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Legislative Session Update - Call for Action & REALTOR® Day
LOUISIANA REALTORS • May 8, 2017
Louisiana REALTORS® held a successful REALTOR® Day in conjunction with the SPRING INTO ACTION Conference last week. Over 500 attendees representing all areas of the state attended the one-day event in Baton Rouge and the presence at the Capitol was noted by the legislators. We would like to extend a THANK YOU to all the local boards and volunteers that took part in the day's activities. A feedback survey on ways to improve future events was sent to all attendees.
On the legislative session front, we have had an active week at the State Capitol!
The Sales Tax on Services Legislation (HB 655 by Representative Gene Reynolds) was deferred another week and will be heard early next week in the House Ways & Means Committee. We believe that the votes are there to defeat this bill, but we must remain vigilant. There will be another Call to Action sent to members on this issue beginning Friday, May 12th. Please redouble your efforts and send your message again to House Ways & Means Committee members asking them to oppose HB 655.
A Residential Lease Bill (Senate Bill 120 by Senator Ward) was also deferred this week due to the work of your Louisiana REALTOR® staff and the Harris/DeVille lobbying team. This legislation would cause longer delays on evictions, places potential damages on property owners and ultimately would increase rents on tenants due to the restrictions placed on lessors. We are in hopes that SB 120 will not be brought back up again this legislative session, but LR will be watching and ready if it is scheduled for hearing.
Louisiana Business Tax (House Bill 648 by Representative Kenny Havard) This legislation was being opposed by many business groups and was deferred by a vote of 11 to 2 in House Ways & Means Committee on Tuesday, May 9th.
Louisiana REALTORS® expects its sponsored legislation (Senate Bill 108 by Senator Bodi White) will be voted on by the full House in the next week or so and then be sent to the Governor for his signature into law. SB 108 would make it a misdemeanor for anyone practicing real estate without a license.
The session has less than thirty days left to go and much activity will occur over the next three and a half weeks! Your Louisiana REALTORS® team will be watching every move to ensure that your profession is protected and that real estate consumers are not burdened with more fees and or more taxes. As a reminder, you can track all activity via the Legislative Session page
and download the Bill Tracker. For questions regarding the issues, please contact Norman Morris.
As previewed last week, NAR is pleased to share the latest consumer guide focused on preparing for homeownership. This guide covers what prospective buyers should consider as they kick off the home purchase process, including the importance of credit scores, mortgage pre-approval, down payments, budgeting, and educational resources. As a reminder, all guides in this series are available for download—in both English and Spanish—on facts.realtor . Please allow a few days for the Spanish version of the latest resource to be translated and uploaded. For ease of reference, below is a list of the most recent guides: NEW: Preparing for Homeownership Escrow and Earnest Money Pricing Your Home Preparing to Sell Your Home Fire Damage and Policy Coverage Thank you for your continued engagement with the “Consumer Guide” series and for sharing the resources with potential clients to ensure they have the information they need to be successful in their homebuying or selling journey. Remember that these guides are for informational purposes only and are not meant to enact or change any existing NAR policy. Be on the lookout for next week’s guide on Wednesday, which will cover property taxes.
As previewed last week, NAR is pleased to share the latest consumer guide focused on escrow. This guide covers what homebuyers should know about earnest money deposits, including the general terms and use cases in real estate transactions. As a reminder, all guides in this series are available for download—in both English and Spanish—on facts.realtor . Please allow a few days for the Spanish version of the latest resource to be translated and uploaded. For ease of reference, below is a list of the most recent guides: NEW: Escrow and Earnest Money Pricing Your Home Preparing to Sell Your Home Fire Damage and Policy Coverage Flood Insurance Thank you for your continued engagement with the “Consumer Guide” series and for sharing the resources with prospective clients to ensure they have the information they need to find success in their homebuying or selling journey. Remember that these guides are for informational purposes only and are not meant to enact or change any existing NAR policy. Be on the lookout for next week’s guide on Wednesday, which will cover preparing prospective buyers for homeownership.
The Louisiana REALTORS® Board of Directors will conduct several elections this Spring. Interested candidates that meet the qualification who are looking to serve at either the state association level or the national association level are encouraged to view the criteria and submit an application. An application that is not submitted on the appropriate form or not submitted pursuant to the instructions shall not be considered as submitted timely.
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Baton Rouge, LA 70802