After a five day trial, a jury returned a verdict at about 10 p.m. on Tuesday night ordering the Arkansas Realtors Association (ARA) to pay $150,000 to a Springdale-based software company.

On May 11 last year, Real Forms Arkansas filed a breach of contract action against the ARA. Real Forms alleged the trade group reneged on a five-year contract to provide custom real estate forms software to Realtors throughout Arkansas. The ARA filed a counterclaim, alleging Real Forms was in breach because the company failed to provide a software package that protected the private data of parties to real estate transactions. Furthermore, the ARA alleged the software did not function properly.

The Arkansas Development Finance Authority (ADFA) recently introduced a program that offers a Federal Tax Credit for First-Time-Homebuyers.  It is called the Mortgage Credit Certificate (MCC) Program.  The MCC Program is offered by the Internal Revenue Service to encourage borrowers to buy their first home. 

For borrowers that qualify, if offers them up to a $2,000 Federal tax credit for each year that the house they are buying is used as their principal residence.  To qualify borrowers must be first-time-homebuyers, except in targeted counties; must meet household income limits, which vary by county; and not exceed a purchase price of $225,000.  The MCC is not part of the home financing, but rather an incentive the IRS offers to get first-time-homebuyers to buy a home.

“Clean Lines, Open Spaces: A View of Mid-Century Modern Architecture,” a new documentary produced by the Arkansas Educational Television Network (AETN) will premiere tonight at 9 p.m. on AETN.

“Clean Lines, Open Spaces,” produced by AETN’s Mark Wilcken, focuses on the construction boom while the United States recovered from World War II, a time of optimism and hope for the future. Mid-century architects captured these feelings in their bold new designs, many of which reflected the International style that had been developing in Europe since before World War I. This new architecture used modern materials such as reinforced concrete, glass and steel and was defined by clean lines, simple shapes and unornamented facades.

“‘Clean Lines, Open Spaces’ is unique and challenging,” AETN Executive Producer Carole Adornetto said.