NEWS
Florida session ends with gains for REALTORS’® issues
Senate confirms Orlando REALTORS® Dick Fryer and Guy Sanchez plus ORRA attorney Randy Schwartz to FREC
When the 2018 Florida Legislative
Session wrapped up in early March,
REALTORS® walked away with several key
victories (as of press time, the bills were
pending consideration and a
signature by Gov. Rick Scott):
• The Florida Senate officially
confirmed Orlando
REALTORS® Dick Fryer
and Guy Sanchez plus
Randy Schwartz (ORRA’s
legal counsel for professional
standards issues)
to the Florida Real Estate
Commission.
Fryer
Sanchez
• The Legislature allocated up to
$500,000 from the Professional Regulation
Trust Fund to the Department
of Business and Professional Regulation
to combat unlicensed real estate
activity.
• Affordable housing programs will
receive close to $110 million from the
state and local government housing
trust funds. These funds help Floridians
achieve the dream of homeownership
with down payment assistance.
They also provide rental assistance
Sharon Voss, Orlando Montero, Maureen Golmont, Natalie Arrowsmith, Lori Rivera, Dee Parker, Rep. Kamia
Brown, Mike McGraw, Diedre Graybill, Rose Kemp, Candy Cash, Greg Rokeh, Rosie Papagiannakis
and housing rehabilitation to Florida's
homeless population, veterans and
persons with disabilities.
• HB 7087 included a cut to the
Business Rent Tax, and businesses
throughout Florida will save an additional
$31 million each year due to the
second reduction in the tax rate in as
many years. The new state sales tax
rate that businesses will pay on their
commercial leases will be 5.7 percent.
Effective: Jan. 1, 2019.
• HB 7055 is a broad education bill that
addresses several education-related
matters. Included is a measure that allows
businesses to receive tax credits
for a portion of the Business Rent Tax
they pay, which will go toward certain
scholarship funds. Effective: July 1,
2018.
• Many property owners forgo flood
insurance because they mistakenly
believe their standard homeowner
policies include flood damage coverage.
HB 1011 strengthens the current
flood insurance notice included
in their property insurance policy.
Insurers must include the notice in the
initial policy and when the policy is
renewed. Effective: Jan. 1, 2019.
Working with clients planning to relocate
to the Orlando area? The Orlando Region
Relocation and Newcomer Guide, now
in its fourth iteration, is free to members
and can be found in the ORRA lobby.
ORRA members are welcome to 10
copies of the publication (honor system,
please), available on a first-come, firstserved
basis while supplies last. Large
quantities may be purchased directly from
the publisher by e-mailing publisher@
orlandorelocationmagazine.com
The all-color consumer information
publication includes sections on Orlando
and its three area counties, the area’s
health and education resources, and fun
things to do. Naturally, there are expanded
sections on finding a home in Orlando and
ORLANDO REGION
RELOCATION
OrlandoRelocationMagazine.com + NEWCOMER GUIDE
the benefits of
using a REALTOR®.
The publication is supported supported by by a
a
website (orlandorelocationmagazine.com)
with additional resources and advertising
opportunities, and you can also provide
your relocating clients with a link to the
digital version of the Orlando Region Relocation
and Newcomer Guide.
THE INSIDER’S GUIDE
TO COMMUNITIES, ECONOMY, DINING
CULTURE, THINGS TO DO, AND MORE
2018 Orlando Relocation Magazine drops in ORRA lobby
Free copies of the popular relocation guide are available to members while quantities last
orlandorealtors.org 9
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