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Advocacy Family Network: New Community Resource Center & Transitional Housing

01/21/2026

HAAR is passing along information from the Advocacy Family Network about two new resources now available in our community that may be helpful in your work with individuals and families.

 

Community Resource Center
The Community Resource Center offers support services and referrals designed to help individuals navigate next steps and access community-based assistance.

 

Domestic Violence Transitional Housing
This program provides transitional housing options for individuals seeking a safe and supportive environment while working toward longer-term stability.
Attached (or linked below) you’ll find flyers and contact information for both resources. Please feel free to share this information with your teams and include it in your resource materials as appropriate.
If you have any questions or would like additional information, don’t hesitate to reach out. As always, thank you for the work you do and for the collaboration that makes these connections possible.
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NAHB Chief Economist: A rare opportunity for buyers?

01/21/2026

A Q&A with the chief economist at the National Association of Home Builders on construction trends, builder incentives and affordability.
For the first time in years, the price gap between newly built homes and existing homes is narrower than ever—and in some markets, the typical resale home is actually more expensive than a new build. A mix of builder price cuts, widespread incentives and smaller home sizes has brought new-home pricing more in line with resale values, creating a potentially unusual buying window for prospective home buyers.
But challenges persist in the new-home market. Overall, “2025 was a disappointing year for newly built single-family homes,” acknowledges Robert Dietz, the chief economist at the National Association of Home Builders. “We entered the year expecting relatively flat conditions, but with a mix of policy headwinds and economic opportunities, single-family home construction fell by about 7%. Builders consistently pointed to ongoing housing affordability challenges, along with supply side issues like a persistent skilled labor shortage.”
So, what lies ahead for the new-home market and for home buyers? Dietz shares his insights.
What’s your outlook for the new home market for 2026?
We are starting to see some modest improvements. One of the biggest tailwinds is the Federal Reserve’s easing [of its short-term interest rates] late in 2025. While the Fed doesn’t directly control mortgage rates, its actions matter a lot on the supply side—particularly for builders’ financing costs. About two-thirds of home construction is done by smaller, private builders who rely on bank loans to purchase land, materials and pay workers. When the Fed lowers the federal funds rate, it directly reduces the interest rates on construction and development loans. That’s good news for builders, inventory and ultimately for home buyers and renters.
For 2026, we’re forecasting about a 1% increase in single-family home building and a similar 1% gain in new home sales. Existing home sales should rise more sharply as inventory improves, but many of the same challenges—policy uncertainty, lingering tariff effects and the broader housing deficit—will remain.
Builder incentives have been making headlines and are helping to lower the costs for home buyers. Tell us more about what type of incentives builders are offering.
Incentives are very elevated right now, and that’s good news for buyers. About 40% of builders cut prices in December, with average reductions around 5%. Nearly two-thirds are also offering other incentives.
One of the most common tools—especially among larger builders—is mortgage rate buydowns. Builders are using their financial resources to lower buyers’ mortgage rates for the first two or three years, helping to ease monthly payment pressures. Other incentives include amenity upgrades and closing cost assistance, though there are limits to how much builders can offer. Still, it’s one of the industry’s main ways of responding to ongoing affordability challenges.
Historically, new homes have been more expensive than existing homes. But is that changing?
This is one of the real oddities in today’s data. Right now, the median resale home is actually more expensive than the median newly built home. That’s only happened a handful of times over the past few decades.
Typically, new homes carry a 10% to 15% price premium because they offer more amenities, lower maintenance costs and newer systems. But today’s builder incentives—combined with more construction happening in lower-cost areas—have flipped that dynamic.
It’s also a sign of the larger structural housing deficit. Even with inventory increasing in many markets, the housing stock simply hasn’t kept pace with population growth. That imbalance continues to show up in prices.
You’ve often said we need to “build our way out” of the affordability crisis. What does that look like?
The only long-term solution to housing affordability is more supply—more single-family homes, more multifamily units, more homes for sale and for rent. A clear indicator of the shortage is that nearly 20% of young adults now live with their parents. Historically, that figure was closer to 10%. That doubling is a direct reflection of the housing deficit we’re facing.
One area that’s seen growth on the construction side is townhomes. Why are they gaining traction?
Townhomes have been one of the bright spots in an otherwise challenging market. Today, about 18% of single-family construction consists of townhomes—up from less than 10% a decade ago.
They offer what we call “light-touch density”: a smaller lot, shared walls but still a front door and a path into homeownership. Demand is strong, particularly among younger buyers looking for walkable communities. The challenge is on the supply side—many zoning laws still limit this type of development.
We see real opportunity in redeveloping underused properties, like dying shopping malls, into mixed-use communities with apartments and townhomes. That kind of redevelopment could be a big part of the future.
Are builders also reducing costs by building smaller homes?
Absolutely. The median new-home size has been trending downward for about a decade. There was a brief post-COVID bump due to the “Zoom room” phenomenon, but overall, homes are getting smaller as builders respond to affordability pressures.
Between smaller lots, more townhomes and reduced square footage, builders are actively trying to right-size homes for today’s buyers and budgets—while also working with policymakers to bring costs down further.
Finally, what trends are you watching most closely in 2026 that could impact the new-home market?
Geography is a big one. Markets like Texas and Florida have cooled after years of rapid growth and some cyclical overbuilding. Meanwhile, we’re seeing pockets of strength in the Midwest—places like Columbus, Ohio, Indianapolis and Kansas City.
These markets remain more affordable, are close to major universities, and are well positioned for AI and tech investment, where managing energy and heat costs matters. In fact, single-family home construction in the Midwest was already up in 2025, even as it declined nationally. We expect that outperformance to continue into 2026.
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U.S. House Passes “Lower Health Care Premiums for All Americans” Act

12/19/2025

Last night, the U.S. House of Representatives approved, 216 to 211, the Lower Health Care Premiums for All Americans Act, a package aimed at expanding access to affordable health coverage. NAR sent a letter of support to House leadership backing provisions to expand Association Health Plans (AHPs) to include self-employed individuals, including real estate professionals. NAR worked with House leaders to include the AHP Act, which provides more affordable, high-quality health coverage options in addition to Affordable Care Act (ACA) individual market plans.

 

NAR has long championed AHPs to provide choice and competition for small businesses and independent contractors seeking affordable, high-quality coverage alongside ACA plans. When the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) allowed self-employed individuals to join AHPs in 2018, several state and local REALTOR® associations offered comprehensive, lower-cost options without harming ACA markets. A court later overturned that DOL rule due to a confusing patchwork of federal and state laws. This bill would codify AHP eligibility for all small businesses and the self-employed. Our testimony and recent letter of support underscored that expanding AHP access remains a top priority for NAR members.

 

The inclusion of AHP provisions in the House-passed bill is a major step forward. It significantly increases the likelihood that these reforms will be part of a final package if House and Senate leaders on both sides of the aisle can reach a broader health care compromise earlier next year. While the House-passed bill does not address the enhanced ACA premium subsidies, additional negotiations and legislation are expected as Congress continues to address broader health care affordability issues. NAR will continue working with lawmakers to ensure our members’ health care priorities are included in any comprehensive reform package.
NAR's Letter of Support
NAR Testimony before the House
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Modernizing the MLS: Comprehensive Updates Approved

12/18/2025

This Week, the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) announced the approval of comprehensive updates to modernize the MLS Handbook.
These updates represent the first major revision in 20 years and mark the start of NAR’s broader efforts to modernize MLS policies and mitigate potential legal risks across the industry.

Why Now? A Commitment to Modernization & Risk Mitigation

In 2025, NAR undertook its first comprehensive antitrust risk assessment of all MLS policies. This rigorous review was led by Sullivan & Cromwell, a nationally renowned law firm with preeminent antitrust experts.
To act on these findings, President Kevin Sears appointed an MLS Policy Risk Assessment Presidential Advisory Group (MLS PAG), a diverse assembly of brokers, association/MLS executives, and industry partners.
  • The MLS PAG met four times to thoroughly review the assessment and propose crucial policy changes.
  • These 18 recommended updates have been approved by the MLS Technology and Emerging Issues Advisory Board, the MLS and Executive Committees, and were shared with the Board of Directors.

Key Focus Areas of the 18 Updates

The modifications to the MLS Handbook policies are designed to ensure that the document accurately reflects how MLSs and agents operate today, minimizing legal risks for all parties.
The 18 recommendations primarily focus on three areas:
  • 7 recommendations on Local Discretion, with the goal to reinforce the ability of local MLSs to make critical governance decisions.
  • 6 recommendations on Administration and Operations, with the goal to modernize how MLSs manager their day-to-day functions.
  • 5 recommendations on Enforcement and Outdated Practices, with the goal to streamline the rules enforcement process and eliminate legacy practices. 

The Impact: Better Support for Members

These updates are critical to ensuring the MLS Handbook continues to:
  • Support Members: Ensure policies continue to support REALTOR® members in serving their clients’ best interests.
  • Minimize Risk: Mitigate and avoid potential legal risks for NAR, REALTOR® association MLSs, and members.
  • Reflect Reality: Accurately reflect the way MLSs and agents operate in the current real estate environment.

Moving Forward

These recommendations are the first outcome of NAR’s ongoing risk mitigation and modernization efforts. NAR will continue to pursue opportunities to:
  1. Further modernize MLS policies.
  2. Mitigate potential legal risks.
  3. Better serve MLSs, members, and the entire industry.
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📢 Important Announcement: Bylaw Revisions Approved!

12/05/2025

We are pleased to announce that the proposed revisions to the HAAR and ValleyMLS Bylaws were successfully approved by our membership yesterday, December 4th, 2025, at a Special Called Joint Meeting of the Association and MLS.
Thank you to those who were able to join and make their voices heard – and also to those who worked tirelessly to make our bylaws stronger in a constantly-changing industry. 

What's Next?

The approved Bylaw revisions are effective immediately. We encourage all members and subscribers to familiarize themselves with the updated documents, which are available below and on the HAAR and ValleyMLS websites.
REVISED HAAR BYLAWS
REVISED VALLEYMLS BYLAWS
Thank you to everyone who attended and cast their vote. Your engagement is vital to the strength and future of our organization!
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2026 Sponsorships — HAAR & ValleyMLS

11/10/2025

Reach nearly 5,000 REALTORS® and thousands of active homebuyers across North Alabama.

What's New?

New Digital Visibility:

Agent Dashboard + ValleyMLS.com consumer ads

Engagement Sponsorships:

Monthly REALTOR® Trivia & Winner Spotlight

More Exposure, Better Tools:

Attendee lists, short presentations, performance tracking

Who's It For?

Appraisals • Builders • Home Services • Inspections • Insurance • Mortgage & Financial • Moving Companies • Roofing • Title & Closing • Warranties

See recommended fits in each section.

Sponsorship Categories

Why it works: Consistent, high-volume visibility via newsletters & emails.
Great for: Mortgage & Financial, Title & Closing, Insurance, Warranties, Home Services.
Featured opportunities:

  • Weekly Newsletter Sponsorship

  • Monthly ValleyMLS Email Sponsorship

  • NEW: Trivia Sponsor (question + winner spotlight)

  • NEW: Credit Card Expiring Notification (sponsor message)

Check out Available Options

Why it works: Authority and trust—align with REALTOR® education.
Great for: Inspections, Appraisals, Mortgage & Financial, Title & Closing, Insurance, Warranties.
Featured opportunities:

  • CE Course Sponsorship (monthly in 2027 CE year)

  • New Member Orientation (Day 1 AM / Day 2 AM / Day 2 Lunch)

  • “Title Talk” Orientation (Title Attorneys only)

  • Certifications & Designations (SRS, ABR, GRI series)

Check out Available Options

Why it works: Face-to-face relationships and referral growth.
Great for: Builders, Roofing, Home Services, Moving, Mortgage, Title & Closing.
Featured opportunities:

  • Membership Luncheons (quarterly)

  • Happy Hours (multiple dates)

  • Annual/Gala & Seasonal Events

Check out Available Options

How It Works

1. Choose your category
2. Pick your placement/date
3. Submit request
4. Confirmation & invoice
Note: First-come, first-served. Many options sell out.
🔓 Explore Current Openings

FAQs

Can my company sponsor more than one category?

YES!! — many Affiliates layer Communications + Education + Events for year-round visibility. Multi-package partnerships also receive priority renewal.

How far in advance should I reserve a sponsorship?

Most packages sell out 2–4 months in advance, and some categories (like Orientation or Newsletter placements) historically sell out for the entire year by Q1. Early booking is strongly recommended.

Can I bring giveaways or printed materials?

Yes — all Learning & Development sponsorships include a table + distribution permission.

When is payment due?

Payment is required upon invoice to fully secure the sponsorship. Unpaid reservations may be released after 5 business days.

I’m not sure which sponsorship is the best fit — can someone recommend options based on my business?

Yes! Email Kris at kris@valleymls.com and we’ll help match the right sponsorship to your ideal audience (REALTORS®, buyers, sellers, or all three).

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Announcing New HAAR + ValleyMLS Legal Counsel

09/12/2025

A Note for Our Members
While HAAR and ValleyMLS now have dedicated legal counsel to support the boards and the organizations as a whole, please remember that our attorneys do not provide individual legal advice to members.
For any personal or transactional legal questions, members should continue to use the Alabama Association of REALTORS® Legal Line at: https://www.alabamarealtors.com/login?return_url=/legal-line
This resource is designed specifically for REALTOR® members and remains the best way to get guidance on your day-to-day real estate legal questions.
 Welcoming Our New Legal Counsel
The Huntsville Area Association of REALTORS® (HAAR) and ValleyMLS.com are pleased to announce the appointment of two distinguished attorneys who will serve as dedicated legal counsels for our organizations. Their expertise will provide invaluable support as we continue to strengthen compliance, governance, and professional standards for our members.
Alan P. Judge – Legal Counsel for HAAR
Alan Judge, of Alabama Property & Estate Law, LLC, will serve as Legal Counsel to the Huntsville Area Association of REALTORS®.
In this role, Alan will:
  • Attend all HAAR Board Meetings
  • Advise HAAR on legal matters affecting the Association and its members.
  • Obtain and maintain the National Association of REALTORS® Professional Standards Administration Certificate of Completion.
  • Assist with Professional Standards hearings, including serving as counsel to the Grievance Committee and reviewing Ethics Hearing Panel decisions.
  • Provide educational opportunities to REALTORS®, including teaching classes at HAAR  (free of charge to members).
Alan’s appointment ensures that HAAR continues to uphold the highest standards of professionalism while providing timely, reliable legal counsel
Andrea Gullion – Legal Counsel for ValleyMLS.com
Andrea Gullion, of McBride, Richardson & Gullion, P.C., has been appointed as Legal Counsel for ValleyMLS.com.
In this capacity, Andrea will:
  • Provide guidance to ValleyMLS on legal issues related to operations, compliance, and governance.
  • Represent ValleyMLS in legal matters as needed and support leadership in meeting evolving industry and regulatory requirements.
  • Attend professional meetings and conferences on behalf of ValleyMLS to ensure our organization remains informed and aligned with best practices.
Andrea’s experience and counsel will play a key role in ensuring ValleyMLS remains a trusted and legally sound MLS partner for brokers and subscribers
The Role of Legal Counsel in Board Meetings
  1. Advising on Procedure & Governance
  • Ensures the board is following its bylaws, policies, and Robert’s Rules of Order.
  • Helps the Chair and leadership avoid procedural missteps that could later invalidate a decision.
  • Provides clarity when motions, amendments, or votes are in a gray area.
  1. Risk Management
  • Spots legal landmines in real time — for example, if a discussion veers into antitrust, fair housing, or confidentiality risks.
  • Advises against board actions that might expose the association/MLS or its directors to liability.
  1. Interpreting Governing Documents & Law
  • Clarifies how bylaws, policies, MLS rules, or state law apply to the matter at hand.
  • Ensures new policies or board actions align with NAR mandates, license law, and corporate law requirements.
  1. Supporting Professional Standards & Discipline
  • If a matter related to ethics, hearings, or grievance appeals is before the board, legal counsel provides guidance on due process and proper handling.
  1. Documenting & Safeguarding Decisions
  • Reviews proposed motions, agreements, and contracts before approval.
  • Ensures the record (minutes, resolutions) is clear and defensible if challenged.
 
Looking Ahead
Both Alan and Andrea bring strong experience, professionalism, and a commitment to serving our REALTOR® community. With their support, HAAR and ValleyMLS will be better equipped to navigate today’s complex legal environment and continue providing the highest level of service.
Please join us in welcoming Alan Judge and Andrea Gullion to the HAAR and ValleyMLS family.
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Announcing ValleyMLS’ next MAJOR Data Share Agreement

09/12/2025

We are thrilled to announce that ValleyMLS will begin a data share with First Multiple Listing Service (FMLS) and Greater Alabama MLS (GALMLS) in October 2025.
This new partnership will give ValleyMLS members expanded access to listings across a broader region, providing more opportunities to serve your clients and grow your business. By combining resources, we are making it easier than ever to find and market properties—without the added cost or complexity of joining multiple MLSs.
 
What this means for you:
  • Seamless access to listing data from FMLS and GALMLS within our system.
  • Greater exposure for your listings across multiple markets.
  • Enhanced tools to support your business and your clients’ needs.
 
Our staff is still finalizing technical testing to ensure a smooth launch, but we are excited to go live in October. We will provide additional training and resources in the coming weeks to help you take full advantage of this powerful new benefit.
Thank you for your continued support as we work to bring you more tools, more data, and more opportunities for success.
With appreciation,
Rhonda Ricketts
Senior Director, ValleyMLS Operations
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ValleyMLS Subscribers now have FOREWARN at their fingertips

09/12/2025

In recognition of REALTOR® Safety Month, we’re excited to announce that FOREWARN will soon be available to all ValleyMLS members as a free member benefit.
FOREWARN provides instant access to information that helps you verify prospects and enhance your personal safety before engaging with new clients. With just a phone number, you can quickly confirm identity, check for potential red flags, and make more informed decisions before meeting in person.
We are proud to bring this tool to you as part of our ongoing commitment to member safety and professionalism. Details on account setup and training opportunities will be provided in the coming weeks.
Stay safe, stay informed, and thank you for the trust you place in ValleyMLS.

 

About Forewarn:
https://www.forewarn.com/industries/real-estate/
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Introducing the ValleyMLS App!

09/10/2025

Faster Than a Speeding Search — Try the ValleyMLS App!​

Mobile App Highlights!

  • Intuitive search filters
  • Save and share listings
  • Calculate mortgage rates
  • Device notifications for listing changes

ValleyMLS App FAQ’s

What makes ValleyMLS different from Zillow or other national apps?

ValleyMLS is powered directly by our local MLS, meaning listings update in real time with the most accurate information on homes in North Alabama. Zillow and other national apps often experience delays, so a home that looks “available” there may already be under contract here.
Do I need to be a REALTOR® to use ValleyMLS?

No! ValleyMLS is free and available to anyone searching for homes. It’s the same trusted data REALTORS® use daily—now available at your fingertips.
Can buyers connect with REALTORS® through ValleyMLS?
 
Yes! ValleyMLS not only gives you the most accurate, real-time listing updates, but it also helps buyers easily find and connect with local REALTORS®—trusted experts who know North Alabama best.
Is the ValleyMLS app only for homebuyers?

 

No! While it’s great for buyers, renters and home sellers can benefit too. The app includes rental listings and tools like the valuation feature to help sellers understand their home’s market value.
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