Tight mortgage lending standards continue to affect sales for single-family builders across the nation, according to a survey released by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB). More than half of the single-family builders surveyed indicated that lending standards were "tight" or "very tight," while only 11 percent indicated standards were "somewhat easy." No builders described them as "very easy."

The survey also asked builders if they had lost any sales over the last six months due to buyers not qualifying for a mortgage. Eighty-three percent answered "yes," and of these, the average share of sales lost was 9.7 percent. NAHB estimates that this 9.7 percent translates to 18,700 new-home sales lost because buyers were unable to qualify for mortgages.

Click here to read the entire NAHB press release.

If you are not planning to be home on Election Day, Tuesday, November 4, 2014, do not forget to get an absentee ballot from your county Board of Elections. You may also download a PDF version of the New York State Absentee Ballot Application Form by clicking here.

Upon completion, applications must be mailed to your county board no later than the seventh day before the election or delivered in person no later than the day before the election. Meaning, all absentee ballots must be mailed no later than October 28.

Click here to view absentee ballot voting deadlines. Click here to learn more.

With CE credit included in your registration fee and the opportunity to earn up to 18 hours of CE over four days, plus various networking and referral opportunities, Triple Play 2014 is an event you won’t want to miss if you’re serious about your business. Register online today for maximum savings. Regular registration is $99, but you will pay just $79 when you register online by this Friday,October 17. Visit www.realtorstripleplay.com for more details and to register.

The Suffolk County Legislature recently passed a resolution making "source of income" a protected class in the county. The legislation defines lawful source of income as including, but not limited to, "income derived from Social Security, or any form of federal, state or local public assistance or housing assistance including the Housing Choice Voucher Program." 

Click here to learn more.

With a 32-percentage-point lead among women, Gov. Andrew Cuomo has a 51–31 percent lead over Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino, the Republican challenger, with 9 percent for Green Party candidate Howie Hawkins, according to a Quinnipiac University poll released last week. In the race for state attorney general, Eric Schneiderman leads John Cahill, the Republican challenger, 46–34 percent. 

Click here to learn more.

The third quarter edition of NYSAR’s Legal Lines publication is now available online at NYSAR.com. This edition covers key issues including the new document retention regulation that went into effect on October 13. It also covers a New York State case in which a broker failed to disclose a material defect and a case in which an administrative law judge confirmed Craigslist ads are not exempt as "classified." Federal cases include a ruling that a dual agent breached fiduciary duties, a failure to comply with the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (RESPA), labor violations for a national franchise, and more. 

Click here to read the latest issue.

The Tuesday, October 22, NYSAR Radio show will cover brokerage dos and don’ts. 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.

Enrollment for health insurance in 2015 will be open from November 15, 2014 to February 15, 2015. Look to NYSAR Member Perks partner USI Affinity to help you navigate the plan options and find the coverage that best suits your needs. Remember, you will face tax penalties if you do not obtain coverage. Also, if you miss open enrollment, you will not be able to obtain health insurance until the next open enrollment period unless you qualify for a special enrollment. Stay tuned for more information regarding 2015 open enrollment or visit www.myrealtorinsurance.com/nysar.

Green 100, 200 and 300 will be offered October 22, 23 and 24, respectively, at the REALTOR Service Center in Woodbury, NY. The Green designation teaches you the latest green technologies to help you serve a broader array of clients.

Click here for more information or to register.

REALTOR Institute 406 – "Price it Right – Understanding the Appraisal Process" – will be offered October 22 at the Dutchess County Association of REALTORS in Poughkeepsie, 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.

The Accredited Buyer Representative (ABR) required course will be offered October 22-23 at the Mohawk Valley Association of REALTORS in Utica, NY. This course will teach you how to become an efficient and profitable buyer’s representative by providing the quality of service and degree of fidelity today’s buyers expect.

Click here for more information or to register.

TransUnion SmartMove is an easy, comprehensive and reliable web-based tenant background check offering access to a full credit report, criminal report, customized leasing recommendations and suggested deposit amount to request at lease signing. The trusted brand’s process is all online and you pay only when you use it with no set-up, minimum or annual fees. Click here to learn more.

Thanks to the resounding success of RPAC’s LOL Stand-up Comedy Night, RPAC of New York has reached 100-percent of its 2014 RPAC fundraising goal of $696,900! Thank you to all the NYSAR members who invested in RPAC throughout the fundraising year and made reaching this milestone possible for the third consecutive year. The final 2014 fundraising and participation derby figures will be released in the weeks ahead. In the meantime, we’ve begun collecting investments for the 2015 RPAC year.

Once again, RPAC of New York will be kicking off the new fundraising year by hosting the RPAC Lounge as part of the Triple Play Convention and Trade Expo in Atlantic City, NJ on Wednesday, December 10. The lounge will provide refuge from the hectic convention with food, drinks, business facilities and pampering. All this will be available for a new $250 RPAC investment to start-up the 2015 fundraising year. To pre-register, contact Derick King in the Government Affairs Department at 518-463-0333 x238 or dking@nysar.com.