Water and Sump Pump Backup is an endorsement to the Homeowners Policy that is often forgot about by first time home buyers.  A homeowners insurance policy in its basic form will not cover water that is backed up through a drain, toilet, etc.  If you own a Sump Pump and it fails or is over-loaded, you also not covered. Though it may not feel like it outside today, Spring is rapidly approaching and with Spring comes snow/ice melt and lots of rain.  All that water has to go someplace and for many unfortunate people that place is going to be their basement.  This is not Flood Insurance.  Flood insurance is a different monster and is designed for areas such as the Mississippi River Valley or any other area where flooding occurs.  If you live in a Flood zone and don't have flood insurance, yo... 02/05/2009

You just bought your first home. What an amazingly rewarding and expensive day. During closing you dealt with a tornado of professionals, Real Estate Agent, Mortgage Broker, Banker, Real Estate Attorney and you somehow found time to sit down with an Insurance Broker to obtain Homeowners Insurance. You recline comfortably in your new living room imagining yourself King of the Castle. You have a good job, a good family and good health. You are "Livin Large" as one might say. But this beautiful dream is really nightmare. Your castle, just a house of cards. You only purchased Homeowners insurance at the closing. Thats all you thought you needed. No one explained to you that Homeowners insurance alone does not guarantee the security of your new home purchase. When skillfully crafted by a str... 02/02/2009

While the painful real estate swoon appears likely to extend well into 2009 - at least - the number of Americans using the Internet to find the home of their dreams is poised to keep on climbing. According to the 2008 National Association of Realtors Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers, 87 percent of home buyers used the Internet to search for homes in the past year. That's up steadily from 84 percent in 2007, 80 percent in 2006. But despite its mounting popularity, the Internet home-buying process can present a host of pitfalls. To help make your online real estate searching more effective, here's a look at the top five Internet home-buying blunders and what you can do to avoid them. 1) Assuming you can do it all yourself. The Internet allows users to handle for themselves many of the ... 02/01/2009

I have been a member of the Albany-Colonie Regional Chamber of Commerce Toastmasters group for four months now.  I joined Toastmasters because I wanted to gain confidence speaking in front of a large group.  One of my 2009 goals was to speak on an Insurance related topic to an audience as a SME (subject matter expert).  I'm not shy, and I'm not scared, but I also am not a refined speaker.  I want to step in front of a crowd with poise, and confidence and deliver a speech that radiates excellence.  I know the insurance part cold, and I am good at putting the right words together, but I really wanted to improve my delivery. Toastmasters has been the most amazing avenue for developing the skills needed to be the type of insurance related public speaker I want to be.  Through functionary ro... 01/27/2009

I own a 2-Family in the Helderberg Neighborhood of Albany, NY, right near St. Peter's Hospital.  The apartment will be available March 1st.  We are listing the apartment for $950 a month.  There is a full kitchen, bath, dining room and living room as well as washer and dryer.  On-street parking. Utilities are NOT included.  This is a very nice place. Please email me to view the apartment.  I should have pictures after this weekend. Thank you Ryan 01/23/2009

I am a huge fan of local Chamber sponsored events.  Tonight I set a booth at Business Expo.  Kind of a small affair only about 30 tables, but it is these more intimate events that I usually find to be the most productive.  Insurance services are a tough product to sell in that type of environment.  No one wants to hear about your service, dedication to detail, quality of product, or determination to keep their premiums down.  Because insurance is not a tangible item.  You can't carry insurance home and show it to your spouse and kids and have them be proud of you.  So the Business Expo forces me to work my relationship building skills.  That is why I love Chamber events.  Every event forces you build relationships.  No one is buying something from you at Networking event, so selling is ... 01/22/2009

The Albany NY housing market has remained fairly immune from the  high foreclosures rates and declining prices faced by many areas of the country. This is due to a variety of factors in my opinion including the lack of speculation seen in other markets and the fairly stable state work force. Sure I have seen homeowners that are starting to take some hits on values of high end homes no question about it. However, overall the Albany market has held up  far better then other areas of the country. In an article published on 1/7/09 by Forbes, Albany was named one of the top 25 strongest housing markets in the country.   This basically reiterates what I have been telling my clients for months To read the story click America's 25 Strongest Housing Markets by Deborah Orr  Have questions about w... 01/14/2009

Albany NY townhouses often can make an excellent "middle ground" between a detached single family home and a full fledged condominium because, to some degree, they offer attributes of both. For purposes of definition, we will describe a townhouse as a home that is attached to one or more other houses, but which sits directly on a parcel of land that you also own (if you don't own the land, it is a condominium). For this discussion, townhouses can ranges from duplexes and triplexes all the way through huge townhouse communities consisting of hundreds of similar homes. There is a good degree of variance in the way Albany NY townhouse communities are structured. It may be a simple agreement (as is often the case of duplexes and triplexes) that each parcel of land and the home that sits on... 01/05/2009

Albany New housing developments offer unique advantages. If you've driven by new housing developments in Albany, you might have wondered if a new home was right for you. New homes offer several advantages over previously owned homes, including up-to-date floor plans, all new materials, and a variety of additional options. When you shop in the previously owned market, what you see is what you get. With new homes, all the choices are available to you. Contemporary construction Older houses have been sitting on their foundations since they were built using the best technology of the day. Technology has advanced, however, and Albany new home builders employ every new material and technique to make sure that your new home is safe and up to code. With a new home, you also know that your fixtu... 01/05/2009

I had an investor experience yesterday that I thought might serve as a good reminder to any student tenant landlords. I received a call New Year's day from a downstate investor while I was watching the  Siena Saints defeat Fairfield at the Times Union center. My investor owns about 20 units rented to SUNY and St Rose students.   Just about all of his tenants are home on break. However, one of his tenants stopped by his apartment on New Years day to find the heat off. For whatever reason, both boilers had shut off and the pipes were rapidly freezing.  A heating guy was going to be delayed at least a day. Fortunately, I was able to get one of my kerosene heaters going and  drain some of his supply lines to prevent further damage such as a cracked boiler or a basement filled with water! My... 01/02/2009

As I have indicated in the past I handle a considerable amount of property that never makes it to the ranks of the local Multiple Listing Service for various reasons. The following properties are available for sale and are not listed on the multiple listing service.  400 block of Morris street,2 family student rental  $2,000 in total monthly rents. New roof and siding. Separate utilities.  100 Block of Western Avenue. 3 unit student rental with $2,150 in monthly rent Ravena store fronts  and warehouse for rent from 300-600 S.f. available 6,000 of Retail space in Schenectady available for lease 200 Block of Central avenue- Mixed use building with retail on the first floor and apartments above. If any look appeal visit me online at Albany New York Real Estate or search Free Multiple Listi... 01/02/2009

All of these costs will be paid upon closing your mortgage. The information below will help you to understand what type of mortgage you should choose, and the costs associated with your mortgage. Purchase Points Purchase points, also known as a "buy-down" or "discount points," are an up-front fee paid to the lender at closing to buy-down or lower your interest rate over the life of the loan. Each point is equal to one percent of your total loan amount. If you have a $100,000 loan, one point would equal $1,000. The more points you buy, the lower your interest rate, but the more money you'll need at closing. How do you decide whether you should buy points and if so, how many? Well, the decision should be based on how long you plan on living in your home and what you can afford to pay each... 01/01/2009

  Albany offers a variety of down-payment assistance programs. In addition, I've compiled this list of programs offered by municipalities and other nonprofit organizations throughout the region. Many (though not all) of these programs use HUD income limits. Click here to contact me for more details and availability. SHOP-Capital You may be eligible for a $3,500 gift towards closing costs in conjunction with financing offered by HSBC and Freddie Mac. Available in the Cities of Albany, Schenectady and Troy. There are no income limits in certain areas. Otherwise, maximum household income of $53,050. Visit SHOP-Capital page for details. Click here to contact me for more information. Capital Housing Assistance Program $7,500 to help you buy a home in Albany, Schenectady or Troy. Can be combi... 12/31/2008

  It's no secret that families with school age children often look for properties located in close proximity to schools. You may be surprised to learn; however, that it can be a good idea to look for a home located near other educational centers, such as Albany NY colleges and Albany NY universities in order to solidify the investment potential of your home purchase. One of the main reasons why homes located in neighborhoods around Albany NY colleges and Albany NY universities is a good idea is simply a matter of dollars and cents. At first glance, homes located in these areas are more expensive than homes located in other neighborhoods. That doesn't mean they are not a good investment; however. Quite the contrary, if nothing else, you can usually count on the fact that demand stays con... 12/29/2008

If you buy right, you may be purchasing a hedge of sorts against the rocky housing markets of the present and future. Statistics seem to favor investment potential for homes in Albany NY College communities at present, particularly with oversupply issues still dogging the housing sector and average times on the market ballooning to months instead of weeks. Albany NY College enrollment is expected to rise 15% over the next decade, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. And yes, some institutions are responding to increased housing needs by building dorms, while developers are hustling to construct apartments in nearby infill sites, if they can find them. But the housing stock in mature college communities will always be limited, especially if there are such elements ... 12/28/2008

I was driving around last week immediately after are most recent snow storm and it struck me how important a good real estate sign is. Statistically many many more homes are sold from a buyer seeing a sign then say open houses or many other marketing methods. Yet many many firms still don't bother to use decent signs. I learned this week of a local firm in business for several years that has purchased signs for the very first time! Are you kidding me? A good sign is critical to market a property. I spend literally thousands of dollars a year on signs.  Below are some photos I shot simply driving around. They Show the importance of having a sign that makes it above the snow banks. Even though you can't see may agent's name on my sign rider you can clearly tell the home is for sale and se... 12/27/2008

Open houses have been used for decades. In Albany, they are still used routinely to market homes. The question is, "Is this the best use of an agent's time?". In most cases I think the answer is no. Open houses were an effective tool years ago before the Internet really took off.  To think that a qualified, ready, able, and willing buyer is going to walk through the door of an open house and not schedule an appointment is absurd.  I have seen statistics that as few as 6% of homes on a national basis are sold through open houses.  So why do agents still do them religiously? I think for several reasons 1) This is the way business has always been done. 2) Open houses may not sell the home that is open but they do produce leads for agents. For many agents holding an open house may be the be... 12/27/2008

I have the following properties available that are not currently listed in the MLS. If you are interested in any of these properties call me or visit me online at Albany NY Real Estate Latham-Raised ranch on a great lot with 4BR,1.5B and a great remodeled cherry kitchen. Available in the $230,000 range Cohoes Hill- 3 Bedroom, 1 Bathroom bungalow with original exposed wood work and rear workshop. Soon to be Available in the $130's range Down town Albany office building- includes first floor retail, 3 floors of office space and owners apartment. Elevators service to all floors and entire building is sprinklered. Available in the $600,000 and opportunity to take over owners existing business.   Albany-3BR,2.5 colonial syle home for lease at $1,500/month. Ready for immediate occupancy.   12/25/2008

Once you find your dream home a it is critical to have a home inspection completed by a licensed home inspector to locate any potential defects or deferred maintenance. Over the years I have been on countless home inspections and seen many many problems that could have cost buyers tens of thousands of dollars if they hadn't had an inspector take a look at the property. A qualified inspector will complete a structural, pest, and radon inspection and put you at ease with your home purchase. In Albany, much or housing stock is older and I see many of the same problems time and time again. Some of the most common problems include roof issues, chimneys, drainage. Roofs are typically worn, leaking, or improperly flashed or vented. Chimneys typically need to be repointed or lined. Homes genera... 12/25/2008

I had a closing last week on new construction built by a local builder. This was a luxury home that cost my buyer client well over $600,000.  I won't name the builder for obvious reasons but it is a well know local builder. During construction there was a major drainage issue with the property that cost roughly $2,500 to fix. The builder kicked and screamed and refused to complete the works necessary to keep my client  happy. The builder even refused to meet with my buyer. In the end, the work was completed but the builder completely alienated my clients for an expense so small in light of the transaction size is should have been completed with out a second thought. What ever happened to the client is always right?  I would have thought the builder would want my buyer to be a raving fan... 12/23/2008