In the city of Soldotna in Southcentral Alaska, dogs are having their day in a spacious new dog park. With the help of a Placemaking Grant and a lot of elbow grease, volunteers from the Kenai Peninsula Association worked alongside the Rotary Club and Parks and Rec Department to build a large shelter, with benches, for dogs and owners alike.
Charlottesville Area Association of REALTORS® Supports New Zoning Ordinance Aimed at Correcting Racial Inequity and Increasing Inventory of Affordable Housing
When a racist rally occurred in Charlottesville, Virginia in August 2017, it prompted the City Council to focus on municipal policies through a lens of racial inequity. City leaders revisited the comprehensive land use plan with an eye toward improving affordable housing, an area that had always been intimately linked with race. The Charlottesville Area Association of REALTORS® endorsed the major zoning reform and used grants from the REALTOR® Party to support its passage.
Thanks to Alabama REALTORS®, First-time Homebuyers Can Now Save for Down Payments and Closing Costs
Armed with polling results and economic research provided by the REALTOR® Party’s Issue Mobilization Grant and legislative language based on an existing model, Alabama REALTORS® convinced the state legislature to create a First-time and Second-chance Homebuyer Savings Account program.
Orlando Regional REALTOR® Association and Aspire North REALTORS® (Traverse City, MI) Promote Strategic Development with Powerful 3D Economic Modelling
Passions were high, and the Orlando Regional REALTOR® Association had been tipped-off by social media to expect protesters at the public meeting it was hosting. Duly warned, they hired security, but in fact, the REALTORS® welcomed the opposition: it meant a chance to reach people who were misunderstanding the data behind a recent economic report recommending higher-density development in the small central Florida city of Oviedo. The REALTORS® were sponsoring the meeting to clarify and defend the report and its recommendations prior to the City Council’s consideration of a new comprehensive plan. Thanks to the expertise and level-headed sensitivity of...
Akron Cleveland Association of REALTORS® Advocate and Advertise in Opposition to Point-of-Sale Inspection Mandate
A Consumer Advocacy Outreach Grant from the REALTOR® Party helped the Akron Cleveland Association of REALTORS® mount a campaign against the point-of-sale inspections required in two dozen jurisdictions in the region. Featuring a prominent insert in two top local magazines, it raised awareness about how the mandate is a barrier to homeownership and a detriment to local housing markets.
Hot Topic Alerts, White Papers and Studies
Hot Topic Alerts highlight important trending real estate issues in state legislatures.
FPCs Represent REALTOR® Interests at Local, State and National Level
South Dakota REALTOR® Tom Murphy is one of 535 Federal Political Coordinators (FPCs) assigned to educate a member of Congress on important issues facing the real estate industry. When his childhood friend, Senator Mike Rounds (SD) asked for help "cleaning up" a long list of legislative regulations that may be addressed by the new Congress, Murphy, with the assistance of NAR staff, answered the call.
Portland Metropolitan Association of REALTORS® Defeats Capital Gains Tax and Strengthens Key Partnerships with Support from Issues Mobilization Grant®
Portland Metropolitan Association of REALTORS® Defeats Capital Gains Tax and Strengthens Key Partnerships with Support from Issues Mobilization Grant® Defeats Capital Gains Tax and Strengthens Key Partnerships with Support from Issues Mobilization Grant
Huntsville REALTORS® Build Partnerships and Promote Diversity in Northern Alabama
Recognizing that minority representation in its leadership didn’t accurately reflect the diversity of its membership, its community and the real estate industry at large, the Huntsville Area Association of REALTORS® (HAAR) used a Diversity Grant to help revive the local chapter of the National Association of Real Estate Brokers (NAREB), the historic organization founded by African-American industry professionals in 1947. In partnership, the REALTORS® and the REALTISTS®, as NAREB members are known, are moving toward a stronger future in northern Alabama.
July Brings Summer Fun and Advocacy
July is the time for baseball, summer fun, relaxation, and family vacations. But rest assured that we are continuing to work hard on your behalf! Here are a few hot topics of note: Affordability & Supply President Trump created a Housing Affordability Council, and recently signed an Executive Order that will eliminate barriers that limit access to affordable housing — namely zoning laws, environmental regulations, building codes and lengthy building permit processes. We anticipate there will be opportunities to provide information and input to this Council and will distribute information on an on-going basis as the work process of the...