Thank You for All of Your Support This Past Year

Today, I have an exciting announcement that wouldn’t have been made possible without your incredible support.

Buying a home? Click here to perform a full home search

Selling a home? Click here for a FREE Home Price Evaluation 

Call me at (518) 861-7016 for a FREE home buying or selling consultation

The nationwide Wall Street Journal rankings of the top 1,000 real estate teams in the country came out a few weeks ago, and I am excited to announce that we are ranked 181 in the country. This may not seem too great, but when you look at the hard working teams we’re ranked with, you’ll see that it is quite the accomplishment. 

Last week, the new state rankings came out, and I’m proud to say that our 12-person team was ranked third in the entire state of New York. I want to say thank you to everyone who supposed us last year, and I appreciate each and every one of you.

I’m so proud of the work that my team has done over the last year. Each member has exhibited a great work ethic and I couldn’t be more proud.

Our phenomenal service comes down to one core value that we all take very seriously: clients first. There’s a difference between a customer and a client, and we don’t treat our clients like customers. My team and I don’t base our commission around what unnecessary extra things we can sell you. 

A client is different than a customer. A customer is a consumer of goods, and they buy a product or a service. If you walk into my office, you become a client. This creates a fiduciary bond that we have a duty to protect you and give you advice as professionals. You can trust that we will put your needs above our own.

“

If you walk into my office, you become a client.

”

I think that this attitude of putting our clients first is what sets us apart and pushed us up in the statewide rankings—because we treat you as clients, not customers. So again, thank you.

Finally, our newest Barbara Corcoran commercial is just out, and we’re excited to show that to you as well.

If you have any questions at all or you’re looking to buy or sell a home, please give us a call. We look forward to working with you.

Watching This Video Could Save Your Life

Buying a home? Click here to perform a full home search
Selling a home? Click here for a FREE Home Price Evaluation 
Call me at (518) 861-7016 for a FREE home buying or selling consultation

Winter approaches in Albany. As we turn on the heat, watch out for two hidden dangers inside your home: carbon monoxide and radon. With these dangerous gasses, it can be a matter of life and death.

If you run a gas furnace or have an attached garage, it's important to know common sources of carbon monoxide. Carbon monoxide could seep into your home from a failed gas furnace or a car running too long in your garage.

Carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless gas that will send you unconscious quickly. A bird could build a nest in the chimney during the summer, and block the exhaust, for instance. It's common this time of year to read a news story about a carbon monoxide fatality or injury. Take precaution. It doesn't have to happen in your home.

New York law requires homeowners to have carbon monoxide alarms. Detectors are affordable at any home improvement store. If you cannot afford one, give me a call and I will pick one up for you. It is crucial to have a carbon monoxide detector inside your home!

Radon, another colorless, odorless gas, could also be inside your home. Radon comes from radium decay through rocks and minerals in the soil. You cannot buy a monitor, but the state can provide you with a radon test kit. These test kits are also available at home improvement stores for usually $11. A reading over 4pCi/l is considered dangerous.

Radon is the number one cause of lung cancer in the United States. If your radon levels are too high, you will need to get a mitigation system. This removal process costs $1,200 to $1,800.

It's incredibly important to test for radon and have a carbon monoxide detector. If you already have a carbon monoxide detector, change the batteries routinely. If you have any questions for me, or if you need a carbon monoxide detector, give me a call or send me an email. I would be happy to help you!

Is Price More Important than the Terms in an Offer?

Buying a home? Click here to perform a full home search
Selling a home? Click here for a FREE Home Price Evaluation 
Call me at (518) 861-7016 for a FREE home buying or selling consultation

Today, I want to talk about something we always talk about, whether you're a buyer or seller. For some reason, people always focus on the price. That drives me wild sometimes because price is not the only factor to consider in the home buying transaction. When negotiating, we always encourage you to look at price and terms. Sometimes, the terms are more important than the price. You have to look at the big picture.

Here's an example for buyers. I've seen buyers negotiate for three days, and then they got the deal they wanted. They got 1,000 bucks less than what they expected to. That's great! But then, they go to the same bank they've always done business with to handle the financing. They don't shop around, and wind up paying a quarter point more on a 30-year mortgage.

Guess what? If you do that, you've just blown that 1,000 bucks you spent three days negotiating for, and then some! That quarter point will cost you way more money than $1,000 over the next 30 years.

As for sellers, we see you guys holding out for top dollar all the time. Then, we take a look at the seller's situation, and it turns out they're moving into a new construction home. The reality is, they have to move into temporary housing before their new home is ready. So sure, you get the bragging rights of getting top dollar, but you have to move twice.

In the long run, the inconvenience and cost of temporary housing probably cost more than getting that top dollar. It might have made more sense to take a lower offer with a closing period that allowed them to move directly into the new construction property.

Ultimately, my thought for the day is this: Don't focus solely on price. Think about your carrying costs or mortgage costs. As your real estate agent, we will help you consider the offer from every angle in order to save you money in the long run.


If you have any questions, give me a call or send me an email. I would be happy to help you!

Why Are We Seeing a Lull in Our Market?

Buying a home? Click here to perform a full home search
Selling a home? Click here for a FREE Home Price Evaluation 
Call me at (518) 861-7016 for a FREE home buying or selling consultation

It's August, it's hot, and many people in the area are on vacation. We are in the midst of the summer doldrums; every single August since I can remember we see a slowdown in activity.

Come Labor Day, however, we are going to see a dramatic uptick in activity as we usually do. Keep in mind too that mortgage rate increases may be coming. Hopefully, buyers realize the risk of rates increasing and take action now rather than later.

A 1% increase in interest rates, which could happen in the next year, will impact buyer's purchasing power by 10%. It puts downward pressure on values, and affects the amount of home you can afford.

If you're a buyer, you definitely want to get moving before rates do. As for sellers, get your home on the market now before rates have the time to go up. If you have any questions for us, we would love to hear from you. Just give us a call or send us an email.

Check Out Our New Listing Using Drone Photography

Buying a home? Click here to perform a full home search
Selling a home? Click here for a FREE Home Price Evaluation 
Call me at (518) 861-7016 for a FREE home buying or selling consultation

Today I want to share one of our new listings with you. This demonstrates some of the ways that technology has changed the real estate business and the way we market homes.

We shot some of this video tour with a drone, which gives you a great view of the property. That's just one of the ways technology has changed the real estate marketing game.

The property is located at 101 Anthony Way. The 4,000+ sq ft property has fantastic water slide in the back that your kids will love. Watch the video for a complete tour!

If you have any questions about today's video, or about real estate in general, feel free to reach out and contact me! I would love to help you.

When Should You Sell Your Home in Albany?

Buying a home? Click here to perform a full home search
Selling a home? Click here for a FREE Home Price Evaluation 
Call me at (518) 861-7016 for a FREE home buying or selling consultation

I've had many people asking me lately about the perfect time to sell a home. There are a lot of conflicting ideas about the best time to sell, and you'll probably get a different answer from every Realtor that you ask. 

I trust statistics, so I went back several years and did some research, and I found that the fall market is a better time to sell a home than the spring market. Trying to time the market is impossible. However, September and October do appear to be the best times to sell your home in general. 

A lot of people think the summer market is the best, but we just don't see a lot of activity around here in the summer because people leave town. July and August seem to slow down, as well as the holiday season from December to January. 

With all of this being said, there are many different factors that determine a good time to sell your home, and I would love to discuss them with you. Please don't hesitate to reach out to me if you would like to discuss real estate in Albany!

Are You Looking to Buy and Sell?

Buying a home? Click here to perform a full home search
Selling a home? Click here for a FREE Home Price Evaluation 
Call me at (518) 861-7016 for a FREE home buying or selling consultation

Today I'll be answering a question that I received from someone who watched my last video. It has to do with whether or not you should sell your home before you buy a new one. This can be a tricky situation for some people, and it really depends on what you're trying to do.

The problem with selling your home now is that we can get it sold in a week, and then you only have two more weeks to find another home to move into. So you're scrambling to find a home that you're going to live in for 20 or 30 years, and that's never a good situation. On the flip side, if you find your dream home, then you'll be in a rush to sell your current home and you may have to discount it.

My solution to this problem is to have you sit down with me and I can help to assess your financial situation. Some buyers are pickier when choosing homes, and some buyers can afford to pay two mortgages at once. Ideally we could arrange the sale and purchase to be on the same day, and we've done this for many clients in the past. It's really not as difficult as it may seem.

We also have a guaranteed sale program, which will alleviate a lot of the risk and stress for you in a situation like this. 

If you need help buying or selling a home in Albany this summer, please don't hesitate to contact me. I'm always here to help!

How Much Can You Expect to Pay for Closing Costs in New York?

Buying a home? Click here to perform a full home search
Selling a home? Click here for a FREE Home Price Evaluation 
Call me at (518) 861-7016 for a FREE home buying or selling consultation

What are closing costs in New York state? This is a question I've received A LOT recently, so I thought I would take the time to answer it today. Unfortunately, in the state of New York, closing costs are more expensive than anywhere in the country. 

As a buyer, costs will fluctuate substantially depending on the lender. Lender fees, bank fees, and attorney fees, among others, will be included when you close. The mortgage recorded tax will cost you 1-1.25%; if you take out a mortgage for $300,000, for example, you will have to pay the state at least $3,000 just for the right to take that mortgage out. 

You also have to pay title insurance, which is based on the price of the home and can run several thousand dollars. Additionally, the lender may ask you to put up a year's worth of taxes in escrow - that's cash you need to come up with on the spot! When you add all these factors together when buying a home, the closing costs can run you up to 5% when buying in our state.

Fortunately, it's a whole lot cheaper on the selling end. The attorney fee is generally between $500-700, and you'll typically owe a couple hundred dollars for a transfer tax. Unfortunately, there is an additional closing cost where you will pay for an abstract or title search for the buyer in Schenectady County. Other than these fees, there really isn't much else!

If you have any questions about the buying or selling process, or if you need real estate assistance of any kind, give us a call or shoot us a quick email. We would love to hear from you!

Don't Leave Money on the Table When Selling Your Albany Home

Buying a home? Click here to perform a full home search
Selling a home? Click here for a FREE Home Price Evaluation 
Call me at (518) 861-7016 for a FREE home buying or selling consultation


A big thanks to everyone who has sent me questions and ideas for topics to discuss here on my blog. I received over 100 responses, so I have a lot to cover over the next few weeks! Today's question comes from Mike: "What is the most cost-effective thing I can do to

improve the value of my home?" 

• Paint

• Refinish hardwood floors

• Kitchens

• Bathrooms

If you want to get the best bang for your buck, you need to focus on cosmetic items. Here are a few of the BIG things you need to key in on: 

You want to avoid putting money into things that won't get you a return on your investment. A new roof, for example, will not make you any money; it's better to sell it as it is and negotiate a credit into the sale price. Furnaces and windows are more examples of items that will not yield a return. 

When you upgrade kitchens, bathrooms, and hardwood floors, you're going to get a return. Recently, I put $6,000 into a listing's bathroom renovations and doubled my money. Fresh paint is also another great investment if you are thinking about selling. In fact, we typically say that paint is $500 in the can, $5,000 on the walls! 

If you have any questions about cost-effective ways to improve your home's value, don't hesitate to reach out to us. We would love to help you get top dollar for your home! 

What's Happening with Albany Real Estate This Spring?

Buying a home? Click here to perform a full home search
Selling a home? Click here for a FREE Home Price Evaluation 
Call me at (518) 861-7016 for a FREE home buying or selling consultation

Spring is here, and with the blooming of flowers also comes the booming of the real estate market. As the snow melts, the inventory of homes will increase substantially. This increase will certainly lower home prices, so the sooner you list your home, the more money you'll be able to get for it. 

If you're purchasing a home this year, it's a fantastic time to do so. Inventory will be increasing tremendously in the next 60 days, and affordability is sky-high right now. Just be aware that competition will be fierce, because other buyers will want to take advantage of these tremendous real estate conditions. 

Interest rates are still at historic lows, but they're not projected to stay low for long. It's important to remember that just a 1% increase in interest rates decreases your purchasing power by 10%! So, the sooner you get out and buy, the better off you will be. 

Overall, it's a great time to be in the market whether you're buying or selling, and we would love to assist you with either of those endeavors. Please don't hesitate to call us!

How to Avoid Costly Damages to Your Home This Winter

There are many great Albany homes for sale. Click here to perform a full home search, or if you're thinking of selling your home, click here for a FREE Home Price Evaluation so you know what buyers will pay for your home in today's market. You may also call me at (518) 861-7016 for a FREE home buying or selling consultation to answer any of your real estate questions.
Although it's the dead of winter, the real estate market is incredibly active. We're seeing multiple offers on homes that are priced right and other positive signs for our market, especially considering the tough winter we've had. Today, I want to share a few tips on keeping your home in good condition during these crazy months.

First, icicles are NOT good for your home! They may be pretty, but they are a sign of ice dams, which can cause some serious leaking that you want to avoid. It's incredibly important to get up and clear the snow within three feet of the edge of the roof. Once you do that, the melting snow will be able to run off as it's supposed to.

What causes these ice damns? A lot of the problems stem from a lack of insulation in the attic area. I've been in many houses where I've seen insulation stuffed in the eaves and soffits of the attic. Homeowners will explain that they did that because they saw daylight coming in and wanted to correct it. My advice: you need to have air flow from your soffits up to your ridge vent! Your attic should be cold - the circulation of air is vitally important if you want to prevent ice dams on your roof. 

Another problem we've seen lately is mold in attics. A lot of times, especially in older homes, contractors have vented bathroom fans into the attic, which effectively dumps more moist air into attic space, causing heat buildup and eventually mold. My advice: check to make sure your bathroom fans are vented out through the roof to avoid mold buildup in your attic.

If you have any questions about winterizing your home, don't hesitate to give us call or shoot us a quick email. We're real estate professionals, so we deal with this stuff all the time and would love to give you a hand! We look forward to helping you soon.

Thanks, and make it a great day!