The New York State Supreme Court denied an appeal by Protect the Adirondacks! against the Adirondack Park Agency (APA) on July 3. Protect the Adirondacks! and other environmental groups such as the Sierra Club were challenging the APA’s approval of the Adirondack Club and Resort (ACR) project based in Tupper Lake, NY.

"This is an incredible win for property rights advocates," said NYSAR CEO Duncan MacKenzie. "As REALTORS, we were proud to support the basis for this project going forward, and we applaud the Court for making a prudent and fair decision."

Click here to learn more.

In a legal victory for Move Inc. and the National Association of REALTORS, a Washington state Superior Court judge has granted a preliminary injunction against Zillow and Errol Samuelson, its chief industry development officer.The injunction prevents Samuelson from performing many of the duties for which he was hired to perform at Zillow in March including obtaining direct data feeds from multiple listing services, real estate brokers, franchisors and real estate associations.

In an emailed statement, NAR said it is very pleased that the court has granted its request for the preliminary injunction and that it is a significant win for NAR, REALTORS, Move and REALTOR.com. Click here to learn more.

The National Association of REALTORS has issued a letter of support for the Federal Housing Administration’s efforts to reduce mortgage insurance premiums for first-time buyers through its Homeowners Armed with Knowledge (HAWK) program. However, NAR is concerned the program won’t significantly reduce premiums or reach enough qualified buyers.

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The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is beginning to crack down on the growing popularity of unlawful drone use in the real estate industry. The FAA has targeted several brokerages in New York City that use drones, slapping them with subpoenas in a widespread move to learn more about how the real estate professionals use the technology to advance their business.

The National Association of REALTORS has long warned that practitioners should steer clear of using drones for their business until the FAA releases solid rules on such use, which is expected by September 2015. Click here to learn more.

The state Court of Appeals, New York’s highest court, upheld bans on hydrofracking imposed by local governments in a 5-2 ruling last week. The case was originally brought by the natural gas industry looking to overturn local zoning restrictions that prohibited the horizontal drilling technique known as hydraulic fracturing. The gas industry argued that it is outside local government "home rule" authority to ban entire industries. The court, however, disagreed.

To read the full court decision, click here. Click here to learn more.

On June 26, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) released guidance related to providing refunds to property owners that overpaid for flood insurance. Section 3 of the Homeowners Flood Insurance Affordability Act requires FEMA to restore Pre-Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) subsidized rates and issue refunds of excess premiums collected above the subsidized rate for:

Pre-FIRM properties not insured when the Biggert-Waters Flood Insurance Act of 2012 was enacted.

Pre-FIRM properties purchased after Biggert-Waters was enacted.

Policies for Pre-FIRM properties that were rated full-risk under Biggert-Waters due to a lapse in coverage, but only for policies where the lapse was due to a property owner no longer being required to purchase flood insurance.

The issuance of refunds will begin on October 1, 2014, and must be completed by December 31, 2014.

The New York City Council has issued a study and press release supporting the use of eminent domain to take underwater mortgages. Under the proposed plan, city government would purchase the mortgages from banks and refinance them to match the home's value in an attempt to prevent foreclosure. NYSAR and NAR are strongly opposed to this proposal.

Click here to learn more.

Today’s NYSAR Radio show will cover antitrust issues. 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.

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

Get involved and help guide the future of your state association by signing up for 2015 committee service. Committee sign up will be available online only between July 1 and July 31 at NYSAR.com. Click here to learn more and to sign up.

REALTOR Institute 405 – "Construction & Environmental Issues" – will be offered July 23 at the Greater Rochester Association of REALTORS in Rochester, 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.

REALTOR Institute 406 – "Price it Right – Understanding the Appraisal Process" – will be offered July 24 at the Greater Rochester Association of REALTORS in Rochester, NY. This course will familiarize you with appraisal principles, how appraisers must operate, where their responsibilities are, and to whom. You’ll also analyze data to develop and present an effective CMA.

Click here for more information or to register.

This is your final chance to enroll in NYSAR’s dental plan with optional vision rider for your insurance needs. After July 31, you will have to wait until next summer to enroll. Key benefits of United Concordia dental plan include: options to offer you a range in coverage and cost; lower rates with a two-year guarantee; orthodontia coverage; and more. New in 2014, the optional vision rider, administered by Davis Vision, includes: an annual vision exam; annual allowance for glasses or contacts; discounts on disposable contact lenses and laser vision correction; and more.

For more information about the plans and rates, please call 888-834-3713 or visit www.myrealtorinsurance.com/nysar.

The summer fundraising season is in full swing! Find out which boards across the state are busy holding RPAC fundraising events in the coming weeks and months byclicking here.