C.A.R. has issued a Red Alert! asking REALTORS® to contact Gov. Schwarzenegger and urge him to sign SB 1178 (Corbett), extending anti-deficiency protections to homeowners who have refinanced “purchase money” loans and now are facing foreclosure. Click here to take action.

The National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals (NAHREP), San Diego Chapter, is hosting its annual luncheon on Thursday, Sept. 2 at the Handlery Hotel in Mission Valley. For more information and to register, click here.

The California Association of REALTORS® board of directors adopted a special assessment of $49 per member for the 2011 dues bill cycle, due to the fact that C.A.R.’s PAC funds have greatly diminished in recent years. For more information, click here.

The FHA has announced it is pushing back the implementation date for new premium structures on FHA-insured mortgages to Oct. 4 from the original date of Sept. 7. For more information, click here.

For a list of candidates nominated for SDAR’s 2011 Board of Directors, and a timeline of the upcoming election, click here.

Mortgage rates are the most affordable in decades for those who can qualify for a loan. For many, the opportunity to buy a home or refinance at this time is lost because of the tough economy and tight credit standards. But those who have secure jobs, superior credit, and strong finances could do even better than the 4.54 average rate that Freddie Mac reported Thursday, according to experts. For more information, click here.

A coalition of consumer advocates, unions and real estate industry groups is seeking a federal ban on private transfer fee covenants, a technique used to finance the capital costs of some new developments through fees that are collected every time a home changes hands . For more information, click here.

Sandicor’s reminds you of services you should take advantage of. Realist Tax Data: Now covers the entire state of California. Walk Score: If your clients are looking for a home in a neighborhood where schools, restaurants, groceries, public transit and fun things are located within walking distance, click on the Walk Score icon on the Quick Links Button Bar of each active listing. Tech Support: Live Chat with Tech Support is now available. Look for the icon with Live Support ONLINE. In addition, if you feel intimidated making changes on your computer, you can now allow Tech Support to remotely connect to your computer to help solve your technical issues. Searchable Knowledge Base: Utilize Sandicor’s Knowledge Base for tech support issues, rules or Training questions. For more information, click here.

Sandicor has contracted with iKenex to provide two new mobile MLS applications for its subscribers.   The first application is a powerful and easy-to-use mobile MLS solution that runs natively on the iPhone, Android, and Blackberry platforms. The second iKenex application is a mobile IDX application that agents can provide to their clients via the agent’s website. For more information, click here.

As a reminder, when having open houses it is imperative that agents do not place directional signs in the public right-of-way. This includes sidewalks, bike lanes, and other areas of pedestrian and vehicle traffic. Real estate signs are an essential part of your business. By ensuring that REALTORS® everywhere comply with sign regulations you can help minimize the potential for the laws to become more restrictive and thereby decreasing your ability to drive traffic to your open houses. A list of jurisdictional sign regulations is available by clicking here. If you have additional questions about regulations in a particular jurisdiction, please call the number listed