As a contributing member of State and Local Government Affairs, I attended their meeting on Wednesday afternoon. At that meeting we discussed the following
- the rationale for the recommendation from the Executive Committee for the vote that would be coming before the Board of Directors regarding the change to the amount of continuing education hours required for Georgia Realtors.
- the outcome of the July SPLOST vote. It only passed in the Central Savannah River, River Valley, and Heart of Georgia Altamaha areas.
- a briefing on the upcoming convention and its focus on Legislative matters. For anyone who has gone to Washington for NAR, it is going to be modeled on that convention. There will be a rally at the Capitol, after which we will be able to meet with our congressmen and women. There will be a lunch and, that evening, an RPAC Major Donors reception, to which, our Congressional leaders will be invited.
-an update on the issue of Realtor compliance with the Georgia Residential Mortgage Act (GRMA), as it relates to short sales. Our
GAR President, Bill Boatman, met with the Deputy Commissioner for the Department of Banking and Finance, Rod Carnes, to discuss his concerns with Realtors violating the Banking Commission's interpretation of the GRMA, specifically in regard to short sales. Our President's goal was to solve the dilemma with an interpretive rule change as opposed to a legislative one. After the meeting GAR counsel, Seth Weissman, provided a draft rule to clarify the problem. Currently, we are waiting for the Department of Banking and Finance to provide any comments or suggestions to the language. If they approve of it, then we will be noticed of the change.
GAR President, Bill Boatman, met with the Deputy Commissioner for the Department of Banking and Finance, Rod Carnes, to discuss his concerns with Realtors violating the Banking Commission's interpretation of the GRMA, specifically in regard to short sales. Our President's goal was to solve the dilemma with an interpretive rule change as opposed to a legislative one. After the meeting GAR counsel, Seth Weissman, provided a draft rule to clarify the problem. Currently, we are waiting for the Department of Banking and Finance to provide any comments or suggestions to the language. If they approve of it, then we will be noticed of the change.
Monica Spillane
Immediate Past President, Savannah Board of REALTORS®
President Elect, Savannah Multi-List Corporation
