During the 2015 Legislative Meetings in Washington, DC, the National Association of REALTORS (NAR) Board of Directors approved a partnership between NAR, its wholly-owned subsidiary REALTORS Property Resource (RPR) and UpStream RE, LLC to create a data entry and collection system for the brokerage community using the RPR advanced Multi-list platform (AMP). The system will give brokerages a single place to input their listing data for distribution on multiple platforms online, including REALTOR.com, local MLSs and broker websites.

The data entry system is explained in a video on REALTOR.org. Click here to view the video.

Lower interest rates and home prices contributed to a solid boost in nationwide affordability in the first quarter of 2015, according to the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB)/Wells Fargo Housing Opportunity Index (HOI).For the second straight quarter, Syracuse, NY remained the nation’s most affordable major housing market.

Click here to learn more.

NYSAR recently released its latest infographic, titled "Home Sweet (Second) Home," which utilizes data from the 2015 Investment and Vacation Home Buyers Survey by the National Association of REALTORS. NYSAR’s infographics are available to download in both jpeg and PDF formats on the Infographics page of NYSAR.com. They are also now available in a custom format for you to brand with your logo.

The New York State Fire Prevention and Building Code Council met Friday, May 15, to vote on pending building and construction code requirements for New York State. The New York State Department of State (DOS) made recommendations against requiring residential sprinklers be installed in all one- and two-family homes and townhouses. However, instead of adopting the DOS recommendations, the Code Council decided to postpone a vote on the measure until an unspecified future date. 

NYSAR believes education, transparency and consumer choice is the appropriate action versus another state mandate on purchasers of new homes in New York State. There is still time to take action and tell Gov. Andrew Cuomo and your state legislators that you oppose this mandate by clicking here.

On Monday, May 11, New York State Senator John Flanagan of Suffolk County, Long Island, was elected to replace Senator Dean Skelos as temporary president of the state Senate. Flanagan was previously chair of the Senate Education Committee. Click here for more information on Flanagan’s election.

Last week, more than 8,000 REALTORS from around the country attended legislative sessions and met with members of Congress in Washington, D.C. to ensure buyers and investors have access to affordable mortgage financing and that proper policies are in place to encourage homeownership in the state of New York and the rest of the country. 

Click here to learn more.

Today’s NYSAR Radio show will cover the topic of material defects. Tune in at 10 a.m. this morning on your PC or Mac by using the player on the NYSAR Radio page. You will need to be logged in to listen. If you have not yet created your account with the website, you will need to click on "New User" on the Member Login page and follow the prompts.

Click here for more information as well as a list of links to play NYSAR Radio from any of your mobile devices.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau conduct a hold a 60-minute webinar on Tuesday, May 26, at 2 p.m. to answer frequently asked questions about the TILA RESPA Integrated Disclosure rule. This fifth and final presentation in the planned series of webinars will address specific questions related to rule interpretation and implementation challenges that have been raised by creditors, mortgage brokers, settlement agents, software developers, and other stakeholders. Click here to register today.

The GRI-5 Buyers course will be offered on May 27 at the Greater Binghamton Association of REALTORS in Binghamton, NY. This course will teach you strategies to: secure more buyer clients; guide buyers through the process from pre-qualifying to closing; assure Fair Housing compliance; and keep you, your clients and customers safe.

Register online today or call NYSAR at 800-239-4432 x219. Click here for more information.

The Seniors Real Estate Specialist (SRES) course will be offered June 3-4 at the Buffalo Niagara Association of REALTORS in Amherst, NY. Specialize in the 50-plus real estate market by expanding your knowledge of: current lifestyle and housing trends; how life stages impact real estate choices; and how to develop a network of resources. 

Register online today or call NYSAR at 800-239-4432 x219. Click here for more information.

Online registration is open for the 14^th annual New York State Commercial Real Estate Conference being held June 8-10 at the Turning Stone Resort and Casino in Verona, NY. The event is the largest commercial real estate conference in the Northeast.

Online registration is available through June 5 by clicking here. The early-bird rate will end May 29. For more information and to download a registration form, click here.

Energy Plus® is leaving its mark on the energy industry through its special cash back rewards program. Enroll your home with Energy Plus® and receive 3 percent cash back and a $25 enrollment bonus after two months of active service, and 5 percent cash back and a $50 bonus for a business account. Enrolling with Energy Plus® is easy and there are no monthly service fees, cancellation fees, or long-term commitments. Stop missing out on what you deserve and start earning cash back rewards. Click here to enroll today.

One of NYSAR’s newest Member Perks partners, Taradel, is an approved affiliate of the U.S. Postal Service’s Every Door Direct Mail® (EDDM®) program. Through this partnership, NYSAR members receive a five-percent discount to design, target, print and mail marketing pieces to every address in a specific zip code or carrier route. Forget buying mailing lists and printing labels, get started with Every Door Direct Mail® today. Click here to access the exclusive NYSAR EDDM® member portal.

The Fitbit Charge activity wristband is your perfect companion on the road to a healthier lifestyle. It displays daily steps, distance, calories burned, floors climbed, time of day and even syncs with your smartphone to display caller ID. Bidding closes Tuesday, May 26. Click here to learn more.

Local boards across the state have been busy hosting local RPAC events this spring! Already, local boards have raised more than $37,000 for RPAC through local board events alone. From Greater Rochester’s March Madness to Greater Syracuse’s Cooking for RPAC, Columbia Greene’s wine tasting, LIBOR’s Day at the Races, Greater Capital’s Bowling for RPAC and Hudson Gateway’s casual mixers, REALTORS have come out to support RPAC in their communities. To view the calendar of RPAC events to be held across the state over the next several weeks, click here.