Austin Realtor Online Edition - Austin Board of REALTORS®

March 2009

Klassen to Speak at April Town Hall Meeting

Learn where the mortgage industry is headed and how it will affect your profession at the April 30 Town Hall meeting. The meeting will be held from 9 to 10:30 a.m. in the ABoR Auditorium. Gerald Klassen, research analyst with the Texas A&M Real Estate center, will deliver a speech entitled “The Future of Mortgage Finance and its Impact on your Business.”

All ABoR members are welcome to attend this free event. However, advanced reservations are required. Secure your space online. For more information on this event, contact the Education Department at 512/454-7636.

Chairman’s Corner

I recently attended the Texas Association of REALTORS® (TAR) winter meeting in Austin. The five-day program had an abundance of activities for everyone, but I would like to share few things which I felt stood out the most.

Personal development is critical for our profession. However, spending money on it may be difficult to justify these days. That’s why this month the National Association of

REALTORS® (NAR) is rolling out a new initiative this month called “Right Tools, Right Now” which makes hundreds of valuable publications, services, education and tools available to you free, at cost, or at significantly reduced pricing. The program gives our members more resources than anyone could imagine.

Additionally, all Texas REALTORS® now can use Mongo Fax for free! With this service, you can send documents from any fax machine to be converted to PDFs and sent securely to the e-mail address you designate. Find out more about MongoFax here.

Finally, the upgraded Zip Form software program will be unveiled to all the TAR members in May 2009. This powerful program contains the ABoR, TAR and Texas Real Estate Commission (TREC) form libraries and is available to no charge to all Texas REALTORS®.

We welcome your input! If you have any suggestions, please drop us a line.

Jay Gohil
2009 Chairman of the Board

Last Chance to Attend Chili Cook-off

Don’t miss your chance to show off your cooking skills and invest in your industry – register for the TREPAC Chili Cook-off today! The Chili Cook-off will be held on Thursday, March 19 from 6 to 8 p.m. in the ABoR Auditorium.

Registration for a team of two is only $99. Those who don’t cook are welcome to sample the contest entries and vote for their favorite for just $25. Click here to register or purchase your ticket. For more information on this event, contact the Government and Community Affairs Department at 512/454-7636.

Leadership Austin Helps You “Experience Austin”

Looking for a new way to introduce your clients to Austin? Perhaps you just want to learn more about your city. The “Experience Austin” program, created by Leadership Austin is a fast-paced series introducing new residents and long-time Austinites to the hot topics and key players in our city.

The series consists of five sessions held at various locations around Austin, including City Hall and the Whole Foods Culinary Center. Topics range from healthcare and education to the local environment and economy. The first session will be held on Friday, March 27.

Registration for the “Experience Austin” program is $785 per person and includes course materials, meals and refreshments. The series is limited to 28 participants and sells out each season, so reserve your space today. To register or learn more, click here.

City of Austin Hosts Affordable Housing Open House

To showcase its newest affordable housing development, the City of Austin, along with the Austin Housing Finance Corporation, will host a free open house on Saturday, March 14 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Frontier at Montana subdivision, located at 1200 Frontera Lane, Austin, Texas 78741. This is a great opportunity to explore inexpensive, energy efficient affordable homes.

Homes are outfitted with energy star appliances and start at just $107,600. Additionally, qualified buyers can receive up to $30,000 in mortgage assistance from the Austin Housing Finance Corporation, making these properties even more affordable. For more information on this open house, click here or contact Virginia Riojas at 512/974-3176.

Tee Up for the TREPAC Golf Tourney

Registration is now underway for the popular Texas Real Estate Political Action Committee (TREPAC) Golf Tournament. Hit the green to support your industry on Friday, May 1 at the Falconhead Golf Course, located at 15201 Falconhead Blvd. in south Austin. With a registration fee of only $99 per player, this event is sure to sell out, so reserve your space today!

The event begins at 10 a.m. with check-in and practice, followed by lunch at 11 a.m. and a shotgun start to the tournament at 12:30 p.m. Be sure to stay for dinner and the awards ceremony at 5:30 p.m. Non-golfers may attend the dinner and awards ceremony for $25. All ticket sales are a direct investment in TREPAC. For more information or to register, contact Emily Chenevert at 512/454-7636.

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