The New York State legislative session came to an end in June, and it was certainly a session like no other in recent history. With the Democrats in control of both the Senate and the Assembly, bills and initiatives that had been stuck in limbo for years were acted upon with new energy. In total,…
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Hello Friends, As we begin the second half of the year, I congratulate all of you on all the business you did in the first half of the year. It has been a very busy year. Yes, I know certain areas are busier than others. Some have price increases this year, while others are down…
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As the summer heats up, I realize it is time for me to do my annual Putnam County summer article. As I say every year, Putnam County is a great place to summer! We truly have it all—water, beaches woods, swamps, hills to hike, as well as shopping and dining! “Staycations” are popular in today’s…
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There is currently a proposal before the New York City Council (Intro 1423) that would cap Realtor’s apartment rental fees at one month’s rent. A hearing was held on the bill on June 27th at City Hall where hundreds of Realtors and real estate practitioners turned out in opposition to the bill. The cap on…
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I’m not sure how long that saying has been around, but it does resonate with me, because in order to make informed decisions, you need to know what you don’t know. For example, what services do our members value? What are they most concerned about? What keeps them up at night? What is their work/life…
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Hello friends, as we approach the beginning of summer and get close to the halfway point of 2019, I hope that all of you are having a very productive year and are taking some time to enjoy yourself as well. It has been a very busy year for me and one that has reinforced my…
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This column has discussed Airbnbs before, but there is so much more to the story. In the past I have stayed in Verona, NY for a commercial real estate conference at Turning Stone Casino and Conference Center. Staying in the casino is convenient for the meetings, but personally I never enjoy the feeling of being…
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Thousands of Realtors, including an HGAR contingent led by Legislative Committee Chair Leah Caro and President Ron Garafalo, gathered in Washington D.C. (May 13-17) to meet with their respective members of Congress in the House and Senate. Their meetings centered around the issues currently impacting the real estate industry. Among the topics discussed were mortgage…
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Last month was Fair Housing Month, and HGAR’s Fair Housing and Cultural Diversity Committee, chaired by Dorothy Botsoe and Eydie Lopez, coordinated a wonderful event to celebrate Fair Housing Month entitled “Play by the Rules or Pay the Consequences.” The speakers were Sally Santangello, the executive director of CNY Fair Housing from Central New York,…
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HGAR members, along with Realtors from across the country, are headed at press time to the annual NAR Legislative meetings in Washington DC to meet with their Congressional representatives and advocate for Realtor issues. Among the topics of discussion this year include the National Flood Insurance program. Realtors are fighting to reauthorize the program for…
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June is National Homeownership month, a time to celebrate and promote the American Dream of owning a home. Realtors know that homeownership is the best investment an individual can make to build their personal wealth, however, owning a home is not just in the best interest of the homeowner. Homeownership provides social stability, builds communities…
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The Putnam County Business Council recently welcomed representatives from the New York City Department of City Planning at the April 25th Putnam County Leadership Breakfast, held at Tilly Foster Farm in Brewster. During her presentation, Carolyn Grossman Meagher addressed several inequalities and the need for New York City to reach out to its neighboring communities…
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Members of the Hudson Gateway Association of Realtors will be heading to Albany on Tuesday, May 7th to present HGAR’s legislative priorities to our Senators and Assembly members. Realtors achieved a victory this year when Governor Cuomo made the property tax cap part of the budget and which caps real property taxes at 2% or…
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Hello friends. This is the time of the year to let the voice and message of all of us to be heard. I have often said that what we do is one of the most important jobs in our country. We are responsible for working with our clients in what is most likely the largest…
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FHA Mitigates Risk in Portfolio The Federal Housing Administration announced that effective for mortgages with case numbers assigned on or after March 18, 2019, the Technology Open to Approved Lenders (TOTAL) Mortgage Scorecard may flag certain mortgages submitted through the automated underwriting system (AUS) and require the lender to manually underwrite those loans. FHA is…
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Raising the bar of professionalism. Improving the ethical standards of the industry. Expanding the competency of agents. These are discussions we have heard over the years and they continue to this day with even more urgency. HGAR President Ron Garafalo has made the mission of improving the level of professionalism in the real estate industry…
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Orange County is one of the fastest-growing counties in New York State and, for more than a decade, we have been seeing a boom in economic activity. But we’ve reached a fork in the road. We must invest in our infrastructure and expand the Route 17 corridor to ensure our quality of life and economic…
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The Westchester commercial real estate market is in the midst of a significant transition in 2019. Individual buildings and large portfolios are being sold to new owners, and the availability of certain types of spaces is extremely low. Tenants need to understand today’s market dynamics and what is happening in terms of pricing to properly…
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This past week HGAR President Ron Garafalo, CID President John Barrett, HGAR Director of Professional Development and Industry Relations Theresa Hatton and I spent four days at the MIPIM conference in Cannes France. MIPIM is a French acronym that stands for Marché International des Professionnels d'Immobilier, and the conference bills itself as the "world’s leading…
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Putnam County Executive MaryEllen Odell gave her 8th State of The County address on March 7, 2019. It has been her mission to raise the level of professionalism of these events (she also gives a budget address annually), and she has done an amazing job. It always airs live on News Channel 12 and is…
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