Capital AreaRealtor®
ServingtheBusinessNeedsof OUR Professionals
2011 May- June
services. They also worked to support online continuing education and to stop the raid on the District’s Guaranty Fund. • 30% goes to GCAAR, our local association. RPAC worked on behalf of GCAAR to oppose mandatory energy audits and to defeat a mandatory noise disclosure.
50,000 Good Reasons I Support RPAC Reduced to Three Words:
INVEST, PROTECT, INSURE Carole Maclure, CRB, ABRM NAR Hall of Fame $50,000+ Tier, Golden R, Presidents Circle Long and Foster REALTORS®
RPAC is the best INVESTment I can make in my career. RPAC is my REALTOR® party—not my political affiliation—which allows me to work with both Republicans and Democrats to promote REALTOR®friendly legislation, or to oppose legislation that inhibits our business. By promoting our interests and opposing those things that would stand in the way of our business, RPAC offers us a tremendous return on our investment. RPAC works at the federal, state and local levels of our government to PROTECT our business: • 30% goes to NAR for work on Capitol Hill, where RPAC worked to keep the mortgage interest deduction in and banks out of our business. • 40% goes to our state associations, MAR and WDCAR. RPAC worked on their behalf to oppose the “flush” tax and the tax on
DC Public Policy Update, continued from page 22 To expand access to property tax relief for low-income residents living in D.C. by increasing the Schedule H income requirement ceiling from $20,000 to $50,000, by increasing the maximum benefit from $750 to $1,000, by changing the existing property tax equivalent amount from 15% to 20%, by allowing a tax filing unit to apply per household instead of one person filing per household, by adding a cost of living adjustment to the Schedule H, and by simplifying the property tax rate structure currently in place. B19-173, “Sunday Service Parking Act of 2011”. To require the Mayor to issue procedures, for Council approval, allowing religious institutions the ability to apply for diagonal parking on Sundays with the approval of neighboring residents. B19-174, “Business Corridor Parking Expansion Act of 2011”. To require the Mayor to issue procedures, for Council approval, allowing business corridors the ability to apply for diagonal parking with the approval of at least 60% of business licensees located in the corridor. B19-190, “Tenant Security Deposits Clarification Amendment Act of 2011” To amend the Housing Regulations to clarify that the Office of Administrative Hearings may adjudicate complaints for the non-
RPAC is a way to INSURE our future, by supporting those who spend their time advocating all that is good for the business of real estate. It gives us a seat at the table—an opportunity to make our voices heard—to invest in, protect and insure our business so that it may thrive. Together our participation will allow our REALTOR® party to continue its very important work on behalf of the consumer and our industry. I invite you all to join me, and to take a seat at the table.
Why I Support RPAC Elizabeth Blakeslee, CRS, GRI Associate Broker Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage
The decision to contribute to RPAC is very simple for me. My REALTOR® associations are the consistent voices for homeowner issues at every level, promoting and protecting home ownership. My REALTOR® associations are watchdogs for encroachments on property rights. My REALTOR® associations are the consistent voices for the real estate profession. RPAC seeks out and supports candidates whose philosophies and more important, actions, are pro-real estate. RPAC monitors and notifies real estate professionals about issues that affect their business. RPAC is the perfect partner for every real estate practitioner and should be supported in its mission to advance their mutual interests. See our current list of RPAC Donors on page 24.
return of tenant security deposits as well as the nonpayment of interest on tenant security deposits; and to clarify that any housing provider who in bad faith fails to return a security deposit rightfully owed to a tenant, or fails to pay the interest on the security deposit, is liable to the tenant for treble damages. B19-217, “Residential Parking Protection Act of 2011” To ensure that full-time students who reside within the boundaries of the District of Columbia shall not be issued or use a reciprocity parking sticker for out of state vehicles. Bill 19-248, “Clean Hands Amendment Act of 2011” To reinstate the prohibition on the issuance of a license or permit to an applicant who has not filed a required District tax return. B19-250, “Visitability Requirements Act of 2012” To require all newly-constructed, District financial-assisted, singlefamily homes and townhomes to meet minimum standards of visitability for persons with disabilities. Bill 19-257, “Real Estate Broker Licensure Exemption Act of 2011”. To amend Chapter 28 of Title 47 of the District of Columbia Office Code to exempt from real estate broker licensure principals, officers and staff members of an entity that perform leasing activities to the extent that such person’s services are limited to leasing, renting or collection of rents involving real property owned in whole or in part by such entity and/or its affiliates.
23