As of early May 2021, nearly 48% of all New York State adult residents have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. Nearly 36% have been fully vaccinated. Business doors are opening and there seems to be light at the end of this long COVID tunnel. While the rules are starting to loosen…
Read MorePeople are out and ready to buy. Offers are coming in by the boatload. Highest and best is the order of the day. Today, the market is hot and, as a result, I am getting calls and e-mails about the presentation of offers. Sometimes concern arises after a cooperating agent learns that the listing broker…
Read MoreTwo years ago, on March 4, 2019, the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals in New York in Francis v. Kings Park Manor, Inc. (see https://bit.ly/2Kd38bo) (“Kings Park Manor I”) held that a landlord could be liable under the Federal Fair Housing Act (see https://bit.ly/2WBzEdH) and the New York State Human Rights Law (see https://dhr.ny.gov/law) for…
Read MoreAs the year goes flying by a great deal has been happening at the state and federal level. At the federal level, the PPP deadline has been extended by Congress. This will help assist many businesses who are in line more time to apply for and receive much needed funds to stay afloat. The American…
Read MoreThe following occurrences all highlight the importance of real estate licensees having a working knowledge of antitrust laws and dangers associated with any violation of antitrust laws: the recent antitrust lawsuits in the real estate industry, the focus on large technology and social media companies by Congressional leaders, the Department of Justice antitrust lawsuit and…
Read MoreOver the past few years we’ve seen a tremendous increase in the use of forms. Where we once had only one or two forms to fill out (usually done on the hood of a car), we now have up to a dozen documents. So, for the purposes of guidance and clarity, I’m going to try…
Read MoreOn Jan. 8th, the U.S. Department of Labor issued its final rule (“Final Rule”) clarifying the standard for employee versus independent contractor status under the Fair Labor Standards Act (see https://bit.ly/371n8rp). The new rule was set to go into effect on March 8th, however, the Biden administration has delayed the rule’s effective date to May…
Read MoreALBANY—The leadership of the State Senate Democratic Majority announced on Feb. 8 it will advance major legislation to continue addressing housing discrimination across New York State. The legislative package was created following two public hearings on housing discrimination that included 25 subpoenas. The package of bills is also in response to legislative suggestions outlined in…
Read MoreAt the state level, in New York many issues are ongoing regarding Fair Housing. An anticipated Fair Housing report has been released by the State Senate that details cases of discrimination on Long Island by real estate agents. In many cases minority home seekers were steered toward one neighborhood while white home seekers were steered…
Read MoreRemain calm and carry on! Do not panic! Yes, the rumor is true. So, what am I talking about? Well, if you haven’t come out of your home, picked up a newspaper, or read a trade publication since the beginning of the pandemic, then please allow me to be the first one to inform you…
Read MoreWith the new year upon us, we must keep in mind all the changes that took place in 2020 (although I’m sure many of us wish to forget about last year). So, in keeping with helping all members stay in compliance with various rules, regulations, and requirements, I am going to dedicate this month’s article…
Read MoreOn Dec. 27, 2020, President Trump signed into law the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 [see https://bit.ly/3qb3WOP] which passed overwhelmingly by both the House and Senate. The Appropriations Act is the largest bill (over 5,000 pages) ever passed by Congress. It includes $900 billion in pandemic relief funds to assist businesses and provide important funding and…
Read MoreOn April 3, 2020, during the height of the COVID-19 Pandemic, Gov. Andrew Cuomo “enacted the strongest Paid Sick Leave program in the nation” by passing Section 196-b of the New York State Labor Law (“Section 196-b”) [see https://bit.ly/39Xk9T6]. Proposed regulations have also been issued [see https://on.ny.gov/37TW4d2] (“Regulations”). Section 196-b, and its accompanying regulations, will…
Read MoreBefore we begin, it is important to understand that only NAR is authorized to interpret the Code of Ethics, its applications, and its proper enforcement to Member Boards and Board Members. Professional Standard hearing panels rely on these interpretations, as well as NAR’s case interpretations in forming their decisions. No other body, state association, local…
Read MoreThe old proverb states, “The road to hell is paved with good intentions.” This becomes the challenge to all buyer agents acting in their client’s best interests; do the right thing, but don’t do it to such an extent to cause harm. In past years, Realtors encouraged drafting a “love letter” to the homeowner, where…
Read MoreIt is not uncommon for real estate brokers and agents to make requests, and many times demands, at the closing table for certain documents, such as the lender’s Closing Disclosure, the Contract of Sale, and other documents. Brokers and agents claim that the law requires that these documents be provided because they are mandated under…
Read More2020 has been a roller coaster of a year. It started out with a booming economy, a robust real estate market and an optimistic outlook for the year. That all quickly changed two months later when the economy virtually came to a halt due to the pandemic. Election Day is now here. As I write,…
Read MoreSo much is happening today. We’re all riding a big surge in real estate activity and we’re all surprisingly busy this fall. There are all sorts of new COVID-19 protocols, Executive Orders and recent rollbacks of permissible real estate activity in various regions and new fair housing requirements. As a result, it’s easy for some…
Read MoreOn Sept. 30, U.S. District Court Judge Eric R. Komitee for the Eastern District of New York, issued a decision that deals a temporary blow to two cases filed more than a year ago by the Community Housing Improvement Program and the Rent Stabilization Association of N.Y.C., in one case, and several landlords, in another…
Read MoreThe 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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