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Serving the Business Needs of OUR Professionals
2012 May - June
NAR Director’s Report Michael McGreevy GCAAR President-Elect, NAR Director
Hot Town Summer in the City!
Once again, GCAAR and DCAR were the host local and state associations respectively for the annual NAR (National Association of REALTORS®) Midyear meetings held in the Calvert/Woodley Park area of our nation’s capital. During the meetings we accomplished a great deal, learned a lot, and even found time to have fun with REALTORS® from both near and far. Many of our local members that attended (for free I might add) participated in the meetings, attended the REALTOR® Rally (see the separate story in this issue), and had a blast at the Trade Show and the social events in our own backyard meetings. DCAR sponsored a reception for our members and for guests from around the region and the country. Ed Downs, DCAR President and NAR Director, served as host during the afternoon reception held at the Wardman Park Marriott. It’s a tradition that was started by GCAAR years ago that brings us in contact with agents and brokers from across the country. It was great to see the turn out by so many of our members.
BOARD BRIEFING
The GCAAR Board of Directors met on April 27, 2012 in our Rockville, Maryland office. The Board welcomed 2012 Maryland Association of REALTORS® (MAR) President Pat Terrill. President Pat congratulated the Association for the great turnout at the “Rally to Save the MID” in Annapolis, and updated the Board on MAR activities and the ongoing challenges facing the housing industry in the Maryland legislature. President Pat was also on hand to help the Board congratulate Samar Caverly and La Crisha Butler, GCAAR members who recently graduated from the MAR Leadership Academy.
FORMS
The Contract and Clause Committee updated, and the Board approved, the release of the revised Buyer/Tenant Agency Agreement. The Property Management Committee is working on a revised Rental Application.
One of the most interesting opportunities I had at these meetings is attending the roundtables for the Presidents-Elect from all the other associations in the U.S. It’s a great venue to discuss trends in real estate from across the country, government policy issues that are facing other REALTORS®, the state of the market, and even how to run an association more efficiently and effectively. Now I’d like to share some great news! I’m happy to report that our NAR dues will remain the same for 2013. I and the other NAR Directors felt that we, as a professional association, are well positioned to represent both REALTORS® and homeownership with the resources we have. While markets continue to change, the fundamental principle that owning a home builds a strong community and personal security is the bedrock of our profession. We’ll continue our very popular REALTOR® ad campaign on TV, radio, and print ads throughout the year, as well as lobby and support those in government who believe in homeownership. As GCAAR’s President-Elect and a NAR Director, I plan to attend the NAR Convention in Orlando later this year and would love to see many of you there as well. It’s a great opportunity to network with REALTORS® from across the world, obtain valuable education in real estate trends, and take a well-deserved break. I hope you can join me there, and I look forward to continued progress and improvement for our real estate community. -Michael McGreevyMichael McGreevy is the President-Elect of GCAAR and a NAR Director. He can be reached at MVP@LNF.COM
Jennifer Hughes, Director of the Montgomery County Office of Management and Budget talked about the budget challenges in the County with Board and Public Policy Committee members at the April meeting. Montgomery County Planning Board Chair Francoise Carrier spoke at the May Public Policy meeting.
DEVELOPMENT ROUNDTABLES
The 2012 Development Roundtable series kicked off with a presentation on the Greater Seneca Science Corridor. Over 70 members attended to learn about the planned development that could attract up to 60,000 jobs over the next 20 years. Stay tuned for details on the Roundtables planned for Silver Spring, Bethesda, and the DC Waterfront area.
Committee Luncheon April 23
REALTOR® Party
GCAAR members have already invested over $120,000 in the REALTOR® Party (RPAC) in 2012! Please support the REALTOR® Party and make your 2012 investment today! Invest online at www.gcaar.com.
SPEAKER SERIES
The Public Policy Committee continued the 2012 Speaker Series with Montgomery County Transit Task Force Chair Mark Winston, who outlined the Task Force’s work on a county-wide mass transit proposal which will be presented to County Executive Leggett in May.
Capital Area REALTOR®
Committees chat with President Bonnie Casper
Committed Chairs and liaisons met at GCAAR on April 23 to touch base on how the committees were working so far – a promise made by President Bonnie Casper to get the pulse of the committees periodically throughout the year.