Weekly Report 2-47

Harris County District Attorney’s Office

Fights to Combat Domestic Violence

By d-mars.com News Provider

Under the leadership of District Attorney Kim Ogg, The Harris County District Attorney’s Office is dedicated to making our community safer through evidencebased prosecution and equal justice for all. This means guaranteeing a fair process to obtain a just result for the victim, the accused and the community in every case. And though the month of October was dedicated to raising awareness on domestic violence, it is an issue impacting our community that

From 2019 to 2020, the Texas Council on Family Violence discovered there was a 23% increase in the number of domestic violence homicides across Texas.

The Domestic Violence Division is a professional multi-disciplinary team working together to increase the safety of victims and accountability of offenders. Our mission is to end the cycle of violence by educating and empowering families. The Domestic Violence Division staff includes prosecutors, a social service staff, investigators and administrative staff. Domestic Violence Division prosecutors handle domestic

violence criminal cases with an emphasis on nonparticipating complainants, violation of protective order cases, bigamy, and interference with child custody cases.

For more information about the Houston Area Women’s Center, information on how to end domestic and sexual violence, and how you can support, please visit www.hawc.org. And for more on Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg’s plan to combat domestic violence, please visit www.harriscountyda. com.

Sources: Harris County DA Houston Area Women’s Center Texas Council on Family Violence

Understanding How Homeowners Associations (HOAs) Work

By Marla Lewis President of the Houston Black Real Estate Association

If you plan to buy a home or condominium this year, keep in mind that the property may be governed by a homeowners association, or HOA. More than 63 million people live within communities that are overseen by HOAs, according to the Community Associations Institute. That means 24 percent of U.S. homes are part of community associations.

Many buyers appreciate the benefits provided by HOAs, but the mandatory dues and covenants, conditions and restrictions (CCRs) occasionally rub some people the wrong way. Before you make an offer on a property governed by an HOA, here are some factors to consider.

on the first tee, but remember that those things are only part of the HOA's scope. When you purchase a property governed by an HOA, you enter into a legal contract with the association. You agree to abide by the association's regulations and pay its dues. In exchange, you get a community guided by an HOA and the access to its facilities and perks.

of these cases is homeowners not understanding the regulations or ignoring them. Review the CCRs carefully before you purchase the property and you'll be much less likely to run afoul of your HOA.

Inquire about dues

Inquire about dues

can't swim and never use the amenity. Who's in charge?

Who’s in charge?

When you review an HOA's documents, be sure to inquire about its finances. Is the HOA solvent? Does it have a reserve fund? Who controls the money? What kind of oversight is that person subject to?

Read before you buy

Read before you buy

What do you get from the HOA?

What do you get from the HOA?

Homeowners associations often provide access to amenities that individual residents couldn't otherwise afford – pools, gyms, tennis courts, walking trails – and their rules can protect property values. Some associations also take on services traditionally provided by government, such as trash pickup, landscaping, street lighting and street and sidewalk maintenance. Your perfect condo may have a great pool or your dream home might be sitting

Make sure that any uses or freedoms you expect to come along with your property are allowed in the Covenants, Conditions & Restrictions (CCRs). Want to store your boat trailer in your driveway? The association's CCRs may not allow that. Want to paint the house? Some HOAs have restrictions on permissible colors, so check the palette allowed by the association.

You may have heard horror stories of home repossessions and other legal squabbles involving property owners and HOAs. A common theme among many

HOAs run on dues, your annual fee for living in the community. These fees can range from $100 to thousands of dollars, depending on the neighborhood or building and what amenities it offers. Ask how much the dues are and if they've increased during the past few years. Find out what the dues cover and what they don't. For example, your condo association may perform all exterior maintenance. That means when the roof leaks, your dues pay for its repair, even if you live on the ground floor of a three-story building. If you live on that third floor, however, you don't have to pay to repair the entire roof yourself. If the association manages a pool, you're paying for it, even if you

REAL ESTATE

Find out who manages the HOA and what role residents have in its governance. There may be a board or other group of property owners who manage the association. Take some time and talk to people who currently live in the community. How do they feel about the neighborhood, development or building? Find out their impressions of how the HOA is run.

Perform due diligence before signing a contract to purchase a property governed by a homeowners association. You will be able to make an informed decision about the HOA's pros and cons, as well as your responsibilities, without jeopardizing the transaction or subjecting yourself to regulations that aren't consistent with your lifestyle.

For expert advice about HOAs and all kinds of information about owning, buying or selling a home, ask your realtor and visit HAR.com. And for more about the Houston Black Real Estate Association, please visit hbreahouston.org.

Content provided and distributed by the Houston Association of REALTORS®.

Five Pillars of NAREB and the Importance of Black Homeownership

will eventually pass to his son.

By Stacy M. Brown NNPA Newswire Senior

Lydia Pope counts among the fortunate, and she knows that. Pope also doesn’t pull any punches when advocating for African Americans – particularly as it pertains to generational wealth.

Her father worked throughout Cleveland, Ohio, to help turn around the lives of gang members. Pope’s mother worked a lunch program that fed those individuals after her father tutored them about the importance of homeownership and generational wealth.

“My father passed away in 1991, and my mom told me that we were the second Black family to move onto our block when I was younger,” Pope, the president of the National Association of Real Estate Brokers (NAREB), said during an interview inside the television studio of the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) in Washington, D.C.

“My mother told me about the real estate card she possessed that prompted her to own a home,” Pope reminisced during a conversation with NNPA President and CEO Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr.

The entire conversation will air this season on PBS-TV and PBS-World during a telecast of The Chavis Chronicles. Today, Pope’s brother owns the family’s Cleveland home, which she said

The five pillars include:

• Multi-generational wealth

• Government relations and advocacy

• Diversity and inclusion for small businesses

• Women’s initiatives

• Faith-based and civic engagement

“Even today, the rate of Black homeownership is still at 46 percent. We have not moved the needle, so it’s important that as Black people, we have to fight for what we want,” Pope exclaimed.

“When you talk about democracy and housing, it’s important that we understand that we have to continue to fight for what we want. If that means going to our legislatures, that’s what we do. Our

goal is to talk and advocate for the community, for those in need, for those who can’t speak for themselves. We can be the voice for them.”

Pope counts as the third woman president in NAREB’s 74-year history. She has worked in real estate since 1995 and serves as the owner and president of E&D Realty & Investment Company, Inc., and E&D Realty Property Management Division and E&D Construction Company.

According to Pope’s biography, some of her past and current accomplishments include Past President of the Women’s Council of NAREB, Mt. Pleasant Advisory Board, Ohio Housing Finance Agency Committee, Cleveland Realtist Association Past President & Chair, and the Cleveland/Akron Legislative Committee.

Pope also holds a longtime membership with the NAACP

Significantly, Pope declared that NAREB seeks ways to assist African

in wealth building and sustainability. Founded in Tampa, Florida, in 1947 as an equal opportunity and civil rights advocacy organization for African American real estate professionals, consumers, and communities in America. According to its website, the purpose of NAREB is to enhance the economic improvement of its members, the community at large, and the minority community which it serves.

To unite those engaged in the recognized branches of the real estate industry including brokerage, management, mortgage financing, appraising, land development, home building, and allied fields for the purpose of exerting influence on real estate interests. Although composed principally of African Americans, the REALTIST organization embraces all qualified real estate practitioners who are committed to achieving our vision, which is Democracy in Housing. “Our mission is to provide solutions to the various challenges Black people face,” Pope stated. “It’s not just increasing awareness of the barriers to homeownership, but we want to provide solutions to all of the challenges, and educating our community is one of the biggest ways we at NAREB can have a positive impact.”

Source: National Newspaper Publishers Association

“It’s all about a succession plan,” Pope stated. “This is how you build generational wealth.”

NAREB offers five pillars to building Black wealth, Pope added.

NAREB offers five pillars to building Black wealth, Pope added.