Celebrating National Homeownership Month
Each June, EMTAR and our 1,300+ members join 36,000+ fellow Tennessee REALTORS® and 1.5 million National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) members to promote the myriad benefits of homeownership and recommit to creating opportunities for future Eastern Middle Tennessee homeowners as we mark National Homeownership Month.
As this important month unfolds, even as many of us are buzzing about working with clients during the busy summer season, we also take time to reflect on some of the many reasons why we believe in the power of homeownership and in helping new or repeat buyers to achieve the American Dream.
The month is marked by a number of spotlights, including a presidential proclamation that begins:
During National Homeownership Month, we recognize the power of owning a home when raising a family, planting roots in a community, building equity, and passing down generational wealth to continue the American Dream for generations to come. We recognize that a place to call home, regardless of owning or renting, is essential to a life of security, dignity, and hope.
We couldn’t agree more.
As National Homeownership Month continues, we also pause to focus on ways that our real estate industry is working “to address housing supply and affordability constraints and increase homeownership opportunities in America,” from advocating for affordable-housing policies (such as reducing mortgage insurance premiums, MIPs), to lobbying and testifying before Congress about loan level pricing adjustments (LLPAs), capital gains taxes, tax credits that encourage private investment in building and rehabbing owner-occupied homes, incentivizing the conversion of unused commercial buildings to residential and mixed-use properties, and much more.
Many of those vital efforts are included in NAR’s comprehensive listing of 2023 REALTOR® Legislative Priorities, a quick but insightful read available here.
Our voices as REALTORS® are important, both at the local, state, and national levels, to champion the value of homeownership and to advocate laws, policies, ordinances, and rules that strengthen private-property owners and homebuyers, from the first-time Gen Zers shopping for their first house to seasoned Baby Boomers in the market to downsize or grandchild-shift where they live.
Here are just a few of the resources available to you as we highlight homeownership this month and beyond:
EMTAR MLS Market Statistics: Explore the latest in our monthly housing-market updates featuring Realtracs sales data for Wilson, Dekalb, and Smith counties.
EMTAR Education Opportunities: Among the many classroom and online courses that we make available are many focused on the power of homeownership and the importance of removing or lowering barriers to entry, such as affordability and fair housing. Visit this page to see our full lineup of upcoming CE and other educational offerings.
Tennessee REALTORS® Member Tools and Resources: Learn about benefits the state Association provides to help you grow and thrive in ways that will equip you to help clients achieve the dream of homeownership.
NAR’s Homeownership Month Toolkit: A collection of graphics designed to help you create awareness of homeownership. You can download and use them on your social channels and in email headers to show your support.
NAR’s First-Time Buyer video episodes: Purchasing a first home isn’t easy, but the determined buyers featured in these NAR programs are up for the challenge. Watch—and get inspired—as real estate rookies discover creative pathways to homeownership by following the lead of an agent who is a REALTOR®.
These are just the beginning, of course. Many other materials and resources are only a click or two away. (You’ll find more of them here and here.)
So, Happy National Homeownership Month, EMTAR REALTORS®! And thank you that, in your eyes (and in ours), every month is really Homeownership Month, because we know you are fully committed and passionate about helping others celebrate their own closing and those special moments when they cross the threshold into their very own home for the first time.
As we celebrate and mark this month, we also celebrate you!