Daily Real Estate News  |  November 15, 2007  |   REALTORSŪ Have Good 'Cos' to Celebrate
Bill Cosby may be an entertainment icon, but he’s an unlucky real estate investor. Or at least his wife is. Speaking at Wednesday’s General Session during the 2007 REALTORSŪ Conference & Expo in Las Vegas, the Cos lamented his decision to sell his much-beloved Beverly Hills home in order to stay on the good side of his wife, who was afraid of earthquakes.

The home, which he bought 38 years ago, netted the couple a $3,000 gain. A decade later, that same home sold for $10 million.

“That’s the only thing in our 43 years of marriage that I have on her. And you can believe I keep bringing it up,” said Cosby, as the crowd broke out in laughter.

Wearing a “Hello Friend” REALTORŪ sweatshirt, the beloved comedian entertained the teeming crowd with an hour-long stand-up routine about home buying and his losing battle to be the “man of the house.”

Before Cosby took the stage, 2007 NAR President Pat V. Combs highlighted many of NAR’s accomplishments during her year-long presidency. She recalled how REALTORSŪ have helped strengthen communities, guided consumers through a changing and confusing housing market, and continued to be the leading advocates for home ownership and private property rights in America.

Among this year’s accomplishments, REALTORSŪ nationwide are on track to help raise $5.5 million for REALTORŪ Political Action Committee — a new record.

“Combined with greater participation in NAR’s grassroots advocacy program, your contributions are helping to reform laws and policies in a number of ways,” Combs says. “Together, we have convinced lawmakers to expand affordable housing, strengthen the real estate market, and protect investment in both commercial and residential real estate.”

NAR also expanded its successful Public Awareness Campaign with ads explaining to consumers that now is a great time to buy a home. “At the end of the year, we expect 5.8 million consumers will buy a home this year — the fifth best on record,” Combs says. “That’s incredible considering how negative the news has been about the opportunities to buy and sell.”

Combs also debuted the NAR Centennial video, spanning the association’s 100-year legacy as the voice of real estate.

“Adding value to the transaction, building strong communities, and preserving the long-term value of real estate in America — these are the fundamental values on which the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORSŪ was built, and they are what we stand for today,” Combs says. “As we turn our attention to the next century, I encourage all of you to continue to build connections in these areas and outside of our organization.”

— REALTORŪ Magazine Online