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RAMP REALTOR® Blogs
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Posted on 11/30/2011 4:30 PM By Joi Rogers |
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2011 President of The National Association of REALTORS® (NAR), Ron Phipps ABR, CRS, e-PRO, GREEN, GRI sends RAMP a message of congratulations on its 100th birthday celebration. To watch the video click the play button above.
If you missed our centennial events, click here to view our gallery of photos.
To see an archival of centennial news from this year, click here.
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Posted on 11/27/2011 10:34 PM By Jennifer Cloonan |
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Allegheny County Council Members are grappling with a $20 million deficit as they craft the 2012 budget. Over the past several weeks it has become more and more clear that their preferred path involves giving serious consideration to raising the County's millage for the first time in over a decade, from 4.69 to 5.69 mills. At last week's Allegheny County Economic Development and Housing Committee meeting, RAMP Government Affairs was pleased to see a measure we have been lobbying hard for, the reauthorization of the Act 202/New Home Construction abatement, was proposed by County Council Member Robert Macey. It was voted out of the committee with a unanimous affirmative vote. . .
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Posted on 11/27/2011 9:46 PM By Jennifer Cloonan |
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City of Pittsburgh and Mount Oliver property owners should expect to find a lil' something mixed in with the holiday cards in their mailboxes soon . . . their new valuation. At a status conference held the day before Thanksgiving, the County's Chief Property Assessment Officer reported to Judge Wettick that Allegheny County is on track to meet the mid-December deadline for properties located within the Pittsburgh school district (which includes Mount Oliver). Appraiser valuations are currently being compared to mathematical formulas, also referred to as "iteration," to achieve fairness and consistency. REALTORS® should take special note that while the preliminary assessments . . .
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Posted on 11/21/2011 11:02 AM By Jennifer Cloonan |
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Last Thursday Congress had a conference agreement of their minibus appropriations bill, which contained provisions significant for REALTORS®, FHA Loan Limits and NFIP . . .
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Posted on 11/15/2011 4:06 PM By Jennifer Cloonan |
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Question time . . . what kinds of things do you want to have our panelists muse on? What questions are you dying to have asked and answered at our Marcellus Shale Panel this Friday, November 18th @ 10:00 a.m.? Click here to send them to me, and I will make sure they are covered . . . .
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Posted on 11/14/2011 12:48 PM By Jennifer Cloonan |
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Marcellus Shale's impact is growing in this region, both in terms of property rights and political power. As a REALTOR®, are you prepared? RAMP Government Affairs has a way for you to obtain the information you need, and the resources to gain the edge .. . .
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Posted on 11/14/2011 11:03 AM By Jennifer Cloonan |
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Budget hearings for Allegheny County's 2012 Budget commenced less than 24 hours after the election polls closed. Outgoing County Executive Dan Onorato has proposed a budget with NO increase in property taxes. Two evenings of public hearings on the budget included many members of the public that are beneficiaries of social services, who testified over their concern about funding cuts to services they consume. RAMP Government Affairs implored County Council to NOT raise property taxes, citing the genuine fear of homeowners, how property tax increase damage our local economy, and how they fall especially hard on seniors, young families, and first-time homebuyers. . . .
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Posted on 11/10/2011 12:28 PM By Jennifer Cloonan |
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How much do you know about Marcellus Shale? What about as a REALTOR® . . . do you know enough about Marcellus Shale to properly handle a transaction where mineral rights and leasing are involved? Have you thought through all of the potential ramifications? Are you prepared to protect your clients, and yourself? Embrace the opportunity RAMP has arranged for you to engage, discover, and interact by attending our Marcellus Shale Panel on Friday, November 18th from 10:00 - 11:30 a.m. . . .
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Posted on 11/7/2011 12:31 PM By Jennifer Cloonan |
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There is one appointment that should be on all REALTORS® calendars for Tuesday, November 8th . . . VOTING! Voting is a privilege, one that should be handled with the utmost of care, and certainly an appointment worthy on your calendar. Local elections have the most dismal turnout of any election, with as low as 20% of all eligible voters in some places. The myth still exists that what happens at the federal level affects a person most, hence the highest turnout in a presidential cycle. As REALTORS®, you know that it's the local scene -- the municipality and the school district -- that have the most direct effect on a person's daily life and pocketbook. Now show it by carrying out your civic responsibility!
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Posted on 11/7/2011 12:12 PM By Jennifer Cloonan |
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Up, down, left, right, on, off . . . the latest not so bad news direction from Judge Wettick is that residential property owners in the City of Pittsburgh and Mount Oliver WILL be allowed to challenge their new assessments via informal appeals. (Are you cheering? Stand by . . .). But, and there's always a but, Allegheny County must still have those residential values certified by December 2nd, and then mailed to owners by December 9th. They will have until December 30th to request an informal appeal. Those informal appeals will take place between December 14th and January 20th . . .
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