December and Full-Year 2012MLS Sales Statistics

The December and full-year 2012 MLS statistics will be released on Tuesday morning, and here are some quick takeaways:•Sales of homes throughout the greater Houston area never let up in 2012, driven by a combination of strong local jobs numbers and historically low interest rates. •December’s 11.4 percent sales increase marked the 19th straight month that sales were in the black, with housing inventory shrinking further to 3.7 months.•Home prices achieved historic highs as the year came to a close, with a median price of $172,500 and an average price of $243,797.•Total dollar volume for 2012 was $16 billion, a 23.3 percent increase over 2011.•For more detailed information, please visit the HAR Online Newsroom for this and all other news releases.

Understanding the 3.8% Investment Tax on Home Sales

• There has been a lot of confusion regarding the real estate effects of the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 and Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (“Obamacare”).

• The Acts, effective with the 2013 federal tax year, impose a 3.8% investment tax on unearned income above certain levels to help fund Medicare. This potentially affects less than 2% of all taxpayers that are selling a home.

• When you add up all of your income from every possible source, if that total is less than $200,000 ($250,000 on a joint tax return), you will NOT be subject to this tax.

• For all the key details about the investment tax, please visit HAR Connect.• Remember that REALTORS® are not CPAs or professionals who are

necessarily proficient in tax law. Therefore, with the new year upon us and as you begin to consider your 2013 tax obligations, HAR recommends consulting your own tax advisor about your specific circumstances.

Weekly HAR Market StatWith 2012 in the books, we're starting to see some 2013 activity trickle in. Watch for continuations of last year's trends: less inventory, strong buyer activity and firmer prices. It's hard to believe spring is just around the corner, but would-be spring sellers are noticing the changes that have taken place. It's a much less scary time to sell a home. Foreclosure activity will also be a key metric to watch.

In the Houston region, for the week ending January 6: • New Listings decreased 28.4% to 1,391• Pending Sales increased 28.8% to 1,028• Closed Sales increased 102.0% to 824

Questions? 713-629-1900 ext. 6

Power Your Business with Social Media

Register at www.har.com/edu

HAR Social Media Boot Camp

This 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. It will cover a broad array of different social media platforms, giving the REALTORS® multiple options for marketing purposes. Upon completion of this course, students will receive their Social Media Pro certification.

Date: Thursday-Friday, Jan. 17-18Time: 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.Location: HAR CentralInvestment: $149