Viewpoints

Philip Weiden

LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRS: Washington Legislative Update

March 4, 2020

There is some positive news for Realtors out of Washington this year. Instead of the usual piecemeal month-by-month extension, the National Flood Insurance Program has been extended through the end of the fiscal year on September 30. This is a positive development as we rarely get long term certainty on this issue. A compromise reauthorization…

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Richard Haggerty

GATEWAY PERSPECTIVES: The Importance of Community Service

February 18, 2020

In late December of last-year I received the dreaded summons to serve on jury duty for late January of this year in lower Manhattan. I quickly looked at my calendar to figure out how much havoc this was going to cause in my life. Fortunately, it didn’t conflict with any important meetings or out of…

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Philip Weiden

LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRS: NYSAR Mid-Winter Meetings Recap

February 18, 2020

Realtors from across New York State, including an impressive contingent of HGAR members, met in Albany at the Desmond Hotel earlier this month for the annual NYSAR Mid-Winter (Feb. 9-13) business meetings. Among the topics discussed were proposed fair housing regulations by the Department of State, a good cause eviction bill in the legislature that…

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Jennifer Maher

PUTNAM POSTING: Making the Connection Between Economic Growth and Tourism

February 13, 2020

The Putnam County Business Council is hosting its First Quarter Breakfast for 2020 with an interesting topic. “Helping Businesses Make the Tourism Connection.” The breakfast will be held on March 24th from 7:45 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. at the Putnam County Golf Course in Mahopac. The agenda will focus on “Tourism for Profit.” Helping to…

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Gail Fattizzi

PRESIDENT'S CORNER: Earning A Seat at the Table!

February 13, 2020

Having just spent the better part of a week in Albany at the New York State Association of Realtors’ Mid-Winter Business Meetings, I realize how much HGAR has to be proud of! For starters, three of our Realtor members were honored with some of the most prestigious awards that NYSAR bestows. Bonnie Koff, associate broker…

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Vincent Morano

GUEST VIEWPOINT: State Law Amended in Foreclosure Proceedings

February 12, 2020

Section 1302 of the New York State Real Property Actions and Proceedings Law (RPAPL) has been recently amended to include a new sub-section 1302-A. The result of the revised law is to prohibit a defendant from waiving the defense that the plaintiff lacks standing to bring the foreclosure action. This prohibition extends even after the…

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Philip Weiden

LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRS: Time to Pass the Next Stage of Co-op Reform in Westchester County

February 10, 2020

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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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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