The New York State housing market remained robust in the 2015 third quarter with closed sales increasing by 9.1 percent compared to the 2014 third quarter, according to the housing market report released by the New York State Association of REALTORS. The statewide median sales price also continued its growth trend in the third quarter, increasing by 4.3 percent compared to a year ago. 

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Act now and tell Congress to stop the housing tax for transportation! The House of Representatives Transportation and Infrastructure Committee has begun consideration of a proposal that would use Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac’s credit risk guarantee fees (g-fees) to fund transportation programs, unrelated to any housing needs. Implementing an extension of the g-fee increase could also act to hinder the necessary reforms required of the housing finance system for the foreseeable future.
Read NAR’s Letter to the U.S. House of Representatives.
Read NAR’s Letter to the U.S. Senate.

Privately-owned housing starts in September rose 23.4 percent for the Northeast to 137,000, according to data released by the U.S. Commerce Department. August’s total was 111,000. Nationally, housing starts were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1,206,000, a 6.5-percent increase from the revised August total of 1,132,000.

Building permits for the Northeast also rose in September, increasing 8.3 percent to 118,000. Nationally, building permits fell 5 percent to 1,103,000. To read the entire U.S. Commerce Department press release, click here.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo recently announced executive action directing the state Division of Human Rights to issue regulations intended to protect transgender people from discrimination in housing, employment and other areas. The transgender protections would be extended from provisions in the 1945 New York State Human Rights Law, which protects against discrimination on the basis of sex. The regulations are likely to be published in the state registry within the week, and will be subject to a 45-day comment period before taking effect. For more on this story, click here.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo has signed eight women’s equality bills dealing with pay equity, sexual harassment, human trafficking, discrimination and protections for domestic violence victims into law. One of the new laws (Chapter no. 366) prohibits landlords from discriminating against victims of domestic violence and creates a task force to study the impact that source of income has on access to housing. Click here to read the governor’s release.

During a conference in Midtown Manhattan, New York City Deputy Mayor Alicia Glen was not supportive of adopting commercial rent control measures. Glen worked in real estate finance at Goldman Sachs before joining the de Blasio administration as its deputy mayor for housing and economic development. Glen said the city has taken measures to create more transparency in the retail market for small businesses, but argued that in some real estate developments, smaller tenants quite simply won't work. For more on this story, click here.

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Today’s NYSAR Radio show will take a look at common agency pitfalls. 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. Find more information as well as a list of links to play NYSAR Radio from any of your mobile devices here.

The NYSAR Legal Hotline will be out of service on Monday, Nov. 2 and Tuesday, Nov. 3 due to an official NYSAR function. The Legal Hotline will be back in service on Wednesday, Nov. 4.

The REALTORS Property Resource (RPR) webinar this Thursday, Oct. 29, at 2:30 p.m. will teach you how to use RPR to impress clients and close more deals. You’ll learn how to help sellers understand online value estimates and how RPR provides concrete data to help sellers comprehend market realities. You’ll also learn how to use RPR’s state-of-the-art mapping tools to pin-point searches, locate neighborhood and school info, analyze heat map data and much more for your buyers. Register today!

The GRI-8 Technology e-PRO Day One course will be offered Nov. 2 at the Hampton Inn & Suites in Lake Placid, NY and on Nov. 5 at the Greater Rochester Association of REALTORS in Rochester, NY. Discover the latest tools to streamline your business and exceed client expectations. Learn how to be mobile and paperless in your real estate practice with tips on: transaction management tools; Internet advertising and syndication; e-marketing and social media; automation hardware, software and apps. This program covers day one of the two-day e-PRO certification (day two is completed online – additional fee applies).

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

The GRI-6 Sellers course will be offered Nov. 5 at the Greater Syracuse Association of REALTORS in Syracuse, NY. Represent seller clients in a way that keeps them coming back. Get a competitive advantage with strategies to: gain more listings; get clients to price to sell; enhance your marketing; and avoid fair housing violations and safety concerns.

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

Fulfill your USPAP requirement and learn how you can strengthen your appraisal skills, while reviewing how to correctly develop and report the sales comparison approach in appraising real property, during the conference at the Turning Stone Resort and Casino in Verona, NY. Click here for more information or to register.

Enrollment for health insurance in 2016 will begin on Sunday, Nov. 1. It will close on Sunday, Jan. 31, 2016. Look to NYSAR Member Perks partner USI Affinity to help you navigate the plan options and find the coverage that best suits your needs. Remember, you will face tax penalties if you do not obtain coverage. Also, if you miss open enrollment, you will not be able to obtain health insurance until the next open enrollment period unless you qualify for a special enrollment. For more information, visit www.myrealtorinsurance.com/nysar.

With this money- and potentially life-saving benefit, you have the opportunity to evaluate your risk for several of today's most critical - and often undiagnosed - health conditions. Held in convenient neighborhood or corporate settings across New York State, Life Line Screening offers painless, non-invasive screenings for strokes, aneurysms and other vascular diseases. 

The four-screening stroke, vascular disease and heart rhythm package ($240 value) is available at special NYSAR pricing of $135. Keep in mind, these same tests would likely cost more than $1,000 at a hospital.Call 800-636-0248 or visit www.lifelinescreening.com/nysar for more information or to find a screening near you.

It’s time to embrace the opportunity to own the Apple Watch Sport! Perfect for yourself or as a holiday gift. The lightweight sport model is made for those with an active lifestyle and features a silver case and white sports band. Bidding closes this Friday, Oct. 30. Visit the RPAC page of NYSAR.com to learn more.

Congratulations to the Columbia Greene Board on raising more than $600 during a beer tasting event at the Creekside Restaurant & Bar in Catskill last week. Not only was this an excellent event, but the board has exceeded their 2015 RPAC fundraising goal with the proceeds from this event. Congratulations!

The 2015 RPAC fundraising year closes on Monday, Nov. 30, and local boards across the state continue to hold events. Greater Capital is hosting a wine tasting in Saratoga Springs, Ithaca is hosting a Casino Night, and Hudson Gateway returns to the Levity Live Comedy Club for an RPAC Comedy Night. Click here to view complete details.