates:  Mina & Mimi’s Manners, January 9 & February 6, 11 AM

Mina Edison, wife of Thomas Edison, was a gracious hostess and interested in the well being of children and the community.  Following in this tradition, Etiquette at the Estates, includes one day (two hour) lessons in etiquette and social skills.  Children will learn proper introductions, handshakes and dining etiquette during a three course meal.  Class will be taught by Suzanne Willis who has been teaching similar classes at the Ritz-Carlton hotels throughout the nation.  Registration is requires.  Estates Members $40; non members $50. 

Wild Wizard Lab Show, “Eager Engineers,”  January 10, 2 PM

The Estates Wild Wizards present a series of lab experiments exploring some of Mr. Edison’s and Mr. Ford’s illuminating inventions.  Join the Wizards and explore how simple machines become complex machines as well as the science of building bridges.  Fun for all ages.  Estates Members are FREE, non members: $10 adults, $5 children and includes Estates Lab and Museum admission.

New Volunteer Orientation,  January 12, 10 AM

Join Estates staff to learn about volunteer opportunities, Estates policies and general Museum information.  This is a mandatory training for all new Estates volunteers but potential volunteers are welcome.

Sneak Peek Tours for the Public, January 14, 21, & 28, 10:30 AM

This season a NEW behind-the-scenes tour inside the Edison and Ford homes open to the public and Estates members.   These unique tours are offered at no cost to Estates members and $40 for non members.  In addition, lunch will be served riverside by the Ford Estate following the tour for $15 per person.  Due to the intimate nature of “Sneak Peek Tours,” space is limited and registration is required.  To become an Estates member call the Estates Membership office to receive free admission to the Estates and hundreds of museums and gardens throughout the United States, discounts and an inside look into the homes of two of the nations greatest inventors and their families. 

Docent Training, January 21, 9 AM

New Estates volunteers who are interested in becoming Edison & Ford porch, Lab and Museum docents, or group tour docents of the Estates grounds must attend this mandatory meeting.

Rain Barrel Workshop, January 23, 9 AM

Harvesting rainwater by using rain barrels has been around for thousands of years. Thomas Edison used cisterns and water tanks throughout his Fort Myers estate to help irrigate his gardens and to use for drinking water.   Join the Estates Horticulturist, Debbie Hughes and Tom Becker, Florida Yards and Neighborhoods for a unique approach on uses and construction of rain barrels and a tour of the Estates.  In addition southwest Florida artist, Marie Dyer will give a demonstration on painting your rain barrel to create a beautiful addition to your landscape.   Registration is required.  Estates Members $50; non members $55 and includes a rain barrel. 

Estates Tropical Florida Bridal Fair, January 24, 1 PM – 5 PM

The second annual Estates Tropical Florida Bridal Fair will be held on the beautiful grounds of the Ford Estate, southwest Florida’s premier wedding location.  With breathtaking water views, historic gardens and romantic sunsets the Estates is a perfect location for your special day.  Over 40 wedding professionals will be available to assist you as well as a bridal fashion show, dancing demonstrations, catering showcase and much more.  Cost: $5, FREE to brides.  Event is sponsored by Edison & Ford Winter Estates, Creative Events/Taylor Rental, Fort Myers, and Studio Six Eleven.

photo courtesy of Jamie Lee Photography

Coming in February: 

“Brunch with Mrs. Edison:  Living with a Genius,” February 19 & 20, 11 AM

Storyteller, writer, playwright and professional actress, Nan Colton will bring to life the remarkable and charitable Mina Edison with unforgettable tales of “living with a genius.”  Brunch will be served in the beautiful Estates gardens and garden hats are encouraged.  Reservations required, seating is limited.  Estates Members $50; non members $60.  Group rates are available.

Home again, for most of the day although a good lunch at the Travellers Arms with Linda and her OAP group. First Turkey of the season!

Stayed in during the pm then decided to go over to Damian in Kingswood to take the presents as they are away for the rest of the week. Roads mostly OK until we got to within 500 yards of his home where a steep ice-covered hill caused us some difficulty. Eventually made it up by criss crossing the ice – phew!

Little to report on the Rotary front apart from some clubs still not registering members are letting me know. So embarrassing to write to a new member who has been in the district for 4 months! I just heard of 5 new members at one club since July without telling anyone!

Time to renew your membership for 2010.  I realize the tough economy may make things difficult this year, but I hope you’ll stick with us. 2010 may be our most challenging year ever, which means APW needs you now, more than ever.

State dues are $15, plus national dues of $73.  Click here for a membership form: 2010 NFPW membership form.

I recently rediscovered this interesting post about groups on a UK blog called “PsyBlog.” The article talks about various studies that provide unique insight into the psychology of group behavior.

I recommend you read the full post yourself, but here are some interesting points that might surprise you.

1. Being a part of a group helps define a person’s identity.  Human nature drives us to be part of something useful and worthy and we place more value on a group we belong to than on one we don’t.  This is seen clearly in sports teams, but it’s true of every type of group.
2. Group rules are usually followed very carefully by all members.  Once we have identified with our group, it is natural for us to conform to it’s rules.  Maybe we even fear being ostracized, or shunned.  Whatever the reason, studies show that it’s unusual for group rules, even unwritten or unspoken ones, to be broken.
3. All group members have a role.  In some cases this is by formal arrangement, but many times it occurs naturally.  Beyond just having one person emerge as leader, others will also fall into certain patterns of behavior after a period of time.
4. Being part of a group can help us improve as individuals.  For example, athletes who train in groups find that they improve their performance to a significantly higher level than when they train alone.  This is especially true if the athlete’s performance is not merely tied to the team’s overall performance, but has its own recognition and merit.
5. People in groups are much more competitive than when alone.  Studies have shown that an individual will behave in a competitive manner almost 50% more often when the people present are in groups.  The study indicates this is because the individual believes that the other group(s) can’t be trusted, and not so much because of the “safety in numbers” factor.

One thing seems clear: groups are powerful and can change our behavior as individuals.  We may not even be aware of this when it happens, because it can happen so naturally.

The next time you are in a group situation, observe the people in the group and you’ll probably notice some of these behaviors at work.

* * *

Do you enjoy reading these posts?  Subscribe to the RSS feed of The Grouvia Groove.

You can become a member of Grouvia and create your own group in 5 minutes or less.  Join the beta site at http://www.grouvia.com.

Congratulations to the following CRCBR members on their recent accomplishments:

Merrifield Partners and Bissell Patrick Announce Merger
Two of the leading commercial real estate firms in the Charlotte area, Merrifield Partners and Bissell Patrick, will merge operations.  The new entity will be called Merrifield Patrick, LLC.  The combined firm will continue to provide development, brokerage, property management and investment services for commercial real estate in the Charlotte region.

“This merger will allow us to expand our services to our clients and partners” stated Jim Merrifield, Managing Partner of Merrifield Partners.  Bailey Patrick added “Jim and I have worked closely for many years and are partners in a number of projects.  By teaming with his organization, our current brokerage operation will greatly benefit from the expanded full-service platform.”

The combined company will have eleven real estate professionals actively engaged in brokerage, development and property management.  An additional seven employees will be providing administrative and accounting support.  The combined firm will select and relocate to new facilities during early 2010.

Flagship Capital Partners, LLC – Brannen Edge
Flagship Capital Partners, LLC (Flagship) is pleased to announce that it has closed on the acquisition of the Park Cedar Medical Building in Pineville, NC. Park Cedar Medical is a 23,000 square foot Class A medical office building located at 10000 Park Cedar Drive in Pineville, NC.  Brannen Edge represented Flagship while Matthew Wall of Sterling Properties Group, Inc. represented the seller.

Mark Mayfield Earns CCIM Designation
Mark J. Mayfield, Managing Director and co-owner of Sperry Van Ness/Southern Commercial Real Estate, LLC in Rock Hill, SC has recently achieved the Certified Commercial Investment Member (CCIM) designation, which is conferred to real estate professionals who complete a challenging education program of 200 classroom hours, pass a Comprehensive Examination and demonstrate experiential requirements. The designation is widely recognized as one of the most prestigious real estate designations in the world and is the mark of professionalism and knowledge in commercial-investment real estate.  Less than 6% of the 125,000 commercial real estate practitioners nationwide have achieved this designation.

Send Us Your News
We want to hear what you’ve been up to. If you have any transactions, awards, promotions, or any other news, please send your information to us at info@crcbr.org.

The Deal Makers Awards program is the perfect opportunity to market your expertise to the real estate and business communities. CRCBR recognizes brokers and developers in the commercial real estate industry who have accumulated sales transactions of over $2,000,000. USE OUR NEWLY ENHANCED ELECTRONIC APPLICATION AND SAVE TIME AND MONEY!  The deadline for application submission is Friday, January 15, 2010. This date will not be extended.

Save time and MONEY by applying online!
All online applicants are entered into a $100 drawing.

Application Resources
• To submit your application online and be entered into a $100 drawing, click here.
• For a printable application form, click here.
• For a printable worksheet, click here.
• For a printable Rookie of the Year application, click here.
• For a printable Transaction of the Year application, click here.

Application deadline is Friday, January 15, 2010.
This date will not be extended.

Charlotte Business Journal Advertising Offer
This year award applicants and top producers will be recognized in the Charlotte Business Journal’s Real Estate Quarterly. Discounted advertising rates are available for members.  For ad rates and sizes, please click here.

Contact Keeley Brown at the Charlotte Business Journal at (704) 973-1134 or kbrown@bizjournals.com to reserve your space today.

Questions?
If you have any questions about completing your Deal Makers application, please contact the CRCBR offices at 704-377-8982 or info@crcbr.org.

I am moving our email and specific event posts to Big Tent. This will allow you to see all the GS events for our different troops and Service Unit in layers on a month view of calendar. For example in January we have:

• Troop 3763 Mtgs first and third Tuesdays
• Troop 3310 Mtgs second and fourth Tuesdays
• SU403 events Jan 17 card decorating, Jan 23 Polar Swim, Jan 30 Badge Workshop

Additionally, we will be able to do ONLINE & PAPERLESS

• RSVPs
• event payments, and
• permission slips

This will allow me to spend much less time on troop paperwork! It will allow you to read your announcements via email or online or via Big Tent Blink. Big Tent Blink sends you an email at your set frequency and notifies you of upcoming event reminders! Your member information and addresses of our events will be secure in Big Tent because our group is a “members only” group that is not advertised on their directory.

To JOIN Big Tent:

1. Follow the link in the email invitation you received. If you did not receive an invitation or if you cannot locate it, please contact me after looking in your spam box.
2. Create your Big Tent account and enter your name and girl scout’s name(s). You can choose to include birthdays and upload photos also.
3. Join Creekside Girl Scouts
4. Expect another email invitation to the subgroups that you are involved.

I have set up Creekside Girl Scouts and the following subgroups:

• Troop 3763 Lil’ Sis’ Troop
• Troop 3310 Creekside Cadettes
• Troop Committee
• plus the SU403 and GSNETX events will be posted on the main group Creekside GS for each family to determine their interest and level of activity or busy-ness.

We use Big Tent for several of the homeschool groups, field trips, and homeschool co-ops to which my friends and I belong. It partners with Paypal for payment options. You and the troop can link your checking account to Big Tent with no service fees. I will post links about the safety and security of Paypal and Big Tent. We’ve learned to prefer Paypal over our debit card online, it’s much safer!

If you are still reading, I’ll tell you about how I see this working with the blog. The Juniors of troop 8793 are no longer part of “Creekside Girl Scouts” as I have created it. Anita simply decided she didn’t need a co-leader anymore and she will remain the leader of troop 8793. We have troop 3763 for Daisies and Brownies and troop 3310 for Cadettes. Next year we may grow again to include juniors IF there are sisters of girls joining our existing troops and IF there are parents willing to be co-leaders at those levels.

I love the way our sister troops are working together and the way families with multiple ages of girl scouts are benefiting from being part of Creekside Girl Scouts. Additionally, the girls are getting their separate age appropriate Girl Scout program. As a wonderful side benefit, I feel able to minister to families that I meet in the area, often by simply listening to a mom who needs to talk.

This blog http://creeksidegs.wordpress.com will continue to be the “public” place to refer new families, a place to link to all things Girls Scouts for our members, and a place to showcase the fun Creekside Girl Scouts are having. This is a place where your daughters can read and explore too, as they venture online. This blog is Sarah’s homepage for her computer. ) It helps her keep up with which Girl Scout event is coming up next!

Big Tent will be our “members only site” for events, calendar, cookie announcements, RSVPs, event payment, online paperless permission slips, GS announcements, and member forums, and leadership discussion. I hope you will join me on Big Tent as soon as possible and I hope it will be as profitable to protecting our busy time as moms. God Bless you this Christmas-time!

As 2009 comes to a close, Teenocracy is inching closer and closer to its kickoff, expected to be just a few months away. As we strive to build a successful organization, we also need a large and committed membership base, from youth leaders, board of Trustee members and Honorary Co-Chairs, to move this organization forward.

That is what we call “Beginning the Legacy”. At midnight on December 23, 2009, Teenocracy will officially launch open enrollment for all interested members, ages 14-18 years of age.

As this occurs, we will also continue our search for members for the Board of Trustees and persons we will honor as Honorary Co-Chairs of the organization.

Update: Nominees and potential members of the board of Honorary Co-Chairs now include Former Washington, D.C. Mayor Anthony Williams and Egil “Bud” Krogh, a member of the “Plumbers” during the Watergate scandal and Senior Fellow at the Center for the Study of the Presidency and Congress.

As we open up membership and build our base through the end of this year and in the months there after, we would like to invite you to help us begin the legacy and make Teenocracy what it is destined to be. Contact us and tell us you would like to do your part to move Teenocracy forward, because you make the difference. Thank you, Happy Holidays and Happy New Year.

Markus Batchelor

Executive Director

Yea… So I was pretty skeptical of these things as well, but I finally did sign up at a site called Rewards1, and they’re legitimatize. You basically complete relatively lame offers for “points”, and once you accumulate enough points, you can redeem them for stuff like Free Xbox Live memberships, and tons of other stuff, like Phones, video games, and that sort of stuff. If you want a way to get these things for free, this is probably your best bet. Click on the banner to go there and register.

CRCBR’s education courses are the only classes in the region focused toward the commercial broker.  Commercial transaction information, language, and case studies are used specifically to meet the needs of our commercial members.

Mandatory Update Commercial Version

The 2009-10 Commercial Version Update topics will include agency disclosure requirements, selected property management issues, due diligence, licensing, and education issues. The Commercial Version of the Update has been modified for the commercial practitioner.

March 25, 2009 (CE Approved)
8:30am – 12:30pm
Instructor: Cindy Chandler
Location: Marriott Executive Park
• To register online, click here.
• For a printable form, click here.

April 20, 2009 (CE Approved)
2:00pm – 6:00pm
Instructor: Garth Dunklin
Location: Marriott Executive Park
• To register online, click here.
• For a printable form, click here.

May 6, 2009 (CE Approved)
8:30am – 12:30pm
Instructor: Cindy Chandler
Location: Marriott Executive Park
• To register online, click here.
• For a printable form, click here.

May 12, 2009 (CE Approved)
8:30am – 12:30pm
Instructor: Garth Dunklin
Location: Marriott Executive Park
• To register online, click here.
• For a printable form, click here.

June 4, 2009 (CE Approved)
8:30am – 12:30pm
Instructor: Garth Dunklin
Location: Marriott Executive Park
• To register online, click here.
• For a printable form, click here.

Broker-In-Charge Annual Review Course

The 2009-10 BICAR will cover dual & designated agency, compensation & disclosure issues including changes to the compensation disclosure rule (Rule A.0109) and a review of BIC requirements. The BICAR Course is a mandatory elective for all BICs who wish to remain a BIC as of July 1, 2010 for the 2010-11 licensing period. Only licensees who are BICs or who are BIC eligible will receive credit for this course.

April 20, 2009 (CE Approved)
8:30am – 12:30pm
Instructor: Cindy Chandler
Location: Marriott Executive Park
• To register online, click here.
• For a printable form, click here.

May 12, 2009 (CE Approved)
2:00pm – 6:00pm
Instructor: Garth Dunklin
Location: Marriott Executive Park
• To register online, click here.
• For a printable form, click here.

May 27, 2009 (CE Approved)
8:30am – 12:30pm
Instructor: Cindy Chandler
Location: Marriott Executive Park
• To register online, click here.
• For a printable form, click here.

8 Strategies for a Slow Market Elective

While buyers are understandably nervous about investing in today’s shaky real estate market, sophisticated real estate brokers can provide buyers with an analysis that demonstrates that buyers are better off buying today than a year from now. This course offers 8 creative strategies which help licensees by teaching them about nontraditional financing methods and also offers them opportunity to earn additional commissions and income from their transactions. Will need to bring a simple calculator.

March 25, 2009 (CE Approved)
2:00pm – 6:00pm
Instructor: Debbie Long
Location: Marriott Executive Park
• To register online, click here.
• For a printable form, click here.

Ethics for Commercial Agents Elective

This course discusses professional ethical issues, ethical decision making, and professional conduct utilizing a lecture/case study discussion format. This course satisfies NAR’s 2.5 hours ethics requirements, and the 4 hour NCREC elective requirement.

May 6, 2009 (CE Approved)
2:00pm – 6:00pm
Instructor: Cindy Chandler
Location: Marriott Executive Park
• To register online, click here.
• For a printable form, click here.

Anatomy of a Deal Elective

This program covers the steps the mortgage broker, banker and lender take when analyzing income producing real estate for financing. A knowledgeable broker must understand this process to effectively assist the buyer or seller of investment real estate.

May 27, 2009 (CE Approved)
2:00pm – 6:00pm
Instructor: Cindy Chandler
Location: Marriott Executive Park
• To register online, click here.
• For a printable form, click here.

Online Continuing Education Courses

Online education makes it convenient for you to get the knowledge and credits you need without disrupting your schedule.
 
Listing Properties Online Course (CE Approved)
This course introduces concepts critical to successfully listing properties. As students learn new concepts and key formulas, they are given an opportunity to apply them through the problems presented in the case studies.
• Class registration fee: $65
• To register for classes online, click here.
   (Select “Continuing Education” from the “Real Estate” scroll-down menu options)

Understanding Investments Online Course (CE Approved)
This course introduces concepts critical to successfully working with investment properties and clients. As students learn new concepts and key formulas, they are given an opportunity to apply them through the problems presented in the case studies.
• Class registration fee: $65
• To register for classes online, click here.
   (Select “Continuing Education” from the “Real Estate” scroll-down menu options

Online Ethics Training

There are two online ethics training courses available on www.REALTOR.org.  Each course meets the specific criteria and learning objectives required for either new REALTORS® or existing REALTORS® as established in the Statements of Professional Standards Policy #47 – New Member Orientation Program, and #48 – Quadrennial REALTOR® Ethics Training found in the NAR Code of Ethics and Arbitration Manual.  These courses do not count as an elective for your license.

For more information and access to each course, use the links below. You must be a registered REALTOR.org user with an ID and password to access the following links. You may need to wait one hour before accessing the course if you just registered for REALTOR.org.

New Member Code of Ethics Orientation: Course for new REALTORS®.
Quadrennial REALTOR® Ethics Training: Course for existing REALTORS®.

Instructions on Taking the FREE Online Ethics Training
For step-by-step instructions on how to take the free online ethics training classes, click here.

CRCBR Gold Passport

The Gold Passport takes $20 off the already discounted total member price for two CE courses. Pay for your continuing education once, and schedule classes at your convenience. Pay no rescheduling fees if CRCBR is notified by 12:00 pm the business day prior to the class date. Use your Gold Passport anytime between the time of purchase and June 4, 2010.

Policies & Restrictions
• The Gold Passport is available to REALTOR® members only.
• Gold Passport is valid from date of purchase through June 4, 2010.
• Gold Passport not valid for the Commercial Certificate Program classes
• Gold Passport not valid for CRCBR on-line continuing educations classes

Cost
The cost of the Gold Passport is $110. To purchase a Gold Passport, please check the appropriate box on the registration form.  For a printable registration form, click here.

CRCBR dues notices for the 2010 fiscal year have been mailed.  If you have not received your notice, please contact the CRCBR offices by email at info@crcbr.org or by phone at 704-377-8982 and we will make sure to get one to you.

Remember that you can pay your dues online at www.crcbr.org.  To pay online, go to the CRCBR website and select the “Membership” tab.  From there, you will be able to access the online membership form.

For more information on the benefits of membership in CRCBR, please click here or visit us at www.crcbr.org.