Pending home sales moved up slightly in October month-over-month, enough to inch sales contracts up to the highest level since July, according to the latest reading from the National Association of REALTORS’ Pending Home Sales Index.In the Northeast, pending home sales rose 0.4 percent to a 96.9 reading in October, and are now 3.9 percent above a year ago.To read the entire NAR press release, click here.

This week, Realtor.com released its housing forecast for 2017, naming a handful of trends to look for in the coming year based on the latest market insights. Forecast predictions include a 3.9 percent increase in home price nationally, and a 1.9-percent increase in sales volume next year. What does this mean for agents and brokers looking to service the home buying and selling market in the coming year? Click here to learn more.

Mandatory Code of Ethics training (formerly known as the Quadrennial Code of Ethics training) must be completed by Dec. 31 of this year. Failure to complete the training by Dec. 31 will result in your local board/association suspending your membership on Jan. 1, 2017 until the requirement is met. Any member who has not met the requirement by March 1, 2017 will be automatically terminated. Learn more here.

New York State Senate Democrats have declared victory in the District Eight New York State Senate race, a seat currently held by Republican Senator Michael Venditto. Venditto’s opponent, John Brooks, claimed victory last week after a count of absentee and affidavit ballots. With more than 130,000 votes now recorded, Brooks has a lead of 41 votes. Republican officials have not conceded, noting that the validity of roughly 1,000 uncounted ballots are being challenged by both sides. Click here for the full story.

Last week, NYSAR sent a letter to the New York State Secretary of State Rossana Rosado opposing the establishment of a cease-and-desist zone within Rockland County. In the letter, NYSAR President Linda Lugo wrote, "Respectfully, NYSAR suggests that punishing all real estate licensees practicing within Rockland County due to the actions of a handful of practitioners is overreaching. Law abiding real estate brokerages, which are significant contributors to Rockland County’s economy, must not be singled out and halted from conducting legitimate business practices." Click here to view the letter in its entirety.

Recently, NYSAR staff met with the New York State Conference of Mayors to discuss the NY First Home proposal. The program, one of NYSAR’s legislative priorities for 2017, would allow individuals and couples to put aside money in a special savings account to be used only for upfront costs associated with purchasing a first home in New York State. Click here to visit the New York First Home website and to send an electronic letter to your state legislator urging their support for the NY First Home proposal.

The fourth quarter 2016 edition of NYSAR’s Legal Lines is now available online at NYSAR.com. This edition covers a Supreme Court ruling in a brokerage commission dispute, a broker failing to provide required disclosure forms, a Federal Fair Housing Act case, how to handle service animal requests and more. Read the latest issue here.

The Tuesday, Dec. 20, NYSAR Radio show will take a look back at 2016 and preview what’s new for 2017. Tune in at 10 a.m. on Dec. 20 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.

Planning to shop on Amazon this holiday season? Remember to shop at smile.amazon.com and support the NYSAR Housing Opportunities Foundation. When you shop at smile.amazon.com, you’ll find the exact same low prices, vast selection and convenient shopping experience as Amazon.com, with the added bonus that Amazon will donate a portion of the purchase price to your favorite charitable organization. Just search for NYSAR Housing Opportunities Foundation in the search bar, select the organization and shop! All donations go directly to the First-time Homebuyer Grant Program that awards $2,000 grants to low-to-moderate income families/individuals helping them to defray the costs involved in closing on a home.

Learn how to hit the bullseye on perfect pricing with RPR during a webinar on Dec. 21 at 2:30 p.m. RPR’s powerful analysis tools are helping REALTORS across the country educate and impress clients. Starting with the AVM or RVM® for a property, learn how to apply your local market intelligence to refine this starting point with adjustments, addition of home improvement values, and comparison refinement tools. From there, create a quick and easy CMA as well as an in-depth sales comparison analysis, demonstrating how to lead clients through the intricacies of market realities with easy-to-understand facts and graphics. Click here to register today.

NYSAR Member Perks partner UBS Financial Services helps you reduce your taxable income and save for retirement with Independent 401(k) plans. Designed with the flexibility to decide whether to contribute and how much on an annual basis, you have the ability to borrow against your own retirement savings both tax-free and penalty-fee. Through NYSAR’s partnership, you’ll pay a minimal annual fee of only $25 for your account. Visit the Retirement page of NYSAR.com or contact Christopher Michelsen, financial advisor at UBS Financial Services, at 212-626-8515 for more details and to enroll now. Click here to watch a recent webinar on tax and retirement planning for REALTORS.

Save up to 55 percent over other travel sites and enjoy access to 700,000 hotels and the convenience of 24/7 concierge service with new NYSAR Member Perks partner HotelStorm. Traveling for the upcoming holidays? Save yourself the hassle of scouring the web for the biggest discounts. Visit the NYSAR HotelStorm site and use passcode HOTELS to unlock discounts today.

The late-November RPAC auction item winner was Dan Hartnett from the Greater Syracuse Association. Dan submitted the high bid of $800 for the Michael Kors bag donated by Lisa Ruggiero. Thank you Dan for your continued support of RPAC at the Sterling R, Major Investor Level ($1,000). Stay tuned for the December RPAC auction item to be announced in the days ahead.

On Nov. 30, the 2016 RPAC fundraising year officially closed. While final numbers are being calculated now, preliminary results show RPAC of NY raising more than $843,000 or 108 percent of our 2016 RPAC goal. Thank you to the membership from across New York for investing in RPAC and helping New York to reach our fundraising goal for the fifth consecutive year. The 2017 RPAC fundraising and participation goals will be announced in the weeks ahead. In the meantime, all funds collected and transmitted to NYSAR will be applied toward the 2017 RPAC fundraising year.

If you are in Atlantic City for Triple Play tomorrow, visit the RPAC High Rollers’ Suite! Amenities include: shoe shine; manicures; massages; professional photographs; a psychic reader; business facilities; hot lunch; beverages; and a deluxe coffee barista!
Where: Atlantic City Convention Center, Room 308/309
Cost: $250 RPAC investment (to be applied to 2017 RPAC year)