• Gary Sandler
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    Published 4 March 2017

    LAS CRUCES – The Realtors Association of New Mexico has its collective eye focused on upwards of 140 bills that are winding their way through the current legislative session in Santa Fe. The trade group, which represents more than 5,500 Realtors statewide, is following bills dealing with energy, mortgage and lending, economic development, land grants and land use, taxes and water, according to a recently released update.

    Among the bills on the association’s radar is SB387, sponsored by Sen. James P. White, R-Albuquerque. The bill, dubbed Real Estate Broker Licensure Requirements, would increase the number of years of experience required to become a Qualifying Broker from two to four and imposes additional education requirements on applicants. A Qualifying Broker is a licensee who oversees or owns a real estate firm and is responsible for the actions of the associate brokers working under him or her.

    RANM is also following two homeowner association bills, SB244 and HB374, The bills, sponsored by Sen. Mimi Stuart, D-Albuquerque and Rep. Monica Youngblood, R-Albuquerque, respectively, amend disclosure requirements, provide alternative dispute resolution methods, and cap fees that HOAs may charge for issuing financial disclosure documents to prospective purchasers.

    SB343, sponsored by Sen. Ron Griggs, R-Doña Ana, Eddie and Otero counties, addresses numerous aspects of how New Mexicans are taxed. Provisions include reducing the corporate income tax, increasing tax credits for working families, reinstating gross receipts taxes on food and healthcare practitioner services, and instituting a transfer tax on the sale of real property.

    Senate Bill 125 would exempt auctioneers who auction real property from working under the control of a licensed real estate broker, eliminating the need for auctioneers to be licensed brokers. The bill is sponsored by Pat Woods, R-Curry, Quay and Union counties.

    House Bill 199 and Senate Bill 210 provide for additional disclosures to property owners who purchase or finance solar panels. The bills are sponsored by Debbie Rodella, D-Rio Arriba, Santa Fe & Taos, and Clemente Sanchez, D-Cibola, Socorro, McKinley and Valencia counties, respectively.

    HB146, co-sponsored by Yvette Herrell, R-Otero, and Deborah Armstrong, D-Bernalillo, makes it a crime to exploit vulnerable adults by misappropriating, misusing, transferring or selling their property.

    The Vacant Rural Building Act (HB205) alters building code rules to allow occupancy of vacant commercial buildings by small businesses, reduces compliance costs, encourages rural economic development, and prohibits municipalities from enacting contrary ordinances. The bill is co-sponsored by Rebecca Dow, R-Grant, Hidalgo and Sierra counties, and Elizabeth “Liz” Stefanics, D-District 39.

    While there are scores of other bills in process pertaining to real estate and homeownership, one in particular is finally gaining ground since first being discussed in 2011. This year’s iteration, HB362, is sponsored by Rep Alonzo Baldonado, R-Valencia County and would require the licensing of home inspectors. New Mexico is one of only 11 states that do not license home inspectors, according to the National Association of Home Inspectors. As a result, there are currently no minimum training, experience or continuing education requirements for a person to engage in the home inspection business in our state.

    To weigh in on these and other bills that may be of interest to you, the names, addresses and contact information for your representatives can be found at https://www.nmlegis.gov/Members/Find_My_Legislator. I’m sure they’d like to hear from you.

    See you at closing.

    Gary Sandler is a full-time Realtor and owner of Gary Sandler Inc., Realtors in Las Cruces. He can be reached at 575-642-2292 or Gary@GarySandler.com

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      Gary Sandler