First of all, I am humbled and thrilled about this opportunity to serve each of you as your 2014 Chair of the HAR Board of Directors. I understand and appreciate that the office of the Chair has been held by some of the brightest and most capable individuals in the greater Houston area. I am committed to do my best to continue the legacy.

But perhaps even more importantly, I understand the uniqueness of our industry’s current position and the fact that HAR can make a real difference in the lives, careers and businesses of our membership during the next year. Please help me realize this opportunity.

My ideas and goals for 2014 are simple. I want HAR to be the place that our membership needs, and the consumer wants.

Only as a collective organization and with the participation from as many of our 27,000 members as possible will we be successful in our endeavors.

The greater Houston real estate market continues to experience record low inventory levels, but November 2013 dropped even further to only 2.9 months of inventory. Hopefully we will come back closer to a balanced market in 2014 with both increased sales and active listings. You may read more about the latest MLS statistics here.

There are also many changes beginning on January 10, 2014, in the mortgage arena so we have a variety of articles that will impact your clients and their ability to secure financing for a home purchase. You may read about these changes here and here.

We were also very fortunate to recognize two outstanding members with the REALTOR® of the Year and John E. Wolf Community Service Award last month. Christi Borden of Better Homes and Gardens Gary Greene was named 2013 REALTOR® of the Year for embodying the spirit of the REALTOR® that we should all emulate, and Mike Mahlstedt of Heritage Texas Properties received the John E. Wolf award for his outstanding philanthropic activities. You may read Christi’s bio here and Mike’s bio here.

We have many challenges and opportunities ahead of us in 2014, so I look forward to working with you all to achieve our common goals. Please don’t hesitate to contact me at chaille@har.com if you have any suggestions or comments.