The 91st Annual Banquet is going to be red hot

By Eliezer Rodriguez, Esq. If you haven't already marked your calendars, it's time to take out the pen and make the following note: "I must call The Bronx-Manhattan North Association of Realtors (BMNAR) at 718-892-3000, to take a sponsorship, an ad, and to reserve a table to attend their 91st Annual Banquet on Wednesday, April 22, 2015." While you are at it, also note the time is from 5:30 to 10:00 p.m. at the Marina del Rey Caterers. Last year we had a wonderful time. The borough of The Bronx was celebrating its 100th birthday and many elected officials came out to mingle with all the realtors and their friends. This year, we are expecting over 600 guests. As you may know, in spite of all the snow and freezing temperatures, the Bronx is red hot with excitement. The real estate temperature has been rising in The Bronx ever since mayor Bill de Blasio made affordable housing a top priority of his administration and committed to building or preserving nearly 200 units over the next 10 years. That announcement has sparked developer's interest in The Bronx where the cost per s/f is cheaper than in other boroughs. If things weren't hot enough in The Bronx, on February 3, Bronx Assemblyman, Carl Heastie, was elected the new speaker of the assembly. The speaker has been invited along with all the elected officials that represent the communities we serve. So if you want to be play like a firefighter and "Go where it is hot," then BMNAR's 91st Annual Banquet is the place to be on April 22. At the Annual Banquet, we will be honoring some special people for their contribution to the real estate industry and/or for their community leadership. You may know some of them. They are: Realtor of the Year, Richard Guarino, Friedman-Roth Realty Services, LLC; Heritage Award, Rubin Pikus, Charles Hirsch, and Jeffrey Kats, Milbrook Properties LTD.; Realtor Associate of the Year, Sherry Scanlon, KZA Realty Group, Inc.; Affiliate Member of the Year, Kenneth Coder, Coder & Company CPAs; Institutional Member of the Year, Daniel Houlihan, Houlihan & O'Malley Real Estate Services Inc.; Distinguished Service Award, Paul Massey and Robert Knakal; and receiving the Community Leadership Award, my dear friend, Jack Lund, CEO/ president of the YMCA of Greater New York. The Annual Banquet also honors members for their years of service to the organization. They are: 45 Years: Michael Schmelzer, Tryax Realty Management Inc.; and Murray Stark, Stark Management Co., Inc. 40 Years: Eric Oppenheimer, Eric J. Oppenheimer; and Linda Schmelzer, Tryax Realty Management Inc. 30 Years: Virginia M. Gallagher, V.M.G. Management Corp.; and Earl H. Washington, United Realty Services. 25 Years: Rubin Pikus, Milbrook Properties Ltd.; Lawrence Schur, Schur Management Co., Ltd.; Michael Harbater, C.S. Brown Co.; David Diamond, Diamond Property Group; Robert Rosenberg, Rosenberg Realty Group; and Stanley Wasserman, S.W. Management LLC.; Randolph Silverstein, The Sparrow Group; Gerald Pindus, US Energy Group; Sandra Erickson, Sandra Erickson Real Estate; and Philip Parker, The Mortgage Man. 20 Years: Sheldon Mann, Langsam Property Services Corp.; Anthony DiNapoli, Al'An Elevator Corp.; Scott Lenzi, OCS Chemical Engineering; and Adam & Mark Goodrich, Allstate Sprinkler Corp. If you will be attending our banquet for the first time, let me give you some advice. The Networking Cocktail Hour is the talk of the town and it begins at 5:30 p.m. The Program and Formal Dinner begins at 7:00 p.m. Don't forget to mark your calendar. I look forward to celebrating with you at the Marina del Rey on April 22 at 5:30 p.m. Call my office at 718-892-3000 to reserve your tickets. Eliezer Rodriguez, Esq. is the association executive of BMNAR, Bronx, N.Y.