In its U.S. Foreclosure Market Report for November 2015, RealtyTrac reported that New York State had 4,819 total foreclosures, a 3.68-percent decrease from October 2015 and a 0.1-percent drop from the same time last year. New York State ranks 24 out of all 50 states in monthly total foreclosure filings. One in every 1,684 housing units in New York State received a foreclosure filing in November. Learn more here.

On Dec. 10, $1.5 billion was awarded to three upstate regions, the Southern Tier, Finger Lakes and Central New York, as part of Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s Upstate Revitalization Initiative. Each region will receive $500 million in economic development subsidies over the next five years. The $1.5 billion comes from a one-time windfall from bank settlements. Additionally, all regions of the state received funding through the fifth round of the governor’s Regional Economic Development Council's competition to support area economic development projects. A full list of projects and awards can be found here.

According to the New York State Association of Counties (NYSAC), nine state-mandated programs and services consume more than 100 percent of the county property taxes levied across the state (outside of New York City), which is the primary reason why New York State has been at the top of list of states with the highest tax burden per capita. To help state leaders begin reversing this trend, NYSAC has released a report called Real and Permanent Mandate Relief, which provides actions the state can take to reduce property taxes at the county level.

The House Financial Services Committee has passed H.R. 3700, "Housing Opportunities through Modernization Act," with a bipartisan vote of 44-10. This legislation, sponsored by Reps. Blaine Luetkemeyer (R-MO) and Emanuel Cleaver (D-MO), includes a number of provisions that are supported by the National Association of REALTORS. The bill will ease FHA’s restrictions on the purchase and sale of condominiums and includes changes to the certification process, owner/occupancy ratio, commercial space requirements, and private transfer fees. Learn more here.

Today’s NYSAR Radio show will take a look back at 2015 and discuss legal items to watch for in 2016. 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 Mid-Winter Business Meetings will be held Feb. 7-11, 2016, at the Desmond Hotel and Conference Center in Albany, NY. The meetings will feature committee meetings, inaugural dinner, the General Session and more.

Click here for more information or to register.

The 2016 training will emphasize NAR’s Code of Ethics and Professional Standards hearing procedures. Attendees will gain an understanding of ethics, arbitration and mediation as well as the new mandatory Ombudsman program and citation options. In addition to six hours of CE credit, this course also satisfies NAR’s mandatory ethics training requirement. Click here for more information on dates and to register today.

NYSAR’s newest Member Perks partner, Mailify, is an email marketing software application that helps you to create, send and track beautiful and effective email campaigns and newsletters. With mobile-responsive email templates specifically designed for real estate, live personal support and the best deliverability in the industry, Mailify will take your email marketing to the next level. Brokers can even setup a master account and give agents access to shared credits and templates. NYSAR members save 20 percent and your first 5,000 email credits are free with member code "NYSAR." Click here for more information.

You have until Jan. 31 to shop the NYSAR exchange for health insurance options in 2016.USI Affinity’s dedicated sales representatives will 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. Shop the NYSAR exchange at http://www.myrealtorinsurance.com/nysar or call USI Affinity’s dedicated sales representative Ned Cox at 888.834.3713 for more information. Click here to watch a recent webinar about how to best navigate open enrollment season.

Enjoy a first-class experience at the world-famous Rink at Rockefeller Center! This experience includes four VIP tickets to skate on Saturday, Dec. 19, at 6:30 p.m. for 90 minutes. The auction closes Thursday, Dec. 17, at noon. Visit the RPAC Facebook group to place a bid or contact Derick King at dking@nysar.comor 518-463-0300 x238.

RPAC of New York kicked-off the 2016 fundraising year at Triple Play in Atlantic City with the successful RPAC High Rollers Suite in conjunction with the New Jersey and Pennsylvania associations of REALTORS. The suite was complete with a barista, food, beverages, shoe shine, professional photographer, chair massages, manicures, psychic reader and more. All told, RPAC of New York took in $10,000 in investments and pledges during the one-day event.