Builder confidence in the market for newly-constructed single-family homes in August rose two points to 60 from a downwardly-revised reading of 58 in July, according to the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB)/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI). In the Northeast, the index rose two points to 41.To read the entire NAHB press release, click here.

Mandatory Code of Ethics training (formerly known as the Quadrennial Code of Ethics training) must be completed by Dec. 31 of this year. Failure to complete the training by Dec. 31 will result in your local board/association suspending your membership on Jan. 1, 2017 until the requirement is met. Any member who has not met the requirement by March 1, 2017 will be automatically terminated. Learn more here.

In anticipation of next year’s legislative session, which begins in January, NYSAR met with Assemblymembers in New York City last week to discuss topics including NYSAR-sponsored legislation to create a tax-free first-time homebuyer savings account called NY First Home, as well as enacting legislation to increase transparency and disclosure in the cooperative purchase process. NYSAR will continue a dialogue with lawmakers leading up to the new legislative session and provide updates to REALTOR members.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo has offered developers and union officials a wage subsidy for construction workers in the hopes of reviving the expired 421-a tax abatement program, which gave tax breaks to developers in exchange for affordable housing construction. The governor’s proposal would set a two-tiered minimum wage for projects of 300 apartments or more in Manhattan and on the waterfront in Brooklyn and Queens. More on this story can be found here.

Town of Niagara Supervisor Lee Wallace wants to pursue permission from the state to offer property tax exemptions for those who buy, renovate and live in homes that have been abandoned and foreclosed in order to combat "zombie" properties in the area. A similar program already exists in Batavia. More on this story can be found here.

The Tuesday, Sept. 20, NYSAR Radio show will cover common commission issues. Tune in at 10 a.m. on Sept. 20 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.

Every donation you make to the NYSAR Housing Opportunities Foundation between now and Sept. 28 will enter you into a raffle for a MacBook Air. Earn one chance with a $20 donation or three chances with a $50 donation. Make your donation now at NYSARHousingFoundation.com or while you’re at Turning Stone for the Fall Business Meetings. The winner will be announced during the NYSAR Board of Directors meeting on Sept. 28.

The Pricing Strategies: Mastering the CMA course will be offered Sept. 1 at the Hudson Gateway Association of REALTORS in White Plains, NY. This course is designed to help residential real estate agents and brokers enhance their skills in providing clients property pricing guidance, creating CMAs, working with appraisers, and educating clients on potential misconceptions about home values. 

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

The New York State Association of REALTORSwill hold its annual Fall Business Meetings Sept. 25-28 at the Turning Stone Resort & Casino in Verona, NY. You won’t want to miss the opening day keynote speaker, Jeff Slutsky, founder of Street Fighter Marketing, give clever, shrewd and low-cost marketing tactics that get proven results on the local level. General Session keynote speaker Mark Sanborn, president of Sanborn & Associates, Inc., will share the exciting opportunities that await you when you pursue your own potential. NYSAR encourages all members to participate as many of the sessions do not require official committee service. Watch a video about what you can expect from the Fall Business Meetings here.  

For more information or to register for the meetings, click 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.

Your NYSAR membership gives you an extra 10-percent discount at NAR's REALTOR.org store. Shop the store and take advantage of exclusive savings on NAR's entire line of products and publications including books, brochures, DVDs, research reports and more. To redeem your 10-percent discount, visit www.realtor.org/store and simply enter member code "NYSAR2" at checkout.

The August RPAC auction item is an Amazon Tap – a compact, portable Bluetooth and Wi-Fi enabled speaker that gives you rich, full-range sound. Just tap the microphone button and ask for music, hear news, search for information, order a pizza and more with the Alexa voice service. Visit the RPAC Facebook group to place a bid or contact Derick King at dking@nysar.com or 518-463-0300 x238. Bidding will be open until the close of business on Friday, Aug. 26.

Congratulations to the Northern Adirondack REALTORS on raising $2,158 for RPAC by railbiking from Saranac Lake to Lake Clear for the second annual Railbiking for RPAC event! The event also featured refreshments, nourishment and auctions following the journey through the Adirondack wilderness on railbikes.

Congratulations to the Sullivan County REALTORS on raising $2,645 for RPAC during a board dinner last week! These proceeds bring Sullivan County to 149-percent of their 2016 fundraising goal. Great job and thank you!