HGAR leadership and staff will once again be attending the annual NAR Legislative Meetings (May 15-18) to take an active role in advancing legislation and influencing public policy that affects the real estate industry. This year there are four major issues on the agenda. The first of these issues is net neutrality. HGAR and NAR…
Read More
This past April 15th was the annual Putnam County Chamber of Commerce Elected Officials Forum. Each year town/village, county, state and federal level officials are invited to discuss the overall business climate, economic development and our legislative priorities for the upcoming year. Some very honest conversations took place. Cost of permitting and development in area…
Read More
Some New York State real estate brokers also happen to be attorneys-at-law. These members should refrain from performing both roles simultaneously for a real estate client. A 2017 decision from the New York State Bar Association’s Committee on Professional Ethics reaffirmed the traditional prohibition on this practice. Opinion 1117 issued last April states that a…
Read More
Lobby Day has always been one of the most important days of the year. For nearly 20 years I’ve participated in nearly every one, and this year's event was one of the best ever. I have to admit that arriving in White Plains to catch a bus at 6 a.m. has never really appealed to…
Read More
In February of this year I wrote about our discussions with the Multiple Listing Service of Long Island to create a regional MLS covering New York City and the greater suburban area. I’m happy to report that those discussions continue to move forward in a very positive direction. I’m also very pleased to advise that…
Read More
Last week the town of Carmel purchased a lakefront lot on Lake Mahopac, an opportunity that could not be passed up and perhaps should have been undertaken a long time ago. Many feel the town made a hasty decision and over paid. According to Nicole Stern, Mike Barile purchased the property 20 years ago for…
Read More
The property tax cap has been a good starting point for reigning in the cost of tax increases every year on homeowners, but this is simply no longer enough. Property taxes continue to go up, albeit at a controlled rate. One means a municipality may use to increase revenue is to artificially raise assessments to…
Read More
Insurance Regulation 208, which can be found at 11 NYCRR 228, was made effective on Dec. 18, 2017. This regulation, passed by the New York Department of Financial Services was finalized pursuant to certain consumer complaints regarding the title insurance industry. Since the regulation became effective, customary marketing and business prospecting tools that many title…
Read More
As mentioned in HGAR President Barry Kramer’s column this month, not only is April Fair Housing Month, we are also celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Fair Housing Act. The Fair Housing Act, formally referred to as Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968, prohibits discrimination in the sale, rental and financing of…
Read More
Today begins the call for nominations for the “Women in Leadership” Trailblazer awards. The Putnam County Chamber of Commerce has been recognizing business excellence and non-profit achievement since 2011. Honoring professional achievement and civic contributions in the Putnam County community, the Trailblazer Awards represent the highest acknowledgment from professional peer judges across the county. Over…
Read More
April is Fair Housing Month and this year we are also commemorating the 50th Anniversary of the passage of the Fair Housing Act. As a Realtor for the past 20 years I have been proud to be affiliated with the Hudson Gateway Association of Realtors and other organizations that are committed to promoting fair and…
Read More
2018 is a celebratory year in the history of the fair housing movement. It marks the 50th anniversary of the Fair Housing Act. The act banned discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin in the renting, buying, and selling of all types of housing. Passage of the act, which was signed into…
Read More
Most of us remember the Great Recession of 2007-2012 and, more specifically, the crippling financial crisis of 2007-2008. One of the largest—if not the largest—contributors to this event was the U.S. subprime mortgage crisis. During this time, we experienced “a perfect storm” of falling real estate values, tightening mortgage lending practices, and the evaporation of…
Read More
A new section of the New York State real property law went into effect on Nov. 29, 2017. Real Property Law §235-bb addresses new lease requirements for 1-3 family properties. The language of lease agreements for a 1-3 family property now requires the owner to include in every lease entered into after 11/27/2017 conspicuous notice…
Read More
For many years now we’ve been hearing a lot of buzz in the Realtor Association and MLS world about consolidation. We’ve certainly been in the lead on this issue in the lower Hudson Valley, with the Westchester County Board merging with the Putnam County Association in 2009, and the Westchester-Putnam merger with the Orange County…
Read More
Co-op boards have had unlimited timeframes in which to give an answer of acceptance or rejection to prospective purchasers. That may now end in Rockland County. A new bill, if it becomes law, will mandate that a co-op board must accept or reject an applicant in 45 days or less from the time that they…
Read More
As a long-time advocate for legislation that would improve transparency in co-op transactions, I am pleased that progress is being made. After several years serving as Vice Chair of the NYSAR Co-op Working Group under the excellent leadership of Chair Barbara Ford, I am honored to now serve as Chair along with Long Island’s Liz…
Read More
Today’s political climate is so full of partisan rage that many pundits seem to have lost their ability to evaluate clearly. The tax reform recently passed by Congress is a perfect example. The varying opinions out there seem to say it’s the worst or the best. That seemed rather far-fetched, so since I am not…
Read More
Governor Andrew Cuomo in his State of the State address and in his budget address earlier this month called for a new payroll tax system to be implemented in New York. In his remarks, he unveiled two proposals. One was to completely eliminate the income tax with a payroll tax so that an employer could…
Read More
New York State is facing a budget deficit in the upcoming fiscal year. The budget is due by April 1st and faces a potential shortfall of $4 billion. Both political parties will point to the other as the culprit and both parties likely have valid points on why the state finds itself in this position.…
Read More