Quarterly: Summer 2004 - GWCAR - Greater Washington Commercial Association of REALTORS

CBQ >> Summer 2004 Issue

Midyear Meetings Wrap-Up

NAR, GWCAR & WDCAR would like to thank all members who attended the NAR Midyear Legislative Meetings & Trade Expo and the Second Annual Washington Tea (& Wine) Party.

Speaking of the Tea Party, the day after the event The Washington Post ran an article titled "DC Council Backs Compromise to Get House Vote," in which DC Council members endorsed a congressional proposal to give the city a vote in the House of Representatives-even if it means adding a seat for Utah at the same time.

NAR staff saw a great increase in the number of DC metro area attendees at this year's meetings. We hope you benefited from this annual event. Some key news items from the meetings include:

NAR First Vice President Election
In a rare contested election for NAR First Vice President, Patricia Vredevoogd of Grand Rapids, Mich., defeated 2003 Treasurer Pat Kaplan of Portland, Ore. Other 2005 officers include President, Al Mansell, Salt Lake City; President-elect, Thomas Stevens, Vienna, Va.; and Treasurer, Mike Brodie, Plano, Texas.

Professional Standards Policy Change
New Standard of Practice 10-3 (relating to Article 10 of the Code of Ethics) allows practitioners involved in a non-residential transaction to provide demographic information on an area if such information is critical to completion of the sale and is obtained from a recognized, impartial source.

Focus on Recruiting Minority Members
The purpose of the Equal Opportunity Cultural Diversity Committee was amended to include a priority action to assist local associations with educational, technical and financial support for recruiting minority members.

Political Contributions on Track for New Record
The REALTORS^® Political Action Committee doubled its contributions over the last five years. The PAC raised $2.8 million in the first five months of this year, putting it on track to surpass its 2004 goal of $4.5 million. REALTOR^® participation is at 30 percent so far this year, including 190 members of the President's Circle, composed of Sterling or Golden Rs who contribute an additional $2,000 for targeted candidates.