Monitoring, Negotiating, Amending, Stopping

This time of year things really heat up in the Legislature, especially as the budget process wraps up and bills need to be reported out of legislative committees. A huge amount of MAR time is spent monitoring bills we don't believe we need to be concerned about (but learned from history have a way of changing if don't actively watch them) and working on bills we know we're concerned about. Some bills require substantial negotiation to get language amended or removed - and that doesn't just happen by asking for it. Frequently research, documents and deep explanation are necessary. In addition, many regulatory agencies consider issues that impact real estate, and those require monitoring and sometimes action too.

MAR even briefly saw another suggestion by the Taxation Committe to remove the Mortgage Interest Deduction as part of "Tax Reform" this week. But looks like that's dead (again).

Today's MAR E-NEWS (our electronic membership newsletter) includes updates about advertising issues at the Maine Real Estate Commission, and legislative updates on lead paint registry, septic system inspection requirement, building codes, vernal pools, historic properties tax credits, protecting sellers when buyers don't pay future taxes, and statewide energy and building codes. Be sure to read it.

What happens in the legislature, at regulatory agencies and in Congress can impact you and your business.