Welcome | Calendar | Issues | Links | REBIC | Sign Ordinance
Charlotte Regional Realtor® Association Legislative Priorities
The Charlotte Regional Realtor® Association (CRRA) intends to successfully promote housing affordability, protect rights of property owners, and advocate for improvements to the real estate industry at the local, state and national levels. Below is an overview of the issues that the CRRA Board of Directors, RPAC/Legislative Committee and staff will engage in on behalf of its members.Homeownership
Voice for Realtors®CRRA will advocate, promote and protect the rights of its members. CRRA will keep the Realtor® point of view at the center of all discussions and promote the real estate industry throughout the community.
Limit Housing Taxes
Charlotte's housing affordability puts our region at a competitive advantage and facilitates greater economic development. Housing affordability is also a key factor in the high quality of life that we enjoy. The reasons that we have great housing affordability is because we don't have an overabundance of fees and taxes that increase the cost of housing.
State and local governments, however, have intensified their campaign for transfer tax and impact fee authority. CRRA will continue to defend the rights of home buyers and sellers while campaigning against transfer taxes.
Oppose Taxing Services
There is renewed discussion about the idea of taxing services. This would have a significant impact on housing affordability as virtually all real estate services involved in a home sale would be subjected to a sales tax. Realtors® have been instrumental in forming a coalition of groups to defeat this measure.
Promote Housing Affordability
A home is more than a shelter; it is an investment and a dream-come-true that symbolizes who we are. Realtors® seek to defend the special needs of first-time homeowners and others needing financial assistance by supporting local programs and services that assist with homeownership.
Support Housing Trust Funds
No one appreciates the importance of homeownership more than Realtors®. We will continue to support funding of the North Carolina Housing Trust Fund, the Charlotte Housing Trust Fund and other local housing-finance agencies to provide financing for affordable housing in the Charlotte community.
Improve Homeownership and Consumer Protection
Our legislative efforts will continue to combat mortgage fraud and unscrupulous, non-licensed real estate activity. Realtors® will work on legislation to improve the regulation of home inspectors and appraisers, as well as to protect access to homeowner's insurance.
Protect the Rights of Property Owners
The rights of property owners are constantly under attack by local governments. Development moratoria, transfers of development rights, inclusionary zoning, urban-growth boundaries, and adequate public-facilities ordinances threaten the value and usability of property. Realtors® seek to keep the rights of property owners at the center of the decision-making process.
Safeguard Consumers
What sets Realtors® apart from real estate agents is adhering to a code of ethics. All Realtors® are bound by local, state and national laws. Realtors® continue to protect consumers by following the Federal Fair Housing Act and are prohibited from any form of discrimination. Realtors® will continue to work with elected leaders to limit discrimination and raise the standards of the real estate profession to serve all citizens equally.
Quality of Life
Advocate for Equitable Funding of InfrastructureIn lieu of taxes and fees that target the housing sector, Realtors® will continue to support fiscal measures that are equitable. Realtors® will also continue to have a strong voice in discussions about funding various infrastructures, such as roads, public schools, and water and sewer lines.
Prevent Onerous Environmental and Land-Use Regulations
Realtors® support safe, clean environments that are sustainable for future generations. However, Realtors® oppose punitive environmental regulations that serve to increase housing costs unnecessarily. Restrictive land-use measures proposed by no-growth advocates not only negatively affect housing costs, but they also violate private-property rights. Realtors® support voluntary, common-sense programs that will promote a healthy community.
Support Quality Education
Every child in our community deserves a quality education. Realtors® often work with clients whose priority is to locate a school that meets the needs of their families. Realtors® will continue to promote choice, accountability and accessibility to all levels of education.
Prioritize Transportation
Mecklenburg County continues to be a donor county when it comes to tax dollars collected to fund state road construction and maintenance. CRRA joins other Charlotte-area organizations to support maintaining the integrity of the Highway Trust Fund and equitable funding for new roads and maintenance and improvement of existing roads in the Charlotte region.
Provide Choices in Transportation
In a growing community, it is important that we support municipal and state governments as they meet the transportation needs of our community. Realtors® support continuing to build and maintain our broad network of roads, while supporting transit and mass-transportation options.
Support Economic Development
Economic development and growth of a community go hand in hand. Homes are where jobs go to sleep at night. CRRA will work with the Charlotte Chamber and other chambers of commerce in the region to support recruiting business and industry to our region.
Support Arts in Community
A thriving cultural community is as important to residents and future homebuyers as schools and infrastructure. CRRA supports arts-and-cultural funding through contributions to the Arts and Science Council. CRRA will continue to support culture through neighborhood and community-based projects involving arts, science, history and heritage.
Advocate for Affordable Health Care
Access to affordable health insurance has increasingly become an issue for Realtors®. Nationally in 1996, 13 percent of Realtors® were uninsured; by 2006, 28 percent - roughly 360,000 Realtors® - had no health insurance. A broad coalition of trade organizations, including the National Association of Realtors® (NAR), support legislation that would allow small businesses to join together through their trade associations to form small-business health plan programs (SBHP). SBHP would allow these firms to pool their risks and collectively negotiate for health-insurance coverage for firm employees, principals and the self-employed.
Keep Banks out of Real Estate
For the past two centuries, Congress has mandated the separation of banking and commerce, maintaining that real estate was not "financial in nature" and that real estate activities are not closely associated with banking. Real estate services are inherently commercial activities and apply to a broad range of activities involved in the day-to-day management and brokerage of real estate activities. NAR continues to support the Community Choice in Real Estate Act, which would prohibit financial holding companies and national banks from engaging, directly or indirectly, in real estate brokerage or real estate management activities.
  Equal Housing Opportunity
|
| © 1999-2008 Charlotte Regional Realtor® Association. All rights reserved. |
| REALTOR® -- A Registered collective membership mark that identifies a real estate professional who is a member of the National Association of REALTORS® and subscribes to its strict Code of Ethics. |
