As leaders of Associations and MLSs, it is imperative that every Board member, CEO and Association Executive remember their core goal – to help REALTORS® thrive for the long haul by arming them with the best information, service, and support we can. Read More
Mississippi Association of REALTORS® Political Action Committee (MARPAC), the political arm of the Mississippi REALTORS®, announces its endorsement of Lynn Fitch for Attorney General of Mississippi.
Mississippi Association of REALTORS® Political Action Committee (MARPAC), the political arm of the Mississippi REALTORS®, announces its endorsement of Delbert Hosemann for Lieutenant Governor of Mississippi.
A tremendous amount of energy and money has been invested into moving consumers from a digital experience into an agent relationship. Consumer research performed by the National Association of REALTORS® regularly indicates that consumers start their process of buying or selling online before connecting with a Realtor®. I do not think anyone denies it. Read More
The other night I was driving down a main thoroughfare near where I live, and the traffic was heavy. This street is less than 500 yards from our home. And while we’re not adjacent to it, when we bought our house over 20 years ago, we were concerned about traffic noise.
Yet in the winter, we never hear the traffic. It’s mainly because we have double-pane windows. Read More
WASHINGTON (February 7, 2019) – With over 400 people on hand for the National Association of Realtors®’ Housing Finance Reform Policy Forum, NAR today unveiled a new vision for reforming the GSEs. Read More
Every agent and broker knows they SHOULD have accurate square footage that they measured themselves or hired a professional for, yet many today still rely on square footage listed in public records without any verification of accuracy. Read More
WASHINGTON (January 22, 2019) – After two consecutive months of increases, existing-home sales declined in the month of December, according to the National Association of Realtors®. None of the four major U.S. regions saw a gain in sales activity last month. Read More
WASHINGTON (January 14, 2019) – Homeowners and non-homeowners both strongly consider home ownership part of the American Dream. Read More
WASHINGTON (January 23, 2019) – Many Realtors®, members of the National Association of Realtors®, go beyond helping consumers buy and sell homes by giving back to their communities through volunteer work. Read More
WASHINGTON (January 22, 2019) – Late last week, the Treasury Department and the Internal Revenue Service issued final regulations regarding the new 20 percent deduction on qualified business income. Read More
L is for Leadership
In a critical win for home sales while the partial shutdown of the federal government is ongoing, the Federal Emergency Management Agency will issue and renew flood insurance policies, reversing an unexpected and controversial ruling the agency released earlier this week.
The MAR Executive Committee will be making recommendations to Governor Phil Bryant during the 2019 legislative session for REALTORS® to serve as appointees to the Mississippi Real Estate Commission and to the Mississippi Appraisal Board.
NAR is continuing to work with Capitol Hill lawmakers to pass legislation to reauthorize the National Flood Insurance Program, which is set to expire on Nov. 30. The association is also engaging with federal officials on ways to reform the program and remove regulatory obstacles to the issuance of private flood insurance policies. NAR President John Smaby outlined the association’s position on flood insurance in a Nov. 26 op-ed piece in The Hill newspaper.
The maximum conforming loan amount that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac can back will increase to $484,350 from $453,100 in 2019, a 6.9 percent increase, the Federal Housing Finance Agency announced. For high-cost areas, the limits—which are also used to define FHA limits—will rise to $726,525 from $679,650. “Without this assurance that loan limits keep up with home price growth, borrowers across the country risk being pushed out of the market altogether as mortgage rates and rising home prices continue to hold back potential homebuyers,” NAR President John Smaby said in a statement applauding the government’s announcement. Determine your area’s limit.
Mississippi REALTORS® #1 Legislative Priority for 2019 is to Expand Internet Access to Rural Areas in Mississippi. REALTORS® believe communities flourish when they offer a high quality of life at a reasonable cost. Livable communities offer a variety of affordable housing choices, nearby employment opportunities, an economically viable commercial sector, great schools, and infrastructure that provide the framework for the quality of life we enjoy in our communities. To promote livable communities, the government should encourage quality growth by amending outdated laws that prohibit Electric Cooperatives from providing high speed internet access to rural areas of Mississippi. Read More
The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation have released a proposed rule that would increase the threshold for residential real estate transactions requiring an appraisal from $250,000 to $400,000. Read More
Why mortgage debt surpassing borrowing that occurred before the housing crash isn't a problem. Read more
Real estate pros throughout the industry — from residential agents to property managers — are facing growing challenges when it comes to people's assistance animals. Here are tips from a panel of experts at NAR's Annual Conference in Boston.
Despite rising interest rates and high home prices, increases in inventory and job gains led to a rise in pending home sales in September. Click Here
So proud of our state and national REALTOR® Associations for providing Disaster Relief ♥️
Tuesday, October 9, 2018, the MAR Board of Directors unanimously approved the 2019 Legislative Priorities. MAR's #1 Legislative Priority is Expanding Internet Access to Rural Areas in Mississippi.
Despite an increase in active listings, continued price increases and low housing inventory pushed out potential buyers causing declines in both existing-home sales and pending-home sales in August. Click here