Real Estate Blog Squad

Restricted Lumber Sales?

Last week, on my personal real estate blog, I posted an article about my concern over the potential for dramatic increases in the cost of new construction, due to the huge demand that will result in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.   

I haven't been to any of the home improvement stores in the last few days, but was told yesterday that one of our local big box stores is restricting lumber sales.    Does anyone have any input on what's happening across the rest of the country?

I suspect this is just a small part of the tangled economic web being woven by the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.       -- Carol Williams

The Real Estate Blog Squad Publishes'Katrina Kronicles', First Person Stories

Blogs are terrific but the stories coming out of the Gulf are compelling enough for us to establish a hybrid approach to reporting. This gives us a chance to share more deeply and fully. Read the first installment of the Katrina Kronicles, a first-person account of REALTOR^® Lainey Melnick, e-PRO of Austin, TX, and her leap into Katrina volunteerism. Read and be inspired. (Katrina Chronicles Home Page.)--Frances Flynn Thorsen

REALTORS® Tally Katrina Contributions Over $2.3 Million;Massive Coast-To-Coast Volunteer Efforts Steam Ahead

The National Assn. of REALTORS^® has raised $2,324,657 for the REALTOR^® Relief Foundation to provide emergency relief for hurricane victims in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama, including displaced RealtorsÒ. The foundation has received 5,906 donations totaling $1,174,657, which will be added to NAR’s $1.15 million seed donation. “Every penny that we raise will make its way to someone in need,” said NAR president Al Mansell of Salt Lake City, UT. “Not one cent will be spent on administrative costs.”

REALTOR^® associations throughout the South have helped create tools to facilitate the search for evacuee housing. The Louisiana REALTORS^® Association has launched a site where REALTORS^® and property owners can submit available properties in AL, AK, FL, GA, LA, MS, and TX.  and people displaced by the hurricane can search the database directly. REALTORS^® members in the states of AL, AK,FL, GA, LA, MS, LA, TN, and TX are combing their records and contacts to locate every available bit of spare inventory that could be used to house people displaced by the storm and its aftermath.

Many of these associations have developed a special information template that REALTORS^® can use to forward the information to the Federal Emergency Management Agency through the National Emergency Resource Registry—the U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security will use this data to help coordinate relocation efforts. State and local sites have been developed, as well. The Houston Assn. of REALTORS^®, in partnership with local media and other organizations, has launched project “Make a Home.” Visitors can apply for shelter, donate shelter, and find short-term lease and volunteer opportunities.  The Traverse (MI) Area Assn. of REALTORS^®  is coordinating  a community information Web site for Northern Michigan hurricane relief efforts. The site will be a directory of available services for refugees and will include information about housing, health, social services, transportation, and schools.

Mansell remarked,

“REALTORS^® are not only opening their wallets; they are scouring their databases and contacts to locate vacant homes, condos, apartments, and mobile parks, as well as other space such as warehouses, houses, schools, churches, and empty commercial buildings—anything that can house Hurricane Katrina evacuees for a week, a month, six months, or even longer.”

REALTORS^® are finding many ways to help Katrina victims. The Virginia Assn. of REALTORS^® worked with Sam’s Club and Lowe’s Home Improvement to assemble materials such as bottled water, non-perishable food items, personal hygiene products, and home repair items and delivered them via truck to the Mississippi Emergency Management Authority in Jackson, MS this weekend. In their own communities, REALTORS^® are reaching out to evacuees. The Tuscaloosa ( AL) Assn. of REALTORS^®  has asked all brokerages to identify openings for clerical staff as well as displaced REALTORS^®. The Lehigh Valley (PA) Assn. of REALTORS^® is working with the local Red Cross to compile rental properties for longer term assistance. In the small town of Columbia, MO, 82 evacuees have already arrived. The Columbia Board of REALTORS^® has pledged, through its foundation, to cover upfront costs for displaced families and is paying for vouchers for hotel rooms to provide temporary shelter.

Contributions to the REALTORS^® Relief Foundation can be made online through  a secure site powered by NAR’s e-commerce system. 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.

Thanks to Google, bloggers can find (and be found by) loved ones in Katrina's wake

Uncle Google Did it again! ...well, his tools came in handy, anyway.  In this BBC report, bloggers and other tech savvy survivors are using google maps to find loved ones and communicate the needs of specific situations, based on location. I'm sure you will all agree that this sort of web wizardry is not only facinating, but a blessing. Finally, geeks get to wear the cape. As for real estate, well, we are all learning the power of this technology in our own ways and it is fierce! Those still amidst all of the danger in the south can thank Uncle Google for this tool.

Read more here: Net offers map help after the flood [BBC NEWS]

Thanks to Google, bloggers can find (and be found by) loved ones in Katrina's wake [URBANFOTO]

RealTalk Listserv Citizens Step Up To The Plate;Stir Up A Whirlwind Of Support, Donations

The RealTalk listserv community celebrates its 10th birthday this week with feverish buzzing about Katrina, giving voice to a myriad of ideas and emotions attendant to the Katrina disaster.

Donation Requests. The InternetCrusaders (John Reilly, Saul Klein, and Mike Barnett) issued a plea to subscribers:

"We don't ask you guys for much, but we are asking you now. The combined contributions of our online community members on RealTalk and e-PROTalk (about 25,000 total) can have a real impact on the rescue, recovery and rebuilding efforts following Hurricane Katrina. Please open your hearts and wallets to help those who have lost so much. To contribute today, please CLICK HERE. [Ed. Note: eNeighborhoods is offering to match the first $20,000 in donations.]

"It doesn't have to be a lot. $10 from every member of our online community would make a big difference in the lives of many who have lost everything. This is a long term project and it will take lots of help over a long period of time. Let your conscience be your guide. Contributions to REALTORS Relief Foundation are tax deductible. Only contributions made via the website can be tracked to our online community.

"To contribute by mail, checks should be made payable to the REALTOR Relief Foundation and sent to the following address:

REALTORS Relief Foundation
Attn: NAR Finance Division
430 N. Michigan Avenue
Chicago IL 60611

Together We Can Make a Difference!"

Idea Bank: Family Disaster Planning.

Carmel Streater, a real estate educator in Baton  Rouge, says, "The best thing for you to do to give direct help is to buy a few things from an online merchant (Domestications.com and National.com come to mind) and have your order sent directly to the St. Vincent dePaul Shelter here.  They are providing shelter and basic necessities to thousands with more on the way...If you'd prefer to send cash or unused portions of medications to the same address they also run a free pharmacy and are providing as many prescription medications as they have every day."

St. Vincent dePaul Society
220 St. Vincent dePaul Place
Baton Rouge, LA  70767

Shelter:

West St. Louis, MO: Rehabbers Club in St. Louis has been underway making vacant houses  ready. We are pulling together resources -- the properties, making them code-ready, and collecting the basics. furniture, bedding, kitchen necessities. , Please contact me for help.--Mary Krummenacher, REALTOR, ePRO, RE/MAX Properties West Saint Louis, MO

The Stress Doctor Counsels SurvivorsAnd Has Advice For The Rest Of Us

  The recent tragedy in the Gulf Coast Area brings back memories of the December 26th Tsunami that claimed nearly 250 thousand people. Hurricane Katrina will be considered the US Tsunami to recent date, with the lose of life climbing weekly as more bodies appear as the flood waters recede for the next phase of the relief and emotional recovery stage of this horrible disaster. My Foundation’s Relief and Recovery Effort that took me to Ground Zero and then Asian torn Tsunami area is now geared-up to deploy into the Gulf Coast region to train and counsel many who will be in a state of survival for months to come.

Tips on how to help yourselves and those in harm’s way during this crisis:

• Monitor media over exposure that can emotionally place you along side the victims and their tragedy to become your own.
• Monitor TV exposure to young children to protect them from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
• Understand the common symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder that include:
  • Emotional leakage (crying often about the tragedy) or numbness;
  • Nightmares and daytime preoccupation with the tragedy;
  • Sleeping difficulties/Insomnia;
  • Emotional stress creating physical fatigue.
• Get involved with helping out even if you are across the country by contributing time, effort, energy and/or monies, which we would all appreciate in the reverse situation.

Remember stress and disaster is not just a threat, but a challenge if we respond to it with a plan of action and with an attitude of gratitude. The Terry Lyles Foundation Relief and Recovery effort will directly touch those in the Gulf Coast area. --Dr. Terry Lyles

HUD Opens Doors For Katrina VictimsIn TX, OK, KY, TN, and GA

The following news has just been announced by the U.S. Dept. of Housing and Urban Development:

"Attention: In response to the critical need for housing for those displaced by Hurricane Katrina, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has removed all HUD-owned REO properties from the marketplace in Texas, Oklahoma, Kentucky, Tennessee and Georgia. These properties are unavailable for sale until HUD approves their re-listing in the market. Please refer to this web-site for additional information which will be posted as it becomes available. Thank you for your patience as we assist Americans displaced by Hurricane Katrina."

Thanks to RealTalker/REALTOR^® Julie Pauly of East Dallas, TX, for the info.

NOTE: More HUD outreach from our own  REBS member Kristal Kraft.

UPDATE Sept. 6, 2005: Additional HUD Resources

Real Estate Agents Have No Homes;Need Licensing, Shelter, New Market Areas

What does a real estate agent do when his/her own home is washed away, and all of the real estate in town is gone? RealTalk listserv contributor John Gillespie of South Carolina has a great idea:

"I am broker of a small agency in SC. I NEED a good producer to work full time 70/30 split. I can provide housing and a job for up to FOUR maybe five Realtors and their families.. South Carolina does not require the full training course to an active licensee. There is a test on the State laws, 20 questions I believe. These agents would help me out as much as I would be helping them. If I can help......"

Las Vegas broker Ronni Land is on the same track:

"If it's a Realtor, I'll put him or her to work while they are geting  licensed in NV!!! I've got plenty of leads for them, but Nevada does not  have reciprocity regarding licensing so they will need to do that. It  takes  about six weeks for the course and then another  4-6 weeks to actually get the license.

"The house is a single story, 3 BR, 2BA (done as 2BR+D but we can easily  add  a bed) with a fully walled in yard just perfect for dogs.  It is walking distance to all schools, so if a child is involved, that  will  make it easier. Our school semester just started this week."

I urge State Real Estate Commissions and licensing agencies in all states to conduct an immediate review of licensing law and reciprocity with the affected states. I also recommend an immediate, stepped up effort by real estate educators to meet the needs of refugee licensees who require credentials in other states.

Local associations may want to consider an "Adopt a REALTOR" program in their own market areas that would mirror the efforts of brokers Gillespie and Land.--Frances Flynn Thorsen

New Orleans REALTOR® Marshals Web AssetsLaunches New Blog, Dives Into Katrina Relief Effort

As real estate professionals across North America rally to raise funds and support Katrina relief efforts there is a single name emerging from the crowd as a shining symbol of charity and a source of pride and inspiration. Vikki Morvant is a New Orleans  REALTOR^®  (Keller Williams) who lost her office in Mandeville, LA,  to the ravages of the hurricane. Some 15,000 RealTalk listserv subscribers have followed her personal escape to her son's home in Houston and the stories of her return visits to help displaced flood survivors.

In a normal work week Vikki would be driving with other agents on "office caravan" to preview new listings. Now she's behind the wheel directing a "refugee caravan" and personally escorting people out of the area to places they can call "home" until they are able to return. She's organizing truckloads of water and aid. She removed the password protection of her interactive message board  to provide an online resource for flood victims and their families. And now she has a blog, Mandeville Responds, that offers a chronicle of her journey and wonderful links and resources.

She implores local Louisiana residents:  "Invite people to live with you when you return."

Vikki had help with the blog behind the scenes from InternetCrusader John Reilly and REALTOR^® Ann Cummings (Portsmouth, NH), a fellow RealTalker. (Note: IC publishes the Katrina Blog.)

The only thing missing in Vikki's blog is a link to her own web site. In a real estate blog, that's usually the link that's right on top. Guess she has other things on her mind. -- Frances Flynn Thorsen

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

UPDATE 3:55 PM   The following is excerpted from a RealTalk post this afternoon from Orlando REALTOR^® Paula Bean:

Musings of Vikki Morvant

On Friday 9-2-2005 an agent sent me this email from San Diego:

"Hi Vikki,   I'm not sure if you remember me, but a couple of years of ago we shared a few kind words together in the Keller Williams Office when I was fortunate enough to  have Southshore clients looking in your neighborhood. Let me say, what a thoughtful idea of creating a forum for sharing information. Having said that, I am stuck  in San Diego, trying to get a flight home to get  information about my elderly father on the Northshore. His name is Dr. S--- L--- and he resides on 7243  XXXXXX and last I spoke to him he was "riding the  hurricane out." He's in good health but nonetheless 76  years old.

"I'm pulling my hair out, trying to filter out trivial sensational news from real information. Where is the best source for me to reach word of my  father's condition? "

On Saturday, 9-3-05, I made it into this man's subdivision. His father is ok. He has been living in the house without air conditioning or running water  for 5 days. He was saving his gasoline for Monday, when the officials are allowing people to enter  Jefferson Parish. He is going looking for his other son, last heard on the Westbank. I begged him not to  go. If he runs out of gas, crossong the city of New  Orleans, it would be dangerous.

I tried calling his son for 7 hours. Finally when we drove back to sleep in Denha, Springs, our host, Mimi  Hagan (the administrator of Baton Rouge KW) got on her AOL IM and reached a friend in Seattle, who was then able to phone the agent. Like a 911 operator she translated between his words and my typing. He knows his father is safe. He is desperately trying to get  here.

The other good news for me was that my house is fixable. My son, daughter and a friend spent the day with a chainsaw, clearing huge pine trees. We go back today.

And the best news... I get to see my husband today!! I gotta run...I don't want to be late for THOSE HUGS  AND KISSES!!!!!! --Vikki Morvant

UPDATE SEPT. 6, 2005: REALTOR^® Magazine Online story

Local Grassroots Fundraisers

In response to the plea from Al Mansell to contribute to the NAR Relief Fund:
I am wondering how we could coordinate a grassroots effort through each local association across the country to collect funds for the NAR Relief Fund?   Wouldn't it be great if each association's EO would spearhead a fundraiser who could get each office to commit to a given number of dollars per agent?   For example, if an office with 20 agents pledged $25 per agent they would contribute a minimum of $500.   An office of 50 agents would contribute $1250... and so on.   Another idea might be for each agent to pledge $25 (or some other dollar amount) per closed transaction through the balance of the year.    If every association participated, it could be huge!  Any ideas?

Humbly,
Carol Williams