NAR is seeking Congressional support for H.R. 273 and S. 3541.  H.R.
273 and S. 3541 provide a long-term solution to maintain access, for growing
communities, to the United States Department of Agriculture, Rural Housing
Service Section 502 Program.

Only Congress can prevent more than 900 growing communities in 48 states from
losing eligibility for the Section 502 Program. Currently, the Section 502
Program provides federal backing for mortgages allowing smaller, community
based lenders to offer safe and affordable mortgages to home-buyers in growth
areas. 

Urge Congress to help keep alive the American Dream of Homeownership for
thousands of potential homeowners across the nation.

use this link for the call 2 ACTION 

What's-at-Stake:

Unless Congress acts quickly, homeowners and prospective owners in more than
900 communities across the country will not have access to the programs of the
Rural Housing Service (RHS).

One program of concern is the Section 502 guaranteed loan program that provides
opportunities for homeownership for rural families. These loans can be used for
a variety of important homeownership needs including purchase and or site
preparation, as just two examples.  RHS insures the loans while 502 loans
are made at no cost to the federal government as the program's costs are fully
supported by the premiums paid by borrowers.

The Senate and House have legislation before them that will extend the program
for 10 years but no final action has occurred on either bill.

Congress needs to act when they return to Washington after the election.

Time is running out to stand up for sensible mortgage rules. We only have until August 1 to tell regulators that they should rethink a proposed 20% minimum downpayment requirement.

Here's why the proposed rule is a bad idea:

It could lower home values. The proposed rule would hurt property values by shutting many qualified buyers out of the market. Fewer buyers mean lower home values.

It could affect your ability to buy a home. A 20% downpayment is often just too much to save, even for hard-working, creditworthy buyers.

You have until August 1 to tell regulators to say NO to the 20% down requirement.

Regulators are trying to fix the root causes of the housing crisis, which we fully support. But the proposed rule is the wrong solution. Strong evidence shows that responsible lending standards and ensuring a borrower’s ability to repay, not high downpayments, have the greatest impact on reducing lender risk.

Join us and take action now. Regulators in Washington need to hear directly from you, the homeowner, as they make their policy considerations. That’s why your input is so important. Please send an electronic letter to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to ask that regulators drop the proposed 20% downpayment requirement and instead focus on sound underwriting standards.

Taking action is easy and takes just a few seconds of your time.

Sincerely,

You've undoubtedly seen in the news the past few weeks, thousands of homeowners, many REALTORS® among them, devastated by flooding in the Midwest. 

As we watch from the comfort of our homes, we wonder how we can help. One easy thing you can do right now is to send a letter to Congress urging them to reauthorize the National Flood Insurance Program.

Floods can happen in every state. From Washington State to Texas to North Dakota to Florida and everywhere in between. The only way that a homeowner can acquire a mortgage in over 21,000 communities is through this federal program. 

Greg Larson, a REALTOR® from North Dakota sent us a video explaining how he never thought this could happen to him. Even as his home and livelihood were impacted by the floods, he took the time to help explain to his fellow REALTORS® how important the National Flood Insurance Program is and why he hopes you will take action. 

Markets in many areas will come to a complete standstill unless this program gets reauthorized. Banks will not lend without a policy in place and the program cannot issue a flood policy without the Congressional authority. It is a Catch-22 that the victims of the floods around the country cannot afford.

We must flood Congress with our letters of support. So please, take action to urge Congress to reauthorize the National Flood Insurance Program today.