Home sales and selling prices continued on an upward trend in April, according to the housing market report released by the New York State Association of REALTORS. The April 2015 sales total of 7,207 units was up 1.3 percent from April 2014. The April 2015 statewide median sales price was $221,000, a 5.2-percent increase from the April 2014 median.

Learn more here.

Nearly a dozen mortgage firms and credit unions are adopting a set of best practices to prevent neighborhood blight and the impact to home values from "zombie properties" that are left abandoned by the home owner in New York State.Banks and mortgage companies have agreed to conduct an exterior inspection of homes within 60 days of delinquency to determine if a home is abandoned or not. They will then recheck the property every 30 days after that. 

Learn more here.

Privately-owned housing starts in April rose an impressive 85.9 percent for the Northeast to 184,000, according to data released by the U.S. Commerce Department. March’s total was 99,000. Nationally, housing starts were at an annual rate of 1,135,000, a 20.2-percent increase from February’s 944,000 total.

Building permits for the Northeast also increased significantly, rising 38.8 percent to 179,000, while nationally, building permits rose 10.1 percent to 1,143,000. Learn more here.

This year’s Albany Lobby Day will be June 9, starting at 9 a.m., giving REALTORS from around the state the opportunity to speak with their legislators. Talking points and additional materials will be available on, or before June 2. Albany lawmakers have four weeks left until the end of session, and our annual Lobby Day has a tremendous impact on ensuring REALTOR priorities and interests are protected throughout New York State. Follow the NYSAR GA Twitter feed for updates on this event and more.

A recent letter was published from NYSAR CEO Duncan MacKenzie regarding residential fire sprinklers. As of yet, the state Building Code Council has not scheduled a meeting to re-address a vote to approve or reject the fire sprinkler mandate.

 

According to a poll conducted by the Siena Research Institute, 65 percent of New Yorkers believe residential fire sprinklers should remain their choice, and 80 percent of upstate New Yorkers agree. A mandate will drive up costs and make home buying less affordable. If you have not already done so, please answer the Call for Action telling Albany that residential fire sprinklers should be a choice not an unfunded mandate.

The Tuesday, June 2, NYSAR Radio show will cover MLS Issues and also include a preview of Lobby Day, being held Tuesday, June 9. Tune in at 10 a.m. on June 2 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.

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

The digital edition of the May/June 2015 New York State REALTOR magazine is now available on NYSAR.com. Check out a Legal Line article dispelling common agency myths, an update from New York State's Capitol, an article on staging, tips for setting up secure passwords, and more. Start reading.

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. Find more information here.

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. Find more information here.

The open enrollment period for NYSAR’s dental plan begins June 1, and there’s never been a better time to reevaluate your dental and vision coverage. Administered by USI Affinity and now underwritten by MetLife, the NYSAR dental plan offers: options for a range in coverage and cost; third straight year of no rate increases; coverage for individuals and families; freedom to visit any dentist, in or out-of-network; and coverage for orthodontia.

Through this new partnership with MetLife, vision coverage is now being offered as a standalone option in addition to being an optional rider on the dental policy. Visit the Insurance page of NYSAR.com for more information.

NYSAR’s newest Member Perks partner, IdentityForce, is a leader in identity protection. Recognizing that identity theft is one of the fastest-growing crimes in the United States and can happen at anytime, anywhere and to anyone, NYSAR has negotiated a special discounted rate to provide you with a proven solution to safeguard your personal information. Don’t wait to fall victim to identity theft, let IdentityForce start protecting you today! Visit www.identityforce.com/nysar for more information and to enroll.

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 today, Tuesday, May 26.  

Visit the RPAC page of NYSAR.com to learn more.

RPAC has launched two brand new promotional flyers for 2015 including a flyer specific to commercial real estate practitioners and a comprehensive "RPAC Your Best Investment" flyer detailing actual savings to REALTORS as a direct result of RPAC working hard to protect their interests before lawmakers.

Download the RPAC commercial brochure here.
Download the "RPAC Your Best Investment" brochure here.

Congratulations to all who made HGAR’s first-ever "Mr. Legs" pageant a huge success for RPAC! The event raised an amazing $17,340. Thanks to HGAR President Drew Kessler for a great event, and a huge congrats to "Mr. Legs" 2015 Sander Koudijs of the Great American Title Company for his unique costume! Thank you to all the legs contestants and those who worked hard to make this event happen.