Legislative Preview 2015 Legislative Preview
GAR to Advocate for Tax-Deferred Savings Accounts for First-Time Home Buyers
With tighter access to credit, rising housing prices, and the increase of student loan debt, future first time homebuyers will face increased challenges to entering the housing market. In fact, the National Association of REALTORS®
estimates that recent college
graduateswith student loan debt who want to own a home will need to earn an additional $9,000 per year more than their counterparts who are debt free.
Georgia REALTORS® understand this issue and be-
lieve that we can work with our elected officials to encour- age healthy saving habits that will benefit our housing market and the economy. Georgia will seek to become the second state to create such a program, following Virginia who passed legislation in 2014. The success of Virginia’s legislation was due in large part to its neutral impact to the state’s budget. While we are optimistic about the prospect of such legislation, our success will also depend on the final details of such a plan and the economic impact to the state. Additionally, the Georgia REALTORS®
will continue
to monitor legislation that did not pass in 2014 that we expect to be reintroduced next year. Most notably, we will work with representatives of the Auctioneers Associa- tion to ensure that REALTORS®
will not be required to
obtain an auctioneer’s license in order to sell real prop- erty via competitive bid in Georgia. We will also remain vigilant in our protection of private property rights in legislation to expand the ability to finance solar panel technology by ensuring that solar panels cannot be placed on private property against the will of the property owner. As always, our Governmental Affairs team will work passionately for the protection of free enterprise and private prop- erty rights, and we anticipate another successful year for Georgia REALTORS®
under
the Gold Dome. One of the highlights of
the 2014 legislative session was the REALTOR®
Legisla-
tive Day, which was a free event offered in conjunc-
www.garealtor.com tion with the Georgia REALTORS® Inaugural & Legisla-
tive Conference. Over 700 members from across the state had an opportunity to meet with their elected of- ficials and to advocate for key issues critical to the suc- cess of their business. We invite you to join hundreds of Georgia REALTORS®
from across the state for Legislative Day at the State Capitol on Tuesday, February 10, 2015! Attendees will not only advocate for REALTOR®
issues, they will also
hear from top-level elected officials on issues that are important to private property rights and the economic future of the state of Georgia. Throughout the day there will be information sessions offered at the nearby Freight Depot to ensure a productive and beneficial day for all. There is no fee to attend Legislative Day; however, you must pre-register. Please mark Tuesday, February 10, 2015, on your calendar and make plans to be an advo- cate for your industry at the Georgia REALTORS®
Leg-
islative Day at the State Capitol. The success of our efforts at the Capitol is directly
related to the participation of our membership. The GAR State & Local Government Affairs Committee meets at the state head- quarters each Monday at 10:00 a.m. during the Legislative Session and all members are encouraged to attend or participate via video conference. Get in- volved and help make 2015 a success for all Georgia REALTORS®
! JOHN BARBOUR IS
THE DIRECTOR OF GOVERN- MENTAL AFFAIRS FOR THE GEORGIA REALTORS®
. GEORGIA REALTOR® I 27
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