With a nearly 10-percent increase in home sales compared to May 2015, the New York State housing market posted its 16th consecutive month of growth compared to the same month in the prior year, according to the latest New York State Association of REALTORS housing market report. The statewide median sales price grew by 3.2 percent compared to a year ago. Learn more here.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed legislation on Thursday requiring banks and mortgage servicers to maintain foreclosed and abandoned properties, known as "zombie properties," to combat the blight they cause in neighborhoods. The legislation included measures to assist homeowners facing foreclosure and establishes a consumer Bill of Rights for foreclosures. Read more about the legislation here.
NAR Chief Economist Lawrence Yun said Britain's vote to leave the European Union could result in a boost in demand for real estate in the United States. On the commercial side, global corporations could show additional interest in U.S. real restate as they come to see the U.K. as a less certain place to set up or maintain their businesses, Yun said, "especially in London, as it becomes a less attractive place to conduct global business." Learn more here.
Commercial drone use in the real estate business got a boost last week with the release of the Federal Aviation Administration's final rule governing small unmanned aerial systems, or UASs, in the national air space. The FAA rules create a clearer pathway for real estate professionals to use drones for commercial purposes, a prospect that National Association of REALTORS President Tom Salomone called a win for the industry. Learn more here.
NYSAR committee sign up will be available online
only between July 1 and July 31. Members may select up to seven of the
more than 25 NYSAR committees available in 2017 – three termed/closed
committees and four open committees/forums/working groups. Volunteers are asked
to be sure they will be able to attend the association’s 2017 business meetings,
which are Feb. 5-9 in Albany and Sept. 24-27 in Verona, before committing to
serve. For more information, click here.
Tell the U.S. Senate to support H.R. 3700, which would remove a burdensome and expensive FHA Condo approval process, reduce FHA restrictions on the number of condos available to homebuyers and permanently streamline the processing of loans under the Rural Housing Service.
Due to recent changes in the School Tax Relief (STAR) program certain homeowners in New York State will now have to register for the new STAR credit. These new applicants must register with New York State (not their local assessor) by July 1 in order to receive a check in September. Homeowners who register after July 1 will receive a check at a later date. NYSAR created a flyer for its REALTOR members to assist them in working with consumers.
New York State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman announced settlements with two real estate companies for unlawful housing discrimination based on source of income after undercover investigations in New York City. More on this story can be found here.
Sign
up for REALTOR Party Mobile Alerts before July 1 to be entered for a chance to win a $250 Amazon gift card. Text the word,
"NYREALTORS" to 30644 or sign up here. You will only
receive important messages on REALTOR Calls for Action a few times
a year to help protect our industry.
The Tuesday, July 19, NYSAR Radio show will cover disclosures other than agency. Tune in at 10 a.m. on July 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.
Housing Opportunities Month ends on June 30. Join your colleagues in helping the NYSAR Housing Opportunities Foundation reach its goal of raising $5,000 for its First-time Homebuyer Grant Program, which assists low-to-moderate income individuals and families with closing and down payment costs. Click here to donate to the foundation before the end of the June and be entered into a drawing for a $50 American Express Gift Card drawing.
The Seniors Real Estate Specialist (SRES) course will be offered July 18-19 at the Hudson Gateway Association of REALTORS office in Goshen, NY. Learn to specialize in the 50+ real estate market by expanding your knowledge of: current lifestyle and housing trends; how life stages impact real estate choices; and how to develop a network of resources.
Register online today or call 800-239-4432 x219. Click here for more information.
The Graduate REALTOR Institute GRI-3 Agency course will be offered Aug. 3 at the Staten Island Board of REALTORS office in Staten Island, NY. Learn to provide effective, legal and ethical client representation. This course provides in-depth coverage of all forms of agency representation, associated issues and proper disclosure.Learn how to avoid the risk of misrepresentation, vicarious liability and breach of fiduciary duties.
Register online today or call 800-239-4432 x219. Click here for more information.
The Graduate REALTOR Institute GRI-7 Property course will be offered Aug. 10 at the Staten Island Board of REALTORS office in Staten Island, NY. Learn about all the factors impacting value and close more deals. Discover myriad elements that affect property value including:types of housing; appraisals and inspections; neighborhoods and amenities; energy efficiency and environmental issues; lender requirements; and more.
Register online today or call 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.
NYSAR’s newest Member Perks partner, UBS Financial Services, helps you reduce your taxable income and save for retirement with Independent 401(k) plans. Designed with the flexibility to decide whether to contribute and how much on an annual basis, you have the ability to borrow against your own retirement savings both tax-free and penalty-fee. Through NYSAR’s partnership, you’ll pay a minimal annual fee of only $25 for your account. Visit the Retirement page of NYSAR.com or contact Christopher Michelsen, financial advisor at UBS Financial Services, at 212-626-8515 for more details and to enroll now. Click here to view a recent webinar on tax and retirement planning for REALTORS.
Congratulations to the Long Island Board on raising more than $2,000 for RPAC during their first-ever RPAC Theater Night. They enjoyed an evening of theater at the Gateway Playhouse in Bellport for a stellar production of "Million Dollar Quartet." Thank you LIBOR for your ongoing support of RPAC.
Congratulations to John Gerace from the Greater Rochester Association on winning the June RPAC auction item, the Coach bag. After a spirited bidding war, John submitted the high bid of $1,000. Thank you, John, for your commitment to RPAC at the Crystal R ($2,500) level. Enjoy the purse. Stay tuned for the July RPAC auction item to be announced in the days ahead.
Local Board RPAC events have already raised $83,000 for RPAC, so far this year. Thank you to those boards that have already stepped up and hosted an RPAC event.The summer RPAC fundraising season remains hot! The following local boards are holding RPAC events in the weeks ahead:
- June 30: Hudson Gateway – New York Yankees Game
HGAR will return for a NY Yankees game on June 30 to benefit RPAC! Pre-game BBQ and bar open at 11 am on the Rooftop Terrace. The first pitch is scheduled for 1:05 p.m. as the Yankes face the Texas Rangers. Contact Phil Weiden at (914) 681-0833 x3011, email Philip.Weiden@HGAR.com or visit www.hgar.comfor complete detail. See the flyer for more information.
- July 15: Greater Capital – Hudson River Cruise
Dinner, live music, dancing and a boatload of fun awaits aboard the Captain JP Cruise Line for the Second Annual GCAR RPAC Hudson River Cruise. Contact GCAR for more details by calling(518) 464-0191 ext: 22 or email Amanda Bertram,
A complete list of the summer RPAC events is available here.
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