WHITE PLAINS—The recent approval by the Westchester County Legislature of a planned $1.2-billion biotechnology park on mostly county-owned land in Valhalla is a clear sign that political and business leaders are counting on the biotechnology and healthcare sectors to be economic engines for the region in coming years. Earlier this month, the Westchester County Board…
Read MoreWHITE PLAINS—Hudson Valley Realtors are overwhelmingly confident the heady times of strong sales and rising prices will continue throughout this year. However, there is also a consensus that continued declines in for-sale inventory will limit buyer options and could put a damper on buyer demand sometime in the future. First quarter home sales in the…
Read MoreA Conversation with Westchester County Executive Robert Astorino WHITE PLAINS—As Westchester County enters the second quarter of 2017, the commercial and residential real estate markets are robust as businesses and new residents invest in the county. The county’s biotech and healthcare industries are driving economic growth and creating new jobs in their respective sectors, as…
Read MoreWHITE PLAINS— High sales rates, a sharp decline in inventory, and an uneven pattern of price increases across the region marked 2017’s first quarter entry to the real estate market recovery of the past five years, according to the recently released “2017 First Quarter Residential Real Estate Sales Report for Westchester, Putnam, Rockland and Orange…
Read MoreBUCHANAN—Westchester County Executive Robert Astorino is seeking permission from the Westchester County Board of Legislators to file an Article 78 proceeding to require New York State to conduct an environmental review of the impacts of the Indian Point closure deal with Entergy Corp. At press time, however, it appears the county executive may not be…
Read MoreWHITE PLAINS—In what county officials say is the largest public-private partnership in Westchester County history, County Executive Robert P. Astorino and Board of Legislators Chairman Michael Kaplowitz announced the approval of the $1.2-billion Westchester Bioscience & Technology Center project on 80 acres of vacant land in Valhalla. The two county leaders staged a press conference…
Read MoreHAVERSTRAW—Rockland County Executive Ed Day has a simple but stern warning to landlords who operate illegal apartment units: “We are coming to get you and when we find you it is not going to be a simple matter of a $250 fine. The fine is going to be significant.” As part of a multifaceted codes…
Read MoreWHITE PLAINS—White Plains Mayor Thomas Roach says the city will soon be issuing a solicitation for interested developers on plans to develop what will likely be highly sought after city-owned property around the White Plains Metro North train station. Mayor Roach, who was the guest speaker at the March 23rd meeting of the Hudson Gateway…
Read MoreWHITE PLAINS—In what Westchester County officials describe as an “across the board victory,” New York State Supreme Court Justice Gretchen Walsh has dismissed the City of Rye’s court case against Westchester County’s plans to revitalize the storied Rye Playland amusement park. County officials stated on Tuesday (March 21) that the ruling allows the county to…
Read MoreTARRYTOWN—The suburbs surrounding New York City, including Westchester County, are now in the throes of a multifamily development boom as major investors flock to downtown districts in White Plains, New Rochelle, Yonkers and Mount Vernon to build transit-oriented communities. A panel of real estate investors at an event staged by The Business Council of Westchester…
Read MoreALBANY—Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced the formation of an Indian Point Closure Task Force the same day as a joint meeting of committees of the State Assembly and Senate convened on the business and economic impacts the planned closure of the nuclear facility in Buchanan might have on the state and local economies. The newly formed…
Read MoreWHITE PLAINS—In the first of its kind outreach to the general membership, HGAR President Dorothy Botsoe has launched her “Tea with the President” program at HGAR’s White Plains, Goshen and West Nyack offices. HGAR President Botsoe, who was installed as 2017 HGAR President in January, developed the idea as a way to encourage more participation…
Read MoreReform of the Tax Code is important, but must not eliminate the tax benefits of homeownership. Since its inception over a century ago, the U.S. income tax system has recognized the positive effects of homeownership for families, communities, and society by granting certain tax benefits to homeowners. The result has been a home-owning society that…
Read MoreYONKERS—After securing a partial victory last year in its efforts to have New York State finance most of its planned $2-billion capital program for the Yonkers school district, Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano re-launched the “Rebuild Yonkers Schools” campaign to secure more favorable terms from the State Legislature. Last year, Yonkers was successful in its first…
Read MoreOSSINING—Three Westchester County real estate professionals are leading a citizens group called the “Ossining Committee for Fair Taxation” that is looking to have the Town of Ossining, which recently undertook a town-wide property reassessment, ensure that condominiums in the town are assessed at full value, the same as single-family residences and commercial properties. The trio…
Read MoreReal Estate In-Depth recently sat down with Mike Oates, managing partner of Bellefield Development Partners, to discuss the firm’s proposed $500-million Bellefield at Historic Hyde Park development, a mixed-use, multi-phased project that hopes to take advantage of and in turn enhance the Hudson Valley’s growing food and beverage industry. The development project is located on…
Read MoreWHITE PLAINS—While Westchester County Executive Robert Astorino has been hopeful that with the change in administration in Washington, DC, would perhaps foster better relations between the county, the U.S. Justice Department and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, initial indications reveal the relationship between at least some the parties remains frosty. Astorino has…
Read MoreGOSHEN—Merlin Entertainments, the developer of the proposed $500-million LEGOLAND New York project here, has taken a bold step to mitigate one of the major issues tied to the project’s approval. The firm announced on Monday plans to relocate and reconfigure Exit 125 of Route 17 to help alleviate traffic on local roads. The multi-million dollar…
Read MoreBranding That's Never Out of Style Standing out from the crowd can always be a challenge for Realtors, but Rey Hollingsworth Falu has definitely found something that leaves an instant impact on almost everyone he meets—his bow ties! The Broker/Owner of Hollingsworth Real Estate Group in White Plains wears them just about all of the…
Read MoreThere is absolutely no denying that real estate sales can be bad for your health, but it doesn’t have to be. Yes, we as real estate agents spend hours at a time on the road, in and out of homes and never experience the same day twice. With such an unpredictable schedule, it’s easy to…
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