Did you know you that you have three available add-on libraries you can access in your zipForm® 6 for FREE? If you haven’t had a chance to download these free add-ons, you could be missing out on a faster way to send disclosure information to your clients, ways to save yourself time and money, and help the environment.

I: ePUBS™ for zipForm® 6

This free add-on library contains the Combined Hazards Book. ePUBS™ for zipForm® 6 is now available to all C.A.R. members. The Combined Hazards Book is what makes this library an essential download for your zipForm® 6 library. A separate signature file containing the signature page at the back of the book makes emailing this booklet to your clients easy, fast, and eco-friendly. Additional consumer disclosure titles include:

• Buyer’s/Seller’s Guide to CA Residential Purchase Agreement
• Commercial Property Owners Guide to Earthquake Safety
• Consumer Guide to Disclosure Requirements for Buyers/Sellers
• Foreclosure Q&A
• Green Living Brochure
• Property Transaction Booklet
• Seller’s Guide to Residential Listing Agreement/Disclosure
• Short Sale Q&A

To attend a free webinar training on ePUBS™, register for free at http://www.car.org/tools/zipForm6. For download instructions, visit www.car.org/tools/zipForm6/ePUBSZF6/faqs/.

II: Foreclosure Prevention Library

Empower yourself with C.A.R.’s Foreclosure Prevention Library. The add-on library consists of 10 short documents explaining how your client can avoid foreclosure and foreclosure scams. Each beneficial document can be customized with your contact information and given to potential clients as an educational tool.
The library consists of the following forms:

• Alternatives to Foreclosure
• Proposition 8 – Property Tax Relief
• Foreclosure Prevention Resources
• Foreclosure or Short Sale
• Foreclosure Timeline
• Homeowner Liability After Foreclosure
• Short Sale Process
• Tips for a Short Sale Seller
• Tips for a Short Sale Buyer
• Avoiding Foreclosure Scam

Whether your client is in foreclosure now or worried about it in the future, this new library has the resources needed to help your client navigate this painful process. To register for webinar training or for more information, visit www.car.org/tools/zipForm6/fpl/.

III: C.A.R. Foreign Language Forms:

Available in Spanish, Chinese, Korean Tagalog and Vietnamese. The foreign language library is free to access at anytime in your zipForm® 6 accounts. Forms included are:

• Residential Lease or Month-to-Month Rental Agreement
• Notice of Change in Terms of Tenancy
• Keysafe/Lockbox Addendum and Tenant Permission to Access Property
• Notice of Obligation to Pay Rental or Lease Payments in Cash
• Notice of Termination of Tenancy

The foreign language form is for reference only and does not need to be signed. The English language version of this form is the legally binding form that must be used and signed by all parties when the form is delivered. For Q&A’s on Foreign Language forms, visit www.car.org/legal/2005articles/foreign-language-translations/.

Although downloading these libraries is simple, there are a host of upcoming webinars that detail the download process. You will have an opportunity to follow along with the instructor as she takes you through the download process step-by-step. To register for free, visit http://www.car.org/tools/zipForm6/.

Stay connected to your clients and never miss a beat.

Today’s real estate professional knows that it is getting harder to stay ahead of the competition in this ever-changing industry. You rely on tools that simplify and improve your day-to-day life – tools that allow you to act fast and access vital information immediately, no matter where you are. Keeping on top of the latest technology in the office is work enough, but now agents and brokers must find a way to connect and take care of business wherever they go.

C.A.R. is proud to present zipForm® Mobile for iPhone™ – an extension of the office when your business has ‘left the building’. This companion software is an extension of your zipForm® (online version) account that allows you to keep important transaction information readily accessible. Now you can easily stay connected to your zipForm contract information anytime and anywhere your hectic schedule takes you.

zipForm® Mobile for iPhone™ is available for purchase in the Apple® iTunes store for $9.99. Please visit: http://itunes.apple.com/app/zipform/id323242961?mt=8.

Right here – right now – with the right information

zipForm® Mobile for iPhone™ lets you immediately connect to that important information contained in your zipForm online account, and managing online transactions has never been easier. Get property information, seller and buyer information, and list and offer dates along with listing price and deposit. Now efficiently manage your transactions on the go, directly from your Apple® iPhone™ and iPod touch®.

Features Included

• List and modify transactions (sort ascending / descending by modification date or by name)
• Create a new transaction
• List the forms within a transaction (sort alphabetically)
• Add one or more forms to a transaction from one or more licensed libraries

• View forms via various methods (navigate, zoom, rotate)
• Email one or more forms in PDF format to one or more email recipients, complete with an comments for the recipients
• Fill in commonly used transaction information with the ‘Data Fill’ feature, and it will automatically cascade throughout the forms in the transaction

zipForm® Mobile for iPhone™ provides another way for today’s busy real estate professional to interface with their zipForm® 6 Professional software and stay connected to their clients. zipForm® Mobile for Treo ™ is also available.

For more information visit http://zipform.com/zfmobile/

Free Foreclosure Prevention Library now available

The Foreclosure Prevention Library consists of the following add-on documents:  Proposition 8 – Property Tax Relief; Tips for a Short Sale Seller; Tips for a Short Sale Buyer; Foreclosure or Short Sale; Foreclosure Prevention Resources;  Short Sale Process; Foreclosure Timeline; Homeowner Liability After Foreclosure; Avoiding Foreclosure Scams; and Alternatives to Foreclosure.  As an added bonus, REALTORS® can customize each document with their contact information and distribute to their clients.
For more information and instructions on accessing the Foreclosure Prevention Library, please visit www.car.org/tools/zipForm6/fpl/.

C.A.R. members who are current zipForm® 6 users can now access the new Foreclosure Prevention library, which was launched on May 26.

C.A.R.’s Foreclosure Prevention Library is an add-on library consisting of 10 short documents explaining how homeowners can avoid foreclosure and foreclosure scams.  The library consists of the following titles:

1.  Proposition 8 – Property Tax Relief
2.  Tips for a Short Sale Seller
3.  Tips for a Short Sale Buyer
4.  Foreclosure or Short Sale
5.  Foreclosure Prevention Resources
6.  Short Sale Process
7.  Foreclosure Timeline
8.  Homeowner Liability After Foreclosure
9.  Avoiding Foreclosure Scams
10.   Alternatives to Foreclosure

Each disclosure form allows you to customize contact information and make these available to your clients who may be at risk of foreclosure or who are already going through the process.  The library is designed to help you act as a resource to your clientele who may be experiencing this painful process, and in so doing, possibly help prevent   foreclosures.

The Foreclosure Prevention Library is a free C.A.R. member benefit. The library can be accessed from either the zipForm® 6 Professional or Standard editions. Accessing C.A.R.’s Foreclosure Prevention Library is fast and easy. You will need to upgrade your WINForms® to zipForm® 6 Professional or zipForm® 6 Standard to obtain the library. For information on upgrading to zipForm® 6, visit http://www.car.org/tools/zipForm6/. For download instructions for the Foreclosure Prevention Library, go to http://www.car.org/tools/zipForm6/fpl/.

During the week of April 28, 2010, new and revised forms were available in the C.A.R. Forms Library for zipForm® 6. The April forms release included a total of 19 new and revised C.A.R. standard forms.

zipForm® 6 Professional (online edition) users’ software will automatically update the forms upon log-in. zipForm® 6 Standard (desktop edition) will need to be updated manually upon prompt from the software, after log-in. An internet connection is required in order to update zipForm® 6 Standard.

There are 2 methods to download zipForm® 6 Standard (desktop edition) April Forms release:

METHOD 1. Automatic update within zipForm® 6 Standard

METHOD 2.  Check for Updates Icon

You can choose to update the library manually at a later time by clicking on the Tools tab inside zipForm® 6 Standard. Then click on the “Check for Updates” button.

After the library has updated, you can access these forms in your library drop-down menu. In addition, you can click on the “Categorized” tab to view a list of all new and revised forms under the folder of “Form Update for 4/10.”

Note: When applying previously created Templates to new Transactions, the form will automatically be updated. For example, if you have a Buyer’s Template that was created in January with an outdated RPA and you apply that template to a transaction today, it will automatically insert the new RPA form. You don’t need to recreate your Templates. However, if you simply reopen a Template from the Template List, you will still see the old RPA populated. zipForm® 6 never automatically alters previously created Transactions or Templates.

In addition to the C.A.R. Standard Forms update, there was also a change in the ePUBS™ free member benefit library. An updated version of the Buyers/Sellers Guide to CA Residential Purchase Agreement is available that reflects the changes in the new RPA-CA form. This disclosure booklet assists your buyer and seller in becoming familiar with the C.A.R Residential Purchase and Joint Escrow Instructions. It takes consumers through the key points of the contract, paragraph by paragraph! ePUBS™ for zipForm® 6 has consumer targeted titles to help enhance your client’s understanding of a real estate transaction.  The library also includes Combined Hazards Book and Commercial Property Owner’s Guide to Earthquake Safety. Visit http://www.car.org/tools/zipForm6/ePUBSZF6/faqs/ to get the download instructions and answers from the ePUBS™ for zipForm® 6 FAQs. For the webinar schedule, please go to http://www.car.org/tools/zipForm6/

Dear zipForm® 6 User:

During the recent forms update this month, the date fields on the signature lines on all forms were disabled. This was an oversight on our part. We are working diligently to restore this functionality and our expectation is that the date fields will be fully functional again by May 5. Please accept our apologies for the inconvenience this may have caused.

Until the May 5 solution is in place, zipForm® 6 users who wish to use wet signatures will need to print the forms in order to insert the date information manually on all signature fields on the form. Select the “Print” icon on your toolbar to print a hard copy of your forms. If you subscribed to DocuSign® Digital Signature, date tags can be inserted electronically on the fields. For more information visit http://www.docusign.com/esignatures/ziplogix/support/.

For more information about the May 5 zipForm® 6 release, please visit http://www.car.org/legal/standard-forms/rpa-study-group-input/.

Thank you

Real Estate Business Services, Inc.

C.A.R. released the new Residential Purchase Agreement (RPA), two related new forms, and one revised form. The forms are available today in both zipForm® 6 and hard-copy format.

The RPA is the standard form, produced by C.A.R., used in nearly every residential real estate transaction in the state. The RPA hasn’t been significantly modified since 2002, and the changes approved by the RPA Study Group and the Standard Forms Advisory Committee, with more than 1,000 comments from members, helped inform the process.

Changes impacting the initial deposit; the notice to perform; FHA/VA loans; financing; the appraisal contingency; the wood pest inspection; home warranty coverage; and contingencies and cancellations; among others, have been incorporated in the revised form.

RPA courses are scheduled throughout the state and cover everything California REALTORS® need to know about the new form.  Click here for a complete list of courses or sign up for a REALTOR® S.W.A.T. (Special Weapons and Tactics) course, which includes training on the new RPA, at http://www.realtorswat.com.

C.A.R.’s REALTOR® S.W.A.T.: “The Tools You Need to Succeed in 2010” classes are one-day events chock-full of tips to help REALTORS® prosper in 2010. Each class features a local economic and market update by a C.A.R. economist; a panel discussion with legal and finance experts to help REALTORS® navigate new laws; four hours of continuing education credits on the new Residential Purchase Agreement (RPA-CA); an overview of how to use the Treasury Dept.’s Home Affordable Foreclosure Alternatives program; and a continental breakfast.

Now that you have upgraded to zipForm® 6, you can continue to take advantage of your favorite toolbar features from your original WINForms®. But did you know that there are actually more features in the new zipForm® 6 which allow you to move quickly through documents and transactions?

Need assistance with organizing transactional forms before sending them to your clients? The e-mail icon on your toolbar offers additional functionality that allows you to send documents using Single or Separate PDF files. What’s the difference?

When using the “Separate PDF Files” option, it allows you to send documents by form, with each title being its own attachment. Your recipients will open the attached files separately (by clicking on the form title). Sending via “Single PDF File” allows you to bulk the forms into a single email attachment, making it easier for your clients to view all of the forms.

Want to include Sticky Notes? The “Notes” feature in zipForm® 6 will add an electronic note to the page. Notes can be used as an “eye catcher” to help pinpoint important information such as dates, signature lines, clauses, etc. Notes can be included in the PDF version of your transaction when you send an email or save outside of zipForm® 6.

If you liked using “Templates” in WINForms®, you’ll continue enjoying them in zipForm® 6. Now you can apply multiple templates to any of your transactions at any time. Using Templates is an efficient and seamless way of creating new transactions by applying pre-selected forms or data to those transactions.

Avoid interruptions when working with your transactions online or offline by taking advantage of the auto-save feature. To save your transactions without continuously clicking the “Save” icon, you can easily set your auto-save functions to any interval preference. Go to the Tools tab and choose the Options icon to change your settings. Select the minutes in the “Time Interval For Autosave Transaction” drop-down menu.

There are many more benefits you can enjoy when using your favorite member benefit, zipForm® 6. Join us for a FREE zipForm® 6 webinar training. Register by visiting www.car.org/tools/zipForm6/ . A pre-recorded webinar is also available at http://videos.car.org/mediavault.html?menuID=5&flvID=15.

Beginning April 1, access to WINForms® will be terminated. All users, including those who already upgraded to zipForm® 6, must renew their software user licenses by March 31 to continue receiving access to this valuable resource.  During the renewal period (3/1/10-3/31/10), all WINForms® users must upgrade to zipForm® 6. Users who do not renew their software license by March 31 will be unable to use the program until they complete the renewal process.

Important facts about zipForm® 6:

• Upgrading from WINForms® to zipForm® 6 is not automatic; users will need to manually upgrade to zipForm® 6.
• Transactions in WINForms® accounts will not be lost when upgrading to zipForm® 6.  All files will be seamlessly migrated to the new zipForm® 6 account.
• On April 1, all C.A.R. members will be required to use the zipForm® 6 program.
• Upgrading is easy.  C.A.R. has provided an abundance of helpful information to assist users.

Your zipForm® 6 member benefit is available in two versions: zipForm® 6 Professional (formerly WINForms Online®) and zipForm® 6 Standard (formerly WINForms® Desktop).  Members can upgrade to both zipForm® 6 Professional and zipForm® 6 Standard for free.

zipForm® 6 Professional enables you to automatically import existing transactions and work online from any computer.  zipForm® 6 Standard allows you to import all previously saved transactions from WINForms® Desktop.  Additionally, the new File Manager lets you sync all files between your computer and online storage instantly, ensuring that you always have the most recent contracts.

Upgrading is easy. Visit http://www.car.org/tools/zipForm6/upgradeinstructions/ for a complete upgrade instructions and take advantage of your zipForm® 6 member benefit today!

Once you’ve made the move to zipForm® 6, you can immediately access all of the transaction information that was stored in your WINForms® account.  For more information on how to upgrade, click here: http://www.car.org/tools/zipForm6/. C.A.R. currently offers a host of free webinars to help you get acquainted with the new zipForm® 6 and ePUBS™ programs. For a complete webinar schedule, visit http://www.car.org/education/webinars/.

zipForm® 6 is available in two versions: zipForm® 6 Professional (formerly WINForms Online®) and zipForm® 6 Standard (formerly WINForms Desktop®). zipForm® 6 Professional enables users to automatically import existing transactions and work online from any computer, and zipForm® 6 Standard allows users to import all previously saved transactions from WINForms® Desktop. Members can upgrade to both zipForm® 6 Professional and zipForm® 6 Standard for free. In addition, the new File Manager feature enables users to sync all files between their computer and online storage instantly, ensuring users always have the most-recent contracts.

For more information on how to upgrade, click here.