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 Beth L. Peerce  Friday, May 13th, 2011  Dear C.A.R. Member,
Greetings from Washington, D.C.! This week, your Leadership Team and I are in our nation’s capital, meeting with California’s congressional delegates and representatives from leading housing industry groups, including Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, Federal Housing Finance Agency, and others.
This is a busy time of year in the legislative arena, on both the national front and in California. Last week, nearly 2,000 members of the REALTOR® Party of California were out in full force in Sacramento for the Association’s annual Legislative Day activities, which included a march to the Capitol. Many of you met face-to-face with your state legislators to discuss the issues that affect our industry — and your livelihood. I want to thank you for participating in Legislative Day because it’s more important than ever to make certain our interests are represented and that our voices are heard before elected officials craft legislation that impacts our industry.
For example, one impending issue that will significantly impact our industry is the future of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the government sponsored enterprises (GSEs) that purchase or guarantee mortgage-backed securities on the secondary mortgage market. Congress has been debating changes to the GSEs. Proposals for “reform” include legislation to phase out and eventually eliminate Fannie and Freddie altogether. Elimination of the GSEs, which purchased or securitized two out of every three loans written in 2010, would have grave consequences for home buyers and sellers, the real estate market, and the economy as a whole. Almost overnight, financing would dry up. Interest rates would increase, and borrowers would be forced into the exotic loan products that helped create the current financial climate. These are scenarios the struggling housing market can ill afford now.
It’s important that REALTORS® understand the potential damaging effects of phasing out Fannie and Freddie. For more details about the GSEs and their importance to real estate housing finance.
Continue reading: C.A.R. Monthly Message May 2011
Doug Covill Monday, May 2nd, 2011
 Government relations is one area in which it would be very hard for you to do for yourself what your REALTOR® association does for you. Just the amount of time and expertise involved can be overwhelming.
Volunteers and state and federal lobbyists work all the time to protect your ability to do business, by looking out for private property rights and private property values. It’s not an exaggeration to say that our industry is under attack every day.
The work the association does here is so vital, and you may never hear anything about it. A problem may start when a regulator has what seems like a good idea, but does not understand the ramifications. This is where our two SAR advocates do such important work.
Caylyn Brown and Eric Rasmusson follow issues at the County and the cities of Sacramento, West Sacramento, Elk Grove, Rancho Cordova, Folsom, Citrus Heights, Orangevale and Carmichael, as well as other government agencies such as water, sewer and air quality. By developing and maintaining critical relationships with local officials, Caylyn and Eric are often able to deal with issues when they are still ideas, long before they are proposed as ordinances or regulations.
A good example of the behind-thescenes work they do occurred when Caylyn was reviewing the agenda of an upcoming council meeting of one of our suburban cities. She noticed a proposed regulation of “Open House” signs. One effect of the regulation would have been to limit open houses to Sunday afternoons only, which would have had a direct and detrimental impact on our Members’ ability to do business in that city. The city staff person didn’t realize that that’s what the regulation would have done. Diligent SAR staff and volunteer efforts took care of the issue before it went any further.
Continue reading: Working to Protect Your Ability to Do Business
Bonnie Becker Wednesday, March 30th, 2011
 SAVING YOU TIME
C.A.R. Enters the Blogosphere— Curious about the perils of refinancing? Longing for sage advice from a real estate lawyer? Wondering if the latest tech gadget is really worth the investment? Log on to the new C.A.R. blog (http://blog.car.org) for these and other timely posts. The resourceful blog offers tips of the trade, industry news, tech talk, first-person tales from the trenches, and more. C.A.R. staff members contribute to the easy-to-read blog, which includes new posts several times a week, but the blog also is open for guest blogging. If you have wise tips or stories of success you’d like to share with other members, contact Lindsey Moss at lindseym@car.org. However, be warned: This is a pitch-free zone, so submissions aren’t about self-promotion.
SAVING YOU MONEY
Two Days in Sacramento—Mark your calendars for early May to attend Legislative Day (May 4) and California REALTOR® Showcase (May 5) in Sacramento. Legislative Day offers members an opportunity to descend on Capitol Hill and meet with their state legislators to discuss issues that affect the real estate industry. The day starts with a morning briefing at 9 a.m. Members interested in attending can register through their local association. For more information, visit http://www.car.org/governmentaffairs/getinvolved/legday/. The following day, California REALTOR® Showcase serves up free seminars on the latest developments in social media, how to navigate a short sale transaction, and what industry top producers are doing to succeed in today’s market. In addition to a tabletop exhibit, California REALTOR® Showcase also will feature a luncheon lecture, “Why Lenders Can’t Lend: The Uncertain Future of Real Estate Finance,” presented by C.A.R. CEO Joel Singer. Tickets are $55 through April 28; $60 onsite. For more information, visit www.car.org/meetings/showcase.
Continue reading: C.A.R.’s Your Membership, Your Way April 2011
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