The New York State Association of REALTORS (NYSAR) and its 50,000 REALTORS applauded Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo for his newly launched Fair Housing Enforcement Program in a statement by NYSAR CEO Duncan MacKenzie released last week. He noted that REALTORS "vigorously support the ideal that no one should be discriminated against" in rental and home sale transactions. Under the governor’s initiative, the state will partner with fair housing agencies to conduct an enforcement program in Buffalo and Syracuse as well as Westchester, Rockland and Putnam counties. Cuomo also directed the state Division of Human Rights and the Department of State to propose new regulations to strengthen the state’s housing enforcement efforts on behalf of all New Yorkers. Learn more here.

Syracuse, NY was rated the nation’s second-most affordable major housing market in the fourth quarter of 2015, while Binghamton, NY claimed the top spot for most affordable small housing market, according to the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB)/Wells Fargo Housing Opportunity Index (HOI). Learn more here.

Videos from NYSAR's 2016 Mid-Winter Business Meetings are now available in the Media Center of NYSAR.com. Videos include: President Linda Lugo’s State of the Association address; remarks from 2016 NAR President Tom Salomone; the Legal Update with NYSAR Director of Legal Services Anthony Gatto, Esq.; the 2015 RPAC and Community Service awards; and more. Visit the Video section of the Media Center or click here for more.

Are you registered to vote? If not, please visit the REALTOR Action Center today and register to vote! Or, visit the New York State Board of Elections website here. It’s important that REALTORS make their voices heard in this year’s important state and federal elections.

Following a rush in issued construction permits that qualified for the now-defunct 421a tax incentive program, only 453 units of housing were approved for construction in New York City by the Department of Buildings last month, according to The Real Deal’s analysis of publicly available data. More on this story can be found here.

Don’t worry if you missed last week’s Legal Leftovers webinar featuring NYSAR’s Director of Legal Services Anthony Gatto, Esq. You can watch the recording any time in the Media Center at NYSAR.com or by clicking here. This webinar was a follow-up to the Legal Update presented during the NYSAR Mid-Winter Business Meetings and included such matters as commissions, agency, and other recent legal developments.

The NYSAR Housing Opportunities Foundation raised nearly $4,000 during the "It’s New to You" couture store fundraiser held in conjunction with the Mid-Winter Business Meetings at the Desmond Hotel in Albany, NY. Gently-used items were sold to business meeting attendees during the two-day event including men's and women's formal wear, business wear, smart casual clothing, outerwear, shoes and accessories. Proceeds from the fundraiser go directly to the foundation’s first-time homebuyer grant program. Click here for more information about the foundation.

The GRI-2 Business course will be offered Feb. 25 at the Greater Rochester Association of REALTORS in Rochester, NY. This course provides the building blocks to: create an effective business plan; build support structures using assistants and teams; prospect successfully and tap into niche markets; and develop policies to avoid risk.

Register online today or call 800-239-4432 x219. Click here for more information.

The GRI-3 Agency course will be offered Feb. 25 at the Bronx-Manhattan Association of REALTORS in Bronx, NY. Provide effective, legal and ethical client representation. This course offers in-depth coverage of: all forms of agency representation, associated issues and proper disclosure; and how to avoid the risk of misrepresentation, vicarious liability and breach of fiduciary duties.

Register online today or call 800-239-4432 x219. Click here for more information.

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 www.savewithups.com/nysar or call 800-325-7000 to enroll.

NYSAR’s insurance plan administrator, USI Affinity, will do the legwork for you to find the best policy to suit your needs and budget. They will shop the market for you, leverage their size and tap into their nationwide provider relationships to get you the best plans and rates possible. Plus, by bundling your auto and homeowners insurance, you can save up to 30 percent a year. Visit www.myrealtorinsurance.com/nysar to learn more.

Several NYSAR members will be inducted into NAR’s RPAC Hall of Fame this May as part of NAR’s May meetings. The following NYSAR members will be inducted into the $25,000 lifetime giving tier:
JP Endres, Hudson Gateway
Richard Haggerty, Hudson Gateway
Nancy Kennedy, Hudson Gateway

The following NYSAR members will be moving up to the $50,000 Hall of Fame tier:
Max Wm. Gurvitch, Brooklyn
George K. Wonica, Staten Island

Congratulations and thank you all for leading by example!