Dear CAR Member,
C.A.R. scored a legislative win a couple of weeks ago, when Gov. Newsom signed C.A.R.-sponsored AB 633 (Calderon) into law, which enacts the Uniform Partition of Heirs Property Act in California. This law helps protect those persons who inherit property where there are multiple heirs, but no will or trust exists. The law also provides mechanisms which favor market sales with real estate licensees, rather than a traditional probate court sale to ensure the best possible price for a property, should a sale of the property be necessary. Previously, if several heirs jointly inherited a property and there was no will, trust or other method of conveying the property at the time of the owner’s death, one heir could go to court to force the sale of the entire property, often at below-market rates. These forced partition sales often negatively impact communities of color or the financially disadvantaged because they tend not to have wills or trusts. The bill, which is part of C.A.R.’s-sponsored package of fair housing legislation, received strong bipartisan support in the legislature and didn’t receive any “No” votes. See additional background on the Uniform Law.
The federal eviction moratorium expired last weekend, except in areas of the country experiencing “substantial and high levels of community transmission” of the virus, where the CDC extended it through Oct. 3. While California’s eviction ban ends Sept. 30, the Executive Order would extend the eviction moratorium to Oct. 3 for nearly all California counties. (See the CDC COVID-19 transmission level map by county.) California cities and counties also are prohibited from adopting stricter eviction moratoria through March 31, 2022.
If you’re a housing provider, expanded rental assistance is now available to you under the California Rent Relief Program. The program provides financial assistance for unpaid rent to residential landlords with eligible tenants to recoup 100% of unpaid COVID-19 rent owed going back to April 1, 2020. Previously, landlords were limited (under state rules) to recouping 80%. To help guide you and your tenants through the rent relief available, C.A.R. has created a toolkit with resources and tools including a fact sheet, application information, explainer videos, flyers and social media graphics. Download the toolkit here.
Next up, let’s talk events. If you haven’t registered for the upcoming Branding Xperience Virtual Summit or REimagine! Real Estate Virtual Conference & Expo, now is the time! We’ve lined up branding gurus to teach you must-know personal branding strategies you can immediately put to work in your business at the first-ever Branding Xperience: A Virtual Summit. Join us on Aug. 25 for this member-exclusive event for only $10 to learn essential steps to stand out from the competition and gain more market share. Learn more and register at virtualxperience.org.
Also, make sure you also get your free ticket to the official CA REALTOR® Conference and Expo, REimagine! Real Estate, coming up Oct. 5-7. You’ll get a wealth of knowledge from sought-after industry leaders on the industry’s hottest topics, social media strategies, must-know marketing, the latest legal updates, DEI and fair housing, tech tools and tips, mental health and wellness, business planning and so much more. With both events, your registration includes access to replay all sessions on demand post-event at your convenience. Join thousands of other CA REALTORS® by registering for free now at reimagineexpo.org.
We’re less than a month away from our WomanUP!® Courageous Reinvention Workshops — a total of four unique workshops held over two days (Sept. 1-2) to help you plan your 2022 and develop the skills you need to get you there, no matter where you are in your real estate career. You’ll connect and engage with other leaders in the community and gather to hear the vision of inspiration leaders, share your wisdom and encourage one another. Day 1 is all about figuring out your next business steps. As a broker, have you started to structure your 2022 business plan and growth strategy? Are you an agent ready to upskill? And Day 2 workshops are dedicated to Leveling UP your sales and money mindset. You’ll learn how to grow your sales with less effort and rewire your income-limiting thought habits to reinvent your approach to selling, fear, money and more at WomanUP!® Get the full agenda and register online at iamwomanup.com.
Lastly, if you loved REALTOR® ReelMaker, the video marketing tool C.A.R. offers in connection with its consumer ad campaign, then you’ll love the latest changes. REALTOR® ReelMaker is now Content Studio, which includes brand new features, many of which you requested. Content Studio is a video marketing tool that allows you to customize a variety of C.A.R. consumer-focused commercials that highlight the benefits that REALTORS® provide their clients with your own video message. You can also upload your own video and stitch it with a personalized video message. Once created, the video is emailed to you to share with your clients or post on your social media pages, showing your expertise. Get more info here.
Sincerely,
Dave Walsh
C.A.R. President