Jerald Turboff: Housing Market Continues to Improve in San Antonio

As President of the Prime Capital Corporation, a real estate enterprise based in Houston, Texas, Jerald Turboff provides brokerage, consulting, development assistance, and other services to Texas’s residential and commercial markets.

Industry stakeholders expect a combination of factors, including low mortgage interest rates and a rise in new home construction, to buttress sales and help grow the formerly stagnant San Antonio housing market. According to individuals with the San Antonio Board of Realtors, home sales may increase as much as 15 percent in 2013. Further, while home values climbed almost 3 percent in 2012, this year could bring an even greater rise.

The most up-to-date information on San Antonio’s housing market dates from January to November 2012, during which home sales increased more than 10 percent to 18,343 compared to the prior year’s 16,631. If that trend holds for 2013, it could precipitate economic gain not only for real estate professionals but also for the construction and the construction-supply industries.

Careers in Real Estate

People embarking on their professions, as well as those seeking to change their employment paths, often think about pursuing careers in real estate, and the career path can provide a great future. Employment in this field opens up a world of opportunity for growth and advancement. In fact, a real estate career offers unlimited potential, with the added advantage that achievements directly reflect the effort expended in the work. Below, read about just a few of the careers you can pursue as a real estate professional.

1. Residential Brokerage: When they consider a career in real estate, most people picture a residential broker, also known as a residential real estate agent or realtor. A residential broker assists in the process of buying and selling homes. You must acquire a license, and you need a good knowledge of area markets, real estate law, and mortgage financing to pursue this career.

2. Commercial Brokerage: A career in commercial brokerage involves brokering the sale of business and income-producing properties including apartment buildings, shopping centers, factories, and warehouses. Working as a commercial broker requires knowledge of local zoning and laws, as well as extensive knowledge of the local economy.

3. Land Brokerage: Land brokers typically deal in acreage for farming and commercial expansion. Brokers may need specialized knowledge of farming economics and zoning laws.

4. Appraisal: Real estate appraisers assess the current value of properties based on a variety of factors, such as local markets and historical information. Understanding of current market conditions, as well as finance and accounting knowledge, remain essential for this career.

5. Property Management: Property managers, who maintain real estate assets for owners, need a good understanding of the type of properties they manage and may require business management skills as well.

Jerry Turboff Likes to Travel to Canada

My wife’s and my passion is travel, and one of the places we enjoy visiting is Canada. We particularly like the fact that it does not take forever to travel there, yet feels like it is a world away from where we live in Texas. Below are a few facts that may help fellow travelers on their journeys to Canada. Canada’s climate varies across the country, and all regions feature four distinct seasons. Ontario and Québec, known as the Maritime Provinces, are more humid than the western provinces, and I recommend taking a sweater or light raincoat if you plan to visit there.

Québec and Ontario are usually a little colder in the winter and slightly warmer in the summer. The mountains offer the greatest variation of temperatures and can range from 3 degrees Fahrenheit in the winter to 75 degrees during the summer. Layers of comfortable clothing are essential if you visit the Rockies, since it is likely a sudden change in temperature will occur. Vancouver and Victoria feature the mildest weather in Canada, with temperatures typically hovering around 73 degrees during the summer. The Canadian dollar represents Canada’s currency, and denominations include $100, $50, $20, $10, and $5.

Coins have names some of we Americans might find amusing: A “toonie” is worth $2.00, and a “loonie” is worth $1.00. Quarters, dimes, nickels, and pennies are worth the same as they are in the US. Canadian dollar traveler’s checks are easy to use, and they are accepted as currency at most hotels, stores, and restaurants. In addition, most major credit cards are widely accepted across the country, including Visa, MasterCard, and American Express. Visitors must go through Canadian Customs and state what articles they are bringing into Canada, their country of origin, their Canadian destination, and their visit’s duration. When visitors leave Canada, the regulations of the destination country will apply.

by Jerry Turboff

Emery/Weiner School

Among many other private philanthropic causes, I am proud to support the Emery/Weiner School in Houston, Texas. This private college prep school provides middle and high school education based on solid academics and the principals of pluralistic Judaism. Pluralistic Judaism teaches that Judaism, while a source of religious views, is not the only religious truth; there is value and truth in many other religions as well. Rather than focusing on commandments, Emery/Weiner School students, parents, and teachers make 10 commitments to the school and its educational practices. For instance, students commit to honesty, respect, preparedness, communication, and non-violent dispute resolution. Parents promise to take an active role in their children’s educational processes, respecting the school’s educational choices, embracing diversity in religious observance and belief, and refraining from speaking badly of others. Teachers make commitments to compassion, creativity, availability, balance, and fairness. Along with providing an excellent education, Emery/Weiner School develops moral character, fosters personal growth, and stresses devotion to “tikkun olam,” a Hebrew phrase meaning “bettering the world.” The institution was established in 1978 as the I. Weiner Jewish Secondary School. In 2001, it began serving grades 6 through 12 and became the Emery/Weiner School. Currently, the school has 475 middle and high school students.

Prevent Blindness Texas (PBT)

By: Jerry Turboff

As the President of Prime Capital Corporation, a leading Houston real estate agency, I am proud to be able to give back to the community through charitable contributions. One charity I support is Prevent Blindness Texas (PBT) and its parent organization, Prevent Blindness America. PBT was founded in 1956 as a volunteer-based non-profit, dedicated to preventing blindness and preserving sight through free programs. This was only two years after the founding of the first Connecticut affiliate of the National Society to Prevent Blindness. PBT continues its mission to this day, offering comprehensive vision screenings, public and professional education programs, and a variety of referral services. In May, 2010 PBT was divided into four regions, in order to better focus its efforts: Northeast (Dallas), Northwest (Fort Worth), Southeast (Houston), and Southwest (San Antonio). Research suggests that blindness is preventable for nearly half of the 50,000 people in the United States who are diagnosed with the disability each year. For this reason, PBT offers adult and children’s vision screenings as a preventative measure. If the PBT screener detects a vision deficiency after a series of tests, individuals are referred to eye care professionals who can provide prescriptions and treatment. A child-specific vision screening test is the stereopsis screening/muscle imbalance screening, utilizing the Random Dot E Test. This test is mandatory for all children up to the age of nine. PBT adult referrals can take advantage of the Partners in Prevention Program, through which eye care professionals donate a certain number of free eye exams and glasses annually. These donations apply only to individuals who do not qualify for social services, and cannot otherwise afford the cost of eye care. As a way of raising funds, PBT holds several events each year, including Light the Night for Sight in the Southwest region, and See No Vino! wine-tasting events in the Southeast and Northwest regions. For further information on becoming involved with Prevent Blindness Texas as a volunteer or donor, visit the website www.preventblindness.org/TX.

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