Update Regarding COVID-19 and Message from MAAR President April 10, 2020
A Message from Michelle Talbott Rogers,
Mobile Area Association of REALTORS® President 2020
Greetings to all of you,
As we move into another weekend, it seems things have quieted a bit from the Governor’s and the Mayor’s Offices as well as NAR and AAR. A bit of reprieve… (full message here)
National Association of REALTORS® Leadership
Wednesday, April 8th, NAR held “Leadership Live”, a Facebook Live event where NAR Leaders and industry experts answered your questions and addressed your concerns during this interactive and impactful exchange…
The Alabama Department of Labor
The Alabama Department of Labor released information providing very specific guidance on accessing unemployment benefits as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. They have included instructions for independent contractors and small business owners, along with a benefits chart.
MONTGOMERY – Alabama Department of Labor Secretary Fitzgerald Washington announced today Alabama has begun paying the Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC) benefit that was established with the passing of the federal CARES Act on March 27, 2020.
ADOL began paying the FPUC benefits on April 8, 2020. (read the full release here)
REALTOR® Party Update
Text COVID19 to 30644 to receive the latest information on NAR’s advocacy efforts on COVID-19. Staying in touch on all the policy updates is as simple as grabbing your cell phone right now to sign up for REALTOR® Party Mobile Alerts, and you will receive a link straight to your mobile device with all the latest information.
NAR’s Federal Advocacy team has been working closely with Congress and the Administration to ensure the interests of REALTORS® and their clients are protected in any federal action in response to COVID-19, in addition to minimizing transaction disruptions during these very difficult circumstances. (read more here)
As we try to relay the latest information from the CDC, Federal & State Government, NAR and AAR, we want to make sure you know where to find information for all the local Municipalities in Mobile County along with local school systems. (read more here along with links to local municipalities resources.)
NAR FAQ on SBA Loan Programs in CARES Act
NAR’s Federal Advocacy team has been working closely with Congress and the Administration to ensure the interests of REALTORS® and their clients are protected in any federal action in response to COVID-19. (read more here)
US Treasury
The Paycheck Protection Program prioritizes millions of Americans employed by small businesses by authorizing up to $349 billion toward job retention and certain other expenses.
Small businesses and eligible nonprofit organizations, Veterans organizations, and Tribal businesses described in the Small Business Act, as well as individuals who are self-employed or are independent contractors, are eligible if they also meet program size standards. (read more here)
The IRS issued guidance Thursday evening to grant deadline relief for both 1031 like-kind exchanges and opportunity zone investments that are already underway. (read more here)
The City of Mobile Stay-at-Home and Curfew Order
On Friday, April 3, 2020, Mayor Sandy Stimpson announced the “Stay-at-Home order for the City of Mobile During The COVID-19 Public Health Emergency order”. This order goes into effect from 10 pm, April 4, 2020, until April 30, 2020, unless it is determined that the emergency conditions no longer exist prior to that date, but may be extended if the emergency conditions continue beyond that date. (Ala.Code Sec. 31-9-10,11-45-1,11-47-131)
In the “Definitions” section b “Essential Businesses,” Mayor Stimpson defined “Providers of essential business services… professional organizations and services…” Real-Estate professionals are considered “Essential Business” under this order. This was clarified in Mayor Simpson’s “FQAs” linked below. Please continue to use the CDC Guidelines for Social Distancing and limit interactions to groups of 10 more where a safe six-foot distance can be maintained.
The MAAR Leadership is actively monitoring COVID-19 by staying close to official guidance from the National Association of REALTORS®, the Centers for Disease Control and the World Health Organization.
As always, the MAAR staff is here to assist all members; please use email as the best way of communicating with the staff.
Stephanite White, CEO: stephanie@gcmls.com
Jean Hearn, MLS: jean@gcmls.com
Will Seymour, MLS: will@gcmls.com
Mark Roberts, Finance Director: mark@gcmls.com
Traci Castillow, Membership and Education: traci@gcmls.com
Stephen Jones, Communications and Governmental Affairs: stephen@gcmls.com
Keon Burroughs, Administrative Assistant: keon@gcmls.com
As updates become available, please look for emails from the Association along with checking Facebook and the Association website