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82 munications, as well as implement the external brand roll out to its more than 1,200 affiliated local and state associations of Realtors and its 1.3 million members. OHIO Head to Cleveland for Green Homes Eco-friendly homes aren't just good for the earth but also for homeowners' pockets, ac- cording to a study by online real estate broker- age firm Redfin. e analysis found that green homes sold for $46,532 more on average in 2017 than homes without green features. Lead- ing the pack were neighborhoods of Shaker Heights in Cleveland, Ohio, that promote sustainable living. For the rankings, Redfin analyzed real estate listings for all homes in Redfin markets sold between January 2017 and April 2018 and identified those that mentioned one or more green features such as energy efficient, solar, and LEED. With 66 percent of homes with green features and a median sale price of green list- ings at $460,000, Malvern in Shaker Heights, Cleveland, Ohio, earned the top spot in these rankings, followed closely by neighboring Fernway, where 60 percent of the homes had green features with a median listing price of $229,650. Redfin said that Shaker Heights authori- ties worked hard to promote sustainable living among its residents. e city offered initia- tives such as recycling programs, home energy assessments, energy incentive programs, and access to financing for solar panels to help homeowners reduce their carbon footprint. Philadelphia, which had earned the top spot last year had two neighborhoods snag the third and fourth spot this year. Both, Chestnut Hill and Spruce Hill boasted 59 percent homes each that had green features. In fact, Chest- nut Hill had its own Office of Sustainability, focusing on improving the quality of life in the area and encouraged residents to grow their own food, reduce food waste, conduct home energy audits, and explore solar initiatives. Red Hook in Brooklyn, New York, rounded off the top five with 59 percent homes with green features. Although its median sale price of green listings was the highest among all 10 neighborhoods at $1.8 million. Baker Ranch, Echo Ridge Village, and Painted Trails in Orange County, California, were ranked sixth, seventh and ninth respec- tively. Georgetown in Seattle Washington was ranked eighth. Listed at number 10 on the ranking was another Cleveland neighborhood, Mercer, that had 55 percent homes with green features and a median sale price of green list- ings at $297,500. WISCONSIN MGIC Partners with DPR Milwaukee-headquartered primary mortgage insurance company Mortgage Guaranty Insurance Corporation (MGIC) is partnering with Down Payment Resource (DPR), a provider of information on down payment assistance programs for homebuyers and professionals, to help its customers access discounted DPR services to research down payment programs. rough this partnership, MGIC will make it easy for lenders to research down pay- ment assistance programs and match borrow- ers to programs for which they may be eligible. MGIC and DPR will also work together to enhance consumer understanding of the availability and benefits of down payment assistance. "Our new partnership with Down Pay- ment Resource simplifies and streamlines the participation of lenders in down payment assistance programs," said Margaret Crowley, VP, Marketing and Customer Experience at MGIC. "Together, we can further our shared mission of making homeownership possible sooner through low-down-payment options for borrowers." MGIC, the principal subsidiary of MGIC Investment Corporation, serves lenders throughout the U.S., Puerto Rico, and vari- ous other locations, helping families achieve homeownership sooner by making affordable low-down-payment mortgages a reality. As of February 28, 2018, MGIC had $196.5 billion of primary insurance in force covering approxi- mately 1 million mortgages. "We know the challenge of saving for the down payment is the number one hurdle for first-time homebuyers. Now more than ever, it's important for buyers to understand and evaluate homeownership programs that may help them buy a home sooner," said Rob Chrane, CEO of DPR. "We look forward to working with MGIC and its lender customers to help connect more buyers to available down payment assistance." Down Payment Resource creates an oppor- ILLINOIS NAR Enters New Dimension e Chicago-headquartered National Association of Realtors (NAR) has revealed a modern new visual identity to make its brand and mark more multi-dimensional, dynamic, and future-focused. e brand, redesigned for the first time in 45 years, leverages many of the familiar attributes and visual elements of the trusted Realtor mark, including the recognizable blue color palette, but moves the logo from a flat two dimensional image to 3-D, adding further depth, dimension, and eleva- tion to the brand. "NAR and its members have always understood that real estate is, and always will be, a people-focused business," said Eliza- beth Mendenhall, President of NAR and a sixth-generation Realtor from Columbia, Missouri, and CEO of RE/MAX Boone Realty. "e evolution of the Realtor brand reinforces who we are as an organization—an unrivaled advocate and trusted resource in real estate, growing and adapting to the changing demographics and needs of today's buyers, sellers and investors. It expresses the role that Realtors play in a meaningful and deeply emo- tional milestone in life, and more than simply a transaction, we are helping clients achieve their hopes and dreams." e newly evolved mark and logo, referred to as a "new dimension," has a 3-D cube hold- ing a slightly redrawn but still very recogniz- able "R" letterform and a simple and bold san-serif typography for the association name. "Technology, shifting market conditions, and consumers are reshaping the real estate industry at a breakneck pace; when I became NAR's CEO last fall, I vowed to lead the association into the future and ensure that our members can compete and thrive in a dynamic marketplace," said Bob Goldberg, CEO of NAR. "e new brand embodies the association's rich history, but better reflects our forward-thinking focus and how we'll stay ahead of industry evolution and disruption and continue to lead the real estate industry in the years ahead." NAR worked with Conran Design Group, a global branding and design firm headquar- tered in New York and London, to evolve the association's brand identity and mark. During the nearly yearlong rebranding process, Conran conducted extensive research and focus groups of consumers and Realtors. NAR will begin the brand transition process across its com-

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