The 2016 NYSAR Mid-Winter Business Meetings kicked off Sunday at the Desmond Hotel & Conference Center in Albany. Last night, the 2016 NYSAR Leadership Team of President Linda Lugo, President-elect Dawn Carpenter and Secretary/Treasurer CJ DelVecchio was inaugurated into office.

During this afternoon’s General Session, NYSAR President Linda Lugo will provide an outlook on the year ahead, NAR President Tom Salomone will give inspirational remarks, the 2015 local board/association REALTORS of the Year will be recognized, and the 2015 Community Service and RPAC Awards will be presented. Look for the General Session video and meeting minutes on NYSAR.com in the near future.

The U.S. House of Representatives has voted to advance legislation that will expand opportunities for homeownership. H.R. 3700, the "Housing Opportunity Through Modernization Act," includes a number of initiatives that have strong support from the National Association of REALTORS, who hailed the vote as important progress for home buyers and sellers. Learn more here.

Home prices may have been on the rise the last few years, but homes are still more affordable now than they were in pre-bubble years, according to the latest Mortgage Monitor Report released by Black Knight Financial Services. Households are using 21 percent of the national median income to pay a mortgage on a median-priced home. Learn more here.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo nominated Rossana Rosado as New York State Secretary of State to replace Cesar Perales, who will be retiring. More on Rosado’s nomination can be found here.

Republican State Sen. Michael Nozzolio of Seneca County, who has represented the Finger Lakes region for more than 30 years, announced that he will not seek re-election in the fall, citing a heart problem. Assemblyman Bob Oaks has said he is considering a run for the seat.

POLITICO New York reported that members of the New York City Council voted to approve giving themselves a 32-percent salary raise on Friday. The $36,000 raise was approved by a majority of the members, with a 40-7 vote. The raise would increase council members’ salaries to $148,500 a year. The vote also grants a significant salary increase for all of the city’s elected officials. You can read more about the council’s push for raises here.

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.

Today is the final day to shop the NYSAR Housing Opportunities Foundation’s "It’s New to You" couture store! Check out the selection of gently-used items being sold during the Mid-Winter Business Meetings in the Billiard Room at the Desmond Hotel in Albany, NY. Shop for men's and women's formal wear, business wear, smart casual clothing, outerwear, shoes and accessories. 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.

The Short Sales and Foreclosures (SFR) course will be offered Feb. 25 at the Mohawk Valley Association of REALTORS in Utica, NY. This course provides you with the framework for understanding how to: qualify sellers for short sales; develop a short sale package; negotiate with lenders; tap into buyer demand; safeguard commissions; limit risk; and protect buyers.

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

The CRS 201 – Listing Strategies for the Residential Specialist course will be offered Feb. 25-26 at the Greater Syracuse Association of REALTORS in Syracuse, NY. This course provides you with the important skills necessary to conduct successful listing presentations, price a home to sell, close the transaction and market the listing effectively.

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

Take advantage of NYSAR Member Perks partner Taxbot to keep more of your commissions through tax deductions! For a limited time only, you can try Taxbot for free for three months. This offer is for new Taxbot customers only and will only be available until Feb. 15 at 11:59 p.m. The Taxbot mobile app offers you the ability to track business mileage and expenses with your iPhone or Android smartphone or tablet, and turn those expenses into IRS compliant tax deductions. Learn more here.

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.

If you haven’t planned to do so already, take refuge from NYSAR’s hectic business meetings by visiting the RPAC VIP Lounge today, 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! The cost is a $250 RPAC pledge or investment. Click here for a flyer with more information.