NY Observer > Albany http://www.observer.com/taxonomy/term/24205/feed Articles from Observer.com en Worried Homeowners to Rally in Albany http://www.observer.com/2008/homeowners-will-descend-albany-demand-state-assistance

Dozens of families who risk losing their homes to foreclosure are expected to tell their stories at a Tuesday rally in Albany organized by ACORN.

On May 7, the New York State Assembly overwhelmingly passed legislation to institute a year moratorium on home foreclosure--during which a court would determine an appropriate minimun payment for the owner--and provide additional protections for families with subprime loans. The State Senate has yet to move forward on the issue. Meanwhile, federal legislation to address the subprime crisis is stalled in Washington.

In 2007, there were over 51,000 foreclosure filings in New York State according to RealtyTrac. During the first quarter of this year, 14,000 homeowners in New York began foreclosure proceedings, nearly 50 percent of which occurred in Queens, Brooklyn and Long Island.  read more »

]]> http://www.observer.com/2008/homeowners-will-descend-albany-demand-state-assistance#comments Real Estate Albany foreclosures Housing market subprime mortgages Mon, 09 Jun 2008 13:12:46 -0400 Lysandra Ohrstrom 70378 at http://www.observer.com Spitzer, Not So Scary http://www.observer.com/2007/spitzer-not-so-scary

Here's what state Senate Majority Leader Joe Bruno's spokesperson Lisa Black just told me about Eliot Spitzer’s promise to barnstorm the state -- in every Senate district -- advocating campaign finance reform:

“He took his tour on the road during for the budget and look how well that worked for him. He needs to learn the art of compromise.”

]]> http://www.observer.com/2007/spitzer-not-so-scary#comments Politics Albany Eliot Spitzer Joe Bruno Lisa Black New York State Senate Tue, 24 Apr 2007 08:59:11 -0400 Observer Staff 53437 at http://www.observer.com The Morning Read: Tuesday, April 10, 2007 http://www.observer.com/node/31979 New York's presidential primary will be on February 5.

New York's top judge threatened to sue state lawmakers for not giving judges a pay raise.

The city's health department will be stricter in the way it checks restaurants.

No one person can change everything in Albany, according to an analysis in the Times Union.

A student loan company under investigation by the AG paid graduate tuition and gave money directly to some student loan officers.

One of Mathieu Eugene's rivals in a City Council special election said he's ineligible to run.

Mike Bloomberg said the UFT is like the NRA.

Bloomberg added: "You're either with our children or against our children."

The Post editorial board wonders if "Eliot Spitzer been swallowed by the moral swamp that is Albany?"

And the Daily News editorial board likes Cuomo's investigation of the student loan industry.

-- Azi Paybarah]]> http://www.observer.com/node/31979#comments Politics Albany Eliot Spitzer Mathieu Eugene Michael Bloomberg Tue, 10 Apr 2007 05:20:37 -0400 Observer Staff 31979 at http://www.observer.com The Morning Read: Monday, April 9, 2007 http://www.observer.com/node/31966 Danny Hakim looks at pork in the state budget.

Fixing the "unjust" school funding formula in Albany is "far from over," according to the Times editorial board.

Barack Obama's message man has advice for Hillary's: "A political message is different because people have a higher level of skepticism. You can get consumed by the art, but lose the argument."

Ian Bishop takes a look at how Barack Obama "raised his cash on the backs of longtime Clinton donors".

Ben wonders what that kind of coverage means for Hillary's relationship with Rupert Murdoch.

Mike Bloomberg will visit Ohio.

The Daily News editorial board wants Bill Thompson to explain how someone stole $3.6 million from a government account under his watch.

The state gave $112 million in tax breaks to companies near Albany, according to the Times Union.

The Daily News expands on the notion that Andrew Cuomo is doing well by keeping himself out of the picture.

Assemblyman Richard Brodsky wants to be the new speaker, according to Jacob Gershman.

Don Imus said he's learned his lesson after insulting a female basketball team from Rutgers.

President Bush may have been warned about Bernie Kerik's checkered past before nominating him for a national security job.

And Fred Dicker points out another instance of Eliot Spitzer raising money in amounts larger than his self-imposed $10,000 limit. -- Azi Paybarah]]> http://www.observer.com/node/31966#comments Politics Albany Barack Obama Danny Hakim Ian Bishop Mon, 09 Apr 2007 05:00:00 -0400 Observer Staff 31966 at http://www.observer.com The (Big) Round-Up: Monday http://www.observer.com/node/35978
  • No more gunfire across the bay for City Islanders.
    • [NY Times]
  • Chumley's wall collapse sparks many happy memories.
    • [NY Times]
  • Hey, apartment hunters, don't forget to ask about...
    • [NY Times]
  • An author of lower Fifth finds 'the best place to be.'
    • [NY Times]
  • Two West 56th Street townhouses closely linked.
    • [NY Times]
  • More luxury housing overlooking Green-Wood Cemetery.
    • [NY Times]
  • Mortgage products straining 'mathematical capacities.'
    • [NY Times]
  • Co-op to condo conversion more trouble than its worth.
    • [NY Times]
  • Security deposits--when can a new landlord demand one?
    • [NY Times]
  • Can a co-op board member campaign for someone?
    • [NY Times]
  • Housing slump hits state tax revenues nationwide.
    • [NY Times]
  • Coffeeshop dusting off grit to please new East Village.
    • [NY Times]
  • Hamptons papers to clash over real-estate advertising
    • [NY Times]
  • Memories of the almost-2nd Avenue Subway.
    • [NY Times]
  • City shutters Chumley's indefinitely, despite 'secure' building.
    • [NY Post]
  • State rejects second Starrett City bid by Bistricer.
    • [NY Post]
  • Battle looms in Albany over loft-tenants law.
    • [NY Post]
  • Brokers push to land more foreign buyers.
    • [NY Post]
  • Empire State Building owners sue parachuter for $12 M.
    • [Daily News]
  • MTA to domolish buildings for 2nd Avenue Subway.
    • [Daily News] UPDATE:
  • Face it: Jonathan Miller will appraise your apartment.
    • [New York]
  • New York living as marketing tool nationwide.
    • [New York]

    Did we miss any New York City real estate news this morning? Please send along tips and links.

    ]]> http://www.observer.com/node/35978#comments Real Estate Albany Jonathan Miller Starrett City The New York Times Company Mon, 09 Apr 2007 03:00:00 -0400 Observer Staff 35978 at http://www.observer.com Do They Really Want to Be Like Rutgers? http://www.observer.com/node/37078 Now that March Madness is over—by this I mean both the NCAA college-basketball tournament and  read more »]]> http://www.observer.com/node/37078#comments Albany Big East Conference Rutgers University State University of New York System Sun, 08 Apr 2007 20:00:00 -0400 Terry Golway 37078 at http://www.observer.com News Flash: Albany Never Changes http://www.observer.com/node/37094 Given all the recent talk of bringing change to Albany, Governor Eliot Spitzer’s humbling budg  read more »]]> http://www.observer.com/node/37094#comments Politics Albany Anthony Seminerio Eliot Spitzer Joseph Bruno Sun, 08 Apr 2007 20:00:00 -0400 Azi Paybarah 37094 at http://www.observer.com Spitzers are Fleeting, Seminerios are Forever http://www.observer.com/node/31935 seminerio.jpg Eliot Spitzer's big budget compromise may have been a let-down for people who actually believed that Day One meant that everything was going to change.

    But the officials who know Albany best weren't surprised at all.

    Take Assemblyman Anthony Seminerio, who has been in the legislature for as long as I've been alive.

    "He'll learn," Seminerio told me this week up in Albany.

    "The only thing that ever changes in Albany are the faces," he said. "The system stays intact."

    More on Seminerio's bracing realism here.

    -- Azi Paybarah]]>     http://www.observer.com/node/31935#comments Politics Albany Eliot Spitzer Wed, 04 Apr 2007 07:00:00 -0400 Observer Staff 31935 at http://www.observer.com     Poll: Cuomo Most Popular in Albany http://www.observer.com/node/31932 State Attorney General Andrew Cuomo has the highest approval rating, 53-17 percent, of anybody in Albany, according to today's Quinnipiac poll of more than 1,500 state voters.

    Eliot Spitzer's post-budget approval rating is 48-27 percent, down from 61-11 in February, the poll.

    47 percent say "the steamroller tactic contributes to legislative gridlock," according to Quinnipiac.

    Other approval ratings:

    24-12 for Tom Dinapoli 30-30 for Sheldon Silver 27-34 for Joe Bruno 34-43 for the state legislature -- Azi Paybarah]]>     http://www.observer.com/node/31932#comments Politics Albany Eliot Spitzer Sheldon Silver Thomas DiNapoli Wed, 04 Apr 2007 05:15:00 -0400 Observer Staff 31932 at http://www.observer.com     Did Spitzer Yell at You Too? http://www.observer.com/node/31880 So here's a lively exchange from earlier today between Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver and Assembly Minority Leader James Tedisco from a budget hearing in Albany.

    Silver: "So, you support adding for education, you supporting adding for health, you support adding for tax cuts and you're complaining about how much we are [adding] -- I just don't understand the logic."

    Tedisco: "Well, you had the same logic last week. Did your logic change this week? The governor made a call to you?"

    Which is kind of funny, considering the infamous call Tedisco once got from the governor.

    -- Azi Paybarah]]>     http://www.observer.com/node/31880#comments Politics Albany James Tedisco Sheldon Silver Wed, 28 Mar 2007 13:22:42 -0400 Observer Staff 31880 at http://www.observer.com