Title: The EDGE Information and news that gives you an edge in the real estate business
1The EDGEInformation and news that gives you an
edge in the real estate business
HAR Safety Alert Home Sales Decline in July
Congratulations to the 2017 HAR Board Houston
Market Movements Open Your Mind to Learning
The Edge is a weekly tool for managers to use
to inform their agents and stay current and
up-to-date with important real estate industry
issues. Brought to you by the HAR Communications
Department.
2The EDGEInformation and news that gives you an
edge in the real estate business
HAR Safety Alert
BEWARE OF SCAMS HAR warns all members that
scammers are at it again. Weve been informed
that several REALTORS have had listings of homes
for sale hacked and posted as available for lease
on a site called Backpage. As a result, calls are
coming in from would-be renters who have seen the
bogus listings. A suspicious vehicle was been
seen near at least one of the properties and HPD
was notified. If you believe a listing has been
hacked, contact the website manager immediately
and ask to have it removed. OPEN HOUSE
WARNINGMake safety your top priority when
staffing an open house! HAR has been alerted that
a guest at a recent open house in Briargrove was
caught going through the medicine cabinet in
search of prescription drugs. He is described as
a white male, about 61 in his mid- to late-30s,
with a crew cut and thick beard, driving a black
SUV with NY plates. A girl, about 7 or 8 years
old, was with him. Always exercise caution during
open houses. Use the buddy system. Report
suspicious activity to police.
3The EDGEInformation and news that gives you an
edge in the real estate business
Home Sales Decline in July
- HAR will release July 2016 MLS statistics this
Wednesday, August 10, and here are some
highlights of the monthly report - Houston home sales fell 8.8 percent
year-over-year, with a total of 7,204
single-family units sold. - The single-family home median price rose 4.1
percent to a July high of 230,000 while the
average price declined 0.5 percent to 292,316. - Months of inventory grew to a 4.0-months supply
compared to a 3.5-months supply in July 2015.
Housing inventory nationally stands at a
4.6-months supply, according to NAR. - July rentals of single-family homes rose 2.3
percent year-over-year and the cost of renting
those homes edged up slightly to 1,879. - For more detailed information, please visit the
HAR Online Newsroom for this and all other HAR
news releases.
4The EDGEInformation and news that gives you an
edge in the real estate business
Congratulations to the 2017 HAR Board
- After weeks of campaigning, the 2017 HAR Board of
Directors election concluded last week. - Among a field of 22 candidates, the following
eight members have been newly elected to the 2017
Board Mike Mahlstedt, Shannon Register, Linda
Cottar, Diana Ayers, Deborah Spangler, Ignacio
Osorio, Thomas Mouton and Christi Borden.
CONGRATULATIONS! - We understand how much of a time commitment every
candidate gave to campaigning for the board and
want each candidate to know how much their
passion is appreciated. - It is only with the leadership and input from
members that HAR will continue to be the most
transparent, progressive and responsive REALTOR
association in the nation. - Thank you to all the HAR members who took time
out to vote! - Complete election results are available at
http//www.har.com/content/election_results.
5The EDGEInformation and news that gives you an
edge in the real estate business
Houston Market Movements
- It's only August, but this time during summer
usually means making plans for changes ahead,
especially the start of a new school year. For
potential home buyers around the country with
school-aged children, these are the pivotal days
for deciding whether to purchase or wait. Lets
take a look at the local trends. - In the Houston region, for the week ending July
31 - New Listings decreased 5.9 to 2,742
- Pending Sales increased 15.0 to 2,069
- Closed Sales decreased 7.6 to 2,368
6The EDGEInformation and news that gives you an
edge in the real estate business
Open Your Mind to Learning
- Certified International Property Specialist
(CIPS) - NARs Certified International Property
Specialists (CIPS) designation is a great
resource if you are looking to expand your global
reach. After you complete the CIPS coursework and
apply for the designation, you become part of the
CIPS referral network, comprised of over 2,800
agents from 50 different countries. Designees are
profiled in the CIPS directory where consumers
and other agents can search to find experienced
international practitioners. Additionally, CIPS
designees are invited to join a private Facebook
group where agents network and exchange
referrals. These can be extraordinary tools to
help you grow your business, both inbound and
outbound. - Date August 25, 26, 29, 30 31
- Location HAR Central
- Time 830 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Investment 749
- Register at www.har.com/edu Questions? Call
713.629.1900 ext. 6