1. Last Chance to Vote in the November 6
General Election
• Tomorrow (Tuesday) is the day - Election Day! Make The REALTOR®
Party voice heard. Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
• Information about HAR-supported candidates and local ballot initiatives
may be found HERE.
• Election Day polling locations by county are available HERE.
• Did You Know?
• Voters did not have to vote in the May 29 primary election in order
to qualify to vote in the general election on November 6.
• Whether you voted or not in the primary, you may vote for whomever
you choose in November.
• Eligible Texans must have registered to vote by October 9
in order to vote in the November 6 general election.

2. NAR Call for Action
Mortgage Cancellation Tax Relief
• On Sunday, November 4, NAR issued a Call for Action regarding the extension
of Mortgage Forgiveness Tax Relief.
• What’s It About?
• Today, if a lender forgives some portion of a homeowner's mortgage, either as part of a short sale
or foreclosure, or in a loan restructuring that reduces principal, the owner/seller will pay no income
tax on the forgiven amount.
• Many real estate transactions, including loan modifications, short sales and foreclosures, may not
be able to close before year-end. If owners are unable to close these transactions, and if Congress
does not act, these owners and sellers will not receive the benefit of tax relief provisions they have
relied on. This uncertainty adds a new financial burden to sellers who are already in financial
trouble.
• Tell Congress to keep the housing recovery on track by sending a message
through the REALTOR® Action Center.
• Should you have questions about the Mortgage Forgiveness Tax Relief or need
more information, you will find it on the REALTOR® Action Center
or by clicking HERE.

3. HAR Holds the Line on Dues
• Each day of the year, HAR is committed to maximizing the value that your, our
members, receive for your dues dollar.
• The HAR Board of Directors has voted to maintain the current dues level for the
10th year in a row. In fact, when combining HAR dues and MLS subscriber fees,
the total amount paid is actually lower than what was paid in 1997. Few
associations can say that.
• The Association has cut expenses and developed additional revenue sources to
help maintain our financial strength, while also allowing us to continue to roll out
new products and tools to help you become more efficient and effective in your
business. This is the essence of maximizing value for our members.
• Among the more recent HAR offerings are the HAR-ETS transaction
management platform, with more brokerages signing on daily, and
HARConnect.com, the go-to source for HAR and real estate news.
• Only with the strength and support of all of our 25,000 residential and
commercial members can we remain a successful REALTOR® community, so
thank you for your membership in what really is your Association.

4. Weekly HAR Market Stat
Over the course of the year, we've cleverly devised new tactics each week to
communicate just how far the market has come. This week is no exception. Most level-
headed housing advocates agree that lower residential vacancy rates are a good thing.
Well, chalk one up for level-headed housing advocates, because Reuters just reported
that the U.S. residential vacancy rate fell to 1.9 percent in the third quarter. That's the
lowest level in seven years. It's just the latest installment of overwhelming bullish
housing news.
In the Houston region, for the week ending October 28:
• New Listings decreased 1.6% to 1,714
• Pending Sales increased 35.6% to 1,477
• Closed Sales decreased 9.1% to 1,185

5. Earn a New Designation
Senior Real Estate Specialist (SRES)
Completion of the Seniors Real Estate Specialist (SRES) designation course is
an essential step for REALTORS® to understand the distinct real estate goals,
concerns, and needs of seniors today. This course looks at key differences in
housing options, from age-restricted communities to age-in-place design to
assisted living; applications of the Housing for Older Persons Act (HOPA); the
ins and outs of reverse mortgages; the use of pensions, 401k accounts, and
IRAs in real estate transactions; and developing a team of senior specialists,
including estate planners, reverse mortgages lenders, clutter and staging
specialists and more. THIS COURSE FEE INCLUDES YOUR $99 FIRST-YEAR
DUES FOR SRES.
Date: Thursday & Friday, Nov. 15-16
Time: 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Location: HAR Central & Bay Area (via video conf.)
Investment: $179
Register at www.har.com/edu Questions? 713-629-1900 ext. 6