FAR donates $50K to Hurricane Ike victims; others giving too

ORLANDO, Fla. – Sept. 29, 2008 – Florida Realtors® have extended a generous helping hand to Realtors whose homes or businesses were damaged by Hurricane Ike by pledging $50,000 from the FAR Disaster Relief Fund (DRF).

“The fund is for natural disaster assistance – whether here in Florida or in other states,” says Todd Dantzler, 2008 DRF chairman. “We hope and pray that we’re not needed, but if so, we are there to help our Realtor family, and we take our responsibilities very seriously.”

The fund was set up as a trust in the aftermath of Hurricane Andrew in 1992, with the primary purpose of assisting members of the Realtor family who are victims of officially declared natural disasters such as hurricanes, tornadoes and more. In 2004, when an unprecedented four hurricanes touched down in Florida within six weeks, the DRF received more than $2 million in donations. Funds can be used to assist Realtors, including their real estate employees, Realtor board/associations and their staff, in the event of devastation caused by a hurricane, tornado or other natural disaster.

And to further assist hurricane victims, the FAR Board of Directors last week requested that Florida Realtors remember to add rental listings to their MLS systems to bolster the options for those who might need temporary relocation housing.

“Meeting short-term and long-term relocation needs are critical immediately after a disaster,“ says Dantzler. “Floridians have known the devastating effects of hurricanes, and we want to help.”

The Florida emergency housing link from www.floridarealtors.org lists rental properties in all price ranges throughout the state.