Thank you for your interest in stopping a Local Home Sales Tax.  Your state legislators need to know that you are opposed to a tax that will erode homeowner equity.  The New Jersey Association of REALTORS has created the letter below to send to your state legislators.  Please feel free to personalize the letter with your comments on how this tax will negatively affect you.

Dear [ Decision Maker ] ,

I recently learned that some lawmakers are considering moving forward on legislation that would increase the tax on homeowners who sell their home. The measures would allow local towns to impose their own realty transfer fee in addition to the fee that is currently imposed and collected by the state.

As someone who is a concerned citizen of New Jersey who may someday be looking to buy or sell a home, I do not support any additional taxes or fees on real estate transactions. I am asking that you publicly oppose and vote against any bill that may come before you that seeks to increase or expand the realty transfer fee, also known as the Home Sales Tax.

A local fee will obviously harm individual property owners; many of whom rely on the equity in their homes to help fund another home purchase or other financial goal.

Additional taxes or fees on the purchase or sale of real property will lead to higher home prices. New Jersey is already in an affordable housing crisis. The proposed fee will only make this problem worse and place the opportunity for homeownership out of reach for more working families.

In the past, the real estate market has been one of the strongest factors in New Jersey's economy. I am urging you to protect New Jersey property owners and oppose any effort to increase or impose a new Home Sales Tax.

Thank you.

Sincerely,

Campaign Launched:
September 19, 2007