2016 Election Recap

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By Bill Ruh, CVAR Government Affairs Director

Election Day 2016 is now one for the history books.  No matter where your partisan political preferences may rest, your non-partisan REALTOR® Party has been hard at work throughout this election cycle to help elect REALTOR® friendly candidates in the U.S. House of Representatives, the California State Senate and the California State Assembly.    To that end we at the Citrus Valley Association of REALTORS® are pleased to announce that ALL of the REALTOR® Party candidates in our service area have been elected or in some cases re-elected.

 In the U.S. House of Representatives, where we need to keep the Mortgage Interest Deduction and 1031 exchanges, we congratulate:

                              Congressmember Judy Chu – 27th Congressional District

                              Congressmember Pete Aguilar – 31st Congressional District

                              Congressmember Grace Napolitano – 32nd Congressional District

                              Congressmember Norma Torres – 35th Congressional District

                              Congressmember Ed Royce – 39th Congressional District

 In the California State Senate and the California State Assembly, where we need to stop the potential for Professional Service Taxes and need to keep the Independent Contractor status of REALTORS®; we congratulate:

                              Senator Mike Morrell – 23rd Senate District

                              Senator Anthony Portantino – 25th Senate District

                              Senator Ling Ling Chang – 29th Senate District

                              Assemblymember  Marc Steinorth – 40th Assembly District

                              Assemblymember Chris Holden – 41st Assembly District

                              Assemblymember Blanca Rubio – 48th Assembly District

                              Assemblymember Ed Chau – 49th Assembly District

                              Assemblymember Freddie Rodriguez – 52 Assembly District

                              Assemblymember Philip Chen – 55th Assembly District

                              Assemblymember Ian Calderon – 57th Assembly District

 That is 15 races in which the REALTOR® Party competed and 15 races the REALTOR® Party won! A 100% victory for REALTORS®  We know each of them and we know that they will fight for REALTORS®.

At CVAR we ask you to get involved with the real estate politics that affect your business. Join the advocacy of CVAR, CAR and NAR to keep all REALTORS® protected and nationally recognized. The REALTOR® Party is a powerful alliance of REALTORS® and REALTOR® associations working to protect and promote home ownership and property investment. The REALTOR® Party speaks with one voice to advance candidates and public policies that build strong communities and promote a vibrant business environment. Get involved with the real estate politics that affect your business. Without the advocacy of the REALTOR® Party, victories such as those above would not be possible.  We ask you to join the advocacy of the REALTOR® Party by making a contribution to the REALTOR® Action Fund. Your participation will help to ensure future victories.

 As Winston Churchill once said:  “Many forms of government have been tried, and will be tried in this world of sin and woe.  No one pretends that democracy is perfect or all-wise.  Indeed, it has been said that democracy is the worst from of government except all those other forms that have been tried from time to time.”

NAR CFA: Tell the Senate to Get to Work for Future Homebuyers

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TAKE ACTION NOW

I am REALTOR Party

Key Talking Points:

H.R. 3700 was passed by the U.S. House 427-0. Despite passing with NO OBJECTIONS, the U.S. Senate has not acted on H.R. 3700.This legislation provides significant benefits to taxpayers, homebuyers and the real estate market by:

Removing a burdensome and expensive FHA Condo approval process
Reducing FHA restrictions on the number of condos available to homebuyers
Permanently streamlining Rural Housing Service loan processing
More Information on NAR’s efforts to pass H.R. 3700:

TAKE ACTION NOW

A few of our accomplishments

Realtor Party: Vote Act Invest

At the local level CVAR:

1) Defeated two costly parcel taxes in local communities

2) Defeated the Eminent Domain of Mortgages in 3 CVAR communities

3) Elected Pro-REALTOR® candidates in local communities

 

At the State Level CVAR and CAR:

1). Halted an expensive $75 per-document housing fee

2). Prevented the passage of a Professional Services Tax

3). Halted a costly Point of Sale environmental retro-fit

 

At the Federal Level CVAR and NAR:

1). Maintained the Mortgage Interest Deduction

2). Retained the 1099 Exchange

3). Stopped a tax on Mortgages for Roads and Highways

Get Involved

Realtor Party: Vote Act Invest
Support Your Business
The Citrus Valley Association of REALTORS® is dedicated to advocating for real estate professionals and their clients in the political arena. We want to make it easy for you to get involved and support your business!

Get the Call for Action From Anywhere!

The new REALTOR® Action Center mobile app contains a host of features to help you VOTE, ACT and INVEST while on the go.

Receive a notification alerting you to a Call for Action. The new mobile alert format will make participation a snap. No forms to fill out. Short, fast and easy!

  • Mobile Investing: Make your annual investment to support the Realtor Party Action Committee via your phone!
  • Action Profiles: The app contains a summary of your REALTOR® Party engagement, including a list of open action items and actions you have already taken.
  • Advocacy Reports: Track your state and local associations’ advocacy efforts to help us reach our annual 15% goal.
  • REALTOR® Party Tracker: Learn how your state and local associations are using NAR programs to build political strength in your own backyard. Find out what tools and programs NAR is providing our association, and how much money those programs cost.
What RPAC Does and Why We Urge You to Support It

Since 1969, the REALTORS® Political Action Committee (RPAC) has promoted the election of pro-REALTOR® candidates across the United States. The purpose of RPAC is clear: REALTORS® raise and spend money to elect candidates who understand and support their interests. The money to accomplish this comes from voluntary contributions made by REALTORS®. These are not members’ dues; this is money given freely by REALTORS® in recognition of how important campaign fundraising is to the political process. RPAC doesn’t buy votes. RPAC enables REALTORS® to support candidates that support the issues that are important to their profession and livelihood.

When Congress is considering legislation that affects the real estate industry, NARcalls on its members to act. Simply by contacting your Member of Congress through an e-mail, Tweet, or a phone call, you can ensure that your business remains strong. NAR members join together and speak with one loud, powerful voice.  It does make a difference!

What’s Happening on Capital Hill?

One of the most important services organized real estate provides is representation in the halls of government. Stay up to date with what is going on and visit our Government Affairs section of the website to read the most current political news.

National Government Affairs News

The Washington Report is a weekly publication compiled by the Government Affairs division of the National Association of REALTORS®, covering legislative and regulatory policy activities affecting all aspects of the residential and commercial real estate industries.
Click to Read the Washington Report

Receive Government Affairs News via Email

To receive government affairs news via email, Subscribe to NAR’s Weekly Report newsletter and check Legislative & Regulatory Issues.

 California Government Affairs News

The Citrus Valley Association of REALTORS® encourages its members to be familiar with issues that directly impact their business and to support state and federal initiatives to ensure a viable real estate market.
Read California Government Affairs News

RPAC: Your Best Investment in Real Estate

Realtor Party: Vote Act Invest

Why Political Involvement?
Since 1969 RPAC has been promoting the election of pro-REALTOR® candidates across the United States. During the last federal election cycle alone, RPAC contributed over $12 million to pro-REALTOR® candidates to Congress, making it the number one trade association political action committee in the nation.

Why has RPAC been successful?
In America the exercise of good government has its foundation in the participation of its citizens in politics. By definition of the work you do, REALTORS® are contributors to the American dream- home ownership. REALTORS® make it possible for people to bring value to their communities, their lives, to schools and to the future. Increasingly REALTORS® are facing forces from many directions that threaten their ability to help bring about the American dream for more people. Increasing health care premiums, the economy, property tax burdens, rent controls, impact fees and the taking of private property for the public domain are only a quick handful of issues that somewhere, everyday REALTORS® confront.

If Not You, Who?
That is why it is vitally important that REALTORS® be politically active: to take on the responsibility of protecting the values and rights we hold dear. If not REALTORS®, then who? No one knows a community better than a REALTOR®. It would be difficult to believe that a local no-growth group would represent your real estate business interests, or that those employed by the local government know best how much and where to spend the tax dollar better than you do. REALTORS® are the experts on their communities. REALTORS® know the lay of the land, the families, the best schools, the neighborhoods, and the leaders. With REALTORS® in virtually every community in the nation, you are in a strong position to be on the front line as either a proponent or a defender.

Failure to be involved politically can and likely will result in someone else filling the vacuum left by you. That may sound okay at first; because we are sure someone else will do the job and see things as we do. That is until one discovers that the voices being heard may be contrary to wise business planning and a threat to property owners and their rights. If you as a REALTOR® do not speak out, get involved, and help shape your community, someone else will. It is a good bet that they won’t be supportive of your position.

On the national level, we give our money to those in Congress who both understand and support REALTOR® issues. We look to build the future by putting RPAC dollars in places that will help advance the interests of Real Estate professionals. RPAC is the only political group in the country organized for REALTORS®, run by REALTORS® and exists solely to further issues important to REALTORS®.