June MLS Sales Statistics June 2013 MLS statistics will be released on Tuesday morning, and here are some quick takeaways: The Houston housing market continued to soar, with single-family home sales rising for the 25th straight month, up 13.4 percent year- over-year. Contracts closed on 7,220 homes – the second highest one-month sales volume of the year – and inventory held to the 3.3 months recorded in May 2013 (but down versus 5.5 months in June 2012). Prices reached historic highs, with the single-family home median price hitting $192,000 while the average price was $268,085. Total dollar volume was $2.2 billion, a 28.5 percent increase over June 2012, when total dollar volume was $1.7 billion. For more detailed information, please visit the HAR Online Newsroom for this and all other news releases.

2014 HAR Board Elections Online voting in the 2014 HAR Board of Directors election began on Friday, July 12.  Each HAR member in good standing will receive an email ballot with a unique hyperlink to vote.  The email is from BigPulse, our independent third-party ballot company.  Members, please check your junk mail folder if you do not receive the ballot.  Voting ends at 5 p.m. on Monday, August 5, when results will be posted online.  Please direct any questions or concerns to Rozlynn Crew at Roz@har.com.

Weekly HAR Market Stat Wall Streeters in resplendent suits talk of vintage loans, quantitative easing and Fair Housing Finance Agency policy. Economic subtext might work at a mo’ money mixer, but the on-the-go real estate consumer can get by on Econ 101. Supply is down, demand is up and price tides are rising. Our barge carries mostly good news for agents and sellers, while buyers still have plenty of room to grow into an affordable new home. In the Houston region, for the week ending July 7: • New Listings increased 13.8% to 2,392 • Pending Sales increased 34.0% to 1,828 • Closed Sales increased 10.8% to 1,181

NRG Luncheon To purchase multiple seats, contact Ronnie Kovar at 713- 629-1900 ext. 245

A Global Mindset CIPS Institute The CIPS Institute is a week-long session consisting of five classes: 1. The Local Markets - This course is an analysis of the international real estate business environment, including capital flow, currencies, government regulations, and cultures. The practical aspects of international brokerage, networking, marketing and selling are discussed. 2. Europe and International Real Estate - Covers the logistics of how to conduct real estate transactions with clients from the European Countries. 3. The Americas and International Real Estate - Practical information for professionals who work with Caribbean, North, Central and South American investors. Historical and cultural influences, regional relationship and investment opportunities are covered along with a special focus on Mexico. 4. Asia/Pacific and International Real Estate - Covers the real estate practices for Asia and the Pacific. Emphasis is placed on culture influences, economic trends and assessing investment opportunities. A special chapter on working with the Japanese is included. 5.Transaction Tools - Provides the tools needed to present investment information to international clients - in their currency and area. You will learn how to measure investment performance, prepare financial projections, and understand the effects of taxes and exchange rates on investments. This course is waived for CCIM designees. Date: Monday, July 22 – Friday, July 26 Time: 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. Location: HAR Central Investment: $749 Questions? 713-629-1900 ext. 6 Register at www.har.com/edu