TACKLING THE DANGERS OF WILDFIRE The Wildfire Matters Review Interim Committee convened over the summer months to discuss wildfire prevention, mitigation, and related matters to improve public safety and forest health issues. By identifying best practices to prevent the devastating impacts of wildfire and areas where the state can improve these practices, Colorado is working hard to protect lives and...
Colorado General Assembly Kicks Off A New Decade The Second Regular Session of the 72nd General Assembly Opened on January 8, 2020 The first gavel of the second regular session of the 72nd General Assembly came down on Wednesday, January 8th under the leadership of Senate President Leroy Garcia and Speaker of the House KC Becker. As of this afternoon, 170 bills...
The Colorado Association of REALTORS® (CAR), the state's largest real estate trade association representing more than 26,500 members statewide, recently honored four Colorado elected officials with its prestigious Legislator of the Year Award recognizing their positive impact on the state’s real estate industry, protection of consumers, and consideration of Colorado’s natural resources in the 2019 legislative session. “A REALTOR® Champion...
On Nov. 11, 2019, National Association of REALTORS® President John Smaby thanked Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson on Saturday for taking action to curb the practice of bogus online-generated documentation for service and companion animals. REALTORS® and other housing industry groups have long expressed concerns about how property owners and managers can honor legitimate tenant needs...
by Scott Peterson, CAR General Counsel In the July issue of the Colorado REALTOR® magazine, I wrote “Be Afraid! Your Misuse of the Transaction Brokerage Relationship” describing some of the changes that were being proposed to the Colorado Real Estate Commission rules regarding brokerage relationships. At its August 5, 2019 meeting, the Real Estate Commission did, in fact, adopt the...
CAR Vice President of Government Affairs Elizabeth Peetz and Government Affairs Manager Bridget Garcia authored an article for the November 2019 issue of Colorado Lawyer in which they discuss how states, including Colorado, are addressing the challenges of affordable housing. As Peetz and Garcia note, states have used a variety of innovative funding sources for affordable housing, which include: Marijuana revenue: the...
CAR Vice President of Government Affairs Liz Peetz joined local business and industry leaders for the Denver Business Journal's "Health Care Forum" earlier this month. In regards to state officials considering a new public option for Coloradans, Peetz stated, "They seem to be moving fast but this is a really big idea and a huge sector of our economy....
Please remember to participate in the voting process as this is a big year for local elections. If you have questions regarding their voter registration, you can visit GoVoteColorado.com. Colorado voters will also decide on two statewide ballot measures: Proposition CC: Referred by the Colorado legislature to the 2019 ballot, Proposition CC would remove revenue caps and allow the state to keep annual...
REALTOR and Metro District Chair-elect for CAR, Brian Urdiales is seeking the Fort Morgan City Council District #1 seat in next month's election. The Fort Morgan Times recently profiled Urdiales. Brian Urdiales sees his candidacy for the Ward 1 Fort Morgan City Council seat as a natural progression from his involvement in politics, particularly his time on the city’s...
On Jan. 1, 2020, Illinois will join a growing list of U.S. states where it is now legal to sell and consume marijuana. As the state moves towards implementation, REALTORS® in Illinois have been asking how legalization will affect the real estate industry in Illinois. CAR's General Counsel Scott Peterson and VP of Government Affairs Liz Peetz recently spoke with...