GOSHEN—Could the acrimony and litigation between the Town and Village of Monroe and the orthodox Hasidic Jewish community of Kiryas Joel be coming to an end? A proposal is working its way through the Orange County Legislature that could bring a controversial proposal to legally separate what is now the Village of Kiryas Joel from…
Read MoreWHITE PLAINS—A seven-year battle between Westchester County and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development over terms of a controversial fair housing settlement appears to be finally winding down. On July 19th, Westchester County Executive Robert Astorino announced that HUD had accepted the county’s 11th submission of an Analysis of Impediments to Fair Housing…
Read MoreMAMARONECK—The first major residential rental development in the Village of Mamaroneck in 20 years broke ground recently. Village and county officials joined developer Halpern Real Estate Ventures and its partner, The Rosen Development Group, at a groundbreaking ceremony on June 15th for a loft-style development featuring luxury rental apartments and townhouses on a downtown site…
Read MoreSTAMFORD, CT—Reversing a troubling trend of high profile companies announcing headquarters moves outside of the state, the State of Connecticut got some welcome news recently that a growing technology company has decided to grow its headquarters operations in the Nutmeg State. Connecticut, which has seen high profile companies like GE and Aetna announce plans to…
Read MoreBEACON—Another shuttered correctional facility in the Hudson Valley is being marketed for alternative uses. The Empire State Development Corp. announced on July 7th it had issued a Request for Expressions of Interest to developers and investors to formulate plans for the reuse and redevelopment of the shuttered Beacon Correctional Facility in Dutchess County. A former…
Read MoreIt is well known that Article 3 of the Realtor Code of Ethics deals with cooperation, surely an underpinning of an ethical real estate practice and a fluid marketplace. However, not all may be familiar with the nuances that are part and parcel of this rule of ethics. Article 3 closely resembles fiduciary law in…
Read MoreWASHINGTON—The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau finalized updates to its “Know Before You Owe” mortgage disclosure rule with amendments released on July 7th that the bureau stated are intended to formalize guidance in the rule, and provide greater clarity and certainty. The changes will facilitate implementation of the Know Before You Owe rule by the mortgage…
Read MoreWHITE PLAINS—The constricting supply of housing in the lower Hudson region served by the Hudson Gateway Multiple Listing Service, Inc. has brought about some long-expected price increases in most areas and in most property types, according to the “2017 Second Quarter Residential Real Estate Sales Report for Westchester, Putnam, Rockland and Orange Counties, New York”…
Read MoreNEWBURGH—U.S. Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney (NY-18) joined local leaders on July 6th in front of one of the abandoned properties in the City of Newburgh to announce legislation to help homeless veterans and renovate "zombie" or abandoned properties. The “Housing Our Heroes Act” would create a pilot program within the Department of Veterans Affairs, which…
Read MoreUnder the terms of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), attorneys may collect fees related to pursuing claims of non-compliance of the law but plaintiffs are not permitted to collect damages. Lawsuits often target easily correctible infractions such as signage, soap dispenser heights and transition lifts on ramps. Owners of these properties often have a…
Read MoreNEW YORK CITY—While the Hudson Valley and many residential markets across the nation are feeling the impacts of low for-sale inventory, the Manhattan residential real estate market is “surprisingly robust” thanks in part to plenty of supply and a wealth of prospective buyers. Statistics in the latest released residential sales report by Douglas Elliman clearly…
Read MoreWHITE PLAINS—After negotiating a deal that mandates creating a voluntary fingerprint program for drivers, Westchester County allowed ride-sharing services such as Lyft and Uber to launch operations there. Gov. Cuomo signed legislation that allowed Lyft and Uber and other ride sharing services to begin upstate and on Long Island on June 29th. The legislation did…
Read MoreRYE BROOK—Residential real estate brokerage firm Houlihan Lawrence has announced several key executive level appointments and hires, including Anne Marie Gianutsos’ promotion to chief marketing officer and the hiring of Nicholas Fears, formerly of Coldwell Banker, New Jersey, as chief financial officer. “By expanding our C-Suite, Houlihan Lawrence continues to uphold its reputation as an…
Read MoreNEW YORK—Federal, state and county officials praised the recent U.S. Coast Guard’s decision to suspend a proposed new rule expanding anchorages on the Hudson River. On Wednesday (June 28th) U.S. Coast Guard Rear Adm. Steven Poulin, Commander of the First Coast Guard District, reported that after reviewing more than 10,200 comments from stakeholders, the Coast…
Read MoreDOVER, NY—A massive energy project, which began its approval process nearly eight years ago, finally broke ground on Wednesday, June 28th on a 193-acre parcel of land on Route 22 here. Described as one of Dutchess County’s largest infrastructure projects in its history, Cricket Valley Energy, an affiliate of Advanced Power Services Inc. of Boston,…
Read MoreDOBBS FERRY, NY—Grocer Brooklyn Market is coming to Westchester County. The specialty retailer has filed for building permits and plans to open a new location at the new Rivertowns Square development off the Saw Mill River Parkway in Dobbs Ferry. The Williamsburg, Brooklyn-based retailer plans to open a new 18,000-square-foot store at the Rivertowns Square…
Read MoreNEW ROCHELLE—The New Rochelle City Council on Tuesday selected MacQuesten Development, LLC of Pelham as the winning bidder to develop a 27-story $110-million mixed-use building at the current site of the city’s Fire Station #1 at 45 Harrison St. New Rochelle Mayor Noam Bramson at a meeting of the Empire Chapter of the Women’s Council…
Read MoreWHITE PLAINS—Seth Pinsky, executive vice president with RXR Realty, which is building major multifamily projects in New Rochelle and Yonkers, believes that Westchester County is at a crossroads where it can either take advantage or miss out on the current investment climate. Pinsky, who was the guest speaker at the Hudson Gateway Association of Realtors’…
Read MoreWASHINGTON— Existing U.S. home sales rebounded in May following a notable 2.3% decline in April, and low inventory levels helped propel the median sales price to a new high while pushing down the median days a home is on the market to a new low, according to a report released on June 21 by the…
Read MoreALBANY—The New York State Assembly and Senate passed the top legislative item on the Realtor agenda this legislative session—the First-Time Homebuyer Savings Account. The Assembly passed the measure on June 19th by a 142-1 vote with the only negative vote by Westchester County State Assembly Member Sandy Galef. The measure passed the Senate the same…
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