The last thing that property owners and prospective buyers in Howard County, Md., needed was a steep increase in recordation and transfer taxes – but that’s what the County Council was proposing. With help from the REALTOR® Party, a REALTOR® Champion, and a strong message sent by nearly 30% of…...
Maui REALTORS® Staves Off Threat to Short-Term Rental Permits
It’s easy for a community to blame an affordable housing crunch on short-term vacation rentals, but on Maui, the local REALTOR® association has rebutted each argument of the Planning Department with diligently collected data. With a Call for Action, it also drew hundreds of concerned residents to a planning meeting…...
Greater Providence REALTORS® Help Overturn New Property Tax Assessment Method
Barrington, R.I, a lovely coastal suburb of the state capital, full of higher-end homes and strong public schools, seems to have everything going for it. However, when property tax reassessments based on sale price suddenly superseded the customary three-year assessment schedule, the local REALTORS® voiced strong opposition....
Maryland’s Coastal Association of REALTORS® Battles Restrictions on Short-Term Rentals
Short-term rentals are naturally a major issue in coastal communities. When Worcester County, Maryland proposed severe restrictions in its rental code overhaul, the local REALTOR® association got to work with a Land Use Initiative review and a call for action. The County Commission heard the message loud and clear, and…...
Delaware REALTORS® Win Legislative Victory with Advocacy and Research
REALTORS® 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…...
New Jersey REALTORS® Combat Last-Minute Tax Threats to Property- and Business-Owners
In a last-minute scramble to balance the state budget last year, New Jersey lawmakers set their sights on two real estate tax-targets that propelled the state REALTOR® Association into action: seasonal rental properties, and homes valued at more than $1 million. Calls for action got the message out to REALTORS®,…...
