April 2010

Chairman’s Corner

Greetings!   Each month, the ACTRIS Advisory Committee meets to review policy and make decisions regarding the Multiple Listing Service (MLS). Current market conditions and mandates from the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) can influence the choices made by the Advisory Committee.

The Austin Police Department (APD) recently notified ABoR about a string of robberies in the Balcones area, near the Balcones Country Club. APD’s Detective Brooks reported that the burglarized homes were staged, vacant properties. A few days prior to the break-ins, open houses were held at these homes. Records of those who attended the open houses were not kept by the REALTORS® or the home owners. If you or your clients are the victim of similar circumstances, contact your neighborhood police or detective unit immediately.

Here are some safety reminders to help guide you when holding open houses:

• Take the names and contact information, including driver’s license number, of individuals who attend your open house;


• Encourage homeowners to avoid leaving valuables, such as electronics and jewelry, and medication in plain sight during property showings and open houses;


• Let prospective homebuyers walk in front of you when touring the property – you can direct them around the house, rather than leading them.  

Due to scheduling conflicts, some Lunch and Learn sessions and New Member Orientations have been rescheduled. The April Lunch and Learn will be held on April 22 and the May session has been moved to May 25. Both will take place from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Additionally, the May and June New Member Orientations have be rescheduled to May 3 and June 3. Make sure to mark your calendars if these date changes affect you.

The ABoR Academy is now offering Academy Cards for $99. With these cards, cardholders are granted admission to an unlimited number of mandatory continuing education (MCE) courses between April 1, 2010 and March 31, 2011. While Academy Cards cannot be used for designation, correspondence or Quick Start courses, they provide a great opportunity for you to heighten your real estate knowledge in a budget-friendly way.

Quantities are limited. Once these cards sell out, they’re gone for good. Don’t miss out on your opportunity to take part in this new program. Purchase your card today!

ABoR members who purchase Academy Cards will be able to register for courses online using their card. However, non-members will need to contact the Education Department to register for courses. Academy Cards are non-transferrable. Individuals must present photo identification upon arrival at all courses in which they are using their Academy Card. Finally, there is a $25 no-show fee for those who register for courses but fail to attend.

For more information regarding the Academy Card, contact the Education Department at 512-454-7636.

Join the Small Office REALTORS® (SOR) and Don Hancock, J.D., of Hancock and McGill, L.L.P. on April 19 to learn about the 10 most common mistakes REALTORS® make on contracts and what it can cost them. ABoR’s 2010 Chairman of the Board, John Horton of John Horton Realty, will also be presenting at the meeting. Horton will give an update on ABoR’s strategic initiatives, and solicit feedback and ideas from attendees on how the association can better serve brokers.

As always, SOR meetings are held from 11:45 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. in the ABoR Auditorium. These meetings are free for ABoR members to attend. For more information, contact Sharon Anderson at 512-474-2204.

Join Mark Leader for the “How to Thrive Not Just Survive During Challenging Times” free seminar on Friday, April 16. Two sessions will be held – including one from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and another from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Both sessions will be held in the ABoR Auditorium at 10900 Stonelake Blvd., Suite A-100, Austin, TX 78759.

Attendees will learn how to double their incomes, use social networking, build inventory and more at this free seminar. Additionally, you receive information about the nine-week Leader’s Choice program that starts on April 30. Send your RSVP to ABoR’s Education Department.

According to the Multiple Listing Service report by the Austin Board of REALTORS®, the volume of Austin area home sales in February 2010 was 1,145, up four percent from the same month in 2009. The median price of real estate in the Austin area remained unchanged in the same time period at $189,500.

“These results demonstrate that Austin’s recovery is continuing steadily,” said John Horton, Chairman of the Austin Board of REALTORS®. “Our area has been identified as one of the first to emerge from the recession and the real estate trends of recent months clearly support this assertion.”

According to Forbes Magazine, the Austin area tied for first place on a list of large metropolitan areas where the recession is easing first. Austin’s low unemployment rate and job growth from 2007 to 2009 – just below one percent, which was more than any other city included in the research – were cited as key factors for the ranking.

Mr. Horton continued, “It appears we’re beginning to see an impact from this steady improvement, particularly in increases in pending sales and new listings, as well as a decrease in the length of time homes are staying on the market, all of which are indicators of future demand.”

View the complete Austin housing market report online.

Is Seller Financing a Thing of the Past?

In April’s “Legal Topics” column, learn whether seller financing is a thing of the past. View the complete article here.

Supra has released their latest update for SupraWEB, which includes a new log-in system. As a SupraWEB user, you will need to create a new user ID and password before being able to log in to the new system. You will only create your new login credentials once. Keep in mind, your user ID must be at least three characters, one of which must be a letter. Passwords are case sensitive and are required to be eight characters in length.

Supra published a tutorial to help assist you in the process of creating your new login information. For questions regarding the latest updates to SupraWEB, contact Supra at 1-866-421-0308 or ABoR’s Membership Department at 512-454-7636.

Throughout the month of April, MLS subscribers are invited to try Property Panorama at no cost. The normal $5 per tour fee will be waived for any property tour created in April. Regardless of whether you’ve used this service before, you can still create a free tour for any of your active listings.

Don’t miss out on your chance to take advantage of this special offer. To learn how to create a virtual tour using Property Panorama, visit the My Sidebar in MLXchange. Scroll to the Instructions section and select Property Panorama Instructions.

Registration for the annual Texas Real Estate Political Action Committee (TREPAC) Golf Tournament is currently underway. Reserve your spot for the May 3 tournament before April 26 to ensure you pay only $99 for your entry. Each registration includes 18 holes of golf, lunch, golf cart, entry to the awards dinner and two drink tickets.

This year’s golf tournament will be held at the Avery Ranch Golf Club at 10500 Avery Club Drive in Austin. Check-in and practice begin at 11:00 a.m. with a shotgun start at 1:00 p.m. Don’t miss out on the opportunity to network with your fellow REALTORS®, while showing your support for TREPAC. Sign up today!

For questions, contact Christina Ortiz at 512-454-7636, ext. 1501.

On March 30, the final portion of the health care bill was signed into law by President Obama. The National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) has created a Health Insurance Reform section on their Web site that is dedicated to this important topic. Resources available include comparisons of the health care bill, frequently asked questions and information on what the bills mean for REALTORS®. Visit the site to learn more today.