Top Headlines for Aug. 6
6 running for GSAR Board of Directors; online election to begin Aug. 26
Six members are running for three open seats on Greater Syracuse Association of REALTORS® Board of Directors. The candidates are Jennie Chapin, Nicole Donlin, James Gamble, Tim McCarthy, Patrick O'Connor and Scott Spriggs. Please the take time to get to know the candidates for the open four-year terms by clicking here. This year's election will be conducted online via the member portal. Watch Hot News for details.
State rent relief program streamlined following successful REALTOR® action
On July 21, New York’s REALTORS® successfully called on Gov. Andrew Cuomo to direct all resources necessary to the State Office of Temporary Disability Assistance (OTDA) so that the delay in sending aid to renters and landlords could end immediately. NYSAR also issued a Call for Action where hundreds of REALTORS® responded urging the governor to release the aid immediately. In late July, the governor announced additional staffing and a more streamlined application process for the rent relief program would be put into place to get funds out the door. More than 150,000 applications have been submitted to the state requesting rent relief so far with $2.7 billion in federal and state funding available. Visit the OTDA website for additional information.
NAR urges fuller rental assistance rollout under new eviction ban
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Tuesday issued a new ban on evictions that runs until Oct. 3. The action comes after lawmakers in the U.S. House failed in a last-minute attempt to extend the previous moratorium. National Association of REALTORS® policy analysts say they’re assessing the order and its impact on small housing providers and exploring all legal options. The new eviction moratorium from the CDC will be more limited in scope and will apply only to counties with “heightened levels of community transmission” of COVID-19. But as the delta variant quickly spreads, that covers a vast majority of the country. In a news conference Tuesday, President Joe Biden said he expected 90 percent of renters would be covered. Read more
White House, NAR launch rental assistance resources
Last week, the White House announced the launch of a new website from the CFPB to help renters and housing providers find rental assistance to cover rent owed as a result of COVID-19. The website makes it easy to find a rental assistance provider in your area. 

NAR has also launched a new page with links to many resources on this, including NAR's FAQ for housing providers, NAR's background/talking points on the end of the eviction moratorium, resources from the federal government (including the CFPB toolkit), and resources from other housing industry groups, such as the National Multifamily Housing Coalition, which includes tools for communicating with residents about rental assistance. 

Rental assistance is available to help renters pay the rent they owe and housing providers collect it so they can meet their financial obligations. Nearly every program allows housing providers to apply on behalf of their tenants (with their permission) and all can do direct payments to the housing provider on behalf of the tenant. 
Please avail yourselves of these resources and share them with your networks/clients/anyone who can benefit from them! 
There's still time to visit Fairhaven and have GSAR/CNYIS pay for your At Home with Diversity course
As part of the ongoing effort to promote fair housing and fair housing education, GSAR and CNYIS will cover the $135 cost of the At Home with Diversity (AHWD) course for the first 100 members who complete the interactive Fairhaven: A Fair Housing Simulation training before Sept. 1.

At Home with Diversity is a NAR certification course designed to enable REALTORS® to work successfully with and within a rapidly changing multicultural market. It will help you to learn diversity sensitivity, how it applies to U.S. fair housing laws in your business, and ways to develop professional guidelines for working with people in the increasingly multicultural real estate market.

REALTORS® who take the At Home with Diversity will be able to apply for the AHWD Certification, earn 6 hours of CE, one hour of Fair Housing credit, and use it as an elective towards the ABR, GRI and CIPS designations. It also counts as a module in the C2EX program. Members, who qualify to take the course for free by completing Fairhaven, would only be responsible for the $75 certification fee.

GSAR has scheduled AHWD for Oct. 14 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at a cost of $99 for those who want to take the course directly. Registration details will be available soon.
REALTORS®: Sign up new affiliate members for chance to win free 2022 dues
Every REALTOR® member that refers an Affiliate member that joins GSAR will be entered into a drawing to win free GSAR, NYSAR, NYSAR and MLS dues for 2022! That's a value of more than $1,200! Earn one drawing "ticket" for every Affiliate member who signs up based on your referral by Oct. 8, 2021. The more you sign up, the more chances you have to win free dues. Download this flyer and start recruiting new Affiliate members today! You can also send them here to join online. Make sure they put your name in the referral box so you get credit.
Thanks to our Hot News sponsors
MLS Tips
Learn how to give clients 'street-level' insight with InfoSparks on Aug. 11
ShowingTime will be offering a webinar on Wednesday, August 11, from 11 a.m. to noon to help agents use MarketStats tools to analyze the local market. The session will show agents how to use InfoSparks and FastStats to better understand local trends, provide market expertise for your clients and as a marketing tool for generating leads. There will also be a question-and-answer session for current users. Register here.
Education
Register for GSAR's discounted 22.5-hour CE packages in September, October and November
Register for GSAR's 22.5-hour continuing education packages available at a discounted member rate of $90, down from $240. You can select from the September, October and November packages.

GSAR designed this program to help all members meet their CE requirements including those who may have been previously exempt from CE requirements. Designed with every schedule in mind, some of the packages will be offered on nights and weekends, while others will be offered during business hours.

September, October* and November package classes will be delivered virtually via Zoom.

* A limited number of members will have the option to take the virtual classes in the GSAR office in October. These spots will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis. There will also be a few classes with an in-person instructor.

The non-member package rate is $270, down from $405.

Member Benefits and Events
Welcome new GSAR members!
The Greater Syracuse Association of REALTORS® welcomes its newest members and wishes them great success.
Lindsay Baron
Coldwell Banker Prime Properties
315-622-0161
 
Crystal LeClair
Weichert Realtors – The Bollinger Group
315-637-0555
 
Corynn Parolin
Keller Williams Syracuse
315-701-6900
Lauren Place
Coldwell Banker Prime Properties
315-214-2277
 
Irene Sushereba
Howard Hanna Real Estate Services
315-622-2111