From CNN: New Year Sees Surge in Mortgage Applications

January 18, 2024

As reported by CNN, the continued decrease in mortgage rates led to a significant rise in mortgage and refinance applications during the first week of January, hinting at a rosier outlook for homebuyers this year. Rates are expected to continue decreasing for the time being, though likely not below 6% according to analysts. For more […]

From CNN: Good News Ahead as Rate Drops Continue

December 18, 2023

As reported by CNN, mortgage rates have continued to drop through December, falling below 7% for the first time since the summer. Further drops are expected in early 2024. To read more, please find the article here:

New York Law Takes Aim at Deed Theft

December 15, 2023

The New York legislature recently passed a bill (S6577/ A6656) which makes deed theft in the state a civil crime. The passing of this bill will provide significantly more protection to those targeted by deed thieves and equip prosecutors with the necessary tools to stop or slow a deed theft before it has been actualized. […]

From the NY Times: Office to Residential Conversions in the Financial District

December 12, 2023

According to the New York Times, the financial district boasts the highest office vacancy rate in Manhattan. Approximately 27 percent of office spaces are available for lease, a significant increase from the pre-pandemic rate of 11 percent. Because of this, real estate consulting firms such as Vanbarton Group are converting some spaces into residential real […]

The Corporate Transparency Act – What Does it Mean for Businesses?

December 8, 2023

Starting on January 1, 2024, the Corporate Transparency Act will require mandatory beneficial ownership information (BOI) reporting requirements for statutorily created business entities, including law firms and attorneys. The purpose of this change is to aid the United States Government in policing criminals who use the corporate personal liability shield to hide their identities and […]

From CNN: Mortgage Rates Drop During Early November

November 10, 2023

As reported by CNN, mortgage rates took a substantial dive during the second week of November, from 7.75% to 7.5%, after rising consistently for a period of weeks. This is the largest dip since a similar plunge during November 2022. Sales, which had slowed during September, gained some traction thanks to the rate decrease. Despite […]

WHFirm Celebrates the Summer

October 5, 2023

After a busy winter and spring season this year, the WHFirm staff celebrated with a couple of happy hour outings to kick off the summer – first at Malone’s Bar in June, followed by the Freehold rooftop bar in July. Our thanks to our hardworking crew. Without such a dedicated team of professionals, our firm […]

WHFirm Makes The Real Deal’s Top 40

October 4, 2023

Congrats to the firm for making this year’s list of NYC’s top 40 law firms on The Real Deal! We entered the year with a bang, jumping immediately to number 25, and have held strong throughout the year. The Real Deal bases their ranking on the dollar volume of closed sales recorded in ACRIS between […]

Upcoming Changes to the Property Condition Disclosure Statement

August 22, 2023

The law in New York surrounding the Property Condition Disclosure Statement (PCDS) changed significantly with Governor Hochul’s recent signing of A.1967/S.5400, which eliminates the option for sellers to offer a $500 credit to buyers at closing in lieu of completing the PCDS and adds questions disclosing the property’s flood history and risk to the PCDS […]