RISMEDIA, March 2, 2011—Throughout the month of March, consumers across the country can engage REALTORS®, local officials and their neighbors on an issue that literally hits close to home—homeownership—as the National Association of REALTORS® kicks off a month-long Home Ownership Matters Bus Tour in cities across the nation.
“Americans today are debating what homeownership means to their families, communities and the nation as a whole,” said NAR President Ron Phipps, broker-president of Phipps Realty in Warwick, R.I. “We want to engage in that dialogue directly with people in their own communities. This bus tour gives us a chance to interact and communicate directly with consumers about what housing issues matter most to them.”
The first stop on the tour is in Chicago on March 5, where the bus will visit the Chicago Flower & Garden show at the Navy Pier outside Festival Hall B from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m. CST. NAR President-elect Moe Veissi will join invited local officials to speak with Chicagoans, who can also learn about how issues like tax reform and mortgage availability could affect their ability to buy, sell and own a home. Attendees can also register to win prizes worth up to $2,500.
Other major stops on the tour include Denver on March 19 and Portland, Ore., on March 26, with additional stops in cities along the way. Ongoing news and information about the tour will be posted on HouseLogic at www.houselogic.com/bus. HouseLogic is a free source of information from NAR that helps homeowners maintain and enhance the value of their homes and engage in issues that affect their local communities.
“Issues like the mortgage interest deduction, foreclosures and short sales, affordable financing and available credit don’t just affect people who own a home—homeownership shapes communities and strengthens the nation’s economy, as well,” said Phipps. “Behind every home purchase, sale and foreclosure is a human face, and we hope this bus tour will give a voice to those personal experiences.”
For more information, visit www.realtor.org.
