Thirty-five percent of all legislation introduced in the State Capitol impacts real estate, this equals approximately 2,000 bills every year. To defeat these onerous proposals, the Sacramento Association of REALTORS®, California Association of REALTORS®, and National Association of REALTORS® have professional staff working on the behalf of more than one million REALTORS® nationwide. Your local, state, and national REALTOR® Associations are the only entities that represent that interests of REALTORS®, homeowners, and private property rights.
Political representation is essential for REALTORS® ability to conduct your business as you want to without further government intervention. One of the important avenues to facilitate this representation is to contribute to the REALTOR® Action Fund (RAF). This money supports candidates and issues that share our value of private property rights, and oppose things like point-of-sale.
These contributions directly help your ability to do business, and protect your pocketbook. Three examples of RAF contributions working for you:
- Locally, SAR defeated a proposal that would have required all homes in the City of Sacramento to receive an energy audit at point-of-sale.
- Statewide, C.A.R. defeated a budget item that would have required all independent contractors (that’s you!) to pay an additional 3% on top of normal quarterly withholdings.
- Nationally, NAR has been active in protecting the National Flood Insurance Program, which is so vital in areas like Sacramento. They also work to preserve the mortgage interest deduction.
A contribution to the REALTOR® Action Fund helps keep proposals like this from impacting your business. The recommended contribution is $148, but contributions of $20 or more are gratefully accepted.
Due to campaign finance laws, Preferred Partner members can only contribute to CREIEC. Their contributions still count for our yearly participation.
Political contributions are not tax deductible as charitable contributions for federal and state income tax purposes. Contributions to the REALTOR® Action Fund are voluntary, but you may give more, or less, or nothing at all. Failure to contribute will not affect an individual’s membership status in the California Association of REALTORS® (C.A.R.). Contributions will be allocated among three of C.A.R.’s political action committees (PACs), according to different formulas approved by C.A.R. for personal and corporate contributions. These PACs are: CREPAC (supports state and local candidates); CREPAC/Federal (supports federal candidates); and CREIEC (makes independent expenditures in support of or opposition to candidates). C.A.R. also sponsors IMPAC which supports local and state ballot measures and other issues that impact real property in California. The allocation formula may change including re-designating a portion to IMPAC.