REALTORS® and Consumers, By the Numbers, REALTOR® Party Success Stories and More View e-mail in browser May 12, 2016 REALTOR® PARTY | for REALTORS® | RPAC | for ASSOCIATIONS     REALTORS® & Consumers: Partners in Advocacy It’s great to see nearly 8,500 REALTORS® and guests in Washington, DC for the 2016 REALTORS® Legislative Meetings & Trade Expo.  This is an exciting meeting as we are taking REALTOR® Party advocacy to the next level through NAR’s Consumer Advocacy Outreach Program, a program designed to further advance the strength of the REALTOR® Party by joining forces with America’s current and future homeowners. READ More       REALTORS® Gather in Washington to Lay Groundwork for Future Policy Successes "There is a wide range of residential and commercial real estate issues that are of high importance to REALTORS® and are coming to a head right now, so we'll be using the strength of our combined voices to remind members of Congress to maintain sound real estate markets," said NAR President Tom Salomone. READ More     By The Numbers   8,500 The number of REALTORS® and guests attending the REALTORS®  Legislative Meetings & Trade Expo in Washington, DC. This meeting represents an important opportunity for REALTORS® to meet with their U.S. Senators, Representatives and staff to communicate the issues critical to their businesses, communities and the consumers they represent. READ MORE   520 The number of state and local REALTOR® Associations committed to the Phone-a-Friend for RPAC: The National Volunteer Phone Bank Initiative. From those 520 committed associations, 264 phone bank events have been scheduled and 8,264 phone calls have been made to date. READ More   1% The percentage of outstanding student loan debt that NAR has asked the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to calculate monthly obligations at rather than 2%. During the REALTORS® Legislative Meetings & Trade Expo, HUD Secretary Julian Castro and panelists discussed housing opportunities for young adults repaying Student Debt. READ MORE   REALTORS® At Work   Highlighted here are a few of the many REALTOR® Party success stories across the nation. These and others are cataloged in the Success Stories section of the REALTOR® Action Center.   Jobs Create Housing Opportunity in IL It’s the kind of “problem” that most cities wouldn’t mind having: international companies opening or expanding facilities within city limits. Joliet, Illinois is experiencing impressive job growth, and is seeking to convert commuters and renters into local homeowners with a new down payment assistance program, the help of Three Rivers Association of REALTORS® and a Housing Opportunity Grant. READ More   Every Vote Counted in electing Missouri REALTOR® to Local School Board They say every vote counts, and in April's School Board race in Monett, MO, that was certainly the case.  REALTOR® Champion Keith McCracken was seeking a seat on the local Board of Education to further serve his community.  With the help of the Southwest Missouri Board of REALTORS® and a REALTOR® Party independent expenditure, he won that seat—by a single vote. READ More   Bastrop County REALTORS® Chart Smart Growth for a Small Texas Town Fearing what would happen to the charm of this rural community outside of Austin, Texas, the Bastrop County Board of REALTORS® took the lead.  With 68 elected local officials, business and community leaders and REALTORS® from the county and its three cities in attendance, this 169-member board hosted a Smart Growth for the 21st Century class to discuss and strategize the community’s future. READ More   Resources & Opportunities     Appraisers Aren’t Home Inspectors, NAR Tells FHA House lawmakers overwhelmingly passed a bill encouraging the development of a private flood insurance market by making it easier for home owners in flood zones to switch back and fourth between private and public insurance programs. NAR is encouraging senators to pass the same bill. The effort is a top story in the latest Voice for Real Estate news video, which also looks at the REALTORS® 2016 Legislative Meetings & Trade Expo in Washington, the spring selling season, and a new warning about email scares in real estate. WATCH NOW   Got #REALTORParty Pride in Your #STATE? Share it Online. Share your Share your REALTOR® Party stories, photos and videos on social media, using the hashtags #REALTORParty and #ST (your state abbreviation) (For example: #REALTORParty #IL for Illinois)  Don’t forget to tag the REALTOR® Party on Facebook and Twitter! Photos and videos shared will be used at NAR events and in publications.     Share Your Boys & Girls Club Stories with NAR Now that NAR and the Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) have joined forces to make a difference in communities across America, we want to learn how the REALTOR® family is getting involved and making a difference. Associations and members should send their engagement stories to narbgca@realtors.org. Some stories will be featured on the NAR/BGCA website, providing inspiration for others to get involved with their local Club. The website also has a toolkit on how to get started, a sample press release and photos of involvement in action. For more information, contact Karen Bebart at 312-329-8359. READ MORE   2016 REALTOR® Party Resource Guide Is Available Check out the 2016 REALTOR® Party Association Resource Guide. Get brief descriptions of each REALTOR® Party Association Resource including grants, campaign services, RPAC and grassroots tools and more.  It’s all available for you to download as a PDF. DOWNLOAD   Join the REALTOR® Party Online Are you posting, liking, tweeting or pinning?  So is the REALTOR® Party.  Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and YouTube to get the latest news, information and resources.     Send us examples of how your association put NAR’s REALTOR® Party resources to work to implement a successful advocacy or community outreach program. Email your stories to: realtorparty@realtors.org See more than 100 stories documenting how REALTOR® associations around the country put REALTOR Party Resources to work at the REALTOR® Party Success Stories page. This newsletter replaces the NAR Weekly Report for this week and the second week of every month. The REALTOR® Party News will publish next on June 9, 2016. If you missed a previous edition check out the REALTOR® Party News Archive. Headquarters: 430 North Michigan Avenue, Chicago, IL 60611 DC Office: 500 New Jersey Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20001-2020 | 1-800-874-6500      This message was sent to . Visit your subscription management page to modify your email communication preferences or update your personal profile. To stop receiving this e-mail in the future, click to remove yourself from this list. NAR maintains a separate email system to communicate our national news and programs. 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