Year-over-year single-family home sales soar 32 percent and median price edges up further

Hurricane Ike sidelined Houston's real estate business for several weeks after tearing through the region in September 2008, so it comes as no surprise that property sales one year later surged into positive territory.
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Single-family home median price rises for the fourth straight month

The Houston real estate market showed continued signs in August of attempting to break free from the downward trend in property sales that first began in September 2007.More

Along with an increase in foreclosure activity in the last few years, there has also been an increase in frustration on the part of agents that represent buyers looking to purchase a foreclosure property and listing agents that represent lenders selling a foreclosed property.  One of the frustrations commonly expressed is the inordinate amount of time that can be wasted trying to make an appointment or submit an offer on a listing that already has a verbally accepted contract but is still waiting on the lender’s signature before going into Pending status.  When it comes to foreclosure transactions, this has created particular issues on both the listing and selling side of the transaction.  Foreclosure listing agents continue to receive requests on a property that is no longer accepting offers and buyer’s agents have a difficult time determining the availability of a foreclosure property.More

Month also brings second highest median price of a single-family home; foreclosures recede

Seasonal summer home buying and continued activity among first-time homebuyers translated to a significant improvement in single-family home sales across greater Houston in July, with the highest volume since July 2008 and the second highest median price in history.More

Sales of single-family homes for the greater Houston area continued to improve in June, with the highest volume recorded since August 2008 and the highest median price in history. More

The following MLS rules are familiar to most REALTORS®, yet, they are some of the most frequently reported violations from agents utilizing the MLS system.More

Single-family home sales reach the highest volume of 2009

Sales of single-family homes for the greater Houston area achieved the highest volume of 2009 in May, and average and median home prices climbed to the highest levels since August 2008, showing signs of a real estate market that is benefiting from seasonal spring home buying.  However, compared to one year earlier, overall May property sales were down 23.3 percent and sales of single-family homes dropped 21.2 percent, according to new monthly data compiled by the Houston Association of REALTORS® (HAR).
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New property descriptions are now available to agents wishing to market the energy efficient aspects of their listings in the MLS.  The existing "Energy Features” field has been expanded to identify new building materials and building features that contribute to a property’s energy efficiency. The maximum number of "Energy Features” selections an agent can choose to describe a property has been increased from 2 to 14.  There has also been a new field added, "Green/Energy Certification”, that can be used by agents to identify properties that have been certified by third party efficiency rating programs such as LEED for Homes (USGBC), National Green Building Certification (NAHB), Energy Star Qualified Home and others.
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Single-family home sales volume is second highest of 2009
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Declines in the sales and pricing of homes throughout the greater Houston area eased in March, matching a trend that the Federal Reserve noted in several markets around the country in its Beige Book survey released last week. More

With rising energy costs and growing environmental awareness, home buyers are increasingly in search of homes that are energy efficient.More

Month brings declining sales volume and continued demand for rental properties
February marked another month of sagging real estate sales and pricing for the greater Houston area, following to a milder degree the trends that have played out around the country since the recession began more than a year ago.More

HAR recently hosted an educational seminar for its MLS subscribers in the Galveston Island market.More

Foreclosures weigh January home prices down; rental demand grows

Property sales throughout the greater Houston area stayed in negative territory during the first month of 2009, reflecting the lingering effects the nation's recession is having on consumer confidence.More

The new Tempo Agent Desktop is designed to give MLS users more control over the home page that is seen each time they enter Tempo. More

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As consumers continue to demand more and more information related to property listings, it is imperative that today’s real estate agent be positioned as the provider of such information. More

NAR's chief economist still pegs Houston as one of the nation's top-performing real estate markets in 2009

The ailing U.S. economy sent ripples across the greater Houston area in November as fewer properties were bought and sold versus one year earlier. According to new monthly data compiled by the Houston Association of REALTORS® (HAR), overall property sales fell 33.7 percent last month when compared to November 2007, with sales of single-family homes down 31.7 percent.More

The Houston Association of REALTORS® would like to thank the volunteer leaders who served on the 2008 MLS Advisory Group. More

Despite an ongoing slowdown in property sales, Houston still  outperforms most other U.S. markets

The Houston housing market continued to feel the effects of the troubled national economy in October and residual business interruptions caused by Hurricane Ike. New monthly data released by the Houston Association of REALTORS® (HAR) reflects improvement from market performance in September, when Ike derailed thousands of real estate transactions.More

MLS rules provide for brokers and agents to utilize information obtained from the MLS in their advertising to the public. More

Property sales across the greater Houston area declined further in September, due largely to the widespread devastation caused by Hurricane Ike and the resulting interruption to business that included many real estate transactions. More

The Tempo MLS mapping system has recently been updated to include new and improved Microsoft Virtual Earth mapping technology. HAR has also incorporated more accurate geo-coding data acquired from the Houston-Galveston Area Council that will better locate properties in newer subdivision and surrounding counties which has previously been a challenge. More

Families should register by calling 1 (800) 621-FEMA (3362

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced a rental assistance program that will provide temporary rental payments and case management services to help thousands of families who were displaced by Hurricane IkeMore

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To generate renewed interest in a listing that has been on the market a while, sellers will sometimes ask their agent to re-enter the listing in MLS so it will appear as a new listing, reset the Days on Market calculation and receive a new MLS number.More

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With the increase in foreclosure rates and resetting of adjustable interest rate mortgages, there has been a resulting increase in the number of MLS listing transactions that result in a short sale situation.More

Despite a tenth consecutive monthly decline in sales, the average and median prices of a single-family home in the greater Houston area soared to record highs in June, according to statistics released by the Houston Association of REALTORS®(HAR).More

Property location is one of the most fundamental elements in the decision making process for home buyers, and new Internet mapping technologies are making it easy for potential home buyers to locate homes for sale on online maps.More

Single-family home sales across greater Houston fell again in May while the average price of those properties rose for the fourth consecutive month to the second highest level ever, according to statistics released by the Houston Association of REALTORS® (HAR).More

Implementation of the new personalized Agent Desktop feature in Tempo has been moved to July 31. The new feature is designed to give MLS users more control over the home page that is seen each time they enter Tempo.More

Late last year, a new field named "Waterfront Amenities” was added to the Tempo MLS system to help describe water-related features of a specific listed property.More

Sales of single-family homes across greater Houston slid in April, but the average price of those homes increased for a third straight month to the highest level ever for the month of April and 2008, according to statistics released by the Houston Association of Realtors®  (HAR).More

In July, agents will begin seeing a new home page when they log into Tempo. The new personalized Agent Desktop module is designed to give MLS users more control over the page that is seen each time Tempo is accessed.More

Single-family home prices hold up amid seventh consecutive monthly slide in overall property sales; home sales reach highest level of 2008

 

Total property sales across greater Houston tumbled for the seventh consecutive month in March while sales of single-family homes edged up to the highest level so far this year, according to statistics released by the Houston Association of Realtors^® (HAR).

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Recent MLS rule changes affect the timing of MLS fee collections by moving the due date forward to one month prior to the beginning of the quarter. [more]More

The MLS Advisory Group continues to respond to changing market conditions and member suggestions by periodically amending MLS rules to better serve HAR’s MLS subscribers. [more]More

Sixth consecutive monthly decline is tempered by notable increases in average and median single-family home prices

Property sales across greater Houston slid for the sixth consecutive month in February, but the decline was not as steep as January’s. While February sales of single-family homes dipped, the prices of those homes rose, according to statistics released by the Houston Association of Realtors®.

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Consumer worries about the nation's real estate crunch and the traditionally sluggish Christmas-New Year holiday period combined to slow property sales across greater Houston during the first month of 2008. [more]More

One of the key principals in NAR's definition of a Multiple Listing Service states: MLS is "a means by which authorized participants make blanket unilateral offers of compensation to other participants (acting as sub-agents, buyer agents, or in other agency or non-agency capacities defined by law.)"  [more]More

The latest Tempo software update was implemented on February 28 and contains a number of new features and change requests based on members' feedback, including: [more]More

Average and median single-family home prices continue to rise despite a fourth consecutive decline in sales in December

 

The year 2007 shaped up to be one of the best on record for property sales in Houston, second only to 2006, according to statistics released by the Houston Association of Realtors® (HAR).  [more]

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In an effort to safeguard the content maintained in the MLS system, the MLS Advisory Group has passed a number of initiatives to help ensure those that access the system are authorized subscribers. [more]

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Average and median single-family homesales prices are on the rise

 

While much of the nation wrestles with the persistent effects of the real estate market downturn, Houston continues to hold its own when it comes to home sales and prices as the end of 2007 nears. The latest monthly housing figures compiled by the Houston Association of Realtors® (HAR) reflect comparative stability, with area sales and pricing performance still outpacing that recorded in 2005. [more...]More

The Houston Association of Realtors® would like to thank the volunteer leaders who served on the 2007 MLS Advisory Group. These dedicated professionals have graciously given their time and energy throughout the year to help establish and maintain MLS policy that is in the best interest of HAR's nearly 29,000 members. [more...]More

Recent declines in home sales slow in October; Prices continue to hold up

 

Prospective home sellers and buyers throughout greater Houston may experience relief as recent declines in the real estate market slowed in October. New monthly figures continue to reflect a healthier housing environment locally compared to the rest of the country, with sales and pricing performance still outpacing that of 2005.   [more...]More

While many of the following MLS rules are familiar to most Realtors®, they are the most frequently reported violations from agents utilizing the MLS system. In order to maintain a system that is efficient and provides its users accurate and timely information, it is necessary to maintain and enforce rules in a fair and unbiased manner.  To review the full set of MLS Rules and Regulations as well as a summary of the "Top MLS Rules to Remember," click the "MLS Information" link on the left menu after logging into HAR.com.   [more...]More

Houston had been hailed as one of the few markets in the country that had weathered the real estate downturn seen in most of the rest of the country—until September.More

Broader Local Housing Market Continues to Outperform Rest of Nation

While it may sound like a broken record saying the foreclosure and subprime crisis has largely remained contained within the $80,000 to $150,000 price band, August 2007 home sales once again reflect just that for the Houston real estate market.More

In case you missed September's issue, below are a few Tempo security initiatives advanced by the MLS Advisory Group going into affect in October.More

With widespread reports of mortgage companies across the country filing for bankruptcy, shutting down operations or having difficulty finding the money to fund loans, the greater Houston real estate market held up remarkably well in July.More

In an effort to safe-guard the content maintained in the MLS system, the MLS Advisory Group has passed a number of initiatives to help ensure those that access the system are authorized subscribers.More

Houston continues to carve its own niche in real estate trends this month with single-family home sales in June declining compared to the same month last year, while prices continue rising.More

MLS rules provide for brokers and agents to utilize information obtained from the MLS in their advertising to the public but there are a number of restrictions and considerations to take into account before you include MLS listing information in an advertising piece.More

Area Sales Cool Slightly, As Subprime Impact Comes to Reality

Single-family home sales in May declined compared to the same month last year, reversing April’s modest gain, but year-to-date sales are still in positive territory. Prices last month continued to show strength though, as both the median and average sales price extended recent growth trends. The much-reported problems in the subprime lending market, as well resultant differences in price classes of properties have been cited as possible contributors to the lower sales levels.  Sales of those homes in the $80,000 to $140,000 price range, which made up 31.9 percent of sales in May, were down 8.3 percent versus the same period last year.  Conversely, sales of homes sold for more than $500,000 showed a 14.6 percent increase in activity.
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In an effort to stop repeated MLS violations, the MLS Advisory Group recently adopted MLS rule changes that increase the fine amount for repeated MLS rule violations.  The recent change going into affect on September 1, 2007, will double the fine amount if an agent is fined three or more times for the same offense within a 12 month period.  This does not apply to e-mail violation notices that are received and corrected before a fine is issued, only for those violations that are not corrected and a fine has been levied.
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Recent MLS industry news articles and numerous MLS industry conferences focusing on MLS data security confirm the real estate industry throughout the country is focusing on solutions to stop illegal access and distribution of MLS data. Industry consultants indicate that the most common method of unauthorized access to MLS data is through the sharing of usernames and passwords.More

Market Regains Stability After Brief Decline In March

 

Single-family home sales in April rose compared to April of last year, reversing the first decline in more than three years. Prices last month also continued to show strength, as both the average and median sales prices increased in line with trends seen during the last few years. Perhaps signaling statistical validation of experts’ suggestions that tighter subprime lending standards will have a negative impact on home sales, the primary price range of homes showing sales weakness has been those homes priced at $140,000 or less, according to statistics released by the Houston Association of REALTORS®.  At the same time, homes in the $400,000-plus range have seen tremendous strength in sales.More

Market Maintains Healthy Status Despite First Decline in Three Years

Single-family home sales for March were down compared to the same month last year for the first time since 2004 in the Houston real estate market, but it was still the second highest number of sales ever recorded for the month of March and a 23.3 percent increase from last month. The fact that this March did not result in the total number of sales generated in March 2006 did not prevent a simultaneous increase in sales prices. The Houston area real estate market continued to outpace most of the nation and experience growth, although the rate of increase slowed from recent years, according to statistics released by the Houston Association of Realtors®.
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According to the FBI’s most recent Financial Crimes Report to the Public, the FBI investigated and convicted more Mortgage Fraud criminals in 2006 than any previous year with $388.9 million in restitutions, $1.4 million in recoveries, and $231 million in fines.

With enforcement up, some agents caught in the dragnet were on the fringe of the illegal activity and had no idea what was coming or that they were even involved in fraud.  Current law does not require a participant in fraud to be aware that they are actually engaging in illegal activity so it is important for agents to be aware of the signs of potential fraud and be wary of suspicious transactions.
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The greater Houston area real estate market continued to outpace most of the nation and experience growth, although the rate of increase slowed from recent years, according to statistics released by the Houston Association of Realtors®.  Housing in the Houston region has withstood the more pronounced drops experienced by most other major U.S. metropolitan markets and only the number of local foreclosures and past several years of less stringent lending standards have been cited as possible contributors to any possible slowdown in growth.More

As we enter "Fair Housing” month, it is a good time to ensure your advertising and MLS listing data are in compliance with the Fair Housing Act.  According to the Guidance Regarding Advertisements Under 804(c) of the Fair Housing Act, Section 804(c) of the Act "prohibits the making, printing and publishing of advertisements which state a preference, limitation or discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, or national origin.”  For more information related to Fair Housing guidelines please visit www.realtor.org or www.hud.gov.More

Greater Houston area real estate sales increased nearly nine percent compared to last January, making this market both affordable and profitable, according to statistics released by the Houston Association of Realtors®. The numbers highlight the continued difference between Houston real estate trends and reports from much of the rest of the country.More

Property location is one of the most fundamental elements in the decision making process for home buyers, and new Internet mapping technologies are making it easy for potential home buyers to locate homes for sale on online maps.  In order for your MLS listings to be made available to consumers using online maps on such websites as HAR.com, Google.com and Realtor.com, it is important to make sure your listings are correctly geo-coded and mapped in the Tempo MLS system.More

In recent months there have been a few minor changes to some MLS area boundary lines.  Below is a complete list of the recent boundary changes for quick reference.More

The Houston real estate market continues to differentiate itself from the nation in seemingly cornering the market on affordability, according to statistics released by the Houston Association of Realtors®.  Sales and prices ended 2006 with further strength, capping another record-breaking year for the greater Houston area.

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The demands and needs of the real estate consumer are becoming more and more diverse and sophisticated.  One of HAR's objectives is to help its members keep pace with these consumer trends by providing MLS subscribers with the right tools to meet their clients' needs.  In an ongoing effort to improve the MLS system and make it easier for members to search and locate listings with specific attributes a new "Master Planned Community" field has been added to identify listings located within a specific master planned community.More

People in the greater Houston area have reason to celebrate a joyous holiday season as the real estate market continues to deliver many happy returns, even as other parts of the country have faltered even further. Houston property sales in the month of November defied national trends and show no signs of cooling as we head into 2007, according to the Houston Association of Realtors®. More

The Houston Association of Realtors® would like to thank the volunteer leaders who served on the 2006 MLS Advisory Group. These dedicated professionals have graciously given their time and energy throughout the year to help establish and maintain MLS policy that is in the best interest of 26,000 members, while addressing the changing business practices of MLS subscribers. In addition to maintaining the MLS Rules and Regulations, the MLS Advisory Group also reviews member suggestions and recommends MLS system changes and enhancements that help make all MLS subscribers more professional and efficient. More

We may be in need of a new economic term for the greater Houston area, as our real estate market continues a steady growth pattern with good news for buyers and sellers.  While national numbers have shown weakness, Houston is being highlighted as one of the remaining positive markets across the country.

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Beginning in December, users will be able to create driving directions from one property to another in Tempo.  Mapping will contain a new feature that will allow the user to select up to eight different property locations, sort them in any order they choose, print a map showing the shortest route from one property to the next and obtain written driving directions from one property to the next.More

Effective December 14, 2006:

New feature, Driving Directions, will be added to the mapping application in Tempo. This feature will allow agents to select up to eight properties which can be sorted, mapped and provide written driving directions from one property to the next. This feature will also be available through the Open House module.More

Photos are one of the most important features consumers want when viewing a home listing.  According to the recent HAR Survey of Home Sellers and Buyers, 41 percent of Houston-area consumers went online to see how homes were marketed on the Internet. Make yourself and your listings look great!More

When an agent sends an e-mail to a client from Tempo every once in awhile that e-mail is rejected by the client's Internet Service Provider (ISP), and it is not delivered. The e-mail may be rejected for a number of reasons, including that the e-mail address is invalid, the client's mailbox is full, an intermittent drop in network line connection caused an erroneous command to be sent to the mail server, or a number of other reasons. In any case, the agent is not currently notified that their e-mail attempt was unsuccessful. This is due to the fact that e-mails sent from Tempo originate from the Tempo e-mail server rather then each agent's individual e-mail account. This is done in order to keep Tempo e-mails from being flagged as SPAM by various ISPs.More

In what may seem like a repeat of last month, which seemed like a repeat of the month before that, greater Houston housing sales in September showed continued strength in the face of reports of sagging sales elsewhere in the countryMore

Housing sales in the greater Houston region in August definitely proved that all real estate is local, as the Houston market continued to defy national reports of a collapsing real estate market.More

According to Inman News, the FBI handled 21,994 reports of "suspicious" real estate activity, including mortgage fraud, in 2005; a 28 percent increase over the 2004 total of 17,127.More

While the number of properties sold and the average sales price dropped modestly from last month's blistering rates, the figures for July were still the best ever for the month.More

Several new Tempo enhancements have been added this month, including the ability for agents to fax in documents that are then automatically converted to a PDF document and attached to your listing.More

While Houston temperatures this summer may be hovering below 100 degrees, no one can argue that Houston real estate is anything but hot. With signs of weakness in previously strong markets in the country, anecdotal evidence shows that investment dollars are pouring into the greater Houston market, which only adds to the existing demand for prime property.More

Tempo MLS allows agents to easily assign specific lock boxes to specific property listings giving agents the ability to quickly view showing activity reports for each of their listings within the Tempo system.More

Across the country when people discuss real estate, you hear comments like "bubble," "soft landing," or "the boom has ended," but Houston is solidly a seller's market and the steady strength that has been exhibited during the last decade or more carries on.More

Recent MLS industry news articles and numerous MLS industry conferences focusing on MLS data security confirm the real estate industry is focusing on solutions to stop illegal access and distribution of MLS data. Industry consultants indicate that the most common method of unauthorized access to MLS data is through the sharing of usernames and passwords.More

It would seem impossible for a real estate market to be good for both buyers and sellers, but Houston uniquely holds that honor. As sales flatten or even decline nationally, Houston enters the summer buying and selling season showing signs of healthy sales and price records, which means that those selling homes and those buying homes enjoy a market that is affordable and increasingly profitable.More

If you have felt in the past that the Tempo Open House Module was in need of some repair, you haven't been alone. Fortunately, there has been some changes made and if you haven't searched for an open house in Tempo recently, you will be surprised at the improvements that have been made based on our members' feedback.More

In what may seem like a repeat of last month, which seemed like a repeat of the month before that, greater Houston housing sales in September showed continued strength in the face of reports of sagging sales elsewhere in the country. Price appreciation and increased sales are combining to ensure that Houston will see new annual records across the board before the end of the year.More

March home sales in the greater Houston area reached near all-time record levels. Sales reported set a new record for the month and were the third highest level ever. Houston's uniquely balanced market shows continued strength in homes sales and prices, while still providing an affordable market for home buyers.More

Most agents are aware that the Tempo MLS system now supports 16 property photos, a virtual tour and up to six PDF documents containing such information as floor plans, artist renderings, surveys, inspection reports, and property flyers for each listing uploaded into the MLS system.More

There is never a true comparison with other large cities and Houston in the world of real estate. Our market continues to do its own thing in sales and pricing.More

As we enter "Fair Housing" month, it is a good time to ensure your advertising and MLS listing data are in compliance with the Fair Housing Act.More

The Houston real estate market experienced continued strength as 2006 began with the highest sales on record for the month of January, according to statistics released by the Houston Association of Realtors® Multiple Listing Service.More

One Out of Every 20 Properties Changed Hands in 2005, Totaling More Than $14 Billion

While most of the country saw housing figures slow toward the end of 2005, the Houston market experienced remarkable strength in the final quarter of the year, according to statistics released by the Houston Association of REALTORS® Multiple Listing Service.More

You've probably heard over and over that most consumers today want online access to as much information as possible regarding properties they may be interested in. According to the NAR "2005 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers" use of the Internet to search for a home has risen dramatically over time, increasing from only 2 percent of buyers in 1995 to 77 percent in 2005; it was 74 percent in 2004.More

Home Sales Set For Another Record Breaking Year

It's another gift for the market this holiday season as total sales for single-family homes in Houston increased by 8.7 percent to 4,735 in November, up from last year's 4,357, according to statistics released by the Houston Association of REALTORS® Multiple Listing Service.

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The Houston Association of REALTORS® would like to thank the volunteer leaders who served on the 2005 MLS Advisory Group.

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Market Appears to be Tightening, as Months Inventory and Active Listings Signal Seller's Market

September's decline in total single-family home sales was reversed in October, as sales were pushed into the following month as a result of up to two weeks of inactivity in September due to Hurricane Rita, according to statistics released by the Houston Association of REALTORS® Multiple Listing Service.

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Houston's Greatest is the Greater Houston Partnership's premier business event honoring companies, individuals and institutions that positively impact and are identified with the Houston region.

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While many of the following MLS rules and industry etiquette are familiar to most REALTORS®, they are the most frequently reported violations from agents utilizing the MLS system.  In order to maintain a system that is efficient and provides its users accurate and timely information, it is necessary to maintain and enforce rules in a fair and unbiased manner. 

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Evacuation Due to Hurricane Rita Resulted in Slight Decrease, as Activity Pushed to October

The first impact from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita were reflected in Septembe's real estate sales market, according to statistics released by the Houston Association of Realtors® Multiple Listing Service.

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The Market Summary:
The high-rise and loft segment in the Houston real estate market saw a nice uptick in sales in the third quarter of 2005, with small decreases in the median and average sales price. This reversed the sales trend from the second quarter of the year and puts the Houston high-rise and loft segment back on track to have another record-breaking year.

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Most agents listing properties in Houston's suburban real estate markets have become familiar with Municipal Utility Districts (MUD) and the associated notification requirements to buyers purchasing properties located in a MUD. Water Code, sec. 49.452 requires a seller of property located in a municipal utility district to provide written notice to the buyer...

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Complete Impact of Hurricane Katrina Not Yet Known

Prior to any Hurricane Katrina-related impact, the Houston real estate market closed out the summer with solid increases across the board, according to statistics released by the Houston Association of REALTORS® Multiple Listing Service.

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New Mapping Features
A couple of new features have been added to the map search capability in Tempo - a radius search and a polygon search. The radius search provides you the ability to draw a circle and search for properties located inside the circle similar to the existing rectangle searches currently available in Tempo.

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High End Homes Selling at Brisk Pace, as Activity Rises Throughout Region

The Houston real estate market saw healthy gains last month, as sales volume and average and median sales prices experienced increases on a year-over-year basis, according to statistics released by the Houston Association of REALTORS® Multiple Listing Service.

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The 79th Texas Legislature passed a bill taking effect September 1, 2005, that requires all real estate brokers who list real property under an exclusive agreement to: inform their client of material information related to the transaction, including presenting all offers and counteroffers and assisting in developing offers. 

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The greater Houston area's economy continued to grow last month as unemployment rates were down , housing prices were up and the number of pending sales was at an all-time record in June, according to statistics released by the Houston Association of REALTORS® Multiple Listing Service.More

The high-rise and loft segment in the Houston real estate market saw an industry dip in sales and prices in the second quarter of 2005.More

Several new Tempo enhancements have been added in the past month and a new Tempo prospecting module, "Client Gateway", is scheduled for release in September.More

The Client Gateway module is an upgrade to the current TEMPO™ prospect auto-notification process that provides an agent-branded Web site that can be set up specifically for each prospect an agent is working with.More

Residents of the greater Houston region continue to see their home values appreciate as both median and average sales prices reached all-time highs in May, according to statistics released by the Houston Association of REALTORS® Multiple Listing Service. Monthly home sales also reached a new record high, beating out June 2004, which marked the previous record.

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Recent postings to MLS e-mail groups and numerous MLS industry conferences focusing on MLS data security confirm the real estate industry is in need of a solution to stop illegal access and distribution of MLS data. Independent industry consultants indicate that the most common method of illegal access to MLS data is through the sharing of usernames and passwords.More

The greater Houston area saw an early bump in home sales as a higher than usual number of properties changed hands during April, which saw a new record for the number of sales in the month, according to statistics released by the Houston Association of REALTORS® Multiple Listing Service.More

With access to endless amounts of real estate-related information, today's seller is more sophisticated than ever, and so are the marketing strategies they demand from their real estate professional.More

The greater Houston area's home sales certainly sprang forward in March, with home buyers and sellers continuing strong activity levels, according to statistics released by the Houston Association of REALTORS® Multiple Listing Service.

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While many of the following MLS rules and industry etiquette are familiar to most REALTORS®, they are the most frequently reported violations from agents utilizing the MLS system.

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Due to increasing interest and development of high-rise and loft properties, HAR will begin releasing a quarterly market comparison for this real estate segment. The figures contained in this report should not be compared to residential, single family statistics.

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Even though it is the shortest month of the year and should deliver cold weather, the greater Houston real estate market helped warm up the region, as February property sales continued the upward trend of the last few years, according to statistics released by the Houston Association of REALTORS® Multiple Listing Service.

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Supra is pleased to announce that the palmOne Treo 650 and Tungsten T5 devices are now compatible with the Supra iBox System.
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Following a record-breaking 2004, the Houston real estate market continued its strength into 2005, according to statistics released by the Houston Association of REALTORS® Multiple Listing Service.More

It has been said that a picture is worth a thousand words. It's no wonder that agents and their clients looking for a home desire to preview multiple photographs before deciding which properties they wish to visit in person.More

The Houston real estate market ended 2004 with the best year in the history of the city, according to statistics released by the Houston Association of REALTORS® Multiple Listing Service. New annual records were set for total dollar volume of transactions, number of properties sold and average sales price.
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The most important features online homebuyers want to see when previewing listings are detailed property information and multiple photos. According to the NAR 2004 Profile of Home Buyers & Sellers, 84 percent of online home searchers found multiple photos and detailed property information "Very Useful,"...More

Houston existing home sales once again set a new monthly record, as well as set a new annual sales record, even with one month remaining in the year, according to statistics released recentyly by the Houston Association of REALTORS® Multiple Listing Service.More

The Houston Association of REALTORS® would like to thank all the volunteer leaders who have dedicated countless hours in making the difficult decisions necessary to establish and maintain MLS policy relating to the use of the MLS system.More

HAR would like to thank all the real estate professionals in Houston that participated in the recent lockbox exchange. More than 51,000 lockboxes were exchanged in December at no charge to HAR members.More

Despite some signs of home sales slowing in other parts of the country, Houston's residential housing market continued to reflect economic confidence and optimism, according to statistics released recently by the Houston Association of REALTORS® Multiple Listing Service.More

Most MLS subscribers are already aware of the Supra lockbox exchange scheduled from December 6-10 at various locations around the greater Houston area.More

To help members take advantage of their cumulative buying power, HAR has negotiated several discounts with major cell phone providers in the Houston area. More

Houston's residential housing market slowed somewhat from its blistering summer pace, according to statistics released recently by the Houston Association of REALTORS® Multiple Listing Service.More

Many MLS subscribers are already aware of the Supra lockbox exchange scheduled from December 6-10 at various locations around the greater Houston area.More

The Houston REALTORS® Information Service (HRIS) Board of Directors has recently approved a request from the MLS Advisory Group to move forward with deploying SUPRA's latest iBox lockbox technology beginning December 6, 2004.More

In recent months there has been much debate and discussion related to compensation offered to cooperating agents in the MLS.  

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It is important to use your Supra key's cradle, connected to a standard phone line, to obtain your Supra key's updated security code on its scheduled weekly update. More

In a continued effort to provide value to MLS subscribers HAR recently implemented, at no additional cost to its members, several major enhancements to the Stewart Tax system.More

It is important to use your key’s cradle, connected to a standard phone line, to obtain your Supra key’s updated security code and system upgrades. More

Technology and access to real estate related information has led to a more informed real estate consumer. More

The basis of the MLS rules is to provide guidelines for cooperation and compensation among MLS subscribers within the real estate transaction environment.More

You may have recently noticed a few changes and enhancements to both Tempo MLS and Stewart Tax. More

The MLS Advisory Group and the Houston Realtors® Information Service board of directors have recently adopted an amendment to MLS rule 1.26 which now prohibits the submission of virtual tours containing contact information into Tempo MLS. 

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America Online (AOL^®) has implemented a series of new policies that affect the acceptance, transition and/or distribution of unsolicited bulk email (a.k.a. Spam) sent from the Internet to AOL^® subscribers. This has resulted in recurring problems when emails are sent from the MarketLinx TEMPO™ system to AOL^® email addresses.  More

To give new life to a listing that has been on the market a while, sellers will sometimes ask their agent to re-enter the listing in MLS so it will appear as a new listing, reset the Days on Market calculation and get a new MLS number.More

Many people view technological advances over the last decade as a blessing while others have had a difficult time adopting new technologies.More

The Houston Association of Realtors® defines eight listing status codes for a residential property. More

Finding all the MLS listings that meet your clients’ desires can be somewhat of an art form. To assist in this task, we created a Tempo "Search by Map” button on each Quick Search screen that agents can use as an alternative to efficiently locate properties in the MLS database.More

After working three months with a buyer, showing dozens of properties, writing several contracts and coordinating all aspects of the transaction the deal finally closes, both agents receive their commission and the buyer and seller walk away happy.

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HAR updated its Tempo software on November 19.  Some of the enhancements included to better serve you are listed below.More

We've been told for the last several years that the Internet is going to transform the real estate industry by streamlining the complicated paper-based transaction, providing opportunities for new brokerage business models and allowing consumers to access previously inaccessible property information. Although this transformation has been slow to occur within the real estate industry itself, it has been embraced by a growing number of consumers. More

Current and accurate e-mail addresses are absolutely essential for us to succeed in business and trying to operate with inaccurate e-mails can be an extreme hassle.More

Shawn provides an update of the latest changes and enhancements made in Tempo.More

New MLS Data Input Sheets are now available for download on HAR.com and the Tempo welcome screen.More

The Houston Association of Realtors® defines eight listing status codes for residential property. More

We say this all the time, but it's true.  The MLS Advisory Group, Tempo Task Force, Board of Directors and HAR staff continue working to make Tempo a great tool to help you increase your performance.More

As the use of the Internet and e-mail becomes part of our everyday business, the number of unsolicited e-mails, also known as "SPAM," continues to increase.  Because real estate agents use the Internet to market their listings, and have a need to be accessible to customers and colleagues via the Internet, they are prime targets for spammers.More

We know that when trying to conduct your day-to-day business it can be frustrating when you do not know about the upgrades and changes in TEMPO.  To help you, we decided to create for you a quick list that will run in the Houston Realtor® each month detailing the latest changes or when the next changes will take place.More

Last month, the MLS Advisory Group and HAR Board of Directors made MLS data quality its top priority.  In an ongoing effort to enhance the worth and accuracy of the information contained in the system and to make your life easier, they adopted new MLS rules to hold the listing agent responsible for the correctness and timeliness of listing information submitted to the MLS.More

Review the list of the "Top MLS Rules to Remember." More

In an ongoing effort to enhance the quality and accuracy of the information in the MLS system, the MLS Advisory Group and HAR Board of Directors recently approved new MLS rules that hold the listing agent responsible for the accuracy and timeliness of listing information submitted to the MLS. More

The MLS Advisory Group continues to make strides on improvements and enhancements in the Tempo MLS system. More

The Tempo Task Force and the MLS Advisory Group are continuing to review suggestions from HAR members regarding changes and enhancements to the Tempo MLS system. More

The MLS Advisory Group and the Houston Realtors® Information Service, Inc. Board of Directors recently approved a MLS rule that requires a photo of each property listed in MLS. More

The MLS Advisory Group and the Houston Realtors® Information Service, Inc. Board of Directors recently approved an amendment to MLS Rule 1.25 that will require MLS subscribers to provide a digital photo for every listing that is entered into the MLS system.More

In order to maintain the integrity of the information contained in the HAR Multiple Listing Service (MLS), MLS participants are required to report sales prices and other related sales information from closed property transactions listed in the MLS.More

Tempo or Wyldfyre Listings which one will work best for you? More

The Houston Association of Realtors would like to thank the volunteer leaders who dedicated hours to make the difficult decisions necessary to transition from a MLS system HAR outgrew to the new Internet-based Tempo MLS system.More

While the new Web-based Tempo MLS system meets the needs of the majority of HAR MLS subscribers, some users are looking for more flexibility and functionality that can be achieved in the Web browser of Tempo.More

Wyldfyre Listings 5.0 will be provided free of charge to all MLS subscribers.More

Members of the Houston Association of REALTORS® who subscribe to the Multiple Listing Service will receive a free Web site in conjunction with HAR's new Web-based Tempo MLS system. More

• The MLS cut-over date is approaching quickly and below are a few key dates as we complete the final transition from Stellar MLS to Tempo MLS.

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The e-HAR Board of Directors recently approved a motion to make available Wyldfyre Listing 5.0 to all HAR MLS subscribers.More

Look for the MLS postcard in your mailbox with updates on the Tempo conversion.

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Are you ready for Tempo? Find out the latest news regarding the Tempo conversion.

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