AHA and NAHREP renew Strategic Alliance
America’s Homeowner Alliance (AHA) and the National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals (NAHREP) announced the renewal of their Strategic Alliance Agreement originally established in 2022. The alliance provides a free lifetime membership in AHA for any member of NAHREP and their clients. NAHREP is the fastest growing real estate related trade association in America. By the end of 2024 it will have established over 100 Local Chapters across America with Membership in excess of 50,000.
Both organizations have a passion to deliver sustainable homeownership opportunity for all segments of America. The Hispanic segment is the fastest growing segment of the US Population.
Over the past 10 years, the AHA has been at the center of major policy decisions positively impacting homeowners and prospective homeowners. Read below for a sample of their public policy “wins”.
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Over the last decade, AHA has represented the interests of existing and aspiring US homeowners with some powerful wins. We wanted to share some recent achievements as NAHREP renews its partnership with AHA.
1. Avoiding Unnecessary Fees: AHA and its allies defeated a Congressional Amendment that would have charged more fees on all new home loans to pay for the BP oil spill cleanup in the Gulf of Mexico. There have been numerous times Congress has tried to impose new fees on all new home loans – whether for purchasing or refinancing a home – to pay for activities and pet projects that have nothing to do with homeownership. However, before the AHA was established, no group was solely dedicated to protecting homeownership.
The most egregious attempt by Congress was an amendment to a Bill that would have implemented a new fee on new home loans to cover the cost of the BP Oil Spill Cleanup in the Gulf of Mexico. People receiving 30-year mortgages in any state would have incurred this fee in their mortgage payments for 30 years. AHA helped defeat the amendment.
2. Protecting First-Time Homebuyers: In 2021, government regulators attempted to implement new rules limiting first-time homebuyers to receive no more than 6% of the conventional home loans available in any year. The remaining 94% percent of all conventional home loans would be required to be made to existing homeowners. AHA and its allies were able to get the provision suspended, which remains so today.
3. Supporting Alternative Credit Models: AHA and its allies worked to enact a new law, breaking a 30-year credit score monopoly that revised the credit scoring guidelines, benefitting over 30 million consumers who would have otherwise been unscorable. The new scoring model does not guarantee consumer creditworthiness but provides a benchmark credit score to assist them in improving their credit.
4. Ensuring Availability of Low Payment Mortgages: In 2013, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac announced they would eliminate the 3% down payment mortgage program, a staple for first-time homebuyers. AHA was instrumental in changing the course of mortgage finance by demanding the restoration of the 3% low down payment conventional mortgage. AHA and its allies successfully fought to reinstate the low down payment mortgage program approximately two years after its suspension.
AHA has helped achieve these victories since its formation in 2011, but the challenges are growing in size, scope, and impact. Aspiring homeowners continue to face more difficult challenges at each turn. Credit accessibility is constricting, and the supply of available and affordable single-family homes is lower than ever.
If you are passionate about the work that AHA is doing, we encourage you to take advantage of your complimentary membership. NAHREP will continue to provide updates on AHA's accomplishments over the next year. AHA encourages members to send a message to policymakers showing their solidarity in the voices of existing and aspiring homeowners.