Monday, November 24, 2008

Community Associations Institute (CAI): Press Room: Press Releases

Community Associations Institute (CAI): Press Room: Press Releases
Monica Sadler and Fred Pilot both sent me links to this CAI press release:

ALEXANDRIA, VA, NOVEMBER 24, 2008 – Community Associations Institute (CAI) announced today that the 29,000-member organization has joined the Fix Housing First coalition, a national effort to address the current housing crisis and broader economic downturn.

The Fix Housing First coalition brings together a variety of stakeholders—including homeowners associations, builders, manufacturers, suppliers and others—united by the concern that home prices and property values continue to decline dramatically across the country, affecting hard-working Americans everywhere.

The Fix Housing First coalition supports a stimulus package that effectively addresses the root of the current economic crisis—housing—by offering incentives to encourage Americans to buy homes again. Specifically, the coalition is urging Congress to adopt a meaningful, non-refundable tax credit and a mortgage rate reduction for all home buyers.

-----------
There's a lot more, including some specific recommendations. I gather this coalition is mainly for lobbying purposes, to keep Congress and the president focused on housing. It will be interesting to see how deeply Congress digs into why the housing market boomed, collapsed, and started the chain reaction.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

How many of these CAI communities mandate transfer fees payable to CAI "foundations" and declarant-controlled "non-profits" to siphon off a big chunk of money everytime a home is sold? Tax dollars should not fund such thievery. In other words, how much of a cut of that tax credit will CAI members divert from the homeowner through other closing fees?
Due to the abuses at every level in an HOA, if such a credit is given perhaps it should be available only to those purchasing non-HOA homes.
Also, what is the point of lowering mortgage rates if an HOA can foreclose on the home without investing a dime? Why don't we eliminate the HOA's ability to foreclose (for SFH anyway)? There is no basis for requiring homeowners to pay (through involuntary association) for unsustainable amenities.