BRIARCLIFF MANOR—Michele Johnson has been named Chief Financial Officer at locally-based independent real estate brokerage firm J. Philip Real Estate. In this position she will be responsible for the brokerage’s financial matters, including budgeting, reporting, statutory compliance, forecasting and company planning. Johnson has more than 35 years of financial and management experience. For the past…
Read MoreALBANY—The New York State Association of Realtors issued a “Call to Action” on April 12 to alert its membership that the State Legislature is considering passage of “Good Cause Eviction” legislation, which would restrict the ability of a landlord to evict a tenant, even in cases where their lease has expired so long as the…
Read More“In the current hot market, people who have traditionally enjoyed homeownership can capitalize on those gains to realize new opportunities. Meanwhile, the market becomes increasingly unaffordable, and the obstacles greater, for those trying to enter the market.” WASHINGTON—The lack of affordable homes is the top obstacle holding back potential home buyers of all races, but…
Read MoreWHITE PLAINS—Furniture Sharehouse, one of the many charities supported by the Hudson Gateway Realtor Foundation, recently celebrated 15 years of serving Westchester County at its modest location at the Westchester County Airport in White Plains. “We could not have reached this amazing milestone without the incredible support of the HG Realtor Foundation and others who…
Read MoreThere are a lot of questions and concerns from our members relating to the newly instituted Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). This month’s article can serve as a “cheat sheet” on the basics and, hopefully, will answer many of your questions. NYSAR’s SOPs template can be found here. • The new SOPs requirement is effective April…
Read MoreEveryone remembers the old children’s rhyme, “First Comes Love, Then Comes Marriage,” but within the past few years there’s been a growing trend for couples of all ages to put real estate deals first before marriage, or in some cases, just forgo that stroll down the aisle altogether. According to a recent Realtor.com survey, 31%…
Read MoreSANTA CLARA, CA—Realtor.com released survey data on April 6 that shows homeowners are gearing up to sell this spring and summer. According to the report, 64% of prospective 2022 sellers anticipate doing so within the next six months, and with high expectations for making a profit. The potential uptick in newly-listed homes indicates some much-needed…
Read MoreWHITE PLAINS—Residential sales in the first quarter of 2022 in the counties served by OneKey MLS, LLC were down from the historic peaks of 2021, but still posted strong results when compared with 2019 and 2020. The one county served by OneKey MLS that posted stronger numbers in 2022 compared to 2021 was Bronx County…
Read MoreWHITE PLAINS—At its latest session, the Westchester County Industrial Development Agency has voted preliminary and final approvals of financial incentives for the construction of a pair of multifamily residential projects in Downtown White Plains. The two projects—70 Westchester Avenue and 51 South Broadway—represent a total private investment of $171 million and are expected to create…
Read MoreIRVINGTON—Luba Sydor, a Ukrainian-American Realtor with Houlihan Lawrence’s Irvington office, has launched a fundraising campaign for medical and military supplies for Ukraine’s Dnipro Territorial Defense Battalion, as Russia continues to wage war on the country. Sydor has established a special Amazon.com shopping list as a convenient way for people to donate much needed supplies: https://www.amazon.com/registries/custom/38Z8HUOB4WHKG…
Read MoreWASHINGTON—Mortgage applications decreased 6.8% from one week earlier, according to data from the Mortgage Bankers Association's (MBA) Weekly Mortgage Applications Survey for the week ending March 25, 2022. The Market Composite Index, a measure of mortgage loan application volume, decreased 6.8% on a seasonally adjusted basis from one week earlier. On an unadjusted basis, the…
Read MoreWARWICK—Keller Williams Realty First in NY recently announced the opening of a new and expanded Main Street office location in Warwick. This office space is one of now three offices in Orange County, NY available to the Keller Williams agents to better serve their clients and community. The firm’s new Warwick office is located at…
Read MoreYONKERS—Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano announced on March 23 the appointment of Lynette Thomas-Braggs as the City of Yonkers first-ever female City Assessor. Thomas-Braggs has worked for the city for more than 20 years, most recently serving as a Senior Real Property Appraiser in the City of Yonkers Assessment Department. Thomas-Braggs fills a vacancy left by…
Read MoreWASHINGTON—The share of millennial home buyers increased significantly over the past year. They are also the most likely generation to use the Internet to find the home they ultimately purchase and most likely to use a real estate agent, according to a report released by the National Association of Realtors on March 23. The 2022…
Read MoreAmy Chorew, a Connecticut Realtor and President of Curated Learning, first heard about cryptocurrency back in 2017 while having her hair styled. “My hairdresser was talking about buying a condo and cashing out $50,000 in cryptocurrency as part of the down payment. All I could say at that time was ‘what’s that?’” she admitted. Fast…
Read MoreWASHINGTON—Existing-home sales dipped in February, continuing a seesawing pattern of gains and declines over the last few months, according to the National Association of Realtors. Each of the four major U.S. regions saw sales fall on a month-over-month basis in February. Sales activity year-over-year was also down overall, though the South experienced an increase while…
Read MoreWASHINGTON—The National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals released the 12th publication of its annual State of Hispanic Homeownership Report on March 16 on the final day of NAHREP’s National Convention & Housing Policy Summit in Washington D.C. The report found that in 2021, the Hispanic homeownership rate increased to 48.4%, consistent with the trendline…
Read MoreNEW ROCHELLE—A longtime city official, Charles B. Strome III, who has served as New Rochelle City Manager for the past two decades, will retire at the end of this year, the city announced on March 9. Strome announced his retirement to the City Council at its March 8 meeting and will remain with the city…
Read MoreNEW YORK—Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices New England/Westchester/New York/Hudson Valley Properties announced on March 9 that the company will begin operating as Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices (BHHS) New England/New York/Hudson Valley Properties, effective immediately. The firm's Westchester offices servicing Eastchester, Larchmont, Rye, Scarsdale and surrounding towns, will now be known as Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices New York Properties in…
Read More"A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives." Jackie Robinson I recently returned from the 2022 National Association of Realtors RPAC President’s Circle Conference, and I must say I was once again blown away by the advocacy efforts at every level of our association. Words cannot express my gratitude…
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