| December 2021 |
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REGISTER for ALL-GAD Call
on January 20, 2022 |
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The All-GAD call will be held on January 20, 2022 at 3pm EST. Registration will be required for this call since we will be voting on the GAD Advisory Group Vice Chair nominee(s). The agenda is still being finalized and more info on that will be coming soon.
Register in advance for this meeting
Questions? Email Jim MacGregor, Director, State and Local Programs. |
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| GAD Advisory Group Vice Chair Position |
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As we reported at the GAD Annual Meeting in November and in the last GADFly, our Vice Chair, Brent Swander has been named the new CEO of the Columbus REALTORS and thus will be stepping down from his leadership position.
The vacancy of the Vice Chair will be filled in accordance with the by-laws and a vote of the GADs will be held on January 20, 2022 during the next All-GAD call. Candidates must be affiliated with a local association and provide a Statement of Interest to NAR by December 31, 2021. The Statement of Interest should include the candidate’s qualifications, reasons for seeking the position, an indication of support from their association executive, and an affirmation of interest in fulfilling the responsibilities of the position.
If you have any questions about the Vice Chair position please reach out to Jim MacGregor, Director, State and Local Programs. |
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| Consumer Advocacy Outreach |
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Apply for 2022 Consumer Advocacy Grant
The Consumer Advocacy grant offers your association the ability to apply for money up to $25,000 (with a 15% skin in the game requirement) to engage with consumers in your community and educate them on public policy issues that impact homeownership and property rights. The Consumer Advocacy Outreach Advisory Board will meet the first Tuesday of each month at 3pm EST to hear application requests. First quarter meeting dates are January 4, February 1, and March 1. The 2022 Consumer Advocacy grant application is available at https://realtorparty.realtor/grants/grant-manager. Apply now or contact Erin Murphy at 202-383-1079 or emurphy@nar.realtor.
Tell Us Your Policy Issues - Consumer Calls for Action
As you plan for 2022, please take three minutes to tell us what policy issues you will be working on. We will reach out and work with each of you on how to best message consumers on these issues. Fill out this survey, https://bit.ly/3r1CJhL, or contact Erin Murphy (202-383-1079 / emurphy@nar.realtor). |
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| Community Outreach |
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2022 REALTOR® Party Community Outreach Grant Applications Open in January!
Make plans to apply for a Community Outreach Grant – Smart Growth, Rural Outreach, Housing Opportunity, Fair Housing and Placemaking Grant – beginning Monday, January 3rd, 2022. View the Community Outreach video to learn how grants and resources impact communities. Need ideas on how a grant can help fund your advocacy effort? Search success stories or sign-up for a 30-minute one-on-one grant planning meeting with staff experts via Zoom. Questions? Contact Christine Windle at 202/383-1135.
New Well and Septic White Paper
One of the major factors in determining the safety and value of both residential and commercial property is the presence of onsite water wells and septic/wastewater systems. A new Water Wells, Septic and Sewage Systems: A White Paper Report created by Legislative Research Center (LRC) on behalf of NAR explores the advantages and disadvantages of public or city water versus onsite water systems, and will also look at the various different types of onsite well and wastewater systems. Questions? Contact Holly Moskerintz.
Add Community Outreach to Your Association's Government Affairs Committee Agenda
Would you like to have the Community Outreach team present virtually at one of your upcoming meetings? You and your leadership can learn ways to address affordable housing challenges, community planning and development issues, revitalization opportunities and fair housing initiatives using a Housing Opportunity, Smart Growth, Placemaking, Rural Outreach and/or Fair Housing grant. For more information and to schedule, contact Christine Windle or call 202/383-1135.
REALTOR® Party Success Stories – December 2021
Each month, stories highlighting state and local associations who leveraged a REALTOR Party grant or resource that led to an advocacy "win" are highlighted and cataloged in the REALTOR Party Success Stories. Success stories created in November include:
For more information or questions and to submit a success story, contact Christine Windle, cwindle@nar.realtor |
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| RPAC Fundraising |
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Jan 31: RPAC Hall of Fame Nomination Form Deadline
The RPAC Hall of Fame eligibility deadline for members and staff to meet the $25,000 minimum threshold was Wednesday, December 15. State associations must submit Hall of Fame nomination forms to NAR by January 31, 2022. Click here to access the guidelines and nomination form. For questions regarding the Hall of Fame, or to verify an investment history total, please contact Jackie Zaporowski (202-383-1029).
Jan. 12: State Deadline for National RPAC Fundraising Goal
States GADs – don’t forget to submit your 2022 National RPAC Fundraising Goals by January 12. Please note, in order to be eligible for 2022 NAR RPAC awards you must submit a National RPAC Fundraising Goal that is higher than the total amount raised in 2021. For questions regarding the goal, please contact Lauren Colicelli (202-383-1080).
RPAC Training Webinar: Fundraising & the Law
As we find new and creative ways to raise money for RPAC, we also must follow many federal and state laws. Please join Jon Waclawski, NAR’s Political Compliance Counsel, on Wednesday, January 12 at 3pm Eastern to review important legal issues in political fundraising. Whether you are new to RPAC fundraising or have tons of experience, this webinar will help you navigate campaign finance laws. Register now! For more information, contact Liz Demorest at 202-383-1061. |
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| GAD Directory Needs Your Help |
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Are you a Local or State GAD? Have you looked at the GAD Directory lately? The GAD Directory is a central database that contains the latest contact information for you and your fellow GADs. This Directory is totally reliant on GAD Nation to keep it up to date by supplying us with the most current information on you or your fellow GADs. The Directory can be searched by state and/or local and can be easily updated by clicking on the “Add a New GAD(s)” button.
For more information or questions about the GAD Directory contact Jim MacGregor, jmacgregor@nar.realtor |
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| NAR Research and Press Releases |
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Single Women Buyers Outpace Men, but Not Without Sacrifices
Why are women more likely to buy homes, and how do their financials compare to single men buying homes? NAR Research takes a look at the answers.
By: Jessica Lautz, JLautz@nar.realtor
A Snapshot of Housing in 2020
NAR used estimates from the American Community Survey to provide a snapshot of housing in America in 2020.
By: Nadia Evangelou, NEvangelou@nar.realtor
Instant Reaction: Jobs, December 3, 2021
The unemployment rate continued to plunge and is now at 4.2%, which is actually below March 2020 levels when the ugly COVID virus came to the country. This measurement should be taken with a grain of salt, however, since only those searching for a job are counted.
By: Lawrence Yun, LYun@nar.realtor
Instant Reaction: Mortgage Rates, December 9, 2021
Mortgage rates continued to remain roughly stable for the last 4 weeks, despite volatility in bond yields. The 30-year fixed mortgage rate slightly fell to 3.10% from 3.11% the previous week. December 9, 2021
By: Nadia Evangelou, NEvangelou@nar.realtor
Commercial Weekly: Strong Industrial Fundamentals Continue as Demand Continues to Outpace Supply
The industrial sector is on pace for a historical year despite the supply chain issues that had an impact on the shipping of goods.
By: Brandon Hardin, bhardin@nar.realtor |
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| MESSAGE FROM THE GAD CHAIR |
Brad Ward
GAD Chair
Michigan REALTORS®
 One of the best parts of government affairs work is its unpredictable nature and ability to change at a moment’s notice. Very rarely is my day predictable or repetitive. However, moving from task to task it becomes easy to forget about what it takes to complete your agenda and effectively communicate successes and failures. You assume that everyone knows what you do and how it works.
Over the last couple of weeks, I’ve had the opportunity to participate in two of events that brought me back to basics. One, providing an orientation to the newly elected members of our state board of directors. The second, attending the REALTOR® Party Training Conference in Nashville. Both events were designed to expose new volunteer members to the inner workings of the association – and quickly I saw that not every member is aware of what we do or the infrastructure we put in place to achieve our advocacy goals.
As we close out this year and begin anew in 2022, I think this is a good lesson to learn. Constant communication with your members on advocacy is important. Our association makes it part of every communication we send, every meeting we host, and every event we hold. Connecting the dots between the volunteer members efforts and advocacy victories will build the culture of playing an active role in the association.
The “Vote, Act, Invest” mantra can be a helpful road map to break down the process for your members, but be sure to include the nitty-gritty details and your insider perspective to make them insiders too. Look into a regular column in your association’s publications or a weekly e-mail from you. Work with your communications and events staff to make space for advocacy. Remember, the folks serving on your committees make up a very small portion of the entire membership, don’t take for granted that the non-volunteers know who you are or what you do.
Spread the message, build the culture, and develop the next wave of volunteers. |
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| FOLLOW THE REALTOR® PARTY! |
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| GAD Directory |
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| KEY DATES |
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