By Joseph Rowley, Jr. As I write this column, I am looking forward to our upcoming board/membership meeting at the Rye Town Hilton in Rye Brook on September 12. I would like to take this opportunity to update you on some events happening this fall: On October 14, NYSCAR in cooperation with the Metro Long Island Chapter of NYSCAR will present "Discrimination Issues in Commercial Brokerage" instructed by NYSCAR past president Edward Smith, Jr., ITI. This three-hour course fulfills the NYS license renewal law requirement for at least three hours of instruction pertaining to fair housing and/or discrimination in the sale or rental of real property or an interest of real property. The course will be held at the offices of the Brooklyn Board of Realtors in Brooklyn. Please go to www.nyscar.org for a registration form. On October 28-29, NYSCAR in cooperation with the Greater Capital Chapter of NYSCAR will present an education day and marketing session. On October 28, a course entitled "Tax Strategies, Asset Protection and Estate Planning for Commercial Realtors " will be instructed by Peter Karl III, Esq. The course will be held at the Ramada Inn in Albany (off exit 5 of I-90). (The course has been submitted to NYS Department of State for 6 hours of c.e. credit). This seminar will address the latest practical tax and legal strategies available for commercial Realtors in business and personal situations. Topics will include income/estate tax and asset protection planning along with entity selection for investment and business purposes. Karl, a CPA and an attorney, is the tax partner of the law firm of Paravati, Karl, Green & DeBella in Utica. His area of specialization encompasses tax consultations to realtors, accountants and attorneys throughout the country in such areas as Section 1031 deferred real estate exchanges, sophisticated realty transactions, trusts and asset protection strategies. Karl, an honors graduate of the University of Notre Dame, has conducted over three hundred seminars nationally and has authored several manuals on the subject of taxation. The marketing/networking session held on October 29 will be a great opportunity to network with commercial practitioners. Registration information for the class and marketing session can be found at www.nyscar.org NAR Annual Conference and Expo - NARdiGras Commercial! Extend the good times of summer by joining NAR Commercial November 5-8 for the NAR Annual Conference and Expo in New Orleans! Join your commercial colleagues at the Commercial Block, a dedicated pavilion on the Expo floor just for commercial exhibitors, four days of commercial sessions and continuing education and make new connections while strengthening existing ones at NAR Commercial Red Carpet Reception! Go to www.realtor.org (meetings) to register today! Realtors Triple Play Conference December 7-9 is the annual Triple Play Conference, sponsored by the NY, NJ and PA Associations of Realtors. The conference is held in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Go to www.realtorstripleplay.com for complete information, including a listing of commercial programs. Joseph Rowley, Jr. is the 2010 president of NYSCAR and is a VP at CBRE/Rochester, Rochester, N.Y. .