Transaction Center
Time to bring it home. Find zipForm®, transaction tools, and all the closing resources you'll need. Except for the champagne — that's on you.
Easily renew your real estate license with the FREE 45 hour online license renewal package from C.A.R.
Distinguish yourself by learning how to build a business that specializes in niche markets to nearly double your earning potential in various real estate sectors
Browse our class schedule to find when and where to take real estate courses.
Classes by Topic Online Bundles Harassment Prevention CoursesPrepare to earn your real estate license with our online courses. Get your California real estate license with OnlineEd. Price match guarantee. Mobile friendly. DRE-approved. Instructor Support. Start immediately!
Complete your eight-hour NMLS license renewal requirement through our NMLS-approved provider, OnlineEd
The main Business Meetings page includes important links for Directors and Committee Members. The next regularly scheduled C.A.R. Business Meeting takes place February 4-7, 2025 in Indian Wells.
Learn how to schedule a C.A.R. outreach speaker for your next event and access presentations from previous outreaches.
A one-stop shop for tools and and resources to educate consumers about the intricacies of buying and selling a home and how a REALTOR® can help.
Down Payment Resource Directory Infographics One Cool Thing Tax Reform One Sheets Fire InsuranceExplore and interact with the latest market statistics.
County Housing Market Summaries County Market Updates Market at a GlanceThis information is designed for Real Estate Brokers and Office Managers to assist you in supporting your real estate business.
CCRE's mission is to advance industry knowledge and innovation with an emphasis on convening key experts and influence-makers.
From webinars to videos and podcasts to blogs, C.A.R. keeps you in the know.
Videos Webinars PodcastsC.A.R. publishes four magazine issues and various newsletters throughout the year.
Newsletters California Real Estate MagazineCheck out the resources and timely information below to help run your brokerage and keep your finger on the pulse of the industry.
Industry Leader Town Halls are held via Zoom usually twice a month from 11:00a to 12:30p and provide an opportunity for brokers and key brokerage staff to meet virtually with C.A.R. Leadership, C.A.R. staff and brokers throughout the state to discuss the latest information impacting real estate brokerages and transactions. We have a rotating list of guest speakers providing updates on the latest issues including Transactional, Legal, Market and Legislative Issues.
January 17th | July 18th | |
December 6th | January 31st | August 8th |
February 14th | August 22nd | |
March 7th | September 12th | |
April 11th | September 26th | |
April 25th | October 10th | |
May 9th | October 24th | |
May 23rd | November 7th | |
June 6th | November 21st | |
June 20th | December 5th |
Industry Leader Town Halls are open to brokers, office managers, risk managers, and firm principals. To get the registration link and be added to our weekly Industry Leader newsletter, please sign up here. Sign up for our Industry Leader Newsletter and join us on our next town hall! Any further questions can be directed to [email protected].
FHFA Raises 2025 Loan Limits: Boost for California's High-Cost Housing Markets
The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) has announced that the conforming loan limit (CLL) for one-unit properties will increase to $806,500 in 2025, marking a 5.2% rise from the 2024 limit. This adjustment reflects the 5.21% increase in average U.S. home values between the third quarters of 2023 and 2024, as indicated by the FHFA House Price Index.
In high-cost areas, where 115% of the local median home value surpasses the baseline CLL, the loan limit will be higher, with a new ceiling of $1,209,750 for one-unit properties. In California's high-cost areas, such as parts of the Bay Area, Los Angeles, and Orange County, the increased conforming loan limit for 2025 will help more homebuyers access government-backed mortgages. The new ceiling of $1,209,750 for one-unit properties allows buyers in these regions to secure financing without resorting to jumbo loans, which often come with higher interest rates and stricter qualification criteria. This adjustment reflects the state's consistently high home prices and provides greater affordability options for those navigating California's competitive real estate market. It is expected to benefit middle-income borrowers, particularly first-time homebuyers, by expanding access to loans under more favorable terms.
These updated loan limits apply to mortgages acquired by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac in 2025.
You can look up your county’s 2025 loan limit here.
Legal Updates
Register here for the next Legal Live Webinar on the New and Revised Forms taking place on December 10th at 1:30pm.
The Standard Forms Committee met during the Fall Business meetings and is working through changes to the forms that will be updated in the December release. You can find the December 2024 Forms Redlines here. The forms are expected to be released the week of December 16th. As a reminder, please send all suggestions for standard forms to [email protected].
Continue to check the Broker Compensation Compliance page on car.org as new updates and information are being added.
Legislative Update
C.A.R. Makes Its Presence Felt On California Ballot Initiatives
Successful Outcomes CAR has had a very successful year campaigning for and against ballot initiatives, including its own direct campaign efforts and efforts funded by its Issue Mobilization Political Action Committee (IMPAC). Together, C.A.R. and IMPAC funded campaigns in the March and November elections. Those efforts led to victory on state ballot measure contests and on more than 40 local measures.
C.A.R.’s campaign against Proposition 33 through its Homeownership for Families, No on 33 Committee, which was partially funded by IMPAC,was essential to the overwhelming defeat of the measure. C.A.R’s campaign included sending over 12.8 million targeted mailers to California voters, texts and phone calls and a robust member mobilization campaign (read more about the results).
IMPAC also contributed the second largest amount of funds to the successful Yes on Prop 34 campaign, sponsored by the California Apartment Association. This initiative, which would require public health care organizations such as the AIDS Healthcare Foundation (the primary funder of the initiatives to repeal Costa-Hawkins), to spend their funds on their core mission.
At the local level, IMPAC funded many campaigns, several of which were in high-profile contests. All funding came at the request of local Associations of REALTORS® who were very involved. More than two dozen local associations contributed to the campaigns to defeat proposed vacant property taxes in Adelanto and South Lake Tahoe, both of which were defeated. Local IMPAC funding helped local associations defeat proposed rent control measures in Marin County, a parcel tax in National City, and a transfer tax proposal in St. Helena.
Not all campaigns were in opposition. Local IMPAC funds also helped local associations pass a flood control assessment in Stockton that will help avoid steep increases in flood insurance, as well as a school bond in Arcadia and in Rancho Palos Verdes.
These are just a few of the many local ballot measure campaigns in which local IMPAC funding was instrumental.
Recognition of C.A.R’s Effectiveness C.A.R.’s success also caught the attention of other interested parties in California state politics, especially the media.
A recent article published in the online political news site, Politico, placed C.A.R second on a list of “Seven Players Who Left Their Mark on the Ballot Measure Scene this Year.” C.A.R. is described as having “tanked” Prop 33 and “flexing its muscles on local races across the state.” The profile adds that C.A.R. “helped break political fundraising records” and “tilted the scales” against rent control initiatives in Marin County.
Another article in Politico also references how C.A.R.’s political muscle influenced outcomes. The article entitled, “Gavin’s Ballot Scorecard” credits Governor Gavin Newsom with having “killed rent control in California” with his low-key endorsement of the No on Prop 33 campaign. It states that while Newsom did little to promote his opposition, the work done by the No on Prop 33 campaign amplified that opposition. The article describes how “his face was plastered on ads and mailers advocating for a vote against Proposition 33,” and voters were “seeing him in ads arguing the initiative would roll back Newsom’s achievements in affordable housing.” These ads are largely credited with determining the outcome of the vote against the measure.
While the article does not expressly mention C.A.R., it features a photograph of the C.A.R. mailer touting Newsom’s opposition. C.A.R.’s Homeownership for Families, No on 33 Committee sent 3.3 million copies of that flyer to registered Democratic voters in California.
Further recognition of our efforts came in the form of press that might be perceived as adverse to C.A.R, but in politics that can still be a compliment. For example, the San Francisco editorial, Endorsement: Prop 5 limits affordable housing locations. Vote No , objects to how the negotiations on Proposition 5 between the proponents of the initiative and C.A.R changed the resulting initiative. Those changes protected homes and Proposition 13 and took C.A.R. to a neutral position, but as a result of the changes, the SF Chronicle said it had to oppose Proposition 5. In acknowledging C.A.R.’s role in shaping these outcomes, the editorial also states the obvious – that C.A.R. is a powerful and consequential player in the California political arena.
Market Update
News on the economy and the housing market last week was mostly positive and encouraging. Black
Friday kicked off the holiday shopping season and consumers were able to deliver. Retail sales on the day after Thanksgiving increased 3.4% year-over-year and more money is expected to be spent on Cyber Monday. Consumers feeling more confident about the economy and their financial well-being was one reason for the holiday spending spree. The Consumer Confidence index which measures the level of optimism, indeed, increased for the second straight month in November. There was also good news in the housing market, as conforming loan limits were raised for 2025 and mortgage rates continued to recover
after reaching their recent peak in early November. And while it was disappointing to see new home sales dropping to the lowest level in October, a separate housing market index released recently suggests that an improvement in buyers’ traffic and future sales was observed in November. Read the full weekly report here.
Key Read of the Week
“The Trump administration's latest push to end government conservatorship of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac has the housing world abuzz – and for good reason. According to the National Association of Realtors, these government-sponsored enterprises (GSEs) guarantee about 70% of U.S. mortgages. Any alterations to their structure could send shock waves through the housing market, impacting everything from mortgage rates to affordability.” Read the full article from Yahoo Finance here.
Resources for You and Your Staff
NOW is the Time - RIGHT NOW!
A full package of CE is waiting for C.A.R. Member agents on car.org. They can use that 45CE package or a standalone ETHICS COURSE to renew their NAR Ethics Requirement BEFORE THE END OF THE YEAR. If they have not done so already between January 1, 2022 and today, this class is due NOW. The course automatically records with NAR after it’s passed and that helps keep your agents’ membership active. Have them sign up today!
Are You Ready for 2025?
C.A.R. education continues to offer a surplus of classes and titles that your office can use to advance in the new year. Expand by working with First-time Buyers, Seniors, Investors, or get your Transaction Coordinators certified with 17-hour TC programs. Most classes are discounted for C.A.R. members and deals launch all the time. C.A.R. Business Products store has what you need to help your practice grow.
C.A.R. Speakers for your next event - we created a resource for you to book one of our speakers, access the most recent presentations and find out what topics are available for you and your agents here.
Check out the Broker/Office Manager page containing key information for your success! Please send feedback to us.
C.A.R.’s interactive dashboards are calculators and data management tools allow users to gain insights by slicing and dicing different variables and dig deeper into local statistics that are more relevant to their markets.
C.A.R.’s Research and Economics team conducts a number of market data surveys that offer information on topics such as: consumer behavior, market trends, housing demographics, policy perspectives, REALTORS® profiles, and technology.
Market Minute Write-Up is a weekly one-page analysis that offers the most up-to-date information on the economy and the housing market. Combined with the weekly infographic, the 2-page report is downloadable, shareable, and can easily be used as part of the marketing materials for REALTORS®.
The semi-annual Housing Market Forecast report provides an outlook for the economy and the housing market. Use this report to predict where sales and prices are headed, to learn about potential headwinds in the future, and to help clients navigate through a challenging market environment.
Broker Education Courses
Learn the skills you need to run your business as well as understand the role and responsibilities of a broker. We've curated a list of C.A.R. Courses to help you and your brokerage! Friendly tip: sort columns or search content to find the info you need!
Title | Category | Description | |
---|---|---|---|
Risk Managment | Minimize your risk | Minimize the chance of having a claim or lawsuit filed against you by following simple Risk Management steps and becoming educated in areas which cause the greatest incidence of claims. |
|
All About Disclosure | Minimize your risk | Learn about the approximately 30 disclosure requirements typically seen in a residential 1-4 transaction to better serve your buyers and sellers along with protecting yourself from personal liability. |
|
California Residential Purchase Agreement (RPA-CA) and Related Forms | Transaction Knowledge | Learn how to properly complete and use the RPA form step-by-step to better serve and protect yourself and your clients. |
|
The New Broker's Benchmark: Prepare and Perform! | Running your business | New real estate brokers will discover methods and tools needed to run an organized business with confidence. |
|
Management of Offices and Supervision of Licensed Activities | Minimize your risk | Gain an understanding of topics related to broker management and supervision including requirements set forth by the California DRE and liabilities for failure to properly supervise. |
|
Team Management for Brokers | Running your business | Understand how to manage teams including how to oversee the basic types of teams, their culture and structure, and how to reduce risk and increase profit. |
|
zipForm Plus Broker Edition | Transaction Knowledge | Learn how to use zipForm® Plus Broker Edition to establish policies, rules, procedures, and systems to review transaction files and supervise the activities of your salespersons. |
|
California Human Resource Law for Brokers | Running your business | Learn about the difference between employees and independent contractors, situations that brokerages and teams may be subject to employment laws, interviewing and hiring processes, and other aspects of employment law that may apply to your office or employer-employee relationships. |
|
Real Estate Investing Made Clear (PMC9) - ONLINE ANYTIME- C.A.R. Business Products | Transaction Knowledge | Increase your confidence when working with investor clients by learning more about real estate investment concepts such as cash flow, NOI, depreciation, the rate of return, income tax savings and much more. |
|
Contract Law for Real Estate Professionals | Transaction Knowledge | Understand more about contracts -- including what constitutes a contract, how to write one, its importance in the transaction, and what to be aware of in the process. Learn more about aspects such as earnest money, financing, inspections, title and closing, and post-closing. |
|
Certified Transaction Coordinator | Running your Business | Certified Transaction Coordinator (CTC) is a program consisting of several transaction management courses for all real estate licensees and unlicensed transaction coordinators who want to build and establish a successful transaction coordinator business. |
|
Running your Business | Understand the role and responsibility of the brokers and how to utilize resources to gain a general working knowledge of the basic operations of their office. |
||
Running your Business | Learn about the specific role of team leaders and what steps are needed to make your team more effective and profitable. | ||
Administrative Staffing: The Human Side of Human Resources - ONLINE ANYTIME |
Running your Business | Learn effective strategies for staffing your organization that will allow your business to run effectively. |