One year to the day after Hurricane Harvey hit Harris County, Texas, citizens were called to the polls to vote on the regionās largest bond proposal ever: $2.5 billion for flood-control projects and flood mitigation. The measure passed with 85% support; the Houston REALTORSĀ® helped get out the vote.
Northwest Arkansas REALTORSĀ® Fight Unreasonable Residential Driveway and Garage Zoning
When the City Council of Fayetteville, Ark., proposed a zoning ordinance to restrict the width of driveways and require garage entries to be to the side or rear of a dwelling, the REALTORSĀ® tried to reason with them. Failing that, they launched an Issues Mobilization Campaign and rallied public support to defeat the measure.
Florida REALTORSĀ® Use Game Changer Grant and Market Enthusiasm to Help Welcome Republican National Convention to Tampa Bay
REALTORSĀ® are not shy about capitalizing on opportunity, and the Florida REALTORSĀ® were no different when they found out that the Republican National Convention would be held in their own back yard. The 115,000-member association used a $25,000 NAR Game Changer grant, along with funds of their own, to help welcome the 60,000 delegates, guests, media and elected officials to the Tampa Bay Area. By co-sponsoring a welcome video, as well as a four-day, live web TV broadcast showcasing life and economic opportunity across the state, Florida REALTORSĀ® put marketplace opportunities and homeownership front and center. Association leaders agreed that...
Sun Valley REALTORSĀ® Use Issues Mobilization Grant To Bring More Flights and Business to Local Resort Market
Ever since the world's first chairlift was installed at the Sun Valley Resort in the 1930s, the local economy of this idyllic resort community has been chiefly dependent on visitors. A number of these tourists will become second home owners at the highest end of the market.
Two Chicago-Area REALTORĀ® Associations Host Housing Expo and Trolley Tour with Housing Opportunity Grant
The City of Aurora, on the west side of Chicago, has been lauded as a highly livable city. It has a strong down-payment assistance program, and plenty of affordable housing -- yet a high percentage of the employees working in Aurora commute from elsewhere. The 15,000-member Mainstreet Organization of REALTORSĀ® and the 1,500-member REALTORĀ® Association of the Fox Valley partnered with the city and local lending institutions to get the word out.
North Dakota Association Stands Up for Local Control in Property Tax Battle — and Wins!
The North Dakota Association of REALTORSĀ® (NDAR,) joined an astonishing coalition of more than 80 groups to oppose a measure that would have abolished the stateās century-old property tax. Thatās right, REALTORSĀ® worked to ākeepā the tax. Why? Because getting rid of the tax would have empowered the state legislature to replace the lost income by creating new revenue sources, over which the voting public would have virtually no say. Their āāKeep It Local, North Dakotaā used funds from the state associationās own Issues Mobilization along with a grant from NAR to pay for polling and campaign advertising, including television,...
Maryland REALTORSĀ® Support State Housing Expansion and Affordability Act of 2024, Codifying Missing Middle Housing
In the recent legislative session, Maryland REALTORSĀ® scored a major victory for affordable housing: The Housing Expansion and Affordability Act of 2024 addresses multiple facets of the stateās housing crisis; a targeted Call for Action helped propel it over the finish line.
Delaware REALTORSĀ®Ā Win Legislative Victory with Advocacy and Research
REALTORSĀ®Ā in Delaware were unfairly subjected to business licensing fees at the municipal level, as well as by the state. Using research to determine how much revenue was at stake, the state association took the results to the legislature via Advocacy Everywhere and face-to-face advocacy. HB 235 was signed into law in July 2019, eliminating municipal licensing for REALTORSĀ®.
St. Charles County (MO) Association Turns Evening of Fun and Games into Serious RPAC Receipts
Itās not every day that the president of the St. Charles County Association of REALTORSĀ® gets hoisted 15 feet off the ground in the basket of a boom-truck. But thatās what happened September 12, 2012 when the 14,000-member association, launched its annual RPAC fundraising event with a much-anticipated Golf Ball Drop. Members had paid $5 apiece for the 330 marked balls that were dumped overboard. The member whose winning ball landed nearest the target got a prize. A lively auction, dinner and games rounded out the event, which raised more than $18,000 and added nine Major Investors and 11 Major...