WASHINGTON—A newly released survey from the National Association of Realtors reveals that home staging continues to be a significant part of the home buying and selling process. The biennial report, the "2021 Profile of Home Staging" released on April 6, examines the elements of home staging, including the perspectives of both buyers' and sellers' agents,…
Read MoreA little more than a year ago, White Plains Mayor Thomas Roach presided over a city that was enjoying a renaissance of new development projects in its Downtown District that promised to reshape the city’s skyline and economy for years to come. Fast forward to April 2021 and while the COVID-19 pandemic still infects and…
Read MoreThe cities of Peekskill in Westchester County and Newburgh in Orange County may be smaller than other major cities in the Hudson Valley, but both have some big development plans in the works. Peekskill, which has seen major changes over the past 10 years, is gearing up to add five new affordable and market rate…
Read MoreAt the end of April, the Hudson Valley will bid farewell to an entity both loved and loathed in our region for almost 60 years—the Indian Point nuclear power plant in the Village of Buchanan in northern Westchester County. After providing power to the lower Hudson Valley since 1962, the third and final reactor—Indian Point…
Read MoreWHITE PLAINS—Westchester County Executive George Latimer released the county’s top federal legislative requests on April 12 and tops on the list is the repeal of the State and Local Tax (SALT) cap. The legislative priorities list sent to the Westchester Congressional delegation also included support for President Biden’s proposed infrastructure spending plan and a list…
Read MoreALBANY—New York State Supreme Court Judge Susan Kushner issued a ruling that is being viewed as a major victory for the real estate industry, terming Department of State guidance that banned New York State apartment tenants from paying broker fees “an error of law.” The ruling, first reported by The Real Deal, was handed down…
Read MoreALBANY—The annual NYSAR Lobby Day event will be held virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The conventional program will be held on Tuesday, April 27 from 8 a.m. to noon. In advance of Lobby Day, HGAR’s Legislative Council has advanced a preliminary Public Policy Priorities Agenda for HGAR’s Westchester, Putnam, Orange, Rockland, Bronx and Manhattan…
Read MoreWHITE PLAINS—Officials with OneKey MLS and the Hudson Gateway Association of Realtors described first quarter 2021 residential sales in Westchester, Putnam, Rockland, Orange, Sullivan, and Bronx counties as “staggering” and “unprecedented” with sales in certain markets as much as 62% higher than a year earlier. Editor’s Note: The following is the full text of the…
Read MoreNEW YORK—The Hudson Gateway Association of Realtors, Inc. and OneKey MLS, the New York metro area’s first regional multiple listing service, reported on April 6 that a slate of new members has joined OneKey MLS in order to take advantage of the MLS’s reach and the rich data available to service their clients from Montauk…
Read MoreALBANY—State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli’s Fiscal Stress Monitoring System has identified eight villages and three cities in New York that were in some level of fiscal stress in 2020, based on scores that largely reflect the time period before the COVID-19 pandemic. DiNapoli, in a report released on April 2, evaluated all non-calendar year local…
Read MoreALBANY—New York Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo announced on March 30 three major Port Authority of New York and New Jersey initiatives to re-energize New York Stewart International Airport, whose domestic air operations have been battered by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Port Authority unveiled a new air carrier incentive program, a new airport marketing campaign to…
Read MoreNEW WINDSOR—At a special meeting of the newly constituted Board of Directors of the Orange County Industrial Development Agency on Tuesday, March 30, the IDA Board voted to terminate the contracts of the managing director of the IDA and its Accelerator programs. On April 5, the chief executive officer of the IDA submitted her resignation. The…
Read MoreALBANY—After last night’s passage by the New York State Legislature of the Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act, which will legalize the adult use of marijuana in New York for individuals 21 years of age and older, Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed the bill into law today. The bill (S.854-A/A.1248-A) establishes the Office of Cannabis Management and…
Read MoreWASHINGTON—Three in five residential (62%) and commercial (59%) Realtors selected a real estate career path on their own and a majority of them say self-motivation and good people and problem-solving skills are the most important traits for success, according to a new survey from the National Association of Realtors released on March 30. “NAR's Career…
Read MoreWHITE PLAINS—The Hudson Gateway Association of Realtors has announced it is launching its “Fair Housing Challenge” initiative in observance of the U.S. Housing and Urban Development’s “National Fair Housing Month” for April. HGAR’s “Fair Housing Challenge” has been distributed to its 13,000 Realtor members stretching from Manhattan to Orange County, and consists of three segments—a…
Read MoreNEWBURGH—The City of Newburgh is seeking development proposals for three city-owned properties located in the heart of the Newburgh’s East End Historic District. The city announced on March 17 that the first proposal calls for the rehabilitation of 120 Grand St., formerly known as the “City Club” building. A second proposal seeks the restoration of…
Read MoreWHITE PLAINS—The New York State Homes and Community Renewal, MDG Design + Construction LLC, Smith & Henzy Advisory Group, Inc., and partners announced on March 29 the start of a $35.8-million rehabilitation of Kingsley House, a 164-unit affordable, Mitchell-Lama housing development for seniors in White Plains. The project will preserve affordability for residents while modernizing…
Read MoreYONKERS—The Board of Directors of the Yonkers Industrial Development Agency voted to grant preliminary approval of financial incentives for three new development projects—Horizon at Ridge Hill, Hudson Hill and a CubeSmart storage facility. The three projects, which received preliminary approval at the IDA’s March 25 meeting, represent a total private investment of $144.3 million and…
Read MoreALBANY—The average bonus paid to employees in New York City’s securities industry grew by 10% in 2020 to $184,000, in line with the city’s most recent 9.9% projection, likely allowing the city to meet or exceed its income tax revenue projections in FY2021, according to annual estimates released today by New York State Comptroller Thomas…
Read MoreWHITE PLAINS—New York federal representatives and Westchester County Executive George Latimer staged a press conference on March 25th at the home of a White Plains resident to push for the repeal of the controversial SALT (State and Local Tax) deduction cap. U.S. Rep. Mondaire Jones (NY-17), U.S. Rep. Tom Suozzi (NY-03), U.S. Rep. Jamaal Bowman…
Read More