COVID-19 Updates
LSAR Office is closed to walk-in SUPPORT through June 30, 2020. curbside, email, and phone support are available monday - friday 8:30am - 5:00pm! This page will be updated with current information for lake superior area REALTORS OPERATIONS.
National Links/Info | Minnesota Links/Info | Wisconsin Links/Info | Local Links/Info
Call-in/email Hours Only:
Monday-Friday: 8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Phone: 218.728.5676
Fax: 866.392.7950
General Inbox: info@LSARealtors.com
Facebook: LakeSuperiorREALTORS
National Association of REALTORS COVID-19 Page
Hot Links:
- REALTOR Guides - Answers to your questions on keeping business moving
- REALTOR Resiliency Report - Describes virus impact on business and what NAR is doing to help
- Right Tools Right Now - Free and discounted products and services you can put to work now
- Virtual Showings and Virtual Tours - Resources and best practices to keep business moving forward while social distancing
- Daily Report of Impact of COVID-19 on Real Estate Showings
- Curate COVID-19 Website - Tracks government responses from across the country to COVID-19
- 6/1 Video: Navigating the Economy & Housing Market Through COVID-19
- 6/1 Report: Meeting Buyer & Seller Needs During & After the Pandemic
- 5/29 Fannie Mae Issues Lender Letter on Self-Employment Income
- 5/29 Unemployment FAQs - REALTORS can apply for benefits under the CARES Act
- 5/29 Weekly Housing Market Monitor - Weekly report based on REALTOR feedback on individual markets
- 5/29 Flash Survey: Impact of COVID-19 on Market
- 5/28 SBA Loan Forgiveness Infographic
- 5/26 SBA Cares Act FAQ - Funding available for REALTORS and Small Businesses
- 5/18 PPP Loan Forgiveness Application
- 5/14 Main Street Lending Program
- 5/13 FHFA Announces Payment Deferral Option
- 5/12 New HEROS Act Introduced
- 5/11 Workplace Re-Entry Checklist - Guidance for businesses
- 5/4 Home Buying and Selling During the Pandemic: What you Need to Know
- 5/1 FHFA Responds to NAR's Letter Requesting Support for Mortgage Liquidity - Issues remain and are hurting home sales
- 4/23 Fannie, Freddie to Buy Mortgages in Forbearance
- 3/23 Fannie Mae Lender Letter - Impact of COVID-19 on Appraisals
- Resources for Property Owners - Growing list of resources for property owners
- Coronavirus Appraiser's Discussion and Resource Page - Hosted by OREP to help appraisers stay informed and connected
Minnesota REALTORS COVID-19 Page
Hot Links:
- FAQ - Ongoing answers to your questions about conducting business in Minnesota
- 5/18 Open House Considerations
- 5/18 For Businesses: Safely Returning to Work
- DEED Survey on New "Social Distancing Norms"
- MN Unemployment Step-by-Step Guide for Self-Employed Individuals - Application now open!
- 4/28 MNR Guide to Federal and State COVID-19 Response Programs
- 4/27 Continuing Ed Express Approved for Remote Proctoring!
- 4/22 April Legal Download - Covers securing client data, operating in a health & ethical manner during COVID-19
- 3/31 MN DEED Small Business Guidance - Summarizes programs available to small businesses
- 3/20 PA COVID Amendment - Newly developed form by MNR to help you and your clients in creating an extension of the PA deadlines for COVID-19 related events
Wisconsin REALTORS Association COVID-19 Page
Hot Links:
- WEDC Business Reopen Guidelines
- 5/28 Legal Update Live (Ep 6): Wisconsin's Eviction Moratorium is Over. Now What?
- 5/22 Best Practices for In-Person Open Houses
- 5/18 "We're All In" Grant Program - Awards $2500 cash grants to small business
- 5/14 Legal Update Live (Ep 5): What Reopening WI for Business Means for REALTORS
- 5/7 Legal Update Live (Ep 4): Information Overload: What you REALLY Need to Know about COVID-19
- 5/1 Property Showing Guidelines - Created by WRA legal team to outline recommendations while showing property
- 4/30 Legal Update Live (Ep 3): The Federal CARES Act: Today and Beyond
- 4/24 Legal Update Live (Ep 2): Unemployment for REALTORS Under the CARES Act
- 4/17 Legal Update Live (Ep 1): COVID-19 and Real Estate Impacts
- 4/14 WI Pandemic Unemployment Assistance Page - Applications open!
- 4/14 New COVID-19 Commercial Addendum - Offers more open-ended approach to extensions, delays and terminations resulting from coronavirus
- 4/9 Revised Showings & Inspections Safety Commitment - Created to address contractual concerns relating to the coronavirus and to assist in the implementation of the governor’s "safer at home" order
- 4/3 FAQ on CARES Act & Related Initiatives
- 4/3 Revised Coronavirus Provisions - Address challenges parties currently under contract may be experiencing in their transaction due to the pandemic
- 3/19: Remote Notary Legislation Effective Immediately- Can be utilized to complete real estate transactions remotely
Lake Superior Area REALTORS Hot Links:
- LSAR Daily Report of Impact of COVID-19 on Real Estate Showings
- Market Area "Check-Ins" - Join LSAR CEO Maranda DeSanto hear developments on the COVID-19 pandemic and address the needs of your area
- 5/28 WLSSD Places Hold on I&I until January 1, 2021
- 5/21 COVID-19 LSAR Preparedness Plan
- 5/15 Douglas County Requirements for Reopening
- 5/15 Bayfield/Ashland Counties Travel Safer Advisory
- 4/29 Forum Communications Matching Marketing Dollars Grant
- 4/23 Superior Small Business Economic Relief Program - $1500 for businesses with locations in Superior
- 4/8 WLSSD Places Hold on I&I Ordinance until June 1, 2020 (Click here for details)
- 4/7 Additional Waiver Option added for Medical/Emergency Personnel - Allows you to keep your membership while waiving out of MLS service and fees. Waiver options include medical, appraisers, other MLS subscriber, commercial only brokerages, and outside jurisdiction.
- Hold-No Showings Rule Temporarily Suspended - Helps address seller showing concerns amid pandemic -
- Open Houses & Overlapping Appointments - Helps address CDC and Department of Health recommendations
- Point of Sale Inspections - Updates from municipalities on current POS procedures
- 3/16 Letter from LSAR President Doug Kman
- Cancelled/Rescheduled Events
- LSAR Staff Contacts
- LSAR Vendor Contacts
- Online Real Estate Continuing Education Links
Market area "check-ins" have been scheduled for Tuesday, June 2.
Join LSAR CEO Maranda DeSanto hear developments on the COVID-19 pandemic and address the needs of your area. Meetings will be held remotely via ZOOM. Go to our calendar page for Zoom info for your area: https://www.lsarealtors.com/main/calendar-of-events/
Hold-No Showings Rule Temporarily Suspended (3/23/20)
Effective immediately, we are temporarily suspending Lake Superior Area MLS’s rule requiring availability for showings in Active status. If your seller is not comfortable scheduling showings for their property because of the COVID-19 threat, you may decline showings but leave the property in Active status. However, we do require that you disclose in Public Remarks that you are not accepting showings at this time. We also ask that you revise the showings calendar in ShowingTime to block scheduling for the property and notify any already confirmed appointments if you wish to cancel them. This rule suspension will remain in effect indefinitely. We will post here when the situation improves and the rule is put back into effect.
Open House/Agent Tour Functionality Restored (5/21/20)
Open house and agent tour functionality has been restored in LSAR MLS. Please note, all open house or agent tour activities should have a written COVID-19 plan in place PRIOR to hosting. This is required by some municipalities including the State of Minnesota and Douglas County, WI.
Resources for Plan Development:
5/18/20 MNR Memo "Open House Considerations During COVID-19:" https://www.mnrealtor.com/HigherLogic/System/DownloadDocumentFile.ashx?DocumentFileKey=4e924b17-1c75-e7c9-9d1d-dbf9a25f3132&forceDialog=0
MN DEED "For Businesses Safely Returning to Work:" https://mn.gov/deed/newscenter/covid/safework/business/
5/1/20 WRA Property Showing Guidelines: https://www.wra.org/Coronavirus/ShowingGuidelines/
WI WEDC "Best Practices to Reopen:" https://wedc.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/WEDC_COVID-19-GENERAL-Guidelines.pdf
Overlapping Appointments During COVID-19 Outbreak
LSAR is still advising all REALTORS® to discontinue overlapping appointments. Overlapping appointment functionality has been disabled.
Point of Sale Inspections Delayed - Check with individual municipalities on current status
Message from City of Duluth: "I realize that there are questions about how to obtain a POS certificate during the City of Duluth shut down. During this time the City will be issuing $105 waivers to get you through the closing. Please let new homeowners know they will have to have an inspection done once the City is back to normal working hours. Please call 218-730-4130 to speak with one of our information specialists about obtaining a waiver. Thank you for understanding."
-Andrew Swanson, Utility Program Coordinator
All events, classes, and training has been cancelled or rescheduled through July 31, 2020. All committee and board meetings will be held remotely as scheduled.
Check our calendar for current events and registration information.
3/18: Carlton County Lunch & Learn - Cancelled until TBD
3/23: MN Housing Day - Cancelled
3/25: Free Home Warranty Class - Rescheduled October 28th, 2020
4/8: MLS Training: Inputs & Saved Searches - Cancelled
4/14: WI Course 1 & 2 - Rescheduled to September 10, 2020
4/15: WI Course 3 & 4 - Rescheduled to September 22, 2020
4/16: REALTORS as Neighbors Board & Brush Fundraiser - Rescheduled to October 22nd, 2020
4/20: Instanet Training - Cancelled
4/21: Free CE in Grand Marais - Cancelled until TBD
4/21: Board Forum in Grand Marais - Cancelled until TBD
4/22: WI Course 5 & 6 - Rescheduled to September 23, 2020
Staff Contacts
Maranda DeSanto, RCE
Chief Executive Officer
maranda@LSARealtors.com
DD: (218) 722-6044
Specialties: Governance, Professional Standards, Board of Directors, Committees, Statistics, Community Engagements, Media Requests, MNR/WRA/NAR Resources
Laura Douglas, e-Pro
Member Services Coordinator
laura@LSARealtors.com
DD: (218) 728-5676
Specialties: Membership Requirements & Benefits, Education, Events, Networking, Store, Billing, Communications, Website Updates
Jason Robeck
MLS & Information Technology Manager
jason@LSARealtors.com
DD: (218) 722-6051
Specialties: Multiple Listing System, Instanet, ZipForms, Supra eKey System, RPR, RETS Feeds, ShowingTime, General Technical Support
Bruce King
Government Affairs Director
bruce@ranww.org
DD: (715) 828-1976
Specialties: Advocacy, Public Policy, Government Affairs, RPAC, Community Investment, Grant Opportunities
MLS Vendor Support Links
Paragon Support Page
ShowingTime Support
Instanet/Authentisign Support
TechHelpline Support
Supra/Ekey Support
ZipForms Support