THE GADFLY October 2017   In This Issue... Dates & Deadlines 2017 REALTORS® Conference & Expo REALTOR® Party Resources RPAC Update NAR’s Economic Outlook     Dates & Deadlines    Oct. 20: 2017 President’s Circle Deadline Extended The deadline for President’s Circle commitments is extended to October 20 in response to the hurricanes. President’s Circle members may invest as little as $500 or up to the full $2,000 in any of the REALTOR® Champions targets. Registration for the 2018 President’s Circle Conference opens on October 5 to members who completed their $2,000 commitment by September 30. For those who complete their commitment between October 1 and October 20, registration will open on October 27. For questions on the President’s Circle program contact Kelly O’Donnell at 202-383-7510, or Kanoa Naehu at 202-383-1268. For questions on 2018 President’s Circle Conference registration, contact Beth Brittingham at 202-383-1209 or Prisca Austin at 312-329-8389. Click here to view the President’s Circle roster.    Oct. 20: RPAC Major Investor Recognition Deadline   Don’t forget that the deadline for Major Investor recognition at the 2017 REALTORS® Conference & Expo is quickly approaching. The deadline to have all funds transmitted to NAR for recognition is October 20. Please refer to the RPAC Fundraising Transmittal Deadlines Policy for more information on recognition deadlines or contact Jackie Zaporowski at 202-383-1029.     2017 REALTORS® Conference & Expo   Thursday, November 2 EHO and EAH: Meet a Core Standard and Provide a Member Benefit at the Same Time 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM Stop by the Expanding Housing Opportunities (EHO) and the Employer-Assisted Housing (EAH) classes to learn more about offering these courses, which satisfy a Community Outreach Core Standard requirement. Students who take the EHO class learn to better leverage partnerships and resources to expand housing opportunities. Those who take the EAH class will learn how to work with a team to approach employers to offer their employees an EAH benefit—homebuyer education, counseling and/or financial assistance. The classes can be funded with a Housing Opportunity grant. Both classes will be held Thursday, November 2, 9:00 AM -1:00 PM (stay for the whole class or drop by both classes).  Free for GADs and AEs. Expanding Housing Opportunities Class Sheraton Chicago Hotel, Erie Room/ Level 2 Contact: Wendy Penn at 202-383-7504 Employer Assisted Housing Class Sheraton Hotel, Ontario Room Contact: Holly Moskerintz at 202-383-1157   Friday, November 3 GAD Reception 6:00 – 8:00 PM  Location: 10Pin Bowling Lounge, 33 N. State Street, Chicago, IL   Saturday, November 4 GAD Advisory Group Meeting (closed meeting) 8:00 – 9:30 AM Location: Chicago Marriott Hotel, Sheffield Room, 4th floor This meeting is a planning meeting for the 2018 GAD Institute as well as other GAD educational opportunities and initiatives throughout the year. Government Affairs Directors Meeting 10:00 – 11:30 AM Chicago Marriott Hotel, Marriott Ballroom GADs will hear about progress on the Territorial Jurisdiction Work Group. GAD will also hear from NAR Deputy Chief Lobbyist Jamie Gregory and NAR VP Scott Reiter about key federal issues of focus for the industry as well as key races across the country in which REALTORS® are playing a role. Additionally, NAR CEO Bob Goldberg has been invited to address the GADs with his thoughts on the REALTOR® organization moving forward and a GAD’s role in it. Following this meeting, there will be state and local association breakout discussions where GADs share common issues and concerns with their peers at the state or local levels.  State and Local Government Affairs Directors Breakouts 11:30 AM – 12:30 PM Chicago Marriott Hotel State Breakout – Kane Room, 3rd floor Local Breakout – Marriott Ballroom, 4th floor Government Affairs Directors Professional Development Session 12:30 – 1:30 PM Chicago Marriott Hotel, Marriott Ballroom, 4th floor Following the GAD Meetings, those interested may stay for a professional development session on two topics: Robert’s Rules of Order Tutorial and Navigating the NAR Committee Selection Process. This one-hour session will be valuable for both new GADs and GADs with several years of experience who would like to get more involved in NAR.   Sunday, November 5 Placemaking: Make Your Community a Better Place to Live (and Buy)  11:00 AM - 12:00 PM Location: McCormick Place Convention Center, West Building Get some placemaking project ideas at a session on Placemaking at the 2017 REALTORS® Conference & Expo.  Learn how REALTORS® were engaged in projects in their communities to transform underused and unwelcoming sites into vibrant community destinations and public spaces.  Get ideas on how to use NAR’s Placemaking grant for projects to replicate in your community.     REALTOR® Party Resources    Want REALTOR® Party or RPAC Leaders to Attend Your Event? To request a REALTOR® Party Liaison or RPAC Representative at your 2018 conferences and events, an association staff member must fill out the REALTOR® Party Director & Liaison Request Form.  Completion of the form does not guarantee attendance at your meeting or event.  We encourage you to complete the form no less than 60 days prior to your meeting or event.     New Member Orientation Made Easy Check out this easy-to-use, 2-minute video and Power Point combo.  The REALTOR® Party New Member Orientation supplements the existing NAR Orientation Toolkit for associations, but focuses solely on the importance of the REALTOR® Party for members and the real estate industry. Just press “play” and leave the story telling to us! Contact Kyle Lambert London at 202-383-1203 for more details.    2018 REALTOR® Party New GAD & AE Orientations Be on the lookout next month for exact dates for three 2018 REALTOR® Party Orientations (February, June and September). NAR reimburses attendees for travel to and hotel stay in Washington, D.C., for this orientation, as well as provides meals while in D.C. For more course information, please check out specific details on our webpage or contact Kyle Lambert London for more info.    REALTOR® Party State Legislative Monitor Update California’s Governor Jerry Brown signed several housing bills into law last week. Of the bills, AB 1397 is intended to make several changes to the housing policies of local governments throughout the state. According to the bill’s author, “one of the greatest barriers to addressing California’s affordable housing crisis is the lack of appropriate sites on which new multifamily housing can be built in many communities.” The bill will establish tighter standards on what constitutes an “adequate site” within a jurisdiction to meet regional housing needs. Local governments are required to designate or zone specific land parcels ripe for affordable housing development but current practices lead to a scarcity of land that “drives up the cost of housing.”  For more information, Adriann Murawski at 202-383-1068.     RPAC Update    2017 RPAC Fundraising Forum Tailgate Calling all sports fans! On Friday, November 3 from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM, RPAC will be hosting a sports themed auction in the Chicago Marriott Hotel, Grand Ballroom Salons II & III. Do you or a member have an item to donate to the auction? Please fill out this form. Encourage your members to join us in their favorite team’s gear and bid on items to finish out their RPAC investments for the year. For more information, contact Liz Best-Bradford at 202-383-7582.    NAR After Dark Back by popular demand, NAR After Dark will be held Friday, November 3 from 9:00 PM to 12:00 AM in the Sheraton Hotel’s Chicago Ballroom. Join your REALTOR® colleagues and dance the night away! Tickets for NAR After Dark are $30 in advance through meeting registration or $40 at the door. Please note that ticket prices are not RPAC investments. Encourage your members to join the fun! For more information, contact Beth Brittingham at 202-383-1209.    RPAC Major Investor Reception The RPAC Major Investor Reception is Saturday, November 4 from 6:30 PM to 9:30 PM at the Museum of Science and Industry. As the largest science museum in the country, the Museum of Science and Industry features interactive exhibits including a historic steam locomotive, a submarine and a 40-foot tornado! We hope to see you and your fellow 2017 Major Investors there! For more information, contact Beth Brittingham at 202-383-1209. Click here to view the bus schedule.    Corporate Ally Program Helps the Boulder Area REALTOR® Association with BIG Issues Win! Thanks to the generosity of Corporate Ally Program (CAP) investors in Colorado, the Boulder Area REALTOR® Association (BARA) used CAP funds to defray the skin-in-the-game requirement for successful issues campaigns.  NAR Director Chris Mygatt and BARA Senior Vice President Ken Hotard explain how CAP works for REALTOR® Party advocacy in this video. This year, Corporate Ally Program funds have played a role in 16 issues campaigns in 12 states and the District of Columbia.  To find out more about how the Corporate Ally Program can benefit your state and local issues advocacy campaigns, contact Paula Martino at 202-383-1156.     NAR’s Economic Outlook   Student Loan Debt and Housing Report - This survey by SALT® and NAR of people with student loan debt looks at the way the debt affects their ability to buy a home. Remodeling Impact Report - Homeowners who remodel gain equity and resale value in their home, and are likely to find satisfaction and enjoyment from their home.   Pending Home Sales Fall 2.6 Percent in August; 2017 Forecast Downgraded - Pending home sales sank in August for the fifth time in six months, and slower activity in the areas hit hard by Hurricanes Harvey and Irma will likely pull existing sales for the year below the pace set in 2016. Homeownership Opportunities and Market Experience (HOME) Survey - Existing-homes sales have retreated in four of the past five months, but new survey findings from the National Association of Realtors® indicate it is not because of a lack of confidence from consumers about buying and selling a home, or based on their views about the direction of the economy and their finances. Home Sales Drop 1.7% in August on Hurricane Impact - NAR's Chief Economist says Hurricane Harvey contributed to a 1.7% drop in August 2017 home sales but broader issues continue to hold sales back. For more information on NAR’s Economic Outlook, contact Meredith Dunn at 202-383-1207

Message from the GAD Chair Cady Thomas GAD Chair North Carolina Association of REALTORS® Since the last issue, three things of note have happened that all revolve around the same undertones: a conversation with an elder, Hurricane Maria and the Las Vegas Massacre. Over Labor Day, I spent time with my great uncle who is a former State Senator in West Virginia. We do not always agree on politics or politicians, but we do agree that we have gotten away from civility in this country. He and I talked for hours about the discord in American politics and the extreme partisanship that has taken over. From Congress to City Council, we no longer work together. Last month it was Hurricanes Harvey and Irma, this month there is total devastation in Puerto Rico from Hurricane Maria, and hurricane season is still upon us. I urge you to continue to support all the hurricane victims and give to the REALTORS® Relief Foundation again for our citizens in Puerto Rico.  We must stop pointing fingers and work together. No matter what the President or the Mayor of San Juan say, hate or partisanship should not divide us in times of need. The third event unfolded as I sat at my counter Monday morning watching the news of the night’s events in Las Vegas. Once again, we are seeing the “worst mass shooting in U.S. History.” Immediately both sides of the aisle began to blame each other rather than focusing on those who lost their lives, were injured or those that risked their lives to save so many. Our country is being torn apart from bipartisan rhetoric, horrible behavior, inappropriate focus and don’t forget social media! Americans are at a crossroads, and it is time to come together for the good of all. We are fortunate to work for an organization where we do just that. Iona Harrison, chair of the National Association of REALTORS®’ Federal Taxation Committee, said it best when speaking to the U.S. Senate Finance Committee regarding tax reform in Congress, “We believe that homeownership is not a special interest, but is rather a common interest.” Let those words, “common interest,” sink in for a minute. Is there such a thing anymore? I for one hope so, and see it in all of you. We are helping our members influence policy that is changing the lives of all Americans, one home, office building or land purchase at a time. Bravo and fight on! On a separate note, last month we welcomed 22 new GADs and AEs at the orientation training in Washington, D.C. It was a great meeting with impressive and engaged new members of the REALTOR® family. Please look at the photos posted and identify some of the new faces. Make sure you say hello if you see them in Chicago. If you have just joined GAD Nation, look for another training in February! Follow the REALTOR® Action Center! GAD Directory  SAVE THE DATE REALTORS® Conference & Expo Chicago, Illinois November 3-6, 2017     2018 GAD Institute Portland, Oregon July 17-20, 2018