The EDGE Information and news that gives you an edge in the real estate business In This Week’s “The EDGE” The 2016 HAR Board Election is Underway Mortgage Limits May Increase Houston Market Movements Become a Social Media Guru “The Edge” is a weekly tool for managers to use to inform their agents and stay current and up-to-date with 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 The 2016 HAR Board Election is Underway Voting has begun in the 2016 HAR Board of Directors election and concludes on Monday, August 3, at 5 p.m., at which time HAR will announce the winners. The election is once again being conducted and tabulated by Big- Pulse, which is a leading independent online voting service. Any HAR member in good standing whose dues have been paid as of July 1, 2015 may vote in the election. In order to facilitate and increase the security of the voting process, each member will receive an from BigPulse with a unique hyperlink which will be used to cast your vote. If you do not receive the unique link from BigPulse, please check your junk mail folder. Reminder s will be sent periodically during the election voting period to members who have not yet voted. More information is available on HAR Connect at View candidate bios and videos at

The EDGE Information and news that gives you an edge in the real estate business With home prices climbing back to pre-recession peaks in many U.S. markets, baseline jumbo thresholds may be raised for the first time in a decade. The agency that sets these limits, the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), in May requested public input on its house price index. This index includes sale-price information on government-backed mortgages as well as real-estate sales compiled by research firm CoreLogic from hundreds of U.S. counties. Distressed sales are included but not appraisal values from refinances. The deadline for input is July 27, and the FHFA will decide this fall whether to change the baseline limit starting January 1. In the early 1970s, the baseline limit for conventional loans was just $33,000. That was the maximum amount a homeowner could borrow to qualify for a “conforming” mortgage—one financed by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac. The $33,000 limit rose steadily over the years to keep up with home prices. Click here to provide your input: Mortgage Limits May Increase

The EDGE Information and news that gives you an edge in the real estate business With the economy on the ups these days, Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen is predicting a fine-tuning of monetary policy by the end of the year. In tandem with the improving economy, the unemployment rate dropped by 0.2 percent to 5.3 percent for June It is widely believed that interest rates will go up before the year is over, which is a pretty clear indicator that the housing market is thrumming along at a good clip. In the Houston region, for the week ending July 12: New Listings increased 14.6% to 2,975 Pending Sales increased 19.2% to 2,045 Closed Sales decreased 3.6% to 1,554 Houston Market Movements

The EDGE Information and news that gives you an edge in the real estate business Social Media Pro (SMP) This hands-on course will help REALTORS ® better understand the marketing capabilities that social media can provide. Students will learn how to brand themselves and use social media to get more exposure for their listings. The course covers a broad array of different social media platforms and mobile applications, giving REALTORS ® multiple options for marketing. Upon completion, students will receive their Social Media Pro (SMP) certification. Laptops or tablets are required for SMP classes held at the Fort Bend location, and are welcome but not required at all other HAR locations. Date: Wednesday & Thursday, July 29 & 30 Location: HAR Central Time: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Investment: $149 Register at Please call ext. 6www.har.com/edu Become a Social Media Guru