SWMRIC

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New SWMRIC Data License Agreement - February, 2009

Welcome!

You've arrived at the SWMRIC region's website. We'll use this site to keep you informed of region-wide changes impacting your use of the MLS system, Virtual Office and other vendor software. (Use the scroll bar on the right to see the latest news and additions.) It is also a repository of information for other topics relating to the region, such as Broker Reciprocity, training classes and system tips to name a few. Please let us know of any information, topics, or links you think realtors would find helpful. You can use the Email SWMRIC Help link at the left to contact us.

The latest additions to the site are listed below. (Did you know you can click on your association's name at the top of the screen to go directly to the association's website?)

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!! MLS Changes - April 13, 2008 !!

Virtual Office Picture Fix - May 16, 2008

Broker Reciprocity/IDX Change Summary - click here
1/1/2007

Realtor.com Traffic by Quarter - click here.
12/04/2006

Learn the 7 Settings for Your Computer that Help It 'play nicely'
with the MLS. Click here.
7/12/2006

Using the New Accessibility Fields, click here.
7/11/2006

Need Solutions for Realtor.com Picture Issues, click here.
6/16/2006

New Commercial Property Types

To preview changes planned for Commercial listings, click here.

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First Time Use of the West Central Michigan MLS

First time users of the WCM MLS click here for instructions to make sure your computer as the appropriate programs installed.

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Quick Reference Icon Guide

Wouldn't you like to know the difference between this icon on the MLS and this icon ? Click here to view and print a one-page guide to the icons used in the MLS.

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Windows XP Service Pack 2 Discussion

Rapattoni Response to Internet Explorer concerns
Click here to find out what you can do.

Read about the April changes to your MLS

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Using MLS Date Fields to Search

Curious about how to search using the four date areas on the MLS Standard Search screen? Click here for an explanation and help getting the date results you want.

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Lenawee County Sub Area and Municipality Changes

In order to match the geographic divisions of the Lenawee County Association of Realtors, we have changed our Sub Area numbering and included the municipalities used by the Lenawee Association. We have added all sub areas for Lenawee and included all municipalities in each sub area. Those of you doing business in Lenawee county should acquaint yourself with the new sub areas. Please check your current listings in Lenawee county to be sure the correct sub area and municipality are assigned. Click here for the new list.

Quickly Locate a Lake (Body of Water)

Click here for two ways to quickly locate a lake name on the long list of lake names. One of the methods also works for locating a school district.

VOW Meeting Notes

For Broker/Agents unable to attend the NAR presentations concerning Virtual Office Websites on April 3, 2003, we have the PowerPoint notes used for the meetings. To become better acquainted with issues surrounding Virtual Office Websites, click here to view the PowerPoint slides. Click anywhere on the slide to advance to the next slide.

If you want to download the complete PowerPoint presentation, click here. The file is 6.3MB and will take quite awhile to download using a dialup connection. Be sure to click "Save". When the download is complete click "Open" to launch the file in PowerPoint. Click File then navigate to where you want to save the file. Name and save the file on your computer for future presentations without an internet connection.

Picture Delete Details

Scenario - You go to Revise Listing, select Picture Descriptions to display the Enter/Revise Picture Description. You check the box labeled Delete Picture and click Submit. The Revise Listing screen returns and the picture count, to the right of the Upload menu item, is reduced by one. From your standpoint the picture is successfully removed...but not really! You have just started the remove picture process. It can take up to three minutes for the picture to actually be removed from the MLS system. Until the picture is completely deleted, you can not upload the replacement picture.

To check if the delete process is complete, use Ctrl +F5 to clear your internet temporary files. You may also select Tools on the Internet Explorer toolbar, the select Internet Option. In the center of the window locate the section labeled Temporary Internet Files then click the Delete Files button. Click the box labeled Delete all Offline Content then click OK. When you've completed either delete process, exit Internet Explorer. Re-open Internet Explorer, display your listing pictures to verify the picture(s) has been removed from the MLS web server. (For techie realtors reading this, this delay is a known problem with MS SQL Server 2000 and Microsoft is aware of it.)

Use the Custom Export Function

If you want to export listing information to an Excel spreadsheet, Access database or possibly a website, you will want to look at the options available in the Custom Export function. Click here for instructions in using this new feature.

Another Tax Link

We've added a link to the City of Sturgis, St. Joseph county. Select General Info from the menu on the left then click Links. Click the link for Sturgis then select Property Information to locate the BS & A tax window.

Tax Link Added

We've added a link to the tax information site for Oshtemo township, Kalamazoo county. Point to General Info in the menu on the left then click Links.

Another Telephone for MLS Fax (It's NOT toll free!)

In addition to the toll free number for faxing documents to attach to your listings, there is another telephone number available. The number is 805-520-0079 for those who don't mind paying for the call.

New Rapattoni Quick Feature Tutorials

Rapattoni has add two new Feature Spotlights - Statistics and Saved Searches - to their Help page. This new quick tutorials step you through using Statistics and Saved Searches. To watch and listen to these tutorials on your computer, log on to the MLS then click the Help link (on the upper right edge of your Home page). Click on Feature Spotlights, then select which either Statistics or Saved Searches.

Locate Michigan Plat Maps arranged by County

We have a link to a site provided and maintained by the State of Michigan that has printable plat maps. If you know the county, you can locate plat maps that are currently on file with the state. Be sure to follow the printing instructions on the page and do not use your browser print button. Remember that the site is maintained by the State of Michigan Consumer and Industry Resources Agency, not SWMRIC or Rapattoni, so we can't offer assistance with any problems you might have when at this site. Click here to explore this state website.

Solutions for site printing problems - READ the printer instructions at the state's website.. Make sure you are running Internet Explorer 6 and have applied all the updates. Make sure you have Microsoft's Java Virtual Machine enabled in Internet Explorer. If you don't have Microsoft Java Virtual Machine it can be downloaded from Java Virtual Machine link . Look for Java Virtual Machine Build 3805.

Interpret the County Tax ID Number

Click here to view a list of county codes and taxing authority codes, along with an explanation of how the Tax ID number is constructed. The placement of each number does have a meaning.