"Take me out to the ball game..."

"...take me out with the crowd...buy me some peanuts and cracker jacks..." 
You know the rest!  Who doesn’t enjoy a warm summer evening enjoying one of America’s favorite pastimes….a baseball game.  Better yet, an Indians baseball game.

Over 1,000 MIBOR REALTORS® and Affiliates filled the stands recently to enjoy “REALTOR® Night” and celebrate our Centennial year.  It was a fun-filled evening starting with the first pitch thrown by Adam Roach with Keller Williams who won the “highest bid” contest benefiting the REALTOR® Foundation, and ending with a 5-1 win over the Pawtucket Red Sox with lots of fun for all in between!

I am continually awed by the support we receive from our REALTOR® and Affiliate members and this night was no different!  I was proud to represent MIBOR while giving the pre-game announcement and to share with the crowd that MIBOR has been “Opening Doors for 100 Years” and that we’re proud of the communities we serve and our city.

It was a fun evening and a great way to continue the celebration of our Centennial year. Looking out over the beautiful skyline of Indianapolis gave me a true sense of pride for how far we’ve come as a city….as a region….and the significant role we have played in that development.

- Debbie Morris, 2012 MIBOR President


View more photos from the evening on our Facebook page, here!

Meeting the State’s Top Guy...

Monday was my first day back from vacation. Refreshed from a week of a blissfully slower pace, I was ready to tackle the unanswered emails, urgent voice mails, the unopened mail, you get the picture.  Much to my delight, the first thing that popped up on my calendar was “9:00 a.m. Governor’s Office”. Then I remembered, today is the day MIBOR had been invited to Gov. Mitch Daniels office. Not my typical routine, but hey I’ll take it!

Our task was simple. MIBOR Centennial Chair Beth Blake and MIBOR President Debbie Morris had been invited to meet the Governor, thank him writing the forward to the MIBOR Centennial book and present him with a copy of his own. As staff, Lacey Everett and I tagged along. Why not, right?  The more the merrier.  So off we went down to the State House. Parking was a breeze, security was a snap and in minutes we were comfortably inside the rather large waiting area waiting for our turn to meet Mitch.

After only a few minutes, an assistant appeared and ushered us into the equally large and impressive Governor’s office where Gov. Daniels greeted us warmly. Our visit could not have been more pleasant and he could not have been more gracious. Yes, he signed a book and we took the requisite photos, but not before we all sat with the Governor for an effortless conversation. He wanted to know all about the book and video project. He leafed through the book and was impressed, particularly interested in the neighborhood sections and personal profiles.  We talked about his departure for Purdue and what he feels most proud of during his tenure in the Governor’s office. He asked us about the housing market and specifically how you as REALTORS® are doing. It was a delightful and surprising visit. His message to all of you in the industry…”Thank you for all you do.”

Today is Friday; I wonder what’s on my calendar for Monday? 

Our History in Photos...

Listing Sheets...and the Listing Service

Almost 50 years ago, in 1963, this was the typical listing sheet, printed and distributed weekly by the Board. How things have changed! We have certainly grown with the changes and information is at our fingertips whether we are in front of a computer, on our cell phones, tablets etc. 

"For nearly a century, MIBOR had often been progressive in its initiatives to help support and enhance the real estate industry. By January 2002, the Board newsletter, MIBOR InDepth, announced yet another important advancement in the industry: the expanded capabilities of the Internet-based MLS system, a process that the newsletter claimed would '...take the real estate professional to the next level.' MLS books, which were bulky and quickly outdated, were replaced with computer listing software in the 1980s, which linked each broker's individual terminals to a master, web-based source that could be accessed quickly, easily and more accurately. Over the years MIBOR enhanced the technology offerings in order to help REALTORS®  facilitate a transaction that was as efficient as possible."  -- excerpt from REALTORS®: Opening Doors for 100 Years.

It's YOUR Turn: What changes have you been grateful to see over the years?

Take Me Out to the Ballgame...

We don't typically use this blog to promote events, 

but this one is HUGE!

In celebration of our Centennial, we are bringing back REALTOR® Night with the Indians! In years past, REALTORS® would gather and nearly pack the old Busch Stadium for REALTOR® Night. 

We are bringing back the fun, the celebration and the camaraderie! - We need YOU to help us fill seats and participate in the first pitch and on field games!

July 26 is OUR Night!

BUY NOW! These tickets are not going to last long! At $5 each, you can easily buy in bulk and distribute them to your clients, families, friends and colleagues! Let's fill the stands and celebrate 100 years together!

Learn more about our 'First Pitch Auction' and how to get a chance to participate in the on field games by visiting our Centennial website - here. 

Purchase your tickets at the REALTOR® Store, online or in person!

Play Ball!!!

Moving Up, Moving Out...

Promotional photos like this one inspired 

U.S. military men and women returning home 

from Germany and Japan to invest in a new home 

with funds collected through the G.I. Bill.

"Celebrating the Good Times Finally. After a decade of economic turmoil, followed by years of dark and tense moments against the Axis Forces, U.S. citizens could breath a collective sigh of relief. In the days following World War II, residents in Indianapolis and around the country cheered and wept as they welcomed soldiers returning home and celebrated the return of economic stability. 
The changes to the economic and social climate were almost immediate at the conclusion of the War, and REALTORS® were among the first beneficiaries of this dramatic shift. One example was in new home construction. During the Great Depression, the creation of new homes in Indianapolis had virtually halted. In 1933, for instance, there were only 27 new homes build within the city limits. During the War, construction was limited by a lack of building supplies.

But shortly after the War, new neighborhoods, such as Eagledale, near 34th Street and Georgetown Road, erupted with 3,400 housing units completed by 1949 with more than 10,000 new residents."

-- Excerpt from REALTORS®: Opening Doors for 100 Years (pages 83-84)

Do you have YOUR copy yet? www.mibor100.com

Transformation in Action...

On June 7^th, we will be installing permanent medallions on the 32 homes in the Building a Living Legacy Project in St. Clair Place. A few days ago, I was out in the neighborhood marking the spot on each house where the medallions will be installed. As usual it was a beautiful day. I don’t know why it is, but most of the time I’m in St. Clair Place, the weather is incredible. Blue skies, puffy white clouds, bright green grass, a gentle breeze, you get the picture. Most of our volunteer days last year were blessed with equally fantastic weather. No need to discuss the snowy, icy bus tours in early 2011 or 95 plus degree groundbreaking ceremony last summer – let’s stay positive people. Anyway, the place puts me in a good mood.

I have to say though, the most delightful thing happened when I passed a certain house. On the corner of Eastern and St. Clair is the cutest arts and crafts style home. We’re talking adorable, magazine cover quality material. And what was else on the corner in the yard? One of the last remaining yard signs from the project – one of YOUR signs with the MIBOR centennial logo plastered front and center. I was so proud! 

Then it hit me. That was the exact corner where I went with Cabinet Chair Bill Hacker last year as he taped an interview for WFYI’s series More than a Game. That day with Bill, we had to keep stopping the taping because the construction noise on the house. You’ll have to take my word for it, but that house looked nothing like the beautiful piece of architecture I saw this time. Wow! It’s an amazing home that will bring new beginnings for a family. I could not have been proud or more convinced that this project was just the right fit for REALTORS®.

I hope I’ll see you on the 7^th. The party will be celebration; a toast to all the real estate community has accomplished through Building a Living Legacy. You just have to see it. 

Claire Belby

MIBOR Communications Director

Now I'm A Believer...

I’m not one to get too excited for rallies. I’ll don a rally cap at a ball game from time to time, but political rallies have never been my thing. I’m a political junkie and politics is a big part of my job, so I see the value and I recognize the impact, but I’m just not a true believer. They always seemed a little goofy – a little too “rah-rah” for my taste. 

However, the National Association of REALTORS® Rally to Protect the American Dream on May 17th was not one of those rallies. I showed up a skeptic but I left impressed.

There I was, front and center. About 50 feet from the stage, the Washington Monument directly behind it and the White House right behind us. Amidst all of that: 15,000 blue t-shirts emblazoned with the REALTOR® “R” logo. NAR notes this was the largest gathering of REALTORS® ever recorded.

The location and numbers were impressive. So were the logistics organized by NAR. Getting 15,000 non-local people into and out of a location safely, timely and effectively shouldn’t be overlooked. The staff and volunteers did a phenomenal job planning and executing.

But again, that alone isn’t going to get me excited about a rally.

So what did? I don’t really know. It’s the aggregate of everything involved. 

The excitement of the week. Nearly everyone at The Monument in their blue t-shirt had been on Capitol Hill in a suit the day before. All of us meeting with our Members of Congress and sharing our viewpoints on some issues critical to our industry. (Read more on those Hill visits here.) We met with our Representatives and Senators and told them our stories, made our points and asked for their support. It is a personal and effective way to get things done in Washington. But now, we were putting an emphatic exclamation point on the end of those visits with this rally. Each member of Congress saw that the 20 or so REALTORS® that were in their office yesterday are part of the 15,000 energized voices they’re hearing coming from the National Mall. 

The message. During the course of the rally, we heard from some great speakers including Georgia Senator (and REALTOR®) Johnny Isakson, Congressman Steny Hoyer, NAR Chief Economist Lawrence Yun and several more. We heard from REALTORS®, association leaders, immigrants, minority leaders, elected officials and more. Each of them articulated it a different way, but their message was clear – homeownership matters. 

The impact. Helicopters, TV cameras & reporters were all on site. Twitter was blowing up with people who were participating in the rally or people who were hearing about it. Later, news articles were popping up all over the place – and in the right places right there in The Beltway.  For a city that has thousands of rallies and demonstrations each year, Washington took notice of us. Our message was delivered and in the days after we left we have already seen movement on some of the issues we were talking about.

RPAC. As a staff member tasked with promoting RPAC to the membership, it was exciting to see so much enthusiasm from REALTORS® from all 50 states for RPAC. The crowd was alive, it was energetic and it was passionate. RPAC was like a rock-star that day and the RPAC Pig was in hog-heaven.

I’m being honest when I say this. I was blown away at how drastically my expectations were exceeded. The Rally to Protect Homeownership met all of the objectives NAR aimed at and more. The influence of REALTORS® and RPAC was apparent that day. I left proud and feeling very fortunate to be on staff at MIBOR and to be able to represent such an important and influential group of professionals.

Pat Cline

Political Affairs Liaison

Click here for more pictures!