Fannie Mae recently announced that it would expand its HomeReady program, which includes 3-percent downpayment loans. It is extending the 3-percent down mortgage to eligible refinancers who have loans already owned by Fannie Mae. Fannie Mae’s previous maximum allowable loan-to-value ratio for refinancers was 95 percent. Now, it will be up to 97 percent under the new guidelines. Click here to learn more.

The quickening pace of home sales over the past year included a small rebound from two key segments of buyers who have been missing in action in recent years: first-time buyers and single women. This is according to the National Association of REALTORS' annual Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers, which also found that for-sale-by-owner transactions remained at an all-time low of 8 percent for the second straight year. Nearly 90 percent of all respondents worked with a real estate agent to buy or sell a home. Click here to learn more.

On Oct. 26, the Federal Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Administration announced it will be easing rules on condominium financing, a move that could boost mortgage lending to lower-income and first-time homebuyers. Under the new guidelines, the owner-occupancy requirement on condominiums will be lowered from 50 to 35 percent if the following three conditions are met: the project has replacement reserves of at least 20 percent of the budget; no more than 10 percent of the units are in arrears (more than 60 days past due), and the condo has three years of acceptable financial documents. The story and letter from HUD can be found here.

Last week, New York State Senators Terrence Murphy, David Carlucci and Susan Serino conducted a hearing at the Croton Town Hall with public officials and residents to hear testimony regarding the U.S. Coast Guard’s proposal to create 43 anchorages for barges and other vessels at 10 sites on the Hudson River between Yonkers, and Kingston. Elected officials as well as local advocacy groups expressed their reaction to the proposal at the hearing. The public comment period for the plan closes at the end of December. The full story can be found here. NYSAR has submitted a letter in opposition to the Coast Guard proposal, which can be found here.

NAR will host the REALTOR Party Post-Election Live Webcast on Nov. 9, 2016 at 3 p.m. During this live webcast, NAR Senior Vice President Jerry Giovaniello and NAR Political Consultant Doug Sosnik will explain the impact of the election results at the federal, state and local levels. Giovaniello and Sosnik will also be available to answer questions from the audience. Click here for a link to the webcast and here to access the REALTOR election homepage.

The Tuesday, Nov. 15, NYSAR Radio show will cover recent court and New York State Department of State decisions. Tune in at 10 a.m. on Nov. 15 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 here.

Learn how to pay the least amount of taxes possible next year by doing a few simple things today during the November Tax Tips webinar on Nov. 17 at 2:30 p.m. Former IRS trainer and best-selling author Sandy Botkin will teach you how to give yourself a raise by keeping more of what you earn! The webinar will conclude with an overview of the Taxbot mobile app. As a NYSAR Member Perk, members receive a 50-percent discount. Register today!

The GRI-2 Business course will be offered Nov. 9 at the Buffalo Niagara Association of REALTORS in Amherst, NY. Take your business to the next level and gain market share. Learn how to: create an effective business plan build support structures using assistants and teams; tap into niche markets; and develop policies to avoid risk.

 

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

Join NYSAR and RPR for the "Tips for Growing Leads and Increasing ROI with RPR" webinar on Wednesday, Nov. 23, at 2:30 p.m. Learn how to build a start-to-finish, successful real estate prospecting strategy using RPR’s dynamic data and impressive reports, available only to REALTORS. The webinar will also show you how to: calculate the marketability of your target zone; create a customized farm area using search tools and maps; spark conversations with homeowners using the RPR app and reports; convey your value to for-sale-by-owner listings; and build brand awareness with reports that peak homeowner interest. Register today!

The NYSAR Health Insurance Marketplace provides multi-level health benefits solutions for members and their families in all 50 states. Our licensed benefit counselors provide each member with a live needs analysis to identify the perfect coverage based on needs and budget. In one phone call, you now have the ability to shop, compare and enroll in both government exchange and private health insurance plans! Call 800-823-1618 for a free one-on-one consultation or visit www.nysar.augeobenefits.com to learn more today.

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 watch a recent webinar on tax and retirement planning for REALTORS presented by UBS Financial Services.

Congratulations to the St. Lawrence County Board of REALTORS on raising $1,220 last week during a paint and sip party! St. Lawrence County REALTORS have achieved 224 percent of their 2016 fundraising goal. Thank you all for the generous support! Nice work!

Amazon Echo is a hands-free speaker you control with your voice. Echo connects to the Alexa Voice Service to play music, provide information, news, sports scores, weather, and more — instantly. All you have to do is ask. Email bids to dking@nysar.com, call Derick King at 518-463-0300 x238 or join the RPAC of New York Facebook group to submit a bid. Bidding remains open until COB, Tuesday, Nov. 15.

Please mark your calendars - NYSAR must receive all RPAC investments by Wednesday, Nov. 30, to be applied toward the 2016 fundraising year. All donations received by NYSAR after Nov. 30 will be applied toward the 2017 RPAC fundraising year. Thank you all for the support toward our shared RPAC goals.