President's Message

I hope you're having a productive start to September. As we move into the fall, I want to take a moment to address a topic of critical importance to every single one of us: safety.

September is Realtor Safety Month, and it's a vital time to reflect on our practices and ensure we're prioritizing our well-being. Whether you're meeting new clients, showing properties, or hosting an open house, staying vigilant and prepared is essential. Later in this newsletter, you'll find a flyer from Bright MLS that provides valuable tips and resources to help you stay safe on the job. Please take a few moments to review it, share it with your colleagues, and make safety a top priority every day.

Looking ahead, I am excited to remind you about our upcoming annual RPAC Crab Feast, being held at the Crab Deck on Wednesday, September 17th, from 5-7pm. This is a fantastic opportunity to enjoy great food and fellowship while supporting our industry's most powerful political tool. Tickets are $50 per person, and members can purchase tickets for guests, with the total going toward your annual RPAC contribution. Tickets are non-refundable.

ONLINE CE CLASS REMINDERS!

All online CE classes are recorded and monitored by Maryland Realtors and BAAR. Please keep the following in mind:

• Please sign in 10 minutes before class starts to make sure you do not have any technical difficulties.
• Change your Zoom screen name to:  "BAAR – [your name]." 
• Your camera must be on and your face in full view of the camera throughout the class.
• You should not work on other tasks during the class.
• Do not log out during breaks as it requires re-entry.
• Please familiarize yourself with Zoom's Chat feature as the BAAR monitor will send a direct message to you if you appear to be in violation of the rules.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

The BAAR Continuing Education Calendar outlines the class schedule of classes you need to fulfill your biannual renewal requirements. We offer in person classes at the BAAR Office, The Peoples Bank in Chestertown, and The Sheriff's Office in Centreville. You can also take CE classes online thru TheCEShop.com

Membership Dues Schedule and Payment Information:

• November: BAAR Primary & Secondary Memberships renew.
• January: BAAR Affiliate Memberships renew.
• March: SentriLock Memberships renew.

Please note:

• You will not be able to renew your membership if you have an outstanding balance.
• BAAR does not store credit cards on file and does not offer any autopay options.
• To make a dues payment, members must pay by one of the following ways:
  • Online with a credit/debit card through their BAAR member account
  • Online with a credit/debit card by clicking the link provided on the dues' invoice
  • Over the phone with a credit/debit card by calling the BAAR office during business hours
• If dues are not paid by the deadline, there will be a $100 late fee applied.

If you have any questions, please reach out to info@bayarearealtors.com 

BAAR Gives Back!

Thanks to our members and community for coming together to support the students in our area by donating funds and school supplies for the

2025-2026 school year!

Registration is OPEN for the Maryland REALTORS 2025 Annual Conference!

Monday, October 20 - Thursday, October 23

Roland E. Powell Convention Center, Ocean City

-Click here for details and registration-

The Maryland Tenants' Bill of Rights is available and must be included with all residential rental leases effective July 1, 2025.

We are updating our website!

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If you haven't already done so, please send your updated headshot photo to info@bayarearealtors.com so that we can add it to BAAR's website and feature our members and affiliates.

Bright - MLS Research Commentary 

Rates are falling as a September rate cut by the Fed appears more likely. A rate under 6.6% will bring some buyers into the market. However, affordability continues to be a major constraint for other would-be buyers. Mortgage rates are just about 10 basis points lower than they were a year ago, but the median home price nationally hit a new record high in June.

Click here to learn more.

NAR Supports New Federal Task Force Aimed to Address Housing Shortage

The National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) applauds the U.S. Departments of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the Interior (DOI) for establishing a Joint Task Force on Federal Land for Housing which will identify underutilized federal lands suitable for residential development.  Click here to read more.

Maryland REALTORS has lots of helpful resources- be sure to check them out!

Get your Local Forms from BAAR!

BAAR has partnered with MD REALTORS to provide BAAR's members FREE access to ZipForms.

Sign up: www.zipformplus.com

Select REALTOR®
Select Bay Area Association of REALTORS® 
Log into the NAR site with your NAR credentials