Flood risk isnât a fun topic to raise with buyers or sellers. You may worry that new tools like First Street Foundationâs Flood Factorâwhich offers consumers data on the level of risk to a given propertyâcould threaten sales. But as Mabél Guzmán, NARâs vice president of association affairs, points out in the latest âPivot in Placeâ video, the more information and transparency you provide clients, the more confident theyâll be in their transactions. Also, when youâre armed with third-party data, buyers are less likely to cast blame later if a flood event occurs. Using Flood Factor ratings, along with the Federal Emergency Management Agencyâs Flood Preparedness Resources (created in consultation with NAR), you can help customers develop risk mitigation plans and understand their flood insurance needs.
In other news, NAR expressed disappointment regarding the White Houseâs executive orders issued over the weekend, which failed to tie an eviction moratorium to rental assistance, leaving housing providers without crucial protections during the pandemic. The executive orders came after a Congressional stalemate blocked the passage of a new economic stimulus package. âWe now strongly urge the administration and Congress to come to a swift, bipartisan resolution that protects both renters and housing providers,â NAR President Vince Malta said in a statement issued over the weekend.
The pandemic has thrown many neighborhoods into economic turmoil, and you may be able to help identify opportunities in your market to slow vacancies or repurpose abandoned property. To find out how, register for the four-part webinar series Stabilizing and Revitalizing Neighborhoods in the COVID-19 Era, which NAR is presenting in partnership with the Center for Community Progress. The first part begins Tuesday at 2 p.m. ET. The webinars are free.
In the midst of it all, a major national election looms. The first-ever largely virtual Democratic and Republican conventions mark this as an election like no other in our lifetime. With so much unknown, guest commentator Teresa Boardman, a REALTOR® in St. Paul, Minn., urges fellow REALTORS® to plan nowânot wait until election dayâto figure out how to make your vote count.
Keep up on industry news with REALTOR® Magazineâs Daily News and other e-newsletters from NAR. For the latest on how the coronavirus is affecting the real estate industry, bookmark nar.realtor/coronavirus. |
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