california association of realtors: Realtors OPPOSE CA 'Homeowners Bill of Rights'. - 06/27/12 08:55 AM
California Homeowners Bill of Rights:
A Lesson in Political Expediency & Unintended Consequences.
California Attorney General Kamala Harris announced in a much heralded press release today that her 'California Homeowners Bill of Rights' has 'taken a key step toward passage'. Here's the key step - she bypassed every preliminary opportunity for the bill to be discussed, debated or voted on in either the Assembly or the Senate. What she did, or had her minions in the Legislature do for her, was have the bill introduced to a 'two-house conference committee' that voted this morning to pass the bill. That means tomorrow … (12 comments)

california association of realtors: The Building Industry says more taxes on homes will help the market. Really? - 04/05/11 11:30 AM
'It has come to our attention that the California Building Industry Association (CBIA) has issued a Call to Action urging its members to tell the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) to reject a proposed rule that would prohibit private transfer fees.  The California Association of Realtors strongly supports the prohibition and urges you to ignore the Call to Action from the CBIA if you or any of your members receive it.  C.A.R. is currently drafting a letter outlining its position on the issue for the FHFA.'
You may recall a couple years back when CAR tried to get our legislature to … (3 comments)

california association of realtors: California Association of Realtors asks Gov & Legislators - let the people decide. - 03/16/11 12:42 PM
C.A.R. today sent a letter to Gov. Jerry Brown and members of the California Legislature asking them to place the Governor’s budget framework on the June ballot.  The Governor’s budget framework calls for a $26 billion solution - half in the form of budget cuts and half in the form of revenue from the extension of existing taxes.
C.A.R. has not taken a position in support of tax extensions, but is only in support of putting the tax extensions on the June ballot to let California voters decide.
For more information, contact Christopher Carlisle, C.A.R.'s legislative advocate at (916) 492-5200.
I don't … (9 comments)

california association of realtors: New Anti-deficiency protection for short-sellers in CA. - 10/12/10 09:14 AM
 
 A ray of good news for homeowners in California. Lame-Duck Arnie actually signed a bill that will provide some relief for short-sellers starting 1/1/11. 
Existing law prohibits a deficiency judgment by the holder of a first trust deed on a property that has sold through foreclosure. SB931 extends that protection to short-sellers of a property as well. If the holder of a first trust deed or mortgage gives written consent to a short sale, that lender is obligated to accept the sale proceeds and discharge the remaining amount owed (the deficiency). Prior to this law, lenders could pursue a homeowner … (0 comments)

california association of realtors: EVERY CA Realtor becomes an advocacy investor. - 06/11/10 03:46 PM
I've been at our mid-year CAR meetings in Sacramento this week so will have lots to post in the coming days. But I did want to share some phenomenal news with you that at this afternoons Board of Directors session we passed the motion which will have EVERY Realtor becoming an investor in our advocacy effort. The past few years that burden has increasingly been borne by about 20% of us while CAR's lobbying stature has fallen from top 5 in the state to #33. This at a time when there are almost daily efforts to expand taxes on Realtors and … (1 comments)

california association of realtors: Proposition 16 - PG&E Perpetuates a Major Fraud On The Public. - 06/02/10 08:13 AM
We've all been absolutely bombarded by election ads this cycle. Even people who are into that sort of thing are tired of the bombast and we've still got a week to go.
But one of the loudest and most consistent campaigns is being waged by Pacific Gas & Electric for Proposition 16. And let me tell you there is no more cynical and fraudulent campaign on next weeks ballot than the battle over Prop 16.
PG&E has titled Prop 16 the 'Taxpayers Right to Vote Act'. That's a lie. The Proposition is about nothing more than perpetuating PG&E's utility monopoly and they've … (1 comments)

california association of realtors: California Ballot Propositions - Recommendations from CAR & SCLC - 06/02/10 07:02 AM
Both the California Association of Realtors and the Southwest California Legislative Council have published recommendations for next Tuesday's election on the various ballot propositions that you will find. The SCLC is in agreement with the positions supported by CAR and has also staked out positions on a couple of the measures that CAR determined to be 'Not Real Estate Related'. Feel free to use this voter guide to the upcoming elections and please contact me with any questions. I have also included links to both the CAR and SCLC websites for further clarification on why each organization took the position they … (0 comments)

california association of realtors: FPPC Releases $Billion Dollar State PAC Spending - 03/11/10 04:43 AM
If you want to play with the Big Boys, this is the arena they play in. We didn't make the top 15 but pulled in at #16. If you do the math, that $49 contribution from EVERY MEMBER only comes to $4.4 million. We invest just 16% of what the Teachers Union does, 31% of the SEIU, less than half of the Pechanga's. We did edge out the Correctional Workers this year but they already got their big raise a couple years ago. That was money well spent and part of the reason the state budget is in the dumper now. 
(2 comments)

california association of realtors: CA Realtor Action Fund - Your Best Investment In Real Estate - 02/18/10 09:21 AM
As a Realtor® you are part of one of the largest special interest groups in this country – the Realtor® Party, and you have a noble cause – preservation of the American Dream of home ownership. You may not like the idea of being a ‘special interest’ and you may disavow any inclination to participate in the political process that supports it, but that doesn’t change the facts.
Pericles summarized the concept in 500 BC when he said “Just because you don’t take an interest in politics doesn’t mean politics won’t take an interest in you.” I’ve updated that somewhat with … (0 comments)

california association of realtors: California Association of Realtors® Sponsors Eight Bills for 2010 Session - 02/08/10 04:49 AM

After a successful year spent playing defense against a variety of point-of-sale bills and several tax measures aimed at Realtors®, the California Association of Realtors® is going back on the offense this year with eight new bills we are sponsoring. A sponsored bill is one that we author and then find a legislative sponsor - either Senator or Assembly member - to carry the bill for us. The selection of an author is a critical process as some bills have greater appeal to Democrats, others have more appeal to Republicans, some appeal to both in equal measure and some have … (3 comments)

california association of realtors: CAR Takes a Position on June Ballot Measures - 02/08/10 03:23 AM
At last weeks Board of Directors meeting the California Association of Realtors® took the following positions on upcoming ballot propositions:
Proposition 14 - Elections: Open Primaries Legislative Constitutional Amendment. Neutral    It was voted in committee and brought forward to the General BOD that this issue was 'Not Real Estate Related' but after some floor debate membership determined it has enough impact on real estate to warrant our involvement in the issue.Proposition 16 - New 2/3 Requirement for Public Electricity Providers: Against    It was determined by committee that this proposition, supported by PG&E, is aimed at stifling competition by privately owned utility … (0 comments)

california association of realtors: No More Free Ride - CAR Votes for Mandatory Political Investment Starting 2011. - 02/07/10 07:17 AM

At our Mid-Winter Board of Directors meeting this past Saturday, the California Association of Realtors® overwhelmingly voted on a motion out of the Political Affairs Committee to begin assessing every Realtor® the amount of $49 effective in 2011 for the purpose of funding our political activities. 
At the urging of the Government Affairs Director sub-forum, CAR adopted the concept during our October meetings, directing legal staff to determine the most efficient way to implement the policy. The determination, published as an Issues Briefing Paper prior to Januarys meeting, recommended a 'political assessment opt-over approach', which was ultimately the direction voted on by … (2 comments)

california association of realtors: FHA 90 Day Anti-Flipping Rule Under Attack - 10/12/09 02:13 PM
In addition to the Action Items summarized in the previous article, CAR Legislative Agenda Shapes Up, there was another Action Item that came before the 526th Board of Directors session on October 10, that being a motion from the Real Estate Finance Committee. 
By way of background, here's a brief primer on how things happen at our state association level. Any member can bring forward an issue through their local association representatives for consideration at the state level. The matter is brought into the committee structure so that a decision can be made on whether the matter is appropriate, whether the impact … (30 comments)

california association of realtors: C.A.R. 2010 Legislative Agenda Shapes Up. - 10/12/09 10:58 AM


On October 10, The California Association of Realtors in it's 526th session, brought forward a number of 'Action Items' that will result in forward progress and, in some cases,  calls on C.A.R. to sponsor and/or support legislative action. 
C.A.R.'s legislative agenda contains several ways to address issues. The call to 'SPONSOR' legislation is our highest level of action requiring a significant commitment of time and resources to accomplishing our goal. This generally means drafting a bill, finding a legislator to carry it on our behalf, and involves significant efforts by our lobbyists and members to ensure the success of … (0 comments)

california association of realtors: California Statewide MLS Goes Live - Demo Available Here - 09/08/09 05:17 AM
Last year, after prolonged debate, the California Association of Realtors set out a plan to migrate all MLS services statewide onto a single platform. Dubbed calREDD (California Real Estate Dynamic Data), a committee was assigned the task to 'develop the ideal MLS system without any pre-conceived ideas' based on the premise of creating a single database with rich content for ALL California real property. In other words - starting from scratch, design your ideal MLS system.
Less than a year later, the calREDD system is in place. It has been in Beta test for some months now and recently started … (0 comments)

california association of realtors: CAR Legislative Day - Some Good, Some Bad & Some Ugly - 06/09/09 05:02 AM
I'll be posting more specifics for you from our Sacramento Legislative trip last week, but just wanted to share a couple observations.
Wednesday was Legislative Day. In addition to our CAR Directors, we always bring up a few folks with us for that day - folks who have made an investment in our Realtor Action Fund of at least $197. It's always a great day - including a terrific speech by former  (and future?) Governor Jerry Brown, legislative updates from our lobbyists, our march on the capitol photo op, visits with our Legislators and the Capitol Reception in the evening. For … (4 comments)

california association of realtors: California Update on AB957 - Buyers Choice in Escrow Bill - 05/05/09 09:37 AM
Here is the latest information on AB 957, the Buyers Choice of Escrow Bill. The California Association of Realtors initially opposed this bill because it opened the door for increased costs passed along to prospective Buyers. The author agreed to amend the bill clarifying this issue and protecting fair negotiations in compliance with federal RESPA regulation allowing CAR to drop it's opposition. 
Assemblymember Cathleen Galgiani, author of the bill, represents the 17th District of California. The 17th District is centered on Stockton and includes neighboring Merced, Tracy & Los Banos - perennial favorites along with our area of Riverside County for … (0 comments)

california association of realtors: California Association of Realtors Links to ActiveRain Fraud Group - 01/29/09 09:31 AM
The Mortgage Fraud Task Force launched by the Southwest Riverside County AOR and the Inland Valley AOR almost 5 years ago, recently held a multi-regional meeting during the California Association of Realtors Mid-Winter Business Meetings in Monterey. What started as an effort to educate the public, law enforcement and Realtor members about the mortgage fraud abuses going on at the time has morphed much like the fraud we are trying to eradicate. In a general sense, our mission has expanded to include not only mortgage fraud but elder-abuse & reverse mortgage fraud, short-sale scams, foreclosure rescue scams and so on. In … (18 comments)

california association of realtors: California Moves Forward with Statewide MLS. - 01/27/09 03:29 AM
At our mid-winter Legislative Meetings in Monterey last week the California Association of Realtors moved forward with it's proposed statewide MLS system. The process, which started over 2 years ago, has now moved to the critical phase of product development and augmentation.
Last week CAR debuted a new brand for the product previously referred to as just the CalMLS system. The program will now be known as CalREDD, or California Real Estate Dynamic Data, a wholly owned subsidiary of the California Association of Realtors. CAR also announced vendor selection for development of the system naming Rocklin California based Concentric as the … (1 comments)