Russell Riggs

Russell Riggs is NAR’s senior policy representative for environmental issues.

Posts by Russell Riggs

Interview: Andy Florance on Restoring Transparency and Putting Agents ‘Back in Front of America’

Above, a screenshot from one of Homes.com’s new ads featuring Dan Levy of “Schitt’s Creek” fame and SNL’s Heidi Gardner.  During one of America’s most enduring traditions, Super Bowl Sunday, Homes.com plans to make history, regardless of who takes home the championship trophy.  Through four commercials reaching some 113 million viewers, the rapidly ascending real…

Government-Funding Bill Creates Vital New Affordable-Housing Program

At the end of 2022, President Biden signed the FY2023 omnibus spending bill into law, which funds the government through September 2023. This legislation created a new program to reward state and local governments, metropolitan planning organizations and multijurisdictional entities for eliminating local barriers to affordable housing supply. The bill allocates $85 million to create…

5 Ways the Inflation Reduction Act Can Cut Your Energy Bill

The Inflation Reduction Act, which was recently passed and signed into law, includes an array of resources and tax incentives to help homeowners and commercial building owners make their properties more energy efficient. Studies show that if property owners across the U.S. weatherized their buildings and installed high-efficiency heating, cooling and water-heating equipment, they would…

Sustainability Presents Myriad Opportunities

Research shows that consumers are increasingly interested in the green features of residential and commercial buildings. The National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) has responded to this consumer interest by creating a robust Sustainability Program that provides leadership and strategies for sustainability that benefit members, associations and communities. For the past two years, NAR has created…

Federal Government Moving Forward With New Waters Protection Rule

On Nov. 18, 2021, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a proposal to withdraw President Trump’s Navigable Waters Protection Rule (NWPR) and put in place regulatory guidance that had been in effect before the Obama administration implemented its controversial Waters of the United States (WOTUS) rule in 2015.…