February 2018 Newsletter
From the 2018
HLAoR President,
Ron Petrick

There are many things that have come across my desk since my election as President of the Highland Lakes Association of REALTORS®.  The committees will be reporting on their activities and proposals.  Below are high-level responsibilities of your Board of Directors. 

Board Governs and Staff Manages

Governance  - Volunteer leaders are responsible for the direction of the organization. The Board governs, develops policy, and sets a course. The Mission Statement should frame all discussions. 

Purposes of the Board of Directors:
  • Governance
  • Policy & Position Development
  • Visionary - Future Focus
  • Fiduciary
Management  - Management is responsible for administration of the organization and partners with the Board to advance their goals and strategies. 

Board Responsibilities
  • Determine the organization's mission and purposes.
  • Select the Association Executive (not staff) as well as the CPA and attorney.
  • Support the AE and assess performance in the organization (i.e. budget, goal achievements, etc.).
  • Conduct organizational planning.
  • Ensure adequate resources (funds, time, volunteers, staff, etc.).
  • Resource and financial oversight.
  • Determine, monitor and enhance programs and services.
  • Promote the organization.
  • Ensure legal and ethical integrity and maintain accountability.
  • Develop future leaders.
Board and Committee Duties
  • Duty of Care requires leaders to use reasonable care and good judgment in making their decisions on behalf of the interest of the organization.
  • Duty of Loyalty requires leaders to be faithful to the organization, avoiding conflicts of interest.
  • Duty of Obedience requires leaders to comply with governing documents (i.e. Bylaws, Articles of Incorporation, Policies and Procedures, etc.).
Many activities are required to accomplish these responsibilities including the actions of the committees and task forces.


Governmental Affairs 2018

The 2018 Government Affairs Committee is looking forward to an exciting year!  This year's team includes Mali Hanna, Sharon Hudgins, Sherry Raymer, Ron Smith, Mark Virdell, Patty Gillean and Sonya Powers.

Here are a few noteworthy items for February:
  • The Federal Flood Insurance Program has been extended to March 23rd. NAR is working with Congress to prevent further lapses and with the Senate to try to come up with a 5-year reauthorization plan.
  • Deadline to register to vote in the March 6 Primary Election was Monday, February 5.  Not sure what your status is?  Go to VoteTexas.gov to find out! Then check out TexasRealtorsSupport.com for TREPAC supported candidates on the March 6 ballot.
  • Early Voting begins February 20!
We look forward to working with our membership in the year ahead!  
Sonya Powers, 2018 Government Affairs Chair

TREPAC/Membership

WHAT IS TREPAC? - TREPAC is a voluntary, non profit, group whose membership consists of REALTORS ® and other interested parties in protecting the rights of property owners in Texas. TREPAC is the largest PAC in Texas! It is the REALTOR ® Party. We always need member volunteers.  
Inquire to anyone at the Board Office or  [email protected]  to join!

What's Happening Around HLAoR?

We have had a busy start to 2018 and it's only going to get busier from here. So far, we have held several CE classes and we have many more scheduled throughout the rest of the year!

We have had one Lunch and Learn which covered Paragon's Collab Center.  We are looking forward to many more so STAY TUNED!

HLAoR is hosting a LIVE Real Estate Negotiation Expert (RENE) class instructed by Candy Cooke on February 26 and 27.

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Community Service
The Community Service Committee met on February 6th.  We reviewed last year's project (Christmas for CASA) and discussed what new projects we would like to do in 2018 to give support to the Highland Lakes communities.  We have a large committee which I believe will enable us to do several projects this year. I am very excited to see what we can do in 2018!
 
Property Tours
Another  successful  property tour!!  


On Thursday morning, several members of the Highland Lakes Association of REALTORS® met in Granite Shoals to tour area homes and showcase their active listings to all that attended.  Thank you to all of those who participated!
 
Congratulations to Ryan Wolters on winning a certificate redeemable for One Quarter of MLS fees!!
 
Pictured Above Are: Karen Guillot, TJ Trojacek,  Zina Rodenbeck, Ryan Wolters, Betty Ward, Matt Kinnee,  Donna Green, Eric Carvajal, Shanna Garrett, Kristen Ribera and Janet Henley.   Not pictured is Suzanne Russell.
 
JOIN US NEXT MONTH FOR THE MARCH
PROPERTY TOUR!!

Next month's locations are...
 
Kingsland and Sunrise Beach
SUBMIT YOUR HOMES NOW!
 
 Tour Ins and Outs:
  •         IT'S 100% FREE TO PARTICIPATE
  •         First Come, First Served!
  •         10 Homes max per tour
  •         Listing agent (or representative) must be present to participate
  •         All members of the Association are welcome to attend! 
WHAT'S NEW?
THIS YEAR WE ARE PROUD TO ANNOUNCE THAT A CERTIFICATE REDEEMABLE FOR ONE QUARTER OF MLS FEES
WILL BE GIVEN AWAY AT THE END OF EACH TOUR!
**LIMIT 2 PER YEAR PER REALTOR®**

Each month, a designated area of the Highland Lakes will be selected and members will have the opportunity to enter their listing(s) on a first come - first served basis. Each tour will have a maximum of 10 homes.  Tours will be held on the second Thursday of each month. Those participating will meet at a designated location at 9:00 am and follow a route to view each home.  AGENTS WITH HOMES ON THE TOUR ARE REQUIRED TO PARTICIPATE IN THE FULL TOUR!  
 
Notice of each month's location will be sent around the first of the month and we encourage all members to participate, as this is a wonderful opportunity to showcase listings and better serve our clients!
   
If you have any questions, please contact
TJ Trojacek at [email protected]

TECH Tip of the Month
AIRDROP for Apple Users

Have you ever had a photo or a contact that you need to share quickly and didn't want to email it or maybe you were out of wifi or data service range? There is a very neat useful tool called Airdrop with Apple devices. Maybe you need to share it with someone very quickly or need it to be shared between your Apple iPad and your Mac.  Using AirDrop may simplify some of your workflow.

Click here for more details  on how to use Airdrop from your Mac Computer:

Below is a video on how to use Airdrop from your iPhone or iPad.







Education
LIVE CLASS


Instructor: CANDY COOKE

The Real Estate Negotiation Expert (RENE) is a two day certification course that is for real estate professionals who want to sharpen their negotiation skills. The RENE certification program gives REALTORS® the tips and tools they need to be skillful advocates for their clients.

Monday, February 26th  / 8:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Lunch will be provided by  First Capital Bank of Texas

Tuesday, February 27th  / 8:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Lunch will be provided by  Capital Title of Texas


Early Bird Special!!
Cost is  $170  until February 12th
After February 12th the cost increases to  $190

CLICK HERE to register here through your Member Portal.

January Market Statistics
Burnet and Llano Counties

CLICK HERE to find these and more over at our website!