On Wednesday November 17, 2011 the Asian American Real Estate Association (AAREA) will be hosting their final luncheon of the year. The agenda will be packed with sponsors, a great topic, and a general meeting to announce new candidates for the 2012 Board of Directors. There could also be an announcement about who will be the 2012-2014 President *wink, wink*

This luncheon topic will cover the latest technology and tools available to real estate agents from the Houston Association of Realtors. The presentation will be from Danny Frank the Houston Association of Realtors Vice Chair, and Houston Association of Realtors Technology Committee Chair.

A few weeks ago Danny gave me a sneak peek preview of all the latest tools, apps, and customizations HAR has integrated into its MLS system. It's no secret that the Houston Association of Realtors MLS systems is one of the best in the country, and they have improved its potential even more this year. 

I know this is a last minute post, I just got this in my email from a colleague. As a local Realtor who can resist the Hunting for Homes event?

Tomorrow Saturday November 5, 2011 the animal service agencies in Fort Bend County are hosting a mega-adoption event on Saturday, Nov. 5. The event, dubbed "Hunting for Homes" will take place at the Fort Bend County Fairgrounds from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Officials are hoping to find loving homes for as many dogs and cats as possible, and also to show the positive and rewarding aspects of adopting a shelter animal. Adoptable dogs and cats will be brought to Hunting for Homes by the animal services agencies of Sugar Land, Rosenberg, Missouri City, Stafford and Fort Bend County.

The adoption fee for all animals is just $30 and includes a wellness check, spay or neuter surgery, initial vaccinations and micro-chipping. Senior citizens can adopt a pet for just $15.

Agencies are asking for both monetary and supply donations, so they can continue to serve the homeless animals of Fort Bend County.

Supplies needed include large wire pet crates, flea medication and cleaning supplies.

Monetary donations can be made by sending a check to:

Fort Bend County Animal Services
1201 Blume Road
Rosenberg, TX 77471

Please make checks payable to Fort Bend County and include "Hunting for Homes" in the memo line. Monetary donations will be used to pay for spay or neuter surgeries and micro-chipping.

If you have been thinking about a pet, consider adopting a pet from a shelter and save an animal that needs good home. If you have been thinking about real estate, consider working with Mike Wong of Keller Williams Realty.

The event benefits: East Fort Bend Human Needs Ministry, Fort Bend Family Promise, and the Fort Bend County Women's Center. Tickets for the event are $30.

Starting at 5pm the Ballroom will open for the tasting event featuring over 20 local restaurants. There will be live music performances, and both a silent and live auction. For more information please visit: tasteofsugarland.com  or call 281-240-3195.

Foreclosure property sales in the Houston and surrounding area added up to 20% of total residential property sales so far this year according to data reported from the Houston Association of Realtors. Houston's market has been resistant to the declining trend we see in other markets. 80% of residential property sales are traditional resale or new construction. According to the numbers only 1 in every 5 homes sold is a foreclosure.

Additional data shows the median home sale price is climbing in the Houston area and currently reports in at $180,000. On the other hand median sales price for foreclosure properties in the area is trending down. This data is based on the overall market and you should consult with a local Realtor to determine the best price to purchase or sell property.

Reports from July's data suggest foreclosure filings coming onto the market is down 20% from the previous month. Overall the numbers have been trending upward for 2011. While the median sales price of foreclosures is near $80,000 currently it does not reflect upon the inventory and selection of foreclosure properties in various price ranges in our area.

Typically the lower priced foreclosure market is more active with seasoned investors, new investors, and first time buyers competitively bidding for these bargain properties. Work with a professional Realtor to analyze the market and properties you are interested in before making an investment. A local expert has access to data and comparables to negotiate more effectively on your behalf. There are many opportunities out there for foreclosure or traditional deals.

The City of Rosenberg Fire Department has issued fire safety tips during the extreme drought that is affecting Texas and our local Fort Bend area. Our current dry conditions have increased the risk of fire. It is essential that everyone should be especially cautious and to be aware of simple things that can potentially cause dangerous fires.

Please share this information with neighbors and others you know to prevent the risk of a fire.

Statistics show that less than 10 percent of all wildfires are started by weather, such as lightning. Actually more than 90 percent are started by careless acts of people and arsonists. Please take the extra time to utilize good fire safety practices.

Safety tips during this dry season to reduce the chances of fire include:

While you are on the road:
Ø  Do not discard cigarettes from moving vehicles; use ashtrays. With the conditions we have now, lit cigarettes do cause fires and can be disastrous in times of drought and high fire risk.
Ø  When pulling off the side of the road, stay off of dry grass areas. Park vehicles so that the exhaust does not come in contact with dry grass, leaves or weeds.
Ø   Adjust the safety chains on your trailers to ensure they don’t drag and create sparks that can cause roadside fires.

At home:
Ø  Avoid cooking outdoors during this drought season. If you do cook, never leave barbeque grills unattended. Place your grill on concrete or your driveway away from your home or any structures. If using charcoal or wood, make sure that the fire has been extinguished by soaking it with a garden hose before disposing of the coals. Remember that there is currently a burn ban in Fort Bend County and no uncovered flame or open pit is allowed.
Ø  During this time, do not burn household trash in barrels.
Ø  Check lawnmowers and farm equipment for properly working spark arresters.
Ø  Mow lawn at least 30-50 feet away from your house and water to create defensible space.
Ø  Cut back or remove any dry and dead landscaping plants or bushes around your home. Clear leaves from your roof and gutters; rake them away from the sides of your home.
Ø  Move anything that will burn far away from structures, items like firewood, compost piles, brush piles, etc.
Ø  Notify the electric company when dead trees or overhanging limbs endanger the electric wires.

Fire Safety for you:
Ø  Practice fire safety with your family. If you see suspicious fire or smoke, call 911.
Ø  Clearly mark driveway entrances with address and street names.
Ø  Plan escape routes away from your home by car and foot.  Have a meeting place with your family.

The Asian American Real Estate Association is hosting their September 21, 2011 Luncheon at Ocean Palace Restaurant. Check in and registration starts at 11:30am with the guest speakers and lunch starting at 12pm.

This months topic is: How Generational Differences Affect the Real Estate Process

Presented by: Maria Valentin & Jennifer Guevara from First American Title Company

Sponsored by: Wells Fargo Bank & East West Bank

You are welcome to join us for this luncheon. Guests are $20 and Members are FREE with 2011 membership dues. Please RSVP for the event, or contact me for opportunities to sponsor. As always I look forward to seeing and speaking with everyone there.

Membership is open to anyone in the real estate related industry. The AAREA organization of Houston is operated by a volunteer Board of Directors to serve the community and over several hundred diverse members of the organization.

July 2011 experienced the second consecutive monthly increase in home sales.

Comparing July 2011 to July 2010 one year after the home buyer tax credit expired Houston sales are up nearly 17% for July 2011. July marked the third time in 2011 that sales volume entered positive territory. It also saw the average price of a single-family home reach its highest level for a July in Houston.

 Single-Family Homes Update

July sales of single-family homes in Houston totaled 5,034, up 16.7 percent from July 2010. This marks the third increase of the year after an 8.4 percent gain in January and 0.5 percent bump in June. The July number represents the second highest sales volume month of the year. June was higher with 5,570 homes sold.

On a year-to-date basis, sales are down 2.2 percent. When compared to July of 2009, a year in which there were no unusual real estate market influences such as Hurricane Ike in 2008 and the 2010 home buyer tax credit, single-family home sales were down 12.2 percent.

Broken out by segment, July sales of homes priced below $80,000 rose 15.8 percent; sales of homes in the $80,000-$150,000 range climbed 17.7 percent; sales of homes between $150,000 and $250,000 increased 18.5 percent; sales of homes ranging from $250,000-$500,000 advanced 13.7 percent; and sales of homes that make up the luxury market—priced from $500,000 and up—soared 25.7 percent.

The average price achieved the highest level for a July in Houston. At $224,110, the average price of single-family homes rose 0.7 percent compared to last July. At $160,000, the median sales price for single-family homes edged up 0.3 percent versus July 2010, remaining flat from June at $160,000, the highest median price of 2011 and the highest level in two years. The national single-family median price reported by NAR is $184,600, illustrating the continued higher value and lower cost of living available to consumers in Houston.

HAR also breaks out the sales performance of existing single-family homes throughout the Houston market. In July 2011, existing home sales totaled 4,341, a 22.0 percent increase from July 2010. The average sales price climbed 3.3 percent to $212,895 compared to last year and the median sales price of $150,000 was unchanged.

The number of townhouses and condominiums that sold in July jumped 26.7 percent compared to one year earlier, marking the second sales increase of the year. The first was a 14.7 percent hike in January. In the greater Houston area, 460 units were sold last month versus 363 properties in July 2010.

The average price rose 3.8 percent to $156,754 from July 2010 to July 2011. The median price of a townhouse/condominium ticked up 1.7 percent to $121,000.

The Houston market experienced continued high demand for lease properties in the month of July. Single-family home rentals jumped 21.6 percent compared to one year earlier and year-over-year townhouse/condominium rentals rose 7.7 percent.

This demand has been largely driven by steady improvement in local employment numbers, with REALTORS® observing a surge in consumers relocating to Houston from around the country.

Statistical data and charts provided by Houston Association of Realtors for use of its members.

This morning the headlines in Houston read: "Governor Perry declares wild fires out of control". It's been some time since Texas has experienced a disaster such as this. Our last disaster was the opposite of what we are desperately in need of: rain and flooding from hurricane Ike. The disaster is blamed largely on Texas' yearlong drought, one of the most severe dry spells the state has ever seen.

The fires have burned more than 120,000 acres so far in Texas. Thousands have been forced to evacuate their homes. About 370 firefighters battled the blazes, many of them arriving from out of state after Texas called in help. Still more assistance is needed.

I have been spending hours over the past few days and nights watching for news updates and praying for family and friends near the areas affected. Thankfully many of them were a safe but uncomforable distance from the fires raging out of control. I'm also watching everyday people on Facebook coordinate efforts for volunteers to help those displaced, volunteers to help fight the fires, volunteers to cook, and volunteers to shelter displaced animals and livestock. Texans always step up in times of need to help one another.

This has been one of the most devastating wildfire outbreaks in Texas history claimed more than 1,000 homes by Tuesday and strained the state's firefighting capacity to it's limit. According to reports more than 180 fires have erupted in the past week across Texas. Nearly 600 of the homes destroyed since then were lost in 48 hours around Bastrop. That fire rages out of control Tuesday for a third day.

Please continue to keep the many families and animals affected by this disaster in your prayers.

I represent several clients with commercial and residential lease properties. My job is to find the best qualified tenant to lease the space as quickly as possible. Many of my clients have been satisfied through the years with long term tenants.

I recently started working with a new client who is also a new landlord. This landlord asked me to represent their home for lease and had a request: "I want to personally interview every potential tenant before we consider leasing to them". The landlord is protecting their investment. However this additional step can make it more stressful for a tenant looking to secure a place quickly.

There are other complications and risks involved for the landlord. I explained to the landlord their consideration should be based on credit worthiness and character. I also handed them a copy of the Federal Fair Housing Act.  

The Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination in housing because of:

• Race
• Religion
• Color
• Sex
• National Origin
• Disability
• Familial status (including children under the age of 18 living with parents or legal custodians; pregnant women and people securing custody of children under 18).

No one may take any of the following actions based on race, religion, color, sex, national origin, disability or familial status:

• Refuse to rent or sell housing
• Refuse to negotiate for housing
• Make housing unavailable
• Deny a dwelling
• Set different terms, conditions or privileges for sale or rental of a dwelling
• Provide different housing services or facilities
• Falsely deny that housing is available for inspection, sale or rental
• For profit, persuade owners to sell or rent (blockbusting) or
• Deny anyone access to or membership in a facility or service (such as a multiple listing service) related to the sale or rental of housing

The landlord looked at me and realized how serious the conversation was turning. I have turned down listings because the landlords had different "criteria" for tenants. I wanted to be perfectly clear with this landlord what I expect, and how I represent them and my company.

There are other factors that landlords should be aware of: The new Texas Property Code laws were just updated with new laws and regulations for rental properties. There are local neighborhood and city regulations over lease property. Some areas require annual city inspections and permits for rental property and violations can cost landlords a fine up to $500 per day.

Obviously these are just a few reasons to hire a Realtor to represent a landlord and protect them. Realtors are aware of laws and market trends. We are licensed experts who do this on a daily basis, not once a year. Realtors can analyze a credit report and potential client. We can also negotiate for a landlord.

This particular landlord who wanted to personally interview each potential tenant turned away 2 of the best qualified tenants that applied (most good tenants don't play games). After a couple of months of no applications, someone less qualified applied. The landlord requested an interview. During the interview the applicant negotiated the rate even lower because of a less experienced landlord, that was being "too nice".