Viewpoints

Gail Fattizzi

PRESIDENT'S CORNER: There’s No Such Thing as ‘Good Enough’

January 14, 2020

Ever since childhood, even without realizing it, I’ve always lived by the premise of “There’s no such thing as ‘good enough.'” No need to burden readers with the psychology that’s behind my type-A personality and strive-for-perfection compulsion, LOL, but suffice it to say that this is what drives me. So why am I sharing this…

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Philip Weiden

LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRS: Governor Cuomo Delivers State of the State Address

January 14, 2020

On Jan. 8th, Gov. Andrew Cuomo delivered the State of the State annual address. The governor’s proposals were painted in broad strokes with scant detail. Of particular concern are initiatives relative to the real estate industry. The governor discussed funding for building affordable housing. With a looming deficit of $6 billion and no mention of…

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John Jordan

The Big 25!

January 9, 2020

Jan. 1, 2020 signaled a significant professional personal milestone—25 years as editor of the print/online newspaper of the Westchester County Board of Realtors, Westchester-Putnam Association of Realtors and the modern-day Hudson Gateway Association of Realtors. Back in January 1995, I was at a professional crossroads and was hired by then WCBR Chief Executive Officer P.…

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Jennifer Maher

PUTNAM POSTING: 2020 Brings New Things to Look Forward to

January 7, 2020

After a few weeks off, it’s good to be back sharing updates with Real Estate In-Depth readers, and a new year should be kicked off with some good news! Shops in Putnam are reporting a successful holiday season, and our 6th annual Shop Small Saturday Tour provided an opportunity to meet with many small business…

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Richard Haggerty

GATEWAY PERSPECTIVES: Enough Excuses: It’s Time to Take Bold Action on Fair Housing

December 18, 2019

Last month in my article I mentioned a story about discriminatory practices relating to the real estate industry on Long Island. The story, which appeared in Newsday, was the product of three years of investigative reporting, which included extensive testing of real estate agents to determine whether the testers were receiving equal treatment based upon…

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Jennifer Maher

PUTNAM POSTING: My Visit to Tilly Foster Farm

December 16, 2019

Seeking to learn more about tourist venues in our area, a group that hails from the western side of Putnam County ventured eastward to visit Tilly Foster Farm recently. Our group included individuals from Boscobel House and Gardens, the Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival and the Cold Spring Chamber of Commerce. Some of us had visited…

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Ron Garafalo

PRESIDENT'S CORNER: Happy Holidays

December 16, 2019

As I finish my year as President of the Hudson Gateway Association of Realtors, I want to say thank you to all of my HGAR colleagues for giving me the honor to serve as our association’s president. I also want to thank all of our members for supporting all our events throughout the year. The…

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Richard Haggerty

GATEWAY PERSPECTIVES: Pleasant, Unpleasant Surprises

November 18, 2019

At the Annual HGAR Members Day last month I was surprised by two unexpected recognitions. The first was an acknowledgment that I have been with HGAR (and its various predecessor organizations) for 35 years. The second was to receive, along with HGAR’s COO and my very good friend Ann Garti, the President’s Award from this…

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Ron Garafalo

PRESIDENT'S CORNER: Greetings from San Francisco

November 12, 2019

I am writing this month's article from San Francisco as I attend the 2019 National Association of Realtors Conference and Expo. For those of you that have never attended this annual conference, I would strongly suggest that you think about it in the future. To attend this event and be a part of more than…

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Philip Weiden

LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRS: RPAC on the Upswing

November 12, 2019

RPAC has had a very successful year under Chair Crystal Hawkins Syska. The Realtors Political Action Committee held several training sessions throughout the year facilitated by David Severance, president of New Door Leadership, who came up with innovative strategies on how to improve our RPAC outreach and meet our RPAC goal. Currently we have raised…

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Jennifer Maher

PUTNAM POSTING: Hispanic Community Growing in Putnam County: Is Your Business Ready?

November 12, 2019

NAHREP, the National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals, held a signature event at the Putnam County Golf Course on November 8. With more than 200 attendees, the evening was a huge success. According to its website, “Nosotros somos the National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals—We are The Voice for Hispanic Real Estate and…

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Philip Weiden

LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRS: Flip Tax Would Damage Home Sales in NYC

November 5, 2019

A bill (S.3060E) to amend the New York City Administrative Code has been introduced by New York State Senator Julia Salazar for the third year in a row. The bill, known as the “New York State Small Home Anti-Speculation Act,” is in reality, an onerous transfer tax. Commonly known as a flip tax bill it…

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Richard Haggerty

GATEWAY PERSPECTIVES: Making Advocacy Local

October 17, 2019

It’s no secret that real estate interests in this area have taken it on the chin for the last couple of years. It started with the $10,000 cap on state and local tax deductions (SALT) and escalated this year with the expansion of the rent control laws in New York State and the increases in…

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Ron Garafalo

PRESIDENT'S CORNER: Be Safe Out There

October 11, 2019

Happy October! As we head into the month of October, let’s not forget the important lessons of September. I am guessing that you are thinking to yourself “what important lessons?” Maybe it’s that as Realtors we should always work in the most ethical and professional manner. How about we shouldn’t allow access to homes to…

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Philip Weiden

LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRS: Just Cause Eviction Could Hurt Market Rate Renters

October 9, 2019

The so-called “just-cause” eviction bill (S.2892A) sponsored by New York State Senator Julia Salazar in the last legislative session is going to come up again in 2020 with the new session. This bill will be something we all must fight to either defeat or to significantly amend. The Senator is noble in her goals. She…

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