Pending home sales were mostly unchanged in December, but inched forward slightly, fueled by a large increase in the Northeast that outpaced declines in the other three major regions, according to the National Association of REALTORS (NAR). NAR Chief Economist Lawrence Yun said warmer than average weather and more favorable inventory conditions compared to other parts of the country encouraged more households in the Northeast to make the decision to buy last month. Learn more here.

The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration has urged taxpayers to remain on "high alert" and announced additional outreach efforts to prevent them from falling victim to criminals who impersonate Internal Revenue Service and Treasury employees this filing season. There have been thousands of reports of contact every month in while individuals fraudulently claiming to be IRS officials make unsolicited calls and "robocalls" to taxpayers demanding that they send them money. Learn more here.

The NYSAR Mid-Winter Business Meetings will open on Sunday, Feb. 7, and be held through Thursday, Feb. 11, at the Desmond Hotel and Conference Center in Albany, NY. The meetings will feature committee meetings, the inaugural dinner, the General Session and more.

There is still time to register! Click here for more information and to view committee meeting agendas. Also, be sure to use #nysar in all of your tweets about the Mid-Winter Business Meetings!

NYSAR is pleased to announce Jimmy Vielkind, Albany bureau chief of POLITICO New York, as a guest speaker at the Legislative Policy Forum during the upcoming Mid-Winter Business Meetings at the Desmond Hotel and Conference Center. Vielkind will be discussing state and national politics and government. The Legislative Policy Forum will be held Tuesday, Feb. 9, from 9-10:30 a.m.

On Saturday, Gov. Andrew Cuomo set an April 19 special election date to fill four state legislative seats, which include the districts of former Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver in Manhattan and former Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos on Long Island. The two other vacancies are Assembly districts located on the southern end of Staten Island and in southeast Brooklyn. Cuomo endorsed the candidacy of current Assemblyman Todd Kaminsky for the Long Island Senate seat, where he faces Republican candidate Christopher McGrath, an attorney. More on this special election can be found here.

Vice President Joe Biden was in New York last Friday with Gov. Andrew Cuomo to support the governor’s plan for a statewide 12-week paid family leave program. The program would be funded through employee payroll deductions, not to exceed 60 cents per week. 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, Feb. 16, NYSAR Radio show will cover common agency issues, specifically related to buyers and sellers. Tune in at 10 a.m. on Feb. 16 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.

Save the pull tabs from your aluminum cans and bring them to the Desmond during the Mid-Winter Business Meetings to donate to Ronald McDonald House Charities! Start collection containers at home and in your office to collect the pull tabs from soda, soup, pet food cans - really anything with a pull tab! Click here for more details.

The SONYMA 2016 & Beyond: Benefits to New York Homebuyers course will be offered on Monday, Feb. 8, at the Desmond Hotel and Conference Center in Albany, NY. The session is designed to acquaint real estate licensees with an overview of the State of New York Mortgage Agency, their role in lending, and the new mortgage loan products they have available to assist various types of borrowers.

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

Join NYSAR’s Director of Legal Services Anthony Gatto, Esq. on Thursday, Feb. 18, at 2:30 p.m. for the latest NYSAR Legal Leftovers webinar. This webinar is a follow-up to the Legal Update being presented at the NYSAR Mid-Winter Business Meetings. Topics may include such matters as commissions, agency, and other recent legal developments. Click here to register today.

TransUnion SmartMove is an easy, comprehensive and reliable web-based tenant background check offering access to a full credit report, criminal report, customized leasing recommendations and suggested deposit amount to request at lease signing. The trusted brand’s process is all online and you pay only when you use it with no set-up, minimum or annual fees. Use promo code "NYSAR123" to get $5 off today. Learn more here.

NYSAR’s exclusive partner for errors and omissions insurance, Pearl Insurance, offers you comprehensive and affordable coverage customized to fit your needs. Their program, underwritten by XL Insurance, includes innovative features such as: deductible reduction; open house coverage; environmental failure to advise; innocent partner protection; and public relations advisory services. For more details or a customized quote, call (800) 289-8170 or visit www.pearlinsurance.com/nysar.

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.

The 2016 RPAC fundraising goals will be identical to the 2015 RPAC fundraising goals for the local boards. Our statewide fundraising goal will again be $778,677. In terms of participation goals, NYSAR eliminated the previous participation goal structure, replacing it with the NAR participation goal set for the state, which is a flat participation rate of 35 percent. In addition, beginning in 2016, for an RPAC investor to be counted toward participation totals for the local, state and national level, the minimum RPAC investment will be $15. To view 2016 fundraising and participation goals by board, click here.