Dear Member,
Over the past few months, I’ve kept you informed of the flood insurance bill. I’m happy to tell you President Obama signed the “Homeowner Flood Insurance Affordability Act” into law last month. This law repeals FEMA’s authority to increase premium rates at time of sale or new flood map, and refunds the excessive premium to those who bought a property before FEMA warned them of the rate increase. The bill limits premium increases to 18 percent annually on newer properties and 25 percent for some older ones. The bill also adds a small assessment on policies until everyone is paying full cost for flood insurance. C.A.R. and NAR both lobbied to ease new onerous flood insurance requirements, which were having a negative impact on the housing market.
I hope by now you’ve been able to catch one of the television ads from C.A.R.’s 2014 consumer advertising campaign, which launched earlier this month. Now in its second year, the “Ripple” campaign connects the dots between REALTORS® and the California economy, illustrating how a Champion of Home can help consumers close on their dreams and, together, benefit the entire state. This year, we have an exclusive television partnership with Broadcast Network NBC. C.A.R.’s television commercials will run on popular TV shows such as “The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon,” “The Today Show,” “The Voice,” “America’s Got Talent,” “The Dr. Oz Show,” and “Ellen.” Radio commercials will dominate Friday drive times on Clear Channel radio stations in San Francisco, Sacramento, Los Angeles, and San Diego. Learn more details about the campaign, including an exciting giveaway, a social media offering, and online/mobile ads. I encourage you to use this campaign in your own marketing materials to promote the value that you bring to the transaction and the positive effect REALTORS® have on California’s economy.
Meeting with our state’s legislators to discuss the issues that affect you and your livelihood the most is extremely important. That’s why it’s essential that you attend Legislative Day 2014 at the Sacramento Convention Center on Wednesday, April 30. Attending Legislative Day not only is a great investment in your business, it also provides you with an opportunity to hear from the state’s most dynamic political leaders and C.A.R.’s Leadership. California Gov. Jerry Brown has been confirmed again as a speaker at Legislative Day 2014 for the third straight year. You won’t want to miss Gov. Brown discuss the link between grassroots legislative involvement and the success of your business. If you’ve never been to Legislative Day, C.A.R. is hosting two “Legislative Day 101” free webinars to provide you with information about Legislative Day, including what to expect on the day of the event, logistics, and how to prepare for Legislative Day office visits. Register for one of the two upcoming webinars: Tuesday, April 22, 9 a.m. – 10 a.m. or Thu, April 24, 11 a.m. – 12 noon
On the subject of legislative issues, as you know, much of what C.A.R. does in the legislative arena not only affects REALTORS®, but also your clients. To help you keep your clients up-to-date on what’s happening legislatively and how it could impact them, C.A.R.’s Government Affairs Team has created “Homeowner Legislative Facts.” This monthly compilation of articles about consumer-related laws and legislation can be found here. To share articles with your clients, simply copy and paste the articles into your own blog, website, or other marketing materials.
While you’re in Sacramento, plan to attend C.A.R.’s Midyear Luncheon titled, “The Housing Dilemma: Sustaining California’s Housing Market,” with C.A.R. CEO Joel Singer. Singer will give his insight into some of today’s top industry issues such as how affordability, new construction, demographics, and the role of the first-time home buyer will impact the future of housing. Save $10 off the regular price and purchase your tickets now for only $55. Tickets may be available on-site for $65, but this event is guaranteed to sell out so REGISTER TODAY AND SAVE $10. For more information and to purchase luncheon tickets.
Lastly, if you haven’t had a chance to nominate someone for C.A.R.’s Champions of Home Award, you now have a little more time to do so. The deadline for entries has been extended to May 14. Nominating a colleague for this award is a great way to recognize the contribution he or she has made to our industry. The award honors REALTORS® who’ve made a meaningful impact by going far above and beyond what’s expected of them in service to their clients. A Champion of Home is a California REALTOR® who changes clients’ lives for the better, raises the standards for others, inspires by example, and possesses unimpeachable ethics.
Recipients will be honored at CALIFORNIA REALTOR® EXPO in Anaheim in October. Their stories will be told with a video shown at the awards ceremony and a feature article in California Real Estate magazine. Visit http://on.car.org/cohawards for complete information and nomination forms or contact cohawards@car.org or 213-739-8320 with questions. Nominations will be accepted through May 14, 2014.
I hope to see you in Sacramento.
Sincerely,
Kevin Brown
2014 President
CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®