Top Headlines for June 4
Onondaga County accepting applications for Emergency Rental Assistance
Onondaga County has received funds to assist with the payment of back rent, utilities owed, and in some cases, future rent. The county is encouraging residents who meet the following criteria to apply: are welcoming all residents that meet the following criteria to apply: An individual in your household has had a reduction of income or other financial hardship due to COVID-19; an individual within your household can demonstrate a risk of experiencing homelessness or housing instability; you have an obligation to pay rental arrears and rent; or your household income is at or below 80 percent of the area’s median income. If you are a landlord, the county encourages you to help your tenant apply or apply on their behalf. Both the landlord and tenant need to participate and can independently apply. Learn more and apply.
Registration is now open for RTB#5 and the General Membership meeting
Registration is now open for Raising the Bar #5 and the annual general membership meeting on Tuesday, June 22, at 10 a.m. via Zoom. The guest speaker will be an attorney from the National Association of REALTORS®.

The membership will be voting electronically on Bylaw changes (available for review here), so a quorum will be required. The virtual meeting and electronic voting are due to the ongoing State of Emergency.
Nominations are open for 3 GSAR 2022 board of director positions
The annual election for GSAR 2022 director positions will be held electronically this year in September. Nominations are now open for the three vacant positions to be filled. Nominees must be a REALTOR® member of the association for a minimum of two years immediately preceding nomination and shall have served on one or more standing committees and/or task forces, or the board of directors for a cumulative total of two years during the preceding three years. Nominees must be a member in good standing with the association or be nominated by a unanimous vote of the serving nominating committee with the approval of the board of directors.
 
If you fulfill these qualifications and would like to be considered by the nominating committee, please contact Christine at 315-457-5979 ext. 227 or teneyck@cnyrealtor.com. The deadline is July 17.
Contract signings fall as the market awaits more inventory
The lack of inventory continued to chip away at pending home sales last month, but the home-buying craze is still going strong. The National Association of REALTORS®’ Pending Home Sales Index—a forward-looking indicator of home sales based on contract signings—fell 4.4 percent month-over-month in April. Still, pending home sales are up nearly 52 percent compared to a year ago. However, NAR notes that the year-over-year comparison is skewed since it’s from a time when pandemic-related shutdowns prompted home sales to dip to all-time lows.

Nevertheless, “contract signings are approaching pre-pandemic levels after the big surge due to the lack of sufficient supply of affordable homes,” says Lawrence Yun, NAR’s chief economist. “The upper-end market is still moving sharply as inventory is more plentiful there.” Read more.
New York State Virtual Broker Summit opens June 8; there's still time to register
Registration is still open New York State Virtual Broker Summit set for June 8 and 9.The free event, sponsored by NYSAR, will offer content designed for brokers and office managers along with networking opportunities. Featured speakers include NAR President Charlie Oppler, REALTOR.com Vice President of Industry Relations Mike Leimeister, and 1000 Watt CEO Brian Boero as well as NAR and NYSAR staff. Register here.
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Education
Sign up today for GSAR's July discounted CE package session to earn CE credits and save
Registration is now open for all of GSAR's 22.5-hour continuing education packages being offered at a discounted member rate of $90, down from $240. The next package session begins in July with additional packages are being offered in September, October and November. 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.

Classes will be delivered virtually via Zoom, but a limited number of members will have the option to take the virtual classes in the GSAR office. These spots will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis. Seating will be spaced to meet current guidelines. Please note that the office is not fully open. There will also be a few classes with an in-person instructor. The non-member 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.
Erica Manners
Piscotti Real Estate
315-730-7051

Eric Mataras
Skinner & Associates Meetings
315-385-7104

Vicky Taylor
Tug Hill Real Estate
315-3875801
Gregory Wall
Keller Williams Syracuse
315-701-6900

Colleen Zieno
GRG Gloria Realty Group
315-671-2341
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