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Kevin Clancy Albany New York Real Estate Broker

Schenectady NY Real Estate, Time to Invest?

I have to admit it I have never been a fan of investing in Schenectady Real Estate. The taxes are high, properties are not maintained,and  it seems like the city is charging landlords for more and more services. Add to this what I call a population of many  "professional tenants" that  move from landlord to landlord sticking them for months of unpaid rent.  I always  have investors that see Internet listings in Schenectady they want me to show them. We check them out and after we put our boots on the ground and my buyers realize the "bargain" is a dump, we  end up back in Albany.

That said I have had the opportunity the last couple of months to spend a lot of time in Schenectady. Time at the City Mission, time touring the GE power generations system facility, time at Super power. I also have had the opportunity to experience Schenectady in a way many people don't get to. Such as spending a night riding with a Schenectady cop. There is something exhilarating about putting on a bullet proof vest and flying down state street with lights and siren blaring. After spending time in a patrol car, housing projects, and hamilton hill I have renewed respect for the Schenectady police force and the challenges they face.  Last week, I had time to actually visit Schenectady high school. They were in "lock down" when I was there. In fact, I almost couldn't get in because I didn't have a photo ID. It is one thing to see the low inner city school rankings. It is entirely different to hear the passion of a Schenectady school teacher as he talks about the high tech offerings and the trend toward problem solving based teaching.  I was also privileged to hear the president of Union Speak about the positive things going on there. One amazing thing I noticed was that downtown actually had business open and people going to the movies. 

The bottom line is I am seeing positive things going on in Schenectady. I am not saying the City has reached a "tipping point" but it is heading in that direction. INVESTORS TAKE NOTE. My past experience tells me risk takers and early adapters are the ones that make the money. Now might be a time to consider investing in Schenectady. I am not saying buy Hamilton Hill but there certainly are areas worth a look. I am also not saying put your entire portfolio in Schenectady. However picking  up one or two solid properties with good tenants and cash flow might be worth the risk.

 Click this link to search Schenectady NY Homes for sale

If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact me. Thank You!

Sincerely,


Kevin Clancy

518-861-7016
kevin@clancyrealestate.com
http://www.clancyrealestate.com/






 

Be sure to check out this month's Newsletter, click here

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Charity:Albany NY Boys and Girls Club Needs your help!

The Albany NY Boys and Girls Club has just kicked off it's "one" campaign and we need your help. I know food prices are up, the national media throws around the word recession everyday, and the price of gas is above $3.50/gallon, making a charitable donation now is tough. I am involved with several charities and most are in similar financial situations. However, The Boys and Girls club is a worthwhile organization with a worthwhile mission.

Mission Statement:

To provide a fun, safe, supervised environment for recreational and educational activities where all boys and girls, especially those who need us the most, can develop self-esteem and the qualities needed to become caring, responsible citizens".

To my past and present investor clients I challenge you to please help and make a donation no matter how small. If you are investing in Albany it is my opinion the club indirectly helps you by helping kids and improving neighborhoods. Some brief facts:

1)The clubs are located in the neediest areas of Albany

2)82% of club kids live at or below the poverty line

3)70% of the children come from single family homes.

Here is a link to the clubs site http://www.bgcalbany.com/

In addition to monetary donations, on 5/3/08 and 5/10/08 a group of 35 Albany business leaders will be volunteering to make repairs to the boys and girls club camp. Building supplies and material donations as well as breakfast and lunch for this event are needed. If you are interested in helping in anyway please call or email me directly. Thanks in advance for your help!

If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact me. Thank You!

Sincerely,


Kevin Clancy
Clancy Real Estate
518-861-7016
kevin@clancyrealestate.com
http://www.clancyrealestate.com/






Be sure to check out this month's Newsletter, click here

To Search Thousands of MLS listed homes, click here

To see Kevin's Bio, click here

To see Hot Listings, click here

For Buyer's Articles, click here

For Seller's Articles, click here

Tech Valley Real Estate, Tech Valley, Tech Valley Homes

Its been 10 years since the Hudson Valley area of New York was branded "Tech Valley". I often get asked what is Tech Valley? Tech Valley is a 19 county region that runs from just north of New York to the Plattsburgh region just south of the Canadian Border. Residents of the area often wonder where the "tech" in Tech valley is. Well the answer is simple, It is all around us. Yes part of it is the proposed AMD chip plant in Malta but not all it. In the past 6 months I have had the privilege to be able to tour some of the tech offerings in the area. Some highlights include the IBM Chip Plant in Kingston, the Nanotechnology building on Everett road, General Electric's Global research facility and Schenectady manufacturing plants, and Super Power in Schenectady. I can tell you the amount of research and development going on is mind boggling. Today I was able to tour Super Power in Schenectady. These guys are working on technology that will allow electricity to be transmitted with a limited loss of energy. Currently roughly 7% of electricity produced is lost in transmission. This technology has the potential to significantly reduce greenhouse emissions. Nanotechnology in Albany is already creating new high paying jobs at the Sematech facility. These guys are manipulating matter one the molecular level in clean rooms that look like something out of a Sci Fi flick. This is technology that will change things dramatically going forward. Tech Valley is here to stay and it will positively impact all of us.

If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact me. Thank You!

Sincerely,


Kevin Clancy
Clancy Real Estate
518-861-7016
kevin@clancyrealestate.com
http://www.clancyrealestate.com/






Be sure to check out this month's Newsletter, click here

To Search Thousands of MLS listed homes, click here

To see Kevin's Bio, click here

To see Hot Listings, click here

For Buyer's Articles, click here

For Seller's Articles, click here

New albany NY New York Appraisal Guidelines both good and bad

The attorney general of New York as created new appraisal guidelines that will forbid mortgage brokers from ordering appraisals directly from appraisers on any loans going to Freddie Mac or Fannie Mae. This is roughly 60% of loans originated. The idea is to create a buffer between the appraiser and the mortgage broker and help prevent mortgage fraud and appraisal pressure. However, this rule will basically require mortgage brokers to use an appraisal management company which ads an additional cost layer. This is the exact opposite of supply chain optimization. While the new rules may help curb appraiser pressure they may also result in higher fees for consumers. Only time will tell. Need an appraisal? Visit Albany NY real estate Appraisals

If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact me. Thank You!

Sincerely,


Kevin Clancy
Clancy Real Estate
518-861-7016
kevin@clancyrealestate.com
http://www.clancyrealestate.com/






 

Be sure to check out this month's Newsletter, click here

To Search Thousands of MLS listed homes, click here

To see Kevin's Bio, click here

To see Hot Listings, click here

For Buyer's Articles, click here

For Seller's Articles, click here

 

Albany NY property Taxes

It is a question I get everyday that makes me cringe. What are the property taxes on this home? I cringe because 1) buyers from other areas of the country have major sticker shock and 2) depending on where the home is I might not be able to answer this question.    Answering the question of what the property taxes are is not as easy as simply reading the property listing. The property listing will  often include the "estimated" taxes for the past year. Often they are not accurate. They are not accurate for a number of reasons. The current owner may or may not have special incentives such as  being a combat vet or senior citizen or may or may not have applied for the Star program. While sometimes it is indicated if incentives are in place in the Listing data, more often then not the data just states the taxes as a number.  On top of that the home may be currently grossly under assessed and be located in a town that hasn't done a revaluation in years.  What are low taxes now may change dramatically next year when the town does a revaluation. Perfect example, when I purchased my own home the purchase price was significantly over the assessed value. I knew that when the town did a revaluation I would get hit with a new tax burden. Sure enough 2 years later my property tax bill jumped $1,500. A typical situation yet one many buyers don't understand. More  important then what are the taxes? the question should be what do you think the taxes will be? This is a question that requires research and expertise and in the end is an educated guess. When was the last reval? When is the next reval planned? What are the current tax rates? What is the current equalization rate? What is the town's financial and political situation? These are all questions that need to be considered. Colonie has long been considered one of the lowest tax areas of the capital district. However, the current audit revealing a multi million dollar deficit may have a significant impact on property taxes going forward. Troy is talking about a full revaluation in the next couple of years. These situations can have a major impact on property taxes. It is also important to understand that just because your assessment goes up with a revaluation your taxes may or may not go up. You can't figure your burden until the new tax rates are released generally after the greivance period. For example, when Saratoga did a revaluation there were homes that increase in assessed value by $100,000 yet the tax burden dropped $1000/year because the tax rate came down significantly. Therefore, keep in mind while you may know the current year's taxes fairly accurately it is important to consider what the mostly likely burden will be going forward after a sale. This is a complex question that is not easily answered.    Click Albany NY real estate information for specific property data. 

If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact me. Thank You!

Sincerely,


Kevin Clancy
Clancy Real Estate
518-861-7016
kevin@clancyrealestate.com
http://www.clancyrealestate.com/






Be sure to check out this month's Newsletter, click here

To Search Thousands of MLS listed homes, click here

To see Kevin's Bio, click here

To see Hot Listings, click here

For Buyer's Articles, click here

For Seller's Articles, click here