When people ask me what I do, I tell them that I am the “Chief Servant Officer” (I stole that from a mentor of mine, so I cannot take full credit). What I mean by that is that my position allows me the chance to serve so many wonderful groups of people. I serve not only my REALTOR® and Affiliate members here at the Association, but I serve every person they serve in our community. Think about how powerful that is. We have a chance to serve hundreds, maybe even thousands, of people here at home and across America.
Thankfully this effort can be as easy as three clicks of the mouse. Or three touches of the iPad or phone screen.
I’m talking about the REALTOR® Party Calls For Action.
This industry has always fascinated me with its ability to mobilize thousands of like-minded people into taking action on an issue. We’ve seen it with “G fees”. We’ve seen it with the National Flood Insurance Program. Now we are being called to act on tax reform.
I cannot stress to you how crucial this is.
In September, REALTORS® had a chance to testify before Congress on tax reform. In an article in REALTOR® Magazine, Iona Harrison, chair of the National Association of REALTORS®’ Federal Taxation Committee, told the Senate Finance Committee that they are at serious risk of hurting or nullifying the tax incentives for homeownership. Her quote really is worth restating here:
“Real estate is the most widely held category of assets that American families own, and for many Americans, it’s the largest portion of their family’s net worth,” Harrison testified, adding that 64 percent of American households are owner-occupied. “We believe that homeownership is not a special interest, but is rather a common interest.”
It’s important for you to note that homeowners already shoulder 83 percent of all federal income taxes. The National Association of REALTORS® supports the goals of simplifying the tax system, but Congress should first do everything they can to make sure that homeowners are not impacted by any proposals.
We have to tell them now. Tomorrow is too late.
Will you help me? I have taken the time to protect homeowners, and I’m telling you now that we can no longer wait for someone else to do it on some other day.
Yours in service,
Andrew Sims, CEO
