The health care and education sectors have been key drivers of new jobs in the Hudson Valley region the past few years and all indications are that they will continue to fuel economic growth in the years to come. The health care industry, particularly, has been especially active with major investments and partnerships undertaken recently…
Read MoreAs reported in HGAR’s 2016 second quarter residential real estate sales report, the Hudson Valley continues to experience increased sales volume. This long awaited market condition has produced a five-year high of second quarter sales reaching an overall 23% increase in closings over the same period in 2015. Putnam County, at 32%, had the largest…
Read MoreRYE BROOK– The Business Council of Westchester became the latest organization to decry a U.S. Coast Guard proposal to locate new anchorages for commercial vessels along the Hudson River. The U.S. Coast Guard is considering the adoption of a new rule that would establish new anchorage grounds for commercial vessels along the Hudson River at…
Read MoreIn speaking with many of our members over the years, I have always been perturbed by the fact that many of us forget or are unaware that HGAR offers more tools to its members than simply our Multiple Listing Service. Don’t misunderstand me, our MLS is vital and often central to our ability as real…
Read MoreKIRYAS JOEL—Representatives of the Village of Kiryas Joel announced a plan earlier this week to begin a petition drive that would seek to have the Orange County Legislature approve the formation of the new Town of North Monroe, which would consist of the existing Kiryas Joel community and reportedly an additional 382 acres outside of…
Read MoreMIDDLETOWN—Orange County Trust Company announced recently it changed its name to Orange Bank & Trust Company. With the new name change and signage comes word from bank officials that the bank plans to continue to grow its operations in the region. The name change supports the bank’s strategic plan to remain independent, position itself for…
Read MoreWHITE PLAINS—The popular lore for some time among many real estate professionals and most media pundits is that Millennials are shunning the suburbs and instead are flocking to major cities in search of collaborative office space and rental housing in a “24-7 live-work environment.” A report appropriately entitled “Myth Buster: Young Americans Do Like The…
Read MoreThe Business Council of Westchester’s Third Quarter 2016 edition of 914INC. magazine has an editorial entitled “Big Ideas From Small Businesses” and a special feature saluting small business in Westchester County. 914INC. Executive Editor Amy Partridge spelled out the reasons for featuring these businesses, and stressed the importance of small businesses in our daily lives,…
Read MoreFirst, a disclaimer, I am blatantly biased as I write this month’s article. I have been a huge fan of HGAR’s Legal Counsel Edward I. Sumber for more than three decades. In my opinion Ed has been one of the most effective and knowledgeable association legal counsels in the country, and he has earned the…
Read MoreNANUET—Better Homes and Gardens Rand Realty has announced it was awarded the Middletown Times Herald-Record’s Readers’ Choice Award for top real-estate agency in the Hudson Valley. “We’re honored to be given this recognition by one of the region’s top publications,” said Joseph Rand, managing partner of Better Homes and Gardens Rand Realty. “The Hudson Valley…
Read MoreCORTLAND MANOR—Westchester Magazine readers have designated Irene Amato, president of A.S.A.P. Mortgage Corp. in Cortlandt Manor, as Westchester’s “Best Businesswoman” of 2016. This is a new category in the annual reader-adjudicated contest. More than 12,000 members of the Westchester community placed online votes for this year’s 224 categories, including food & drink, shopping, and professional…
Read MoreCARMEL—The senior center planned for the former Butterfield Hospital site in Cold Spring is likely shelved. After a contentious meeting of the Putnam County Legislature, embattled Fox News founder and Cold Spring resident Roger Ailes took back his planned $500,000 donation for the project. The Putnam County Legislature, after some debate, reportedly unanimously tabled a…
Read MorePresident Obama has signed Condo legislation that was approved by both houses of the Congress, into law. This is a big victory for Realtors as well as for future buyers as purchasing a condo is often a more affordable housing option. The new law mitigates current FHA regulations surrounding existing condominium projects, including streamlining project…
Read MoreWASHINGTON— Since the October 2015 implementation of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's “Know Before You Owe” mortgage initiative, Realtors have raised red flags over challenges in gaining access to the mortgage "closing disclosure" form, or CD. The CD is delivered to homebuyers in advance of their closing and contains important financial information related to their…
Read MoreWASHINGTON—On Friday, July 29th, President Barrack Obama signed into law H.R. 3700, the "Housing Opportunity Through Modernization Act.” The legislation includes reforms to current Federal Housing Administration restrictions on condominium financing, among other provisions, and was long supported by the National Association of Realtors. The U.S. Senate had approved the measure by unanimous consent on…
Read MoreWHITE PLAINS—The ownership of the Esplanade Senior Residences of White Plains has agreed to pay more than $528,000 to 139 elderly residents who were allegedly forced from their homes to make way for the development of a luxury rental apartment development there. New York State Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman announced the settlement agreement on…
Read MoreWHITE PLAINS—The Hudson Gateway Association of Realtors, celebrating its 100th anniversary this year, opened its new offices in Downtown White Plains that the organization hopes will serve as its corporate headquarters for decades to come. On Monday, July 18th, chief officials with the Hudson Gateway Association of Realtors, including HGAR President Marcene Hedayati, HGMLS President…
Read MoreMOUNT VERNON—In a deal the development firm says reaffirms and expands its investment in the economic revival of the City of Mount Vernon, the MacQuesten Companies reported recently it had purchased the Mount Vernon West station on Metro-North’s Harlem Line. While the station’s platforms are owned by Metro-North, the station building has been privately owned…
Read MoreRYE BROOK—Metropolitan Transportation Authority Chairman and CEO Thomas Prendergast admitted that the New York City mass transit system had fallen behind in terms of repairing and upgrading its infrastructure as well as implementing the latest technology to ensure the safety of its passengers. However, with a $29.5-billion five-year capital program now in place, the agency…
Read MoreWHITE PLAINS—A perfect storm of market forces—strong buyer demand, low interest rates, soaring housing costs in New York City and a vibrant local economy helped propel residential home sales in the four-county market area of the Hudson Gateway Association of Realtors to a five-year high. The Hudson Gateway Multiple Listing Service, Inc. reported 4,525 residential…
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