New York is facing a dire fiscal crunch over the next 2 to 3 years. The state faces a $6-billion to $8 billion deficit according to the governor’s budget office. The deficit is due, largely, to ballooning costs for Medicaid. The State Legislature and Gov. Andrew Cuomo will need to produce a balanced budget by…
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At the Annual HGAR Members Day last month I was surprised by two unexpected recognitions. The first was an acknowledgment that I have been with HGAR (and its various predecessor organizations) for 35 years. The second was to receive, along with HGAR’s COO and my very good friend Ann Garti, the President’s Award from this…
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I am writing this month's article from San Francisco as I attend the 2019 National Association of Realtors Conference and Expo. For those of you that have never attended this annual conference, I would strongly suggest that you think about it in the future. To attend this event and be a part of more than…
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Last year, the Trump Administration finalized a rule that allows small businesses and self-employed individuals to band together to obtain access to large group health plans, which seem to be less expensive, but with few protections under the Affordable Care Act. The rule, which was promulgated by the U.S. Department of Labor, is titled “Definition…
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RPAC has had a very successful year under Chair Crystal Hawkins Syska. The Realtors Political Action Committee held several training sessions throughout the year facilitated by David Severance, president of New Door Leadership, who came up with innovative strategies on how to improve our RPAC outreach and meet our RPAC goal. Currently we have raised…
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NAHREP, the National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals, held a signature event at the Putnam County Golf Course on November 8. With more than 200 attendees, the evening was a huge success. According to its website, “Nosotros somos the National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals—We are The Voice for Hispanic Real Estate and…
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A bill (S.3060E) to amend the New York City Administrative Code has been introduced by New York State Senator Julia Salazar for the third year in a row. The bill, known as the “New York State Small Home Anti-Speculation Act,” is in reality, an onerous transfer tax. Commonly known as a flip tax bill it…
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It’s no secret that real estate interests in this area have taken it on the chin for the last couple of years. It started with the $10,000 cap on state and local tax deductions (SALT) and escalated this year with the expansion of the rent control laws in New York State and the increases in…
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Happy October! As we head into the month of October, let’s not forget the important lessons of September. I am guessing that you are thinking to yourself “what important lessons?” Maybe it’s that as Realtors we should always work in the most ethical and professional manner. How about we shouldn’t allow access to homes to…
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The so-called “just-cause” eviction bill (S.2892A) sponsored by New York State Senator Julia Salazar in the last legislative session is going to come up again in 2020 with the new session. This bill will be something we all must fight to either defeat or to significantly amend. The Senator is noble in her goals. She…
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One of my favorite Putnam County restaurants, Dish Bistro in Mahopac, closed its doors last week for good, after quite a successful run across several owners. None, however, did as well as Chef Peter Milano. Peter is not a classically trained chef, but rather self-taught. He travels the world to work with talented chefs from…
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Increases in transfer tax rates, a.k.a. mansion tax, have already affected sales and sale prices of co-ops and condos in Manhattan According to an article published in the New York Times, recent sales were down 14.2% and sales price fell 8.2%. According to the article, days on market are the longest they’ve been since 2012.…
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Earlier this year, HGAR embarked upon a new strategic planning process. Our previous strategic plan was implemented in 2014 and while that plan has served us well, it was time to take stock of the organization and develop a new road map on how to move forward with the greatest possible impact to benefit the…
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Hello to all my friends at HGAR. As summer ends and fall begins, we start thinking about the beauty of the Hudson Valley. Tens of thousands will be visiting our area to view the beauty of the fall foliage, visit our farms and explore all that our region has to offer. We have many Realtor…
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After a public hearing and discussion, on Dec. 14, 2018, Westchester County enacted the Cooperative Housing Corporation Disclosure Law. The provisions of the Disclosure Law went into effect on Dec. 14, 2018. The Disclosure Law can be found in Section 700.21-a of the Westchester County Fair Housing Law. Westchester County joins the following municipalities and…
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The United States has a housing crisis. There are essentially two components to it that leaders in state capitals across the country have refused or been unable to tackle effectively. Some states are starting to get innovative in how they handle this problem. The first issue occurs where local governments refuse to build affordable housing…
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Henry Boyd, the president of the Carmel-Kent Chamber of Commerce, has weighed in on behalf of their Board of Directors with an e-mail to its membership regarding the proposed truck wash on Route 52 in Kent. The area is blighted, this project would only serve to further that stigma, and so they are strongly and…
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Health insurance is of the utmost importance to every American no matter what profession they are in. It can determine what type of care someone gets and what level of care they can afford. Realtors are independent contractors and, in most cases, cannot obtain health care through their brokerage affiliation. If the Realtor is a…
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Every August the National Association of Realtors brings together the CEOs and President Elect’s from all of the local Realtor Associations from around the country for a “Leadership Summit.” The day-and-a-half long program is packed with motivational speakers and interactive sessions. HGAR’s incoming President for 2020, Gail Fattizzi and I just returned from this year’s…
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On July 30, more than 60 business leaders and owners gathered at the Putnam County Golf Course for the 2nd annual Putnam County Business Council “Leadership Breakfast” series. The meeting began with a remembrance of the Honorable Jimmy Reitz and the start of a scholarship fund. Tompkins Mahopac Bank provided the initial spark with a…
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