The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has decided it will not force thousands of New York and New Jersey homeowners to repay federal disaster recovery funds following a decision by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to increase flood insurance claim payments to families it initially underpaid following Hurricane Sandy. Click here to learn more.

Sales of new single-family homes in the Northeast rose 24.1 percent in August to 36,000, according to the U.S. Commerce Department. July’s revised annual rate was 29,000. Nationally, new home sales were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 552,000, up 5.7 percent from July and up 21.6 percent from August 2014. To read the entire U.S. Commerce Department press release, click here.

NYSAR recently released its latest infographic, titled "Protect Yourself From Identity Theft," which utilizes data from NYSAR Member Perks partner IdentityForce. The infographic features tips to protect yourself from identity theft, one of the fastest growing crimes in the United States. NYSAR’s infographics are available to download in both jpeg and PDF formats on the Infographics page of NYSAR.com. They are also now available in a custom format for you to brand with your logo or contact information.

The New York City Department of City Planning's office in Lower Manhattan has certified plans to begin the process of changing the city’s zoning rules. One of the proposals would require developers to set aside at least 25 percent of their units for lower-income residents. This requirement, known as mandatory inclusionary housing, would first be applied to East New York in Brooklyn. The proposed changes are subject to recommendations from community boards and borough presidents before going to the City Council for a vote. To read more, click here.

Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Sen. Tom Carper (D-Delaware) recently filed S. 2068, and Rep. Tom Reed (R-New York) and Rep. Jim Langevin (D-Rhode Island) recently introduced H.R. 3591, the Fire Sprinkler Incentive Act, in Congress. This legislation would make changes to the current federal tax code, providing an incentive to business owners for building safety improvements by making them eligible for Section 179 expensing or decreasing the current depreciation schedule from 39 years to 15 years. More on this story can be found here.

Republican Fred Akshar has spent significantly more on advertising than Democrat Barbara Fiala in a special election for the 52nd Senate District. An analysis of filings Binghamton-area television networks have submitted to the Federal Communications Commission shows Akshar has been billed $138,780 for 1,584 spots. Fiala has spent $39,775 on 414. These numbers do not reflect total spending by the campaigns. More information can be found here.

Stay up-to-date on NYSAR Government Affairs news and events by following us on Facebook and Twitter.

The Tuesday, Oct. 13, NYSAR Radio show will cover the topic of environmental issues. Tune in at 10 a.m. on Oct. 13 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. Find more information as well as a list of links to play NYSAR Radio from any of your mobile devices here.

Every donation you make to the NYSAR Housing Opportunities Foundation between now and Oct. 6 will enter you into a raffle for a MacBook Air. Earn one chance with a $20 donation or three chances with a $50 donation. Make your donation now at NYSARHousingFoundation.com or while you’re at Turning Stone for the Fall Business Meetings. The winner will be announced during the NYSAR Board of Directors meeting on Oct. 7.

The GRI-5 Buyers course will be offered Oct. 8 at the Greater Rochester Association of REALTORS in Albany, NY. Demonstrate your value to buyers from listing to closing. Learn strategies to secure more buyer clients, guide buyers through the process, and assure fair housing law compliance. This course satisfies the New York State fair housing training requirement.

Register online today or call NYSAR at 800-239-4432 x219. Find more information here.

The GRI-1 Ethics course will be offered Oct. 8 at the Columbia-Greene Board of REALTORS in Hudson, NY. Capitalize on what sets REALTORS apart from real estate licensees and satisfy your quadrennial ethics training requirement. Discover how to: put the Code of Ethics to work for you; maximize your REALTOR benefits; enhance your professionalism and your career through community involvement; and get involved in the Professional Standards process.

Register online today or call NYSAR at 800-239-4432 x219. Find more information here.

The Home Sweet (Second) Home: Vacation, Investment & Luxury Properties course will be offered Oct. 13 at the Ithaca Board of REALTORS in Ithaca, NY. Specialize in buying, selling or managing resort properties and second homes for recreation, investment or development. This course provides elective credit for the ABR and CIPS designations.

Register online today or call NYSAR at 800-239-4432 x219. Find more information here.

The enrollment period for NYSAR’s dental plan will come to an end this Thursday, Oct. 1! This is your last chance to re-evaluate your dental and vision coverage. Administered by USI Affinity and now underwritten by MetLife, the NYSAR dental plan offers: options for a range in coverage and cost; third straight year of no rate increases; coverage for individuals and families; freedom to visit any dentist, in or out-of-network; and coverage for orthodontia.

Through this new partnership with MetLife, vision coverage is now being offered as a standalone option in addition to being an optional rider on the dental policy. Visit www.MyREALTORInsurance.com/nysar or call USI Affinity’s dedicated sales representative Ned Cox at 888.834.3713 for more information.

Your NYSAR membership gives you an extra 10-percent discount at NAR's REALTOR.org store. Shop the store and take advantage of exclusive savings on NAR's entire line of products and publications including books, brochures, DVDs, research reports and more. To redeem your 10-percent discount, visit www.realtor.org/store and simply enter member code "NYSAR2" at checkout.

Congratulations to Don Scanlon from LIBOR on winning the September RPAC auction item. Don submitted the high bid of $475 for the Return to Tiffany’s pendant necklace. Thank you Don for your long standing support of RPAC at the Sterling R Major Investor level ($1,000+) for many years.

Test your trivia knowledge while raising funds to support RPAC during the RPAC Trivia Night on Monday, Oct. 5, from 7:30-11 p.m. at the Turning Stone Resort & Casino in Verona, NY. In addition to the trivia tournament, there will be live and silent auctions, a selection of your favorite hot pub foods, and a cash bar. Tickets are $50 and available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Register online today to attend NYSAR’s Fall Business Meetings and the RPAC Trivia Night. Or, simply download, complete and return the registration form to NYSAR via fax at 518.462.5474. Questions? Contact Derick King at dking@nysar.com or 518.463.0300 x238.