Last week, the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD) reported to the National Association of REALTORS (NAR) that they have reversed their proposed policy preventing dual agency agreements in FHA pre-foreclosure transactions. The result is that the dual agency policy will not be implemented today, allowing NAR to continue the dialogue with agency officials on a formal solution.

Click here to learn more.

The 2013 NYSAR Fall Business Meetings kicked off Sunday at the Turning Stone Resort & Casino in Verona. During yesterday’s General Session, NYSAR President Margaret Hartman gave the State of the Association address and attendees got an economic update from Dr. Elliot Eisenberg and an update on REALTOR.com from Vice President of Industry and Customer Development Curt Beardsley. Additionally, George K. Wonica of Staten Island, NY was named the 2013 REALTOR of the Year.

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In its August 2013 U.S. Residential & Foreclosure Sales Report, RealtyTrac Inc. reported that New York State residential properties sold at an estimated annualized pace of 147,877 in August, up 1 percent from both July 2013 and the same time last year. 

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Nearly 400 cities, towns and villages have been identified by Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli as "fiscally stressed," and are, therefore, automatically eligible to apply for assistance from the new state Fiscal Restructuring Board. The board will offer each struggling locality a blueprint for recovery and up to $5 million in state loans or grants if municipal leaders agree to implement the board’s plan.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo pushed for the creation of the panel earlier this year after municipal officials became more vocal about their fiscal challenges. The board consists of members from the Legislature, Comptroller’s office, and the Attorney General’s office and was given $80 million to fulfill its mission.

For the full list of municipalities identified as "fiscally stressed," click here.

The Tuesday, October 22, NYSAR Radio show will cover recent court and New York State Department of State decisions. Tune in at 10 a.m. on October 22 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.

Click here for more information as well as a list of links to play NYSAR Radio from any of your mobile devices.

According to SONYMA's latest REALTOR tip, one-to-two family homes (including condominiums) up to 97-percent LTV with 1 percent of the purchase price from the borrower’s own funds, cooperatives up to 95-percent LTV, and three-to-four unit properties up to 90-percent LTV with 3-percent borrower’s own funds are eligible for SONYMA financing. Click here for more. 

REALTOR Institute 402 – "Real Estate Legal Issues" – will be offered October 7-8 at the Greater Binghamton Association of REALTORS in Johnson City, NY. This course gives you a clear understanding of agency practice and policy issues, and teaches you how to avoid misrepresentation, antitrust and fair housing violations.

Click here for more information or call 800-239-4432 to register for the free course.

Home Affordable Foreclosure Alternatives (HAFA) Short Sales elective course – will be offered October 8 at the Hudson Gateway Association of REALTORS in White Plains, NY. This course explains the similarities and differences in the U.S. Treasury, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac HAFA programs designed to streamline and unify the short sale process.

Click here for more information or to register.

REALTOR Institute 405 – "Construction and Environmental Issues" – will be offered October 10 at the Columbia Greene Board of REALTORS in Hudson, NY. This course provides an in-depth understanding of the physical structure and systems in a home, in addition to energy efficiency and energy rating systems.

Click here for more information or to register.

It’s simple, we partner with premier vendors to save you money. With access to exclusive price discounts and special offers, along with a host of additional programs and services, your NYSAR membership can help you do your business better. Take advantage of our partnerships to access: comprehensive insurance options from USI Affinity; E&O coverage from Pearl Insurance; electrical and natural gas supply from Energy Plus; tenant screening discounts from TransUnion SmartMove; shipping discounts from UPS; and much more! Visit the Member Perks section at NYSAR.com for a complete list of NYSAR programs and full details about each program.

The 2013 RPAC fundraising year closes this Friday, October 4. All RPAC investments received after Friday will be applied toward the 2014 RPAC fundraising year. If you haven’t invested your fair share into RPAC this year, please join the 10,000 NYSAR members that have invested by making an investment today. RPAC of New York needs your help to reach our 2013 fundraising goal. To date, RPAC has raised $532,634 or 76 percent toward our goal of $698,505.

To invest today, visit the RPAC page of NYSAR.com or call NYSAR Government Affairs at 518-463-0300.