Your advocates at the Texas Capitol
Do you want lower property taxes? Would you like to avoid paying a tax when you buy or sell real estate?
If you’re in favor of those ideas, I’ve got good news: The MetroTex Association of Realtors worked hard during the legislative session in 2015 to pass a bill ultimately approved by 86% of voters that increased the homestead exemption by $10,000 and constitutionally banned real estate transfer taxes.
Those measures are already saving you real money, and MetroTex isn’t done.
This legislative session, the association and its members will work on eliminating the hidden property tax in Texas. This includes reforming the property appraisal and tax rate setting process to ensure a more transparent and honest conversation at the local level as well as advocating for additional state aid in the school finance system.
MetroTex will also closely monitor any proposals to change our state’s home equity laws. Why? Realtors were the driving force behind strong consumer protections in home equity legislation passed a few decades ago. Those safeguards are a big reason Texas was not hit as hard during the last real estate downturn as states like California, Nevada and Florida. We want to ensure that any changes designed to improve home equity lending don’t come with unintended consequences that put homeowners and the Texas economy in jeopardy.
MetroTex will be supporting proposals to decrease traffic congestion and looking for other ways to keep the state’s economy healthy. It’s a tall order. But Realtors have been working for years on behalf of the citizens of Texas to make our great state a better place to work and live.
We do this by staying up to date on legislative news affecting Texas—and sharing that information with friends, colleagues and clients. Realtors volunteer on committees that examine issues affecting the real estate industry and property ownership. We contact our elected officials—thousands of us will visit the Texas Capitol in April.
Yes, the 110,000-plus Realtors in Texas help you buy, sell and lease property. But we also protect private-property rights, advocate for property owners and work to keep homeownership affordable.
Learn more about how MetroTex and the Texas Association of Realtors work to protect the interests of homebuyers at texasrealestate.com.
You can always get great referrals for interior designers from your MetroTex Realtor. Or, for information about buying, leasing, or selling a home, visit dfwrealestate.com.
Celebrating 100 years of service in North Texas, MetroTex is the area’s largest Realtor association. We are an advocate for homeowners, private property rights, the real estate industry, and real estate professionals. MetroTex is comprised of more than 18,000 members.