Viewpoints

Jennifer Maher

PUTNAM POSTING: Promoting Tourism and the Local Economy

July 9, 2019

As the summer heats up, I realize it is time for me to do my annual Putnam County summer article. As I say every year, Putnam County is a great place to summer! We truly have it all—water, beaches woods, swamps, hills to hike, as well as shopping and dining! “Staycations” are popular in today’s…

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Richard Haggerty

GATEWAY PERSPECTIVES: You Don’t Know What You Don’t Know

June 18, 2019

I’m not sure how long that saying has been around, but it does resonate with me, because in order to make informed decisions, you need to know what you don’t know. For example, what services do our members value? What are they most concerned about? What keeps them up at night? What is their work/life…

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Ron Garafalo

PRESIDENT'S CORNER: Pressing Our Case in Albany and DC

June 12, 2019

Hello friends, as we approach the beginning of summer and get close to the halfway point of 2019, I hope that all of you are having a very productive year and are taking some time to enjoy yourself as well. It has been a very busy year for me and one that has reinforced my…

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Jennifer Maher

PUTNAM POSTING: More Thoughts on Monetizing New Industries for Putnam County

June 11, 2019

This column has discussed Airbnbs before, but there is so much more to the story. In the past I have stayed in Verona, NY for a commercial real estate conference at Turning Stone Casino and Conference Center. Staying in the casino is convenient for the meetings, but personally I never enjoy the feeling of being…

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Philip Weiden

LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRS: Realtors Gather in D.C. to Push Pro-Housing Agenda

May 29, 2019

Thousands of Realtors, including an HGAR contingent led by Legislative Committee Chair Leah Caro and President Ron Garafalo, gathered in Washington D.C. (May 13-17) to meet with their respective members of Congress in the House and Senate. Their meetings centered around the issues currently impacting the real estate industry. Among the topics discussed were mortgage…

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Richard Haggerty

GATEWAY PERSPECTIVES: Still a Long Way to Go!

May 14, 2019

Last month was Fair Housing Month, and HGAR’s Fair Housing and Cultural Diversity Committee, chaired by Dorothy Botsoe and Eydie Lopez, coordinated a wonderful event to celebrate Fair Housing Month entitled “Play by the Rules or Pay the Consequences.” The speakers were Sally Santangello, the executive director of CNY Fair Housing from Central New York,…

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Philip Weiden

LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRS: Realtors Head to D.C. for Capitol Hill Visits

May 14, 2019

HGAR members, along with Realtors from across the country, are headed at press time to the annual NAR Legislative meetings in Washington DC to meet with their Congressional representatives and advocate for Realtor issues. Among the topics of discussion this year include the National Flood Insurance program. Realtors are fighting to reauthorize the program for…

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Ron Garafalo

PRESIDENT'S CORNER: June is National Homeownership Month

May 8, 2019

June is National Homeownership month, a time to celebrate and promote the American Dream of owning a home. Realtors know that homeownership is the best investment an individual can make to build their personal wealth, however, owning a home is not just in the best interest of the homeowner. Homeownership provides social stability, builds communities…

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Jennifer Maher

Putnam County Business Council Hosts First Leadership Breakfast

May 6, 2019

The Putnam County Business Council recently welcomed representatives from the New York City Department of City Planning at the April 25th Putnam County Leadership Breakfast, held at Tilly Foster Farm in Brewster. During her presentation, Carolyn Grossman Meagher addressed several inequalities and the need for New York City to reach out to its neighboring communities…

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Philip Weiden

LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRS: Realtors to Present Priorities at Lobby Day in Albany

May 1, 2019

Members of the Hudson Gateway Association of Realtors will be heading to Albany on Tuesday, May 7th to present HGAR’s legislative priorities to our Senators and Assembly members. Realtors achieved a victory this year when Governor Cuomo made the property tax cap part of the budget and which caps real property taxes at 2% or…

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Ron Garafalo

PRESIDENT'S CORNER: Let Our Voices Be Heard

April 15, 2019

Hello friends. This is the time of the year to let the voice and message of all of us to be heard. I have often said that what we do is one of the most important jobs in our country. We are responsible for working with our clients in what is most likely the largest…

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Philip Weiden

LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRS: April Federal and State Legislative Update

April 12, 2019

FHA Mitigates Risk in Portfolio The Federal Housing Administration announced that effective for mortgages with case numbers assigned on or after March 18, 2019, the Technology Open to Approved Lenders (TOTAL) Mortgage Scorecard may flag certain mortgages submitted through the automated underwriting system (AUS) and require the lender to manually underwrite those loans. FHA is…

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Richard Haggerty

GATEWAY PERSPECTIVES: Raising the Bar

April 11, 2019

Raising the bar of professionalism. Improving the ethical standards of the industry. Expanding the competency of agents. These are discussions we have heard over the years and they continue to this day with even more urgency. HGAR President Ron Garafalo has made the mission of improving the level of professionalism in the real estate industry…

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Howard Greenberg

GUEST VIEWPOINT: Some Advice for Commercial Tenants in 2019 and Beyond

March 20, 2019

The Westchester commercial real estate market is in the midst of a significant transition in 2019. Individual buildings and large portfolios are being sold to new owners, and the availability of certain types of spaces is extremely low. Tenants need to understand today’s market dynamics and what is happening in terms of pricing to properly…

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Richard Haggerty

GATEWAY PERSPECTIVES: HGAR Travels to Cannes, France For ‘World’s Leading Property Market’

March 19, 2019

This past week HGAR President Ron Garafalo, CID President John Barrett, HGAR Director of Professional Development and Industry Relations Theresa Hatton and I spent four days at the MIPIM conference in Cannes France. MIPIM is a French acronym that stands for Marché International des Professionnels d'Immobilier, and the conference bills itself as the "world’s leading…

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Ron Garafalo

PRESIDENT'S CORNER: April is Fair Housing Month

March 18, 2019

Hello friends. As I enter my third month as HGAR President, I want to start with a very big thank you for all the support I have received. Our HGAR staff has been simply amazing in working with me, our committees and all of our members in so many ways. They are truly the best,…

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Philip Weiden

LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRS: Natural Gas Moratorium Not Unexpected

March 13, 2019

The Natural Gas Moratorium announced by Con Edison, affecting new requests for natural gas service, will stunt growth and halt many development projects that could be coming online. For years New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s administration has rejected construction of new natural gas pipelines across New York State. Warnings have been sounded regarding the problem…

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