NC Association of Realtors

Usually BlueNC's Greg Flynn keeps his eye on the activities of the NC Association of Realtors, but I may have beaten him to the punch this morning.

The News and Observer is reporting that there is a feud brewing within the Association over the campaign to land transfer tax.

UPDATE: Greg is already 10-steps ahead of me on his blog, STOP The NC Home Ticks.

NC Realtor astroturf popped up yesterday in Gates County with no pretense of a local organization:

Meanwhile Ashe County Commissioners have decided to put the Transfer Tax to a referendum on May 6th according to the Jefferson Post

They're baaaack, realtor astroturf in Orange County:

Orange County residents have been on the receiving end of dubious push poll telephone calls recently, described by one recipient as:

...what may very well be the most egregious violation of research ethics I have ever experienced.

Why all the fuss? Tuesday evening, February 5th, at 7.30pm, the Orange County Board of Commissioners, at its regular meeting, will a public hearing regarding a Local Revenue Options Referendum. The purpose of the hearing is "to solicit opinion from voters regarding which, or both, of two local revenue options should be placed on a May 2008 referendum for voter consideration." In other words, they are trying to decide between a 1/4% sales tax or a 0.4% transfer tax increase, to pay for growth.

"Buyers Simply Don't Know to Beware"

Just when I thought the Realtor Ticks couldn't stoop any lower, I find this story about how they've been pressuring the NC Home Inspector Licensure Board to prevent inspectors from recommending safety improvements to prospective buyers.

Complaints, protests and a stern letter from Gov. Mike Easley were enough to table a proposal backed by real estate agents to alter home inspection reports. The opposition prompted members of the state board that licenses home inspectors to scrap, for now, a rule that would prevent home inspectors from recommending in the summary section of reports any upgrades meant to improve the function, efficiency or safety of a home.

If you're not familiar with Lyme Disease, you need to be. Because an epidemic broke out last night right here in the Old North State. In an orgy of greed sponsored by the North Carolina Association of Realtors, the Home Ticks spent upwards of $7 per vote to interfere in local elections, burrowing into the heart of North Carolina municipalities in an unprecedented display of crass self interest. They successfully undermined every local government Transfer Tax initiative, putting infrastructure at risk and increasing the pressure to raise property taxes throughout the state.

Make no mistake, the Ticks will stop at nothing to preserve their profits. You see, transfer taxes are a Trojan Horse that would wake up homeowners to the absurdity of their sacred 6% commissions.

(Updated with tags. Again.)

At the rate of spending revealed so far it appears that the NC Association of Realtors (NCAR) and the NC Home Builders Association have committed to spend at least $400,000 each in fake grassroots efforts to defeat the transfer tax in the 16 counties holding a referendum on the issue. Contributions from affiliated realtor groups could bring the total projected state budget close to $1,000,000 for local astroturf committees alone. This in addition to state level lobbying expenditures by NCAR of $938,787

Here's an update from Johnston ($74,386) and Harnett ($45,425) counties via Stop The NC Home Ticks:
 
 

Some people may wonder about my apparent obsession with NC Realtors. It's really very simple. Political corruption is rooted in the large amounts of money injected into the political process. NC Realtors have injected the largest amounts of money. They've also targeted an issue I care about, sustainable growth and, the local government funding options required to provide for it. Roll a few pet peeves into one and you have Stop The NC Home Ticks.

The North Carolina real estate industry has a little secret that may get a little sunshine, or not. The Bonus Round

Faced with a drought of public support for its high profile opposition to the transfer tax the NC Association of Realtors (NCAR) has replaced the withered remains of the "Stop The NC Home Tax" website. With newly installed Astroturf at the same address called "Vote No on the Home Tax", hoping to fool county voters into thinking it is a real grassroots movement, the website has scrubbed all references to NCAR. In its place is a roster of newly formed "Local Committees" to provide cover for the real involvement of the realtors' group.