Home » Archive for May, 2010
Meeting the Mortgage Challenge
Last month I had an opportunity to work with Brian Buffini and the Wells Fargo Home Mortgage team in a program called Meeting the Mortgage Challenge in 2010. I thought the program had great merit and I hope you will all forgive me for sharing both the experience and the message of that interaction.
The format of the program was a first for me. It is called a “CineMeeting,” the name being...
Hafa – Are Short Sales the New Foreclosure?
Many of you may be aware of the new program introduced on April 5, 2010 called the Home Affordable Foreclosure Alternatives Program (HAFA). This article will highlight important parts of HAFA, provide some helpful stats and trends, reveal revenue opportunities and provide you with action items to aid your success with the program.
Program Definition and Guidelines
HAFA is a subset of the Home Affordable...
REALTOR® 007: International Agent of Mystery
There seems to be a big mystery surrounding the international aspects of our business and those who practice it. Let me say first and foremost, we are all involved in international real estate. Ask yourself if you have ever closed a transaction that involved one or more of the following: foreign-born buyer or seller, expatriate relocating to or from the States or anyone using foreign money to fund...
MLS Rules Changes
MLS Rule 2 – Appointments for Showing: The fine for showing a property without a confirmed appointment, when the listing indicates “Appointment Required,” has been raised from $100 to $250.
MLS Rule 13 – Use of MLS Information in Advertising: The fine for not including the listing firm name when displaying listing information in an advertisement has been raised from $100 to...
With Our Deepest Sympathies
Earl Thomas Bunting, Sr.
HAR is saddened to announce the passing of EARL THOMAS BUNTING SR., 85, of Pasadena on Friday April 3, 2010. Earl was born in Pasadena, Texas, April 9, 1924 to James Franklin and Alice Odella Bunting. His loving wife, Mary Louise, daughter Sherry Woods and his son Earl Thomas Jr. preceded him in going home to be the Lord. Earl is survived by their daughters, Cathe McGaugh...
GroundBreakers
Sienna Plantation Again Ranks as One of the Nation’s Top-Selling Communities
Sienna Plantation continues as one of the nation’s top-selling communities, listed for the third time in the Top 10 Performing Master-Planned Communities in the United States, according to RCLCO, a leading independent real estate advisory firm.
A project of The Johnson Development Corp., Sienna Plantation has had a significant...
Dear Fellow HAR Members
Looking forward to the next few years, there are many challenges ahead, but I always say that challenges also present opportunities.
My Vision for REALTORS®:
To promote REALTORS® as professionals and vital to the real estate transaction
To encourage REALTORS® to be accountable to the public and fellow REALTORS®
To educate brokers about how to develop and maintain profitable businesses and better...
HAR Hosts Nation’s Leading Real Estate Authorities for a Symposium on How to Meet the Growing Demands of the Consumer
Top executives of Google, Zillow.com, Realtor.com, REALTOR® Property Resource (RPR), the National Association of REALTORS® and other major real estate industry players recently addressed the challenges of meeting future consumer demands during the Houston Association of REALTORS® Real Estate Industry Symposium (REIS). Discussion at the two-day conference centered on the real estate information...
Opportunity 2010: Imagine Yourself as a Member of the HAR Leadership Team
As a leader 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 more than 23,000 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...
Houston Single-Family Home Sales and Prices Climb in March as the Homebuyer Tax Credit Deadline Looms
The rapidly approaching April 30 federal homebuyer tax credit apparently inspired Houston-area consumers to house shop, as sales of single-family homes throughout the Houston market rose in March with the strongest sales volume continuing in the upper housing segments. Prices of single-family homes also continued their months-long appreciation.
Overall March sales of single-family homes across greater...
