In This Week’s “The EDGE” The EDGE Information and news that gives you an edge in the real estate business In This Week’s “The EDGE” • It’s Crunch Time for Tax Reform • Life After Harvey • Reserve Your Seat Now for REALTOR® Celebration • Houston Market Movements • Cyber Monday Education Special “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.

It’s Crunch Time for Tax Reform The EDGE Information and news that gives you an edge in the real estate business It’s Crunch Time for Tax Reform On the minds of many Americans this week is the Republicans’ tax reform bill, H. R. 1, the “Tax Cuts and Jobs Act”, which passed the U. S. House of Representatives and now heads to the U. S. Senate.  This week, the full Senate is expected to consider floor amendments to the Senate Finance Committee’s tax reform bill.  Once the Senate approves its tax reform bill, the measure goes to a House and Senate conference committee. The two chambers must reconcile their differences and then vote to pass a final bill in identical form before President Trump can sign the legislation into law, which he has said he would like to do before Christmas.   Read PricewaterhouseCoopers’ insights regarding the Senate Finance Committee’s provisions of the tax bill.  As you can see, proposed changes may affect your business and your personal financial situation.  To see the homeownership benefits that are at stake and under consideration, open the comparison of the House and Senate tax reform proposals. Here is NAR’s Call For Action message to write to your Member of Congress TODAY! Listen to C-Span on the radio or watch C-Span to keep up with the House and Senate action and regulatory affairs. 

The EDGE Information and news that gives you an edge in the real estate business Life After Harvey HAR is partnering with several local organizations to host a Town Hall type meeting this Wednesday, Nov. 29, to provide valuable post-Harvey resources and information. Watch this important message from HAR-TV. For more event details and to register to attend, please visit: www.har.com/lifeafterharvey

The EDGE Information and news that gives you an edge in the real estate business Reserve Your Seat Now for REALTOR® Celebration Thursday, Dec. 14 Houston Country Club 1 Potomac Dr., Houston, Texas Dress Attire: Coat & Tie Required 5:30 p.m. Reception with hors d’oeuvres and beverages. 6:30 p.m. Installation of 2018 HAR Chair Kenya Burrell-VanWormer, the 2018 Board of Directors and two industry awards. After the Installation The fun continues: Mix and Mingle with HAR’s new leadership and enjoy a light buffet. Kenya Burrell-VanWormer 2018 HAR Chair Purchase tickets at www.har.com/realtorcelebration

Houston Market Movements The EDGE Information and news that gives you an edge in the real estate business Houston Market Movements Home price appreciation is on the rise across most of the country, which is welcome news for homeowners that recall a time when it was not. Although trends vary by region and state, the overarching trend is increased prices, according to research performed by the National Association of REALTORS® on American Community Survey data from 2005 through 2016. Price growth is strongest in the South and less so in the Northeast, and only a few states show no growth or losses. Affordability is most favorable in the Midwest, and the West is least affordable, on average. In the Houston region, for the week ending November 19: • New Listings increased 1.8% to 2,182 • Pending Sales increased 8.0% to 1,691 • Closed Sales decreased 9.9% to 1,568

Cyber Monday Education Special The EDGE Information and news that gives you an edge in the real estate business Cyber Monday Education Special Cyber Monday (November 27) is your last chance to take advantage of this special career education offer: The CE Shop is offering HAR members a 40% discount on all of their online courses. Don’t miss out! http://har.theceshop.com/