421-a is a concession for multi-family residential buildings in New York City that allows developers to obtain a tax abatement in order to create affordable housing. The abatement freezes taxes for many years in exchange for additional inventory at below market rate rentals. Critics contend the program does not really provide an adequate number of…
Read MoreYONKERS—J. Philip Commercial Group Brokerage of Westchester County announced earlier this month the completed sale of 72 Alexander St. in the City of Yonkers for $1.25 million. The Fondak Family, new owners of the property, plan to convert the more than 10,000-square-foot industrial warehouse facility into a beer distribution center and taphouse tasting room. With…
Read MoreNEW WINDSOR—Real Estate In-Depth recently sat down with Laurence P. Gottlieb, president and CEO of the Hudson Valley Economic Development Corporation based in New Windsor on the grounds of Stewart International Airport to discuss the key strengths of the Hudson Valley region and how HVEDC is looking to grow the regional economy. The HVEDC is…
Read MorePOUGHKEEPSIE—A major shopping center on Route 9 here has changed hands. Jeffrey Dunne, David Gavin and Travis Langer of CBRE’s National Retail Partners represented the seller in the sale of the Mid Hudson Center in Poughkeepsie for $27.5 million. The team was also responsible for procuring the buyer, TFS Investment Group, directed by Avrohom Schlaff…
Read MoreNEW PALTZ—SUNY New Paltz is the first institution of higher education to be designated a Stratasys-MakerBot Additive Research & Teaching or SMART lab by Stratasys, the largest 3D printer company in the world. The announcement came during an open house for the Hudson Valley Advanced Manufacturing Center in June. “Our designation as a SMART lab…
Read MoreTourism has always been a staple of the Hudson Valley economy. However, two major resort projects are expected to be game-changers for not only the tourism and lodging sectors, but for the regional economy as a whole. The Hudson Valley, already a major tourist destination, could soon become home to two major resort destinations. At…
Read MoreThe health care and education sectors have been key drivers of new jobs in the Hudson Valley region the past few years and all indications are that they will continue to fuel economic growth in the years to come. The health care industry, particularly, has been especially active with major investments and partnerships undertaken recently…
Read MoreAs reported in HGAR’s 2016 second quarter residential real estate sales report, the Hudson Valley continues to experience increased sales volume. This long awaited market condition has produced a five-year high of second quarter sales reaching an overall 23% increase in closings over the same period in 2015. Putnam County, at 32%, had the largest…
Read MoreRYE BROOK– The Business Council of Westchester became the latest organization to decry a U.S. Coast Guard proposal to locate new anchorages for commercial vessels along the Hudson River. The U.S. Coast Guard is considering the adoption of a new rule that would establish new anchorage grounds for commercial vessels along the Hudson River at…
Read MoreIn speaking with many of our members over the years, I have always been perturbed by the fact that many of us forget or are unaware that HGAR offers more tools to its members than simply our Multiple Listing Service. Don’t misunderstand me, our MLS is vital and often central to our ability as real…
Read MoreKIRYAS JOEL—Representatives of the Village of Kiryas Joel announced a plan earlier this week to begin a petition drive that would seek to have the Orange County Legislature approve the formation of the new Town of North Monroe, which would consist of the existing Kiryas Joel community and reportedly an additional 382 acres outside of…
Read MoreMIDDLETOWN—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…
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