News releases

AUSTIN, Texas - February 25, 2009 - Yesterday, Texas Governor Rick Perry addressed the Board of Directors of the Texas Association of REALTORS® during the organization’s annual Winter Meeting at the Hyatt Regency in Austin. A five-day event from Feb. 20 – 24, the Winter Meeting entails discussion regarding the statewide real estate market and Texas economy, legislative issues affecting Texas homeowners, commercial real estate trends, professional standards and more.

Governor Perry’s presentation was a highlight of the event. Introduced by Texas Association of REALTORS® Chairman Brooke Hunt, the Governor was praised for his leadership in issues affecting Texas homeowners, such as property appraisal reform, protection of property tax reductions and eminent domain

During his speech, Governor Perry reflected on the real estate crisis of the 1980s in Texas and contrasted conditions in the state today, “People are looking at Texas and asking themselves why our unemployment rate is a full point lower than the rest of the country, why our real estate prices are so stable and why 1,000 people move to Texas every day. It’s because we work hard to keep our taxes low and protect the rights of private property owners, which makes this a great place to live and do business.”

Following the Governor’s presentation, Texas REALTORS® also heard from fellow Texan Charles McMillan, 2009 President of the National Association of REALTORS®. McMillan provided an update on the National Association of REALTORS®’ work with regulatory officials and legislators to bolster the national housing market and outlined programs implemented by the organization to aid REALTORS®.

Taking place while the Texas Legislature is in session, the Winter Meeting is a prelude to the Texas REALTOR® Legislative Hill Visits, which are scheduled for March 31. In those meetings, Texas REALTORS® will speak directly with their statewide lawmakers to express their opinions on issues important to homeowners, such as property appraisal reform. To learn more, visit TexasRealtors.com and view the organization’s 2009 Legislative Priorities.

About the Texas Association of REALTORS®

The Texas Association of REALTORS® is a not-for-profit professional membership association representing more than 80,000 members statewide who are involved in all aspects of real estate. For more regarding our organization, real estate practitioners should visit TexasRealtors.com and consumers should check out TexasRealEstate.com.