Please join the REALTOR Party and tell your U.S. Representative to support H.R. 9, the Innovation Act, to stop patent trolls and protect the real estate industry from frivolous lawsuits. REALTORS across the country receive threatening demand letters and lawsuits alleging patent infringement based on the use of common business tools. H.R. 9 will help combat this problem and is scheduled for House floor consideration the week of July 21. For more information and to sign the petition, click here and tell Congress to pass this common-sense comprehensive patent litigation reform.

According to the latest poll by the Siena Research Institute (SRI), New York State consumer home buying plans were down to 7 percent in June after measuring at 8.1 percent in March. Overall, New York State consumer confidence was down 1.8 points in June to 84.6, 11.5 points below the nation’s index of 96.1. Learn more here.

NYSAR recently released its latest infographic, titled "Buyers Want Smart Homes," which utilizes data from the 2015 State of the Smart Home Report conducted by Icontrol Networks. 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 or contact information.

The National Association of REALTORS' REALTOR Magazine is hosting a live webcast on what REALTOR members need to know about the closing process changes coming later this year, and how to help keep transactions on track as the new process and forms take effect. The webcast will be Thursday, July 16, at 2 p.m., and will feature attorney Phil Schulman of K&L Gates, an expert on federal closing rules, and NAR Senior Counsel Finley Maxson. Click here to view the live webcast.

Last week, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced that two more mortgage companies, First Niagara and Carrington Mortgage, will adopt a set of best practices to help inspect and maintain vacant and abandoned properties in New York State. This means a total of 13 banks and mortgage companies have now agreed to these set of practices, which according to the governor, represent about 70 percent of the New York market. These practices are set to be implemented and adopted by August of this year. For more information, you can view the governor’s press release here.

Stay up-to-date on NYSAR Government Affairs news and events by following us on Facebook and Twitter.

Pursuant to Federal Aviation Administration rules and regulations, the use of drones for commercial purposes is prohibited unless an exemption is granted to an individual or entity to use drones/unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) commercially. So far this year, the FAA has issued hundreds of exemptions to individuals/entities to use drones for commercial purposes. REALTORS wishing to use drone/UAV footage of a property should only use an individual or entity that has received an exemption from the FAA. Failure to do so may subject the licensee and their broker to liability and/or disciplinary action by federal and state agencies. Learn more here.

The Tuesday, July 21, NYSAR Radio show will cover the topic of agency, specifically related to dual and designated agents. Tune in at 10 a.m. on July 21 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.

Get involved and help guide the future of your state association by signing up for 2016 committee service. You may select up to three open committees and three closed committees from the more than 25 NYSAR committees available in 2016. We only ask you to be sure that you’ll be able to attend the 2016 business meetings February 7-11 at the Desmond in Albany and September 25-28 at the Turning Stone Resort & Casino in Verona before committing to serve. Committee sign up will be available online only between July 1 and July 31. Sign up here.

REALTORS Property Resource (RPR) is more than a comprehensive database - it provides tools and resources to help expand your business. Join NYSAR and RPR on July 16 at 2:30 p.m. to learn how to use RPR to improve prospecting and farming strategies, run accurate comp analyses, identify distressed properties and their impact on neighborhoods, and set industry standard values on home investments. You’ll also get a quick overview of RPR Mobile. Start impressing clients - register for this webinar today.

The GRI-5 Buyers course will be offered on July 21 at the Long Island REALTOR Service Center in West Babylon, 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.

Earn New York State real estate CE credit from the comfort of your home or office! NYSAR is partnering with The CE Shop to bring members engaging, interactive and entertaining online learning opportunities at affordable prices. You can save 20 percent on your real estate education today with promo code "JUL20" throughout the month of July. Learn more here.

The open enrollment period for NYSAR’s dental plan has begun, and there’s never been a better time to re-evaluate 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 www.MyREALTORInsurance.com/nysar or call USI Affinity’s dedicated sales representative Ned Cox at 888.834.3713 for more information.

Through their partnership with Oncor Insurance Services, NYSAR’s insurance plan administrator USI Affinity offers you affordable, easy-to-acquire life insurance solutions to fit your needs and protect your income. With options from multiple carriers, you have access to competitive products including term-life, universal life and whole life insurance. There is no cost or obligation for a quote.

Call 800-259-3430 or visit www.MyREALTORInsurance.com/nysar to get started today.

Each month, two full-sized bottles (one red and one white) of hard-to-find, premium wines from award-winning, boutique wineries across the globe, will be shipped to your doorstep! Bidding closes Monday, July 27.  

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

The Greater Capital Association of REALTORS recently enjoyed a sunset cruise down the Hudson River in support of RPAC. The event featured dinner, drinks, auctions and live entertainment aboard the Captain JP Cruise Line. Thank you to all the attendees and those who worked so hard to plan and execute this event, which raised more than $7,200 for RPAC.