1. The EDGE Information and news that gives you an edge in the real estate business In This Week’s “The EDGE” 2016 Houston Economic Forecast Credit Scores Are a Joke Houston Market Movements Lights. Camera. Action! “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.

2. The EDGE Information and news that gives you an edge in the real estate business If you missed Stewart Title Chief Economist and former HAR Chairman Dr. Ted Jones’ annual economic forecast for the Houston market last week, you’re in luck. We have the coveted information for 2016 here!here The Economic Forecast for Houston Calls For…

3. The EDGE Information and news that gives you an edge in the real estate business Did you know that the same credit bureau could report three wildly different numbers for a credit score on the same day? Now that you know, what steps can you take to improve your personal score and help your clients navigate their FICO score to a final loan approval? The percent of available credit and your on-time payment history are the two biggest determining factors in your credit score. A great payment record at a department store is good, but it's less influential than American Express, MasterCard or Visa. Make sure all your clients are pre-approved for a loan before beginning the home search. Read more about this on Inman Select. If you don’t have an Inman Select subscription, remember that it’s FREE as an HAR member. Sign up today at http://bit.ly/1Ac43g6.Inman Selecthttp://bit.ly/1Ac43g6 Credit Scores Are a Joke

4. The EDGE Information and news that gives you an edge in the real estate business Plunging oil prices have those of us in the Houston market carefully watching the effects on real estate coming off two record years for home sales. Nationally, early indicators point to a positive start to 2016. Low mortgage rates are an unexpected ray of sunshine this week, amidst typical winter doldrums. In the Houston region, for the week ending January 10: New Listings increased 9.6% to 2,335 Pending Sales increased 17.7% to 1,359 Closed Sales decreased 7.8% to 766 Houston Market Movements

5. The EDGE Information and news that gives you an edge in the real estate business Online Webinar: Video Marketing Are you taking advantage of the enormous power of video for your real estate business? If not, you may be missing out on a key piece of the real estate market. This free one-hour webinar will highlight the advantages of sharing informational videos with consumers. Sign up today at https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/84895418960568857 8. https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/84895418960568857 8 Date: Wednesday, January 20 Location: Online Webinar Time: 10 to 11 a.m. Investment: Free www.har.com/eduwww.har.com/eduQuestions? Call 713.629.1900 ext. 6 Lights. Camera. Action!