The average time to close on a mortgage was 49 days in November, the longest timeline since February 2013, according to Ellie Mae’s latest Origination Insight Report. Conventional and FHA loans each averaged 49 days, while VA loans averaged 50 days. The National Association of REALTORS has flagged the new RESPA-TILA "Know Before You Owe" mortgage regulations as the likely culprit for the longer closing times. Learn more here.

On Jan. 1, 2016, it became unlawful for any person to engage, advertise or hold themselves out as a mold assessor, remediation contractor or abatement worker unless they have a valid mold license issued by the New York State Department of Labor (DOL). REALTORS must be aware that any mold assessor or remediation specialist you refer to customers, clients, sellers or purchasers must be licensed with New York State. This requirement is the same as those applying to licensed home inspector referrals. Information on applications, training course providers and FAQs can be found on the state DOL website here.

Moving into 2016, real estate professionals can continue to stay up-to-date on commercial and non-commercial drone use, registration requirements and proposed Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) rules by watching a short and informative video produced by the National Association of REALTORS here.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo has started to lay out his agenda for the upcoming legislative session, which typically runs from January until June. Leading up to his State of the State speech and Executive Budget proposal, scheduled for Jan. 13, Cuomo said ethics reforms, raising the minimum wage and addressing homelessness will be priorities in 2016. More on this story can be found here.

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

The Tuesday, Jan. 19, NYSAR Radio show will cover advertising issues. Tune in at 10 a.m. on Jan. 19 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, the inaugural dinner, the General Session and more. The deadline to reserve a hotel room using NYSAR’s discounted room rate is this Friday, Jan. 8.  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.

Join NYSAR and one of our newest Member Perks partners, Healthiest You, for a free webinar on Thursday, Jan. 21, at 2:30 p.m. that explains: what telemedicine is; Healthiest You's winning platform; and how you'll benefit from enrolling. As a NYSAR Member Perk, members can enroll an entire family for just $9 per month. There will also be a brief Q&A session at the end of the webinar. Click here to register today.

The GRI-1 Ethics course will be offered Jan. 22 at the LIBOR REALTOR Service Center in Woodbury, NY. This course satisfies NAR's mandatory quadrennial ethics training requirement. You'll discover how to: put the Code of Ethics to work for you; maximize your REALTOR benefits; and enhance your professionalism and career through community involvement.

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

One out of every four adults will have their identity stolen – are you next? According to NYSAR Member Perks partner IdentityForce, a leader in identity protection, identity theft is one of the fastest-growing crimes in the United States and can happen at anytime, anywhere and to anyone. Knowing this, 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. To view and share an infographic about how you can protect yourself from identity theft, click here.

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.

Back by popular demand, the RPAC VIP Lounge will be held at the Desmond on Tuesday, Feb. 9 from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.! Take refuge from NYSAR’s hectic business meetings by visiting the RPAC Lounge, where you’ll gain access to a continental breakfast, deluxe hot lunch buffet, snacks and beverages, chair massage, manicurist, psychic readings, cable TV, computers, printer, unlimited Internet access, cell phone chargers, newspapers and more! Register online while registering for the business meetings by clicking here. For complete details on the RPAC Lounge, click here.
Cost: $250 RPAC Pledge or Investment.
Questions? Email Derick King at dking@nysar.com or call 518-463-0300 x238.