Chicago, IL – July 14, 2020 (nar.realtor) The National Association of Realtors® and the National Association of Home Builders on Tuesday launched a new joint initiative, Home Performance Counts, designed to help consumers better understand the rapidly growing high-performance home marketplace – homes that prioritize comfort, durability, wellness and affordability. Demand for such housing has expanded over recent years, with the number of homes certified to the National Green Building Standard® increasing by more than 57% since 2017.

“With today’s homebuyers looking for healthier, more efficient homes, America’s 1.4 million Realtors® are proud to join forces with the National Association of Home Builders to build rapport and highlight the benefits of home performance to U.S. consumers,” said NAR President Vince Malta, broker at Malta & Co., Inc., in San Francisco, CA. “Clients come to our members looking for the very best homes they can afford, and with green building practices often leading to homes that are more durable and require less maintenance, NAR is excited to strengthen our partnership with NAHB to help more Americans find the high performing, efficient home of their dreams.”

Through their joint Home Performance Counts initiative, NAR and NAHB have come together to offer a comprehensive resource that educates consumers on the qualities and benefits of high-performance homes and facilitates communication on home performance between buyers, builders and real estate agents. As these practices continue to evolve, NAR and NAHB will provide regular updates and new resources that examine the most recent market trends and sustainability research.

“Home Performance Counts provides a common ground for our two organizations to work together to raise awareness of the benefits of green homes and the key role home builders and real estate agents can play in the home-buying process to ensure buyers get the high performance home of their dreams,” said NAHB Chairman Chuck Fowke, a custom home builder from Tampa, Fla. “Builders and Realtors® will also benefit from using a common language and having access to the latest trend data and information.”

Home Performance Counts is an educational initiative developed jointly by NAR and NAHB to position their respective members for success in the expanding marketplace for high performance homes. For more information, visit HomePerformanceCounts.info(link is external).
 

The National Association of Home Builders is a Washington-based trade association representing more than 140,000 members involved in home building, remodeling, multifamily construction, property management, subcontracting, design, housing finance, building product manufacturing and other aspects of residential and light commercial construction. NAHB is affiliated with 700 state and local home builders associations around the country. NAHB’s builder members will construct about 80% of the new housing units projected for this year.

The National Association of Realtors® is America’s largest trade association, representing more than 1.4 million members involved in all aspects of the residential and commercial real estate industries.

Washington, D.C. – July 13, 2020 (nar.realtor) The National Association of Realtors® on Monday asked the Department of Housing & Urban Development to withdraw its proposed rule to amend the HUD interpretation of the Fair Housing Act’s disparate impact standard. In the letter(link is external), NAR cites broad national consensus to advance efforts to eradicate racial discrimination while arguing HUD’s revisions place too heavy a burden on the ability of parties to bring legitimate initial disparate impact claims.

“While there is debate… as to whether additional clarity is needed with respect to disparate impact claims, there is broad consensus across the country that now is not the time to issue a regulation that could hinder further progress toward addressing ongoing systemic racism,” NAR President Vince Malta writes. “We believe this is the time to explore how we may work together to eliminate unnecessary barriers to housing opportunity and advance policies that allow more Americans to fully participate in the American Dream… and respectfully ask that HUD withdraw its proposed rule to amend its interpretation of the Fair Housing Act’s disparate impact standard.”

NAR submitted initial comments to HUD after the Department unveiled its proposed rule last October. While commending HUD’s stated goal to make its enforcement policy consistent with the Supreme Court decision in Texas Dept. of Housing and Community Affairs v. Inclusive Communities Project, Inc., NAR also expressed concerns that some of HUD’s revisions place too heavy a burden on the ability to bring an initial disparate impact claim.

“NAR is working closely with state and local Realtor® associations on specific referenda, policy recommendations and residential projects that support our commitment to fair housing and housing opportunity,” Malta wrote. “Ultimately, NAR supports disparate impact as a legal theory to address the unfair housing practices that inhibit fair housing and unfairly target members of protected classes, while still protecting the ability of Realtors® and other stakeholders to run their businesses in a free and functional real estate market.”

The National Association of Realtors® is America’s largest trade association, representing more than 1.4 million members involved in all aspects of the residential and commercial real estate industries.