1. First Real Estate Snapshot of Houston (FRESH) Here is HAR’s look at the latest trends in the Houston housing market as of December 31, 2014. The complete monthly MLS report for December and full-year 2014 will be distributed next Wednesday, December 14. As always, HAR will provide you with updated coverage in The EDGE.

2. Mortgage Rates Still Low Closing out a year of surprisingly low mortgage interest rates, the average rate for a conventional 30-year home loan was 3.87 percent last week, according to Freddie Mac. That is up slightly from 3.83 percent a week earlier. The rate hit 3.80 percent in early December, the lowest since May 2013. The home-financing giant reported that the 30-year rate averaged 4.17 percent for all of 2014, following two years of even lower rates fostered by the Federal Reserve’s easy-money policies aimed at spurring the economic recovery. The average for a 15-year fixed-rate mortgage last week was 3.15 percent, down from 3.55 percent a year ago. The start rates for variable home loans were slightly lower as well, Freddie Mac said. The only sub-4 percent years for the 30-year loan in the Freddie Mac survey were the previous two years — 3.66 percent average in 2012 and 3.98 percent in 2013.

3. Weekly HAR Market Stat Typically, during the final weeks of a calendar year, residential real estate activity hits seasonal lows, even when some year-over-year comparisons show progress. Don't be fooled by this time of year. Buyers and sellers are preparing for promising spring and summer markets. Of late, the spring market tends to get hopping before the “-ary” months are even complete. In the Houston region, for the week ending December 28: New Listings decreased 0.4% to 683 Pending Sales increased 10.3% to 801 Closed Sales decreased 24.6% to 811

4. Questions? 713-629-1900 ext. 6 Put Social Media To Work For You Social Media Pro Boot Camp 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. This course will cover a broad array of different social media platforms and mobile applications, giving REALTORS ® multiple options for marketing. Upon completion of the course, students will receive their Social Media Pro (SMP) certification. Laptops or tablets are required for SMP classes held at the Fort Bend location, and welcome but not required at all other HAR locations. Date: Wed. & Thurs., January 14 & 15 Time: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Location: HAR Montgomery Investment: $149 Register online today: http://www.har.com/edu/dispCourseClasses.cfm?course_id=708