The Inspector Committee met on February 4. Among the business items taken up by the Committee was the election of the Committee officers for the upcoming Calendar year.  Lee Warren was elected as the chair of the Committee, Shawn Emerick was elected as vice-chair and Steven Rinehart was elected as secretary.  I would like to thank the outgoing officers for their leadership over the last year. I would also like to take the opportunity to thank a longtime member of the Committee, Brad Phillips who has completed his second, and final term on the Committee.

So far, 2019 has offered Texas both very cold and very mild conditions – a bit unpredictable as this new year advances.  Perhaps this corresponds to the unexpected combination of elements at work as the legislative session gets underway?  New leadership in the House has opened up new possibilities for cooperation on advancing public policy issues – a situation we welcome and look forward to as the Sunset process holds the promise of developing new guidance on matters of concern to our agency.   

The Enforcement Division of the Texas Real Estate Commission protects consumers by enforcing the laws and rules that regulate real estate brokers and sales agents, real estate inspectors, and timeshare plans. The Enforcement Division also oversees the Fitness Determination request process and reviews applications to determine if prospective license holders meet the Commission's standards for honesty, integrity, and trustworthiness.

I’d first like to wish all of you a Happy New Year. I hope you all had time to relax and enjoy the Holiday season.  The New Year always brings with it an opportunity to reflect on the past and make a commitment to address those areas in which we might fall short. It also brings with it a renewed sense of energy to honor that commitment and a desire to look at things with fresh eyes.  This New Year provides the opportunity for the agency to embrace these concepts as we complete the Agency’s Sunset review and start the 86^th Session of the Texas Legislature on January 8.

Happy New Year!  As we return recharged from the holidays and gear up for the season, there are some key items to keep us busy in the very near future.  So let’s dive right in…  

As we wrap up the calendar year, I want to again thank everyone who has attended meetings over the last year, both Inspector Committee meetings and Commission meetings.

The Commission has received several questions about whether a broker may advertise about a service provider (such as a real estate inspector) and, if allowed, are there any limits to this type of activity?

Contributed by - Tony Slagle – Deputy Executive Director