by Michele Newbern Gillis
Staff Writer
The Florida Association of Realtors is ready for the upcoming legislative sessions and John Sebree, tha ssociation’s vice president of public policy, says FAR will be watching closely.
“Having spent two weeks in January cutting state programs to plug $2.8 billion budget deficit, Florida lawmakers will spend a good part of the next two months cutting the budget even further and searching for new ways to stimulate the Florida economy,” said Sebree in a visit last month to the Amelia Island/Nassau County Association of Realtors.
He said FAR’s 2009 legislative agenda includes property taxes, affordable housing and other business issues.
“This session FAR will lobby lawmakers to fund residential and commercial mitigation programs,” said Sebree. “Overall, our lobbyists are watching all aspects of the real estate business including sales, leasing and appraisals to ensure the legislature’s response to the current financial crisis doesn’t produce and overcorrection.”