No One-Size-Fits-All “Data Center Effect”

Sep 10, 2026

With data center development continuing to be a major issue in Virginia, new research from the National Association of REALTORS® offers useful context for REALTORS® and local decision-makers.

NAR’s 2026 Data Center Impact Report finds that the effect of data centers on housing varies significantly by community. Counties with large concentrations of data centers often have higher home values, incomes and job growth, but NAR cautions that this does not mean data centers caused those trends. Many of these areas were already strong technology and employment markets.

REALTORS® surveyed by NAR also reported mixed residential impacts. Concerns included energy costs and water use, while commercial real estate impacts were viewed more positively. Importantly, NAR notes that county-level statistics cannot show what happens to an individual property located near a data center, reinforcing the importance of local market knowledge and credible data when communities evaluate these projects.

For REALTORS® working in a region where data center proposals are increasingly part of land-use and economic development discussions, the full report is worth a look.

Read NAR’s 2026 Data Center Impact Report and associated research documents to explore the findings, county-level data and REALTOR® perspectives.

Impact Concentration

NAR Data Center Impact Report

Impact by County

FAAR Opposes Proposed Stafford BPOL Tax

Sep 9, 2026

09/16/2026 Update: BPOL was defeated on a 5-2 vote at 1:00am after a lengthy public hearing!

FAAR has submitted a letter to the Stafford County Board of Supervisors opposing the proposed Business, Professional and Occupational License (BPOL) tax.

Our concern is simple: adding another tax on local businesses increases the cost of doing business in Stafford and could weaken the County’s reputation as a strong place to invest, grow, and serve clients. For real estate professionals, that means another potential cost layered onto an already challenging business environment.

REALTORS® who want to weigh in are encouraged to attend the Stafford County Board of Supervisors public hearing on Tuesday, September 15 at 6:30 p.m. in the Stafford County Board Chambers.

This is an important opportunity for members to share their perspective on increasing taxes on the real estate industry and other local businesses. Your firsthand experience matters, and elected officials need to hear how these decisions affect your business, your clients, and the broader housing market.

Read FAAR's Letter

22401 Buyers May Qualify for Up to $10,000 in Assistance

Sep 1, 2026

For buyers struggling with the upfront cost of purchasing a home, the City of Fredericksburg Direct Homeownership Assistance Program may help bridge the gap. The program provides qualifying low- and moderate-income households with $1,000 to $10,000 in assistance toward eligible closing costs and/or up to 50% of the required down payment. The home must be a primary residence located within 22401, the City of Fredericksburg.

What REALTORS® should know

Eligible households generally must have income at or below 80% of the area median income, based on household size. Applicants also need to have begun the financing process with a lender and provide documentation showing the costs associated with purchasing the property.

Assistance is provided as a forgivable loan secured by the property. The loan is forgiven over five years at 20% per year as long as the buyer continues to occupy the home and meets program requirements.

Why this matters for your buyers

A buyer may have enough income to manage a monthly mortgage payment but still struggle to assemble the cash needed for a down payment and closing costs. That is where knowing about programs like this can make a difference. If you are working with a buyer considering a home in Fredericksburg, encourage them to speak with their lender and the City early in the process to determine whether they qualify and how the assistance can work with their financing.

Important: Funding, income limits and eligibility requirements can change. REALTORS® and buyers should verify current program availability and requirements directly with the City before relying on assistance as part of a transaction.

Learn more and access the application through the City of Fredericksburg Housing Programs page.

Preparing to Vote this November

Aug 28, 2026

November midterm elections are just a few months away and we’ll also see some local issues on some ballots. Everyone will see Members of Congress on their ballot and Spotsylvania will be voting for the Commissioner of the Revenue and have a bond referendum so make sure you’re able to vote on these important issues!

Here is how you can prepare using direct online voter portals and tools:

Registering to Vote or Updating Details: You can complete your voter registration, update your legal address, or submit absentee requests online using the Virginia Department of Elections Citizen Portal. Voting requirements and registration deadlines vary by local jurisdiction, so be sure to check the specific regulations set by your state or local election board.
Finding Your Polling Location: Voting precincts are assigned based on your residential address. You can confirm your assigned location using the official Virginia Department of Elections Polling Place Finder. Because polling sites can change or adjust operating hours, verifying your location on a government portal before heading out is always recommended.
Previewing Your Sample Ballot: To research candidates and local ballot measures before you enter the voting booth, check your sample ballot. You can look up your specific precinct’s ballot details through state portals or independent non-partisan resources like Vote.org Ballot Information.

For jurisdiction-specific questions, voting dates, or photo ID policies, always consult your local registrar or your state’s election commission portal.

Stafford County Considers New BPOL Tax: What REALTORS® Should Know

Aug 27, 2026

UPDATE: A public hearing on this issue is expected to occur on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, at the 6:30pm Stafford County Board of Supervisors meeting located at 1300 Courthouse Road, Stafford, VA, 22554.

Stafford County is considering establishing a Business, Professional and Occupational License (BPOL) tax, a new local tax that could affect some real estate businesses beginning in 2027. At this stage, the proposal is not final. The Board of Supervisors has moved forward with consideration of a public hearing, and the agenda materials specifically note that advertising a hearing does not commit the Board to adopting the tax. FAAR will provide an update when the public hearing is scheduled.

Under the proposal, real estate, financial and professional services would be taxed at $0.16 per $100 of gross receipts, with a proposed $2 million gross-receipts threshold. Real estate services specifically include agents, brokers, property managers, appraisers, rental agents and certain property lessors. For many individual agents and smaller businesses, the $2 million exemption could mean no gross-receipts tax is owed. However, the proposal could still create new licensing and reporting requirements, including an annual declaration of gross receipts.

FAAR will continue monitoring the proposal and advocating for a tax structure that does not unnecessarily burden REALTORS®, small businesses or housing production. Read full information on the proposed BPOL tax below.

Stafford BPOL Information

Louisa County Considers Major Changes to Rural Residential Development

Aug 18, 2026

Louisa County is considering a series of zoning changes aimed at directing more residential development into designated growth areas while preserving rural land, farms, forests, and open space. For REALTORS®, property owners, and buyers, several of the proposed changes deserve close attention because they could significantly affect how land outside growth areas can be divided, developed, marketed, and valued.

What REALTORS® Should Watch

Among the biggest proposed changes:

15-acre minimum lots in A-1 and A-2 districts outside growth areas. Family and estate divisions would remain at 1.5 acres.
250-foot front setbacks from primary and secondary streets for A-1 and A-2 properties outside growth areas.
Increased road frontage and lot-width requirements for A-1 and A-2 properties outside growth areas.
Removal of an existing three-lot density bonus in A-1 and A-2 Growth Area Overlay zoning.
2.5-acre minimum lots in R-1 and R-2 districts outside growth areas, while family and estate divisions would remain at 1.5 acres.
New restrictions on family subdivisions, including a minimum ownership period before a family subdivision can occur and a longer retention period after the parcel is deeded.
Elimination of two-lot private lanes as a way to access and develop property.

The proposal would also change Planned Unit Development standards, including permitted density and minimum commercial space requirements within a PUD.

Why This Matters to Real Estate

Larger minimum lot sizes, deeper setbacks, greater road frontage requirements, and fewer private-access options could reduce the number of lots that can reasonably be created from some properties. That may affect development potential, future resale options, land values, and the expectations of owners who have held property with plans to divide it later.

Family subdivision rules are especially important in a rural county. Families often rely on these provisions to transfer land to children or relatives for homes. Additional ownership and retention requirements could limit flexibility for those property owners.

For REALTORS®, these changes also reinforce an important rule: zoning today does not guarantee development rights tomorrow. Agents working with land, farms, acreage, or potential subdivision property should carefully verify zoning, access, frontage, subdivision rights, and growth-area status before representing development potential to a client.

This Is Still a Draft

These amendments have not yet been presented as final regulations. County staff is currently asking the Planning Commission for feedback on what should be revised, clarified, or removed before the proposal moves forward.

FAAR will continue watching the discussion with a focus on private property rights, housing opportunity, reasonable growth management, and clear rules that allow property owners and real estate professionals to understand what can and cannot be done with a parcel.

For REALTORS®, this is exactly why local land-use policy matters: a zoning amendment that looks technical on paper can directly affect a property’s use, marketability, and value. Access the entire Planning Commission document with full details on changes below.

Planning Commission Growth Control Consideration

FAAR Releases July 2026 Housing Statistics

Aug 11, 2026

The Fredericksburg Area Association of Realtors® (FAAR) is pleased to release the latest housing market statistics to keep our community informed on local trends in home sales, prices, and inventory.

Denise Smith, FAAR Treasurer, provides the following comments on the current market.

“The market for July was still busy considering mortgage rates remain slightly elevated. When listed homes are renovated and priced correctly, they are moving faster than those that are not.”

2027 REALTOR® Dues Renewal Information – How to Renew Your Membership

Jul 31, 2026

Stay connected. Renew your REALTOR® membership today!

Thank you for being a member of FAAR, where we take pride in our professional level of service and a unique sense of belonging in the community. We remain committed to delivering exceptional value and supporting your business in a dynamic real estate market. Thank you for your continued membership.

See what your membership delivers— View the breakdown here.

Explore your exclusive member benefits here.

RENEW NOW

REALTOR® Dues for 2027 ($805.00)

NAR Dues ($201)

Virginia Realtors® Dues ($209)

FAAR dues ($365)

Voluntary RPAC Fair Share ($30)

Deadlines

December 15: Last day to pay dues without a late fee

December 16-31: $100 late fee assessed

December 31: Last day to pay dues and late fee

January 1: Membership inactive; pay dues and $275 reapplication fee to reinstate membership

Login Information

Login at faarmembers.com/myaccount to pay your dues for FAAR, VR, and NAR.

Click here to look up your username or reset your password if needed. (It is recommended to use your email on file and last name only for look up)

RENEW NOW

You may see a copy of your paid receipt on the “my order history” section of your account at www.faarmembers.com/my-order-history

For your protection and security, FAAR does not store your credit card data. Thus, we cannot automatically process your payment or accept partial payments.

2025 Unlocking the Value of Your Association Dues flyer

Sample Ballot for the 2027 FAAR Board of Directors Slate of Candidates and Candidate Campaign Videos

Jul 31, 2026

Slate of Candidates- 2027 Leadership

Electronic Voting begins August 14 at 10 AM and ends September 8 at Midnight

Results will be announced on September 9th at the FAAR Town Hall (https://www.faarmembers.com/calendar). The results will be communicated to the entire membership on September 11.

Here are the candidates for your 2027 Board of Directors:

Officers

President	Gary Gardiner, Jr.
President-Elect	Tamar Myers Moffatt
Vice President	Michelle Caldwell Thompson
Secretary/Treasurer	Denise Smith
Immediate Past President	Matthew Rathbun

REALTOR® Director Candidates: Three (3) positions open. You may select up to three (3) on this ballot.

Denise Benedetto

Kati Bock

Amal Hall

Donna Jones

Sarah Stelmok

Affiliate Director Candidate: One (1) position open. You may select one (1) on this ballot.

Josie Ramos

Javier Sanchez

Returning Directors

Nate Ferguson

Allison Graves

Sheronica Thompson

From Section 8a. of the Bylaws

“Additional candidates for the offices to be filled may be placed in nomination by signed petition of at least twenty percent* of the REALTOR® members. The petition shall be filed with the Secretary (via Chief Executive Officer pbrowning@faarmembers.com) by August 26, 2026. The Secretary shall send notice of such additional nominations to all REALTOR® members before the election.”

*(As of 7/23/2026 there are 1615 REALTOR® members. 323 names are needed to complete the petition requirement)

REALTOR® Members can log in to vote from 8/14 at 10 AM on 9/8 at Midnight at https://vote.electionrunner.com/election/NZnAF

Your voter ID is your M1(NRDS) number.

Your voter key is your M1(NRDS) number.

Candidate Campaign Videos

FAAR Members Partner with Habitat for Humanity for Community Garden Project

Jul 24, 2026

On July 6, a group of local Realtors® from the Fredericksburg Association of REALTORS® (FAAR) spent the day volunteering with Greater Fredericksburg Habitat for Humanity to support a neighborhood garden project.

Despite the warm July weather, the volunteer team completed two main tasks. In the morning, they worked on-site at Mayfield Meadows & Canterbury Trails to build and install raised garden beds. In the afternoon, the team moved to Habitat’s offsite facility to assemble storage sheds to help organize supplies for the garden.

For Realtors®, working in the community is about more than just business. It is about supporting the neighborhoods where our clients and neighbors live. By helping build this garden, FAAR members wanted to contribute to a shared space where residents can grow food and gather together.

“We love this community, and we wanted to do something hands-on to support the families who live here,” Matthew Rathbun, 2026 President of FAAR. “Partnering with Habitat for Humanity gave us a chance to show up, do some hard work, and help create a space that we hope the neighborhood will enjoy for a long time.”

To learn more about FAAR’s ongoing community volunteer initiatives, visit faarmembers.com/community.