When the initially reluctant City Council of Bend, Oregon finally agreed to set the ball rolling to increase its Urban Growth Boundary, the local REALTOR® association provided positive reinforcement with a supportive Call For Action. Building rapport and relationships, says the Government Affairs Director, is always a good strategy –…...
Santa Barbara Association of REALTORS® Calls Members to Speak Out Against Unfair Tactics by City Council
When the Santa Barbara City Council was working on a tenant relocation ordinance, it quietly attempted to increase the mandated payment amount after the window for public discussion had closed. The Santa Barbara Association of REALTORS® turned to Advocacy Everywhere to let the Council know just how its members –…...
California Association of REALTORS® Leads the Charge to Update State Property Tax Legislation
California’s Proposition 13, a property tax limit enacted in 1978, had become a golden handcuff for many senior homeowners, leaving them ‘stranded’ in a home whose tax basis was too good to relinquish. On Election Day 2020, voters approved Proposition 19, revising the law to address modern-day realities. The state REALTOR® association,…...
Louisiana REALTORS® Advocate for Keeping Eviction Records a Matter of Public Record
When a state Senate bill threatened to seal all eviction records this fall, the Louisiana REALTORS® issued a last-minute Call for Action via Advocacy Everywhere. Despite the timing, and the global pandemic, and the heavy weather plaguing the state, members rallied and contacted their legislators. The response had the desired…...
Despite Hurricanes and a Pandemic, the Acadiana REALTORS® Dive into Legislative Advocacy
Earlier this year, the REALTOR® Association of Acadiana found itself dropped into the deep end of urgent legislative advocacy. Taking advantage of the Land Use Initiative and Advocacy Everywhere programs, the 1,600-member association was able to combat threats to both short-term rentals and property tax rates, achieving positive results for…...
Austin REALTORS® Help Neighboring Pflugerville Residents to Keep Property Taxes Low
Just north of Austin, the City Council of Pflugerville, Texas, was proposing to approve a property tax rate representing a 7% increase in revenue. The Austin Board of REALTORS®, recognizing that homeowners should not have to shoulder the additional tax burden during times of such economic stress and uncertainty, got…...
Central Oregon REALTORS® Support Mixed Use Development and Affordable Housing
As the City Council of Bend, Ore., was considering creating an urban renewal area, the proposed Tax Incremental Financing was causing confusion among residents. To clarify that it didn’t mean new or higher taxes, and to show support for the project, the Central Oregon Association of REALTORS® launched a call…...
Delaware REALTORS® Lobby State to Spare Summer Rental Season from Extended Pandemic Shutdown
Facing an extension of restrictions on out-of-state visitors and short-term rentals as the all-important summer beach season approached, Delaware REALTORS® engaged their governor and other elected officials in problem-solving discussions. A five-part Call for Action through the Advocacy Everywhere program helped get the message through....
Huntsville Area REALTORS® Deflect Steep Increase in Impact Fees on New Housing Construction
REALTOR® members responded in force to a Call for Action letting elected officials in Madison, Ala., know that raising impact fees on new developments would price their middle-class clients out of the housing market. The Mayor and City Council heard them loud and clear, and are finding other revenue sources…...