National Flood Insurance Program Update
The National Association of REALTORS® is pleased that Congress acted before the National Flood Insurance Program’s insurance writing authority could expire, and we urge both the House and Senate to secure responsible reauthorization before June 14.
Learn more at https://www.nar.realtor/national-flood-insurance-program.
Dates & Deadlines
June: Celebrate Homeownership Month
June is National Homeownership Month, and the Consumer Advocacy Outreach Program is celebrating the homeowner heroes of today, tomorrow, and the future! Join them all month long as they celebrate the Americans whose success and determination have made them homeowners as well as the policies and programs protecting homeownership now and into the future. Be a part of the celebration by submitting a homeowner hero story or spreading the word on social media using #HomeownerHero! For questions about Homeownership Month, please contact Erin Murphy at 202-383-1079.
July 8: FPC Stipend Invoices Due
As many of you are aware, a stipend of up to $1,000 per FPC is provided for costs incurred to travel to Washington, D.C. for the REALTORS® Legislative Meetings & Trade Expo. Any FPC, not otherwise reimbursed by their state or local association (for example: member of the Board of Directors or Leadership), is eligible to apply for the stipend. The reimbursement process is the same as in previous years: FPCs, following state reimbursement rules, should file their expense report with the state immediately after the meeting. States should aggregate each FPC expense report and submit one invoice to NAR for the entire state FPC delegation that attended the meetings and are requesting the stipend. The invoice should list the name of each FPC requesting assistance, and the amount requested for each FPC. Deadline for invoice submission to NAR is July 8, 2019. Please email your invoice to govcpapay@nar.realtor and copy Victoria Givens.
Advocacy Resources
2019 GAD Institute – Registration fee increases after June 15!
We hope you can join us in the Queen City, Cincinnati, Ohio from July 16 – 18 for the GAD Institute. This event provides a means for REALTOR® association lobbyists, policy and regulatory professionals, and those who work in REALTOR® Party Advocacy to meet annually, exchange ideas and best practices, and gain valuable career skills and networking opportunities in order to best serve real estate industry. For program information and details, please visit our website. Registration Fee: $550; $600 after June 15.
Share Your Hill Visit Photos
Do you have photos or video from your Hill visits during the REALTORS® Legislative Meetings & Trade Expo? We want to see! Upload them here to be featured on social media and future NAR publications. For more information, contact Tiane Harrison at 202-383-7531.
Opportunity Zone Education Session Recorded
On May 17 during the REALTORS® Legislative Meetings & Trade Expo, NAR hosted a discussion on planning for opportunity zone (OZs) investments. The focus of the discussion was how the REALTOR® community can engage in efforts to ensure OZs are properly planned, implemented, and ultimately beneficial for all members in the community. Several recommendations were offered such as understanding the gap of making a real estate deal happen, and how successful markets for OZs will be made by norms and models put together at the local level. Featured guest speakers included Christopher Coes, Vice President, Land Use and Development at Smart Growth America; and Bruce Katz, Founding Director, Nowak Metro Finance Lab at Drexel University. For more information, contact Adriann Murawski at 202-383-1068.
Greater Northwest Indiana’s Community Outreach Triumphs
The Greater Northwest Indiana Association of REALTORS® (GNIAR) consistently leverages NAR’s community outreach programs, including Placemaking grants, housing opportunity grants, diversity grants, smart growth action grants, and the Land Use Initiative, to position themselves as a leader in its community. See how Joe Wszolek, GNIAR’s chief operating officer, does it.
Do You Have a New GAD Staffer?
Update any and all GAD contact information in NAR’s GAD Directory. Are you a new Government Affairs Director, serving your association in a GA or REALTOR® Party capacity? Please add (or remove) any contact information there. Help us keep this list accurate and up to date. Thanks! https://realtorparty.realtor/campaign-services/gads/gad-directory
RPAC News
2019 President’s Circle Rounds and Deadline
Round Three of the President’s Circle launched on May 13. The deadline for President’s Circle members to invest their first $500 is May 31, 2019. For more information, contact Avery Walker at 202-383-7510.
RPAC Training Webinar: RPAC Fundraising Programs
Is your association working to increase RPAC Major Investors or participation? The Major Investor Event Program and the Fundraising Partnership Grant Program are available to help! Join Liz Best-Bradford, RPAC Fundraising Representative, and Jackie Zaporowski, RPAC Fundraising Specialist, on Wednesday, June 26 at 3:00 p.m. to review the application process, guidelines, and best practices of the two fundraising programs. Learn how your association can best take advantage of these programs to meet your RPAC fundraising goals! Register today. For more information, contact Liz Demorest at 202-383-1061.
NAR’s Economic Outlook
- Highlights from the NAR Member Profile – Based on a random sampling of NAR’s membership, the Member Profile strives to answer the question “Who are REALTORS®?”
- Home Buyers by Metropolitan Statistical Area – NAR created home buyer and seller profiles for individual metropolitan statistical areas in the U.S., covering demographics and home characteristics. The information provided helps to give insight into homeownership trends at the local level.
- Metro Home Prices See 3.9% Increase in 2019’s First Quarter – In the first quarter of 2019, inventory increased and metro market prices rose, but at a slower pace than the previous quarter.
- REALTORS® Confidence Index – REALTORS® report “low inventory” and “construction” as the major issues affecting transactions in April 2019.
- Existing-Home Sales – Total April existing-home sales increased 0.4% from March to a seasonally adjusted rate of 5.19M.
For more information on NAR’s Economic Outlook, contact Meredith Dunn at 202-383-1207.
Message from the GAD Chair
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Matthew Leger
GAD Chair
REALTORS® of the Palm Beaches and Greater Fort Lauderdale
With another REALTORS® Legislative Meetings & Trade Expo in the books, I just wanted to say thank you to all the NAR staff who worked hard to make the trip a success, particularly Kyle Lambert-London and Gerry Allen for shuffling things around on Friday to make sure GADs were able to have their regularly scheduled meeting. Also, a quick thank you to Real Strategies for sponsoring our GAD Reception at Bar Deco. Thank you!
On to Cincinnati! Registration for the 2019 GAD Institute is now open! If you have not registered, please do so ASAP as the registration fee jumps in price on June 15!
Continuing with our new GADs Give Back tradition of supporting our host city, we have partnered with Project Connect and the Cincinnati Public Schools to support homeless children. We are asking GADs to bring one or more hygiene kits that will go to homeless boys and girls in Cincinnati – for more information on how you can donate, please visit the GADs Give Back webpage. A big thank you to both Mark Quarry and Sarah Rayne on their vision with building this partnership. Your leadership will go a long way in helping many of the children in Cincinnati!
SAVE THE DATE
- 2019 GAD Institute
Registration is Open!
Cincinnati
July 16 – 18, 2019
Registration Fee: $550; $600 after June 15 - 2019 REALTOR® Party New GAD & AE Orientation
Registration opens in July 2019
Washington, D.C.
Sept. 12 – 13, 2019 - 2019 REALTORS® Conference & Expo
San Francisco
Nov. 8 – 11, 2019
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