The EDGE Information and news that gives you an edge in the real estate business In This Week’s “The EDGE” Houston Home Sales Blossom in April Millennials Unhappy With Housing Choices Houston Market Movements Navigating the All-New HAR.com “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 April 2015 MLS statistics will be released this Wednesday morning, and here are some highlights of the report: Houston home sales rose 1.9 percent year-over-year, with a total of 6,502 single-family units sold. Months of inventory crept up slightly to a 2.9-months supply versus a 2.6-months supply in April For perspective, housing inventory nationally stands at a 4.6-months supply. The single-family home average price was $281,724 while the median price was $209,790. Both figures represent record highs for an April in Houston. April rentals of single-family homes were flat year-over-year while the cost of renting those homes rose 5.9 percent to $1,764. For more detailed information, please visit the HAR Online Newsroom for this and all other HAR news releases.HAR Online Newsroom Houston Home Sales Blossom in April

The EDGE Information and news that gives you an edge in the real estate business A report released last week by the Urban Land Institute (ULI) counts 15 percent of millennials as “dissatisfied with their community’s quality of life and their current homes, and 21 percent are dissatisfied with their housing options.” Across the board, 25 percent of renters are unhappy with housing options. ULI’s survey was aimed at measuring quality of life perception among Americans of different backgrounds and generations. The report, America in 2015, divided the country by age groups, as well as race and income levels to consider what Americans want from their communities. To no one’s surprise, wealthier Americans are more satisfied with their communities, the survey found, but when it comes to satisfaction, there’s a notable shift depending on location, specifically urban versus rural versus suburban. Americans of all income levels share many quality of life priorities: walkable neighborhoods, green space, and access to fresh food and public transit. Read the complete ULI report here: Millennials Unhappy With Housing Choices

The EDGE Information and news that gives you an edge in the real estate business Through research conducted by the National Association of REALTORS ® on the 100 largest housing markets in the nation, it was revealed that 93 out of 100 had uneven wealth ratios and declining homeownership between 2010 and Homeownership has dropped as slow wage growth, low inventory and tough mortgage standards have become the norm. Activity is spring fresh and exciting at the moment, but it is important to be mindful of the long game. In the Houston region, for the week ending May 3: New Listings increased 8.5% to 2,901 Pending Sales increased 11.1% to 2,269 Closed Sales decreased 1.1% to 2,293 Houston Market Movements

The EDGE Information and news that gives you an edge in the real estate business HAR.com Overview (Webinar) 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: Ongoing throughout May & June 2015 Location: Online Investment: Free Register at Please call ext. 6www.har.com/edu Navigating the All-New HAR.com