Staten Island University Hospital dedicates new ER

Advance file photo/Jan Somma-HammelIn May, officials from Staten Island University Hospital provided a tour of the new emergency room and trauma center.

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875,000 Appropriated to Prosecute Real Estate ScamsMore

Mayor Bloomberg and Speaker Quinn join the Center for NYC Neighborhoods to award new grants to prevent mortgage foreclosures.More

"Great news for home buyers, home sellers and the U.S. economy” is how the National Association of Realtors^® greeted the November 25^th announcement by the Federal Reserve that it will purchase housing-related debts of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, thus freeing up mortgage money on Main Street.

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The potential impact of mortgage fraud on financial institutions and the stock market is clear. If fraudulent practices become systemic within the mortgage industry and mortgage fraud is allowed to become unrestrained, it will ultimately place financial institutions at risk and have adverse effects on the stock market. Investors may lose faith and require higher returns from mortgage backed securities. This may result in higher interest rates and fees paid by borrowers and limit the amount of investment funds available for mortgage loans.More

NAR Calls for Lame-Duck Session; Seeks 4-Point Housing Stimulus

NAR is offering a four-point legislative plan to reinvigorate the housing market and calls on Congress to act during a lame-duck session. NAR believes its plan will give a boost to the economy and help to calm jittery potential home buyers. "Housing has always lifted the economy out of downturns, and it is imperative to get the housing market moving forward as quickly as possible," says NAR President Richard F. Gaylord. "It is vital to the economy that Congress take specific actions to boost the confidence of potential home buyers in the housing market and make it easier for qualified buyers to get safe and affordable mortgage loans. We are asking Congress to act right away."

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The Staten Island Board of Realtors®, Inc. held its annual Member Appreciation Day and Realtor Awards Ceremony on October 23rd at the Hilton Garden Inn in Bloomfield where SIBOR members and volunteers were recognized for their outstanding service to the community.

SIBOR honored its current President, Dawn Carpenter, as its 2008 Realtor of the Year and Sheila Pezzoli as the 2008 Realtor-Associate of the Year.More

SIBOR held its annual Member Appreciation Day and Realtor Awards Ceremony on October 23rd at the Hilton Garden Inn...where SIBOR members and volunteers were honored for their work in the community.

Dawn Carpenter was awarded 2008 REALTOR OF THE YEAR.

Sheila Pezzoli was awarded 2008 REALTOR - ASSOCIATE OF THE YEAR.

Other SIBOR members were given certificates of appreciation for their volunteerism and commitment to Staten Island.

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It’s been a long time coming for Staten Island Realtors and on August 8, 2008, the borough’s near 2,700 Professional Realtors proclaimed victory when Governor David Paterson signed the New York State Association of REALTORS® -backed legislation that requires disputed real estate commissions to be deposited, at the time of closing, into escrow with county clerks until the parties’ rights to the escrow monies have been determined.   

Importantly, the proposal does not create a lien and allows the closing to continue, while keeping the disputed commission in New York State.                                                                                  

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SIBOR 2009 Executive Leadership Team

The new year is just a few short months away, and that means a newly-elected Staten Island Board of Realtors Executive Committee will be in place.

SIBOR President Dawn Carpenter will step down at the end of December to make way for John Vernazza as the 2009 SIBOR President.

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It's been a long time coming for Staten Island Realtors and on August 5, 2008, the borough's near 2,700 Professional Realtors proclaimed victory when Governor David Paterson signed the New York State Association of REALTORS® -backed legislation that requires disputed real estate commissions to be deposited, at the time of closing, into escrow with county clerks until the parties' rights to the escrow monies have been determined.  More

HR 3221, the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008

National Association of REALTORS® Summary

H.R. 3221, the "Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008,” passed the House on July 23^rd by a vote of 272-152.  The Senate approved the language adopted by the House three days later and on July 30th, the President  signed the bill.

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In June, against all-odds, the New York State Association of REALTORS -supported Commission Escrow Act passed the Assembly by an overwhelming majority vote of
112 to 7.

Following NYSAR's consistent outreach efforts including member participation in online "Calls for Action," grassroots advocacy and the hard work of the bill's sponsor, Assemblyman Michael Gianaris (D-Queens), the measure moved through the Assembly's complicated committee process and landed on the floor of the Assembly the final evening of the legislative session.

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SIBOR MEETS RPAC GOAL

 At the July 15^th Board of Directors meeting, Legislative/RPAC Committee Chair reported that SIBOR had reached its 2008 RPAC fundraising goal of $37,000 through the voluntary contributions of over 1,100 SIBOR members. 

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First "Board Certified Real Estate Professional (BCREP)" Designation Launched in New Jersey and New York

·BERE is a Collaboration between RealSource (NJ) and Staten Island Board of Realtors® (NY) ·Helps Consumers Identify/Select Top Local Agents ·First Designation to Evaluate Previous Client Satisfaction Levels, Education, Ethics

The Staten Island Board of Realtors announces eight (8) SIBOR members who have earned the Board for Excellence in Real Estate's (BERE) prestigious Board Certified Real Estate Professional (BCREP) designation.More

On May 27, 2008 the National Association of Realtors® and the U.S. Department of Justice announced a settlement resolving litigation between them regarding how listings from multiple listing services are displayed on brokers’ Virtual Office Web sites. The settlement concludes a two-year DOJ investigation (followed by two and a half years of litigation) regarding NAR's multiple listing policy as it pertained to the display of listings from the MLS on brokers' virtual office Web sites, or VOWs.More

REALTORS from across the nation, including leaders of the Staten Island Board of Realtors, recently converged on Washington, D.C. to exercise the most fundamental right granted by the Constitution; "The right of the people peaceably to assemble and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."
 
SIBOR President Dawn Carpenter and CEO Sandy Krueger joined nearly 10,000 other REALTORS from across the country in our nation's capitol to exercise this basic fundamental right on behalf of all 1.2 million members of the National Association of Realtors (NAR) and more than 75 million homeowners.  Elements of the 2008 NAR Federal Legislative Advocacy Agenda are not grievances in the traditional definition, but are requests to address issues of critical importance for the future of the real estate industry.More

 

Buenos Aires, Mexico City, St. Thomas, Honolulu, Limon, San Juan, Negril…..

These exotic, far-away destinations, just to name a few, are not only hot vacation spots….they can also be a major source of financial fuel.

To show Realtors how to take part in foreign real estate investing in exciting locales and to get into International Real Estate from the ground floor, The Staten Island Board of Realtors (SIBOR) is sponsoring its 2nd Annual International Real Estate Symposium. 

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DEPARTMENT OF STATE
MEETS THE 21^ST CENTURY

Every licensee in New York recently received information in the mail from the New York State Department of State concerning the department's new eAccessNY Occupational Licensing Management System.  The system is intended to replace all "snail mail" communications with DOS concerning licensing including license renewals, change of association and terminations.  Brokers, who are sponsoring a new licensee, must register the licensee with the broker's company on the system. 

The new system is accessible at

http://www.dos.state.ny.us/lcns/realestate/index.html

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TEN MYTHS ABOUT MULTICULTURAL

REAL ESTATE CLIENTS…

 

Over 60% of all first-time homebuyers in America today are minorities according to the National Association of REALTORS®. There are over one million people from overseas coming into the United States every year and they all want to show friends and family they are successful by buying an American home.  In addition, there are 80 million multicultural Americans already here.  As a result, minorities are currently one-third of the population and by 2050 will be half.  This is a huge market for real estate agents all across the country – if you know how to meet the unique needs of the fastest-growing group of homebuyers.

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REALTORS Political Action Committee

Frank Reali, Legislative/RPAC Chair

 

Many citizens of the United States like political action committees or PACs.  Many do not.  The fact is that they exist. Another fact is that lobbying groups have plenty of clout when it comes to getting laws passed in our country.  As Realtors we are fortunate to have a powerful lobbying group made up of professionals at the national, state and local levels, all supported by The REALTORS Political Action Committee, also known as RPAC. These interconnected organizations work to insure that our politicians do not pass laws that are detrimental to homeownership in general and our industry in particular.

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The talk for years in real estate has been that the internet and technology in general is changing the face of the industry.  And certainly that is the case.  Everyone knows that over 80% of all real estate transactions now start on the Internet, usually with a buyer or seller looking at listings, or getting a free valuation, on some real estate portal (i.e. realtor.com, nytimes.com, etc.) or broker website.

Brokers and agents are bombarded by suggestions about where to promote the clients properties and themselves on the Internet.  And there is no dearth of expensive technology widgets to buy.

But there are lots of small things, many free, that can be utilized to be more productive and establish unique identities.  There are websites worth looking at merely for guidance, such as lifehacker.com, which promotes itself as a place for "Tech tricks, tips and downloads for getting things done.” 

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The Commercial Real Estate Exchange of Staten Island (CREXSI.com) is a partnership between the Staten Island Economic Development Corporation (SIEDC) and SIBOR.  It is intended to create an online Commercial/Industrial Information Exchange specific to Staten Island for commercial professionals.

But the Staten Island Multiple Listing Service (SIMLS) already creates a marketplace for commercial and industrial properties, you say.  True, but the commercial/industrial marketplace operates differently than the residential real estate marketplace which utilizes the MLS to share information about exclusive listings and to make unconditional offers of compensation to cooperating brokers.

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During the first month of unlimited, no cost, education from the Richmond County Real Estate Institute (RCREI) SIBOR member’s attendance has tripled compared to the same period last year.

"At this rate every member of SIBOR, or the equivalent, will have taken advantage of RCREI classes by the end of the year,” said RCREI department head Debbie Lerner.  "Classes are selling out and we’re making plans to reschedule the most popular offerings.”

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SIBOR has joined forces with Wagner College to mentor students who will intern for Realtors throughout the borough this spring semester. 

SIBOR President Dawn Carpenter says, " Move over Donald Trump! You may have your apprentices...
now SIBOR will have its very own students to learn the real estate business."

This is the first time SIBOR is partnering with Wagner College to mentor students...the first real estate program of its kind for the private college.More

The Thesaurus says that a "Professional” is a specialist, an expert, an authority.  It says one who is a professional is specialized, qualified, proficient, skilled, trained, practiced, certified and licensed.  The Thesaurus says that  the opposite of a professional is an amateur.

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 A Snug Harbor East Historic District has become a hot-button debate among many North Shore residents. The proposed 111-building district by the city’s Landmarks Preservation Committee would force homeowners to seek approval from the city for even so much as minor home repairs.  

 Livingston lies on the Island’s North Shore and is a neighborhood ripe with history lined with stately 19^th century Victorian homes and cobble-stone streets.

 For some time now, a preservation movement has been afoot to designate specific homes within Livingston, New Brighton and Snug Harbor as historic landmark sites.  However, many residents living in these neighborhoods aren’t particularly jumping at the idea to claim their homes as landmark status citing limited tax relief and archaic city rules, regulations and guidelines that ban remodeling and other work.

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Justice Web Site: Few Facts, Much Fiction The U.S. Department of Justice, for reasons of its own, has initiated a Web site to educate consumers about what it calls unfair competitive practices among real estate brokerages. What it really does is advocate a particular real estate sales model over all others: discount brokerage. If the DOJ was attempting to try its case against NAR in the press, it met with a dull thud. While there has been intense interest about the site from Realtors® and association staff, in the media it has produced a big yawn. Only a few trade publications have shown an interest. Blanche Evans of Realty Times wrote a common-sense refutation of the DOJ claims.

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The Staten Island Board of Realtors has announced the 2007 Realtorand Realtor-Associate of the Year at its annual Membership Meeting and Awards Ceremony at the Hilton Garden Inn in Bloomfield.More

For an island community Staten Island’s waterfront has long been waiting for a comprehensive master plan.  Many studies have been proposed and completed on various sections of the waterfront with varying degrees of success.  Much has been accomplished over the past few years such as the revitalization of South Beach, and the reinvigoration of St George, and other worthy projects.  Yet abandoned railway lines, industrial plants and mills, littered and unused beaches, overgrown lots and dilapidated buildings inhabit too much of Staten Island’s precious waterfront resource.

 

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It's that time of year again...time to recognize those Realtors who stand out for their exceptional performance...Ann Coppola and Irene Paoli are two such Staten Island Realtors who will be honored by SIBOR on October 18, 2007 at the Hilton Garden Inn for their contributions to the industry throughout the year.More

 

The SIBOR Education Scholarship Fund was recently authorized and funded by the SIBOR Board of Directors.  The Scholarship Fund is another effort by SIBOR to create opportunities for all Realtors to improve their professional skills.  The Fund exists to assist SIBOR members to take courses leading to recognized real estate designations and certifications.  The first scholarships will be issued for courses taken during 2008.

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"Housing market meltdown. Prices are plummeting as borough reels from sub prime lending mess" was the front page headline in the Staten Island Advance on August 27, 2007.  The article quoted only one selling couple who had dropped their list price from $689,000 to $655,000 from April when they listed the property to the time of the article.   The Advance made no attempt to determine if the list price was reasonable to begin with, nor did it state that the reduction in list price was less then 5%.  Rather, The Advance used this one seller as justification for calling the market a "Meltdown."  Is this sensationalism, bad journalism, or just a way to sell newspapers?  Whatever it is, the result could be a self fulfilling prophecy.  If you scare the public enough, whether warranted or not, a meltdown may occur.  This is the equivalent of activist judges who are accused of writing laws rather then determining whether laws properly fit within the framework of the U.S. Constitution.

Clearly the markets were affected by the sub-prime crisis in August.  But how that affects any individual real estate market is dependent upon a hugh number of factors and plays out in many different ways in various parts of the country.

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The Board for Excellence in Real Estate (BERE) is now open for business and accepting applications from Realtor members of the Staten Island Board of Realtors and the RealSource Association of Realtors of Waldwick, N.J.  Applications can be downloaded or completed online at www.BEREcertified.com.

 

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"Some people hold a job and others live their job.  Staten Island Borough President James P. Molinaro and New York State Association of Realtors (NYSAR) CEO Charles (Chuck) M. Staro are among the latter.  They are the kind of leaders that command respect, and we want to say thank you for their many outstanding years of service,” says Frank Reali, SIBOR President as the association prepared to send out invitations to SIBOR’s 92^nd Anniversary Gala to be held on September 19^th at the Hilton Garden Inn.

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Motivational Speaker Jerri Rossi energized more than 80 Realtors from across the Island on June 21st at the Hilton Garden Inn...giving them helpful insights about what ENERGY can do for their businesses!More

Business leaders throughout the Metropolitan Region were on hand for Conference 2007, Staten Islands’ annual economic conference run by the Staten Island Economic Development Corporation.  Speakers included Borough President James Molinaro, New York City Deputy Mayor Daniel Doctoroff, New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn and Mike Wallace, Pulitzer Prize winning historian and director of the Gotham Center.

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Are you familiar with all of the changes that have happened in the MLS over last few months?  If not, here is a summary of those updates we believe have improved the usage and reliability of the system.

 

Mapping:  Google Maps with the ability to get Directions have been added.  When you click the address link, the Google Maps appears.  At the upper left hand corner of the map you can click to have other Active properties in the area placed on the map.  The older mapping system can now be accessed by clicking the M link on the right hand side of the search results screen for the listing in question.  The old "Map Machine” can be used to do area searches, add listings of any status to the map, and add overlays like Tax Lots, Census Tracks, Wet Lands and statistical groupings of listings by price.

 

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They're the Cream of the Crop! Top of the List! King of the Hill! A-Number One! Top Producers....and they all gathered together to celebrate their hard work for the year!More

An Old Year of Contraction;

A New Year of Stability

by David Lereah, Chief Economist

 

We begin the New Year with a hint of optimism. More

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The New York City Fall 2006 guidebook quotes Mayor Michael Bloomberg, "New York City is the most diverse city in the world.  Whatever your ethnicity or race, there's a slice of New York that feels like home.  We embrace people from every country, race, religion, class, orientation and background.  Nearly 40% of all New Yorkers were born outside of the United States.  And we remain the world's most international city – a place where 170 languages are spoken on our streets, where every cuisine is appreciated and where every culture is celebrated.  The fact that hundreds of different cultures live side by side in mutual respect reflects the best of humanity – I don't know what's more exciting than that."

 

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On January 1^st all real estate licensees in New York were required to begin utilizing the new agency disclosure forms: DOS 1735 NYS Disclosure Form for Landlord and Tenant; and DOS 1736 NYS Disclosure Form for Buyer and Seller.  The new forms were passed with the support of Realtor associations around the state by the legislature in 2006.  The forms are intended to simplify the agency disclosure process, but in some ways have complicated the process and in fact have made it necessary to change listing forms and the Staten Island Multiple Listing Service.

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The Staten Island Board of Realtors will be led in 2007 by Frank Reali, Broker and co-owner of Century 21 Safari Realty.  He will be joined on the organization’s Executive Committee by brokers Dawn Carpenter (Dawning Real Estate), Christopher Stivanello (Interstate Group, Inc.) and immediate Past President Michael Diaz (Village Realty SINY).

 

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After a protracted battle to have it’s plan for a NASCAR track accepted by the community and the public officials of Staten Island,  International Speedway Corp. announced on December 4^th that it had scrapped plans to build a track on Staten Island, stalling NASCAR's dream to bring a race to the New York area.More

Borough President James P. Molinaro, SIBOR President Mike Diaz and nearly 200 Realtors, SIBOR staff and friends were on hand on Tuesday, October 17^th as the new Staten Island Board of Realtors facility at 1535 Richmond Avenue was officially opened for business.  The borough president cut the ceremonial ribbon.  The ceremony signified the end of a very long search for a new facility.More

 

On October 19^th at the SIBOR Annual Membership Meeting Frank Reali was named SIBOR Realtor-of-the-Year for 2006.  Mr. Reali serves on the SIBOR Board of Directors as President elect and will be the 2007 President.

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After fighting for many years and finally reaching overwhelming support in both the New York State Assembly and the State Assembly the Commission Escrow Act was passed in the closing days of the legislature in July.  On August 16^th Governor Pataki vetoed the bill which would have placed disputed real estate commissions in an escrow account.More

Richmond County Real Estate Institute (RCREI) instructor and local attorney Mark Piazza was appointed to a five (5) year term on the New York City Campaign Finance Board by City Council Speaker Christine Quinn.More

Get ready to celebrate the first annual Staten Island Film Festival, June 1-4, Staten Island's newest cultural attraction!  As a Realtor, you're already part of the program! Read more about this exciting event.  More

For the second year an open meeting was held, at the annual SIEDC business conference, between builders and Realtors.  Both groups pledged to create a joint working group to study the future of housing on Staten Island.   more...More

On Thursday, March 9th, at the Excelsior Grand, the Staten Island Board of Realtors® feted the 2005 SIBOR Top Producer Club award designees.  91 Realtors received awards in three categories according to their level of production in real estate sales.More

The Broker Open House program will begin by dividing the island in two.  While the MLS cannot force anyone to schedule according to the recommended plan, compliance with the schedule will facilitate successful open houses. More

 NEW MLS security measures will be in effect starting the week of Feb. 20, so it is imperative that you attend your training session.  Tokens will be required to log into MLS.SIBOR.com

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For more years then most people care to admit members of the SIBOR Building Search Committee and the Board of Directors have felt like the proverbial ant pushing a bolder up the hill as they struggled and searched for a new facility for the Staten Island Board of Realtors, the Staten Island Multiple Listing Service and the Richmond County Real Estate Institute.  Being Realtors made for even more frustration and embarrassment.  But the task was more difficult then one might imagine...More

With the advent of easy-to-use web-based systems, password sharing with unauthorized individuals has become widespread.  Read morea about the initiative SIBOR has taken to implement a security initiative designed to provide optimum protection for valuable MLS and customer data. More

A Message from 2006 SIBOR President Michael R. DiazMore

Michael R. Diaz was installed as SIBOR'S 45^th President on January 4, 2005 at a ceremony held at the South Shore Country Club.  More

Get ready for a fight to preserve the home mortgage interest deduction (MID).  The popular tax provision, along with others that support homeownership, is under attack – supposedly to help make the federal tax code simpler and fairer.  The National Association of Realtors doesn't think so.More

The Greater New York Chapter of the Institute of Real Estate Management (IREM) held its Annual Awards Dinner and Installation at Tavern on the Green on November 9 where SIBOR Director Dawn Carpenter, CPM, Broker/Owner of Dawning Real Estate, AMO,was installed as 2006 President.  Ms. Carpenter is the President of Dawning Real Estate, a full service real estate firm that she has owned and operated since 1999 with clients from Staten Island to Albany. More than fifteen members of the Staten Island Board of Realtors, including ten fellow directors, were on hand to honor Dawn on her special occasion.

 

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SIBOR has recently taken important steps to face a challenge that is prevalent in our entire industry – that of data security – and we wish to share information about this initiative with you.  As you know, it possible to access the MLS system from any computer with Internet connectivity.  However, with this convenient method of access comes a big challenge – specifically, protecting our valuable MLS data from misuse and theft. 

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HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO US!!

Read more about the 90th Anniversary Celebration, honoring our Past Presidents, and 90 years of service to the real estate industry of Staten Island!

CLICK HERE for pictures from the 90th Anniversary Celebration

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The Staten Island Board of Realtors^® has presented Michael R. Diaz and Linda Garber the 2005 SIBOR Realtor and Realtor Associate of the Year Awards.  The presentations were made at the Annual Membership Meeting on Thursday, October 20, 2005 at the Vanderbilt, South Beach.  The presentations were made by president Sari Kingsley, CIPS.More

 

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"It has been an honor and a privilege to be part of this organization.  I have met so many wonderful people throughout the years.  Many of them have become lifelong friends.  I feel blessed to be able to come to work doing something I love.  Looking back on the inception of the Richmond County Real Estate Institute over the past 25 years, it gives me great pleasure to know that our institute has participated in helping to establish professionalism in our industry.”

                                                                        -Debbie Lerner, Director of Education

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The desired effect of these marketing campaigns has been to create a preference in the consumer marketplace for working with REALTORS® over licensed real estate sales personnel who are not REALTORS®.  The campaign has significantly heightened demand for people who are recognized, or "branded," as REALTORS®.  Read more about what SIBOR and NAR are doing to market REALTORS®...More

The New York Times, on July 24, 2005, in an article by Richard Morgan says "Staten Island is perfect.”  The perfect placed to stand-in for places far away and far different than New York.  It is the perfect place to find everything from large stately homes and golf courses, to parks and suburban shopping malls.  It is the perfect blend of city and country… and the perfect location for a filming a movie.

 

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Move over, Cannes!  Staten Island is getting its very own, and very first, Film Festival.  The Staten Island Economic Development Corp. (SIEDC) is going forward with plans for a film festival that will be Co-Sponsored by SIBOR.More

Excerpts from an address given by David A. Lereah, PhD Chief Economist of the National Association of REALTORS (NAR) and author of Are You Missing the Real Estate Boom? (Published by Doubleday), on June 7, 2005 to the REALSOURCE Association of Realtors in Waldwick, New Jersey.More

The National Association of Realtors has taken the initiative to resolve a 20-month old dispute with the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) over its Virtual Office Web site (VOW) policy by authorizing its leadership to develop a single, uniform policy governing the display of Multiple Listing Service data on Internet Web sites. It also postponed the implementation of its existing VOW policy until January 1, 2006, to allow time to develop the new policy.

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Realtors and their guests broke the attendance record at the 2005 Realtors Midyear Legislative Meetings & Trade Expo, held May 9-14, in Washington D.C. More than 9,000 members of the National Association Realtors descended on Capitol Hill to visit legislators and attend conference sessions and meetings. The old attendance record of 8,300 was set last year.

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How do you prepare to capitalize on the aging population in the United States? In a poll taken recently Staten Island Realtors clearly identified one method.  They plan to obtain a Florida real estate license.  They plan to jump on the "Snow Bird" train.

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The Staten Island Board of Realtors takes pride in announcing that twenty-seven (27) Realtors have earned the nationally recognized Senior Real Estate Specialist (SRES) designation.More

Seventy-Six Realtors, a new record, were awarded the Top Producer Club designation by the Staten Island Board of Realtors (SIBOR) for their sales production in 2004. The awards were presented at a luncheon at The Staaten on March 31st. Of the 76 designees, 33 were repeat award winners from the previous year.

 

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The Staten Island Board of Realtors is proud to announce that forty-three (43) Realtors have earned the nationally recognized Certified Buyer Representative (CBR) designation. More

Borough President James P. Molinaro wants the existing roads in the Fresh Kills Landfill open to commuter traffic by 2007.  The roads will help relieve traffic congestion in Staten Island’s busy Richmond Avenue commercial district.More

Immediately following the December tsunami tragedy in Asia, SIBOR’s Board of Directors authorized a Tsunami Relief matching fund of $10,000.  Rather than contributing the funds to a national Realtor fund supported by the National Association of Realtors, the directors were unanimous in their desire to participate in Tsunami efforts organized locally on Staten Island.More

The Staten Island Board of Realtors kicked off its 90^th Anniversary with an Installation Luncheon at the Grand Plaza in Great Kills on January 7^th for its 2005 officers and directors, and honored Past President Charles Bartels, who recently retired after serving 60 years in the Staten Island real estate industry.

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Sixty years, one very large bridge and about 350,000 people are the major changes in and around Staten Island since SIBOR Past President Charles Bartels took out his real estate license in 1945. As the oldest living SIBOR past president, Mr. Bartels has seen the local landscape dramatically change and now after six decades of faithfully serving the Staten Island community he has decided to retire and enjoy the fruits of his labor.

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