federal unemployment assistance<\/a> of $600 per week over a period of four months. There are perks for small business owners, too, in the form of delayed payroll taxes and loans.<\/span><\/p>\nAll Americans with a social security number earning less than $75,000 per year will be granted a one-time payment of $1,200, plus $500 for each child under the age of 17. Married couples with a combined income of under $150,000 will receive a $2,400 check.<\/span><\/p>\nIndividuals earning between $75,000 and $99,000 per year will accrue slightly less \u2014 the amount is reduced by $5 for every $100 in earned income above the threshold. These reduced one-time payments also apply to married couples with combined incomes of up to $198,000.<\/span><\/p>\nReal estate agents have been particularly hard hit during these uncertain times. In California and New York, agents were not deemed essential workers under the statewide stay-at-home orders, causing in-person showings and open houses to come to an abrupt halt.<\/span><\/p>\n\u201cNone of us knows how long this crisis will last, but we do know that for real-estate agents, the economic pain will last even longer than it will for those in many other professions,\u201d wrote Reffkin in his open letter to Congress. \u201cAs independent contractors who are not compensated until after a home sale closes, agents will not begin earning back lost revenue until many months after both the financial and housing markets stabilize.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\nThe National Association of Realtors (NAR) also lobbied for the inclusion of vulnerable industry workers in the aid package. \u201cWe worked with the drafters of this legislation to ensure that independent contractors and those living on a commission-based income will be eligible for the loans as well as the forgiveness provision,\u201d said Shannon McGahn, senior vice president of government affairs for NAR. \u201cThe real estate industry is responsible for millions of jobs and is key to our national recovery.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n
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