NCAR raises real estate fees and adds special assessment!

[Don Clark]

Anyone else outraged by this? Appraisers and agents are already suffering from a slow business year, and what does the state real estate association do - they hit us with additional fees! It angers me to no end that governing bodies would rather risk further damaging the economy, than to do the responsible thing and cut back on their own budget. I'm also seeing local governments increasing fees and talking about tax increases. One Presidential candidate, if elected, virtually guarantees an increase for most at the federal level - creation of a new Federal bureaucracy for healthcare alone should ensure us of that. Don't elected officials understand that increasing fees on taxpayers is only going to worsen an already anemic economy?!

Doug,

My market is in Virginia and 2 counties in North Carolina. Our local MLS(REIN) covers most of southeastern Virginia and likely 90% of the 2 counties(Currituck & Camden) in North Carolina. I joined the Realtor Association out of Elizabeth City(Albemarle Area Association of Realtors) several years ago. At the time I was getting monthly sold comparables, and if I needed an assist, I could get someone to pull up more recent sales in a given area. then it dropped to quarterly, then 2 years ago it went to a sold comparable book every 6 months, and now, they will only print that if there is enough demand. I still do not have a sold comparable book from January through June of this year after repeatedly asking for it.

REIN(Real Estate Information Network) is a private corporation not associated with any Realtor group. I pay them $1,200 a year, and the fees just went up as well. I will now pay $1,350. per year. If I wanted on line access to the NC Realtor organization that would be an additional fee of over $700.00 a year on top of over $500.00 a year for membership..

Since REIN has grown so much, and almost all listings in the 2 counties are now duplicated in REIN, I will likely cancel my membership after this year if not before, in the Albemarle Area Association of Realtors. That will help pay for my gas next year.

I have been assisted, when i needed it, by some really great appraisers in North Carolina when I needed information I did not have access to. In turn, I have assisted them as well and will continue to do so.

If only all of us could raise our fees maybe it would not be so bad. But, it is unlikely that will be possible so all of us may have some hard choices to make to save some money on expenses.

Maybe trade organizations should learn to do so as well.

 

[Doug in NC]

In Connecticut they raised eveything it cost an extra $100.00 to renew our license this year in April.

That may mean that enough appraisers have dropped out of the business that the remaining appraisers have to compensate for it. If that were the case, I would be happy to pay a higher fee. If there weren't so much competition, we could all afford to raise our fees again to keep up with inflation. According to figures I got from Bob Ipock, a mere 5% failed to renew in NC. Many of that number were trainees.

 

[Terrel L. Shields]

All of the NCAR assessment and all of the $25 dues increase is slated for a fund to enable such campaigns.

BTW, it is illegal to require you pay fees to a PAC. Those fees are volunteer and cannot be assessed.