Associations work to make a difference in the industry

Recently, PAR learned about an issue becoming more common in the Southeastern part of the state. Some lenders are refusing to accept a Conditional Use and Occupancy Certificate or are requiring escrow money to be held to pay for all code-related repairs. Ultimately, real estate transactions have been or could be adversely affected by this new trend.

The Pennsylvania Association of Realtors® is collecting information from Realtor® members to determine how widespread this issue is. I’d like to encourage Realtors® who have experienced similar issues to send their information to PAR.

Recognizing issues that affect our transactions is one of the great aspects of our local, state and national Realtor® organizations. We’ve seen all too often in the past that as one municipality adopts a restrictive ordinance, such as realty transfer taxes or point-of-sale inspections, many others follow suit. And sometimes, the implications for our industry can be devastating. Together, we can make a difference.

One of the reasons I’ve become active with my local association, the Bucks County Association of Realtors®, the Suburban Realtors® Alliance, our four-county government affairs liaison group, and PAR is that I can see how effective our legislative efforts are. I know that our local government affairs activities work to keep harmful regulations from being enacted. At the state level, I know our voices are heard at the Capitol when we speak to our legislators.

Our associations work not only to protect the real estate transaction from becoming too burdensome, but we all work to protect homeowners and private property rights as well. Take time to learn more about your local association’s government affairs efforts, and be sure to sign up to receive PAR’s Capitol Report to learn about the latest issues in Harrisburg.