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back to the Rural Outreach Initiative Page Weather and climate related events present challenges from hurricanes, flooding, wildfires, landslides, and extreme snowfall, but also from sea level rise, drought, heat waves, water scarcity, and food security. News & Resources Hope After Disaster: Rural resilience and recovery – Wildfires, hurricanes, tornadoes and other disasters leave serious damage in their wake and can cause housing crises.  No community is immune, but rural areas can experience greater challenges due to a lack of existing disaster recovery infrastructure and fewer local organizations with capacity.  The latest issue of Rural Voices magazine provides perspectives on...

The REALTOR® Party Since the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) hired its first lobbyist in 1973, America’s largest trade association has been working together to advance public policies and candidates that build strong communities, protect property interests and promote a vibrant business environment. In 2010-2011, NAR ramped up its efforts at the state and local levels by launching the REALTOR® Party Initiative. This included grants and tools to help state and local REALTOR® Associations run candidate and issue campaigns, and implement smart growth, housing opportunity and diversity programs, and much more. As the only advocacy group in America that fights...

Several years ago, NAR launched a program to assist state associations in fighting private transfer fees. Today, 37 states ban them. Last month, NAR’s pressure at the federal level paid off as the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) issued a rule prohibiting the fees on mortgages handled by Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and the Federal Home Loan Banks. FHA already bans the fees. The FHFA rule in conjunction FHA’s, builds on the state bans by ensuring the fees aren’t imposed on any loans with federal government involvement in all 50 states. Curtailing these burdensome fees is a REALTOR® Party victory...

The 1,400-member Southern Maryland Association of Realtors® (SMAR) received a $5,000 NAR Housing Opportunity Program Grant to partner with the College of Southern Maryland to present Money Smart. This free event offered sound financial advice in tough economic times. Industry experts presented sessions covering topics related to real estate and mortgages; personal banking; and taxes, insurance, and financial planning.

While the Las Vegas housing market has been especially challenging for real estate professionals, the 11,000-member Greater Las Vegas Association of REALTORS® (GLVAR) was eager to ramp up its charity work to help area homeowners in need. GLVAR used a Game Changer grant of $25,000 from NAR to partner with Rebuilding Together Southern Nevada, the local chapter of a well-established national organization that provides home maintenance, repairs and upkeep to low-income, elderly, disabled and veteran homeowners in need. In addition to making a monetary gift, GLVAR members rolled up their sleeves and helped to make critical home repairs for those...

Five years ago, the climate for business and real estate in Wentzville, MO (an hour’s drive from St. Louis) was not good. Since then, the 1,200-member St. Charles County Association of REALTORS® helped bring positive change for homeowners and the housing industry in Wentzville – by changing the makeup of the Board of Aldermen. With the help of endorsements and RPAC contributions from the St. Charles REALTORS®, five of the six of Wentzville’s current Aldermen are “real estate-friendly”. And, the President of the Aldermen, Rick Stokes, is an active REALTOR® in the Wentzville area. Last spring, Stokes’ campaign for re-election...