January 2023 - Republic Title

Meet Our Residential Underwriting and Legal Team

As an industry leader and authority on the local real estate market, you can count on Republic Title’s highly trained teams and in-house attorneys to ensure your transaction closes quickly, with fast turnaround on title searches and underwriting decisions.

We are proud to highlight our Residential Underwriting and Legal team who are available to answer your questions and be a resource for you in working towards a smooth closing. Be on the lookout in the coming days to learn more about our incredible team of attorneys and how they are committed to helping you get to the closing table!

Matt Visinsky is Senior Vice President/Senior Residential Counsel at Republic Title. Matt has been with Republic Title for nearly 25 years. With experience as both an Escrow Officer and Branch Manager, Matt brings a unique perspective to his role. Matt’s attention to detail and extensive knowledge of the real estate transaction make him an invaluable member of our legal team. In his free time, Matt is an avid sports photographer and his work has been published in ESPN’s The Magazine, Sports Illustrated and GQ.

Wade Bogdon is Assistant Vice President/Residential Counsel and has been with Republic Title for over 8 years. Wade has an extensive knowledge in title rules and procedures which allows him to give excellent service to our customers. Wade is quick to respond to questions and is able to clearly communicate rules and requirements. In his free time, Wade enjoys watching Dallas sporting teams, cooking and restoring and researching historic homes.

With over 52 years in the title business, Jay has worked with developers, lenders, real estate agents and attorneys, gaining him a tremendous amount of experience and knowledge in the industry. Jay is known throughout the real estate community for giving back both within our industry and being incredibly active in the community. With a background as a Branch Manager, Jay has a reputation for his incredible customer service which has built many great lasting relationships over his time with Republic Title. In his free time, Jay enjoys spending time with his family as well as traveling, biking and hiking.

Steve Holley is a solution-oriented underwriting counsel who has the ability to make everyone comfortable in the transaction which allows our closing teams the ability to close and insure transactions seamlessly. With 30 years of title industry experience, Steve knows title laws and procedures like the back of his hand. Steve is a highly effective communicator with a plethora of knowledge and is one of our highly sought after real estate class instructors. A proud SMU alumnus, Steve is an avid outdoorsman and enjoys spending his free time with his family and at the ranch.

Sarah Mann has 13 years working in the title insurance industry with experience both in the closing room and resolving title issues. In her 10 years with Republic Title, Sarah has served in many roles including Escrow Officer, Branch Manager and Residential Counsel. Sarah is known for her personal attention to each real estate transaction and getting deals to the closing table. Her experience in the closing room enhances the service she can provide to every customer. We are extremely grateful for Sarah’s experience, wisdom and heart for our clients!

February Class Calendar

Republic Title is pleased to offer a variety of continuing education classes for our customers. Join us in February for classes including:

Managing Your Time As A Small Business Owner/Real Estate Professional
The goal of this course is to provide real estate professionals with the information needed to understand the nuances of time management. Most Small Business Owners (SBO)/ Real Estate Professionals must use their time effectively and efficiently in order to accomplish tasks successfully. Agents will learn and understand the nuances that have prevented them from mastering time management. They will learn by the time blocking technique may not have worked for them. They will learn and understand the difference between tasks, routines and project management. Agents will be given an opportunity to use a proven template to plan their time, tasks, routines and projects for the next 30 days.
February 7th
10:00 am – 12:00 pm
Zoom

Social Media Content Planning 101
All good social media begins with a plan. Join us to learn how effective content planning and execution will keep you top of mind with your sphere and help you win more business. In this class, you will learn tips for social media content planning, where to find great content resources, and planning tools to help you organize your social media content calendar.
February 8th
10:00 am – 11:00 am
Zoom

Writing Your Real Estate Business Plan
This is an introductory course in business planning for the real estate professional. This course covers five areas of business planning: Financial, Database Management, Lead Generation, Time Management and Goal Setting. There will be a focus on how to build and maintain a referral-based business. Students will walk away with plan and strategy to take their business to the next level.
February 8th
2:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Zoom

Home Surveillance-Legal Issues
Join us for this class which focuses on the specifics of home surveillance and potential legal issues that arise from unlawful recordings of video or audio or both when an agent is showing a house or listing a house.
February 9th
10:00 am – 11:00 am
Zoom

Tax Planning Program Specifically For Real Estate Agents
Join us along with special guests from Greenlight Tax Group. They’ve designed a tax planning program specifically for REALTORS®. They will share strategies to help you minimize your tax liability and keep more of what you make year after year. Please register in advance, as seats are limited.
February 16th
10:30 am – 12:00 pm
Republic Title Uptown Office

Attract New Clients Using MLS Tools
Join us and discover a number of ways to use the tools provided by the MLS to help with consumer interest which can likely turn into sales and full-fledged customers.
February 21st
10:00 am – 12:00 pm
Zoom

Building A Referral Based Real Estate Business
This course will teach real estate professionals how to build a solid referral business by building trust with customers, clients, and fellow agents. Join us as Darian Rausch with Success Shareholders teaches agents how use their relationships to generate more leads, and transition from passively accepting occasional referrals to a proactive referral mindset. Participants will walk away with practical and applicable information they can immediately begin implementing in their business model.
February 22nd
2:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Zoom

Top Ten Contract Addenda
Join us to review 10 of the most commonly utilized TREC contract addenda including Third Party Financing Addendum, Addendum for Backup Contract and more.
February 23rd
10:00 am – 11:00 am
Zoom

Hit The Road With The MLS-Touch App
Deals are made on the road. MLS Touch is the most advanced Mobile MLS app for agents! Come to this class to learn how to use this tool like a pro from the first time you log in. Seamless integration with Matrix, OneHome Portal, Realist Tax and more. Set up your own branded app to share with clients and on social media.
February 23rd
2:00 pm – 3:00 pm
Caddo Office Reimagined McKinney

2022 DFW Real Estate Year-End Stats at a Glance

Our second annual stats report of the DFW real estate market is here!

We’ve taken our monthly stats-at-a-glance reports from January through December of 2022, totaled, averaged, and compared the data to the numbers from 2021. The result is an annual report of the DFW real estate market in 2022.

For more stats information, pdfs and graphics of our stats including detailed information by MLS area and condo stats, visit the Resources section on our website at DFW Area Real Estate Statistics | Republic Title of Texas.

December 2022 DFW Area Real Estate Stats

December 2022 Stats are IN! Collin county shows an increase in all categories except number of sales compared to December of ’22. Dallas County’s new listings for December were down 22% compared to last year, but active listings were up considerably from where they were a year ago. The average sales price was even down slightly at 1.4% as were the actual number of sales which is in line with the overall market.

In Denton County, the story is the same with new listing down and active listings up along with the average sales price and price per square foot. In Rockwall the numbers reflect generally the same situation. As we begin 2023 however, the number of listings coming on the market looks strong and it appears that we are still in very good shape in the Metroplex! Happy Selling!

Our stats infographics include a year over year comparison and area highlights for single family homes broken down by county. We encourage you to share these infographics and video with your sphere.

For more stats information, pdfs and graphics of our stats including detailed information by county, visit the Resources section on our website at DFW Area Real Estate Statistics | Republic Title of Texas.

For the full report from the Texas A&M Real Estate Research Center, click here. For NTREIS County reports click here.

Texas Housing Insight November 2022 Summary

The housing market continued to slow down as people consider mortgage rates and recession fears when making financial decisions. On the supply side, housing permits and housing starts are both in decline. Prices are correcting, and the market is accumulating inventory. However, as suggested by the sales volume, buyers are calmer now than during the pandemic frenzy, as many key indicators such as days on market (DOM) and months of inventory (MOI) are uniformly converging back to pre-pandemic levels. With the expectation of a higher mortgage interest rates annual average in 2023, existing-home sales will likely fall short of 2022’s levels.

Supply¹

Homebuilders are initiating fewer building projects. The state’s year-to-date cumulative single-family construction permits in November 2022 had a net loss of 5.2 percent, shrinking from 157,043 to 148,954 units. The monthly drop paused in November, and construction permit issuance remained below 10,000 units. Construction permits rebounded in all major metros except Austin. Dallas (2,886 permits) gained more than 300 permits, while issuance in Houston (3,223 permits) stayed steady. Despite the slight decrease in Austin, the tech metro (1,341 permits) expanded residential space for single-family homes twice as fast as in San Antonio (663 permits). Construction generally slows during the winter, yet even after the seasonal adjustment, Texas’ single-family construction starts plummeted 28.5 percent from 2021 to 10,700 units, corroborating a slowdown in the housing industry.

The number of homes for sale typically declines after the summer peak. However, active listings have been quickly accumulating to a seasonally adjusted level of 91,600 units. Compared with the five-year average of 94,800 units before the pandemic, this November’s housing inventory level is only 4.5 percent away from rebounding back to the pre-pandemic volume, rather than 50 percent a year ago. Amid the rebound, Texas’ MOI ticked up to 2.9 months. Austin’s inventory level jumped to a ten-year high with 9,000 homes ready for sale, while Dallas’s housing supply was tight with 20,000 homes for sale, 3,700 fewer than in November 2019.

Demand

Total home sales inched down 3.3 percent month over month (MOM), settling at a seasonally adjusted rate of 26,800 closed sales (Table 1). Sales in Houston took a big hit, while sales in the other major metros stayed at October levels. Texas’ sales volume has shrunk by one tenth compared with a year earlier. As winter approaches, sales are expected to trend downward for the next two months.

Rising mortgage rates affect sales of differently prices homes disproportionately. Up to November, total sales for homes priced below $300K plummeted close to 30 percent in 2022, while total sales grew 15 percent for homes priced between $400K and $500K. The sales disparity between these two groups could suggest that rising rates sidelined more homebuyers in the lower-middle class than upper-middle class.

Amid slowing sales, homes are sitting on the market longer. Texas’ average DOM rose to 46 days. Compared with the five-year average of 59 days before 2020, the relatively brief period suggests the housing market is still relatively tight compared with historic norms. At the metropolitan level, Austin’s DOM rose most aggressively, doubling from 27 days in June to 57 days in November. Dallas’ DOM grew most moderately, rising from 25 to 42 days.

Before the pandemic, the state’s DOM ranged from 55 days to 83 days. Now, DOM ranged from 45 days to 52 days. The relatively truncated DOM interval implies the housing market still has room to improve. Another metric that signals the housing market can be more relaxed is DOM for pricier homes. Typically, the most expensive homes sit on the market the longest. However, DOM for homes priced over $750K was 45 days—shorter than homes in the $500K price cohort.

Prices

Texas’ median home price continued to fall, and the seasonally adjusted median price edged down 1 percent MOM. The four major metros posted mixed monthly changes (Table 2). Regardless of the depreciation in the past six months, the state’s median price remained 6.1 percent higher than year-ago levels. Dallas had the highest growth of 9.6 percent, while Austin’s growth rate deflated to 0.1 percent.

Since the Federal Reserve imposed the first 75-basis-point interest rate hike in June in an attempt to curb inflation, the ten-year U.S. Treasury bond yield jumped 129 basis points to 3.89 percent², while the two-year counterpart surged by 150 basis points. The spread between the ten- and two-year bond yields widened while staying in negative territory, indicating persistent market uncertainties.

The Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation’s 30-year fixed-rate moderated slightly this month to 6.81 percent, but it still surpassed historical rates during 2007 and 2009. According to a Wall Street Journal analysis, some buyers have had to dodge the conventional way of borrowing from traditional lenders and instead borrow directly from family members or leverage either business or personal assets.

The Texas Repeat Sales Home Price Index accounts for compositional price effects and provides a better measure of changes in single-family home values. Compared with November 2021’s 19.5 percent year-over-year (YOY) increase, Texas’ index accelerated 9.2 percent YOY in November 2022, indicating price moderation. The same trend also affected the major metros as growth rates shrank from double-digits to single-digits, except in San Antonio, which was 12.8 percent. Moderating home prices corroborated with the Fed’s inflation fight.

Household Pulse Survey

According to the U.S. Census Bureau’s Household Pulse Survey, after last year’s historical low rates, the share of homeowners who were free from mortgage payments ticked up 3 percent to 36 percent in the U.S. and up 5 percent to 42 percent in Texas (Table 3). The share of homeowners who were caught up on payments increased as well.

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¹ All measurements are calculated using seasonally adjusted data, and percentage changes are calculated month over month, unless stated otherwise.

² Bond and mortgage interest rates are nonseasonally adjusted. Loan-to-value ratios, debt-to-income ratios, and the credit score component are also nonseasonally adjusted.

Source – Joshua Roberson and Weiling Yan (January 10, 2023)

https://www.recenter.tamu.edu/articles/technical-report/Texas-Housing-Insight

What You Need to Know About The 2023 TREC Contract Changes

In November 2022, the Texas Real Estate Commission adopted form revisions recommended by the Texas Real Estate Broker-Lawyer Committee that will become mandatory on February 1, 2023. Read on for the key takeaways as well as several different resources to help you navigate the upcoming changes.

On November 7, 2022 the Texas Real Estate Commission adopted form revisions recommended by the Texas Real Estate Broker-Lawyer Committee. When are the forms effective? TREC says “The Notice to Prospective Buyer form is a voluntary use form and may be used once posted on the agency’s website. All remaining contract forms, once posted on the agency website, will be available for voluntary use until February 1, 2023, when their use becomes mandatory.”
The following forms have been updated/changed:
Purchase Contracts –
• One to Four Family Residential Contract (Resale)
• New Home Contract (Incomplete Construction)
• New Home Contract (Completed Construction)
• Farm and Ranch Contract
• Residential Condominium Contract (Resale)
Addendum & Amendments –
• Seller Financing Addendum
• Addendum for Property Subject to Mandatory Membership in a Property Owners Association (HOA Addendum)
• Amendment (Contract Amendment)
• Third Party Financing Addendum
• Addendum for Reservation of Oil, Gas and Other Minerals (Oil & Gas/Mineral Rights Addendum
• Addendum Regarding Residential Leases (Lease Back Addendum)
• Addendum Regarding Fixture Leases
• Loan Assumption Addendum
• Notice to Prospective Buyer
The forms listed above are available on the TREC website and zipForms now and will replace the old versions of the forms. https://www.trec.texas.gov/article/revised-forms-available-voluntary-use-mandatory-use-begins-february-1-2023

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE CHANGES

WHICH FORM & SECTION?
Paragraph 3 of the One to Four Family Residential Contract (Resale)
WHAT’S CHANGED?
The Contract was changed to define the Cash portion of the Sales Price as follows: The term “Cash portion of the Sales Price” does not include proceeds from borrowing of any kind or selling other real property except as disclosed in this contract.
The Buyer should disclose if they are obtaining any financing or selling a property to obtain the cash portion of the Sales Price. Additionally, the Third Party Financing Addendum is updated to add “Other Financing” to accommodate alternative or hard money lenders.

WHICH FORM & SECTION?
Paragraph 7F of the One to Four Family Residential Contract (Resale)
WHAT’S CHANGED?
This paragraph is revised to require that the Seller: (i) provide the Buyer with copies of documentation related to repairs that shows both the scope of work and payment for the work completed; and (ii) transfer, at Seller’s expense, any transferable warranties related to those repairs at closing.
Also note, paragraph 9B(3) is amended to add that at closing, the Seller and Buyer shall execute and deliver any documents required for the transfer of any warranties, which could include additional warranties not covered under paragraph 7F.

WHICH FORM & SECTION?
Paragraph C of the Addendum for Property Subject to Mandatory Membership in a Property Owners Association (HOA Addendum)
WHAT’S CHANGED?
Paragraph C is amended to clarify that regular periodic maintenance fees, assessments or dues (including prepaid items) are prorated under Paragraph 13 of the contract and are not subject to Paragraph C of the Addendum.

Want to learn more? Join one of our three upcoming Contract Forms Update classes which will cover the 2023 changes.

January 11^thwith Steve Holley, Senior Vice President/Residential Counsel

January 20^th with Matthew Visinsky, Senior Vice President/Senior Residential Counsel

January 26^th with Charles Kramer, Independent Legal Counsel, Hunter & Kramer PC

Supplemental information to accompany Contract Forms Update classes can be found here: Contract Forms Update

Click here for printable version

January Class Calendar

Republic Title is pleased to offer a variety of continuing education classes for our customers. Join us in January for classes including:

Contract Forms Update
Join us for an overview of the latest TREC contract changes which become mandatory February 1, 2023.
January 5th
10:00 am – 11:00 am
Zoom

Simplifying Goals for Overachievement
Most business and personal development trainers have overused goal-setting. Small Business Owners/ Real Estate Professionals either give cursory effort to setting goals or they overwhelm themselves with detail and prevent their own success. Goal-setting has become an obstacle rather than a help to many. This course will help the agents identify their best “timeline” for achievement, identify the issues within traditional goal-setting techniques that have become obstacles and look at 2 different techniques for truly setting goals that are not only achievable but exceed-able.
January 10th
10:00 am – 11:00 am
Zoom

Tax Planning Program Specifically for Real Estate Agents
Join us for a Lunch and Learn with special guests from Greenlight Tax Group. They’ve designed a tax planning program specifically for REALTORS®. They will share strategies to help you minimize your tax liability and keep more of what you make year after year. Please register in advance, as seats are limited.
January 11th
11:30 am – 12:30 pm
Republic Title Park Cities

Contract Forms Update
Join us for an overview of the latest TREC contract changes which become mandatory February 1, 2023
January 11th
2:00 pm – 3:00 pm
Zoom

Contract Forms Update
Join us, in-person, for an overview of the latest TREC contract changes which become mandatory February 1, 2023.
January 17th
11:00 am – 12:00 pm
Caddo Office Suites – McKinney

Escape Hatches for Buyers
In this class licensees will become familiar with specific conditions & contingencies within the contract and related addenda that, if not adhered to, could result in a Buyer’s valid termination of the contract.
January 19th
10:00 am – 11:00 am
Zoom

DFW Stats and Trends at your Fingertips
Successful agents know their local markets. Whether used in a casual meeting, a listing presentation or on social media, knowing how to produce market reports is essential. Join us to learn how to generate current and relevant monthly/annual stats using all the tools available to you through NTREIS.
January 19th
11:30 am – 12:30 pm
Zoom

Contract Forms Update
Join us for an overview of the latest TREC contract changes which become mandatory February 1, 2023
January 20th
10:00 am – 11:00 am
Zoom

It’s All Foreign to Me
This class will cover many areas of a transaction involving a non-US citizen including Foreign Investors Real Property Tax Act (FIRPTA), Foreign Wills, Mexican Matricula Consular and Foreign Acknowledgments.
January 24th
10:00 am – 11:00 am
Zoom

Hit The Road With The MLS-Touch App
Deals are made on the road. MLS Touch is the most advanced Mobile MLS app for agents! Come to this class to learn how to use this tool like a pro from the first time you log in. Seamless integration with Matrix, OneHome Portal, Realist Tax and more. Set up your own branded app to share with clients and on social media.
January 24th
1:00 pm – 2:00 pm
Caddo Office Reimagined – McKinney

Dominate Your Neighborhood Using Realist Tax
Become an expert on your neighborhood by learning how to efficiently use Realist® Tax, available in your NTREIS Matrix dashboard, to its full potential!
In this class, you’ll learn how to use Realist® Tax to:
– Research listings and off-market property information
– Assess market conditions and trends
– Identify comparable sales
– Market to buyers and sellers
– Create custom exports for spreadsheets and mailing labels
January 25th
10:00 am – 11:00 am
Zoom

Tax Planning Program Specifically For Real Estate Agents
Join us for a Lunch and Learn with special guests from Greenlight Tax Group. They’ve designed a tax planning program specifically for REALTORS®. They will share strategies to help you minimize your tax liability and keep more of what you make year after year. Please register in advance, as seats are limited.
January 25th
11:30 am – 12:30 pm
Republic Title Park Cities

Contract Forms Update
Join us for an overview of the latest TREC contract changes which become mandatory February 1, 2023
January 26th
2:00 pm – 3:00 pm
Zoom

Supply1

Demand

Prices

Household Pulse Survey

Supply¹