GUN BARREL CITY -- Texas Sen. Robert Nichols, R-Jacksonville, told the Henderson County Board of Realtors they should be sitting pretty in the years to come. Nichols said 96 percent of the population growth in the state occurs in the large urban areas, and a "growing blob" will be seen extending from Dallas to the lake area. That will translate to large numbers of residential and commercial real estate sales, he said. "You guys are on the path, and I think you know it," Nichols said to the audience at their general membership meeting lunch at Vetoni's Restaurant May 9. Nichols said that in addition to the anticipated growth in real estate sales, big increases in values also are expected because the construction of new water reservoirs is unlikely. Reservoirs are difficult to build today, and one has not been built in Texas during the last three to four decades, he said. "Current lake values will continue to go up," said Nichols of the limited supply of lake property in Texas. Nichols said the real estate industry is a top concern of his, and that he has kept the best interests of real estate agents in mind when helping create and manage state legislation. To that end he has worked to protect real estate agents from the danger of frivolous lawsuits and excessive appropriations, the legislator said. Nichols said he has fought repeated efforts to require mandatory sales price disclosures. "We've been able to nip it in the bud every time it comes up," Nichols said. After audience members questioned Nichols about their practice of providing sales price information for MLS listings, the legislator said the information should be provided voluntarily rather than as a mandatory practice. By law, the information should remain a private transaction, he said. "I'm not saying there is anything wrong with that," Nichols said. "All I'm saying is that they cannot legally require you to do that." Nichols said he has also fought repeated efforts by some legislators to create a new real estate sales tax or transfer tax in order to balance the state budget. "It comes up every session,and it came up in the last session," Nichols said. "We beat it back." Nichols said the tax would lead to higher real estate prices and make homes less affordable. Nichols said he is also concerned about the practices of investor-owned utility districts, such as water supply companies. They typically charge 50 percent to 70 percent more than municipal districts, and one in Texas charges 300 percent more, he said. State agencies are doing a poor of regulating investor-owned utility districts, the legislator said. The operation of those utility districts do not show up on deeds when property is purchased, he said. Nichols said he has finally gained a seat on the Natural Resource Committee. He began work on the issue by filing bills six years ago, he said. Nichols rounded out his speech with a joke, and the legislator noted he and a few other Texas senators participated in the Brad Pitt movie, "Tree of Life" during filming in Austin at the Capitol. "We do get to have some fun," Nichols said. Pictured below are Henderson County Board of Realtors President Curtis Webster and State Sen. Robert Nichols.