7 Essential Questions to Ask Before Hiring an Architect.  New Construction Homes for Sale in Burnt Hills NY.  Todd Stewart of Stewart Construction Custom Home Builder in Burnt Hills NY. The answers to these questions will help you zero in on the architect who's right for your project, your budget, and your personality. Many architects have a signature style that appears in their work. Talk with the architect before the project starts to make sure you're on the same page. Image: hana/Datacraft/Getty Images 7 Essential Questions to Ask Before Hiring an Architect.  New Construction Homes for Sale in Burnt Hills NY.  Todd Stewart of Stewart Construction Custom Home Builder in Burnt Hills NY.  The architect you select for your job will determine the look and functionality of your home improv... 05/07/2010

Do You Need an Architect for Your Remodeling Project?  New Construction Homes for Sale in Burnt Hills NY.  Todd Stewart of Stewart Construction Custom Home Builder in Burnt Hills NY. An architect can add to the cost of your remodeling project, but there are times when it pays to hire a design professional. You can hire an architect for the design phase only or for the entire project, start to finish. Image: rubberball/Getty Images  Do You Need an Architect for Your Remodeling Project?  New Construction Homes for Sale in Burnt Hills NY.  Todd Stewart of Stewart Construction Custom Home Builder in Burnt Hills NY. If you're planning a big home improvement job, you may be wondering whether you should bring an architect onto the team. On the one hand, you want the project done right, so cons... 05/07/2010

 Homes For Sale in Foreclosure in Burnt Hills NY Search Homes For Sale in Foreclosure for Burnt Hills NY Get Pre-Qualified Now Online   Currently there is 1 home for sale in foreclosure in Burnt Hills NY.  This home for sale is a judgment of a foreclosure sale.  Built in 1925, this home features 3 bedrooms and 1 bathroom.  It is listed at $166,643.  It consists of 1206 square feet.  When the process of foreclosure is over the lender can re-sell the property.     What is a Foreclosure? A foreclosure is a legal proceeding in which a financial claim or charge against real estate is a lien.  If the claim is not paid, the bank or creditor may ask a court to order the real estate sold to pay of the debt.  In other words when the holder of the loan fails to pay their mortgage payments, the ban... 05/06/2010

Adding Electrical Service to Your Workshop or Studio.  New Construction Homes for Sale in Burnt Hills NY, Todd Stewart of Stewart Construction Custom Home Builder in Burnt Hills NY. When adding electrical service for a workshop or studio, budget to meet your immediate needs while building in flexibility for the future. When building a workshop, be sure to decide early on where you want receptacles, light switches, and fixtures to go. Image: Comstock Images/Getty Images  Adding Electrical Service to Your Workshop or Studio.  New Construction Homes for Sale in Burnt Hills NY, Todd Stewart of Stewart Construction Custom Home Builder in Burnt Hills NY. When planning the electrical service for a freestanding workshop or studio, start with a basic understanding of the costs for installing cir... 05/04/2010

My Home is Worth What?  For Sale By Owner is it Right For You? - Burnt Hills NY     Homes For Sale in Burnt Hills   Many For Sale By Owner homes are priced by a figure the owner believes they know a ball park figure for what their home is worth.  However most of these figures are way off especially in this market.  It is important to know how much your home is worth before placing your home on the market.   Approximately 38 homes are For Sale By Owner today on the market in Burnt Hills NY.  Many find the appeal of avoiding commission when placing their home For Sale by Owner.  However, does this really help you in the long run?   Nancy Spearrin first listed the home with an agent in 2007 at $249,000.  After three months of no showings or luck with open houses she took her home off the m... 05/03/2010

What Your Remodeling Contract Should Say.  New Construction Homes for Sale in Burnt Hills NY.  Todd Stewart of Stewart Construction Custom Home Builder in Saratoga County.   Review your remodeling contract carefully and adjust it to make sure it protects you in terms of payments, work schedules, and project specifications. Unless the contractor signs the document, it doesn't matter what it says-it's not a valid contract. Image: © Masterfile  What Your Remodeling Contract Should Say.  New Construction Homes for Sale in Burnt Hills NY.  Todd Stewart of Stewart Construction Custom Home Builder in Saratoga County. Even if you never intend to pick up a hammer for your remodeling project, there's one tool that's absolutely essential-a solid contract. But just having one often isn't enough. Th... 05/02/2010

5 Essential Questions to Ask Before Hiring a Contractor.  New Construction Homes for Sale in Burnt Hills NY.  Todd Stewart of Stewart Construction Custom Home Builder in Burnt Hills NY.   You're ready to remodel but you want to make sure you get the best contractor for the job. Here's what to ask the candidates before you decide. A local contractor with a reputation to uphold is a better option than one that has to commute from far away. Image: John Lund/Marc Romanelli/Getty Images  5 Essential Questions to Ask Before Hiring a Contractor.  New Construction Homes for Sale in Burnt Hills NY.  Todd Stewart of Stewart Construction Custom Home Builder in Burnt Hills NY. For all of the excitement of choosing plumbing fixtures, cabinets, and tiles for a remodeling project, the most important d... 05/02/2010

The Top 5 Contractor Scams and How to Avoid Them.   New Construction Homes for Sale in Burnt Hills NY.  Todd Stewart of Stewart Construction Custom Home Builder in Burnt Hills NY. The best way to protect yourself against unscrupulous contractors is to be alert to the warning signs of these common home-improvement scams. If a contractor tells you he doesn't need a permit, that's a red flag. Permits are required for all significant construction jobs. Image: PhotoAlto/Eric Audras/Getty Images  The Top 5 Contractor Scams and How to Avoid Them.   New Construction Homes for Sale in Burnt Hills NY.  Todd Stewart of Stewart Construction Custom Home Builder in Burnt Hills NY. Crooks go where the money is. So with Americans spending as much as $22 billion a year on construction projects, it's no ... 05/02/2010

How To Fight Back Against a Bad Contractor.  New Construction Homes for Sale in Burnt Hills NY.  Todd Stewart of Stewart Construction Custom Home Builder in Burnt Hills NY.   You have options for recourse if a contractor disappears or does shoddy work, but which action to take depends on the particulars of your situation. Keep a detailed log of the ways your contractor hasn't lived up to his responsibilities--it could come in handy later on. Image: Steven Errico/Photodisc/Getty Images  How To Fight Back Against a Bad Contractor.  New Construction Homes for Sale in Burnt Hills NY.  Todd Stewart of Stewart Construction Custom Home Builder in Burnt Hills NY. No major home improvement happens without a few glitches. Cost overruns and completion delays are common-to say nothing of the fine l... 05/02/2010

Homes For Sale in Burnt Hills - Living in a Water Home on Ballston Lake    What to Expect When Buying A Home On Ballston Lake Homes For Sale in Burnt Hills NY   Buying a home on or near Ballston Lake can bring on some challenges of its own.  When you think of buying a home on Ballston Lake many tend to think sand between your toes, water gently hitting your toes, and jumping off the dock from your own piece of paradise.  However it is important to know what you're getting into before buying a home on Ballston Lake.   Tips When Considering Buying A Home on Ballston Lake   "Birds of a feather flock together."  Water fowl are naturally attracted to the lake.  Geese, although, beautiful can be very aggressive.  Geese along with other fowl, such as ducks and gulls leave droplets that are har... 05/02/2010

Drawbacks of Home Equity Loans.  New Construction Homes for Sale in Burnt Hills NY.  Stewart Construction-Custom Home Builder in Burnt Hills NY and all of Saratoga County. Taking out a home equity loan against the value of your property can backfire if you fail to avoid these common pitfalls in the borrowing process. Paying off a home equity loan early can be costly. Image: Dana Hoff/Getty Images  Drawbacks of Home Equity Loans.  New Construction Homes for Sale in Burnt Hills NY.  Stewart Construction-Custom Home Builder in Burnt Hills NY and all of Saratoga County. When you need a quick source of funds, a home equity loan can be tempting. Done wisely, you can use the lower-interest debt secured by your house to pay off debts with high interest rates, like credit cards. It's also a good... 04/26/2010

How to buy a house.  New Construction Homes for Sale in Burnt Hills NY.  Todd Stewart of Stewart Construction-Custom Home Builder in Burnt Hills NY. How to buy a house.  New Construction Homes for Sale in Burnt Hills NY.  Todd Stewart of Stewart Construction-Custom Home Builder in Burnt Hills NY. Actually, how to think about buying a house. You don't see a lot of ads trying to sell you on spending too much money on a house. It's more subtle than that. The marketing is all around us, and has been for years. The enormous social pressure and the expectations that come with it lead to misunderstandings and confusion. Here's my advice to someone in the market: In an era where house prices rise reliably (which was 1963 to 2007), it was almost impossible to overpay for a house. It was an effic... 04/24/2010

Americans Rate Their Community Associations.  New Construction Homes for Sale in Bunt Hills NY.  Todd Stewart of Stewart Construction-Custom Home Builder in Burnt Hills NY. Americans Rate Their Community Associations.  New Construction Homes for Sale in Bunt Hills NY.  Todd Stewart of Stewart Construction-Custom Home Builder in Burnt Hills NY. Seventy-one percent of the 60 million Americans who live in homeowners associations and condominiums say they are satisfied in their communities. But not everybody likens association living to a perfect world. While 17% of association residents are neutral on the question of satisfaction, 12% express dissatisfaction with their community associations, according to a national survey conducted by Zogby International. "There is definitely room for imp... 04/23/2010

Sad Tim.         New Construction Homes for Sale in Burnt Hills NY.  Todd Stewart of Stewart Construction-Custom Home Builder. Sad Tim. Sad Tim.         New Construction Homes for Sale in Burnt Hills NY.  Todd Stewart of Stewart Construction-Custom Home Builder.   At the post office the other day, a guy wearing a beautiful handmade scarf finishes his transaction and starts away from the counter. A small nail holding the molding apparently isn't hammered in all the way. It catches the scarf, pulls the threads and ruins the scarf. The man turns to the counter, looks at the postal worker who took his money and says, "There's a loose nail here, it just ruined my scarf." Tim, the postal worker, beaten down, tired, given up, stands behind the counter and barely makes eye contact. "Oh." End of... 04/22/2010

Home Sales Boosted by Homebuyer Tax Credit.  New Construction Homes for Sale in Burnt Hills NY, Todd Stewart of Stewart Construction-Custom Home Builder in Burnt Hills NY. Home Sales Boosted by Homebuyer Tax Credit.  New Construction Homes for Sale in Burnt Hills NY, Todd Stewart of Stewart Construction-Custom Home Builder in Burnt Hills NY. Buyers responding to the homebuyer tax credit and favorable affordability conditions boosted existing-home sales in March, marking the beginning of an expected spring surge, according to the National Association of Realtors®.Existing-home sales, which are completed transactions that include single-family, townhomes, condominiums, and co-ops, rose 6.8% to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 5.35 million units in March from 5.01 million in February, ... 04/22/2010

7 Tips for Saving Energy with Home Lighting.  New Construction Homes for Sale in Burnt Hills NY.  Todd Stewart of Stewart Construction-Custom Home Builder in Burnt Hills NY. Lighting eats up as much as 20% of your annual electric bill, but using energy-efficient bulbs and making other simple changes can cut lighting costs dramatically. In places where you can't or don't want to switch to CFLs, opt for high-efficiency incandescent and halogen bulbs. Image: Hill Street Studios/Getty Images  7 Tips for Saving Energy with Home Lighting.  New Construction Homes for Sale in Burnt Hills NY.  Todd Stewart of Stewart Construction-Custom Home Builder in Burnt Hills NY. Lighting is one of the biggest energy gobblers in your house, eating up between 10% and 20% of your total electric bill. But it's... 04/21/2010

When a stranger reads your blog.  New Construction Homes for Sale in Burnt Hills NY.   I had a surreal experience the other day. I was sitting in a coffee shop and watched someone (at the recommendation of a friend who didn't realize I was within earshot) open up my blog and start reading it. Right there, out of the corner of my eye, someone was experiencing me (well, digital me) for the first time. Here it was, my first impression writ large. No fair running over and saying, "no, skip those two, those two aren't so good, go back a month or two and read the generous, thoughtful ones I wrote..." It's like DNA. One cell carries the coding for all of them. That meal you served at lunch yesterday might be the first impression, or that comment you left on someone's page or that customer serv... 04/16/2010

New Construction Homes for Sale in Burnt Hills NY, Todd Stewart of Stewart Construction-Custom Home Builder in Burnt Hills NY.       The inefficiency of the all call. New Construction Homes for Sale in Burnt Hills NY, Todd Stewart of Stewart Construction-Custom Home Builder in Burnt Hills NY.       The inefficiency of the all call. Back when companies had offices, there was a button on the phone labeled "all call". It allowed you to page every speaker in the entire building at once. "Tom P., you have a package at the front desk!" It was a lot easier to hit all call than to just track down Tom. After a while, this group interruption gets tiresome because it's so wasteful. You interrupt 100 people to reach one, or you get ten offers of help (or someone to buy your hockey tickets) when one... 04/15/2010

New Construction Homes for Sale in Burnt Hills NY, Todd Stewart of Stewart Construction-Custom Home Builder in Burnt Hills NY.        Have you thought about your margin? New Construction Homes for Sale in Burnt Hills NY, Todd Stewart of Stewart Construction-Custom Home Builder in Burnt Hills NY.        Have you thought about your margin? Gross margin is an often confused concept but a powerful tool in figuring out how to market your business out how to market your business (and decide what to make, who to hire and how to fund it). Few people understand it, while others use a definition I don't find very useful. I like to think of margin as the money left over after you've paid the direct costs for making an item, the last one of the day. If you run a pizza place and a large pie costs $1... 04/14/2010

New Construction Homes for Sale in Burnt Hills NY, Todd Stewart of Stewart Construction-Custom Home Builder in Burnt Hills NY.       Southern Energy Conservation Programs Could Cut Utility Bills New Construction Homes for Sale in Burnt Hills NY, Todd Stewart of Stewart Construction-Custom Home Builder in Burnt Hills NY.       Southern Energy Conservation Programs Could Cut Utility Bills Aggressive adoption of energy efficiency programs in the South would lower utility bills by $41 billion, create 380,000 new jobs, reduce the need for new power plants, and save 8.6 billion gallons of fresh water by 2020, according to a new study released today by a team of researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology and Duke University's Nicholas Institute. Southern states use more energy than sta... 04/13/2010