Current Headlines
April 2008
Main Entrance to Quarry Oaks Atrium to Close for Road Construction
Beginning April 23, the City of Austin will close the main entrance to Quarry Oaks Atrium, where the ABoR office is located. The closure will enable the city to complete work on the extension of Stonelake Blvd. City officials estimate it will take two months to complete the road work.
Once completed, Stonelake Blvd. will connect from Braker Lane to the south-bound Mopac access road, providing a more convenient access point to the ABoR office from Braker Lane.
During the construction, all traffic will be directed to a back entrance to the Quarry Oaks Atrium building. Detour signs will be posted. As we receive updates from building management and the City of Austin on the construction progress, we will pass the information on to you.
May 5 Early Registration Deadline for Next GRI Course
Working on your GRI designation? Limited seats are still available for the GRI-2 scheduled for May 12- 16. GRI-2, the second course in the Graduate, REALTOR® Institute designation series, covers topics including prospecting, valuation, seller services, servicing the buyer and selling new homes.
One of the most widely recognized designations available to real estate professionals nationwide, the GRI classes sponsored by ABoR have a history of selling out. Register early to insure your place in the class. Remember, you may take the three GRI courses in any order and have up to five years to complete the course work.
TREC has approved the course for 30 hours of core credit or 9 hours of (Provider # 0001). Cost is $275 for TAR members through May 5 and $300 after that date. To register, contact Shirley Williams at 512/454-7636, ext. 1602, or register online at Abor.com.
ABoR’s 2008 Public Awareness Campaign Now Hitting the Airwaves
Billboards and television ads are spreading a message you can appreciate: REALTORS® are valuable and essential to all real estate transactions. ABoR is excited to expand its public awareness campaign into 2008 with media advertisements, community presentations, REALTOR® office visits, member toolkits and content additions to Austinhomesearch.com.
This year’s campaign is extending its reach to capture leasing prospects as well. The “Let a REALTOR® work for you” slogan promotes the benefits of consulting a REALTOR® when buying, selling or leasing a home. This message is being communicated to consumers through radio, television, online and outdoor advertisements with media buys running through September to ensure maximum coverage of the Austin area. To view the 2008 ads, click here (see the “Downloads” box on the lower right side).
Because the campaign’s success depends on you — our members — helping to spread this message to home buyers and sellers, ABoR representatives will be making office visits and presentations to share the vision behind this public awareness effort. Resources will also be added to Austinhomesearch.com, which receives over five million page views each month. The site will feature fresh materials, such as a consumer-friendly market update, information on the Code of Ethics and details about what individuals can expect when buying or selling a home.
Last Call for TREPAC Golf Tourney
Final registrations are being accepted for the ever-popular ABoR TREPAC Golf Tournament scheduled for April 14. Set at the championship course of Teravista Golf Club, this year’s tournament will prove to be a challenging round of golf.
The registration fee at $125 per player includes lunch, range balls, green fees, golf cart, beverages and dinner. All registration fees are direct investments in TREPAC. Spectators and supporters are invited to join the players for dinner; dinner tickets cost $25. To register for the tournament or to purchase dinner tickets, contact the Government Affairs Department at 512/454-7636. Registration forms are also available at http://www.abor.com/pdf/GolfFlyer.pdf.
New Requirements Now in Effect for Leases, Updated Forms Available From TAR
Are you using the new lease forms for your residential leases? Legislation passed during the 80th Texas Legislature requires new provisions that must be included in all new leases entered into on or after January 1, 2008, and all leases renewed on or after January 1, 2008.
According to House Bill 3101, leases must contain a notice to tenants advising them of their statutory remedies for a landlord’s failure to repair certain conditions. Additionally, landlords are prohibited from collecting a late fee until three days after the date the rent is due; such a late fee must be a reasonable estimate of the damages the landlord incurs due to the late payment.
Lease-application procedures have also been affected by HB 3101. Landlords must now make available to lease applicants a copy of the landlord’s tenant-selection criteria and grounds for denial. These tenant-selection criteria need not be affirmatively provided to applicants, but must be available upon request. Failure to make this information available to potential tenants who are later denied could result in a landlord’s inability to retain any application fee or deposit.
To ensure compliance, the Texas Association of REALTORS® adopted changes to the following forms: 2001 Residential Lease; 2003 Residential Lease Application; 2005 Extension of Residential Lease; 2009 Agreement for Application Deposit and Hold on Property; and 2205 Addendum for Authorization to Act for Owner before Owners’ Association. You can access the revised forms in the Forms section of Texasrealtors.com.
