Earlier today, NAR President Gary Thomas testified to the Senate Banking Committee about the impact a default would have on the housing market, calling it the type of event that would cause great harm to real estate’s recovery. Watch more below.
The new Military Relocation Professional Certification helps REALTORS® hone their knowledge and skills for working with veterans and active duty military buyers and sellers to ensure that homeownership remains affordable and accessible to them. President Gary Thomas explains more in his video below.
NAR’s 2013 Leadership Team and CEO Dale Stinton attended President Obama’s briefing on the current state of the economic recovery. REALTORS® were invited because of the critical role they played to stabilize and revitalize the real estate market. President Gary Thomas recaps in the video below.
Did you know that 45% of recent buyers used open houses to find their home? NAR encourages REALTORS® to participate in the upcoming Nationwide Open House Weekend, April 20-21, when REALTORS® will hold open houses in neighborhoods coast to coast. President Gary Thomas shares more about the Nationwide Open House Weekend in the video below, and talks about the buyers who are most likely to use open houses in their search for home.
2013 NAR Treasurer Bill Armstrong shares his experience on the The Real Estate Roundtable Board of Directors where they met with White House top advisors Valerie Jarrett and Gene Sperling, and where NAR’s message — Do No Harm to Housing — was heard loud and clear.
By Gary Thomas, 2013 NAR President
REALTOR® University is one of finest examples of the innovative thinking NAR is doing to meet the needs of REALTORS® in a rapidly changing industry.
REALTOR® University fosters lifelong learning. It is the only institution of higher education focused exclusively on real estate. Entirely online, REALTOR® University is geared toward busy schedules of REALTORS®.
As REALTOR® University begins the second year offering its Master of Real Estate degree program, it is well on its way to meeting its goal of creating the highest standard of professionalism and competency in the real estate industry. Find out more about getting your degree from REALTOR University in my video below.
by Gary Thomas, 2013 NAR President
I wanted to share with all REALTORS® the message that went to our members at the Newtown Board of REALTORS®, in Newtown, Conn., to let them know that the entire membership of NAR is sharing in their loss, and keeping them in our thoughts and prayers.
December 17, 2012
Ms. Eileen Brooks
2012 President
Newtown Board of REALTORS®
I write on behalf of the entire membership of the National Association of REALTORS® to express our deepest sympathies for the lives lost in last week’s tragic shooting. It is truly unfathomable to understand the tragedy, the loss of innocent lives and what it means to all of you who live there.
It is very difficult to accept that such terrible things happen in our world, especially in a town as quaint and traditional as Newtown. We understand that the incident has also touched your office, and our hearts go out to you.
Words seem inadequate to express the sadness of your loss, which is also our collective loss: young lives stopped before they had barely begun to unfold their promise.
If there is any comfort to be found, it was in the loving words offered by some of the family and loved ones of the victims. We should lean on the thoughts of Robbie Parker, whom you heard speak so eloquently about his own daughter Emilie.
He said, “Let it [be] something that inspires us to be better, to be more compassionate and humble people. Let us please keep the sentiments of love that we feel for our families, and the compassion that we feel for others—even complete strangers—and keep them with us at all times, not just in times of sorrow and tragedy. And may we do this so that we can better all of our communities, and all of our cities and all our states, so we can make everyone, everywhere in this country feel safe.”
We can’t say it any better. His words offer comfort and hope. Please know you are in our thoughts and prayers during this difficult time and always.
Sincerely,
Gary Thomas
2013 President
National Association of REALTORS®
by Gary Thomas, NAR President
I recently had a good meeting with leaders in Congress and reminded them why the mortgage interest deduction is vital to the stability of the American housing market and economy. See more in the video below. And if you haven’t already answered our related Call for Action to ask Congress to do no harm to housing, please do so now. Thanks!
Watch the video below and hear 2013 NAR President Gary Thomas talk about what’s in store for REALTORS in 2013.
- NAR President Moe Veissi celebrates the VA Home Loan Program with Department of Veterans Affairs officials and Elizabeth Carpenter, shown at left, who is the recipient of the 20th million loan through the program. Elizabeth’s son, Joey, rides his tricycle in the driveway of their new home.
by Moe Veissi, 2012 NAR President
I was honored today to celebrate the 20th million loan given by the Department of Veterans Affairs home loan program.
Even more special was meeting the recipients of that loan — Elizabeth Carpenter and her son Joey. Elizabeth’s husband, Captain Matthew Carpenter, was a West Point Graduate and a veteran of the Iraq war who died of cancer in December of 2010. Last month, Elizabeth used her surviving spouse benefits to purchase a home in Virginia to be closer to family. I can’t describe what a thrill it was to welcome her and Joey to their new home.
NAR President Moe Veissi and Elizabeth Carpenter
The VA loan guaranty, which began in 1944 under the GI bill, provides veterans with a zero-downpayment loan. VA loans have one of the lowest default rates, and provide affordable financing to our nation’s military families.
NAR is working in partnership with the Department of Veterans Affairs to promote the VA home loan guaranty, and assure REALTORS® are familiar with this program and the benefits it provides veterans and their families. We are proud to work closely with the Department of Veterans Affairs to ensure that the VA guaranteed home loan program is not only a top priority for our nation’s policy makers, but is also widely promoted so that every veteran is aware of home ownership’s invaluable benefits. NAR never stops working with our elected officials to ensure that home ownership is accessible and affordable for our nation’s veterans.
We are especially proud of our work with Congress that raised VA loan limits and make permanent the VA adjustable rate mortgages.
Congratulations to the Department of Veterans Affairs for creating one of the most enduring programs – the VA home loan program – and for reaching 20 million loans.
Learn more about this terrific program in the video below.
