Make It Real, Use a REALTOR®

In the largest advertising effort in the history of the Minnesota Association of REALTORS®, you will soon start seeing the tag line: "Make it Real, Use a REALTOR®." The campaign is targeted at first-time homebuyers – age 25-34 yrs. – that critical first leg in the housing transaction cycle.

Approved by the Minnesota Association of REALTORS® Board of Directors last November, the $800,000 expenditure is being completed without any state association dues increase or fee assessment. For the past five years your Minnesota Association of REALTORS® Board of Directors and staff have prepared for the day when sales activity began to slowdown. By saving and planning as the Board has, it is not able to flood the marketplace with a promotional campaign designed to get consumers to contact REALTORS®.

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Mortgage Fraud and the Consequences of Your Actions

In an effort to help Minnesota REALTORS® understand the serious nature and consequences of mortgage fraud, Jillian Lehn has drafted the following article about her experiences and the consequences of those actions. Ms. Lehn has pled guilty to wire fraud and money laundering. She faces a maximum penalty of $250,000 and up to 20 years in prison.

Jill was a loan closer who prepared fraudulent closing documents in over 60 real estate transactions. In those transactions the buyers signed documents knowing they were fraudulent and overstated the true purchase price. In each of the cases false documents were sent to corporate lenders that concealed that a portion of the loan proceeds would be paid to the property purchasers and other individuals. Specifically, the buyers pocketed the difference between the actual purchase price and the inflated purchase price stated on the bogus loan documents.

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Tips On How To Ruin Your Life

By Jill Lehn

In every person's life a time comes when you need to look at yourself and ask "Did I really do such a stupid thing?" At the end of August, 2006 I was forced to answer that question and I did not have a lot of time to do it. This is how it all began.

I was hard at work and getting set for another busy day of doing mortgage closings. My telephone rings all day long and I am fortunate to have many closings when real estate times are difficult so I get to work early to make the most of my time. It's eight a.m. and I am sitting in my office well on my way to conquering the day. A noise comes from the front office and the door opens. I walk out and give my enthusiastic morning greeting but it is not reciprocated. Two gentlemen ask "Are you Jill Lehn?" I say "Yes I am". We are so and so with the FBI and we need to talk. My feeling of invincibility immediately went away (it will never come back).

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Numerous Legislative Bills Target Real Estate

In a conference call with the Minnesota Association of REALTORS® Governmental Affairs Executive Committee, Chief Lobbyist Susan Dioury and V.P. of Governmental Affairs Christine Berger discussed a number of issues that raise concerns for the industry. Below is a list of the bills and how they impact real estate transactions:

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