Harding Mason of Waccabuc, a licensed associate broker at the Katonah office of Houlihan Lawrence, was named Westchester Realtor of the Year for 2009 by The Westchester Putnam Association of Realtors Inc.
A former director of the National Association of Realtors, Mason is current director and regional vice president of the New York State Association of Realtors.
Like other brokers, he has seen high unemployment rates and new lending requirements impact clients.
“I think the hardest thing this year was helping buyers and sellers deal with their own financial issues,” he said. “For sellers, dealing with the dramatic change in the market and realizing it”™s an entirely different market has been difficult. Working with buyers, lending guidelines are much tighter.”
Looking ahead to 2010, Mason”™s expectations centered around financing.
“I think what we all hope for is for everyone”™s jobs and incomes to stabilize,” he said. “My goal for 2010 is less financial worries for everyone.”
