Realtors Raise Wall on San Francisco Habitat House.

Business Editors/Real Estate Writers

WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 20, 2003

Members of the National Association of Realtors(R) leadership team will raise the wall on a Habitat for Humanity house in the Bayview-Hunters Point area of San Francisco on June 21, as the association furthers its commitment to affordable housing.

Realtors(R) are committed to build a Habitat for Humanity home each year in the city hosting NAR's annual convention. This year, the REALTORS(R) Conference & Expo will be at the Moscone Center in San Francisco, November 7-10. NAR will sponsor the home and raise funds through a portion of the conference registration fees. Members of the California Association of Realtors(R) and the San Francisco Association of Realtors(R) will build the home, along with the intended homeowner family, during the summer months. In the past two years, NAR has built Habitat homes in Chicago and New Orleans.

Construction of the site at 621 Keith Street is expected to be finished by the start of NAR's meeting in November, and dedication is set for November 5. More than 23,000 Realtors(R) from across the United States are expected to attend the annual meeting.

San Francisco Supervisor Gavin Newsom is expected to attend the ceremony.

"NAR is committed to increasing homeownership opportunities and to making the American Dream of homeownership a reality for all Americans. We are proud to be lending a helping hand and making a difference in San Francisco," said Cathy Whatley, NAR president.

NAR is committed to building a Habitat for Humanity home abroad every year. This year, Warsaw, Poland, has been selected for a six-unit complex, and NAR will contribute funds as a partial sponsor to support the construction of these units. NAR has also sponsored builds in Brazil and Mexico.

NAR is also one of the national underwriters for Habitat for Humanity International's Congress Building America program, a partnership between HHI, Congress and national corporate and nonprofit sponsors. The goal of the program is to strengthen neighborhoods and communities by bringing members of Congress and government and private enterprises together with Habitat partner families, volunteers and local sponsors to build simple, decent and affordable homes.

In addition to Whatley, other NAR officers attending the San Francisco event will be Walt McDonald, president-elect; Al Mansell, first vice president; and Pat Kaplan, treasurer. Expected to attend from CAR are Toby Bradley, president; Ann Pettijohn, president-elect; and Jim Hamilton, treasurer. SFAR officers to attend are Tim Cannon, president; Dona Crowder, president-elect; and John Wong, treasurer.

Attending from Habitat for Humanity San Francisco will be Charles Moore, president of both HHSF and McGuire Real Estate; Mara Feeney, former HHSF president and principal of Mara Feeney & Associates; Bill Lorton, executive director, and Ed Kim, director of volunteer services. Attending from Habitat for Humanity International's Washington office will be Tom Jones, managing director and vice president, and Mindy Goforth, director of partnerships.

"The partnership between Habitat for Humanity International and the National Association of Realtors(R) is extremely important as it unites the two organizations, causing thousands of Realtors(R) to become involved with Habitat not only at the national level but also at the local level in their own communities as volunteers with one of Habitat's more than 1,670 affiliates nationwide. This collaboration results in many more low-income families accessing the opportunity to participate in the American dream of homeownership, which is so urgently needed in communities across the nation - from San Francisco to Washington, D.C.," Jones said.

Habitat for Humanity International is an ecumenical Christian ministry dedicated to eliminating poverty housing. Founded by Millard Fuller, along with his wife, Linda, Habitat for Humanity International and its affiliates in more than 3,000 communities in 83 nations have built and sold more than 125,000 homes to partner families with no-profit, zero-interest mortgages.

For more information about Habitat for Humanity International, log on to the Web site at www.habitat.org. Digital photos of the event can be e-mailed to you upon request.

The National Association of Realtors(R), "The Voice for Real Estate," is America's largest trade association, representing more than 900,000 members involved in all aspects of the residential and commercial real estate industries. The California Association of Realtors(R) represents more than 108,000 Realtors(R). The San Francisco Association of Realtors(R) represents more than 3,300 members.

Information about NAR is available at http://realtor.org. This and other news releases are posted in the Web site's "News Media" section.

REALTOR(R) is a registered collective membership mark which may be used only by real estate professionals who are members of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS(R) and subscribe to its strict Code of Ethics.