December 2021 - Republic Title

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:

Is This Homestead and Why Do Title Companies Care?
Homestead rights can be very confusing! Join Steve Holley, Senior VP/Senior Residential Counsel as he helps licensees understand how the State of Texas views homesteads and what factors influence the title company’s underwriting decisions.
January 6th
10:00 am – 11:00 am
Zoom

The Real Deal – Your Best Year Ever: Planning for Success
In this first class of our newest Real Deal series, Janet Allen & Shaun Neidigh will discuss promoting yourself, creating your vendor team, and laying out your business plan for the year. Learn how to make your plans actionable so you can hit the ground running into your best year ever. No CE – Information Only
January 11th
10:00 am – 11:00
Zoom

Mapping Tools in Matrix
One of the strongest tools available to NTREIS MLS Subscribers is the mapping tool in Matrix, but are you using it to its fullest ability? In this class, Annette Carvalho-Jordan, VP/Real Estate Technology Training, will explore all the map tool functions in Matrix so you can create powerful searches for your clients who want to live in specific neighborhoods, near points of interest or certain distances to where they work.
January 12th
10:00 am – 11:00 AM
Zoom

The Ins and Outs of the Residence Homestead Tax Exemption
The objective of this course is to provide a complete understanding of the homestead tax exemption. The class will cover: how the homestead exemption impacts the value of property for the calculation of property taxes; how and when to apply for the homestead exemption; the impactions of the over-65/disabled persons exemption on property taxes; how to transfer the over-65/disabled persons exemption when moving homesteads; and how the homestead exemption is used when located with agricultural property.
January 12th
1:00 pm – 2:00 PM
Zoom

The Real Deal – Your Best Year Ever: Mastering the Deal with Your MLS Dashboard
In this class we’ll explore the NTREIS MLS Dashboard and you’ll learn about all the vital tools that can help grow your business and some basic tips on how to get started. No CE – Information Only
January 18th
10:00 am – 11:00 am
Zoom

Title Commitment 101
This class focuses on understanding the groundwork done in creating the Title Commitment, what agents should look for and what questions to ask. Scott Rooker, Vice President/Residential Counsel, will provide licensees with a basic understanding of crucial documents and the role they play enabling them to detect potential problems.
January 19th
10:00 am – 11:00 am
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.
January 25th
10:00 am – 11:00 am
Zoom

The Real Deal – Your Best Year Ever: Mastering the Contract
This class will cover the basics of the Contracts and Addenda you’ll need to submit each time you write an offer. We will walk through the TREC 1-4 Family Contract and learn about the parts that can make or break your offer so that you can be prepared to write the strongest contracts possible for your clients. No CE – Informational Only
January 25th
10:00 am – 11:00 am
Zoom

To see a current list of available classes and to register, please visit www.republictitle.com/residential-education.

November 2021 DFW Area Real Estate Stats

November 2021 North Texas real estate stats are out and we’ve got the numbers! Our stats infographics include a year over year comparison and area highlights for single family homes and condos broken down by MLS area. 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 MLS area and condo stats, 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.

Republic Title Announces 2021 Year End Giving to North Texas Nonprofits

Republic Title is proud to announce that it has made donations totaling $100,000 to six North Texas nonprofits who are addressing the needs in North Texas. The six non-profits receiving donations are: Bonton Farms, Carry the Load, Elevate Dallas, Genesis Women’s Shelter, Presbyterian Night Shelter, and Promise House.

“In this season of giving and in celebration of Republic Title’s 30^th anniversary, we believe it is important to give back to the communities in which we live and work.” said Bo Feagin, President, Republic Title. “We are glad to support these outstanding organizations who are doing so much to address the needs of those in North Texas.”

For more information on these organizations and to donate directly to them, please read below.

Bonton Farms

Bonton Farms is an agricultural intervention driven by the mission to restore lives, create jobs and ignite hope in a once forgotten and neglected neighborhood with some of the most marginalized people.

Visit bontonfarms.org

Carry the Load

Carry the Load provides active ways to honor and remember our nation’s heroes by connecting Americans to the sacrifices made by our military, veterans, first responders and their families.

Visit carrytheload.org

Elevate Dallas

Elevate Dallas’ mission is to build long-term, life-changing relationships with urban youth, equipping them to thrive and contribute to their community.

Visit elevatedallas.org

Genesis Women’s Shelter

At Genesis Women’s Shelter it is their mission to provide safety, shelter and support for women who have experienced domestic violence, and to raise awareness regarding its cause, prevalence and impact.

Visit genesisshelter.org

Presbyterian Night Shelter

Presbyterian Night Shelter is Tarrant County, Texas’ largest provider of services to residents who are experiencing homelessness, with a “housing first” approach designed to address root causes from a place of strength and stability.

Visit journeyhome.org

Promise House

Promise House moves youth in crisis toward safety and success through crisis intervention, emergency shelter and long-term housing, case management and counseling services, education services, advocacy and outreach.

Visit promisehouse.org

Important Homestead Exemption Changes Effective January 1st

Homestead Exemption Filing Changes

Effective January 1, 2022, a Buyer may file for a homestead exemption immediately after closing if the Seller did not have a homestead exemption on the property for the current tax year.

For more important tax exemption information for new homeowners, please read below or download our Tax Exemption Resource.

Important Tax Exemption Information for New Homeowners

Exemptions are a form of tax relief that can reduce the taxable value of your property.
Types of exemptions include:
- Homestead
- Over 65 years of age
- Disabled individual
- Disabled veteran
- Agricultural
If you own and occupy your new home, it is your homestead and you likely qualify for a homestead exemption. This is the most common type of tax exemption.
When submitting an application for exemptions, you must submit a copy of your driver’s license. The address on your license must match the property address of the property you are filing the exemption for.
To apply for an exemption, the homeowner, in most cases, must be occupying the property as their homestead on January 1st of the tax year in which the exemption is granted. It may be possible to apply for an exemption sooner. Please reach out to your county appraisal district to confirm the date that you may apply.
It is free to file exemptions. The forms can be downloaded on the Central Appraisal District’s website for the county in which the property is located.

December Class Calendar

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

Escape Hatches for Buyers
This class with Scott Rooker, VP/Residential Counsel, will familiarize licensees 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. (TREC Approved Contracts Course)
December 15th
10:00 am – 11:00 am
Zoom

Zoom – Property Data on the Go with RPR Mobile™
Meeting the demands of today’s well-informed consumer is a top priority for REALTORS® and by using valuable tools like RPR® (REALTORS® Property Resource) to help increase your productivity, you can do just that! RPR Mobile™ app offers on-the-go access so you can answer all your clients questions no matter where you are. This class will teach you how to effectively use RPR Mobile™ application in the field to quickly pull up properties for sale from the MLS, look up off market properties, and efficiently find property information such as school information, valuations, past sales and more.
December 16th
10:00 am – 11:00 am
Zoom

Selling Out of an Estate
Join Charles Kramer, Outside Counsel for Republic Title, as he explains the requirements for selling real estate if title is held by an estate or there has been a death of a seller.
December 28th
10:00 am – 11:00 am
Zoom

To see a current list of available classes and to register, please visit www.republictitle.com/residential-education