WASHINGTON—As the Senate Banking Committee solicited feedback on Chairman Mike Crapo's plan to restructure America's housing finance system at multiple hearings last week, industry consensus surrounding the principles of reform began to emerge. Between hearings on March 26 and 27, when NAR President-Elect Vince Malta testified before the committee, the desire for a well-regulated utility…
Read MoreCHICAGO—Commercial brokerage firm JLL reported on March 19 it had entered into a definitive agreement to acquire HFF, Inc. in a cash and stock transaction with an equity value of approximately $2 billion. The two companies reported the transaction was unanimously approved by the boards of directors of both companies. Mark Gibson, CEO of HFF,…
Read MoreWHITE PLAINS—A.S.A.P. Mortgage, which is headquartered in Cortland Manor, has embarked on a significant expansion effort of late that has included the opening of new offices in New York City and White Plains and the launch of a new commercial finance division. In addition, the company reports its intent to open additional locations in the…
Read MoreWHITE PLAINS—Jerry Houlihan of Houlihan-Parnes Properties, with its affiliate mortgage servicing company H-P Capital LLC, reported recently it has arranged the placement of first mortgage bridge loans for the following properties in the New York/Connecticut area: • A $550,000 first mortgage loan on a 4,000 square foot diner in Yonkers on the Bronx border. •…
Read MoreNEW YORK—The Community Preservation Corporation, a leading non-profit affordable housing and community revitalization finance company, announced on Feb. 12th the launch of CPC Mortgage Company LLC, a subsidiary created solely to focus on the company’s rapidly growing Agency lending business. CPC Mortgage Company LLC was officially introduced at a reception on Feb. 11th during the…
Read MoreWASHINGTON—In what can only be viewed as great news for Realtors and the residential real estate market, the Federal Reserve on Wednesday decided to hold rates steady and even signaled an end to what had been seen by some as an aggressive policy of raising rates. The Federal Reserve decided to maintain the federal funds…
Read MoreWASHINGTON—A bill has been introduced in the U.S. Senate to protect 800,000 federal workers, including thousands across New York State, and their families, from potentially losing their homes, facing apartment eviction or falling behind on bills that could then go to collection. On the 30th day of the partial federal government shutdown, US Senator Brian…
Read MoreNEW YORK—A New York State Appellate Court has overturned an earlier lower court ruling and has upheld controversial state regulations that restrict what state regulators have termed excessive marketing costs and other unscrupulous activity in the title industry. The Appellate Division, First Department, on Jan. 15 reversed a ruling last July by New York Supreme…
Read MoreNYACK--- Hudson United Mortgage Services, LLC reported on Jan. 8 the firm is now accepting appointments for its Second Look Program, back by popular demand. Any prospective homebuyer is encouraged to meet with a Hudson United Mortgage loan officer once they have received a mortgage estimate from another lender to receive competitive rates and discuss…
Read MoreTHORNWOOD— The Board of Directors and CEO Michael Gilfeather of Orange Bank & Trust announced on Jan. 7 the opening of its full-service Thornwood branch at 859 Franklin Ave. “We are proud to continue to serve the Mount Pleasant community with our new branch in Thornwood,” said Joseph Ruhl, regional president at Orange Bank &…
Read MoreWHITE PLAINS—The Westchester County Industrial Development Agency released its full-year 2018 activity report on Jan. 2 which showed that its $48.8 million in incentives are projected to create $881.4 million in future private investment capital in the county’s economy. The report noted that the approved projects will create 2,680 construction jobs, 222 permanent jobs and…
Read MoreWASHINGTON—On Dec. 21, National Association of Realtors President-Elect Vince Malta testified before the House Financial Services Committee. During the hearing, “A Legislative Proposal to Provide for a Sustainable Housing Finance System: The Bipartisan Financing Reform Act of 2018,” Malta, a third-generation Realtor and the CEO and broker of Malta & Co., Inc. in San Francisco,…
Read MoreWASHINGTON—On Nov. 27, the Federal Housing Finance Agency announced it will raise the national conforming loan limit for 2019 by 6.9% from $453,100 to $484,350. In addition, the high-cost limit will rise from $679,650 to $726,525. As a result, loan limits will be higher in all but 47 counties or county equivalents across the country…
Read MoreELMSFORD, NY -- Hudson United Mortgage Services, LLC, a full-service mortgage banker/broker licensed in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, and Florida, is growing its footprint in Westchester County with the opening of a new office at 570 Taxter Road in Elmsford. The firm also reported it has brought on Donald Arace, a veteran of the…
Read MoreNEW YORK—Fannie Mae has approved the Community Preservation Corp., a leading nonprofit affordable housing and community revitalization finance company, as a Multifamily Special Affordable Lender to originate Multifamily Affordable Housing (MAH) and Small Mortgage Loans. Also, CPC reported that it will move its New York City operations into nearly 30,000 square feet of space at…
Read MoreToo often, developers can’t secure permanent financing upon a project’s completion. If it’s a condominium project will the condo project sell out? Then, there is construction gamble, as cost overruns, accidents, delays and other problems tend to occur on every job. Imagine, for example, a crane falling or dropping an expensive beam. Further, good labor…
Read MoreNEW YORK—TD Bank reported on Aug. 28 it had closed on an $18.4-million construction loan for MHANY Management Inc. and We Stay/Nos Quedamos, Inc. (Nos Quedamos) to develop the second phase of Phoenix Estates, a new eight-story, mixed-use building in the Hunts Point neighborhood of the Bronx. The 111,000 square foot building will eventually become…
Read MoreNEW YORK—New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced on Aug. 9th his intent to propose legislation to “decouple” state tax policy from the federal tax code if the Trump Administration follows through on a plan to enact a $100-billion capital gains tax cut. Gov. Cuomo in a press conference in New York City also called on…
Read MoreThe commercial real estate lending market came off of a record year in 2017, as mortgage originations totaled $530 billion. Fundamentally, rates, property values, credit policies and demand support the continuing strength of the CRE market. Technically, a large block of maturing CMBS loans will leave many CRE owners attempting to sell should they be…
Read MoreNEW CITY—In four years, Rockland County government has gone from having approximately $42,000 in the bank and $138 million in debt, to being in the black with a fund balance of more than $6 million. Rockland County Executive Ed Day announced the positive budgetary news relating to the county’s just released Comprehensive Annual Financial Report…
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