The EDGE Information and news that gives you an edge in the real estate business In This Week’s “The EDGE” Houston’s Building Boom by the Numbers The Vote is On in the Spring Local Elections Houston Market Movements Navigating the New HAR.com “The Edge” is a weekly tool for managers to use to inform their agents and stay current and up-to-date about important real estate industry issues. Brought to you by the HAR Communications Department.

The EDGE Information and news that gives you an edge in the real estate business Construction permits are on the rise in Houston, totaling $8.9 billion for the 12 months ending March That is up 40.3 percent from $6.3 billion for the 12 months ending March According to new data from the city’s Department of Public Works & Engineering Planning & Development Services, residential permit values rose 32.4 percent from $2.4 billion to $3.2 billion, and non-residential permits grew 45.2 percent from $3.9 billion to $5.7 billion. City of Houston permitting activity totaled $626.7 million in March 2015, a 0.5 percent decrease from $630.1 million in March Growth in commercial permits offset the drop in residential permits. Residential permits decreased 29.3 percent from $207.6 million in March 2014 to $146.7 million in March Multi-family permits drove the decline with an over-the-year drop from $81.5 million to $20.1 million. Single-family permits recorded a slight decrease from $106.5 million to $102.5 million. Permits for non-residential buildings rose 13.6 percent from $423 million in March 2014 to $480 million in March Houston’s Building Boom By the Numbers

The EDGE Information and news that gives you an edge in the real estate business The Vote is On in the Spring Local Elections

The EDGE Information and news that gives you an edge in the real estate business Selling season is upon us. Around the country, the residential real estate market will up its game by bringing an annual seasonal increase in home sales and inventory. Many metrics should begin to take off as we begin what promises to be one of the best recovery years housing has seen thus far. As for what’s happening in OUR neck of the woods… In the Houston region, for the week ending April 19: New Listings increased 11.0% to 2,637 Pending Sales increased 27.0% to 2,195 Closed Sales increased 6.3% to 1,510 Houston Market Movements

The EDGE Information and news that gives you an edge in the real estate business Online Webinar: New HAR.com Overview Sign up to learn about the great features of the all-new HAR.com. Students will learn how consumers can search for properties from all over Texas and by specific regions. We will show you how consumers can refine the process through the use of enhanced search options. Map Search allows consumers to find homes by drawing a specific geographic area, while our Drive Time feature generates results based on commute time. We will also show you new benefits in your HAR account, including community reviews, ratings, leads, and lead sources from tools like Agent Spot and others. Not only has HAR expanded to include statewide residential property listing information. The site now includes apartment information. We will demonstrate how all this can generate leads and other benefits for you. Date: April 27 to May 8 Time: Multiple one-hour options available Location: Online Investment: Free Register at Call ext. 6www.har.com/edu Navigating the New HAR.com