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New York home sales dive more than 30 percent in December
ALBANY — Closed sales of previously owned homes plunged again in December, as the real-estate market wrapped up the year on a down note. New York realtors sold 9,758 existing homes in the final month of 2022, down 31 percent from the 14,138 homes they sold in December 2021. Pending sales in December also fell […]
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ALBANY — Closed sales of previously owned homes plunged again in December, as the real-estate market wrapped up the year on a down note.
New York realtors sold 9,758 existing homes in the final month of 2022, down 31 percent from the 14,138 homes they sold in December 2021.
Pending sales in December also fell more than 20 percent and new listings plummeted 25 percent, portending further declines in closed homes sales in the coming months.
That’s according to the New York State Association of Realtors (NYSAR)’s December housing-market report issued Jan. 20.
“Low inventory and decreasing home sales were indicators of a near perfect storm for a slowing market to close out 2022 across the Empire State,” NYSAR said in its report.
The one bit of good news is interest rates started to fall. The association cites Freddie Mac as indicting the average monthly interest rate on a 30-year fixed rate mortgage dipped from 6.81 percent in November to 6.36 percent in December.
Data details
Pending sales in New York totaled 7,611 in December, a decline of 20.3 percent from the 9,546 pending sales in the same month in 2021, according to the NYSAR data.
The worsening real-estate market finally hit home prices, which had been soaring for several years. The median sales price of homes fell 5.3 percent to $356,250 in December 2022 from $375,000 in December 2021.
The months’ supply of homes for sale at the end of December stood at 2.8 months, up from 2.7 months a year earlier. A 6 month to 6.5-month supply is considered to be a balanced market, NYSAR says.
The inventory of homes for sale totaled 31,222 in December, down 8.7 percent from 34,212 in the year-prior month.
All home-sales data is compiled from multiple-listing services in New York, and it includes townhomes and condominiums in addition to existing single-family homes, according to NYSAR.

Rome Area Chamber appoints Cupp as interim leader
ROME, N.Y. — The Rome Area Chamber of Commerce is preparing to launch its search for a new president after longtime president William Guglielmo retired on Jan. 13. Wesley Cupp, a member of the chamber’s board of directors for 17 years, is serving as interim president while the organization searches for a replacement. With 368
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ROME, N.Y. — The Rome Area Chamber of Commerce is preparing to launch its search for a new president after longtime president William Guglielmo retired on Jan. 13.
Wesley Cupp, a member of the chamber’s board of directors for 17 years, is serving as interim president while the organization searches for a replacement.
With 368 member businesses, Guglielmo is leaving behind a robust and vibrant chamber along with some pretty big shoes to fill, Cupp notes.
“He did leave us in great shape,” Cupp says, referring to a busy calendar of events and a bustling business community. “Things have been good. Things have been busy,” he adds.
With Guglielmo’s retirement, “it’s a good time to collect our thoughts, take a step back, and see where we want to go with the chamber,” Cupp notes. Guglielmo started his career at the Rome Area Chamber in 1973 and served as its president since 1996.
The chamber’s executive committee met recently to begin the search for a new president, Cupp says, adding that current board chair John Calabrese, owner of Express Employment Professionals, will be an excellent resource during the search.
Cupp expects the chamber will place digital ads with the Sentinel Media Company, which publishes the Rome Sentinel.
“This is a very important face for the city,” Cupp says about the chamber’s president position. The chamber is looking for the right person who can run the office, with its staff of three, as well as be the face of the chamber at events like ribbon cuttings and more. “Really, it’s that personality” that the chamber is seeking, he adds.
Cupp expects that while the search for Guglielmo’s replacement may center around Rome, it will reach as far as Rochester, Syracuse, and Albany.
Founded in 1912, the Rome Area Chamber of Commerce does not receive any government funding and works to protect the commercial interests of the city and foster economic and business growth.

Brown & Brown Insurance to pay first-quarter dividend on Feb. 15
Brown & Brown, Inc. (NYSE: BRO), the Florida–based parent of Syracuse–based Brown & Brown Empire State, recently announced it will pay a regular quarterly cash dividend of 11.5 cents a share for the first quarter. The payment is payable on Feb. 15, to shareholders of record on Feb. 3, the insurance-brokerage firm announced on Jan.
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Brown & Brown, Inc. (NYSE: BRO), the Florida–based parent of Syracuse–based Brown & Brown Empire State, recently announced it will pay a regular quarterly cash dividend of 11.5 cents a share for the first quarter.
The payment is payable on Feb. 15, to shareholders of record on Feb. 3, the insurance-brokerage firm announced on Jan. 18.
The dividend is the same amount that Brown & Brown paid in the fourth quarter, when it hiked the quarterly payment by 12.2 percent from the 10.25 cents a share that it paid in the third quarter.
Daytona Beach–headquartered Brown & Brown, through its subsidiaries, offers a broad range of insurance products and related services. It has more than 14,500 employees and over 450 offices worldwide. The insurance-brokerage firm makes frequent acquisitions of insurance agencies a key part of its growth strategy.
Brown & Brown Empire State is headquartered at 500 Plum St. in Syracuse’s Franklin Square area. It also has an office at 4104 Vestal Road in Vestal.

Sykes starts as SRC’s new CFO, executive VP of finance
CICERO, N.Y. — SRC, Inc. has made its choice to replace the retiring Phil Fazio as the company’s chief financial officer. The firm has hired Gwendolyn Sykes as executive VP of finance, and CFO. Fazio is retiring after 16 years of services, SRC said in a Jan. 11 announcement. He retires on Jan. 31, SRC
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CICERO, N.Y. — SRC, Inc. has made its choice to replace the retiring Phil Fazio as the company’s chief financial officer.
The firm has hired Gwendolyn Sykes as executive VP of finance, and CFO. Fazio is retiring after 16 years of services, SRC said in a Jan. 11 announcement. He retires on Jan. 31, SRC tells CNYBJ in an email.
As CFO, Sykes will direct investments, pricing and cost analysis, and financial analyses of budgets, forecasts, and results. She will also review potential acquisitions and communicate SRC’s financial results to the company’s leadership.
Sykes brings more than 31 years of fiscal financial-management experience. In her most recent role as the U.S. Secret Service CFO, she was responsible for the execution, development, and stewardship of the organization’s resources for the past 11 years.
Prior to the Secret Service, Sykes was the first female to serve as a political appointee/Senate confirmed CFO for NASA, “developing and implementing a new fiscal discipline” for the space agency, SRC said. Sykes also previously served as CFO at Yale University and Morehouse College, respectively.
Her government experience includes working within the U.S. Department of Defense as comptroller and in the Office of U.S. Senator Ted Stevens of Alaska.
Sykes holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Catholic University and a master’s degree in public administration from American University, where she continues to serve as an adjunct professor in the School of Public Affairs.
SRC is a nonprofit research and development company headquartered in Cicero that focuses on areas that include defense, environment, and intelligence.

Syracuse University COO begins Feb. 1
SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Syracuse University’s chief operating officer is set to start his new duties on Feb. 1. In this new role, John Papazoglou will be responsible for multiple on-campus and off-campus operations, including dining, housing, hospitality and food services, Syracuse University said in a Jan. 9 announcement. Papazoglou comes to Syracuse from Pennsylvania State
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SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Syracuse University’s chief operating officer is set to start his new duties on Feb. 1.
In this new role, John Papazoglou will be responsible for multiple on-campus and off-campus operations, including dining, housing, hospitality and food services, Syracuse University said in a Jan. 9 announcement.
Papazoglou comes to Syracuse from Pennsylvania State University.
“John’s extensive experience in higher education combined with his deep understanding of hospitality and customer service will make him an immediate asset to Syracuse University,” Chancellor Kent Syverud said.
Papazoglou, a New Jersey native, has served as associate VP of auxiliary and business services at Penn State since July 2017. In that role, he’s been responsible for multiple administrative units including housing and food services, the Bryce Jordan Center (a multi-use facility for academic programs and entertainment and sports events), hospitality services, transportation services, multimedia and print center, campus mail, and the University Park Airport.
He also served as the primary liaison for the Penn State Bookstore contract and the university’s pouring-rights contract.
As Syracuse COO, Papazoglou will oversee the non-academic units that interact most frequently with students and guests on campus, including housing, retail operations, catering and the commissary.

Terakeet cuts 64 jobs from its outreach team
SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Terakeet has eliminated 64 positions from its outreach team, the Syracuse–based search-engine technology company has confirmed to CNYBJ. “Following a significant analysis
Onondaga County hotel occupancy rose 7.5 percent in December
SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Onondaga County hotels continued to see an increase in business activity in December compared to the year-earlier period, according to a new report. The hotel-occupancy rate (rooms sold as a percentage of rooms available) in the county climbed 7.5 percent to 44.3 percent in the final month of 2022, according to STR,
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SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Onondaga County hotels continued to see an increase in business activity in December compared to the year-earlier period, according to a new report.
The hotel-occupancy rate (rooms sold as a percentage of rooms available) in the county climbed 7.5 percent to 44.3 percent in the final month of 2022, according to STR, a Tennessee–based hotel market data and analytics company. It completed a year of 12 straight monthly gains in occupancy, ranging from more than 6 percent to nearly 34 percent. For the full year of 2022, occupancy increased by more than 17 percent to 58.8 percent compared to 2021 numbers.
Revenue per available room (RevPar), a key industry gauge that measures how much money hotels are bringing in per available room, jumped 19.4 percent to $46.17 in Onondaga County in December from a year prior. For the full year, RevPar increased more than 40 percent to $70.52.
Average daily rate (or ADR), which represents the average rental rate for a sold room, rose 11.1 percent to $104.27 in December compared to December 2021. ADR went up 19.5 percent to $119.95 for the entire year.

Auburn’s Schweinfurth Art Center to use $10K grant for Quilters of Color initiative
AUBURN, N.Y. — Schweinfurth Art Center in Auburn recently announced that the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) has approved it for a Challenge America award of $10,000. The grant funding will support the art center’s Quilters of Color initiative. The Schweinfurth’s Quilters of Color initiative includes several workshops, classes, and an exhibition opportunity for
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AUBURN, N.Y. — Schweinfurth Art Center in Auburn recently announced that the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) has approved it for a Challenge America award of $10,000.
The grant funding will support the art center’s Quilters of Color initiative. The Schweinfurth’s Quilters of Color initiative includes several workshops, classes, and an exhibition opportunity for a quilter of color, per the announcement. All events will occur in 2023.
“The National Endowment for the Arts is proud to support arts projects in communities nationwide,” Maria Rosario Jackson, chair of the NEA, said. “Projects such as this one with the Schweinfurth Art Center strengthen arts and cultural ecosystems, provide equitable opportunities for arts participation and practice, and contribute to the health of our communities and our economy.”
It’s the first time that Schweinfurth Art Center has been approved for an NEA grant. The NEA considered nearly 450 eligible applications for Challenge America grants and will award grants totaling $2.62 million to 262 organizations nationally, as part of its first round of fiscal year 2023 grants.
“The Schweinfurth Art Center is known for its quilting and fiber arts programs. This NEA funding will help us extend more opportunities to quilters of color and recognizes the important contribution of African American quilters and their traditions in contemporary quilting,” Donna Lamb, executive director of the Schweinfurth Art Center, said. “We will be including several artists of color on the faculty for our fiber arts programs and providing exhibition opportunities.”

Mercy House of the Southern Tier receives $75K grant
ENDICOTT, N.Y. — Mercy House of the Southern Tier was recently selected as a Mother Cabrini Health Foundation grantee for the third year, receiving $75,000 for a Mercy House admissions navigator. The grant allows the Endicott–based organization to continue its admissions program through meeting with palliative teams at hospitals and informational in-home visits. The money
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ENDICOTT, N.Y. — Mercy House of the Southern Tier was recently selected as a Mother Cabrini Health Foundation grantee for the third year, receiving $75,000 for a Mercy House admissions navigator.
The grant allows the Endicott–based organization to continue its admissions program through meeting with palliative teams at hospitals and informational in-home visits. The money also helps in raising awareness of Mercy House as a community-care shelter for the terminally ill.
The admissions navigator also helps ensure that potential residents meet the guidelines to receive care at Mercy House.
“We are grateful to the Mother Cabrini Foundation for awarding us this third grant,” Linda Cerra, Mercy House of the Southern Tier executive director, said in a release. “Having an RN on staff allows us to increase the number of people with terminal illnesses receiving hospice and home-based care.”
Grants supporting program costs and salaries help the organization’s outreach efforts to a larger area, increase screening of potential residents, and assist with admissions.
Mother Cabrini Health Foundation grants are targeted to specific needs.
“As we look back at the compounding crises of the last few years, the health-related needs of vulnerable communities have only grown. Our grantees have demonstrated tremendous resilience, creativity, and dedication to serving those in need, especially as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have such detrimental impact,” Alfred F. Kelly, Jr., chairman and CEO of Visa and chair of the Mother Cabrini Health Foundation board, said in a statement.
The Mother Cabrini Health Foundation is a private, nonprofit organization with the mission to improve the health and well-being of the vulnerable New Yorkers, bolster the health outcomes of targeted communities, eliminate barriers to care, and bridge gaps in health services.

Bassett earns certification as a primary stroke center
COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. — Bassett Medical Center earned The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval and the American Stroke Association’s Heart-Check mark for Primary Stroke Center Certification. The certification recognizes hospitals that meet standards to support critical elements to achieve long-term success in improving outcomes for stroke patients. To achieve the certification, Bassett underwent a rigorous,
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COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. — Bassett Medical Center earned The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval and the American Stroke Association’s Heart-Check mark for Primary Stroke Center Certification.
The certification recognizes hospitals that meet standards to support critical elements to achieve long-term success in improving outcomes for stroke patients. To achieve the certification, Bassett underwent a rigorous, unannounced on-site review where reviewers evaluated compliance with standards and conducted on-site observations and interviews.
“With stroke as the fifth-leading cause of death in the U.S., providing the highest standards of stroke care to our rural communities is absolutely essential,” Bassett Healthcare Network President and CEO Dr. Tommy Ibrahim said in a release. “We are honored to receive this certification recognizing our commitment to our patients.”
“As a rural primary stroke center, Bassett Medical Center serves an area the size of Connecticut with assistance from Bassett’s five affiliate hospitals that all provide emergent stroke care and can transfer to a higher level of care, when necessary,” Jo-Ann Vass, Bassett’s stroke program coordinator, added. “In addition to the neurologists on staff here at Bassett Medical Center, we have a very successful telemedicine partnership with Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester, providing 24/7 neurology specialists on-call.”
In 2022, Bassett was also awarded the American Heart Association’s Get With The Guidelines Stroke Gold Plus: Stroke Honor Roll Elite quality achievement for its commitment to ensuring stroke patients receive the most-appropriate treatment according to recognized, research-based guidelines.
Bassett Healthcare Network is an integrated health system that provides care and services to people living in a 5,600-square-mile region in upstate New York.
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