CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS for CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS
What was lobbied
8 issue areas, each in the filer's own words, with who lobbied on it and where.
Insurance INS
C.A.R. discussed with members of Congress the difficulty in obtaining and increasing cost of fire insurance for property owners in California.
| Lobbyist | Covered position, as disclosed |
|---|---|
| MATTHEW ROBERTS | — |
Taxation/Internal Revenue Code TAX
H.R. 419; Revitalizing Downtowns Act; would create a tax credit for owners of office building that convert part or all of the building to residential or commercial space. H.R. 1321; More Homes on the Market Act; would increase the capital gains exclusion on the sale of a primary residence. C.A.R. lobbied on the issue of eliminating or increasing the current $10,000 cap on state and local tax deduction, including discussing a number of bills related to the issue, including, H.R. 160, H.R. 339, H.R. 1326, H.R. 226, S. 830. H.R. 7707 - First-Time Homebuyer Tax Credit Act - Would create a tax credit to help first time homebuyers offset the cost of purchasing their first home.
| Lobbyist | Covered position, as disclosed |
|---|---|
| MATTHEW ROBERTS | — |
Natural Resources NAT
C.A.R. spoke with members of Congress on the issue of Water. Specifically, on the current drought in the Western States, and the availability of water for development. C.A.R. advocated on the Waters of the United States (WOTUS) and the definition changes proposes and implemented by the administration.
| Lobbyist | Covered position, as disclosed |
|---|---|
| MATTHEW ROBERTS | — |
Housing HOU
S. 680; the Decent, Affordable, Safe Housing for All Act; proposes to increase affordable rental availability, low-income housing tax credits, first time homebuyer tax credit, and a tax credit to help affordable housing for homeownership. S. 657 / H.R. 3940; Neighborhood Homes Investment Act; the proposed bill would create a tax credit for the acquisition, rehabilitation, or remediation of properties housing. H.R. 3418 & S. 1654; the Credit Access and Inclusion Act; The proposed bill would allow for the reporting of a renters utility payments to credit reporting agencies. H.R. 4233; The Housing Crisis Response Act of 2023: The proposed bill would provide funding to create more housing units. H.R. 4231; The Downpayment Toward Equity Act of 2023: The proposed bill would create a downpayment assistance program for first-time, first-generation homebuyers. \ H.R. 8607; VA Housing Loan Forever Act; Would allow for the transfer of VA home loan guarantee eligibility. S. 32 / H.R. 4606; Choice in Affordable Housing Act; Would make changes to the housing choice voucher program to make it more effective. C.A.R. discussed with members of Congress and the VA difficulties home sellers and home buyers were experiencing with the mortgage assumability process for FHA and VA loans. C.A.R. discussed with members of Congress the future of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, and how they should be brought out of conservatorship. C.A.R. discussed the impact of Home Equity Conversion Mortgages on the FHA Forward Mortgage product because of its inclusion in the Mutual Mortgage Insurance Fund. C.A.R. advocated for the reduction of the FHA mortgage insurance premium. C.A.R. discussed the issue of Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing. C.A.R. discussed the Administration's "Blueprint for a Renters Bill of Rights." C.A.R. discussed with Member of Congress and Regulators the proposed Loan Level Price Adjustments by the Federal Housing Finance Agency for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. C.A.R. discussed proposals to allow for remote online notary, including H.R. 1059 and S. 1212, the Securing and Enabling Commerce Using Remote and Electronic Notarization Act. C.A.R. discussed proposals to improve the HUD's Section 8, housing voucher program to make it easier for housing providers to participate. C.A.R. advocated for increasing funding for HUD to provide grants for the enforcement of fair housing laws. C.A.R. discussed the increased use of Attorney Opinion Letters as an alternative to title insurance. C.A.R. discussed current FHA appraisal and property inspection rules and their impact on FHA loan acceptance rates. C.A.R. discussed current FHA condo rules. C.A.R. advocated for reducing or eliminating the FHA life of loan insurance premium. C.A.R. submitted a comment letter on the Proposed Rule -Notification Requirement for Lease Termination. C.A.R. discussed with members of Congress the ability of Veteran homebuyers using the VA home loan program to pay for the services of a buyer broker or buyer agent fee. C.A.R. submitted a comment letter on the HUD Request for Information FR-6466-N-01, on Direct Rental Assistance Payments. C.A.R. reached out to the FHFA to discuss difficulties members had with receiving condo approvals from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
| Lobbyist | Covered position, as disclosed |
|---|---|
| MATTHEW ROBERTS | — |
Banking BAN
C.A.R. submitted a comment letter on the Regulatory Capital Rule: Amendments Applicable to Large Banking Organizations and to Banking Organizations with Significant Trading Activity. C.A.R. submitted a comment letter to the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network in response to their proposed rule "Regarding Real Estate Reporting Requirements (RIN1506-AB54).
| Lobbyist | Covered position, as disclosed |
|---|---|
| MATTHEW ROBERTS | — |
Disaster Planning/Emergencies DIS
H.R. 6861 - SAFE HOME Act - The proposed bill would create a tax credit to help homeowners offset the cost of wildfire mitigation expenditures. H.R. 7849 - Disaster Resiliency and Coverage Act - The proposed bill would create a grant program to cover the cost of disaster mitigation on their property, and would create a tax credit for the cost of mitigation activities.
| Lobbyist | Covered position, as disclosed |
|---|---|
| MATTHEW ROBERTS | — |
Small Business SMB
H.R. 5419 - Direct Seller and Real Estate Agent Harmonization Act - Would provide protection for direct sellers and real estate agents to do business as independent contractors. C.A.R. submitted a letter to the Department of Labor asking for clarification and guidance on their Final Rule on Employee or Independent Contractor Classification Under the Fair Labor Standards Act.
| Lobbyist | Covered position, as disclosed |
|---|---|
| MATTHEW ROBERTS | — |
Civil Rights/Civil Liberties CIV
H.R. 4439, Fair and Equal Housing Act - Protects against discrimination against sexual orientation and gender identity in housing.
| Lobbyist | Covered position, as disclosed |
|---|---|
| MATTHEW ROBERTS | — |
Shown as published by the Senate Office of Public Records and the House Clerk under the Lobbying Disclosure Act. The official filing is the record; open it for the full form.