St. Louis Association Makes Great Strides Toward Walk-able Communities
The St. Louis Association of REALTORS® (SLAR) combined U.S. government resources and an NAR Smart Growth Grant to produce a two-part program on walk-able communities -- one that it hopes may serve as a national model. Tapping the expertise of a national “walk-ability expert,” the 7,000-plus...
Fredericksburg (VA) REALTORS® Use Murder Mystery Game to Boost RPAC Investments
Murder for fun and profit? Seems unlikely, in an organization with as high ethical standards as NAR. But the 1,400-member Fredericksburg Area Association of REALTORS® (FAAR) pulled off a fundraising coup by “killing off” the association’s President, Chip Taylor -- at a “Murder Mystery...
North Carolina & Charlotte Associations Make a Splash at the Democratic National Convention
When you have a national political convention coming to town for the first time in your state’s history, it’s best to know how to harness some of that attention for your cause. The North Carolina and Charlotte Regional Associations put their heads together and decided digital bill boards were...
Florida REALTORS® Use Game Changer Grant and Market Enthusiasm to Help Welcome Republican National Convention to Tampa Bay
REALTORS® are not shy about capitalizing on opportunity, and the Florida REALTORS® 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...
Columbus (OH) Board’s Campaign Wins Respect of City Council, But Not Enough Votes to Elect REALTOR® Champion
“We may have lost the race,” says Government Affairs Director Gavin Blair of the Columbus Board of REALTORS®, “but we are in a much stronger position now than before we ran it.” The November 2011 election presented an opportunity to try to add a REALTOR® -friendly member to the Columbus...
Arcadia (CA) REALTORS® Put Facebook to Work in City Council Election Victory
John Wuo, the Arcadia Association of REALTORS® champion, was a candidate who seemed to have it all: a successful and well-rounded business career; a thriving real estate office; a list of impressive board memberships and volunteer activities longer than his arm; two terms on the Arcadia City...
Kansas REALTORS® Save Mortgage Interest Deduction for State’s Itemizers
Late in the spring of 2012, in a heated and hard-fought legislative session rivaling any political intrigue that happens in Washington, the citizens of Kansas retained their ability to claim itemized tax deductions on their state tax returns, most notably their Mortgage Interest Deductions. The...
Ada County (ID) REALTORS® Bring Housing Opportunities to Life in Idaho
The 3,000-member Ada County Association of REALTORS® (ACAR) first used an NAR Ira Gribin Grant to develop a three-pronged housing assistance program it called Welcome Home Idaho -- providing down payment assistance for working families; zero-percent loans to help with fees and interest; and...
Hilton Head (SC) REALTORS® Partner With Mayor for Balanced Land Management
In the lovely resort town of Hilton Head, South Carolina, the natural environment is carefully protected, and the built environment is subject to strict regulations. But its low-key commercial areas were in need of polishing. The 850-member Hilton Head Area Association of REALTORS® worked with the...
Marin Association’s Housing Turnover Index Proves Worthy of NAR Game Changer Grant
The lobbying strategy of the Marin Association of REALTORS® (MAR) reflects Benjamin Franklin’s advice that “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Four years ago, MAR initiated a lobbying campaign to advocate fair and equitable alternatives to onerous point-of-sale retrofit mandates....