WASHINGTON—On Dec. 21, National Association of Realtors President-Elect Vince Malta testified before the House Financial Services Committee. During the hearing, “A Legislative Proposal to Provide for a Sustainable Housing Finance System: The Bipartisan Financing Reform Act of 2018,” Malta, a third-generation Realtor and the CEO and broker of Malta & Co., Inc. in San Francisco,…
Read MoreNEW YORK CITY—Longtime Manhattan retail real estate mega broker Faith Hope Consolo, who was known in some circles as the “Queen of Retail,” died on Sunday, Dec. 23rd at her home here, according to multiple press reports. Consolo, who was the chairperson of Douglas Elliman’s Retail Group, was 69 years old. In October 2017, Consolo…
Read MoreYONKERS—MGM Resorts International reports its previously announced $850-million purchase of the Empire City Casino property here is scheduled to close in a January. MGM recently announced the planned closing of its purchase in connection with its appointment of Uri Clinton as president and chief operating officer of Empire City Casino. Clinton will head operations at…
Read MoreNEW CITY—In response to last month’s announcement by Nyack College that it is looking to sell its storied Nyack campus, Rockland County Executive Ed Day held a meeting with college executives, local leaders and the county’s planning department to discuss the future of the more than 100-acre property in Nyack. On Dec. 7, Rockland County…
Read MoreNEW CITY—Real Estate In-Depth recently sat down with Rockland County Executive Ed Day to discuss some of the pressing issues facing the county as it enters 2019. Day, who was re-elected to a second term of office in November 2017, spoke frankly on ongoing fiscal reform. the failed Sain Building sale and the proposed $200…
Read MoreALBANY—New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced on Dec. 18 this year’s Consolidated Funding Award winners and once again the Mid-Hudson region was selected as one of the “Top Performers” and will receive $87.1 million in state funding for 122 projects in the region. The Mid-Hudson Regional Economic Development Council has now won Top Performer status…
Read MorePOUGHKEEPSIE—The Hudson Valley saw an overall loss of more than 28,000 households during the period 2011-2016, according to a report released by the Marist Bureau of Economic Research on Dec. 12. The study, “Migration Report of the Hudson Valley 2011-2016,” utilized IRS county-to-county migration data. The loss of households is a serious issue, the bureau…
Read MoreWASHINGTON—The National Association of Realtors unveiled a Blockchain Guidance Paper earlier this month during a webinar designed to keep real estate at the forefront of conversations surrounding the emerging technology. NAR also authored a paper that found buyers continue to overwhelmingly utilize both the Internet and real estate agents in the home-buying process. Although blockchain…
Read MoreNEW YORK CITY—Add Google to the list of mega US tech companies that are planning major expansion initiatives in New York City. Ruth Porat, senior vice president and CFO of Google and its parent company Alphabet Inc., announced in a blog released this morning that Google plans to invest more than $1 billion in capital…
Read MoreNEW WINDSOR—A record crowd attended the 32nd annual Orange County Partnership awards event held on Dec. 4 at Anthony’s Pier 9 here. The partnership handed out its top awards at the event, that also featured a special tribute to outgoing New York State Senators John Bonaccic and Bill Larkin. From left, New York State Senators…
Read MoreWHITE PLAINS—Westchester Residential Opportunities, Inc., a non-profit housing counseling organization, announced on Dec. 3 the promotion of Marlene Zarfes to the position of Executive Director. Zarfes joined WRO in 2010, serving as Fair Housing Director and then as Deputy Executive Director. Before joining WRO, she had a long career as a corporate attorney, most recently…
Read MoreYONKERS—The Board of Directors of the Yonkers Industrial Development Agency has approved a resolution of intent earlier this month with the developer of a former loft warehouse in the Carpet Mills Art District. The project by Momentum Realty Associates of Yonkers will convert the light-industrial building at 222 & 252C Lake Street into an office…
Read MoreSOUTHEAST, NY—The grocery-anchored Lakeview Plaza Shopping Center here has been acquired by Greenwich, CT-based Urstadt Biddle Properties in what the new owner calls a “deep discount” at $12 million. The retail REIT has added the 177,000-square-foot shopping center on Route 22 to its portfolio of more than five million square feet. The shopping center, located…
Read MoreWASHINGTON—On Nov. 27, the Federal Housing Finance Agency announced it will raise the national conforming loan limit for 2019 by 6.9% from $453,100 to $484,350. In addition, the high-cost limit will rise from $679,650 to $726,525. As a result, loan limits will be higher in all but 47 counties or county equivalents across the country…
Read MoreOn Nov. 20, 2018, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (collectively "the agencies") released a proposed rule that would increase the current threshold for residential real estate transactions requiring an appraisal to $400,000. The current threshold is $250,000.…
Read MoreWASHINGTON—Sales of newly built, single-family homes fell to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 544,000 units in October after an upwardly revised September report, according to newly released data by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the U.S. Census Bureau. This is the lowest sales pace since December 2016. However, on a…
Read MoreWASHINGTON—Existing-home sales increased in October after six straight months of decreases, according to the National Association of Realtors. Three of four major U.S. regions saw gains in sales activity last month. Total existing-home sales, https://www.nar.realtor/existing-home-sales, which are completed transactions that include single-family homes, townhomes, condominiums and co-ops, increased 1.4% from September to a seasonally adjusted…
Read MoreFrom left; Joseph Simone, president, Simone Development Companies and presenter of the Martin S. Berger Award for Lifetime Achievement; Patricia Valenti, executive managing director, Newmark Knight Frank, and Chair of the 2018 Real Estate Awards Breakfast; Michael Weinstock, Market President-Connecticut, M&T Bank and recipient of the March of Dimes Legacy Award; Peter S. Duncan, president…
Read MoreNEW YORK CITY—A survey released recently by the International Council of Shopping Centers reports that retailers are gearing up for another successful Thanksgiving Weekend as consumers plan to spend an average of $554.90 with $207.30 dedicated to holiday gifts. Omnichannel retailers stand to benefit the most, with 93% of shoppers planning to spend with retailers…
Read MoreWHITE PLAINS—Co-working firm Serendipity Labs continues to expand its suburban and secondary market offerings and has announced plans to open new locations at properties in White Plains and Buffalo, NY, in a suburb of Milwaukee and in Downtown Cincinnati. The Rye-based company announced three new management contracts and a letter of intent in a fourth…
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