Columbia Board of REALTORS® Weblog

This is my favorite turkey photo ever. It reminds me of visiting our home in Florida in the years before we moved there.  We always went for Thanksgiving.  I was a sun-worshiper and would baste myself for a while, then baste the turkey, and so forth.  However, once we moved there, I avoided the sun as much as possible because of the skin cancer risk. That’s how you can tell a native from a tourist – The natives don’t have tans!

This Thanksgiving I am happy to be at home, sleeping in my own bed and not traveling! I’m thankful for my family – they are happy and on the right track. I’m thankful for my work – I find it stimulating and fulfilling after 6 1/2 years as the CEO in Columbia. I’m thankful for my staff who are loyal, creative, dedicated and very smart. I’m thankful for my association – their enlightened leaders and supportive membership. We know that we are all in it together. I’m thankful for my community with all of its quirks and personalities and for having the opportunity to contribute and make a difference. I’m thankful for my professional community – for all of my fellow Association Executives and our staff at NAR – for challenging, sharing and commiserating. I’m thankful for experiencing joy each day, for sharing laughter, for our freedom, for our soldiers. I could go on and on but I’m starting to sound sappy- but I truly am thankful for lots of things.

CVG

‘Tis Installation Season and this last weekend I attended the St. Charles County Association and the St. Louis Association of REALTORS Installation. Congratulations to Joe Sahrmann and Letty DeMay for being installed as President of their respective organizations. I know you both will do a fabulous job this coming year. Also the staff of both organizations need pats on the back for coordinating such beautiful events.

On Saturday, we walked around Historic St. Charles and I did my best to improve their economy. However, I was surprised to find a building advertising Roy Cox Real Estate and Plumbing. Hmmmm…somehow the combination of the two professions just doesn’t seem to fit. I wonder what their slogan is?

“We sell your house before you go down the drain!”

“Don’t get underwater with your home. Call us!”

“We have Buyers in the Pipeline!”

I bet you could think of more!

CVG

Just got through attending the annual NAR meeting. The news will be dominated by RPR – the long-awaited, ever name changing national database of property and the new consumer website – www.houselogic.com.  (The best name I heard it called was “reaper”)  I haven’t explored these and don’t know enough to intelligently comment but it is very cool that NAR is thinking outside the box and propelling us forward. However, I saw a few other things that I thought were also noteworthy.

On Thursday, I attended the Legal Seminar. I heard a lot about lawsuits (There are fewer filed this year) and insurance (expanded Board coverage at no cost to us). One of the things Laurie Janik said was if an MLS has a lockbox system in place, they can require keyholders to have a Board-endorsed lockbox on each listed property. We’ve been having problems with the combo boxes in town so I am sure we will be discussing this.

NAR strengthened the rules about referral companies. If an agent in a referral company acts in a licensed capacity, the DR might be required to pay back dues. We’ll have to take  look at the final wording and get the message out.

The exhibit floor seemed to be much smaller. I looked for the Homes & Land magazine booth and they weren’t there this year. I always enjoy looking at the Palm Beach County Florida magazine because I recognize many of the properties so I missed them. There were three or four companies doing video syndication. This is a deal like ListHub that sends your listings to the various internet real estate sites only it sends video to YouTube and other places. I even saw a cookbook publishing firm and think it might be an idea worth exploring.

The absolute coolest thing I saw was Sentrilock. They are a Supra competitor (Also heard that GE just sold their security division – including Supra – but haven’t confirmed it.) Anyway, the new Sentrilock wireless box is very cool. You can buy a wireless gizmo that will turn on the lights and email you and your Seller’s when the box is opened.

More later.

CVG

We had a visitor at the Board offices today. Lee and Chris saved the day. It looked pretty darn close to this picture.

I ran.

CVG

It has come to my attention that there is a proposed Urban Hen Ordinance in Columbia that would allow city residents to keep chickens. The current rules call for one chicken per half-acre. The new ordinance being discussed would allow anywhere from four to fifteen or twenty chickens per city lot.  What will they think of next??? Unfortunately, it’s no laughing matter and should be taken seriously.  Currently the council is evenly divided regarding passage. The ordinance from Madison Wisconsin, which ours will be modeled after, is below. Although the one in Madison calls for up to four chickens, there is a large, vocal, passionate group in Columbia calling for 15-25 chickens. If you wish to read more about it, I googled “Columbia Missouri Urban Hen Ordinance”.

We sent a survey to both our members and the public Yahoo group. Although the results showed a few positive comments, most people overwhelmingly were opposed to keeping chickens and felt allowing them would devalue adjacent properties. More chickens means more decrease in property value.

I particularly liked one comment: “When people ride their bicycles down Broadway with a couple of chickens in baskets behind the seat, our fine city will look just like Saigon on the 1960’s.”

Charming thought.

CVG

City of Madison Municipal Code Regarding the Keeping of Chickens:

ž 28.03(2)8. An accessory building or use includes, but is not limited to, the following:

8. Keeping of chickens, as permitted and regulated in each district incorporated in this ordinance.

ž 28.08(2)(b)8.j. (R1 Single-Family Residence District) Keeping of up to four (4) chickens on a lot

with up to four dwelling units, provided that:

i. No person shall keep any rooster.

ii. No person shall slaughter any chickens.

iii. The chickens shall be provided with a covered enclosure and must be kept in the covered

enclosure or a fenced enclosure at all times.

iv. No enclosure shall be located closer than twenty-five (25) feet to any residential structure on

an adjacent lot.

v. The owner, operator, or tenant obtains a license under Sec. 9.52, MGO [see attached glossary].

vi. The applicant for a license notifies all residents within two hundred (200) feet of the lot.

vii. Not more than fifty percent (50%) of the residents notified in vi. above object within fourteen

(14) days of notification.

(Cr. by Ord. 13,605, 5-21-04; Am. by ORD-08-00108, 10-7-08)

ž 9.52 KEEPING OF CHICKENS.

Any person who keeps chickens in the City of Madison shall obtain an annual license prior to

January 1of each year, or within 30 days of acquiring the chickens. The license year commences

on January 1 and ends on the following December 31.

Application shall be made to the City Treasurer and the fee for the license shall be ten

dollars ($10.00).

The Treasurer or other authorized individual shall collect the fee and shall assess and

collect a late fee of five dollars ($5.00) from every owner of chickens, if the owner fails to obtain

a license prior to April 1 of each year, or fails to obtain a license within 30 days of acquiring the

chickens. All late fees received or collected shall be paid into the local Treasury.

(Cr. by Ord. 13,605, 5-21-04; ORD-06-00154, 11-23-06)

Many of us were stunned to learn of the vicious attack on Adam Taylor by a gang of juveniles on June 6th in a downtown Columbia parking garage. Adam was hit from behind, knocked unconscious, and viciously beaten. Fortunately the incident happened in front of security cameras and within three hours several arrests were made. You can see the video on www.keepcolumbiasafe.com.

In April, our city council turned down a program to install cameras in various parts of the city, in spite of the offer from a local organization to pay half of the $50,000 price tag. At that time, privacy and budget reasons were cited.

In August, Adam’s mother Karen and Adam appeared in front of city council asking them to reopen the issue and listen to public comments.  What a novel idea – elected officials LISTENING to their constituents. You can see the Taylor’s comments here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jx00hb2-_lo

Jerry Wade, Paul Sturtz, Karl Skala and Barbara Hoppe voted against listening to public comments so the measure failed.

This morning, a grassroots organization, KeepColumbiaSafe, has launched a ballot initiative that the issue be placed on the April ballot.   You have to be a registered voter in the city in order to sign it. They need to get about 2,800 signatures by October 31st.

The petition is posted to our website, www.cbormls.com.  Click on the Community Tab and the first link is for “Keep Columbia Safe Petition”.

Kudos to our Mayor, Jason Thornhill and Laura Nauser for being willing to listen to public comments. The voters will have to decide about the other four. I’ve made up my mind but fortunately, they don’t represent my Ward.

Just how safe do you feel downtown? How would you feel if your child was the victim and your city council member wouldn’t even listen? Do we have to have someone’s child die before we do the right thing?

CVG

The Today Show

 http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/26184891/#32506005

CVG

We are staying in the North Tower on the 20th floor of a major hotel in Toronto. Last night, at 2:30, the fire alarm sounded in the South Tower.  We had the option to evacuate or wait and see since it wasn’t our structure that was effected.  Hello? I watched those towers during 911 so we didn’t hesitate.

Note to self – elevators really don’t work when the alarm is going off.  Another note – always know where the exit stairway is – if the hall is smoke-filled, that wouldn’t be the best time to study the map on the wall. So down the 20 flights plus two more to street level we went.

Everyone was orderly and there was no panic…but 22 flights is a LONG way. My husband has two artificial knees and they worked fine but it was slow going.  We stopped every few floors to let people by us as he needed both handrails so was an effective road block. We were all in various stages of dress so that was fun.

After crossing the street and catching our breath, it turned out to be something minor and they let us back in shortly. We all clapped for the firemen.

We both are on Alieve this morning.

The moral of the story is not only know where the exit is in your hotel, be able to find it with your eyes closed or crawling on your knees…and maybe stay closer to the ground.

CVG