Back in the height of the lockdown caused by COVID-19 in April and May of this year, on weekends I would venture out of my apartment in Manhattan to take a walk in Central Park. It was a very scary time, especially in April. The number of COVID-19 cases and deaths were climbing at alarming…
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I recently paid a visit to some friends in the Poconos. During our little sightseeing jaunt, we visited The Shops at Hawley Silk Mill, a jaw-dropping venue where our friends held their wedding reception. A former silk mill, the building was converted, no, transformed, into a beautiful high-end restaurant and catering facility. Adding to that,…
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I had the distinct pleasure recently to listen in on the second session of our Leadership Accelerator program. This session was an in-depth look at our association—its history, evolution, mission, organizational structure and a personal introduction to many of the key HGAR staff members. At the end of the session, Facilitator Katheryn DeClerck asked the…
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The Small Business Administration will begin processing PPP loan forgiveness applications. Businesses’ are eligible for the forgiveness program if they spent 60% or more of the loan on payroll, and for other uses such as rent, electric or mortgage payments. The PPP program saved many businesses from going under. Businesses should submit their applications to…
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In this edition of Real Estate In-Depth, Editor John Jordan has posed five questions to NAR CEO Bob Goldberg. I must confess I was curious to see what Bob focused on in these unprecedented times. He acknowledged that, in his almost 25 years with NAR, he felt that this year was the most challenging to…
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As the Town of Carmel initiates steps to update the municipality's Master Plan and others follow suit, it's due time to address the county's inadequate telecommunications infrastructure as a whole. In the aftermath of Hurricane Isaias, at least one-third of Putnam households were left without power and thousands lost Internet service for several days. Of…
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I would like to start by welcoming all the members of the Bronx-Manhattan North Association of Realtors to the Hudson Gateway Association of Realtors! The official date of our merger was Sept. 4, 2020 when all necessary documents and approvals were fully executed and filed. We are now one association, with a new Bronx Chapter,…
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In recent columns for Real Estate In-Depth I’ve raised the issue of access to safe and affordable housing as one of the keys to addressing the racial inequalities that exist in this country. During this extended period of low housing inventory, we need to prioritize our support for the creation of new affordable housing units,…
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We are seven months through 2020, and most would probably agree it’s been a challenging year so far. I know I personally started the year with optimism and excitement for everything I hoped our leadership team would accomplish for HGAR and our members in 2020. Considering the unforeseen pandemic and other obstacles, the fact that…
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The beat goes on both at the federal and state level; issues that affect everyone in our industry and everyone in the country as well. It is imperative that Congress pass new legislation that provides aid to local and state governments, aid to small businesses to keep them afloat, and aid to landlords so they…
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I came across an article recently that noted a concerning statistic. According to the Morning Consult Economic Intelligence: Global Consumer Confidence study, as of June 1, 2020, New York’s consumer confidence index was at 82.5. A significant drop from its first quarter numbers, which were in the 112 range. While many agree that there is…
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“New York, like states all across the country, confronts the immediate effects of a paralyzing national recession, the longer-term challenge of improving our competitive position in the global economy, and the specter of a dangerous, ugly divisiveness among our people.” Those words, but with the single substitution of “pandemic” for “recession,” are as true today…
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As I write this article, back at my desk at the HGAR offices in White Plains which we reopened July 6th, I can’t help but think back on the last four months when we were all working remotely from home. So much has happened in that short period of time, a world-wide pandemic, real estate…
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Every year in July, HGAR sends out a request for applications for open seats on our Board of Directors, including Director and Officer positions. Officer positions include President-Elect, Treasurer and Secretary. The other two officer positions that comprise the Executive Committee are Immediate Past President (that will be me next year!), and President which will…
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According to U.S. Census data, at 77%, the population of Putnam County, is predominantly white. In fact, aside from Ulster County, Putnam is the least diverse county in the Mid-Hudson region. This is neither judgment nor praise, just a simple demographic fact. Adding to a lack of diversity, our county seat is 60 miles north…
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Election upsets were on the menu on June 23, the day of the Congressional and State Primary races. State Assembly and State Senate primaries were also held. The first big upset came in Congressional District 16 currently held by Congressman Eliot Engel, who is the Chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee. The district covers…
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Over the years of my involvement at HGAR, I’ve seen the organization grow both organically and through mergers with neighboring associations. The first came when the Westchester County Board of Realtors merged with the Putnam County Association of Realtors. After that came the merger with the Orange County Association of Realtors and the Rockland County…
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Although the month of June has seen a leveling off of new COVID-19 cases, much is still happening on the legislative front. Three bills have passed the State Legislature and new fair housing regulations go into effect this month. One of those regulations provides for a New York State Housing and Anti-Discrimination Disclosure Form that…
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On June 3rd in HGAR’s daily e-mail update I addressed the pain, suffering and turmoil since the senseless killing of George Floyd. Since then, there have been more protests and tragically more deaths. There is justifiable anger, and that anger is rooted in the fact that this country seems to repeat this scenario of outrage…
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We were all shocked and appalled by the recent senseless killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. No person should die as he did, regardless of race. Unfortunately, this is a pattern we’ve seen repeated too many times where the victim is a person of color. People around the country are coming out en masse for…
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