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Congress Clears Latest Coronavirus Relief Bill to Replenish Funding
The U.S. House passed legislation Thursday, April 23, providing a fresh round of funding for coronavirus small-business relief programs championed by the National Association of REALTORS® and available to REALTORS® through the CARES Act. The Senate passed the bill on Tuesday, April 21.
President Trump is expected to sign the measure, which will clear the way for lending to resume as early as Friday, April 24 under two Small Business Administration programs, the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) Program.
Under the agreement, the PPP will receive $310 billion in new cash, while the EIDL fund will receive an additional $60 billion. The bill sets aside $60 billion of the PPP funding for small and medium-sized community banks, which will provide extra help for self-employed individuals and small businesses that don’t have relationships with larger banks.
NAR’s Federal Advocacy team has been working closely with Congress and the Administration to ensure the interests of REALTORS® and their clients are protected in any federal action in response to COVID-19. Many REALTORS® are small businesses, or work with them as clients. In the most recent relief package passed into law, the "Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act" or CARES Act, there were significant provisions aimed at assisting small businesses during this difficult time. The CARES Act appropriates more than $360 billion total for new Small Business Administration (SBA) programs - the 7(a) Paycheck Protection Program loans and the Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) advance grants program.
Provided below are a number of Q&As to address frequent questions about who is eligible and how to apply for these brand new programs created by the Administration. We continue to learn more about these relief measures daily and will update this document as events warrant.
During this unprecedented time, the National Association of REALTORS® understands that access to health care options may be top of mind for members. Telemedicine is playing an essential role today as we navigate uncharted territory and the need for virtual healthcare.
NAR is supporting members by funding 2 months of Members TeleHealth as a benefit for those who do not currently have access to telemedicine, with an ongoing significantly-reduced rate available for members thereafter.
Congress Clears Coronavirus Rescue Bill Filled with REALTOR® Benefits
The U.S. House of Representatives passed a historic $2.2 trillion COVID-19 rescue package Friday, sending it to President Trump for his signature.
The bill contains numerous benefits for REALTORS® that NAR fought hard for during the past three weeks, including unemployment eligibility for the self-employed and independent contractors; unprecedented aid for small businesses; and a delay in business payroll tax payments.
“This bill will go a long way to help people through these next weeks until the economy can open up again,” said Shannon McGahn, senior vice president of government affairs for NAR. “This is the third and largest rescue package to-date, and we are already working with Congressional leaders on round four.”
“The real estate industry supports nearly 10 million jobs in the United States and makes up 17% of our economy,” McGahn continued. “Congress understands that a strong housing market will lead the economic recovery.”
COVID-19 RESOURCES AND GUIDANCE UPDATE MARCH 26, 2020
Mississippi REALTORS®, MAR Staff and General Counsel Ron Farris, have been working diligently through the Standard Forms Advisory Committee to draft and post forms designed to cover commonly occurring or anticipated scenarios caused by the current Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Four new forms have been created and will be posted for member access on the MAR Web site and on zipForms and dotloop. The Addendum to the F1 Contract is currently accessible, and it is expected the other three forms will follow within 24 to 48 hours.
COVID-19 Addendum to the F1 Contract for the Sale and Purchase of Real Estate (F1)
COVID-19 Addendum to the Mississippi REALTORS® Residential Lease Agreement (F3)
COVID-19 Addendum to the Mississippi REALTORS® Listing Agreement (F4)
COVID-19 Disclosure and Waiver Regarding Physical Property Showing or Inspection
During this period of rapid change and uncertainty, we’re here to help you serve your customers while also keeping yourself, your family and community healthy and safe. The necessary restrictions in response to the COVID-19 pandemic make customary, in-person, interactions like Open Houses and Home Tours difficult if not impossible (or even illegal in some markets). Adapting to these restrictions while continuing to make the market work, many MLSs are cancelling in-person open houses and exploring all possibilities to hold “virtual” open houses online. To facilitate, we’ve added the ability for you to schedule virtual open houses and tours of homes in Flexmls Web.
Cases of COVID-19 continue to be identified in U.S. states and in Mississippi. This is a rapidly changing situation that is continually being monitored by the CDC and MSDH as more cases in the U.S. are expected.
Mississippians are advised to take health precautions to prevent the possible transmission of disease, and stay in touch for the latest information on the situation in Mississippi.
