NYSAR 2013 President Margaret Hartman, President-elect JP Endres Fein and Secretary/Treasurer Michael Smith took the oath of office last week during the Mid-Winter Business Meetings. In addition: attendees heard from New York State Deputy Secretary of State Marcos Vigil; NAR political coordinator for New York Karl Eckhart gave an update on critical issues being considered in Washington; and the 2012 RPAC awards were presented.

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In its U.S. Foreclosures Market Report for January 2013, RealtyTrac Inc. reported New York State had 2,919 total foreclosures, a 1.67-percent increase from December and a 74.58-percent increase from January 2012.

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As part of the NYSAR Mid-Winter Business Meetings held last week in Albany, NYSAR’s legislative working groups and committees met to discuss and vote on several important issues. As a result of these sessions, staff was provided direction and guidance with respect to upcoming legislative issues and RPAC.

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The chair of NYSAR’s Cooperative Issues Working Group, Barbara Ford, has started a petition on the White House’s "We the People" website in an effort to bring attention to the policy that exists in numerous states, including New York, that allows the Board of Directors of a residential cooperative or, in some cases, the Board of Managers of a condominium, to deny housing to a buyer of a home without providing the buyer with a reason for the denial. The practice permits the BOD or the BOM to eliminate from entrance into the community, persons based upon their race, religion, ethnicity, familial status, etc., without accountability for the denial. If the petition receives 100,000 signatures by March 5, the White House will consider the petition.

Please sign the petition by clicking here.

New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn laid out the parameters of an affordable housing plan and committed to supporting and elevating New York City’s middle class in her State of the City speech last Monday.

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Today’s NYSAR Radio show will recap the Mid-Winter Business Meetings. Tune in at 10 a.m. this morning by using the player on the NYSAR Radio page or click here to listen on your Apple computer. 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.

Thanks to all of you who participated in the NYSAR YPN Coat Drive held in conjunction with the NYSAR Mid-Winter Business Meetings. The coat drive was a tremendous success with more than 150 coats, jackets, hats and gloves collected to be donated to St. Catherine’s Center for Children in Albany. The YPN appreciates your support and hopes you’ll participate in our next charity drive being held at the Fall Business Meetings at Turning Stone.

REALTOR Institute 401 – "Get it Listed...Get it Sold"– will be offered February 25-26 at the Hudson Gateway Association of REALTORS office in West Nyack, NY. This course teaches you new methods of marketing and how to integrate technology into your business to increase your listings, sales and profits.

Click here for more information or to register.

REALTOR Institute 402 – "Real Estate Legal Issues" – will be offered February 26-27 at the Greater Capital Association of REALTORS in Albany, NY. This course gives you a clear understanding of agency practice and policy issues, and by learning to avoid misrepresentation, antitrust and fair housing violations.

Click here for more information or to register.

REALTOR Institute 408 – "e-PRO Day One" – will be offered February 26 at the Mohawk Valley Association of REALTORS in Utica, NY. This course focuses on the changing market, creating an online presence and managing your online reputation.

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NYSAR's partnership with UPS gives you access to exclusive shipping discounts – up to 30 percent! Enroll today to start saving on every package you send. Visit http://www.savewithups.com/nysar or call 800-325-7000 to enroll.

The second annual RPAC of New York VIP Lounge was an astounding success at the NYSAR Mid-Winter Business Meetings. More than 80 members attended and the lounge raised $20,000 for RPAC, reflecting a nearly 20-percent increase from last year.

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The February RPAC silent auction item is the Kindle Paperwhite WiFi e-reader. The Paperwhite has a higher resolution, higher contrast and the patented built-in light provides the ultimate reading experience even in bright sunlight. Bids must be placed by Thursday, February 28.

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