Voices of Real Estate

I received “word” today that my blog for this month is late. Despite what the messenger thinks, I actually enjoy writing…..being late doesn’t mean I’m not having fun. It just means (hopefully) that I’m busy.

In fact, I’ve traveled to Washington, D.C., three times in the last 45 days or so to work on health care legislation – specifically, the SHOP Act and the CHOICE Act. While these two pieces of legislation do different things, they actually complement each other and show that NAR is sensitive to the various needs and problems members like you encounter. Testifying before Congress is a great experience. And, I have found that the Members of Congress I have had interaction with truly understand our concerns and want to work with us to resolve them – which brings me to the real purpose of my blog today…

As most of you know by now, Congress passed, and President Bush signed, the Housing and Economic Recovery Act. Many Realtors® (and others) have told us that we (tax-payers) shouldn’t help bail out those who willingly spent beyond their means. While I agree with many of the thoughts that have been forwarded to NAR, I also feel very strongly that we need to do SOMETHING that will get America’s real estate market, and thus the overall economy, back on track.

Recently, NAR President Dick Gaylord wrote a note to a member who was unhappy with the Association’s position regarding the Housing and Economic Recovery Bill. He explained that, as volunteers, we are trying to do the “right thing” for our members and for real estate. Resolving the current issues in our markets is difficult and time consuming for everyone. Frankly, only time will tell if the provisions in this bill will help and, if so, how well.

The important thing is not whether we agree with EVERY aspect of the bill, but that, while others stood on the sidelines and wondered WHAT to do, REALTORS took action. I think we all can agree that real estate is the lynchpin for our nation’s economy. We took a stab at fixing a problem for the benefit of our members and for our country, and we can be proud to say that NAR is working to keep our economy and our businesses strong and growing.

On that note, I encourage everyone to enjoy the rest of the Summer, while Congress is on recess. Soon, those of us in the northeast will be showing properties in the snow!! -- Jim Helsel, 2008 NAR Treasurer