Last Chance to Vote in the November 6 General Election

• Tomorrow (Tuesday) is the day - Election Day! Make The REALTOR®

Party voice heard. Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

• Information about HAR-supported candidates and local ballot initiatives may be found HERE.

• Election Day polling locations by county are available HERE.

• Did You Know? • Voters did not have to vote in the May 29 primary election in order

to qualify to vote in the general election on November 6.

• Whether you voted or not in the primary, you may vote for whomever you choose in November.

• Eligible Texans must have registered to vote by October 9 in order to vote in the November 6 general election.

NAR Call for Action Mortgage Cancellation Tax Relief

• On Sunday, November 4, NAR issued a Call for Action regarding the extension of Mortgage Forgiveness Tax Relief.

• What’s It About?• Today, if a lender forgives some portion of a homeowner's mortgage, either as part of a short sale

or foreclosure, or in a loan restructuring that reduces principal, the owner/seller will pay no income tax on the forgiven amount.

• Many real estate transactions, including loan modifications, short sales and foreclosures, may not be able to close before year-end. If owners are unable to close these transactions, and if Congress does not act, these owners and sellers will not receive the benefit of tax relief provisions they have relied on. This uncertainty adds a new financial burden to sellers who are already in financial trouble.

• Tell Congress to keep the housing recovery on track by sending a message through the REALTOR® Action Center.

• Should you have questions about the Mortgage Forgiveness Tax Relief or need more information, you will find it on the REALTOR® Action Center or by clicking HERE.

HAR Holds the Line on Dues• Each day of the year, HAR is committed to maximizing the value that your, our

members, receive for your dues dollar.

• The HAR Board of Directors has voted to maintain the current dues level for the 10th year in a row. In fact, when combining HAR dues and MLS subscriber fees, the total amount paid is actually lower than what was paid in 1997. Few associations can say that.

• The Association has cut expenses and developed additional revenue sources to help maintain our financial strength, while also allowing us to continue to roll out new products and tools to help you become more efficient and effective in your business. This is the essence of maximizing value for our members.

• Among the more recent HAR offerings are the HAR-ETS transaction management platform, with more brokerages signing on daily, and HARConnect.com, the go-to source for HAR and real estate news.

• Only with the strength and support of all of our 25,000 residential and commercial members can we remain a successful REALTOR® community, so thank you for your membership in what really is your Association.

Weekly HAR Market StatOver the course of the year, we've cleverly devised new tactics each week to communicate just how far the market has come. This week is no exception. Most level-headed housing advocates agree that lower residential vacancy rates are a good thing. Well, chalk one up for level-headed housing advocates, because Reuters just reported that the U.S. residential vacancy rate fell to 1.9 percent in the third quarter. That's the lowest level in seven years. It's just the latest installment of overwhelming bullish housing news. 

In the Houston region, for the week ending October 28: • New Listings decreased 1.6% to 1,714

• Pending Sales increased 35.6% to 1,477• Closed Sales decreased 9.1% to 1,185

Questions? 713-629-1900 ext. 6

Earn a New Designation

Register at www.har.com/edu

Senior Real Estate Specialist (SRES)

Completion of the Seniors Real Estate Specialist (SRES) designation course is an essential step for REALTORS® to understand the distinct real estate goals, concerns, and needs of seniors today. This course looks at key differences in housing options, from age-restricted communities to age-in-place design to assisted living; applications of the Housing for Older Persons Act (HOPA); the ins and outs of reverse mortgages; the use of pensions, 401k accounts, and IRAs in real estate transactions; and developing a team of senior specialists, including estate planners, reverse mortgages lenders, clutter and staging specialists and more. THIS COURSE FEE INCLUDES YOUR $99 FIRST-YEAR DUES FOR SRES.

Date: Thursday & Friday, Nov. 15-16Time: 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.Location: HAR Central & Bay Area (via video conf.)

Investment: $179