How is it possible that the summer has already come to a close? Kids are back in school (remember to obey those school zone speed limits while refraining  from cell phone usage), and we are past the bulk of the peak selling season for real estate. That being said, it is impossible to not be extremely happy about the July MLS sales statistics. Single-family home sales were up 27.0 percent, and the price rose by 6.3 percent to $170,000, which tied the record high median sales price for Houston.  At the same time, the media seemed to focus on the inventory of available homes being at its lowest level since February 2007. You may read the entire MLS monthly report here.

With the summer past us, that also means that The BIG e is coming up quickly. The biggest REALTOR® event in Houston each year will be held on Thursday, October 25, and the event always sells out so you will want to purchase your tickets soon to make sure you don’t miss out on this great event. You may find out more by visiting www.har.com/bige or by clicking here.

Each year the Association honors two people who exemplify the very best in us all: the REALTOR® of the Year and the John E. Wolf Community Service Award recipient. It isn’t enough to just be a top producer or be an active volunteer. The honorees must be well-rounded and be the very best of the best. If you know someone who you think should be considered for either of these awards, please see the nomination form on in your September Houston REALTOR magazine.

After weeks of campaigning for election to the HAR Board of Directors, we finally announced the new members of the Board who will serve in 2013. These eight new board members join the returning board members to help lead your Association next year, and their decisions can have a lasting impact on the greater Houston real estate market and the entire industry. Thank you to those of you who voted, and I encourage those of you who didn’t to make sure you vote next year.  You may see who your elected representatives are for 2013 here.

Following on the HAR.com iOS (iPhone, iPad) mobile app being named a finalist for the Most Innovative Mobile App in the country at the Inman Innovator Awards, Clareity Consulting conducted an evaluation of the 10 most prominent real estate apps in the country according to app store downloads. HAR.com’s apps were the only association/MLS apps reviewed because they are the only ones from an association/MLS that rank in the top 10 for both iOS and Android. Both of HAR’s apps did very well, so it is yet another reason to be proud that you are part of this association. You may read more about the Clareity report here.

As you can see from the cover of the magazine, we take safety very seriously at the Association. That means safety of our members and your clients. September is officially REALTOR® Safety Month so it is a good time to provide these reminders and tips that will hopefully keep each and every one of you safe and incident free. We are receiving far too many reports of various scams or crimes being committed against our members so we continue to look into ways that we as an Association can help. You may read more about safety throughout the magazine and in the center spread.

September is also important to us at the Association for another reason—the end of the TREPAC fiscal year. I just read an article about the court challenges going on to the way public schools are financed in Texas. What was scary about the article is that it discussed the possibilities of creating a state property tax to fund public schools. It also talked about the possibility of implementing a transfer tax on property transactions. As the primary voice for the real estate industry and homeowners in the state, we need to make sure that these interests are represented. There is no better way than to make sure you have made your investment in TREPAC. This fiscal year ends at the end of September so you still have time, but go ahead and make your investment today.  You may read more here.

Until next month,
Wayne Stroman
HAR Chairman