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| One Billion Served |
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Chairman Rob Cook is the elected leader of the HAR Board of Directors.
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"One Billion Served"— a mammoth milestone and a huge headline for HAR.com.
But did you read the cover headline and ask: What does that mean to me and my business? If you did, it is a fair and appropriate question.
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| HAR.com Celebrates 10th Year as Leading Real Estate Source |
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More Than One Billion Served Or Nearly 50 Percent of Internet Users
"One billion served" can now also be used by the Houston Association of Realtors®' HAR.com, one of the pioneers in Internet real estate sites.
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| Houston Home Prices Heat Up with Summer; All-Time Record Set |
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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| HAR.com Wins Two Outstanding Web Site Awards |
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Each year, NAR hosts a Realtor® Association Outstanding Web Site Contest. In the past, the contest has focused on entire Web sites. This year the competition was refocused to highlight certain features of a Web site. The contest was broken up into five categories: Outstanding Design, Outstanding Education Feature, Outstanding Online Property Search, Outstanding Online Newsletter, and Outstanding Member Service Feature.
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| Searching Tips For TEMPO |
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I have found that I can give a group of 20 agents the same search criteria, and they come up with at least three different sets of listings, depending on how well they know how to use Tempo.
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| And the Survey Says... |
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HAR released the 2005 HAR Survey of Home Sellers & Buyers last year to great acclaim, and each month we are highlighting one of its findings.
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| Real Estate Investors From Singapore |
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Singapore, population 4.5 million, was one of the top 10 countries to buy real estate in the United States last year.
Singapore experiences a Per capital GDP equal to that of the 4 largest Western European countries 3.1% unemployment rate
Listed below are some cultural insights for transacting business with investors from this island located in Southeast Asia.
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| MLS Rules Tighten Up for Repeat Offenders |
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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| Keep Your MLS Access, Don't Share Your Password! |
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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.
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| Common Errors with Contracts and Tips For Better Risk Management |
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In reviewing and approving all transaction files for our firm, I am consistently finding two areas of misunderstanding.
1. Agents are using the incorrect form to disclose the "STATUTORY TAX DISTRICTS," as required by Chapter 49 of the Texas Water Code and the "ANNEXATION NOTICES" §5.011 of the Texas Property Code and included in "NOTICES: 6 E (3) and 6 E (5)" of the TREC Contract forms.
2. Survey: 6 C 1 of the TREC contract forms. Agents and often Title Companies are misinterpreting this paragraph.
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| Midyear Legislative Meetings Reinforce Realtor® Priorities on Capitol Hill |
Amendment I
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. Read the entire U.S. Constitution.
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| Sine Die! Success for HAR & TAR in 80th Texas Legislature |
At midnight, May 28, 2007, Speaker Tom Craddick (R-Midland) hammered the gavel one final time for the session signaling that the 80th Texas Legislative Session was over. This session proved to be contentious with many in the House of Representatives wanting to dethrone the Speaker marked by heated debates and walk outs.
Fortunately, the Houston Association of REALTORS® and Texas Association of REALTORS® had a very successful session with your grassroots help responding to TAR’s Call for Actions and your generous TREPAC investments.
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| Now is the Time to Exercise Ownership of Your Local Market |
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May 2007 may go down in history as one of the most important and exciting moments in the history of the American real estate industry. The approval, by the National Association of Realtors® Board of Directors, of the National MLS Gateway project marks the beginning of a dynamic new era in American residential real estate. This project, in connection with a number of other matters introduced and approved during the meetings, will create a whole new market force.
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| HAR Finalist for Most Innovative Web Service |
Inman Innovator Award Finalists Announced
Inman News released the finalists' names for the coveted 2007 Inman Innovator Awards, recognizing innovation in real estate. Winners will be announced at the annual Real Estate Connect SF technology conference, Aug. 1-3, at the Palace Hotel in San Francisco.
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| Creating Affordable Housing Opportunities: National Homeownership Month and NAR Programs |
Every June, since 2002, has been designated as National Homeownership Month. The goal has always been to raise the awareness of the importance of homeownership to the building and strengthening of communities across America. Building strong communities has always been a cornerstone of NAR's Legislative Advocacy Agenda.
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| 2007 TREPAC Investors |
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All investments as of June 6, 2007.
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| TREPAC Saves You Money Sweepstakes Winners Announced |
HAR announces the recent winners of the 2007 TREPAC Saves You Money Sweepstakes. Remember – You could be our next winner so make your TREPAC investment today!
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| Harris County Judge Ed Emmett Special Guest at June Board Meeting |
Pictured above are Judge Ed Emmett (center) with HAR's Executive Committee Members Lorraine Abercrombie, Michael Levitin, Margie Dorrance, Rob Cook, Vicki Fullerton, and Carlos Bujosa.
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It was enlightening to have Harris County Judge Ed Emmett share some humorous anecdotes with the Board on his entrance into politics, his private sector experience, and his appointment as Harris County Judge.
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| HHFC Single Family Bond Programs Available to Houstonians |
The Houston Housing Finance Corporation (HHFC) recently issued a single-family mortgage bond program to assist homebuyers in purchasing homes located within the Houston city limits. Projected to assist nearly 150 homebuyers, the program will finance new or existing homes that do not exceed $289,704. The program offers a 5.95% fixed mortgage rate with 4% or 6% down payment and closing cost assistance.
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| The Mexican Connection |
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The Mexican-Texican history and culture have been, and are presently, so entwined as to be almost indistinguishable at times. While thousands of Texans own property in Mexico today, there is still considerable confusion about Mexican property ownership, not only for the general public, but among Realtors® as well. In simple fact, North Americans can own Mexican property ‘fee simple’ anywhere in the interior of the country and through a Mexican Chartered Bank Trust (a ‘Fideicomiso’) in the so-called restricted zone…that area encompassing approximately 60 miles from any border, 30 miles of any ocean and all of Baja. Ownership through this mechanism still entitles North American’s full rights to hold, sell, bequeath, transfer and inherit their property. Title insurance and traditional mortgages products are also available from multiple sources at comparable rates to those products available in the United States.
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| Town Hall Meeting Highlights Fort Bend County Housing Market |
Town hall meeting participants included Joan Berger, Jim Cockrill, FBI Special Agent Kimberly Barkhausen, Judy Monroe, NAR's Jeff Lischer, Congressman Nick Lampson, Shad Bogany, Federal Political Coordinator Sandy MacNaughton, Ed Wolff, Cameron Hill, and Gene Feigelson.
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U.S. Representative Nick Lampson in conjunction with the Houston Association of Realtors®, hosted a town hall meeting on Tuesday, May 29, at the Sugar Land Town Hall. Realtors® and constituents of Congressional District 22 were invited to the town hall meeting to hear from the Federal Bureau of Investigations, the National Association of Realtors®, and local experts about the Fort Bend housing market.
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| Houston Realtors® Welcome Dr. Mary S. Spangler, New HCCS Chancellor |
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Pictured above are Dr. Mary S. Spangler (center), 2003 HAR Chair Dovie Morgan, and Dr. Dorothea Eason.
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On April 25, Dr. Mary S. Spangler, newly installed Chancellor of Houston Community College Systems, received a warm welcome from Realtors® at a luncheon held in her honor. The luncheon was hosted by Dovie Morgan, HAR Member Training and Profitability Chair and HAR’s Governmental Affairs Department.
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| Multimedia -- A Reason-Able Sales Tool |
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What is Multi-Media selling anyway? It’s a sales symphony on CD-ROM. It’s video, graphics, animation, text and sound offering a more powerful sales presentation than each alone could achieve.
AND -- Any of the multi-media components can be used in any order at any time. With a few keystrokes before (or during) a sales call, you can customize a presentation to a prospects situation. And if the multi-media package has been prepared (developed) with the latest technologies, the word you’ll hear most from your prospect is -- WOW!
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| 2008 Board of Director Candidates |
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As leaders of one of the most prestigious Realtor® associations in the
country, HAR directors are recognized within the Houston
community and nationally for the real difference they make
in the lives of HAR's 26,000 members through
the decisions they make and the standards that they set.
Here are just a few examples of how HAR directors earn this distinction every day.
- Setting high standards for one of the largest MLS operations in the country
- Promoting HAR's programs, products and services in their firms and offices
- Creating political policy for HAR's governmental affairs program
- Passionately attending and participating in member events
- Continually enhancing HAR.com, the nationally recognized member & consumer real estate Web site
- Advancing industry competency, fairness and high integrity through
enforcement of NAR Code of Ethics and HAR rules and regulations
- Setting the example
by their Sterling R contributions to TREPAC
- Designing and advocating the award-winning Realtor® Value campaign
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| Congress Moves on Key NAR Legislation |
NAR has been working with Congressional leaders, since the beginning of the year, to move forward on a series of proposals designed to help stabilize mortgage markets and ease the Credit Crunch, modernize FHA, strengthen the regulation of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and ensure continued availability of terrorism insurance coverage.
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| Get it Write |
Whether you’re creating a property flier, a classified ad, or an e-mail to a potential client, how you lay out your information in writing can matter as much as the information itself.
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| Conrad Bering, Jr., Martha Turner Properties John E. Wolf Citizenship Cup Award |
Conrad Bering, Jr. was Realtor® of the Year 1972 and president of the Association in 1970. You might think he would have slowed down since then, but you would be wrong.
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