The housing market remains strong this fall, and it’s poised to remain that way for the rest of the year, said Jonathan Smoke, REALTOR.com’s chief economist. Total home sales for this year through September have increased 4 percent compared to the same time period in 2015. Existing-home sales are up 3 percent, and new-home sales have surged 13 percent. Click here to learn more.

In its U.S. Foreclosure Market Report for October 2016, RealtyTrac Inc. reported New York State ranked 23 out of all 50 states for foreclosure filings. New York had 5,516 total foreclosures in October, up 16.84 percent from September and up 10.25 percent since October 2015. One in every 1,478 housing units in New York State received a foreclosure filing. Learn more here.

On Tuesday, Nov. 8, NYSAR-supported candidates were re-elected across New York including Kemp Hannon in Nassau County, George Latimer in Westchester County, and Thomas O’Mara in the Southern Tier and Finger Lakes Regions. REALTOR-supported candidates were also successful in closely watched Congressional races throughout the state. Click here to learn more.

A deal has been struck to revive the 421-a property tax break that expired in January. According to details of the agreement, developers using the tax break would pay construction workers working south of 96th Street, on buildings with 300 or more rental units, an average hourly wage of $60 including benefits. Other parts of the city would pay $45 per hour and the exemption would last for 35 years. Rental units created for tenants paying less than the market rate would have to remain affordable to them for 40 years. This agreement would need to be passed by both houses and signed by the governor. Click here for more details.

Last week, NYSAR Government Affairs staff met with key staff from the New York State Assembly’s Ways and Means Committee advocating the New York First Home program. The program, outlined in NYSAR’s 2016 legislative priorities and Lobby Day, would allow individuals and couples to put aside money in a special savings account to be used only for upfront costs associated with purchasing a first home in New York State. This will continue to be one of NYSAR’s legislative priorities in 2017. Click here to visit the New York First Home website and to send an electronic letter to your state legislator urging their support for the NY First Home proposal.

Today’s NYSAR Radio show will cover recent court and New York State Department of State decisions. Tune in at 10 a.m. this morning 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 this Thursday, 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!

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 Seller Representative Specialist (SRS) course will be offered Nov. 28-29 at the Hudson Gateway Association of REALTORS in West Nyack, NY. Elevate your standards, enhance your performance, and demonstrate the knowledge and skills essential to professionally and ethically represent sellers.

 

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

The GRI-8 Technology course will be offered Nov. 30 at the Greater Rochester Association of REALTORS in Rochester, NY. Learn how to be mobile and paperless in your real estate practice with tips on: transaction management tools; Internet advertising and syndication; e-marketing and social media; automation hardware, software and apps.

 

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

The Seniors Real Estate Specialist (SRES) course will be offered Dec. 1-2 at the Dutchess County Association of REALTORS in Poughkeepsie, NY. Specialize in the 50-plus 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.

Start landing and selling more listings today!NYSAR is proud to announce a partnership with JSJD Media to provide you with the opportunity to be seen by buyers and sellers at the right time – when they are actively searching for real estate-related services. JSJD Media’s marketing campaign service uses cutting-edge digital technology to identify buyers and sellers in your market currently looking for a REALTOR’s services. Visit http://jsjdmedia.com/nysar.html to learn more. Questions? Contact info@jsjdmedia.com or call 855-790-0001.

Save up to 55 percent over other travel sites and enjoy access to 700,000 hotels and the convenience of 24/7 concierge service with new NYSAR Member Perks partner HotelStorm. Traveling for the upcoming holidays? Save yourself the hassle of scouring the web for the biggest discounts. Visit the NYSAR HotelStorm site and use passcode HOTELS to unlock discounts today.

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 today, Tuesday, Nov. 15.

Congratulations to the Hudson Gateway Association on raising $3,300 during the annual Comedy Night event at Levity Live last week. It was a hilarious night in support of RPAC. Some of us are still laughing! Great job, as always, HGAR!

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.