The California Association of REALTORS® (C.A.R.) recently recognized the South Tahoe Association of REALTORS® (STAR) for representing the rights of property homeowners throughout the South Lake Tahoe area.  During the C.A.R. Business meetings held in Indian Wells the week of January 17th, C.A.R. awarded the South Tahoe Association of REALTORS® with a $5,000 state IMPAC grant.  The purpose of the grant is to pay for STAR’s Government Affairs Director (GAD), Haley Williamson to attend the accelerated Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) meetings focused on updating its regional plan.  Williamson is also responsible for representing South Tahoe REALTORS® at these meetings and for bringing information back to the STAR Board of Directors.  In addition, the state IMPAC funds will allow STAR association members to learn about the new laws affecting our region through advocacy and education on policy such as new zoning ordinances, height restrictions, and community goals that the TRPA is considering.

This update to TRPA’s basin-wide plan will be the first since the late 1980s.  The TRPA’s regional planning committee is holding meetings throughout the winter and spring of 2011-2012.  The TRPA intends to have the new Regional Plan in place by the end of 2012.  At TRPA planning meetings, stakeholders meet all day to discuss how they want to update the regional plan. STAR’s representation is felt to be vital as the TRPA’s regional plan will have a direct affect on how people buy and sell homes in the Tahoe Basin.  The TRPA has requirements instructing REALTORS® to give out disclosures regarding TRPA regulations to homebuyers and home sellers.  The TRPA says in its own mission statement that it relies on public-private relationships to meet environmental goals.

Along with C.A.R.’s recognition of the importance for STAR’s involvement with decisions that could affect the South Tahoe area, they acknowledged that the decisions made by the TRPA could have an effect on the state of California as well.  If the TRPA passes ordinances mandating actions at point-of-sale, it may set a precedent for other point-of-sale mandates across the state.  Furthermore, since the TRPA must abide by California’s new sustainable communities law (passed in 2010), how the TRPA interprets and implements these California statewide laws will set a statewide precedent.  For this reason, C.A.R. has encouraged STAR to seek a similar grant on the National level and offered to assist in the effort to do so.

It was recently reported that the California Association of REALTORS® recognized the efforts of the South Tahoe Association of REALTORS® (STAR) to protect the rights of property homeowners throughout the South Lake Tahoe area by bestowing a $5,000 state IMPACt grant.  The purpose of this grant was to pay for S.T.A.R.’s Governmental Affairs Director (GAD), Haley Williamson to attend accelerated Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) meetings focused on the updating of its regional plan.

After hearing the request for the grant, the state association felt that the need for representing the rights of homeowners in regards to the TRPA regional plan update was so great that they encouraged Williamson to apply for a similar grant on the national level, offering their support in the process.  This second grant was applied for and granted.  The National Association of REALTORS® grant funds are aimed toward three primary goals for the South Tahoe Association of REALTORS®: 1) The funds will allow STAR to pay their Independent Consultant/GAD to attend TRPA meetings; 2) the funds will allow STAR to pay their Independent Consultant/GAD to lobby for California REALTORS®’ interests at these TRPA meetings; and 3) the funds will allow STAR members to have educational meetings about the TRPA’s new Regional Plan.

As does the National Association of REALTORS®, the South Tahoe Association of REALTORS® believes in public-private partnerships between homeowners around the lake and governmental entities to further environmental goals.  Our Association also believes that local authorities, in close cooperation with their citizens, should be ultimately responsible for managing growth and building better communities, and that land use planning should provide for a variety of housing types, mixes, densities and pricing to meet the needs of all segments of our population.  The TRPA’s proposed new regional plan incorporates some of these ideals.  STAR’s goal is to have their Independent Consultant/GAD continue to advocate for these ideals at TRPA Regional Plan meetings.

Click here to access a PDF of this article: http://www.staor.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/StarRcvdNAR-grant.pdf

~STAOR Community Service Committee
Ellen Camacho, Chair; Ken Daley, Jennifer Fortune & Jaime Souers

Click here to view a flyer: http://www.staor.org/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/2012EasterBasketDrive.pdf

Each month, the South Tahoe Association of REALTORS compiles real estate sales and active listing statistics for its members and the public.  These reports may be viewed on screen, printed or saved to your computer.  Please scroll down and click on the links below to view the following:

 Single Family Market Analysis

Single Family Active Listings

Active Condo Listings

Single Family Market Analysis by Area

Each month, the South Tahoe Association of REALTORS compiles real estate sales and active listing statistics for its members and the public.  These reports may be viewed on screen, printed or saved to your computer.  Please scroll down and click on the links below to view the following:

Single Family Market Analysis

Single Family Active Listings

Active Condo Listings

Single Family Market Analysis by Area

Each month, the South Tahoe Association of REALTORS compiles real estate sales and active listing statistics for its members and the public.  These reports may be viewed on screen, printed or saved to your computer.  Please scroll down and click on the links below to view the following:

Single Family Market Analysis

Single Family Active Listings

Active Condo Listings

Single Family Market Analysis by Area

Each month, the South Tahoe Association of REALTORS compiles real estate sales and active listing statistics for its members and the public.  These reports may be viewed on screen, printed or saved to your computer.  Please scroll down and click on the links below to view the following:

Single Family Market Analysis

Single Family Active Listings

Active Condo Listings

Single Family Market Analysis by Area

If you have a costume to donate, please contact STAR Community Service Committee Co-Chair Jaime Souers at 530-545-2684 or send an email to jaimesouers@yahoo.com.

A donation box where you may drop off costumes will also be placed at the South Lake Tahoe Moose Lodge at 961 Eloise Avenue.

The deadline to give costumes is Sunday, October 16, 2011 so that there is time to distribute them to the children for Halloween.

Each month, the South Tahoe Association of REALTORS compiles real estate sales and active listing statistics for its members and the public.  These reports may be viewed on screen, printed or saved to your computer.  Please scroll down and click on the links below to view the following:

Single Family Market Analysis

Single Family Active Listings

Active Condo Listings

Single Family Market Analysis by Area

Please save the date and plan to attend the Annual Installation & Awards Dinner on Friday, October 28, 2011 at Edgewod Tahoe. More details to follow next week!

Please plan to join us as we install the new Board of Directors for 2012, and as current President Amanda Adams passes the gavel to 2012 President Jill Teakell.