What's New in the NAR Virtual Library

New and updated resources in the NAR Virtual Library on Realtor.org

Marijuana Grow Houses
Nice home in a gated community, privacy fence, oversized a/c unit these are normal attributes of many upscale communities. But behind closed doors? Mold, electrical hazards, structural damage, pesticides and other dangers lurk. Marijuana grow houses are popping up in big cities and small towns, wealthy and low-income neighborhoods across the country the problem is no longer limited to California and Florida. Home buyers and sellers, landlords and agents, neighbors and community leaders can learn how to spot, fix, and understand the impact of marijuana grow houses in this NEW Field Guide.

Establishing a Charitable Foundation
In today's economy, making the decision to establish or even to participate in a charitable foundation can be rough. The resources presented in this Updated Field Guide can help facilitate this decision-making process. You will find information pertaining to tax and legal issues, fundraising as well as general tips on how to start a non-profit. You'll also discover a wide assortment of useful web sites as well as many valuable resources available from NAR, including the Housing Opportunity Program (HOP)!

Development Impact Fees
Impact fees, or development fees, are expenditures that developers are required to make as a precondition to approval of their projects. Impact fees are generally used to finance roads, schools, affordable housing, transit systems, and other projects and services in municipalities throughout the United States. The fees are frequently passed on by developers to purchasers in the price of a new property and, therefore, increase the cost of housing and decrease the profitability of a particular project. This Updated Field Guide page includes articles, studies, Supreme Court decisions, and other material on the debate over impact fees.

Investing in Real Estate
Is now the right time to be investing in real estate? Some say yes, some say no, and some say it depends. In a declining market, there are bargains, but don't look for a quick flip. If you're thinking long term, you can find some great deals. So if you're ready to take the plunge or want to be ready for brighter days ahead, find out how to get started, invest with IRAs, use real estate as a retirement tool, get information on rental homes, buying tax liens, real estate partnerships and much more in this Updated Field Guide.

Sale Leasebacks and Synthetic Leases
Often used as a financing alternative, sale-leasebacks offer financially struggling companies access to cash to pay down debt and improve the bottom line. And in a post-Enron environment, sale-leasebacks provide an alternative to the less favorable option of synthetic leases. Find out how sale-leaseback transactions have helped the balance sheets of hotel, restaurant, retail, and other businesses, in this Updated Field Guide.

Association Budgets and Reserves
Creating and maintaining a successful association budget doesn't have to be a headache. Take the pain out of budgeting with these tools available with this Updated Field Guide through NAR's library at Information Central.

Short-Term Rental Restrictions
According to The 2009 NAR Investment and Vacation Home Buyers Survey, 89% of respondents purchased a property for their personal use, while one-quarter also considered the rental potential. 26% purchased a vacation home with the expectation of converting it to their primary residence in the future.
Renting out a vacation home can offset the costs of this investment until retirement. But, what happens when a community acts to restrict short-term rentals? Read on... and you'll find out in this Updated Field Guide!

This month in real estate history: Real Estate in the 1920s, of Realtus and Realtyettes
It was a rarity in the 1920s, but more and more women were becoming interested in the real estate profession. They would come to be called the Realtus Club and Realtyettes. They were the forerunners of the Women's Council of REALTORS®, formed a decade later. Find out more in "This Month in Real Estate History" from the NAR Archives.

Foreclosures
Foreclosures are still impacting the housing market and this will likely continue through 2010. This Updated Field Guide provides foreclosure information and resources for REALTORS® and their clients, including information for those interested in investing in foreclosed properties.

New Books in the Library (February 2010)
What's new in the Information Central library collection? This month you'll find books on urbanism, real estate investment, vacation homes, remodeling and many more. Interested in borrowing any of these titles from the library? Simply click on the title to make your request right over the web!

New Access Points for Information Central!
Have a quick research question or just want to keep up with all the doings at Information Central?

NAR Information Central can now be reached via Skype or instant messaging.
These services are available Monday-Friday, 9:00a-11:00a and 2:00p-4:00p Central Time.
Contact us via Skype. NAR Information Central's Skype screen name is narinfocentral.

Or, contact us via instant message (IM).  Start typing where indicated in the box below for a quick response, or contact us via AIM (narinfocentral), Google Talk (narinfocentral), Yahoo! Messenger. or Windows Live Messenger/MSN, a twitter account, infocentralnar, and a FaceBook page.

Social Networking
Last year, Information Central reported on social networking tools in A Web 2.0 Sampler: YouTube, ActiveRain, and iTV. Since that time, many more technologies have gained momentum as powerful networking and marketing tools for REALTORS®. As expected, social networking websites and applications continue to take the lead when it comes to "must have" technologies. In this new report you will find tech tools you absolutely must know about to reach those tech savvy consumers. Find out more in the latest technology report from NAR's Information Central.

A Look Back at Real Estate's Beginnings
The latest video in our series on our favorite resources for REALTORS® and association staff takes a look at the 1958 book Real Estate in American History by Pearl Janet Davies.