Key insights The Paycheck Protection Program is designed to bring relief to eligible organizations/individuals affected by the coronavirus pandemic. The PPP is a loan through the SBA designed to provide a direct incentive for small business to keep themselves/their workers on the payroll. SBA will forgive loans if all employees are kept on the payroll for eight weeks and the money is used for covered expenses (payroll, rent, mortgage interest, or utilities. “Forgiven loan” means the loan will become a tax-free grant Each individual and business circumstances are different and benefits under enhanced unemployment benefit should be weighed against the benefits of the PPP program Guidance continues to be released. Read through these frequently asked questions for more information. As organizations, sole proprietors, independent contractors and self -employed individuals start digging into the details of the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), many are finding they have more q...

April 3, 2020 (Clarence, NY) – Essex Homes of WNY, one of the area’s largest, privately owned custom homebuilders is advocating for a return of “essential” business status for home building and other low-rise construction businesses in the wake of the Covid-19 epidemic. The announcement was made by Philip J. Nanula, president of Essex Homes of WNY.  Governor Cuomo is providing bold and determined leadership in this time of unprecedented crisis caused by the current COVID-19 epidemic. The governor has a difficult and often thankless task of changing the most basic of human traits — socializing with others, in order to prevent the spread of the killer coronavirus.  All citizens and businesses in New York must affirmatively respond to Governor Cuomo’s efforts to enforce social distancing. The residential construction industry has worked diligently with the National Association of Homebuilders (NAHB) to arrive at new stringent safety protocols to respond to COVID-19. Single-f...

Digital visitor registration app automates customer lead capture and follow-up for all HUNT sales professionals February 12, 2020 – Buffalo, NY  – HUNT Real Estate ERA has partnered with Spacio by Homespotter to provide its real estate professionals with Open House Connect, a custom-branded open house registration app that digitizes guest registration and automates the follow-up process to the customer. Open House Connect replaces outdated paper sign-in sheets with digital forms and helps convert more open house visitors into customers. The app elevates the open house experience by improving the accuracy of visitor data collection and reducing labor for the agent by importing the customer’s information directly into their HUNT Real Estate CRM platform. “Open houses are the most effective way to show and sell a property, but being able to analyze the visitor data has always been challenging,”  said Charlie Hunt, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of ...

BUFFALO, NY – February 5, 2020 – HUNT Real Estate ERA announces the retention of Jay Teresi as a Growth Consultant for the company. Teresi has extensive experience in real estate, most recently having held Regional Vice President roles for over 10 years at two large independent brokerages in Rochester, New York.  In his consulting role with HUNT, Teresi will work with the organization’s leadership team to implement and execute the company’s growth plan. Teresi will also work individually with the members of the management team to hone their business development and leadership skills. “At HUNT, we have a growth imperative, which requires that we attract the very best people in the industry,” said Peter Hunt, Chairman and CEO of HUNT Real Estate. “Jay’s track record speaks for itself and speaks to the expertise we need to move our organization through this new decade and beyond. We are excited to welcome Jay to the HUNT Real Estate team.” “After getting to know the HUNT or...

HUNT sold nearly 6,000 units and surpassed $1.1 billion in sales volume in Erie and Niagara Counties combined in 2019. Buffalo, NY – January 28, 2020 – HUNT Real Estate ERA has announced that 2019 was a record year for the company in its Western New York market. The company sold 5,977 units, totaling $1.169 billion in sales volume in Erie and Niagara Counties combined. The sales data was provided by Collateral Analytics for the time period of January 2019 - December 2019. The data also shows that HUNT Real Estate finished 2019 as the top real estate brokerage in both counties combined for the most units sold and the highest total sales volume. “Our Real Estate Professionals have responded to the challenge of mergers among our competitors and sales of companies to out-of-town interests,” according to Peter Hunt, Chairman and CEO. “Through their exceptional team effort, 2019 was our best year in 108 years, putting us on top of the Western New York region. I am grateful for their...

January 17, 2020 (Clarence, NY) - Essex Homes of Western New York is pleased to announce “ 2020 Vision – The Choice Is Clear, ” its first promotional savings program of the new year. For a limited time, qualified customers can save up to $15,000 on various options when they build a new Essex home in select communities across Western New York.   “ We are beginning 2020 by passing on incredible savings to our customers, enabling them to fully customize an Essex home that is perfectly-suited to their individual preferences and lifestyle. We want the Essex buying experience to be enjoyable, flexible and hassle-free. These promotions are just one of the many ways we bring value-added savings to our customers each year ,” says Philip J. Nanula, president of Essex Homes.   According to Nanula, buyers of a “ Hallmark ” series home are eligible to save up to $12,000 through the promotion and those purchasing an Essex “ Premier ” series home are eligible to save up to...

Bret Llewellyn Assumes Leadership Role of 200+ Agents  Bret Llewellyn AMHERST, NY - MJ Peterson Real Estate is pleased to announce that Bret Llewellyn will be assuming the responsibilities of General Manager of the MJ Peterson Residential Real Estate division, reporting directly to Victor L. Peterson III, President/CEO of MJ Peterson Real Estate. His primary role will be to oversee the 200+ Real Estate agents and all residential brokerage activities, while continuing the growth and advancement of the division. Since joining the management team in February 2019, Llewellyn has already made significant strides in these operatives.  Llewellyn brings 18 years of real estate management experience, most recently at Howard Hanna. He excels at increasing market share and growing agent-driven business. Llewellyn is passionate about the WNY real estate market.  “We have seen tremendous growth in our Residential Sales division in 2019”, remarks Victor L. Peterson III, Presi...