From across the country, Realtor organizations and vendors such as a la mode, inc are rallying to provide relief to victims of Hurricane Katrina in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama.

As it did after Sept, 11, 2001, to New York families and again recently to the Tsunami victims across the world, the National Association of Realtors' REALTORS® Relief Foundation is donating cash to help victims. For Katrina's victims, the organization is donating $150,000 in cash, which will be split equally between the disaster recovery operations of the state Realtors associations in the three states.

The NAR is also giving $1 million specifically to help Realtors.

"Over 40,000 Realtors have been affected," says Steve Cook, vice president of public affairs for the NAR. "Katrina has been the worst disaster in history as far as the number of Realtors who have lost everything, or are unable to do business. They will have a difficult time getting back on their feet."

No stranger to disaster relief itself, the California Association of Realtors is also donating $30,000 to be equally divided among the three state Realtor organizations hurricane relief efforts in Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi.

The C.A.R. Disaster Relief Fund was created in 2003, initially to help REALTORS® and local Association staff who had been affected by the Southern California wildfires that year. The Fund has since been used to mitigate the effects of other disasters impacting the Realtor community nationwide.

"It is with great distress that California REALTORS® are witnessing the devastating aftermath of Hurricane Katrina," said C.A.R. President Jim Hamilton. "Our thoughts and prayers are with our fellow Realtors and the citizens of Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi. It is our hope that these funds will aid those who need shelter, and will help Realtors rebuild not just their homes but their careers, as the recovery process begins."

Cook says he was amazed when he heard that software and online services provider a la mode, inc. announced that it would match the Realtor relief donation of $150,000, and that founder and Chairman, Dave Biggers, said he will ask all of the company's clients to donate to the American Red Cross through the a la mode website. Biggers told Cook he will personally match the total contribution up to $250,000.

"These are our clients, our neighbors, and our friends, and we intend to do all we can to help. I truly hope our users donate as much as possible, so I can give the entire $250,000," Biggers said. "And if the response is overwhelming, I'll be happy to go farther. Living in Oklahoma City, through bombings as well as devastating tornados, I know what sort of hospitality the nation, and this industry, extends during a disaster."

As a leading developer of appraisal, agent, mortgage, and inspection tools, a la mode has a large number of clients in the areas affected. The company is graciously deferring all fees and payments of any kind for its thousands of clients in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama, for as long as is necessary, says the company.

"We are tremendously grateful for a la mode's support," said Cook. "The NAR and a la mode both encourage other businesses and participants in the real estate industry to give generously as well."

Information on the National Association of Realtors' efforts for Katrina relief can be found at the organization's website.

Information on a la mode, inc's pledge information and dollar-matching can be found at alamode.com/katrina.

Individual contributions to the hurricane relief effort also can be made to the C.A.R. Disaster Relief Fund. To make a tax-deductible donation, make checks payable to the California Community Foundation, and write "C.A.R. Disaster Relief Fund" on the "memo" line. Send checks to:

California Community Foundation
445 S. Figueroa St. #3400
Los Angeles, CA 90071-1638.

To make donations directly to the impacted states, checks made payable to the state disaster relief funds can be sent to the following addresses:

Alabama Realtor Disaster Relief Fund
P.O. Box 4070
Montgomery, AL 36103

Louisiana Realtors Association Relief Fund
P.O. Box 147800
Baton Rouge, LA, 70898

Mississippi Realtor Hurricane Relief Fund
P. O. Box 321000
Jackson, MS 39232

Published: September 2, 2005

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Blanche Evans is the award-winning senior editor of Realty Times, the Internet's leading independent real estate news service. She is featured daily on the Realty Times Video Network in the "Realty Viewpoint" segment. Blanche has been named one of the "25 Most Influential People In Real Estate" by REALTOR Magazine, and has been twice recognized as a "notable." In 2005, she was named "Top Reporter Covering the NAR" by Delahaye-Bacon's. Blanche is a renowned author of five real estate books. Her newest, Bubbles, Booms and Busts: Make Money In Any Real Estate Market, McGraw-Hill, was rave-reviewed by The New York Times. She was also selected from hundreds of real estate experts to contribute to Donald Trump's book, Trump: The Best Real Estate Advice I Ever Received: 100 Top Experts Share Their Strategies, Rutledge Hill Press, and is featured on page 68. Order Now Review - Honors In 2006, Blanche was selected among scores of candidates to author two consumer real estate guidebooks for the National Association of Realtors: The NAR Guide to Home Buying, and The NAR Guide to Home Selling, Wiley & Sons. She is currently planning two new books for the NAR and its members.       Known for her keen insight into real estate industry issues and for her ability to make complex subjects easy to understand, Blanche is a sought-after keynote and continuing education speaker. Real estate organizations from MLSs, to brokerages, to franchisors, to associations hire her to provide up-to-the-minute analysis of real estate industry news and advice on how to improve revenues. Her passionate delivery, peppered with stinging wit, is a huge hit with audiences and fans. Don Klein, CEO Greater Nashville Association of Realtors, Blanche Evans, Richard Courtney, president 2007, GRAR "The GNAR membership meeting last week featured Blanche Evans as the keynote speaker. Her comments and insights resonated extremely well with those in attendance and we have had many requests for copies of her PowerPoint Presentation. She was a terrific part of the membership meeting and convention program!" - Don Klein, CEO Greater Nashville Association of Realtors Coverage from WSMV, Nashville - 8-14-2007 That Interview Guy - Get Inside The Head Of Today's Generation 2007 AE Institute Session - To purchase 2006 AE Institute Session - Parts 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 HouseValues Mastermind call - Parts 1 2 Blanche's fireside chat with Jeremy Conaway, HAR - Click here. To contact Blanche, email her at . For more articles by Blanche, click here.