ALBANY—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 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 MoreWASHINGTON—Delinquency rates for mortgages backed by commercial and multifamily properties decreased again in March, reaching the lowest level since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association's latest monthly CREF Loan Performance Survey. “Commercial and multifamily mortgage delinquencies fell for the third straight month in March and are now at their…
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 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 MoreWHITE PLAINS—A bill that would amend existing county law relating to the sale of cooperative housing to now require cooperative boards of directors to disclose the reason for denial of a prospective purchaser was officially introduced for consideration by the Westchester County Board of Legislators on Monday, March 22. The pending bill, which now goes…
Read MoreNYACK—Corcoran Group, LLC announced on March 23 the launch of its newest affiliate, Corcoran Baer & McIntosh, based in Nyack. The announcement was made via virtual appearance by Pamela Liebman, president and CEO of The Corcoran Group. This is the second Corcoran affiliate to launch since the start of the year—just weeks after the one-year…
Read MoreWASHINGTON—Existing-home sales declined in February, following two prior months of gains, reported the National Association of Realtors on March 22. Month-over-month, only one major region saw an increase in February, but all four U.S. regions recorded year-over-year gains. Total existing-home sales, completed transactions that include single-family homes, townhomes, condominiums and co-ops, decreased 6.6% from January…
Read MoreSLEEPY HOLLOW—The Edge-on-Hudson, a mixed-use, transit-oriented community under development in Sleepy Hollow was honored in March with the Gold Award for 2021 MultiFamily Community of the Year at the National Association of Home Builder’s The Nationals awards program. Additionally, Edge-on-Hudson earned Gold Awards for Best Video and Best MultiFamily Model Home for The Carroll by…
Read MoreWASHINGTON—The popularity of multigenerational homes increased over the last year, as a rising number of homebuyers purchased larger residences compared to prior years, including millennials who continue to make up the largest share of homebuyers at 37%, the National Association of Realtors reported on March 16. The finding is one of a number of trends…
Read MoreCharlie Oppler took over as president of the National Association of Realtors at a pivotal time for the national organization and for the nation’s real estate industry as well. With the advent of COVID vaccines and mass distribution now underway, the 1.4 million NAR members and the nation are beginning to adjust to what will…
Read MoreNEW YORK—As a result of a year-long probe, the Housing Rights Initiative, The Legal Aid Society and the Washington, D.C.-based law firm Handley Farah & Anderson filed a federal lawsuit today against a total of 88 landlords, real estate managers and brokers for illegally discriminating against low-income tenants with Housing Choice vouchers in New York…
Read MoreCHAPPAQUA—Grand Lux Realty announced on March 12 that it had opened its new office in Chappaqua at 101 King St. “We established our Armonk office back in 2006,” said Michael Levy, founder and principal broker, Grand Lux Realty. “This move is bittersweet, but we are not saying goodbye to Armonk or our long-time clients. While…
Read MoreALBANY—The employment numbers for 2020 released by the New York State Department of Labor for the Hudson Valley region on March 11 were not surprising in the least, with leisure and hospitality leading the way with job losses during the 12-month period, exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic, that exceeded 22,000 jobs. However, job numbers released…
Read MoreNEW WINDSOR—Orange County’s premier wedding, catering and event venue Anthony’s Pier 9 in New Windsor is in contract to be sold to an entity that plans to convert the 70,000-square-foot facility into a motion picture production studio. The pending sale with the unidentified buyer was announced by The Bonura Hospitality Group, which stated it expects…
Read MoreWASHINGTON—The Fannie Mae Home Purchase Sentiment Index decreased in February by 1.2 points to 76.5. Four of the HPSI’s six components fell month over month, including most notably homebuying conditions and household income components. Offsetting much of that decline, however, was increased optimism regarding job security, with consumers reporting a significantly more positive view of…
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