WASHINGTON—The U.S. Senate unanimously passed a $2-trillion COVID-19 compromise economic relief package on March 25. The bill now goes to the U.S. House, where it is expected to pass, and President Trump has said he will sign the much-needed measure into law. The National Association of Realtors reports the bill includes $350 billion for the…
Read MoreALBANY—The New York State Association of Realtors posted online the latest guidance regarding the regulations impacting the real estate industry in connection with Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s executive orders in connection with preventing the spread of the Coronavirus. The FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) issued by NYSAR effective at 5 p.m. on March 24 answered a host…
Read MoreNEW YORK— The Long Island Board of Realtors, Inc. and the Hudson Gateway Association of Realtors, Inc. announced on March 24 that the first regional MLS for the New York Metro area—OneKey MLS—is now live for Realtor use. OneKey MLS offers real estate professionals more coverage, precise and accurate data. A consumer-facing website is set…
Read MoreMONTGOMERY—One of the more controversial commercial projects in Orange County secured a key approval on March 8 that will likely facilitate groundbreaking on the $120-million distribution facility later this spring if building restrictions related to the Coronavirus are lifted. The Montgomery Planning Board approved Medline Industries’ Final Environmental Impact Statement on its proposed 1.3-million-square-foot distribution…
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news
ALBANY—Gov. Andrew Cuomo ordered the closure of all offices for non-essential businesses on March 20 and indicated that all showings and open houses are also prohibited. Previously, the governor limited staffing to 50%, followed by 75%, and now 100% workforce reduction in non-essential business offices per his order on March 20. The governor specifically mentioned…
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legal-advocacy
WASHINGTON—The U.S. Senate unanimously passed a $2-trillion COVID-19 compromise economic relief package on March 25. The bill now goes to the U.S. House, where it is expected to pass, and President Trump has said he will sign the much-needed measure into law. The National Association of Realtors reports the bill includes $350 billion for the…
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people
A Lifetime of Volunteering After spending 32 years working with the New York City Housing Authority, it’s no surprise that Amanda Martinez has a knack for finding people homes. The Better Homes and Gardens Rand Realty agent actually started her real estate career just two years ago in the brokerage firm’s Goshen office, but has…
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residential
WASHINGTON—Nearly half of Realtors—48%—said home buyer interest had decreased due to the coronavirus outbreak, according to a new survey from the National Association of Realtors released on March 19. That percentage tripled from a week earlier when it stood at 16%. Almost seven in 10 Realtors—69%—said there’s no change in the number of homes on…
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“Average performers stop when they feel fear. Iconic producers accelerate once they get frightened.” Robin Sharma Are you frightened by current events? I am. We have a large brick and mortar office and there are many people coming and going including children on a regular basis. I spent the first weekend in March thinking, meditating,…
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Gov. Andrew Cuomo at a press conference on Saturday, March 21 said that two weeks ago seemed like a lifetime. I couldn’t agree more! The governor’s executive order on Friday, March 20 shutting down most industries in New York State, including commercial and residential real estate brokerage and development, had to be done to curtail…
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technology
The Close is the name of a real estate-focused website founded in 2017. If you are not familiar with the site, the following two paragraphs come from the site's "About Us" web page that describes the type of content the site has... "The Close is a new kind of real estate site designed to give…
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mortgage
WASHINGTON—Existing-home sales climbed substantially in February after a slight decline in January, according to a report released by the National Association of Realtors on March 20. Of the four major regions, only the Northeast reported a decrease in sales (-4.1%), while other areas saw increases, including sizable sales gains in the West. Total existing-home sales…
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