The 20th century was very good to High Point, N.C., the capital of America’s furniture industry. For decades, though, thanks largely to overseas competition, its population has been contracting and the city itself is stagnating.
Las Vegas REALTORS® Stop Plan to Use Eminent Domain to Capitalize on Plight of Homeowners with Underwater Mortgages
The City Council of North Las Vegas had nearly been seduced by a private firm into using its power of eminent domain to capitalize on the plight of homeowners with underwater mortgages.
In Atlanta, Chili and RPAC Go Hand-in-Hand
The Atlanta Board of REALTORS®’ Annual Chili Cook Off for RPAC has become a sellout, staple event for its 5,700 members. Local sponsors, a DJ and funds from a RPAC Fundraising Grant added additional flavor to a spicy event that raised more than $20,000.
SafeCam Initiative a Game Changer for New Orleans REALTORS®
When the police department lacked funding to purchase hi-definition security cameras to help combat crime, the New Orleans Metropolitan Association of REALTORS® came to the rescue. Working with the New Orleans Police & Justice Foundation, the 4,000-member association used a Game Changer Grant to help increase safety and improve property values in their city.
New York REALTORS® Turn Smart Growth Challenge into Opportunity
The eight neighborhoods comprising Bronx Community Board 9 (BXCB9) are 22% denser in population than the Bronx overall, and have very little vacant land available to develop. Using a series of Smart Growth Action Grants, the Bronx-Manhattan North Association of REALTORS® partnered with BXCB9 to develop a comprehensive plan, and help ensure that growth will benefit existing communities, new residents and businesses.
Massachusetts REALTORS® Energize to Fight Energy Audit
Massachusetts has been the single most energy-efficient state in the country for the past five years. But when a bill in the state legislature threatened to require an energy audit to produce an energy score for all houses being listed for sale, the 24,000-member Massachusetts Association of REALTORS® leapt to the defense of the state’s homeowners with the help of an 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.
Mississippi becomes 4th State to Create Tax Benefits for First-Time Homebuyer Savings
The REALTOR® Party provided the Mississippi REALTORS® with in-depth economic research demonstrating how a First-Time Homebuyer Savings Account tax program would strengthen communities by increasing homeownership in the state. This, together with the strong coalition the REALTORS® had built, convinced legislators that the tax incentive was a good idea: it passed with a near-unanimous vote, and has been signed into law.
Scottsdale REALTORS® Bring City Leaders Together to Plan for Smart Growth
Using consecutive REALTOR® Party Smart Growth Action Grants, the Scottsdale Area Association of REALTORS® has initiated a series of high-level workshops to focus the city's leadership on key development issues. The city of Scottsdale now looks to the REALTORS® for expertise and forward momentum.
Advocacy Requires Preparation and Action
It’s August, and in the Nation’s Capital, that means it’s time for Congress to take its traditional seven-week “summer recess.” As REALTORS®, the concept of an August recess is foreign to us. We rarely take a break—not from our businesses and not from our advocacy work.