Stop the Home Tax

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Challenge:  In 2007, the North Carolina General Assembly considered adopting a statewide land transfer tax, also known as a "home tax", hitting homeowners across the state with a new tax.  The North Carolina Association of Realtors needed to educate and mobilize North Carolinians to "stop the home tax" before the Legislature adjourned for the year.

Solution:  The North Carolina Association of Realtors retained Cornerstone as part of a team to develop a simple message and execute a comprehensive campaign to educate citizens about the proposed tax.  Cornerstone developed and coordinated the interactive and netroots component of the campaign and created the campaign's Web site:  www.itsabadidea.org.   Our firm also coordinated the statewide media campaign that also was part of a viral marketing effort .  Services included:

• Strategic counsel
• Messaging
• Web site creative      
• Media coordination and placement
• New media and netroots 
• E-mail marketing

Result:  The statewide campaign generated over 60,000 e-mails and hundreds of letters to NC lawmakers against the home tax in 2007.  The campaign was successful in stopping 4 statewide bills that would have allowed a 1% tax on property sellers. Additionally, the campaign was successful in stopping 8 counties from gaining outright authority to impose a 1% home tax without voter approval.  Finally, the issue was so well defined as a "Home Tax" that over 78% of North Carolina voters agree that the home tax is a bad idea.