Call For Action from the National Association of REALTORS®

From the National Association of REALTORS®

FRAR Members: Go to NAR’s website to submit you’re Call for Action 

www.realtor.org

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Flood Insurance Issues Could Sink Your Sales

The Problem: Congress provided a 5-year reauthorization of the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), but severe implementation problems threaten to undermine real estate transactions where flood insurance is required to obtain a mortgage.

  • New NFIP rate structures have caused serious confusion and hardship for property owners.
  • The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) continues to delay and miss deadlines.
  • The legally required transition to true risk rates has plagued consumers with increases in rates beyond what anyone imagined possible.

The Solution: A four-year time-out. Congress has legislation in the House, H.R. 3370 and Senate, S. 1610, to delay changes to the NFIP. These bills would:

  • prudently defer rate increases until FEMA completes the affordability study mandated by law
  • create a system for targeted rate relief
  • establish an office of the Advocate for flood insurance rate and mapping concerns.

Please Take Action today and tell your Member of Congress and Senators that NAR supports the “Homeowner Flood Insurance Affordability Act.”

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NAR Flood Insurance Talking Points: Please click the link below

http://www.ksefocus.com/billdatabase/clientfiles/172/10/1839.pdf

 

 

Weekly Recipe – Senate Bean Soup

This famous bean soup is served in the Senate’s restaurant every day.  According to the U.S. Senate’s website, the soup tradition began early in the 20th-century.

On September 14, 1943, rationing due to World War II left the Senate kitchen without enough navy beans to serve the soup.  The Washington Times-Herald reported on its absence the following day.  In a speech on the Senate floor in 1988, Bob Dole recounted the response to the crisis:  “Somehow, by the next day, more beans were found and bowls of bean soup have been ladled up without interruption ever since.” Wikipedia

If you visit the Senate building between the hours of 11:30am to 3:00pm, you can try the soup.  The soup is also available to the general public at the Capitol Visitor Center and in the Longworth Cafeteria in Washington, D.C.

Ingredients:

2 pounds dried navy beans
four quarts hot water
1 1/2 pounds smoked ham hocks
1 onion, chopped
2 tablespoons butter
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Wash the navy beans and run hot water through them until they are slightly whitened.  Place beans into pot with hot water.  Add ham hocks and simmer approximately three hours in a covered pot, stirring occasionally.  Remove ham hocks and set aside to cool.  Dice meat and return to soup.  Lightly brown the onion in butter.  Add to soup.  Before serving, bring to a boil and season with salt and pepper.  Serves 8.

 

Zan Monroe presents to the National Association of REALTORS® Convention

Our own Zan Monroe, Executive Vice President of the Fayetteville Regional Association of REALTORS® spoke at the National Association of REALTORS® Annual Convention.

Zan presented absorbtion rates, market trends analysis and FLOW rates of real estate markets.  He also discussed odds of selling and positioning houses to sell at the “Economic Issues & Trends Forum” held in San Francisco California.

The link to his presentation is below.  Following Zan, Dr. Lawrence Yun (Chief Economist for the NAR) gave his annual 2014 economic outlook.

http://www.narconferencelive.com/2013/11/10/lawrence-yuns-residential-economic-issues-trends-forum-2013/

 

City Council Meeting October 28

Fayetteville City Council
Regular Meeting
October 28, 2013

Consent Items Passed:

  • City Council adopted a budget amendment in the amount of $500,000 for additional funding for acquiring land in the “Murchison Road Catalyst Site 1” project of the Murchison road Redevelopment Plan Area.
    Details (from city memo) –  Catalyst Site 1 contains 73 parcels.  To date the City has expended $149,498 to acquire 7 parcels.  There are 13 parcels scheduled to close in the next two weeks totaling $99,582.  After the City closes on the 13 parcels, $130,920 will be available.  City staff is currently in negotiation with the owners of 23 additional parcels.  There are 2 parcels owned jointly by the City and the County.  We have requested those parcels from the County.  There are 3 parcels owned by the NC Department of Transportation and staff has plans to request those properties also.

Public Hearings:

  • City Council approved the Public Works Commission request for Phase 5 Annexation – sanitary sewer service to areas 10 and 11 (Roundtree Drive/Bedford Road).  After the Levying Assessments are approved at the November 18th City Council meeting, notices to property owners will me mailed on December 2.
  • Rezoning of property from SF-10 (single family residential) to NC (neighborhood commercial district).  The property is located at the northwest corner of Stacy Weaver Drive and McArthur Road and is owned by McLean Development Corporation.
    Motion:  A motion was made and passed  to rezone the property to O & I (office and industrial)
    What Was Said:
    Councilwoman Applewhite – “Neighborhood commercial would give them more options.  What’s the difference?”
    Councilman Bates – “You don’t want a fast food restaurant on your back fence.  O & I commercial is not heavy.  You cant put in a dentist office etc.”

Other Business:

Scott Shuford (Development Services Director) gave an update on a few ordinance adjustments to the Rental Action Management Program.
The changes are below.
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Sec. 14-64. Definitions.

The following words, terms and phrases, when used in this article, shall have the meaning ascribed to them in this section, except where the context clearly indicates a different meaning:

Owner:

The person, persons or legal entity that holds legal title to a residential rental property, or the property owner heirs, persons, or legal entity that is exercising

ownership control of a residential rental property

 Sec. 14-65. Registration of Residential Rental Property Due to Verified Violations.

(h) Rental registration pursuant to this section shall be for a one (1) year period, commencing on the effective date of the rental registration.

Sec. 14-66. Grounds for revocation of rental registration as required by section 14-65.

(a) Each owner of registered residential rental property that has been found with four one or more verified violations in within the previous 12-month one (1) year rental registration period, whether those violations have been resolved by corrective action or not, shall have the rental registration for that property revoked by the development services official.

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Unified Development Ordinance Changes:

  1. Food Trucks – accessory use in specified business districts
  2. Tree clear-cutting standards
  3. Mid-block connections and block lengths
  4. Redevelopment clarifications/minor adjustments to open space standards

Sidebar: To view the changes in detail please follow the link http://www.ci.fayetteville.nc.us/files.aspx?do=showfolder&id=21&folder=Council%20Agendas%202013

 

2013 Muncipal Election Results

Town of Eastover

Charles McLaurin – Mayor

Town of Eastover Town Council

Lawrence Buffaloe
Donald Hudson
Benny Pearce

City of Fayetteville

Nat Robertson – Mayor

City of Fayetteville City Council

District 1 – Kathy Keefe Jensen
District 2 – Kady-Ann Davy
District 3 – Mitch Colvin
District 4 – Chalmers “Chet” McDougald
District 5 – Bobby Hurst
District 6 – Bill Crisp
District 7 – Larry Wright
District 8 – Ted Mohn
District 9 – Jim Arp

Town of Hope Mills

Jackie Warner – Mayor

Town of Hope Mills Commissioners

Bob Gorman
Bryan Marley
Pat Edwards
Jerry Legge
Matt Hoerner

Town of Spring Lake

Chris Rey – Mayor

Town of Spring Lake Alderman

James Christian
Richard Higgins
Densie Lucas
James O’Garra
Fredricka Sutherland

Hoke County

Raeford City Council

Wayne Willis
Charles Allen

In other Business:

Harnett County residents approved a 0.25 percent raise in sales tax.  The tax will be used for new school construction.

2013 Candidates Forum – Pictures

 City of Fayetteville Candidates

Councilwoman Kady-Ann Davy (District 1)  and Chalmers McDougald (District 4) are unopposed

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District 1 – Kathy Keefe Jenson & Jerry Reinoehl

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District 3 – Mitch Colvin & Audrey “Sister” Ray

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 District 5 – Bobby Hurst & Kenneth Kleiner

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District 6 –  Bill Crisp & Mary Ferguson

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 District 7 – Curtis Worthy & Larry Wright

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 District 8 – Ted Mohn & Michael Pinkston

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District 9 – Charlotte Robinson & Jim Arp

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Mayoral Race – Val Applewhite & Nat Robertson

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