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NAR: 2020 Annual U.S. Sales Registered Highest Level of Activity Since 2006; Northeast Home Sales Spiked 27.4% Last Year

January 22, 2021

WASHINGTON—Existing-home sales rose in December, with home sales in 2020 reaching their highest level since 2006, the National Association of Realtors announced today. Activity in the major regions was mixed on a month-over-month basis, but each of the four areas recorded double-digit year-over-year growth in December. Total existing-home sales, completed transactions that include single-family homes,…

HGAR Celebrates 25th Anniversary of Real Estate In-Depth Newspaper

January 21, 2021

WHITE PLAINS – In 2021, the Hudson Gateway Association of Realtors celebrates the 25th anniversary of the launch of its flagship monthly newspaper Real Estate In-Depth and is also acknowledging the 95th consecutive year of publishing a membership newspaper/magazine. In early 1995, based on the work of several Westchester County Board of Realtors’ committees, most…

Five Questions with HGAR President Crystal Hawkins Syska

January 21, 2021

To begin 2021, Real Estate In-Depth chose to interview HGAR President Crystal Hawkins Syska who begins her term under unprecedented circumstances with the nation in the grip of a deadly pandemic, a national economic crisis and social and political unrest that will likely shape policy and economic activity for years to come. In recognition of…

Realtors Overcame Pandemic Restrictions To Post Significant Sales Increases in 2020

January 21, 2021

WHITE PLAINS—Realtors in the Hudson Gateway Association of Realtors’ market area that includes the lower Hudson Valley region, adapted to state-imposed restrictions early in the pandemic and rode the wave of pent-up buyer demand to post sales increases as compared to 2019 activity. Sales in Westchester, Rockland, Orange, Sullivan and Putnam counties soared in the…

Designing Behind the Scenes for Almost a Half Century

January 20, 2021

Most readers of Real Estate In-Depth may not know Bart D’Andrea, but people have been seeing his work every month for the past 43 years. The graphic designer responsible for creating the look and feel of the association’s award-winning newspaper is also an accomplished artist, author, college professor, lecturer, Chi Gong instructor and former U.S.…

Fourth Quarter Sales Surge Bolsters NY Suburban Real Estate Home Sales Market Despite Pandemic

January 5, 2021

WHITE PLAINS—The see-saw year, aka 2020, ended on an astonishingly high note for real estate practitioners in the Lower Hudson Valley, according to the 2020 Fourth Quarter Residential Real Estate Sales Report for Westchester, Putnam, Rockland, Orange, Sullivan, and Bronx counties released on Jan. 5 by OneKey MLS. After experiencing strong first quarter sales, agents…

Five Questions with Developer Robert Weisz

December 17, 2020

As the region enters 2021 with the specter of possible further economic restrictions due to rising coronavirus hospitalizations and deaths, but with the hope of improving conditions now that COVID-19 vaccines are starting to be administered, Real Estate In-Depth turned to a well-known and longtime successful commercial investor—Robert Weisz—for some much-needed perspective. Commercial real estate…

Real Estate Experts Predict Continued Economic Rebound in 2021

December 17, 2020

WHITE PLAINS—National and regional real estate and economic experts are in unison that the housing and some sectors of the commercial real estate markets, in spite of and in some cases due to COVID-19, will continue to rebound from the early days of the pandemic next year. Hudson Gateway Association of Realtors officials and area…

Rep. Maloney’s Bill to Protect Hudson River Passes House

December 9, 2020

WASHINGTON—The House of Representatives on Dec. 8 passed the National Defense Authorization Act of 2021 on a bipartisan vote, which includes Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney’s (NY-18) provision permanently banning the establishment of new anchorages for oil barges on the lower Hudson River, from Yonkers to Kingston. “This is a victory for the Hudson Valley. I…

Remote Work will be a ‘Huge Driver’ of Growth for Orange County

December 3, 2020

In spite of rising coronavirus cases in the county and throughout New York State, Orange County Executive Steve Neuhaus and keynote speaker and well-known executive recruiting executive Alan Guarino are bullish on the county’s prospects in 2021 now that vaccines will be arriving later this month. County Executive Neuhaus and Guarino, who is vice chairman…

Governor Says Pfizer COVID Vaccine to Arrive in NY on Dec. 15

December 2, 2020

ALBANY—In another sign of some light at the end of the tunnel on the COVID crisis, at a press conference on Wednesday, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced that New York State will soon receive an initial delivery of enough COVID-19 vaccine doses for 170,000 New Yorkers. If all safety and efficacy approvals are granted by the…

Morgan Stanley Plans $200M Renovation of Harrison Office Complex Thanks to Westchester IDA Incentives

November 27, 2020

WHITE PLAINS—The Westchester County Industrial Development Agency announced on Nov. 25 it recently granted final approval for incentives ranging from $6.5 million to $13 million to Morgan Stanley for the financial services firm’s planned more than $200-million renovation of its corporate office complex at 2000 Westchester Ave. in Harrison. The Industrial Development Agency stated that…

NAR Board of Directors Approves Proposal Banning Hate Speech by Realtor Members

November 23, 2020

CHICAGO—Chief officials with the Hudson Gateway Association of Realtors and the New York State Association of Realtors hailed the recent vote by the Board of Directors of the National Association of Realtors to strengthen the Code of Ethics and ban harassing or hate speech by its members. On Nov. 13, the Board of Directors of…

U.S. Existing-Home Sales Jumped 4.3% in October

November 20, 2020

WASHINGTON—Existing-home sales continued to trend upward in October, marking five consecutive months of month-over-month gains, according to the National Association of Realtors. All four major regions reported both month-over-month and year-over-year growth, with the Midwest experiencing the greatest monthly increase. Existing home sales rose 4.7% in the Northeast in October. Total existing-home sales—completed transactions that…

Five Questions With U.S. Rep. Nita Lowey

November 19, 2020

WHITE PLAINS—When the 117th Congress convenes on Jan. 3, 2021, an era in Hudson Valley politics will come to an end. Real Estate In-Depth thought it only appropriate to honor a woman who has spent the past 32 years tirelessly advocating in the halls of Congress for her constituents in the 17th New York…

Listen, Learn, Pivot and Adapt: Today’s Secrets to Growing Your International Business

November 10, 2020

Growing your international residential real estate business in today’s “new normal” times requires listening, learning, pivoting and adapting. That advice, courtesy of Kevin Brown, senior global real estate advisor and associate broker with Sotheby’s International Realty in Manhattan, was presented on Nov. 5 during the 2020 Global Real Estate Summit, held virtually this year. Brown…

Curtain Closes on Iconic Westchester Broadway Theatre

November 3, 2020

ELMSFORD—Since the pandemic began in March and restrictions were imposed to prevent the spread of the virus, all too frequently news reports have detailed the unfortunate closure of a popular business somewhere in the Hudson Valley. Recently, news came that COVID-19 took another business victim—the storied Westchester Broadway Theatre in Elmsford which had been a…

Westchester County Executive Says State of County is ‘Fierce’

October 23, 2020

WHITE PLAINS—In his State of the County address last evening, which was delayed due to a County Legislator testing positive for COVID-19, earlier this month, Westchester County Executive George Latimer said that while the pandemic is far from over, he is confident the county will recover from the virus’ ill effects. Noting that the…

Home Sales in Most Local Markets Rebound from Pandemic Lockdowns

October 22, 2020

WHITE PLAINS—Homes sales in the northern suburbs of New York City, with the exception of the Bronx, have emerged strong from the COVID-19 restrictions on real estate showings that were lifted in June and most brokerage firms expect that trend of high sales to continue for the remainder of this year. As Real Estate In-Depth…

Five Questions With Veteran Developer Martin Ginsburg

October 22, 2020

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact the Hudson Valley’s real estate market and overall economy, Real Estate In-Depth this month turned to a veteran real estate executive— Martin Ginsburg—who has for 57 years thrived in boom times and survived a number of major real estate downturns and deep recessions for some much needed perspective.…