E-News
New York State Association of REALTORS
May 15, 2011
NYSAR's Call for Action in support of the "Cap that Tax" advocacy campaign is still in effect. Please visit http://www.taxcapny.com/ and send a letter voicing your support for Governor Cuomo's two-percent property tax cap legislation. After taking action, please share the link with your clients, customers and colleagues.
Click here for more information.
In its U.S. Foreclosure Market Report for April 2011, which reports default notices, scheduled auctions and bank repossessions in the month ofApril, RealtyTrac Inc. reported New York State had 2,113 total foreclosures, a decrease of 18.86 percent from March and a decrease of 51.87 from April 2010.
New York State ranked number 47 of all 50 states for monthly total foreclosure filings with one in every 3,795 properties receiving a foreclosure filing in April.
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This week during the REALTORS Midyear Legislative Meetings & Trade Expo in Washington DC, Lawrence Yun, National Association of REALTORS chief economist, said home sales are expected to rise gradually but unevenly through 2012.
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According to the latest poll by the Siena Research Institute (SRI), New York State consumer home buying plans decreased in April. Overall, New York State consumer confidence also decreased, while the nation's confidence increased.
Doug Lonnstrom, Ph.D., professor of statistics and finance at Siena College and SRI founding director, said that unfortunately, there is no immediate relief in sight in either the real estate market or the home improvement business.
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NYSAR is now offering unlimited, free access to MongoFAX. The MongoFAX cover page allows members to instantly fax paper-based documents (disclosure packages, signed contracts, etc.) for free directly to any e-mail address. The NYSAR MongoFAX cover page is available for download as well as a two-minute flash demo by clicking here.
On Thursday, May 26, 2011, at 2:30 p.m. NYSAR will be hosting a live webinar titled, "The Use of Home Staging to Enhance Your Business." Presented by Tori Toth, owner and lead designer of Stylish Stagers, Inc., this free, informative webinar will cover: what staging is and why to stage; staging statistics; the 10 most common staging mistakes sellers make; the top five staging mistakes agents make; the costs of staging; and much more. Attend this webinar to learn the benefits of home staging and how staging can help you achieve a faster sales time and top dollar. The webinar will conclude with a brief Q & A session.
Click here for more information and to register.
NYSAR Radio will air "Utilizing the Commission Escrow Act," on Tuesday, May 17, from 10-11 a.m. The Internet-based, live call-in show is an extension of NYSAR's widely used free Legal Hotline and will be hosted by NYSAR Director of Legal Services S. Anthony Gatto, Esq. During the show, members can call and ask questions about the Commission Escrow Act. The ultimate goal of the show is to assist the member making the call and to educate all listening members.
For more information about NYSAR Radio, please click here.
On Wednesday, May 18, 2011, at 2:30 p.m. NYSAR's government affairs staff will be hosting the free, informative webinar, "NYSAR Pre-Lobby Day Briefing and Overview." Presented by NYSAR Director of Government Affairs Mike Kelly, this webinar will cover: NYSAR's legislative priorities; talking points; schedule of events; and what to expect during Lobby Day. The webinar will conclude with a brief Q & A session.
To attend this webinar, you must first register for it.
Lobby Day is Tuesday, May 24 in Albany. For more information on Lobby Day, click here.In its April 18, 2011 white paper titled "Syndication to Real Estate Portals: Problems and Solutions," Clareity Consulting, a top management and IT consulting firm for the real estate and related industries has developed "The Syndication Bill of Rights," which identifies a set of standards property search websites should follow to respect the rights of brokers, Multiple Listing Services and other content publishers.
By adopting a voluntary set of standards such as "The Syndication Bill of Rights," Clareity believes consumers will have a better experience while simultaneously promoting a balance for data providers and publishers.
Click here to learn more.