| THE GADFLY | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| October 2017 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| In This Issue... | |||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Dates & Deadlines | |||||||||||||||||||||||
 Oct. 27: Webinar on Territorial Jurisdiction for Advocacy Resources at 12 PM EDT In November 2016, a proposal regarding board territorial jurisdiction on advocacy activities went to the NAR Board of Directors. There, it was referred back to committee to be reconsidered and a subsequent work group was formed. Please join us for a webinar this Friday at 12 PM EDT regarding the findings of the Advocacy Resources/Territorial Jurisdiction Work Group. Chair, Tray Bates (TX), Vice Chair Jim Cormier (MN) and GADs Cady Thomas (NC) and Kelli Walker (LA) will discuss the two recommendations coming forward for consideration by the RPAC Fundraising Trustees during next week’s 2017 REALTORS® Conference & Expo. Contact Gerry Allen at 202-383-1109 for details.
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| Dec. 5: REALTORS® Engage in Placemaking Webinar On Dec. 5, hear how four local REALTOR® Associations used NAR’s Placemaking grant to build a placemaking project in their community. REALTOR® Association staff and REALTORS® will tell us about their projects; how they, and their partners, were engaged in the projects; and the outcomes and benefits not only to the community, but to the REALTOR® brand as well. The webinar is free. REGISTER TODAY. |
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| NAR Tax Reform Call for Action | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Activating Consumers for Tax Reform Call for Action Starting today, NAR will begin emailing more than 8 million consumers who are part of the Consumer Advocacy Outreach Program’s database, asking them to take action on the Tax Reform Call for Action. In addition to Facebook and Twitter posts, this outreach effort will include using the Broker Involvement Program to have brokers ask their agents to promote the consumer Call for Action to their clients. Please note that as this is a NAR-led activity, consumer participation will not be counted toward a state and/or local associations Call for Action participation rates or President’s Cup goals. If you have questions, please contact Erin Murphy. |
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| Local Associations Must Achieve 20% Participation Rate to Qualify for Local President’s Cup The Local President’s Cup includes one advocacy goal: A local must minimally achieve an average response rate of 20 percent on NAR Calls for Action. To see your local participation rate, view the state CFA report and click on the name of the local association. For more information, contact Victoria Givens. |
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| Tax Reform Framework: A Heavy Burden on Homeowners NAR is a strong supporter of tax reform but the framework that the Republican leadership and the Administration have put forward is not the reform that works for middle-income homeowners, even though at first glance it seems like it would be, since it calls for a near doubling of the standard deduction. But what often gets lost in the debate is that it also calls for the elimination of the personal exemption and the exemptions for dependents. Depending on family size, whatever gains a household gets from the higher standard deduction would be wiped out by the loss of the exemptions. Meanwhile it calls for eliminating most itemized deductions, including the deductions for state and local taxes, which means many households that now itemize would feel they were better off taking the standard deduction. As a result, they would in many cases end up paying more taxes. On the plus side, the framework leaves the mortgage interest deduction in place, but that’s not going to be enough for most homeowners to itemize. Without the state and local tax deductions, many would still find themselves choosing the standard deduction—and paying higher taxes as a result. More on NAR’s position is in the latest Voice for Real Estate news video. |
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| 2017 REALTORS® Conference & Expo |
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| Thursday, November 2 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| EAH and EHO: 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.
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| Friday, November 3 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Advocacy Everywhere 1:00 – 4:00 PM, Sheraton Chicago Hotel, Arkansas Room NAR is currently working on a new advocacy initiative called Advocacy Everywhere to expand our influence on public policy at the local, state and federal level and to increase REALTOR® and consumer participation in calls for action. This means big changes in terms of the technology we use for our calls for action and website, as well as new and innovative opportunities to use online advocacy tools strategically and enhance our grassroots lobbying efforts at all levels of government. NAR will be hosting two separate trainings—one for state associations and one for local associations—on our Advocacy Everywhere technology transition:
2017 RPAC Fundraising Forum Tailgate 5:00 – 7:00 PM, Chicago Marriott Hotel, Grand Ballroom Salons II & III Calling all sports fans! RPAC will be hosting a sports themed auction in the Chicago Marriott Hotel, Grand Ballroom Salons II & III. 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, or to contribute an item to the auction, contact Liz Best-Bradford at 202-383-7582.  GAD Reception – Bowling! 6:00 – 8:00 PM 10Pin Bowling Lounge 33 N. State Street Chicago, IL NAR After Dark 9:00 PM – 12:00 AM, Sheraton Chicago Hotel, Chicago Ballroom 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. |
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| Saturday, November 4 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| GAD Advisory Group Meeting (closed meeting) 8:00 – 9:30 AM, 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, 4th floor GADs will hear about progress on the Territorial Jurisdiction Work Group as well as a report from the REALTOR® Party of the Future PAG. GADs 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 involved. There will be an update on Advocacy Everywhere as well as the current Call for Action. Additionally, NAR CEO Bob Goldberg has been invited to address the GADs. 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 entitled: “Poise, Purpose and Parliamentary Procedure.” Are you a committee staff executive? Do you struggle with understanding, much less implementing, Robert’s Rules of Order? When is it appropriate to have debate vs. limit it? Who should vote? When might you address conflict of interest? Join fellow GADs, Brent Swander, Derenda Updegrave, and NAR Vice PresidentBill Malkasian as we are first lead through a tutorial on “the basics” of running effective meetings, but will soon transition into how to utilizing these techniques (and other GAD super powers) helps keep everyone focused on association goals and the REALTOR® Party. For more information, contact Kyle Lambert-London at 202-383-1203. RPAC Major Investor Reception 6:30 – 9:30 PM, Museum of Science and Industry The RPAC Major Investor Reception will be held Saturday, November 4 from 6:30 – 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. |
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| Sunday, November 5 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Placemaking: Make Your Community a Better Place to Live (and Buy) 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM, McCormick Place, West Building, Room W186 B A session at NAR’s Annual Conference on November 5. If you will be in Chicago, come to this session to hear from three REALTORS® who were actively engaged in projects in their communities to transform underused and unwelcoming sites into vibrant community destinations and public spaces. |
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| REALTOR® Party Updates | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Corporate Ally Program Helps Fund Utah Association of REALTORS® Affordable Housing Campaign Corporate Ally Program investors in Utah helped cover the skin-in-the-game requirement for the Utah Association’s successful issue campaign to increase the supply of affordable housing. Watch Utah Association 2017 President, DeAnna Robbins discuss this important win for affordable housing and homeownership in this video. This year, Corporate Ally Program funds have played a role in 25 issues campaigns in 18 states and the District of Columbia. Find out how the Corporate Ally Program can benefit your state and local issues advocacy campaigns by contacting Paula Martino at 202-383-1156. |
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| REALTOR® Party State Legislative Monitor A bill under consideration in Wisconsin (AB 480) would create a new type of tax incremental district known as workforce housing development. In Pennsylvania, HB 1001 has been introduced that would regulate home inspectors and create a Home Inspection Licensing Board. Also in Pennsylvania are bills (HB1831 and HB 1833) which are intended to “better hold home builders accountable for construction defects.” For more information, contact Adriann Murawski at 202-383-1068. |
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| Land Use Initiative Report (3rd Quarter) Of the 15 issues reviewed during the third quarter, six of the topics were related to rental regulations. Other issues ranged from stormwater management to form-based codes. The City of Winston-Salem, North Carolina (population approx. 242,203) approved an ordinance “Unsafe Nonresidential Buildings or Structures,” but neither the North Carolina Association of REALTORS® or the Winston-Salem Regional Association of REALTORS® were able to comment on the proposal. With the opportunity to offer amendments to the recently adopted ordinance, the associations were concerned with the unintended consequences to commercial properties. Included within the ordinance, the (city’s) building inspector was given authority to declare a nonresidential structure unsafe if it appeared to be vacant/abandoned or appeared in dilapidated conditions. This ordinance was meant to coincide with a “community development target area,” meaning areas deemed in need of revitalization. For more information, contact Adriann Murawski at 202-383-1068. |
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| 2018 REALTOR® Party New GAD & AE Orientations The dates have been set for three REALTOR® Party Orientations in 2018. NAR reimburses attendees for travel to and hotel stay in Washington DC for this orientation, as well as provides meals while in DC. Please see our webpage for details or contact Kyle Lambert London.
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| NAR’s Economic Outlook | |||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Cady Thomas GAD Chair North Carolina Association of REALTORS® |
We are so looking forward to seeing you all in Chicago next week! Please make sure to check the Conference and Meeting schedules so you do not miss anything extra exciting!
Speaking of exciting – be sure to attend the GAD Reception where we can be our true selves—competitors! Let us see your best bowling skills and don’t be afraid to bring you own shoes…we know you have them!
Additionally, if you serve on a NAR Committee this year, please email me at CThomas@ncrealtors.org with the name of the Committee. We will want to hear from you at our GAD meeting on Saturday. The information you gain needs to be shared with all GADs so we can work together to provide the best resources for our members.
Finally, Kelli Walker and I will be featured on the NAR Territorial Jurisdiction Workgroup Webinar on Friday, October 27 at 12:00 PM EST. Please check this issue of the GADFly for important registration information.
Safe Travels to the Windy City!
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GAD Directory |
SAVE THE DATE
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REALTORS® Conference & Expo Chicago, Illinois November 3-6, 2017 |
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2018 GAD Institute Portland, Oregon July 17-20, 2018 |