Realtor Dues

[satxproperty]

Our MLS has no affiliation with NAR

Are you guys REALTORS or do you have to be, to join your MLS?

[RyanRE]

All Windermere offices require NAR membership, but our MLS has no affiliation with NAR. Our MLS is privately owned, which is the reason that non-REALTORS are allowed to participate.

[thataway61]

My bill had all of the voluntary contributions itemized and included in the grand total. In small print it was noted that some items were voluntary and that certain parts varied in the tax deductability. I would have prefered the total dues payable and then line items below that you could add if you wanted to. I would be more inclined to volunteer funds if it was done the later way.

I distrust the politicians and the PAC's and sometimes see that I have funded lobbying for legislation I don't necessarily agree with. I have mixed feelings about this because there are many good organizations with good causes and within them you find things that are really distasteful. Get rid of the special interests, the tax code, and the IRS. Develop a simple flat tax and everyone pays the same regardless. It will take the money away from the lobbyists and the politicians and disable their ability to get people to jump through illogical hoops. If they come up with some grand idea, all will share in the pain or gain equally.

A good example - a man I greatly admire - Warren Buffett. He has vast wealth and is a proponent of progressive taxes especially estate taxes. However, he has established trusts that have gifted to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and effectively sheltered that wealth from taxation. He has circumvented the very system he supports. The middle class business and farm owners get faced with an estate situation and end up having to liquidate their family business to pay estate taxes and end up losing their livlihoood at the same time.

I hate jumping from the NAR dues to tax policy, but it is those very PAC's that create very complex mechanisms that allow the very wealthy or very large organizations play games while the middle class again ends up picking up the slack. I wonder what benefits R.com or T or Z end up getting from the lobbying of our contributions.

Take the money out of Washington, limit terms, and change the tax code.