PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE
Doubling Down on
Affordable Housing
Our first quarter of 2018 has flown
by, and there is so much going
on. This year continues to show
a strong increase in sold home
prices on a year-over-year basis, although
we are at or near a historically low inventory
level that is making it hard for buyers to
find the right home at the right price.
At the same time, potential sellers looking
at that same low inventory level may
not be putting their homes on the market
during this traditional selling season due to
a legitimate fear that they won’t be able to
find a replacement. It’s a vicious cycle.
Of course, I am most concerned about
first-time homebuyers, who traditionally
pay about 85 percent of the median home
price. This percentage equates to approximately
$200,000 in Orlando, and there
is currently very little to choose from in
that price range. If they can’t buy their first
home and build up some equity, how do
they buy that next “move-up” home?
When I was installed as your president, I
emphasized that one of our three focus areas
needs to be affordable housing. In light
of our market dynamics, I am doubling
down on that focus. I have asked our CEO,
our vice president of governmental affairs,
and the chair of the Orlando Regional REALTOR
® Foundation to re-think what we as
REALTORS® and what we as an association
are doing to help alleviate the problem.
(See page 13 for some ideas on actions
that you can take to address affrdable
housing.)
Affordable housing is a huge issue with
many stakeholders, some of whom have
deep-rooted beliefs of the “right way” to
handle the issue. Meanwhile the affordable
housing problem is getting worse. Unless
we are both creative and willing to listen
to new and different ideas, there will be a
generational shift in the ability for young
families to raise kids in a home with a backyard
on a safe street.
It is also high time for the state legislature
to stop raiding the Sadowski Housing
Trust Fund. REALTORS® originally supported
legislation for additional doc stamps
only because it provided a dedicated
source of money for housing assistance.
However, our representatives in Tallahassee
have been raiding the fund year after
year for unrelated issues. Of the approximately
$320 million that is expected to be
collected from doc stamps during this fiscal
year, only $140 million will be used for
housing assistance. Another $182 million
will be siphoned for budget shortfalls and
to fund other priorities. It’s not right, and it
needs to change.
Another focus area for this year is
REALTOR® professionalism. I am excited
to introduce ORRA’s new Achievement
in Continuing Education (ACE) Awards
program, which recognizes REALTORS®
who have taken CE classes far in excess of
the minimum required for license renewal.
ACE Awards are available for those who
personify the concept of professionalism
by completing 50+ and 100+ hours of CE
during their licensing cycle (see page 6 for
application instructions).
ORRA offered nearly 1,500 hours of live
and online CE in 2017, and we are on track
for even more this year. I urge each of you
to both take advantage of ORRA’s classes
and to participate in our new member
recognition program by becoming an ACE
Award recipient! Taking classes at ORRA
helps raise your level of professionalism
and introduces you to more people who
can help build your business. It’s like killing
two birds with one stone! (No birds were
injured in the writing of this article.)
I need to stay on the professionalism
and networking bandwagon for one more
topic, which is to make sure that everybody
knows about the Florida Realtors®
Convention and Trade Expo in August. We
have a real advantage since the event is
here in our backyard every year. It’s so easy
for us to attend the educational sessions,
networking opportunities, and the vendor
expo; our REALTOR® colleagues from
around the state drive for hours and pay to
stay at a hotel! Please try to attend the convention;
you can learn more and register at
http://convention.floridarealtors.org/. You
won’t be sorry!
Lou
4 Orlando REALTOR® May / June 2018
/