We are four months into the COVID-19 crisis and much of the legislative activity continues to center around COVID issues on both a state and national level, not to mention the myriad of related local rules and regulations. On the federal level, Congress is beginning to debate a third round of stimulus for the economy.…
Read MoreOn Friday, June 5, 2020, President Trump signed the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) Flexibility Act of 2020 (the “PPP Flexibility Act”) (see https://bit.ly/3dSbhNx). The PPP Flexibility Act provides additional relief to those businesses that have applied for and received loans under the Paycheck Protection Program instituted under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act…
Read MoreAs you are all aware, the post Covid-19 reopenings are underway and the Mid-Hudson region is currently in Phase 2. There are many rules that New York State’s Department of Health has outlined as mandatory requirements and others as “best practices” that are strongly recommended. You are all encouraged to read the “Interim Guidance for…
Read MoreNEWBURGH—During a virtual press conference focused on the merits of the Heroes Act passed by Congress recently, U.S. Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney and the county executives of Westchester, Orange and Dutchess counties agreed that the Mid-Hudson region’s economy should be re-opened by New York State soon. The online event on Thursday featured in addition to…
Read MoreDuring this difficult period, when individuals and businesses are concerned primarily with the personal and economic impact being caused by the COVID-19 Pandemic, it is important that real estate brokers and agents continue to keep up with the new legal developments. On Dec. 16, 2019, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced new regulations (“New Fair Housing Regulations”),…
Read MoreAs we all know, the new OneKey MLS roll out is taking place. Clear Cooperation is now a requirement and you can no longer market a property to the public without putting it on the MLS. The “Coming Soon” status will soon roll out as well. So, while you’re conducting business from home, it’s important…
Read MoreOn March 7, 2020, Gov. Andrew Cuomo declared a state of emergency for New York State [see https://on.ny.gov/34jIVI4]. On March 13, 2020, President Trump then declared a national state of emergency [see https://bit.ly/2JMNC3N]. Since then, many have lost their lives to the COVID-19 virus. Additionally, many of the nation’s non-essential businesses have been forced to…
Read MoreToday I’m writing from my makeshift office, looking out on the world that has changed drastically since my last article. So much has happened in a few short weeks and there is so much uncertainty for the weeks ahead. However, there are a few things that remain certain and it is these things that I…
Read MoreWASHINGTON—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 MoreA common issue that arises in connection with many residential lease negotiations and the occupancy of condominium units and cooperative apartments is where the individual seeking to occupy an apartment or unit requests a reasonable accommodation from a housing provider to allow for occupancy of a “service animal” or “assistance animal.” While many requests are…
Read MoreOneKey MLS, our new joint venture multiple listing service, will go live March 24, 2020. With this new change comes modifications to what you will see and input into our Matrix system, as well as some procedural changes. This article will address the most notable and important changes. New Status Changes Pending: As you may…
Read More“The secret of change is to focus all of your energy not on fighting the old, but on building the new. Socrates I thought it would be a good idea to focus this month’s article on the subject of change. There’s a lot of change taking place in our industry. Tenant rights are being strengthened,…
Read MoreOn Jan. 31, the New York State Department of State issued further guidance with respect to the Statewide Housing Security and Tenant Protection Act of 2019 and the Housing Stability and Tenant Protection Act of 2019 (the “2019 Acts”) [see https://bit.ly/2xA6lth] passed on June 14, 2019. The publication, entitled “The Guidance for Real Estate Professionals…
Read MoreNEW YORK—Terming the recently released guidance by the Department of State on brokerage commissions as “misguided” and “harmful,” the New York State Association of Realtors and the Manhattan-based Real Estate Board of New York announced on Feb. 7 their intent to file suit against New York State charging that the DOS overstepped its legal authority.…
Read MoreALBANY—The New York real estate industry, particularly downstate, is reeling from guidance recently released by the Department of State that now among other changes regarding regulations on landlords and agents, prohibits a landlord’s agent from collecting a broker/fee commission from a tenant in residential rental transactions. The guidance, part of a sweeping update released by…
Read MoreIn December, this column focused on the extensive multi-year investigation conducted by Newsday (see https://bit.ly/357OA3L) and the widespread fair housing violations and discrimination taking place on Long Island. The Newsday investigation opened the eyes of the real estate industry to the discrimination that is still taking place many decades after the enactment of the original…
Read MoreI got a call yesterday. It’s the type of call I get regularly. The call usually goes something like this: “If a listing is “off market” on the MLS, this means that I can reach out to the homeowner and attempt to list the property, right? My answer: “Well… not really. It depends.” There was…
Read MoreALBANY—In response to recent published reports of alleged fair housing discrimination on Long Island, the Real Estate Board of New York on Dec. 16 approved new regulations for real estate professionals to help combat housing discrimination. The new regulations, which the New York State Real Estate Board approved today, mandate enhanced disclosures by real estate…
Read MoreAs technology continues to develop, the fine line of what is permissible and impermissible continually gets rubbed away. Most recently, the issue of staging has jumped to the forefront and perhaps it’s beneficial that we address it as it relates to virtual reality. Traditional Staging Standard staging has been popular for decades. With the desire…
Read MoreA recent article in Newsday, “Long Island Divided” (See https://bit.ly/357OA3L), has shed a critical light on the discriminatory practices, which at times were blatant and at other times more subtle, that were taking place in the real estate industry. While the investigation focused on the real estate market in Long Island, the behavior uncovered by…
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