NAR votes YES to amend NAR Code of Ethics to include Sexual Orientation

11/8/10 – During the 2010 National Association of Realtors (NAR) annual meeting in New Orleans, NAR’s delegate body voted to amend the NAR Code of Ethics to include sexual orientation as a protected class. The proposal was originally brought forward by the National Association of Gay & Lesbian Real Estate Professionals (NAGLREP), and the Wisconsin Realtor Association. The historic change passed with 93% of NAR’s delegate body in favor of the amendment.

A protected class had not been added to the NAR Code of Ethics since 1998, and it is the first time NAR has recognized in their code a protected class before the federal government has.  In 1988 federal fair housing law changed to include people with handicaps and families with children and the NAR Code was amended to match the federal law.

After the vote, NAGLREP founder Jeff Berger talked with the 2010 NAR President Vicki Cox Golder.   Jeff says ” Mrs. Vicki Cox Golder has been so supportive of the effort, is a wonderful woman, and she left behind an amazing legacy.  Congratulations to her!”

For a brief background leading to the historic vote, see

https://www.wra.org/WREM/Dec10/Article10/

Here is the amended language of Article 10 (additions are underlined):

REALTORS® shall not deny equal professional services to any person for reasons of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, or national origin, or sexual orientation. REALTORS® shall not be parties to any plan or agreement to discriminate against a person or persons on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, or national origin, or sexual orientation.REALTORS®, in their real estate employment practices, shall not discriminate against any person or persons on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, or national origin, or sexual orientation.A related recommendation amending Standard of Practice 10-3 was approved as well:

REALTORS® shall not print, display or circulate any statement or advertisement with respect to selling or renting of a property that indicates any preference, limitations or discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, or national origin, or sexual orientation.

GREEN Eco-Friendly Modular Homes by NAGLREP member Dianne Vernon

Extreme Makeover Home Edition Custom Modular 05/24/10

Modular homes have been highlighted on HGTV, New Old House, The Washington Post, The History Channel, and many more.  Last Sunday one of our primary suppliers, Palm Harbor Homes, was featured on the hit network TV show Extreme Makeover: Home Edition’s 2010 Season Finale.  This is the first time that a modular home has ever been featured on Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. The house is built by Palm Harbor Homes / Nationwide Homes, the parent company of Discovery Custom Homes which we feature on our web-site. Cutting Edge Homes has supported this project as much as we were able since before the show was filmed.  We made an initial donation to help pay for appliances in the Williams home and a second donation that contributed to paying off the entire debt that the Williams family had on their demolished old home. The home is made of 12 modules trucked to the home site and crane-lifted into position. It has 4,151 sf under roof, and 3,700 square feet of heated area. This home is Certified Gold under the National Green Building (NAHB) program and is ADA compliant to accommodate the father who suffers from ALS/Lou Gehrig’s Disease and the son who is a paraplegic from Spina Bifida. A full solar energy array was donated by Atlantic Service and Supply to help keep cost of living down after the move-in. The time required to set the home and weather it in, was one full day. Extreme Makeover: Home Edition aired on Sunday night at 8:00 PM on ABC. If you have a family member, a friend, or real estate agent who thinks that a modular home is the same as a manufactured home, make sure they watch the show…those misconceptions are about to be shattered forever!!! Here are several other articles about modular homes that we hope you will find interesting: You can read the Bob Villa article titled Modular Homes Make Sense by clicking this link. The HGTV Pro article titled Building Off-Site can be read here. Jennifer Openshaw is a noted columnist, financial adviser, and author, she has also noted the value of modular in her article titled Factory Direct To You which is an excellent read. The Washington Post article titled Mansions Go Modular addresses the higher-end of the market. After reading these articles, please email us and let us know if they have been helpful to you. Additionally, we are very interested in hearing what you think of the show.  After you see the beautiful Williams house installed on TV, please take a few minutes to let us know your thoughts by emailing us at info@cuttingedgehomes.net Feel free to call or email to get your questions answered. Thanks, I look forward to your call. Dianne Vernon Cutting Edge Homes Inc. 1-877-630-7732 Diannevernon@sbcglobal.net P.S.  Here is a sneak preview of the pictures from the construction of the Williams family home, and you can also see the Williams Family floor plan.

NAR votes unanimously on proposal to amend NAR Code of Ethics to include sexual orientation

May 15, 2010 – The National Association of Realtors (NAR) Professional Standards Committee convened 5/13/10 during the NAR midyear meetings in Washington, DC and voted unanimously on a proposal to amend the NAR Code of Ethics to include sexual orientation as a protected class. The unanimous vote was followed by joyous applause. As of 5/15, the motion has been approved by NAR’s Board of Directors, and will go before NAR’s delegate body during their annual meeting this November 2010 in New Orleans for final review. If final review is passed, the change in code will take effect January 1, 2011.

The National Association of Gay and Lesbian Real Estate Professionals (NAGLREP) works closely with NAR’s Equal Opportunity – Cultural Diversity Committee (EOC), and originally brought the idea for amendment forward in March of 2009 via NAGLREP CEO Jeff Berger and Director Eric Kodner. Kodner serves as a 2010 Director of NAR’s EOC, and also serves the Wisconsin Realtor Association’s (WRA) Madison EOC. Kodner suggested the amendment during the WRA’s Madison EOC March 2009 meeting. We are very thankful to WRA members Eric kodner, lead counsel Debbi Conrad, Kevin King, Char Glocke and the entire WRA who worked so hard to prepare and present the WRA’s proposal before NAR.

You may view a video of the Professional Standards historic vote here
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oeFblqnItvg

Gay Real Estate / GLBT Discrimination in Housing Study

The gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender (GLBT) community has long been a topic of interest when discussing equal housing opportunity.  Gay Realtors of the National Association of Gay & Lesbian Real Estate Professionals, NAGLREP provide a sensitive understanding of the specific needs of GLBT home buyers, sellers, and renters.   As gay realtors, and gay friendly realtors, NAGLREP members pride ourselves in working with the GLBT community, but not all realtors share the same feelings. GLBT  housing discrimination exists, and we are determined to change equal housing opportunity laws within both the National Association of Realtors (NAR) policy, and Federal Fair Housing Laws.

NAGLREP members see a wind of change for GLBT rights sweeping through the real estate community.  Most notably is the policy change in November 2009 by NAR to add sexual orientation as a protected class to NAR’s policy on equal housing opportunity.

On 3/14/10, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) released a new webpage for their study on housing discrimination against the GLBT community relating to the sale and rental of housing.  NAGLREP founder Jeff Berger corresponded last week with HUD’s Assistant Secretary Raphael Bostick, the leader of the HUD study.  Mr. Bostic described the GLBT housing discrimination study as a four year study with four phases, the first to be completed by the summer of 2011 with data released.  NAGLREP was also invited to reach out to HUD to describe the most often types of discrimination encountered by our members.

HUD is also seeking feedback on ideas to better their study.  If you would like to contribute suggestions to  HUD’s study, please visit their page http://portal.hud.gov/portal/page/portal/HUD/LGBT_Discrimination_Study