WASHINGTON: The city of Durham, NC, has been named a 2007 Ambassador City by the National Association of Realtors and the United States Conference of Mayors.
The Durham Regional Association of Realtors® and the city of Durham will be presented with the Ambassadors for Cities plaque today during a monthly membership luncheon at the Durham Regional Association of Realtors®. NAR and the U.S. Conference of Mayors, through its Council on the New American City, launched the Ambassadors for Cities Program in 2004 to encourage cities and local Realtor® associations to form partnerships to promote homeownership and increase affordable housing in their communities.
Durham received the designation because of the success of a decade-long partnership between the city and the DRAR in creating affordable homeownership opportunities for the citizens of Durham. The DRAR and the city of Durham began working together in 1997 and have helped more than 600 of the area's residents obtain homes. "Realtors® build communities, and through strong partnerships between cities and mayors across the country, they are helping to expand housing availability and increase homeownership for everyone," said NAR President Pat V. Combs, of Grand Rapids, Mich., and vice president of Coldwell Banker-AJS-Schmidt.
"The Durham Regional Association of Realtors® and the city of Durham are committed to making homeownership a reality for the city's residents and their partnership is an excellent example of how working together can make a real difference in people's lives."
The 10-year partnership between the DRAR and the city have included activities such as an annual training to educate Realtors® about the city's homeownership programs for low- and moderate-income working families. Realtors® who complete the training are placed on the city's first-time homebuyer Realtor® Referral List, which is distributed to hundreds of potential homebuyers that attend the city's housing workshops. Realtors® have also partnered with the city to hold an annual home buying fair. The day-long event features free handouts, Spanish and English home buying workshops and more than 50 exhibitors.
In addition, Realtors® worked closely with the city to help sell homes in areas targeted for the mayor's neighborhood revitalization and stabilization efforts. Ronald Thompson of Valdese, N.C., NAR regional vice president covering Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee, and Dave Gatton, director, Council for Investment in the New American City, U.S.C.M, presented the plaque to Durham Mayor Bill Bell and Leslie Page, president of the DRAR.
The National Association of Realtors®, "The Voice for Real Estate," is America's largest trade association, representing more than 1.3 million members involved in all aspects of the residential and commercial real estate industries.
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