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 Puerto Vallarta Real Estate | December 2007 
NAR Conference Attendance Breaks Records
 John K. Glaab - CIPS
Attendance records were broken at the 2007 Annual Conference of the National Association of Realtors (NAR). More than 30,000 Realtors assembled in Las Vegas for the annual event. Among them 2,300 from the international section. This included about 14 from Mexico, of which I was one.
The General Session featured, as a warm up act, a white-jumpsuited Elvis, feather-plumed showgirls and Carlotta from "Phantom." This was followed by a slide show, NAR's forefathers, and the five Good Neighbors award, the naming of an extraordinary REALTOR from every U.S. state and territory, and comedy icon Bill Cosby.
As approximately 8,000 Conference attendees filed into the Venetian Hotel Ballroom, they were treated to a surprise performance by Elvis and the Viva Las Vegas Dancers that included such favorites as "Little Sister" and "Suspicious Minds." After the colorful and energetic show ended - and all were assured "The King has left the building" - the spectacle continued with a rousing performance of the national anthem by Elena Jeanne Batman, also known at the Venetian as Carlotta in the hotel's production of "Phantom."
Patricia Coombs, President of NAR, was chock-full of celebration and REALTOR pride, as she led Conference-goers through the premiere of NAR's Centennial video, an overview of some of the many resources NAR provides its members.
And in a fitting end to one of the Conference's most feel-good events, comedian and master yarn-spinner Bill Cosby took the stage in a blue sweatshirt emblazoned with the REALTOR "R" and the phrase "HELLO FRIEND" in multicolored letters.
Bill Cosby may be an entertainment icon, but he's an unlucky real estate investor. Or at least his wife is. Speaking at Wednesday's General Session during the 2007 REALTORS Conference & Expo in Las Vegas, the Cos lamented his decision to sell his much-beloved Beverly Hills home in order to stay on the good side of his wife, who was afraid of earthquakes.
The home, which he bought 38 years ago, netted the couple a $3,000 gain. A decade later, that same home sold for $10 million.
"That's the only thing in our 43 years of marriage that I have on her. And you can believe I keep bringing it up," said Cosby, as the crowd broke out in laughter.
Some Conference Highlights:
Stewart Title, as it does every year sponsored a Technology Learning Center. As usual many of the simultaneous sessions were fully subscribed by Internet before the Conference even started... Among the mot popular, Upgrading your Power Point Presentation: Beyond the Basics, Transaction Management: More than a Document Manager, Microsoft Outlook Contact Management and More and Bring your own Palm, Treo or Smartphone.
The Second Home Pavilion was the largest ever. Exhibitors came from Canada, Europe, and Latin America, including Mexico. The Pavilion was created and sponsored by the Spanish company, SIMA. They are the managers of the largest real estate exhibition in the world. I intend to be at their event in Madrid in May. Part of the pavilion is the International Networking Center. It includes chances to network with Realtors from around the world. Each day different countries are featured at round tables. Companies can bring their literature and visit with others from around the world. Mexico was featured Thursday morning. From other countries, at other tables were Realtors from Brazil, France, Greece, Netherlands, Portugal and Spain.
Lou Holz, former football coach at Notre Dame and currently a commentator on ESPN made a presentation, Establishing a Meaningful Relationship with People. One of the more fascinating sessions for me was, "Feng Shui Secrets for Real Estate." This taught how to use Feng Shui to help sell properties at higher prices and implement the ancient wisdom for buyers and sellers.
Attending the CIPS (Certified International Property Specialist) breakfast is always a must for me. I enjoy renewing acquaintances with fellow, CIPS friends from around the globe who have been awarded this designation. This was a special year, for me. My friend. Mitch Creekmore from Stewart Title in Dallas was presented with his accreditation and pin. He was one of 256 Designees. The number of Realtors world wide who have earned the designation is about 2,000.
International Consortium of Real Estate Associations (ICREA): It was great to attend ICREA's Plenary Session. This is a group of 30 associations around the world, representing a million brokers. A popular NAR course,Translational Referrals shows Realtors how to conduct international transactions and be guaranteed commissions. Mexico has a seat on the five member board. Our representative is Cesar Paredes from Monterrey, N.L. Representing Mexico as delegates to the session were Mario Aviles President of AMPI and Sergio Duenas. For information about ICREA go to worldproperties.com.
Subprime Problems Hurt
NAR Chief Economist Lawrence Yun reported that other national sales downturns in the last 30 years were spurred by broad economic problems. This year, by contrast, economic fundamentals remain solid, with the U.S. gross domestic product expected to grow by a respectable 2 percent, supported by 2 million job gains in the last two years and continuing low interest rates.
Yun said 2007 existing-home sales will exceed 5.5 million, close to the level in 2002, a record-setting year. At the same time, home prices remain near record highs despite drops in a few markets.
He said, "much of the cooling in real estate markets over the last year is attributable to risky subprime loans. A tightening in credit standards, though much needed, has made it harder for some borrowers to close on their financing in a timely manner."
Next year's NAR Conference will be held in Orlando Florida from November 5th to the 10th, 2008.
 John Glaab has been a member of NAR's International Section for over a decade. He has earned the Certified International Property Specialist designation and is a founding member of AMPI Los Cabos. He spends half the year in La Paz, Baja California Sur and the other half in Uruapan, Michoacan. For further information, contact John at John.Glaab(at)settlement-co.com. |
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