The New York State housing market posted a strong sales total of nearly 11,000 homes in August, despite a decline of more than 9 percent from the exceptional August 2013 mark, according to the housing market report released by the New York State Association of REALTORS. The statewide median sales price posted a slight increase from a year ago to reach $239,000. 

Click here to learn more.

Builder confidence in the market for newly-built, single-family homes rose for a fourth consecutive month in September to a level of 59 on the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB)/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI). This latest four-point gain brings the index to its highest reading since November of 2005.

Builder confidence also rose across every region of the country in September. The Northeast posted a three-point gain to 41. To read the entire NAHB press release, click here.

Two New York State Association of REALTORS members are finalists for the National Association of REALTORS’ Good Neighbor Awards! Help Robert Fitzsimmons, Staten Island, NY and Dorothy Gokey, Clinton, NY get the recognition they deserve for their good works, and help them win a grant to advance their efforts. Voting is open until September 30. Click here to vote today!

Dig your old cell phones out of your desk drawers and bring them with you to Turning Stone! The Young Professionals Network will be collecting cell phones to be donated to domestic violence centers across the state during the NYSAR Fall Business Meetings, September 28-October 1. 

This year, the collection has a twist - each region will be competing to see who can collect the most. The collection from each region will be taken back by a representative to be donated locally. The region that collects the most phones will be spotlighted in a future issue of New York State REALTOR magazine.Click here for more information. If you are not attending the business meetings but would still like to donate, please contact the team leader in your area.

Justices in the Appellate Division of the New York State Supreme Court denied a request from Protect the Adirondacks to bring its claims against the Adirondack Club & Resort development to the Court of Appeals.

Click here to learn more.

Poll results in congressional districts 1, 4, 11, 18 and 24 have recently been released by Siena College/Newsday/News 12. To view the results, click here.

On Tuesday, September 16, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 5461, a compendium of legislation that had already passed the House that includes H.R. 3211, the Mortgage Choice Act, which addresses discrimination in the calculation of fees and points in the Qualified Mortgage Rule. H.R. 3211 passed the House in June of 2014 by voice vote. The bipartisan legislation is designed to present the Senate with a package of widely agreed upon reforms that it can vote on before the end of the 113th Congress. The legislation passed 326-97. It now moves on to the Senate where it is hoped it will be acted upon quickly due to its broad base of support.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) and Federal Reserve will be hosting another webinar on the implementation of changes to the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (RESPA) and the Truth in Lending Act (TILA) on Wednesday, October 1, at 2 p.m. In addition to major changes to the loan disclosure and closing forms themselves, the new rules will require that the settlement statement be completed three days prior to closing. The new forms and rules go into effect less than one year from now. This webinar is part of the process of answering questions and concerns relating to implementation. All those with an interest in disclosures, the closing process, and RESPA/TILA should sign up and listen in.

Register for the webinar by clicking here.

Today’s NYSAR Radio show will preview the upcoming NYSAR Fall Business Meetings and features NYSAR Director of Government Affairs Mike Kelly. 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.

The NYSAR Housing Opportunities Foundation will be raffling off a prize worth more than $1,200! The winner will enjoy a two-night stay at The Lodge at Turning Stone as well as a complimentary round of golf for two or spa treatments at Skana worth $210. And to top it off, the winner will receive a $200 American Express gift card to use during their stay. The winner will be announced during the Board of Directors meeting at the Fall Business Meetings. A special thanks to our generous sponsor, The Turning Stone Resort and Casino. Some restrictions apply. Enter between now and September 30. Click here for a flyer with full details.

The New York State Association of REALTORS’ Fall Business Meetings will open this Sunday, September 28 at the Turning Stone Resort & Casino in Verona, NY. NYSAR encourages all members to participate as many of the sessions do not require official committee service. Online pre-registration closes tomorrow, Wednesday, September 24.

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

The At Home With Diversity (AHWD) course will be offered October 1 at the Hudson Gateway Association of REALTORS in White Plains, NY. This course will teach you how to research the demographic make-up of your local market; gain an understanding of the needs of your constituencies; and provide equal and ethical services to meet or exceed expectations of your customers and clients. This course satisfies New York State license renewal requirement for Fair Housing training. 

Click here for more information or to register.

REALTOR Institute 407 – "Building Your Real Estate Practice" – will be offered October 2 at the Hudson Gateway Association of REALTORS in West Nyack, NY. This course will cover business plans, recordkeeping and tax considerations for independent contractors, and managing priorities. This course also covers fiduciary duties, the latest negotiating strategies and enhancing your services.

Click here for more information or to register.

Take advantage of NYSAR Member Perks partner Taxbot to keep more of your commissions through tax deductions! The Taxbot mobile app offers you the ability to track business mileage and expenses with your iPhone or Android smartphone or tablet, and turn those expenses into IRS compliant tax deductions. Click here to learn more. 

To listen to a recent webinar by Taxbot on tax tips for travel, medical and auto deductions, click here.

Energy Plus® is leaving its mark on the energy industry through its special cash back rewards program. Enroll your home with Energy Plus® and receive 3 percent cash back and a $25 enrollment bonus after two months of active service, and 5 percent cash back and a $50 bonus for a business account. Enrolling with Energy Plus® is easy and there are no monthly service fees, cancellation fees, or long-term commitments. Stop missing out on what you deserve and start earning cash back rewards. Click here to enroll today.

RPAC of New York is hosting the "LOL Stand-Up Comedy Night" fundraising event on Monday, September 29, from 7:30-11 p.m. during the NYSAR Fall Business Meetings at the Turning Stone Resort & Casino in Verona, NY. Enjoy a night of comedy, a ventriloquist, and live and silent auctions - all in the name of RPAC! Tickets cost $50 each and will be sold on a first-come, first-served basis. Click here to view a flyer about the event. 

Register online to attend NYSAR’s Fall Business Meetings and the RPAC fundraising event today. Or, simply download, complete and return the registration form to NYSAR via fax or mail.

Today is the deadline to alert NYSAR about an auction item donation to be featured in RPAC’s "LOL Stand-Up Comedy Night" fundraising event. If local boards or individual members would like to donate auction items, please contact Derick King at dking@nysar.com or 518-463-0300 x238 with a description of the item and the valueby close of business today, Tuesday, September 23. Local boards and individual members will receive RPAC credit for auction item donations!

After a very competitive bidding war, Linda Lugo submitted the highest bid of $550 for the September RPAC auction item, the Coach bag! Thank you Linda for your long-standing commitment to RPAC at the Major Investor Sterling R level and for your leadership to NYSAR as Secretary/Treasurer.