Friday, December 30, 2011

FROM THE NAR LEADERSHIP

NAR Treasurer Bill Armstrong: Our Commercial Priorities

With the new year upon us, I thought I'd use my podcast this month to examine what's in store for the commercial real estate industry in 2012. In the coming year, REALTORS® will be working on key issues such as easing the contraction in small-business lending, bridging an equity gap, and increasing bank liquidity. You can be sure that finding solutions to these issues is a priority for NAR and will go a long way toward setting the industry on a path for growth.

Listen to NAR Treasurer Bill Armstrong's latest Commericial Podcast >

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

NAR Needs Your Feedback

A message from Maurice “Moe” Veissi, 2012 NAR President:


This is just a reminder that NAR needs your feedback as soon as possible. REALTORS® play an important role in the public policy arena. Whether at the federal, state or local level, public policy not only affects the real estate business, but also the consumers we serve.

At the federal level, the National Association of REALTORS® is monitoring a number of public policy issues encompassing housing, real estate finance, tax and environmental policy that affect residential and commercial real estate.

As NAR prepares its 2012 Public Policy Agenda, we want to hear from you. The link below will take you to a survey that asks for your views regarding federal public policy issues.

http://www.zoomerang.com/Survey/WEB22E47V5J5E6

We hope you will take a few minutes to give us your thoughts. With your help, we can make sure that our public policy resources are targeted appropriately on the issues that matter most to you and your clients.

To show our appreciation, you also will have an opportunity to enter a sweepstakes drawing for a $100 gift card before submitting your survey responses.

Please be assured that your individual responses will remain confidential - only summaries of survey results will be made available.

Thank you.

Maurice “Moe” Veissi
2012 NAR President

Dale Stinton, CAE, CPA, CMA, RCE
NAR CEO

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Government Affairs Update

NAR Comments on SEC Concept Release


NAR recently signed a letter with 12 real estate organizations regarding a request for public comment (Concept Release) from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on the treatment of asset-backed issuers as well as mortgage real estate investment trusts (REITS) and other mortgage-related pools under the Investment Company Act of 1940. NAR is concerned that the Concept Release could signal impending regulatory burdens for mortgage REITs and would inhibit the prospect of a restart of non-agency mortgage securitization and negatively impact credit capacity for real estate. While the concept release does not propose any specific rules, it states that the SEC is reviewing various interpretive issues as to how Section 3(c)(5)(C) of the Investment Company Act of 1940 is and should be applied and requests input on those issues.
Read the Coalition Letter
Read the SEC Release


NAR, Other Organizations Support Community Businesses
NAR and a number of other organizations have sent a letter thanking Senators Mike Enzi (R-WY), Dick Durbin (D-IL), and Lamar Alexander (R-TN) for introducing S. 1832, the Marketplace Fairness Act. The bill would help states and local governments collect much-needed revenue and level the playing field for community-based businesses by allowing states to enforce sales taxes on goods sold to their citizens from out of state. By putting catalogues and online retailers on an even playing field with local brick-and-mortar businesses, the bill will protect local jobs, promote community investment, and maintain local access to essential goods and services.