The mission of TREPAC is to raise and disburse funds to promote home ownership, protect real-property rights, and increase political awareness.
What is TREPAC?
TREPAC stands for Texas Real Estate Political Action Committee. It is a non-partisan political action committee that is focused on supporting candidates that support the rights of private property, homeownership, and the real estate profession. TREPAC focuses on having the right people in the right place at the federal, state, and local level. It is a completely voluntary, nonprofit organization that ensures the REALTOR® voice is heard in Congress and at the State Capitol.
The real estate industry faces constant legislative and regulatory proposals which can negatively impact your business. REALTOR® representation is huge for fighting these proposals that could potentially create barriers to property ownership, increase any costs of doing business and real estate transactions, and helps to maintain the positive environment we have in the real estate industry. Investing in TREPAC is the best way to be an advocate for your clients and insuring success for your business. You insure everything else in your life. Why not insure your business?
How TREPAC Serves You!
- Required a seller of residential property to use a promulgated property-condition disclosure form, thereby decreasing liability on the seller and real estate licensees
- 1997 – Authored a constitutional amendment protecting a homeowner’s equity by requiring an 80% loan-to-value ratio on refinances, preventing borrowers from becoming upside down on their home loan
- Established a much-needed consumer-protection statute requiring the mandatory licensing of mortgage brokers
- Killed legislation that would have levied an 8% sales tax on the sale of all real property—commercial, residential, farm and ranch, industrial, raw land—all of it.
- Defeated a proposal which would have created a 1% real estate transfer tax on the sale or lease of all real property
- Codified regulations relating to a minimum level of service a real estate broker must provide to a consumer
- Prevented a property tax from being imposed on personal vehicles also used in the production of income
- Defeated multiple proposals to tax real estate, including several bills requiring the creation of a tax on every deed recorded by the county clerk
- Fought for and passed a revision to the Deceptive Trade Practices Act that effectively exempts real estate brokerage from liability under the act—as long as the broker or agent hasn’t committed an unscrupulous or illegal act
- Helped the Texas Real Estate Commission attain a self-directed, semi-independent status, insulating the agency from future state-mandated budget cuts and enabling TREC to better serve licensees and consumers
- Passed a measure eliminating most future private transfer fees on real estate transactions
- Enacted strong consumer protections in eminent-domain proceedings
- Passed numerous HOA-reform bills that increase homeowners’ rights and promote more efficient, transparent and effective HOA management
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Played a key role in addressing the state’s long-term water and public education needs
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Helped enact critical consumer-protection laws in the property-tax lending industry
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Passed a constitutional amendment to ban any tax on real estate transfers and increase the homestead exemption to $25,000 in one motion.
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Repealed a $300 fee that double-taxed brokers for their two year license
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Supported substantial business tax relief with a 25% reduction in the franchise tax rate
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Revised the property appraisal process to ensure equal and uniform property valuation
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Supported legislation to improve Texas roads by ending diversions from the Texas Highway Fund, decreasing bond debt, and allocate motor vehicle sales taxes to the state highway fund
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Required a super majority vote and notification on the taxing unit’s website before a local taxing jurisdiction may increase a property-tax rate
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Enacted protections against bad-faith claims of patent infringement against end users located in, or doing business in Texas.
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Supported changes to the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association to improve funding, efficiency, and private market participation.
- Home Equity Modernization
- Reduced maximum home equity loan fees, alloqws doe gomw equirt loans on some residential properties with agricultural classifications, and provided a method for some home equirt loans to be refinanced to non-home equity loans
- Linkage Fees
- Prohibited cities from imposing “housing affordability” fees on all new residential and commercial construction
- Accommodations in Property Appraisal Disputes
- Allowed for property owners to participate in property valuation disputes with their central appraisal district via phone instead of in-person.
- Real Estate Transactions
- Provided buyers with information about the impact of nearby military installations.
- Provided buyers with a disclosure when they are engaged in a wholesale real estate transaction.
- Property Tax Reform
- Gave taxpayers more information about how tax rates are set and how to engage in the rate-setting process. Changed the rollback rate for most cities and counties from 8% to 3.5%, requiring voter approval to exceed the rollback rate.
- School Finance Reform
- Comprehensive reform of the state’s public school finance and property tax systems to lessen the burden on local property taxpayers while increasing the state’s investment in educators and students.
- Ended Forced Annexation
- Required a municipality seeking to annex an area into its limits to hold an election for the affected residents to decide whether they wish to be annexed.
- TREC Sunset Review
- Extended TREC for six years, maintains SDSI status, and requires additional reporting to the Legislature, Governor, and Sunset Commission.
- HOA Reform
- Provided Texans with a clear understanding of their communities’ management structures and practices, including a cap on resale certificate fees, increased transparency in HOA management, and created better due process to resolve disputes.
- Increase Broadband Access
- Established a new Broadband Development Office to administer grants for expanding access to broadband in eligible areas.
- Reform Civil Liability
- Ensured small business owners, like REALTORS®, can continue to provide their essential services during times of crisis with protection from certain claims.
- Real Estate Deeds
- Provided a simple option for property owners to remove unconstitutional covenants from their real estate deeds through their county clerk’s office.
- Eminent Domain Reform
- Increases fairness and transparency for property owners in eminent domain proceedings when an entity with condemning authority seeks to acquire their property.
- Expand Appraisal Options
- Improved the loan process and addresses the need for more timely appraisals by providing buyers with more options. Also allowed appraisers to perform evaluations without complying with USPAP when the lending guidelines do not require a full appraisal for a financial transaction.
- Flood Disclosure for Tenants
- Required landlords to provide a flood disclosure notice before a lease is signed.
- Condo Association Transparency
- Increased transparency for property owners by requiring condo associations to make the association’s books and records open and available for owners or their representatives.
- Property Tax Transparency
- Created texas.gov/propertytaxes to give taxpayers access to information on local tax rates that determine their property tax bills.
- Historic Property Tax Reform
- Provided an $18 billion property tax relief package that includes a $100,000 homestead exemption, $12 billion to buy down local school tax rates, and a pilot program to impact appraised values targeted toward rental housing and small businesses.
- Water Fund
- Created a fund to help support projects to develop adequate and sustainable water supplies throughout the state.
- Broadband Fund
- Allowed more Texans across the state to access high-speed internet, advancing educational and work opportunities in rural Texas.
- Economic Development Incentives
- Created a means for companies to receive temporary property tax relief in exchange for providing jobs and other economic boons to their communities.
- Energy Fund
- Created a new fund to help build and reinforce dispatchable, on-demand electrical energy to ensure Texans don’t see electric service disruptions during times of peak demand.
- Private Property Rights – Right to Farm
- Prohibited municipalities from enforcing overreaching regulation on property owners and reduces municipal limitations on agricultural activity property owners may conduct on their land.
- Private Property Rights – Form of Payment
- Prevented HOAs from dictating what form of rent payments property owners can or cannot accept.
- Real Estate Commission
- Eliminated the need for certain sole-owner, registered business entities to also be licensed by TREC.
- Reinforced sustainable funding for the Texas Real Estate Research Center.
- Real Estate Transactions
- Created a more transparent disclosure to all parties involved in a wholesale real estate transaction. Created a business specialty court to streamline the resolution of business disputes.
Award Programs
Any member who invests $110-$999 in a single fundraising year is eligible for the TREPAC Individual Awards Program. These awards are given out to TREPAC investors through their primary local association or sent directly to the individual by TREPAC. The fundraising cycle in which investments may be applied runs from October 1st of one year to September 30th of the following year.
It’s Not a RED Problem.
It’s Not a BLUE Problem.
It’s a PURPLE Solution.
Vote
As a member of the REALTOR® Party, NAR encourages you to vote for candidates and issues that build strong communities, protect property interests and promote a vibrant business environment at the local, state and national levels.
Act
As a member of the REALTOR® Party, you act when called upon to support the REALTOR® Party at the local, state and national levels. Recognizing the importance of REALTORS® speaking with one voice, participating in national and state Calls for Action allows our collective voice to be heard from Capitol Hill to the statehouse. In addition, participating in community outreach projects and activities sponsored by your state and local associations are great ways for REALTORS® to establish themselves as valuable community assets.
- Text “TREPAC” to 512-806-0316 to receive periodic updates on issues important to you.
Invest
There are many different ways you can invest in TREPAC including, making an investment pledge, participating in annual TREPAC fundraising events, and making a voluntary investment during your REALTOR® dues billing.
TREPAC Contributions are not deductible for Federal income tax purposes. Contributions to the Texas Real Estate Political Action Committee (TREPAC), the Texas REALTORS® Federal Political Action Committee (TAR FedPAC), and the REALTOR® Political Action Committee (RPAC) are voluntary and may be used for political purposes. The Association will not favor or disadvantage anyone by reason of the amount of their contribution, and you may refuse to contribute without reprisal by the Association. TREPAC initially receives each contribution, and a percentage of no more than 30% of each contribution is transmitted to RPAC via TAR FedPAC to meet TREPAC’s RPAC annual quota. RPAC supports Federal candidates with the contributions received, and those contributions are charged against your limits under 52 U.S.C. §30116. The percentage forwarded to RPAC each month may be obtained by contacting the TAR FedPAC administrator at 800-873-9155.
Political Advocacy
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Together, the more than 120,000 members of Texas REALTORS® work to ensure a great environment for Texans to purchase, sell, and own real estate without unnecessary burdens and costs. Consumers can also join this effort!
Political Advocacy
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NAR supports the Fair Housing Act’s requirement that new multi-family housing be accessible to persons with disabilities. NAR believes that any visitability policy should be defined as voluntary.