The Small Business Administration is looking for damage verifiers in the parts of Texas and Florida that were hit by Hurricanes Harvey and Irma. Damage verifiers are people who use their knowledge of real estate to give the agency their assessment of how much damage a structure sustained in the storm. According to one estimate, almost 150,000 structures were damaged by Harvey. In the Florida Keys alone, at least a quarter of all structures were damaged.
The SBA says it will cover all travel and per diem costs based on a government rate and provide compensation based on the person’s qualifications, responsibilities, hours worked, and location. Compensation will range from $20.77 to $33.03 per hour. Overtime pay is authorized and will range from $31.16 to $41.97 per hour. The SBA is also looking for people to do about half a dozen other contract jobs related to storm recovery, including loan processors.
These opportunities are a top story in the latest Voice for Real Estate news video from the National Association of REALTORS®. The video also looks at the so-called “Big 6” tax reform framework, which NAR says will increase taxes for most homeowners. That’s because most homeowners will find it makes more sense to take the standard deduction rather than itemize, but the standard deduction—which would be increased to $24,000 (not counting the loss of personal exemptions under the plan)—won’t be enough to offset what they would have paid under current rules.
The video also looks at short-term reauthorization of federal flood insurance and ways to protect your data and your clients’ data from cyber criminals. The video also provides an update on home sales.
—REALTOR® Magazine
