Nearly 400 REALTORS® from across Washington state - including a delegation from Spokane (pictured above) - attended the annual Washington REALTORS® Legislative Day in Olympia on Thursday, last week.
The Washington REALTORS® Association keeps a steady watch on the hundreds of bills that are introduced each Legislative Session that could impact your hometown. We maintain a constant presence on "the Hill" and often, our members arrive at the Capitol throughout the session to testify about how proposed legislation will affect our neighbors back home.
Members visited with local legislators - including Senator
Andy Billig, D-Spokane-3rd (right, picture above) and Representative
Mike Volz, R-Spokane-6th (third from right, picture below) - and weighed in on the issues that impact our businesses, clients, and communities.
Members shared the 2017 Washington REALTORS® Legislative Priorities (pictured above) with state senators and representatives. They are, in no order: oppose increase in service rate B&O tax, support "independent contractor" in real estate license law, oppose a tax on income from capital gains, support reforms to increase housing and land supply, ensure rural water supply for new homes.
Read more about our 2017 statewide legislative priorities
online here.
The 2017 Washington REALTORS® legislative priorities are discussed on the current edition of
Real Estate Radio on SpokaneTalksOnline.
SAR member guests
Cynthia Gustafson,
Tom Hormel, and
Eric Johnson (pictured above, left to right) each offered comments on this year's Washington REALTORS® legislative priorities.
Real Estate Radio is hosted by
Ken Sax (2017 SAR president-elect), and sponsored by our SAR, to encourage consumer-facing conversations on current real estate issues.
Listen to the
podcast anytime online here.
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Margo Wheeler Willis (pictured left) was installed as 2017 Washington REALTORS® President at an installation banquet on Wednesday evening, last week.
She writes an excellent article on why REALTORS® are hometown advocates:
REALTORS® gladly take on the role of Hometown Advocates. We are a powerful force, more than 19,000 strong in Washington state, advocating for issues that defend our industry, our homes and our property. It is a top priority for us as we work hard to protect the quality of life in the places we all call home.
Read the complete article in
The Olympian,
online here.

SAR RPAC directors
Tom Hormel and
Cynthia Gustafson (pictured left) accept the
Washington REALTORS® and RPAC Chair Award, "for their phenomenal, all-around RPAC involvement."
This award, truly, belongs to all SAR members. Congratulations!