Call To Action
by Pam Simpson
The Kudzu Vine
This post has been brewing for some time now. All that was needed was for something to spur me into action and I got that "something" yesterday from reading Kevin Sandridge's post on H.R. 600. I found Kevin's blog by way of Jeff Belonger in his Mortgage Pro Week in Reviewpost. H.R. 600 is a bill to reinstate downpayment assistance.
There has been endless debate over whether these seller funded DPA programs should be allowed. The main point of this blog is not to debate them further; however, I will say that I have not had a single buyer who used a downpayment assistance program default on their mortgage loan. I know there is some statistic out there that says otherwise, but you could not prove it by my experience. Many states have their own form of "downpayment assistance" in the way of bond programs and there are also VA and USDA $0 down loans. I see no difference.
After reading Kevin's post on H.R. 600, I paid a visit to the U.S. Congress website. I found out that this bill is presently in the House Committee on Financial Services. I found my Congressman's website and sent an email to let him know how I felt about this issue.
Then, it occurred to me that I have not seen a "Call To Action" email that NAR (National Association of REALTORS) sends out when it wants its members to contact their Representatives. That's when the brewing really picked up. Why are they not informing their members about proposed bills that affect the housing industry?
The last time I blindly followed a NAR call to action, I later found out it contained an item with which I strongly disagree - abolishing the downpayment assistance programs.
The old saying comes to mind: Fool me once-shame on you. Fool me twice-shame on me.
I am not a NAR basher. I think they have done a lot of good for the real estate profession and the housing industry, but I feel I can no longer trust them to look after MY best interests. If anyone from NAR happens to stumble upon this, please get with the program! This is not the 1970s. Your membership is no longer a bunch of blue-haired old ladies who got into real estate to socialize. Some of us have chosen this as a profession. We are running a business. We are serious and we expect more out of the organization that claims to be the voice of REALTORS. The more NAR, as an organization, shows its irrelevance and out-of-touch attitude, the quicker its dues paying membership will dwindle.
I debated about making this post "Members Only", but decided it would be good for the general public to see some of the issues we deal with. Real estate is not all about flashing a smile and driving people around. SomeMost of us really care about our clients, and the housing industry as a whole. We want to stay informed about legislative issues and regulations that affect us and our clients. Thank goodness for networks like Active Rain. We certainly can't rely on NAR to keep us informed.
So, here is my own Call To Action. Whether you are for downpayment assistance programs or against; whatever the issue, contact your representative and let them know how you feel. They are supposed to be working for us. Let them hear our voices!
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About the author:
Pam Simpson is an Assoc. Broker with Bob Leigh & Associates, LLC in Northwest MS. Copyright© 2009 by Pam Simpson. All rights reserved...***Call To Action***
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