Texas Ranked Best (Again) We hope you’re not growing tired of hearing how great Texas is again because here is news about the latest accolade. For the ninth straight year, the Lone Star State was ranked the best state in which to conduct business, based on a survey of more than 700 CEOs across the country. The survey results appear in Chief Executive magazine’s annual “Best and Worst States” study. CEO opinions were gauged on a variety of metrics, including regulations, tax policies, workforce quality, educational resources, quality of living and infrastructure. “This vote of confidence from business leaders across the nation further highlights that Texas is the epicenter for economic prosperity in this country,” said Gov. Rick Perry, responding to the findings. “I will continue to promote the conservative principles of restrained spending, low taxes, predictable regulations and fair courts that have guided us over the last decade in order to ensure that Texas remains the nation’s healthiest economy for the next 10 years.”

HAR in the News (Again) In case you missed the broadcast on Mother’s Day, HAR Chairman Danny Frank was a guest on the Local 2 (KPRC- TV) weekly Houston Newsmakers talk show, explaining what forces are fueling Houston’s vibrant real estate market. Danny was joined by commercial real estate specialist John Guess, Trendmaker Homes President Will Holder and Steve Kyles, senior loan officer for Legacy Mutual Mortgage. Here’s a link to the show: http://bit.ly/YF5JeP Houston Newsmakers, hosted by Khambrel Marshall, airs each Sunday morning at 10 a.m., following NBC’s Meet the Press.

Weekly HAR Market Stat Housing data also encompasses economics, politics, sociology, geography, labor markets and more. Even the largest transaction most people will ever make is susceptible to the same kinds of market forces that affect clothing choices at your favorite department store, the cost of your vacation, public transportation projects and where the next Starbucks is placed (or closed). Be watching the jobs numbers, fuel prices and election results. And keep using the best source of housing data around: your local MLS. In the Houston region, for the week ending May 5: • New Listings increased 3.9% to 2,714 • Pending Sales increased 37.5% to 2,300 • Closed Sales increased 20.2% to 1,961

Open Your Mind to Learning Buying and Selling Businesses for Real Estate Brokers, Salespersons and Others Real estate agents often have the opportunity to participate in the listing and selling of a business. This course teaches how to help others buy or sell their business and covers the many processes involved. This course will add value to your existing real estate business and show you how to assist your clients in selling or buying businesses while increasing sales and commissions. You will learn all the processes, including what forms to use, how to value a business and where to market your listings. Find out how to qualify buyers, protect confidentiality and what license are required to participate in business brokerage. From prospecting to closing, this course will assist your clients and you. TREC Provider #9896. Please direct course questions to Mary Camp at 281-744-0219. Date: Wednesday, May 22 Time: 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. Location: HAR Bay Area Investment: $99 Questions? 713-629-1900 ext. 6 Register at www.har.com/edu