The Westchester County Legislature will soon be considering a bill to mandate that co-op boards provide a reason in writing stating why the co-op board is rejecting a prospective purchaser. The Hudson Gateway Association of Realtors has long advocated for such transparency when a buyer is rejected. This is a much-needed modification to the current…
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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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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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I wrote the following article for a reporter for Inman News who was asking folks for their “predictions” for the next decade. I’ve added a couple of new paragraphs at the end of this story as the result of an experience I had the same day I completed the original story for Inman. Gazing into…
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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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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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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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A new proposal, which has gained some traction, is on the legislative agenda for Albany lawmakers in 2020 and beyond. This is the issue of classifying real estate salespersons from independent contractors to employees. The argument for this bill is that industries, such as the ride-sharing and real estate industries, are not paid well enough,…
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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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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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New York is facing a dire fiscal crunch over the next 2 to 3 years. The state faces a $6-billion to $8 billion deficit according to the governor’s budget office. The deficit is due, largely, to ballooning costs for Medicaid. The State Legislature and Gov. Andrew Cuomo will need to produce a balanced budget by…
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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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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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Last year, the Trump Administration finalized a rule that allows small businesses and self-employed individuals to band together to obtain access to large group health plans, which seem to be less expensive, but with few protections under the Affordable Care Act. The rule, which was promulgated by the U.S. Department of Labor, is titled “Definition…
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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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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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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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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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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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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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