MIDDLETOWN—Orange County Trust Company announced recently it changed its name to Orange Bank & Trust Company. With the new name change and signage comes word from bank officials that the bank plans to continue to grow its operations in the region. The name change supports the bank’s strategic plan to remain independent, position itself for…
Read MoreWHITE PLAINS—The popular lore for some time among many real estate professionals and most media pundits is that Millennials are shunning the suburbs and instead are flocking to major cities in search of collaborative office space and rental housing in a “24-7 live-work environment.” A report appropriately entitled “Myth Buster: Young Americans Do Like The…
Read MoreThe Business Council of Westchester’s Third Quarter 2016 edition of 914INC. magazine has an editorial entitled “Big Ideas From Small Businesses” and a special feature saluting small business in Westchester County. 914INC. Executive Editor Amy Partridge spelled out the reasons for featuring these businesses, and stressed the importance of small businesses in our daily lives,…
Read MoreFirst, a disclaimer, I am blatantly biased as I write this month’s article. I have been a huge fan of HGAR’s Legal Counsel Edward I. Sumber for more than three decades. In my opinion Ed has been one of the most effective and knowledgeable association legal counsels in the country, and he has earned the…
Read MoreNANUET—Better Homes and Gardens Rand Realty has announced it was awarded the Middletown Times Herald-Record’s Readers’ Choice Award for top real-estate agency in the Hudson Valley. “We’re honored to be given this recognition by one of the region’s top publications,” said Joseph Rand, managing partner of Better Homes and Gardens Rand Realty. “The Hudson Valley…
Read MoreCORTLAND MANOR—Westchester Magazine readers have designated Irene Amato, president of A.S.A.P. Mortgage Corp. in Cortlandt Manor, as Westchester’s “Best Businesswoman” of 2016. This is a new category in the annual reader-adjudicated contest. More than 12,000 members of the Westchester community placed online votes for this year’s 224 categories, including food & drink, shopping, and professional…
Read MoreCARMEL—The senior center planned for the former Butterfield Hospital site in Cold Spring is likely shelved. After a contentious meeting of the Putnam County Legislature, embattled Fox News founder and Cold Spring resident Roger Ailes took back his planned $500,000 donation for the project. The Putnam County Legislature, after some debate, reportedly unanimously tabled a…
Read MorePresident Obama has signed Condo legislation that was approved by both houses of the Congress, into law. This is a big victory for Realtors as well as for future buyers as purchasing a condo is often a more affordable housing option. The new law mitigates current FHA regulations surrounding existing condominium projects, including streamlining project…
Read MoreWASHINGTON— Since the October 2015 implementation of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's “Know Before You Owe” mortgage initiative, Realtors have raised red flags over challenges in gaining access to the mortgage "closing disclosure" form, or CD. The CD is delivered to homebuyers in advance of their closing and contains important financial information related to their…
Read MoreWASHINGTON—On Friday, July 29th, President Barrack Obama signed into law H.R. 3700, the "Housing Opportunity Through Modernization Act.” The legislation includes reforms to current Federal Housing Administration restrictions on condominium financing, among other provisions, and was long supported by the National Association of Realtors. The U.S. Senate had approved the measure by unanimous consent on…
Read MoreWHITE PLAINS—The ownership of the Esplanade Senior Residences of White Plains has agreed to pay more than $528,000 to 139 elderly residents who were allegedly forced from their homes to make way for the development of a luxury rental apartment development there. New York State Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman announced the settlement agreement on…
Read MoreWHITE PLAINS—The Hudson Gateway Association of Realtors, celebrating its 100th anniversary this year, opened its new offices in Downtown White Plains that the organization hopes will serve as its corporate headquarters for decades to come. On Monday, July 18th, chief officials with the Hudson Gateway Association of Realtors, including HGAR President Marcene Hedayati, HGMLS President…
Read MoreMOUNT VERNON—In a deal the development firm says reaffirms and expands its investment in the economic revival of the City of Mount Vernon, the MacQuesten Companies reported recently it had purchased the Mount Vernon West station on Metro-North’s Harlem Line. While the station’s platforms are owned by Metro-North, the station building has been privately owned…
Read MoreRYE BROOK—Metropolitan Transportation Authority Chairman and CEO Thomas Prendergast admitted that the New York City mass transit system had fallen behind in terms of repairing and upgrading its infrastructure as well as implementing the latest technology to ensure the safety of its passengers. However, with a $29.5-billion five-year capital program now in place, the agency…
Read MoreWHITE PLAINS—A perfect storm of market forces—strong buyer demand, low interest rates, soaring housing costs in New York City and a vibrant local economy helped propel residential home sales in the four-county market area of the Hudson Gateway Association of Realtors to a five-year high. The Hudson Gateway Multiple Listing Service, Inc. reported 4,525 residential…
Read MoreNEW YORK CITY—Better Homes and Gardens Rand Realty announced today the opening of its new Bronx office on East Tremont Avenue in the Throgs Neck section of the Bronx. The new office is located at 3432-06 East Tremont Ave. and concentrates on the Throgs Neck, Country Club, Pelham Bay, Morris Park, Pelham Parkway and Indian…
Read MoreGOSHEN—Will the Mid-Hudson Valley region in the next few years be home to not only a $1-billion casino resort in Sullivan County, but a $500-million LEGOLAND New York theme park and resort in Orange County? The approval process that will play itself out over the next six months or so will determine whether the Town…
Read MoreCARMEL—Putnam County Executive MaryEllen Odell has named Neal Zuckerman of Garrison to represent Putnam County on the board of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Zuckerman has served on the Metro North Railroad Commuter Council (MNRCC) in the Putnam County seat since 2010; he has also served on the MTA board in a non-voting capacity as the…
Read MoreMIDDLETOWN—Gov. Andrew Cuomo made a stop at the Paramount Theatre here on July 6th to announce that the City of Middletown had won a hotly contested $10-million state grant to help revitalize its downtown district. A host of state, county and local dignitaries were on hand for the announcement that Middletown had secured the Downtown…
Read MorePat Palumbo may have the most memorable voice message in the entire real estate community. In fact, it will definitely catch you off guard. What you’ll hear is a personal message from international stage and screen actor Hugh Jackman, posing as her “assistant.” “It really is him,” explained Palumbo, a sales agent with Houlihan Lawrence’s…
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