Many of us are just back from a very productive week in Washington, DC, where Missouri REALTORS® were among the 8,000 REALTORS® in attendance at the 2016 REALTORS® Legislative Meetings & Trade Expo.
Missouri REALTORS® met with our Congressional Delegation on the importance of reforms to the FHA condominium loan program, federal assisted housing programs and the Rural Housing Service loan programs. We advocated for legislation to ensure access to safe and affordable mortgage financing as well as prohibiting “G-fees” from being used for anything but housing. We advocated for the reauthorization of the National Flood Insurance Program but also for Congress to pass legislation to allow private flood insurance alternatives to the NFIP. And, we pressed hard on major tax issues such as maintaining the Mortgage Interest Deduction, 1031 Exchanges and property tax deductions.
Members of the MOREALTOR Party meeting with Congressman Sam Graves
Missouri had five members inducted into the NAR RPAC Hall of Fame at these meetings. Those RPAC champions were: Shelly Clark, Kathy Clark, Dan O'Neill, Mark Stallmann and Ryan Gattermeir (pictured below).
At the NAR Board of Directors meeting this past Saturday, May 14, Missouri REALTORS® Past President Elizabeth Mendenhall was elected NAR 2017 President-elect. We are so proud that Elizabeth will be our national president in 2018.
The Board of Directors for the National Association of REALTORS® voted Saturday for a series of changes to the organizational alignment/core standards requirements for local and state associations that will enhance oversight and improve the professional development opportunities for members and staff. The revised standards will go into effect July 1, the beginning of a new core standards compliance cycle that ends Dec. 31, 2017. After that, compliance cycles will run on calendar years.
Among the enhancements, associations will need to do at least two political advocacy and two consumer outreach activities each cycle. In addition, associations will be required to:
- Provide members with at least one professional development opportunity.
- Certify that they’ve conducted a REALTOR® safety activity.
- Extend the six-hour professional development requirement for chief staff to boards without paid staff by making the requirement applicable to the individual who carries out the functions normally performed by a paid staffer.
- Conduct annual performance reviews of chief staff.
In addition to raising the bar for REALTOR® associations, the directors voted for a change to MLS policy regarding the use of images and data submitted by agents that will protect brokers and MLSs from liability. The new language reflects the importance of brokers and associates having the necessary licenses for the photos and other content that they put into the MLS and transfer to other sites.
The board also voted to keep member dues at $120 for 2017 and extended the national consumer advertising campaign special assessment of $35 per year for 2017, 2018, and 2019.
The Board of Directors voted to put NAR on record about the growing problem of student loan debt, advocating for laws that allow borrowers to refinance their federally backed student loans and seeking mortgage underwriting guidelines that don’t impair home ownership.
Directors also approved changes to the Standards of Practice to improve enforcement of the NAR Code of Ethics. Among the changes are provisions to boost accountability for members who resign prior to facing an ethics complaint, improve transparency by specifying consequences if someone fails to comply with discipline, and protect members’ right to appeal if their discipline is increased after review. The changes go into effect Jan. 1, 2017.
For a complete rundown of the meeting, read the Internal News Service Special Report.
John S
CEO
Missouri REALTORS®