LEADER LISTING The Leader • Saturday, March 28, 2020 • Page 1B
Real estate professionals getting creative By Betsy Denson betsy@theleadernews.com
With the “stay-at-home, work safe” order for Houston and Harris County in effect through April 3, there are many who wondered if their job was one that provided an essential service. Only businesses deemed essential to the community are allowed to operate as the region tries to slow the spread of COVID-19, the upper-respiratory disease caused by the new strain of coronavirus. For Realtors, it appears the answer is yes. The Houston Association of Realtors (HAR) sent out a communication to its members that said that real estate services along with legal, accounting and insurance services “necessary to assist in compliance with legally mandated activities or to further Essential Businesses, Essential Government functions, or Critical Infrastructure” fall under the umbrella of essential professional services. It is up to the real estate professionals how to continue to work safely under this new reality, following continuously updated guidelines. HAR has said that open houses will no longer be displayed on HAR.com and Realtors are urged to utilize virtual open houses and video tours during this time. “I have always been afraid of being in front of a camera but I am adapting, quickly,” Realtor Ashley Day said. “We are conferencing amongst ourselves in front of a camera and it’s helpful. I’m not
sure what rules will be rolled out on our ability to enter the homes just yet.” Amanda Cruser with Bernstein Realty said if schools can use technology, then real estate professionals can, too. “We are ramping up the ability to do virtual tours and exploring video and Skype,” Cruser said. “The same things I have done for clients who are relocating.” A marketing email from Bernstein Realty promoted featured listings on its YouTube channel. One online tool being used for higher-end homes is Matterport, which allows 3D walk-throughs, schematic floor plans, videos and other media. “Yesterday, I had a Matterport shoot going through TK Images at a new listing going live this week,” Day said. “We can also utilize Zoom, Google Meetup, FaceTime and Facebook live via our phones.” Cruser said there are still clients looking for homes, although less aggressively than a few weeks back. However, for those who need to close on a home they already decided to purchase, it is business as usual. Although those who seek an extension can be granted one. The COVID-19 Addendum (TXR-2520) provides those involved in home selling or purchasing a 30-day extension of the closing date in a residential sales contract if the closing is impacted by voluntary or mandatory COVID-19 quarantine or closure.
Photo by Betsy Denson Even though traditional open houses are not taking place during the Houston region’s stay-at-home order, real estate clients will be able to explore them virtually, according to local real estate professionals.
For those who are proceeding, they will also take advantage of existing technology. “Title companies will likely use RON (Remote Online Notification) to reduce inperson meetings for closing documents,” Cruser said. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are changing the requirements for physical inspections for some appraisals. If an appraiser cannot go inside a home, desktop and exterior-only appraisals on
primary residence purchases and second home/investment purchases with 15 percent down or more are being permitted. There also is more flexibility in verifying employment for those whose workplaces are closed, although lenders were cautioned to use their best judgement. “Houstonians are resilient and so is our real estate market,” Cruser said. “We will weather this storm together.”
‘Born in a hurricane,’ Boulevard Realty draws from past experience to help face COVID-19 crisis By Boulevard Realty
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Bill Baldwin finalized the purchase of the firm that would become Boulevard Realty in July of 2008. The mid-sized independent brokerage known before then as Karen Derr & Associates, which opened its first office in the Heights in 1994, was the only real estate office he had ever worked for since getting his real estate license in 1998. Early on, Baldwin set his intention to maintain a hyperlocal, agent- and client-focused brokerage that would balance a forward-thinking and adaptable approach with the triedand-true model of community involvement and giving back. His plan was simple: keep a calm sense of continuity for the agents who were to continue on as his associates, including Derr herself, and for their clients by maintaining the dedicated staff members, as well as the same office space that had become a recognizable community hub for the Heights and beyond. Just as he was completing his rebrand, with new yard signs, business cards, and letterhead, Hurricane Ike began to form in the Gulf of Mexico. “We were really born in a hurricane,” Baldwin reflects poetically. “After having already weathered major catastrophic events like 9/11 and the fall of Enron as a real estate agent, with a client base who looked to me for strength and solidarity, this was the first time I was facing that sort of disaster with a full community of concerned Houstonians looking to me and my agents for what to do.” In other words, Baldwin is no stranger to disruption, shocks, and stresses to the real estate market and to life as we know it. Now, in the face of a pandemic only just starting to reveal its full impact on public health and the economy, Baldwin draws a parallel not only with these past disasters, but with the disruptions that would follow, like the burst of the housing bubble and subsequent recession, the energy downturn of 2015-2016, and, of course, Hurricane Harvey. “While we are very sensitive to the lived experience of those who are ill, at high risk, or already bearing the economic impact of the corona-
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virus,” says Baldwin, “For the majority of us who are simply living through the uncertainty, I think it helps to remember that these sort of things are cyclical, always pass, and find us more resilient on the other side.” To Baldwin, that means that what worked to sustain his community twelve years ago throughout Ike is a good indicator of what it will take to withstand the COVID-19 pandemic at the local level. “I think what we need is trust,” Baldwin advises. “Trust in our local leadership and trusted advice from highly experienced professionals. I am proud to say that we are poised to be that trusted advisor, now more than ever.” The agents and staff of Boulevard Realty now convene daily on virtual meetings to discuss the latest developments in the spread of COVID-19 and the impact on the local real estate market. Some of the questions that have arisen so far are what safety precautions buyers and sellers who still wish to see homes and have their home open for showings can take and new forms promulgated to provide flexibility for those currently party to a real estate transaction. Taff Weinstein, mortgage broker and owner of First Imperial Mortgage,
also joins the calls to discuss interest rates and home lending. Baldwin reports, “There has not been a single question to arise from our clients where we have been unable to provide a sound piece of advice. So we say keep reaching out.” Once again, Baldwin is finding that remaining mid-sized and independent in the era of franchising and tech-driven mega-brokerages is serving him and his community by allowing them to be nimble and protect local jobs. “We are seeing that some of the shiny, bright new objects in real estate are quickly disappearing as the financial markets have taken a dip,” he observes, having sounded the alarm about the rise of venture capitalback and foreign-financed brokerages and platforms that started to gain traction. “From iBuyers to firms touting technology and concierge services financed in-house, it is all doing a grave disservice to consumers and this is just the beginning.” While real estate brands are already reporting layoffs at the local and national level, Baldwin has pledged to retain his full-time staff to continue to bolster and support his 60+ agents. Baldwin explains, “This will pass, and we will still need those experienced, talented Houstonians, several with well over 15 years
working for us, to support our agents and their clients.” With the Houston and Harris County shelter-in-place restrictions now in effect, Boulevard Realty seems poised to continue operating to the fullest and safest extent possible, drawing from its experience facing down past disruptors. Agents and staff are working from home, the phones still ring to full-time staff, and the training and culture-building that underpins the firm’s “Realtor, Resource, Friend” credo continues. Most importantly to Baldwin, the personalized, client-focused approach will hold up. “Outside of the best public health advice to prevent community spread, there is no single right answer to what to do in this moment. It is based on our individual needs for safety, comfort, and peace of mind. What we can guarantee is that we will offer our best individualized advice based on study, research, and experience,” expresses Baldwin. “I am confident in saying that you will get that from any Boulevard Realty agent right now, so don’t hesitate to get in touch with us.” This article is part of The Leader Experts series, where companies pay for editorial content on topics important to the community. If you’d like to be a Leader Expert, contact us at 713-686-8494.
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Page 2B • Saturday, March 28, 2020 • The Leader
Country music legend Rogers, who had Heights roots, dies at 81 By Adam Zuvanich
is still your trusted advisor.
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Kenny Rogers, a Grammy Award-winning singer and actor who spent his early years in the Heights area, died Friday at his home in Georgia, according to a report by the Associated Press. He was 81. Rogers, one of eight children, was born in Houston and grew up in public housing near the Heights, according to the AP. His ties to the historic neighborhood also helped him launch a decorated music career that spanned six decades. Rogers’ first hit was a 1958 song called “That Crazy Feeling,” which was written and produced by Ray Doggett. Doggett owned a recording studio called Doggett Music Enterprises at 1045 Studewood St., where the Red Dessert Dive bakery is now located. Rogers, primarily a country music singer who also crossed
Photo from Twitter Kenny Rogers, a Grammy-winning country musician with ties to the Heights, died last Friday at age 81.
over into jazz and pop, won three Grammy Awards and was a five-time winner of Country Music Association awards. In 2013, he was inducted in the Country Music Hall of Fame. His best-known hits were “The Gambler,” a song that Rogers parlayed into an act-
ing career, as well as “Lady,” “Lucille” and “Islands in the Stream,” a duet with Dolly Parton. Rogers’ family is planning a private service “out of concern for the national COVID-19 emergency,” according to the AP, with a public memorial to be held at a later date.
Heights’ Alvarez, Washington’s Potts earn all-region accolades By Landan Kuhlmann landan@theleadernews.com
It was a historic season for the Heights girls basketball team as it won 26 games and reached the program’s first-ever regional tournament. Meanwhile, the Booker T. Washington boys made a late-season run that gave way to a regional quarterfinal berth. Stars for both teams were recently recognized for their contributions by the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches. Heights junior guard Gracelynn Alvarez was named to the TABC’s all-Region III-6A girls team after serving as the trigger for the Lady Bulldogs (269), who raced to the District 186A title in the regular season before earning their first berth in the regional tournament. It was the first all-region selection for Alvarez, a threeyear letterwinner who set career highs in points, rebounds,
Boulevard Realty
Photo by Gabriela Alvarez Heights’ Gracelynn Alvarez shoots the ball during a regional quarterfinal playoff game against Cypress Creek. She was recently named to the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches’ all-Region III-6A team.
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assists and steals during the 2019-20 campaign. She will be the leading returning scorer (18.8 points per game) for head coach Kerrick Arrington and the Lady Bulldogs, who look poised for another run next season. Honors were also in order for Walter Potts, a senior guard and three-year letterman for Washington. He posted career highs in rebounds, points, and
steals in being named to the TABC’s all-Region III-4A boys team. Potts was the second leading scorer (14.4 points per game) and third-leading rebounder (5.2 per game) for head coach Vincent Grayson and the Eagles (15-19), who reached the third round of the playoffs before falling to defending state champion Silsbee.
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The Leader • Saturday, March 28, 2020 • Page 3B
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By Landan Kuhlmann landan@theleadernews.com Boulevard Realty agent Jan Clark knows the tough questions that can come with buying or selling property in the Houston area. Her clients find relying on her strengths helps them find the perfect fit for them. “I can explain things, and I don’t mind doing that at all,� she said. “I like to go over the processes and make sure people understand them. I’m a good explainer.� Jan realizes that with COVID-19 turning the world, and in turn, real estate, on its head, being able to clearly explain new processes, forms, and the changing real estate market is crucial right now. Like some of her clients’ home search, her road has been a bit of a winding one. Upon leaving her former post as Assistant City of Houston Attorney in 2012, Clark initially opened up an independent law practice as she searched for a less corporatedriven atmosphere. All the while, however, she enjoyed a passion for real estate, and eventually relented to the call. “Part of my job with the City of Houston involved real estate, so I was already familiar with the industry. I knew I’d like to give it a try, and thought if not now, when would I do it?� she said. “For a few years I did both, and it turned out I just truly enjoyed real estate – more than I knew I was going to. So I decided to focus solely on that.� Her clients are glad she did. Clark brings extensive contract and negotiation experience to every sale, and her previous endeavors allow her to more effectively help potential buyers or sellers navigate the unfamiliar steps of a real estate transaction. With COVID-19 pushing all involved in a given transaction into unfamiliar territory, Jan’s legal experience is an asset now more than ever, as she can help clients navigate new real estate practices and forms, such as the Texas REALTORSŽ? COVID-19 Addendum (TXR-2520), which provides for a 30-day extension of the closing date in a residential sales contract if the closing cannot occur due to a voluntary or mandatory
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COVID-19 quarantine or closure. Clark uses both the knowledge and experience gained through her local government legal background to manage the behindthe-scenes details and lower the stress during the buying or selling process. “I can spot problems and help identify solutions more easily than other agents (because of my background). I also understand how real estate works and fits within the City and how local governments view real estate,� she said. “I alert (my clients) to things they may not have known about so far as building codes, flood zones or anything that can impact whether someone wants to buy or what you can do once you buy it. And as new rules and regulations surrounding coronavirus are coming into play, I am making sure my clients understand how any changes will affect them.� Clark’s primary stomping grounds are the Heights, but she has also had transactions in Garden Oaks, West University, Montrose, Spring and other spots around the city. And while some agents corner certain pockets of the market, Clark believes the key to helping her clients find the right price or property is diversity so she focuses on both sides of the transaction. “By not concentrating on one thing, I think it helps all around,� she said. “If I’m working with buyers, it helps me with sellers and vice versa.� Looking back on her eight years in real estate thus far, Clark said she most enjoys the feeling of seeing new home buyers finally climb that mountain for the first time – giving her the joy of coming to work each day. “I have almost cried at closing when people are handed the keys to their first new home,� she said. “I’m so thankful to be able to participate in what is such a life-changing event and a rite of passage for many people, or the culmination of a lot of hard work. I feel very blessed to be able to share that with people.� To reach Clark about buying or selling a home, you can email her at jan@realtorjanclark.com or give her a call at 281-6860761.
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