IN THIS ISSUE
INDUSTRY NEWS AND EVENTS
- Headline News
- Call For Speakers: Commercial Real Estate Online Convention
- RCA Hosts Trade Mission to Nevada
- 2007 NAR Resort Symposium, June 24-26
- Seeking Nominees for Good Neighbors Awards
- Chris Matthews to Speak at NAR Midyear Meetings
PUBLIC POLICY UPDATES
- NAR Calls on Congress to Develop Natural Disaster Policy
- NAR Basel Comments Seek Balance in Commercial Loans
- Scrutiny of Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT) Continues
RESEARCH, RESOURCES, LEGAL
- Higher Vacancy Rates Don't Stand in the Way of Most Markets
- RELAYTM Subscribers Can Now Promote Their Services To Consumers on REALTOR.com® and REALTOR.org
- HUD Issues Limited English Proficiency Rules
- Investing in Real Estate Guide from NAR's Library
AFFILIATE NEWS
- Free Commercial Training for Minority Professionals
INDUSTRY NEWS AND EVENTS
HEADLINE NEWS
Headline News.
CALL FOR SPEAKERS: COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE ONLINE CONVENTION
April 27 is the deadline to apply to speak at CommercialSource, the RCA's online convention and trade show for commercial real estate to be held June 18-25. If you have insight into trends and issues or tips for success to share with others please apply. Last year's attendees logged more than 81,000 hits to the daily speaker sessions. Find out the details and access the application form here. For more, contact: Peggy Luckey,
312/329-8821.
RCA HOSTS TRADE MISSION TO NEVADA
Join the RCA and the Reno/Sparks Association of REALTORSŪ for a trade mission to Reno, Nevada June 4th through 7th. The trade mission will be an excellent opportunity to network and lay the foundation to discover business opportunities that await you in Reno. The program features tours to developing industrial parks and redevelopment areas, keynote speakers, education sessions, and a trade show. The Commercial Real Estate Trade Mission is an opportunity to create your own network of brokers, resources and experts to guide you through a commercial transaction in Nevada. For more
information and to register, read more.
2007 NAR RESORT SYMPOSIUM, JUNE 24-26
Ride on out to picturesque Vail, Colo., and join other successful resort and second-home specialists for education and networking tailored to your business at the 2007 National Association of REALTORSŪ Resort Symposium: Rocky Mountain Round-up! Each prior symposium (Cabo San Lucas, Cape Cod, and Hawaii) has sold out, so register today! Learn more
SEEKING NOMINEES FOR GOOD NEIGHBORS AWARDS
REALTORŪ Magazine is seeking nominees for the eighth annual Good Neighbor Awards, which recognize commercial and residential REALTORSŪ who impact their communities through volunteer work. Five winners will be recognized at the REALTORSŪ Conference & Expo in Las Vegas, receiving travel expenses to attend the show and a $10,000 grant for their community cause. Volunteer work may include affordable housing initiatives, youth mentoring, and homelessness prevention - anything that makes a community a better place. Entries must be received by May 25. For more information and to read about the 2006
winners, visit REALTOR Magazine Online.
CHRIS MATTHEWS TO SPEAK AT NAR MIDYEAR MEETINGS
The host of MSNBC's "Hardball With Chris Matthews" and NBC's "The Chris Matthews Show" presents his insider's views during the 2007 NAR Midyear Legislative Meetings & Expo in Washington, D.C., May 14-19. Matthews will appear before the Legislative and Political Forum on May 15, 7:30-9 a.m., in the Marriott Wardman Park. Hear what makes Chris Matthews' shows lively and thought-provoking as he draws on his experience as a broadcast journalist, a newspaper bureau chief, a presidential speechwriter, and a best-selling author. For more information visit the
Midyear meetings schedule.
PUBLIC POLICY UPDATES
NAR CALLS ON CONGRESS TO DEVELOP NATURAL DISASTER POLICY
"Congress needs a comprehensive natural disaster policy that encourages personal responsibility, promotes mitigation measures, ensures insurance availability, and strengthens critical infrastructures", testified Gary Thomas, CEO of RE/MAX Real Estate Services, who represented NAR at a House Subcommittee on Housing and Community Opportunity hearing this week. To help achieve this, NAR has pledged to work with Chairwoman Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) and the Committee on Financial Services to craft a national natural disaster plan that would include accessible and affordable insurance for home
owners, improved preparedness, and planning for recovery efforts. Learn more
NAR BASEL COMMENTS SEEK BALANCE IN COMMERCIAL LOANS
Regulators should take into account the varying risk profiles of commercial real estate loans, enabling banks to hold less capital for multifamily residential property with a history of high occupancy and revenue generation than otherwise would be needed. That's one of NAR's recommendations to ensure sufficient capital for real estate as regulators develop capital standards for banks under the Basel IA and Basel II accords, the international banking protocols. For more information contact: Tom Heinemann, 202/383-1090.
SCRUTINY OF ALTERNATIVE MINIMUM TAX (AMT) CONTINUES
The Select Revenue Measures Subcommittee of the House Ways and Means Committee has held two hearings on problems associated with the AMT. No glimmer of a solution is in sight however, as lawmakers spar over the challenges of "paying for" the needed changes.
The deduction for state and local taxes leads the field in tax provisions that have the effect of including individuals into the AMT. The other main culprit is the personal exemption. While individuals are allowed to take an exemption (currently $3400 each) for the taxpayer, a spouse and all dependents in the household. The personal exemption is not allowed for the AMT, so large families are often thrown into the AMT, as well. Congress faces a major struggle in mitigating this problem. For more information contact:
Linda Goold 202/383-1083,
Jeff Lischer 202/383-1117, Helen Devlin 202/383-7559.
RESEARCH, RESOURCES, LEGAL
HIGHER VACANCY RATES DON'T STAND IN THE WAY OF MOST MARKETS
Office, hospitality and industrial sectors of the real estate market are continuing to draw investors, keeping commercial property transaction volume high and prospects for 2007 bright, according to NAR's latest Commercial Real Estate Outlook. Somewhat higher vacancy rates do not appear to be holding commercial markets down. And, then there's New York City, with an office vacancy rate of just 6.6 percent -- half the national average. Oh to be an investor there! Take a look at the first-quarter report which provides overviews of the five major commercial property categories: Office,
industrial, retail, multi-family and hospitality. Read more
RELAYTM SUBSCRIBERS CAN NOW PROMOTE THEIR SERVICES TO CONSUMERS ON REALTOR.COMŪ AND REALTOR.ORG
NAR is pleased to announce an additional benefit for RELAYTM transaction management subscribers. REALTORSŪ who subscribe to the online transaction management system may now promote their services to consumers by displaying a RELAYTM Badge on their listing in the "Find A REALTORŪ" Directories on REALTOR.comŪ and REALTOR.org. Consumers may search the REALTORSŪ offering the RELAYTM online transaction management system under the REALTORŪ "Business Tools" category on either site. The RELAYTM Badge is enabled by the individual RELAYTM customer
from the REBT Web site. Read more
HUD ISSUES LIMITED ENGLISH PROFICIENCY RULES
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development ("HUD") has issued rules that require certain landlords who participate in federally-funded housing programs to offer translation assistance to individuals with "limited English proficiency" ("LEP"). The rules do not apply to every landlord, but rather landlords meeting certain criteria such as a certain number of tenants and/or also a certain percentage of tenants who are LEP. After many years of discussion, the rules took effect on February 21, 2007, although there have been calls from Congress to further delay their implementation.
Read more, includes a downloadable FAQ document.
INVESTING IN REAL ESTATE GUIDE FROM NAR'S LIBRARY
NAR's library, Information Central, offers free and frequently updated field guides on commercial real estate topics at REALTOR.org. The latest addition is a primer on getting started in real estate investment including investing with IRAs, tips from NAR, real estate as a retirement tool, information on rental homes, buying tax liens, real estate partnerships and more. Learn more
AFFILIATE NEWS
FREE COMMERCIAL TRAINING FOR MINORITY PROFESSIONALS
The CCIM Institute, an NAR affiliate for certifying practitioners in commercial real estate investment best practices, is offering a free training course to minority practitioners. The training takes place in Chicago, June 7-8. Learn more
Report compiled by Bobbie Albrecht, balbrecht@realtors.org, 312/329-8464.
QUESTIONS on this report? Visit the INS FAQ and online feedback area on REALTOR.org. Click here.
To ensure that you continue to receive e-mails from the National Association of REALTORSŪ, please add us to your to your e-mail address book.
Unsubscribe from this e-mail newsletter.
Manage E-mail Preferences:
To change your e-mail address, or manage your subscriptions, you will need to
log in to your REALTOR.org account.
Customer Support:
Visit our customer support page for help with your account.
Privacy Policy
Please do not reply to this e-mail. This mailbox is for distribution only.
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORSŪ
430 N. Michigan Avenue
Chicago IL 60611
800/874-6500
www.REALTOR.org
|