Viewpoints

Richard Haggerty

GATEWAY PERSPECTIVES: 2020: From Adversity to Opportunity

December 14, 2020

As HGAR President Gail Fattizzi observes in her column for Real Estate In-Depth this month, 2020 was a year like no other. It has tested us in ways that we could not have imagined prior to the pandemic. From the complete lockdown of the Spring, to the resurgence of the “Black Lives Matter” movement, which…

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Philip Weiden

LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRS: December Legislative Update

December 10, 2020

December has just about come and gone. Some progress has been made on the legislative front at the federal level. A $906-billion stimulus bill has been introduced in the Senate by a team of bipartisan lawmakers. The fate of the bill waxes and wanes each day. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell insists the bill include…

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Gail Fattizzi

PRESIDENT'S CORNER: What Follows a Year Like No Other?

December 10, 2020

I can’t believe that it has been a year since I stepped into the role of HGAR 2020 President, and that this is my last Real Estate In-Depth column. I suspect every past President has felt and/or said the same thing. But this truly has been a year like no other. This year has been…

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Jennifer Maher

PUTNAM POSTING: Paying It Forward

December 10, 2020

For seven consecutive Small Business Saturdays, Putnam County Executive MaryEllen Odell and I visited five to six businesses countywide to shop and promote Putnam County retail in one day. Normally we would take pics and post, doing our best to get the word out. This year was a little different. Since MaryEllen was visiting family,…

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Brian Levine

BARRISTER'S BRIEFING: Offers: Trying to Make Sense of it All

December 8, 2020

Before we begin, it is important to understand that only NAR is authorized to interpret the Code of Ethics, its applications, and its proper enforcement to Member Boards and Board Members. Professional Standard hearing panels rely on these interpretations, as well as NAR’s case interpretations in forming their decisions. No other body, state association, local…

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Tracey Daniels

GUEST VIEWPOINT: Due Diligence for Coops and Condos in the Age of COVID-19

December 7, 2020

Purchasers can spend weeks, months, sometimes even years searching for that perfect place to call home. Finally, they find it—a great space, perfect location, priced within the budget. New York is a caveat emptor state—buyer beware—and before a purchaser signs a contract for the perfect home, they need to do due diligence. When buying a…

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Philip Weiden

LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRS: 2020 Election Update

December 1, 2020

2020 marked a big elective year with races on all levels across the country. There was, of course, the Presidential election, as well as Senate and House races that would ultimately decide who would be controlling each House. In addition, state legislatures across the country were also up for grabs. Control of the state legislatures…

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Richard Haggerty

GATEWAY PERSPECTIVES: Hate Speech Has No Place in the Realtor Vocabulary

November 16, 2020

At the Board of Directors Meeting of the National Association of Realtors, Inc. this past Friday, (November 13th), the Directors overwhelming approved changes to the Realtor Code of Ethics that ban hate speech relating to any of the protected classes included in Article 10 of the Code of Ethics. The most significant change is the…

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Gail Fattizzi

PRESIDENT'S CORNER: Lessons From a Year of Resilience and Perseverance

November 12, 2020

If I were to go back two years, to when I accepted the position of HGAR President-Elect, and knew then what I know now about how 2020 was going to play out, maybe I wouldn’t be sitting here today as HGAR 2020 President! But in this case, 20/20 hindsight (pun intended!) doesn’t change anything and…

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Philip Weiden

LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRS: November Election Update

November 12, 2020

The 2020 Presidential election is in the books. Former Vice President Biden is now President-elect Joseph R. Biden. History is also being made this election as Kamala Harris is the first female Vice President in U.S. history. She currently serves as U.S. Senator from California. Before that she served as the Attorney General for the…

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Jennifer Maher

PUTNAM POSTING: Election 2020: Finding Balance and Acceptance

November 10, 2020

Marred by doubt, disruption, and obstruction, the Presidential election has been like a death by a thousand cuts. Most of us are in a state of confusion, disbelief, and fear. Yet, this morning, after reading through a ton of articles by economic experts, I felt hopeful about a financial recovery for the first time in…

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Richard Haggerty

GATEWAY PERSPECTIVES: Don’t Let Our Guard Down

October 20, 2020

Back in the height of the lockdown caused by COVID-19 in April and May of this year, on weekends I would venture out of my apartment in Manhattan to take a walk in Central Park. It was a very scary time, especially in April. The number of COVID-19 cases and deaths were climbing at alarming…

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Jennifer Maher

PUTNAM POSTING: Zoning Out: It’s Time to Get Creative

October 19, 2020

I recently paid a visit to some friends in the Poconos. During our little sightseeing jaunt, we visited The Shops at Hawley Silk Mill, a jaw-dropping venue where our friends held their wedding reception. A former silk mill, the building was converted, no, transformed, into a beautiful high-end restaurant and catering facility. Adding to that,…

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Gail Fattizzi

PRESIDENT'S CORNER: Behind the Scenes and the Success of HGAR

October 16, 2020

I had the distinct pleasure recently to listen in on the second session of our Leadership Accelerator program. This session was an in-depth look at our association—its history, evolution, mission, organizational structure and a personal introduction to many of the key HGAR staff members. At the end of the session, Facilitator Katheryn DeClerck asked the…

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Philip Weiden

LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRS: National Issues in Focus

October 13, 2020

The Small Business Administration will begin processing PPP loan forgiveness applications. Businesses’ are eligible for the forgiveness program if they spent 60% or more of the loan on payroll, and for other uses such as rent, electric or mortgage payments. The PPP program saved many businesses from going under. Businesses should submit their applications to…

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Richard Haggerty

GATEWAY PERSPECTIVES: The Year of Resiliency

September 17, 2020

In this edition of Real Estate In-Depth, Editor John Jordan has posed five questions to NAR CEO Bob Goldberg. I must confess I was curious to see what Bob focused on in these unprecedented times. He acknowledged that, in his almost 25 years with NAR, he felt that this year was the most challenging to…

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Jennifer Maher

PUTNAM POSTING: Can You Hear Me Now?

September 14, 2020

As the Town of Carmel initiates steps to update the municipality's Master Plan and others follow suit, it's due time to address the county's inadequate telecommunications infrastructure as a whole. In the aftermath of Hurricane Isaias, at least one-third of Putnam households were left without power and thousands lost Internet service for several days. Of…

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