RPAC Pledge Form

	Sterling 'R' RPAC Contributors ($1,000 or more)
	Capital Club ($250-$999)
	Marty Almquist Equity Office Properties Trust Doug Olson Monument Realty, LLC. Susan Pepper Grubb & Ellis Chris Sowick Cassidy & Pinkard Colliers
	"Dollar-A-Day" Contributors ($365)
	Other Contributors
	Anne Rosenau Cushman & Wakefield Randy Lennon Charles E. Smith Commercial Realty

RPAC contributions are given to candidates who support housing and commercial real estate issues. RPAC strengthens the REALTORS^® political advocacy program through grassroots activities, and federal, state and local lobbying efforts. There's only one way to protect your investment in real estate--and that's by investing in RPAC! Just look at some of our legislative and regulatory achievements:

Political Achievements in Maryland:

Transfers of Controlling Interests: RPAC helped defeat legislation that would have imposed recordation and transfer taxes on the transfer of controlling interests in certain business entities owning interests in real property in Maryland. GWCAR was concerned that since it is not mandatory that the controlling interests of a business entity be recorded, there will be no way to track these transfers. Some real estate transactions will lawfully pay these taxes while others will not.

Out-of-Cycle Property Tax Assessments: Ended Montgomery County's 20-year practice of predatory property tax gouging of recent homebuyers and commercial property owners. Legislation passed eliminated a county's right to file a petition for review to reassess any property, whether it is commercial or residential, outside of the normal triennial assessment cycle.

Recordation Tax-Use of Funds: During the 2003 Montgomery County budget season the County Executive's proposed budget diverted a huge portion of the funds raised from the 2002 recordation tax increase away from the school capital improvements program. RPAC helped encourage the Montgomery County Council to unanimously pass Bill 24-03, "Recordation Tax - Use of Funds," which makes certain that all funds raised from the 2002 increase (around $20 million) are properly allocated according to the intent of the original Bill 7-02, which stated that any of the funds raised from this increase must be designated for capital improvements to schools.

Political Victories in the District of Columbia:

Rollback of Real Estate Transfer and Recordation Taxes: RPAC convinced the DC Council to roll back the transfer and recordation taxes that have been increased in late 2002 to respond to a budget gap. As of October 1, 2004, both taxes will return from the 1.5% level to their original 1.1% level.

Property Tax Cap and Homestead Deduction Increase: RPAC worked to get amendment passed that put a 12% cap on increases in property tax bills and increased the homestead deduction from $30,000 to $38,000. Both forms of relief will apply to the current property tax year, which began last October 1, 2003, and will be reflected in property tax bills mailed at the end of February 2004.

Master Business Registration: Repealed as it applied to REALTORS^®.

Political Activities in Congress:

Enterprise Zone Tax Incentives and First Time Homebuyer Credit: RPAC has worked extensively with members of both houses of Congress to restore the federal Enterprise Zone Tax Incentives and the DC First Time Homebuyer Credit which expired at the end of 2003. Now in conference committee, bills containing an extension of these tax measures have passed in both the House and the Senate.

Protecting the REALTORS^®' Business: RPAC is working to keep big banks out of the real estate industry. REALTORS^® across the country are voicing their opposition to a proposed rule by the U.S. Treasury and the Federal Reserve Board defining real estate brokerage as a financial activity.