GRRA - Greensboro Regional REALTORS® Association, Inc.

From April 29, 2009 Report:

NCAR LEGISLATIVE MEETING UPDATE:

 

LEGISLATIVE DAY

 

Your Greensboro Regional REALTORS® Association leadership met with State Senators Don Vaughn, Katie Dorsett, and Phil Berger and Representatives Maggie Jeffus, Alma Adams and Earl Jones.  Representative Pricey Harrison gave us 47 seconds of her time after making us wait a half-hour for her.

 

Here are the issues we lobbied for:

 

1.    Repeal the Land Transfer Tax

 

Background:  A real estate transfer tax is paid by the seller when they sell their property. These taxes discourage homeownership, hurt economic development and are discriminatory, regressive and unreliable. 

 

The voters have now spoken, as the transfer tax has been rejected all 24 times it has been on the ballot by an average margin of 3-to-1. Legislators have an opportunity to respond by repealing the transfer tax authority given to counties.

 

2.   Approve Home Buyer Tax Credit

 

Background:  In North Carolina, we are facing economic challenges.  Even our real estate sector, historically the most stable and vibrant segment of our state’s economy, is dealing with adversity.  A homebuyer tax credit for the purchase of existing and new homes would be the ultimate stimulus and would help families attain the dream of homeownership.

 

3.   Improve the Home Inspector Licensure Act

 

Background:  The North Carolina General Assembly originally established a licensing system for home inspectors in 1994.  Since that time, the home inspector licensure laws have not been amended significantly and are in need of important modifications and improvements.

 

4.   Support the North Carolina Housing Trust Fund

 

Background:  The North Carolina Association of REALTORS® is committed to promoting homeownership and guaranteeing housing affordability.  Because of this commitment, we whole-heartedly support the North Carolina Housing Trust Fund.

 

The Housing Trust Fund is a dedicated resource for financing housing that is affordable to low-income persons.  All 100 countries have benefited from projects funded by the Trust Fund. Since 1987, the Housing Trust Fund has been used to finance homes for the first-time buyers; to build apartments for working families, seniors, and persons with disabilities; and, to make emergency home repairs to keep vulnerable people living independently.  The N.C. Housing Finance Agency pays the cost of administration and all state appropriations go directly into “bricks and mortar.”

 

5.   NOT TO SUPPORT Jordan Lake as written due to the faulty science and financial hardships it would put on our region.

 

6.   Support the High Point Furniture Market

 

7.   Support construction of the final phase of the Loop around Greensboro.

 

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