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 Diversity can be defined in a number of ways, including characteristics such as age, ethnicity, race, gender, physical ability, religion, socio-economic status, professional choices and other facets of social diversity. As association members and potential members become increasingly diverse, associations must reflect this diversity in order to represent not only the membership, but also the public they serve. This Field Guide contains articles, books, journal articles and Web sites on diversity and association management, inclusion and cultural issues, and a look at the future of diversity for associations.
 Info Central has a new Field Guide! Copper is worth $3.00 to $4.00 a pound at recycling yards. Thieves are stealing copper piping, wire and other construction materials from homes and building sites. Besides impacting developers and home builders, this type of theft can cause more serious problems. For example, a vacant fourplex in Minneapolis exploded from a natural gas leak caused by stolen copper pipes. The blast rendered an adjacent duplex uninhabitable, resulting in the relocation of two families. Congress has introduced legislation in the form of The Copper Theft Prevention Act of 2008 to fight this growing problem. Learn how state governments are fighting this fast growing crime and read about the impact of this type of thefts on homeowners, business owners, cities and the economy in this new field guide.
 Every market has its ups and downs, and real estate is certainly no exception. When a hot housing market begins to cool down, REALTORS®, sellers and buyers all need to readjust their strategies and expectations. This Field Guide offers tips and ideas to help you and your clients survive and thrive in a down market.
 The concern over electromagnetic fields emitted by power lines has long been a topic of conversation for the real estate industry. New studies and conflicting reports are being published every year. The public's knowledge, perception, and interpretation of this data has a profound effect of the value of properties in proximity to power lines. This updated Field Guide will help guide you through the basics of the EMF controversy.
 Twitter is a way of sending short bits of information to your subscribers. The messages, usually created on a mobile device, are limited to 140 character at a time, called a Tweet. How can you tap this resource to help market your properties? How are other REALTORS® using this technology? Read our latest Field Guide to find out how you can let your clients know what you are doing for them, post short descriptions of new listings, keep your team on schedule.
 The Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) program is run by the IRS and allows companies to invest in low-income housing, while receiving 10 years of tax credits. Created by the Tax Reform Act of 1986, the LIHTC program gives State and local LIHTC-allocating agencies the equivalent of nearly $5 billion in annual budget authority to issue tax credits for the acquisition, rehabilitation, or new construction of rental housing targeted to lower-income households. This important program works with state housing finance agencies to administer the program on a state level. Housing credit units are privately owned by developers and are run at a profit. Investigate this complex program in our updated field guide.
 This week is REALTOR® Safety Week. Information Central has some tips and ideas for you. You meet lots of people in the real estate business--some nice and some not so nice. Learn how to protect yourself at open houses, in the office, in the car and talking on the phone in our updated field guide. Get safety tips, handouts and posters from REALTOR® Associations. Read about REALTORS®' real-life experiences, find out how their lives were changed and how they keep safe while working.
While the cut and dry can be useful, especially for safety, for those who like a mysteries, author Barbara Lee weaves some great tips on how agents can protect themselves into her 1997 title Final Closing (cover above). It's not going to win the Pulitzer (and it didn't), but makes for a quick and enlightening read. Find it at your local library or in a used book store.
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Edit 09/17/08: Watch NAR's "Safety Strategies For You and Your Clients," an updated video about REALTOR® safety, below the jump.
Continue reading "Safety is job 1!" »
 Global Positioning System (GPS) technology has progressed quickly in recent years. Comprised of a worldwide navigational system of 24 satellites that orbit the earth two times per day, GPS continuously transmits digital radio signals which contain data from the satellites' location to earth-bound receivers. The result is convenient, real-time delivery of information to your cell phone or other handheld device.
GPS technology is beneficial for REALTORS® because it can provide turn-by-turn spoken directions, access to MLS data, the ability to queue up numerous properties at once, detailed neighborhood maps, and more. This field guide contains general information about GPS, its usage in real estate, and future trends that will keep REALTORS® in the know about this technology that can boost business and satisfy customers.
 Do you dare disclose if there is murder or mayhem at your listing? What are the professional and logistical challenges if there is a well publicized ghost on your next property? Don't despair, help is here! This updated Field Guide offers some creative marketing tools and advice for selling properties with an unsavory past.
Information Central has just updated its Field Guide to Web 2.0. The term Web 2.0, which was coined in 2004 by O'Reilly Media, refers to a second wave of web-based services such as wikis, social networking sites, and other communication tools which focus upon shared information and collaboration among users. This Field Guide contains general information about Web 2.0, its potential usage in the real estate industry, and future trends that will keep REALTORS® knowledgeable about the ever-changing dynamics of the Internet. Watch the now classic YouTube introduction below the jump...
Continue reading "Web 2.0" »
 With recent upswings in energy prices and increased concern over global warming, wind energy and wind farming have become hot topics. Wind power is one of the fastest growing sources of electricity generation. While much past growth has taken place in Europe (Denmark derives up to 20% of its electricity from wind), wind power has recently made inroads domestically. In the U.S., more than 25,000 turbines produce 17 GW of electricity-generating capacity, enough to power 4.5 million homes. Total capacity rose 45 percent last year and is forecast to nearly triple by 2012. Right now, only one percent of the country's electricity comes from wind, but government and industry leaders want to see that share hit 20 percent by 2030, both to boost the supply of carbon-free energy and to create green-collar jobs.
As wind farms spread, local opposition to the massive towers (some over 400 ft tall) is appearing more and more. Residents not only oppose the turbines for aesthetic reasons, they also worry how wind farms will impact property values. Although research remains scant, wind farms appear have a minimal or at most transitory impact on real estate. To help you understand this topic, NAR has created a field guide which explores the current state of the industry, examines real estate-related research, provides wind maps and regulations to give an indication of where future projects might unfold, and gives resources for further study.
 We have recently updated our Field Guide to Affordable Housing. The nation's housing affordability crisis is fed by economic, demographic, and regulatory characteristics. The issue will not go away on its own. Because wages have not kept pace with rising home prices and rents, millions of American households struggle to meet their housing costs.
Every day, REALTORS® across America reach out and connect thousands of people with the homes and communities that are right for them. Those connections extend far beyond the closing table. They are the start of long-term business relationships with clients; they make our neighborhoods more attractive and marketable; and they strengthen communities and the national economy.
When consumers cannot afford homes in the neighborhoods where they work, those connections are broken. A lack of available and affordable housing reduces access to employment, education, a good environment, and safe neighborhoods. And a lack of affordable housing affects all segments of the real estate market, including first-time purchasers, low-income, minorities, seniors, disabled, renters, and single-family buyers as well as rental property owners and developers.Find out the latest affordable housing news, new trends in affordable housing design, the latest research and much more on this important topic.
 Sponsored by the Department of Homeland Security, National Preparedness Month is a great time to make sure you have a kit, a plan, and the information you need to make it through a disaster. Hurricanes, wildfires and flooding can impact your business and home. Find out how to prepare your home and business against future disasters, and how to recover and clean up safely in this updated Field Guide. Resources include the American Red Cross, the United States Small Business Administration and much more.
 Unwanted, unsolicited e-mail is a frustrating problem for almost everyone who uses the Internet. Spam e-mail clutters inboxes, slows down Web servers, and costs time and money to manage. Spam can't be prevented entirely, but this Field Guide to Spam can show you how to reduce the amount of unwanted e-mail that comes into your inbox.
And on the flip side of the coin, REALTORS® who use e-mail to find and work with clients can take steps to ensure that their own electronic communications aren't seen as spam. Find out more about what spam is, how to reduce the amount of spam you receive and how to keep from sending it yourself with the articles, websites, and other resources on this page.
 Your good name is important. According to the Federal Trade Commission, there may be as many as 9 million identity theft victims. Get the latest information from NAR and the Federal Trade Commission and keep your identity and personal information safe at home and at work in this updated field guide. Find out what to do and who to contact if you are a victim of identity theft.
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The InfoCentral Blog, from NAR's Information Central, provides information on research studies, Web sites, books, news, tips, and other resources of interest to the real estate community.
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