WASHINGTON—The U.S. homeownership rate climbed to 65.5% in 2020, up 1.3% from 2019 and the largest annual increase on record. More Americans are likely to own a home now than during any year following the Great Recession (65.4% homeownership rate in 2010); however, Black Americans continue to face significant obstacles along the path to homeownership,…
Read MoreMy administration and Rockland County government achieved the impossible; in only three months, Rockland launched a brand-new County Office of Buildings and Codes. I want everyone to know that this has been an incredibly difficult, detailed, and time-consuming process to create an entirely new office within county government. It was only 90 days ago that…
Read MoreWHITE PLAINS—A panel of real estate executives agreed that the exodus from Manhattan due to COVID-19 is over and that the recovery in the Manhattan luxury housing market has gained momentum that will continue this year. In addition, the recovery, fueled by a roaring stock market, low interest rates and rapidly declining COVID infection rates,…
Read MoreInventory at All-Time Low WASHINGTON—Existing-home sales rose in January, making a notable move upward following a previous month where sales declined, according to the National Association of Realtors. On a month-over-month basis, each of the four major U.S. regions experienced an increase in sales in January. However, year-over-year, activity was mixed as two regions reported…
Read MoreWHITE PLAINS—The Hudson Gateway Realtor Foundation started off 2022 with two February events—a volunteer opportunity with the Community Center of Northern Westchester in Katonah, and a Pub Night at Tapped Craft Beer & Restaurant in Middletown. A group of 10 Realtor volunteers recently spent their morning stocking shelves at the Community Center’s Food Pantry and…
Read MoreNANUET—Howard Hanna | Rand Realty announced on Feb. 16 the firm had expanded its presence in the State of New Jersey with the purchase of Striker Realty, which operates out of offices in Linden, Livingston, and Rahway, NJ. Striker Realty was founded 20 years ago by Thomas J. Borowski, a renowned real estate broker entrepreneur…
Read MoreNEW YORK—Corcoran Group, LLC announced on Feb. 15 its entrance into the State of Connecticut with the launch of Corcoran Centric Realty, owned and led by Jeffrey Jackson, based in Greenwich, CT. “Greenwich is an amazing area that we’ve had our eye on for quite some time now, so to have strong agents joining us…
Read MoreWHITE PLAINS—Talk to any Realtor anywhere in the country, and they’ll tell you that even after more than a year, it’s still a seller’s market out there. Layla Boyles, broker/owner at CENTURY 21 Realty Center in Monroe, said she continues to see multiple offers and bidding wars for many Orange County properties, with the average…
Read MoreNEW CITY—On Feb. 14, Rockland County Executive Ed Day and newly appointed Director Ed Markunas provided an update on the launch of the new County Office of Buildings and Codes, which began operations that day. The new county department assumed full control over the functions of the Village of Spring Valley Building Department per a…
Read MoreBRONXVILLE NY- Corcoran Legends Realty has expanded its presence further into Southern Westchester with the acquisition of the Sales Division of Barhite & Holzinger of Bronxville located at 71 Pondfield Road here. The Bronxville office will be the fourth location for the boutique real estate brokerage firm, which affiliated with The Corcoran Group in September…
Read MoreWHITE PLAINS—The Westchester County Industrial Development Agency recently voted to grant preliminary and final approvals of financial incentives for the construction of two multi-family residential developments in Downtown White Plains that represent a total private investment of $131 million. At its Jan. 27th meeting, the IDA Board voted preliminary approval of financial incentives for 51…
Read MoreNEW YORK—Richard Haggerty, CEO of the Hudson Gateway Association of Realtors, Inc. and President and Chief Strategic Growth Officer of OneKey MLS, has been selected as a RISMedia 2022 Real Estate Newsmaker. The annual recognition, now in its fifth year, showcases key influencers making headlines for their contributions to the real estate industry and their…
Read MoreWASHINGTON—The surging residential real estate market of the last two years led to record-high home prices and record-low inventory. This simultaneous "double trouble" has made it increasingly difficult for consumers, particularly Black Americans, to achieve homeownership, according to a new analysis released on Feb. 7 by the National Association of Realtors and Realtor.com. “The Double…
Read MoreRYE BROOK—The Westchester County commercial market ended 2021 on a generally positive note with robust growth in multifamily developments as well as a strong performance by the industrial/flex market while retail fundamentals continued to improve and the investment market showed modest gains. However, entering 2022, the office market struggles to gain traction, according to the…
Read MoreSTAMFORD, CT— William Pitt - Julia B. Fee Sotheby’s International Realty, a residential real estate firm serving Connecticut, Westchester County, and the Berkshires, MA, announced on Feb. 1 that two of the firm’s leadership team veterans—Carolyn Fugere and Vincent Socci—will assume new senior roles serving under Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and co-owner Paul Breunich. Fugere…
Read MoreNANUET—Howard Hanna | Rand Realty announced on Feb. 1 its expansion into the Fairfield County, CT market with the recent acquisition of the Madison and Post Real Estate Agency. The transaction will expand the footprint of Howard Hanna | Rand Realty with three new locations in Ridgefield, Stamford and Westport, CT. “Fairfield County is one…
Read MoreAfter New Year celebrations wind down, organizations begin their annual discussions on what and how to celebrate Black History Month. Many begin by recognizing the lives and contributions of Black Americans throughout history, while others post messages of recognition on social media. I believe it all has a role to play but it is also…
Read MoreYONKERS—Westhab, a Yonkers-based provider of affordable housing and social services, wrapped up 2021 by closing on construction financing for the Hudson Hill affordable housing project in Yonkers and a shelter renovation project in the borough of Queens. Hudson Hill in Yonkers is a 113-unit ground-up affordable housing development incorporating state-of-the-art green technologies. The Briarwood Rapid…
Read MoreWASHINGTON—President Biden announced on Jan. 25 the appointment of Alicka Ampry-Samuel to serve as HUD Regional Administrator for Region II, serving New York and New Jersey. Regional Administrator Ampry-Samuel will oversee HUD operations, including the New York City Regional Office and field offices in Buffalo, Albany, and Newark, NJ. “Regional Administrator Ampry-Samuel comes to HUD…
Read MoreYONKERS—The Yonkers Industrial Development Agency reports that it provided financial incentives in 2021 to residential and commercial projects representing a total private investment of more than $508 million. The developments are projected to create 1,009 new residential units and more than 1,739 construction jobs. Since 2019, the Yonkers IDA has provided financial incentives to development…
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