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Homes for sale in Colonie NY
This site offers homes in both the North and South Colonie School Districts.
It includes every MLS listed home in both school districts sorted by price for your convenience.

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As part of our relationship with Tanner Contractors, the 518LIST Team from Keller Williams Realty Capital District and Steve Field from Metrocities Mortgage will be hosting a table at the Great NorthEast HomeShow this weekend, Fri Sat and Sun, the 6th, 7th and 8th.

Hundreds of local companies will be exhibiting their products and services in the Times Union Center and Empire State Plaza. Where else can you get home improvement ideas, attend free seminars, comparison shop and most importantly talk to the experts? You can’t find this much information any place else! See you at the Great Northeast Home Show!

Tickets
Tickets are sold in three locations during the show: Empire State Plaza concourse, Times Union Center box office lobby and in the Times Union Center upstairs box office. Each tickets is a two part ticket which allows you entrance into both buildings. Tickets are $8 each. Children 14 and under are free when accompanied by a paid adult. Each paid admission ticket is entered to win one of the many door prizes. Hold onto your stub and check at the show office to see if you have won.

I encourage any of you in the area to attend. It’s the best tradeshow of it’s kind for homeowners in the Northeast and is extraordinarily well attended both by the public and vendors every year.

Call me at 518-724-5823 if you have any questions.

CLICK HERE FOR DIRECTION AND MORE INFO

By Junior Hitlall – Benchmark Home Equities

Should you talk to a mortgage professional before house hunting?

Absolutely! Even if you haven’t so much as picked out houses to visit yet, it’s important to see your mortgage professional first. Why? What can we do for you if you haven’t negotiated a price, and don’t know how much you want to borrow?

When we pre-qualify you, we help you determine how much of a monthly mortgage payment you can afford, and how much we can loan you. We do this by considering your income and debts, your employment and residence situations, your available funds for down payment and required reserves, and some other things. It’s short and to the point, and we keep the paperwork to a minimum!

Once you qualify, we give you what’s called a Pre-Qualification Letter (your real estate agent might call it a “pre-qual”), which says that we are working with you to find the best loan to meet your needs and that we’re confident you’ll qualify for a loan for a certain amount.

When you find a house that catches your eye, and you decide to make an offer, being pre-qualified for a mortgage will do a couple of things. First, it lets you know how much you can offer. Your real estate agent will help you decide on an appropriate offer, but being pre-qualified gives you the confidence to know you can follow through.

More importantly, to a home seller, your being pre-qualified is like you walked into their house with a suitcase full of cash to make the deal! They won’t have to wonder if they’re wasting their time because you’ll never qualify for a mortgage to finance the amount you’re offering for the home. You have the clout of a buyer ready to make the deal right now!

You can always use the calculators available on our site to get an idea of how much mortgage you can afford — but it’s important to meet with us. For one thing, you’ll need a Pre-Qualification Letter! For another thing, we may be able to find a different mortgage program that fits your needs better.

By Larry McGann – Sprire Home Inspections, NY

http://www.spireinspections.com

What is a home inspection?

A home inspection is a visual inspection of the componets of a home from the roof to the foundation.

What does it include?

The structural inspection takes in the roof material, the siding, doors windows, the drainage around the home, the interior condition, plumbing, electrical heating/cooling system, the attic and insulation, the basement and the type and condition of the foundation. The Standards of Practice from National Associations websites can offer full details.

Why do I need one?

A home inspection is usually ordered when a purchase contract is written on a home for sale. A home is our biggest investment other than our children. It is wise to have a trained licensed home inspector help identify potentially costly repairs that may be needed.

If you are planning to sell your home, a home inspection can give you the opportunity to make repairs that will put the house in better selling condition.

How much will it generally cost?

Cost varies from inspector to inspector as well as house to house. As well as from region to region.

Why can’t I do it myself?

You can do it yourself if you feel confident that you will be able to identify the issues a house may have. He or she knows how the home’s systems and components are intended to function together, as well as why they fail.

Can a house “fail” an inspection?

In my opinion a house neither passes of fails a home inspection. It is an educational process of the condition of the home. What a buyer does with the information given them on an inspection report is when the terms pass or fail seems to come out.

Does that mean I can’t buy it if there are any problems revealed?

No, a home that has problems can still be purchased, but the buyer/seller are aware of additional expenses that maybe necessary.

—

Technorati Profile

Our foreclosure database is really cool, but check this out.
I’ve been hard at work with Steve Field from Metrocities mortgage to come up with something even cooler and we’ve done it.

What would you say to public access to any MLS in the country?
Access the same data that agents and brokers use for actively listed properties no matter what state you are in.
How’s that for something new!

Check out AnyStateHomeSearch.com and let me know what you think.

PS: Just to be clear, you can still search for foreclosures in any state by typing a zipcode into the box in the header of this blog, or by picking a state from the dropdown box above, but if you’re looking for active MLS listed property, check out the anystatehomesearch site as well.

My buddy in Texas Robert Russell has this to say noting that NY is set to experience some pretty heavy job loss…

NEW YORK – Only five metropolitan areas in the U.S. will escape job losses this year, according to a forecast released Saturday by the U.S. Conference of Mayors.

New York is expected to take the biggest hit as thousands of jobs are lost on Wall Street. Big financial firms are slashing workers as they cope with bad debt. Other companies have gone under, like Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc., which filed for bankruptcy in September.

The New York area is expected to lose 181,000 jobs in 2009, the report said. Consulting company IHS Global Insight produced the report for the group.

The Los Angeles area is expected to see 164,000 lost jobs, in part because of the huge drop in home prices that has punctured the California economy.

After New York and Los Angeles, the Miami area is expected to see the greatest loss, with a decline of 85,000 jobs. Chicago and the surrounding area are next, with losses projected at 80,000.

For myself and my team at Keller Williams, we are expecting our best year ever.
Keller Williams Capital District is the fastest growing brokerage in the area, and our numbers are MASSIVE even in this economy. The Capital Region is blessed with a real estate market that does not experience the wild ups and downs that you might see elsewhere in the country.
There is mortgage money to be had at fantastic rates and prices are pretty stable even with a little correction.
I say it’s going to be a great year!

Matt

Mortgage Rates Are at an All Time Low And Yes ! Banks are Still lending Money

By: Kevin Mullaney – Loan Officer – Aamtrust Mortgage, Burnt Hills NY

If you watch the news you are well aware of the financial difficulties that are facing this great nation. Many homeowners are facing foreclosure and some are having difficulty making their payments. Due to recent job cuts and layoffs this news is even more daunting. These times are very difficult for those of us in the real estate business and taxpayer alike. However, banks are still lending money on home purchases and refinances. And the greater majority of homeowners are paying their mortgages, selling their homes and refinancing.

The sub-prime mortgage crisis has deeply affected us all, either directly or indirectly. Nationwide banks have changed their underwriting guidelines to insulate themselves from risky-borrowers. The pendulum has swung and the market has shifted toward tighter regulations and guidelines. The good news is if you have good credit, steady income and you have saved some money for a down payment, you can qualify for a mortgage. Further buyers are in a unique position to purchase a home at a great price and get a very low interest rate.

The days of sub-prime loans are behind us and now lenders have created stricter regulations and the entire mortgage business has evolved accordingly. Since July, 1st of 2008 anyone who originates a loan for a broker must be authorized by the New York State Banking Department, this includes various back round checks performed by the F.B.I. and New York State Police. This type of regulation is needed in a profession that is so prone to fraud.

A mortgage broker’s role is to arrange a loan for their client but also advise them of the ramifications of doing so. If a client comes into our office here at Aamtrust mortgage and we feel they should continue to rent, we are bound by our duty to advise them to do so.

Since sub-prime loans are no longer available, buyers are opting for FHA loans. Again these newer guidelines are there to better protect borrowers and ensure they are truly credit worthy. For the real estate professional and potential home buyer, a close relationship with a mortgage broker is essential in this more difficult lending climate. It will save you a lot of time and take the guess work out of what you or your clients qualify for. Not to mention the potential pitfalls that may arise in the home buying process.

In conclusion, mortgage rates and housing prices are low and banks are still lending money. For those of us in the capital district home values are still holding strong. We are all looking forward to the Nano-Tech facility that is currently in development.

If you are a home buyer or seller remember that real estate is a local economy.

About Aamtrust Mortgage: We are a full service brokerage.

Convenional, FHA and VA loans. In house attorney, title and processing.

Make your next closing as stress free as possible. 518-256-7205

Are you an agent or a broker in any state considering a look at Keller Williams?
Call me today and I’ll be happy to answer any questions you may have with absolutely no obligation and I’ll give you a copy of “The Millionaire Real Estate Agent” at no charge.
If you think that Keller Williams may be a good fit for you and I’ll make the choice easy.
A FREE TESTDRIVE!

Technorati Profile

2008 has not been very kind. We experienced falling homes values and turmoil in the financial lending that turn the Real Estate Market on its ear.

The positive light at the end of the year is the current lending conditions are looking better. For buyers the opportunities to buy are wide open. As for sellers, I advise you to look at the big picture and remember that even though you feel like you are losing on your present home sale, you stand to make up the difference and more on the buying side of the transaction. If your moving up in price range you will most likely be in a much better equity position than you are now, and with interest rates the lowest level in history, you really can’t go wrong if you have at least a 3 to 5 year time line that you will stay in your new home.

In case you had not heard, on Tuesday the Federal Reserve lowered its key interest rate to .25% — the lowest level ever (noted by MSN). This will trickle down to all types of loans, credit cards and school loans.

For you as a homeowner looking to move up, buyer or an investor this means the time to buy is now. If you are not in the market to buy you should be. In the words of Donald Trump, “Buy, Buy, Buy, now is the time to Buy”. House prices are there lowest in our area and the fed just cut rates. 30 year fixed at 5%. Pool your money, borrow from your family talk to your accountant, what ever it takes, get in the game now!

(reprinted email courtesy of my friends at the Castle Coalition)

Friends:

Susette Kelo and Jeff Benedict, author of “Little Pink House: A True Story of Defiance and Courage,” will appear on Hannity tonight between 9 and 10pm EST on the Fox News Channel. As you know, Susette’s little pink house – along with the homes of her neighbors – were seized through eminent domain in a landgrab sanctioned by the U.S. Supreme Court. New London promised to put a glitzy new private development project on the land, but now, nearly four years after the ruling and $78 million in taxpayer money spent, literally nothing has been built on the land; it remains vacant, the neighborhood bulldozed.

We hope you can tune in tonight to hear about Susette’s courageous battle that sparked a nationwide property rights movement.

Best,

Christina Walsh
Director of Community Organization
Institute for Justice
901 N. Glebe Road, Suite 900
Arlington, VA 22203
(703) 682-9320
www.ij.org
www.castlecoalition.org

P.S. HELP THE CASTLE COALITION RING IN 2009! Forward this message to your friends. If you recruit five new members, you’ll be entered in a drawing to win one of 10 prizes from our Freedom Market! They can join here: http://www.castlecoalition.org/join/. Be sure your friends enter your name next to “referred by” on the second registration page.

by Jeanne Heran – Attorney at Law for 518list Magazine

In recent years you could put a sign in your window or just whisper to your friends that you may sell your home and you’d start getting calls and stage whispers about who has been looking to buy your home…
and how much they’d be willing to pay….

Those days are gone and the value of a great realtor cannot be overstated.
Additionally, the real estate community has been hit with economic hardships and many who purchased in recent years can no longer afford the home they purchased. So, in comes the SHORT SALE…!

A “short sale” is when your bank, recognizing that you are behind in your payments allows you to pay the bank an amount less than you owe them. Banks do not want your homes and will accept less within limits. Obviously, you will not be able to get any of the proceeds from your sale but you do avoid a possible foreclosure and ruination of your credit. The relief factor is great and you will be ready to purchase a home you can afford and be comfortable with its new smaller monthly payments.

The short sale process can be a fairly long and cumbersome one, so being upfront about your situation can allow you to avoid weeks of wasted time. Your attorney, with authorization, can help you negotiate the sale in combination with the realtor who has sold your home for you. It is helpful to speak with and inform your counsel as soon as possible so that the process can begin early and not hold up the sale terms for long periods of time.
This will work for you in the marketplace. This team of experts working for you can take the burden from you at a time when the stress of payments that are increasingly difficult to pay wears you down.

The process starts with you providing the bank with a packet that your attorney can help you prepare along with the help of the realtor that sold your home and together you can work it through.. It involves disclosing your financials and the hardships you’ve endured to date to your attorney and then your counsel will present them to the bank to explain why your case should qualify for this “short sale treatment.”.

The bank in turn will then appraise your home and start to negotiate or accept your counsel’s offer to them. The sooner you sit down with your attorney to start the process the smoother it will be. Your home does not need to be under contract for you to do this.

If you have any questions about this
process I can be reached in my office
at Jeanne M. Heran, Esq.
(518) 783-6047
in Latham, New York
or at JHeranlaw@aol.com or
contact Sylvia or Matt at
Keller Williams Realty
Capital District. 724-5823

So what is a buyer’s agent anyway?
To answer that, let’s first start with seller’s agents. Every agent that has a sign out in front of someone’s home or a sign on some land, represents the seller of that property. Period.
If you approach them and make an offer to them, even if they write up the offer for you, they represent the seller and not you. Their job is to defend the list price and they are obligated to disclose everything they learn about you to the seller!

A buyer’s agent on the other hand enters into a contract with YOU to help you find and secure a home. We represent you, negotiate on your behalf, and owe our fiduciary responsibility to YOU and not the sellers of the property you wish to buy.

How can you represent me free of charge?
A sellers agent enters into a listing contract to sell a home for a homeowner. They are paid a commission based on the sales price to do so.

Out of that commission, the listing contract also says that they will offer a portion of that commission to any other agent that brings a buyer for the property.
So for instance, let’s say “Realty America” has a home for sale in Saratoga. If they find a buyer (you) for the house – they are paid the whole commission on the sale.
If a buyer’s agent (like me) brings a buyer to them, they pay me a portion of their total commission and they keep the remainder.
The seller pays the same amount either way. The difference is only in what the seller’s agent get’s to keep for themselves.
If you think about it, it’s obvious why a sellers agent would want you to come directly to them. If you let them write your offer, they don’t have to split the commission with anyone.
That’s one of the reasons why agents sit at open houses. If you walk in the door without representation and agree to let them write up an offer for you, they “get both sides of the deal” as they say in the industry. It’s legal, and common for homes to get sold that way, it’s simply not in your best interests as a buyer to let it happen in that fashion..

If you use a buyer’s agent, or “Buyer Broker” we represent YOU. The homebuyer. We are required by law to get you the best price and terms we can. We are specialists in the homebuying process. This higher level of professional service has resulted in an average 5% additional savings and a much greater satisfaction for homebuyers.
Even more importantly, I’m a buyer’s agent with years of experience that works for Keller Williams!
Even agents at our company with 15 or 20 years of experience or more take advantage of Keller University’s many classes and seminars to hone their already formidable skills on a weekly basis.
For my clients, it’s important where I work, because they know that even with over 12 years in the business myself, I will not hesitate to reap the benefits of the experience of others.
I have immediate access to over 120 outstanding Keller agents right here in the Capital Region with hundreds of years of combined experience. If one of my clients needs something unusual, I can get instant answers from commercial and industrial specialists, farm and rural property specialists, whatever I and my clients need in addition to my own, not insubstantial, knowledge and experience.

I’d like to apply for the job as YOUR Ambassador for your next home or investment property purchase.
Call me at 518-724-5823 to schedule a no obligation wants and needs analysis. No matter what state you are in, I can find you outstanding representation. Call me today!

Matt Landry – 518LIST.COM
Associate Broker, Keller Williams Realty Capital District
518-724-5823

If you are buying or selling a home anywhere in the US, we can help you. Call today and we’ll put you in touch with a qualified KW agent ANYWHERE in the US!
(518) 724-5823

“Matt seemed to pick up on exactly what
kind of home we were looking for in
no time. His flexibility, knowledge and
superior
people skills became assets in our quest
for a new home. We could not have done
it without him.. .
Thanks!”

—
Jeremiah and Peg Sweeney
HOME BUYERS

“As a listing agent, I had the good fortune
recently do a deal with Matt at
518LIST.COM.
Matt is a professional from beginning to
end. He always answered the phone and
completed all tasks way beyond even
what I expected.
Matt knows the Real Estate market and is
honest in his dealings.
I hope that I get more listings that Matt
can sell! My sellers were thrilled and I
know his buyer was as well…
He left no stone unturned. One can count
on Matt and 518LIST!”

—
Barbara Huba
SELLER’S AGENT

“Sylvia from 518LIST is always handy to
answer our real estate needs, even though
we bought our home through her several
years ago. She helps when ever we
needed answers to questions even years
later! It is great to have an agent for the
times when you’re not in need of buying
or selling but just for advice.”

—
J&W Fredenburg
HOME BUYERS

By Matt Smith – Ace Home Inspections
518-727-7091

Energy prices are on the rise and most of us are unable to do anything about it except, complain and continue to write that monthly check. Most of us have heard of renewable energy sources, but reflect upon it’s options for a minute.
Usually, these conversations are shared in jest or small talk. The reality is that most people do not have a comprehensive understanding of greenhouse materials and their functions.
A green house is a home that uses resilient building materials and proficient design towards making energy. Eco-friendly and green house systems are accomplished by harnessing the natural resources provided by the nature such as, wind and sunlight. While the field is still in an infant stage and seems to be esoteric there are many systems available for home owners. There are many incentives to going green and harnessing what Mother Nature provides us, such as tax deductions, government assistance, the ability to rid ourselves of paying rising energy cost and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, thus providing for a better environment.
First, are the ever popular solar panels. There are 3 different types: roof mount, which are the most popular, pole mount which are sections of panels hoisted in to the air on a pole that is secured in the ground and ground mounts which is a large panel attached to a mounting system in the ground.
So, how does this all work? Well, first off we need to understand how a conventional system operates. In short, your house is supplied with AC (alternate current) power which goes into your meter outside you house which measures kilowatts, which is how you are charged for power. Obviously, the meter spins faster as the demand for power is increased. Households in America function on AC power.
A PV (photovoltaic) system harnesses the power of sunlight and transfers it in the form of DC (direct current) which cannot be used by households in America. So, an inverter intercepts the DC before it come into your house and transfers it to AC.
Operating a whole house solely on solar panels is quite overwhelming and very expensive. Most systems are installed with the intent of complementing your power source from a local supplier. This greatly reduces the demand for using electricity from the power company. When these systems are used in unison the PV system actually causes the meter to spin backwards, thus reducing you kilowatt value. When this is all put together you have what is called net metering.
Another, solar power popularity involves the heating of water. Solar panels are installed outside of a home, usually on the roof. Most models are the direct-gain type, consisting of flat panels in which water circulates. Other types use dish or trough mirrors that direct sunlight on a collector tube filled with water, brine or other heat transfer fluid. A storage tank is placed indoors or out. Circulation is caused by natural convection or by a small electric pump. At night, or when insufficient sunlight is present, circulation through the panel can be stopped by closing a valve and/or stopping the circulating pump, to keep hot water in the storage tank from cooling. Depending on the local climate, freeze protection, as well as prevention of overheating, must be addressed in their design, installation, and operation.
How much does something like this cost? Well, it definitely varies based on some factors such as amount of panels and panel types. A typical home uses 9,400 kilowatts a year. So, a typical 4 kilowatt (270 square feet of panels) PV system cost $34,000. While that is undoubtedly a lot of money NYSERDA (New York State Energy Research and Development Authority) is kind enough to give generous incentives in the amount of $16000 just for installing a PV system. Also, income tax credits help reduce the price another $7000 on top of the $16000. NYS has a $5000 cap limit and the federal limit is $2000. Now that $34000 dollar system becomes $11000. This is still a lot of money, but it will pay for itself over a period of 10-15 years. Now on a system that can last up to 30 years your are getting 15 years of free power! If $11000 is a lot to come up with, then the government is again there to help. NY Energy Smart loan fund program provides interest rate reductions on loans for energy efficient projects and renewable technology. Interest rates can be lowered by %4 for up to 10 years..
Another additional benefit to using solar generated power systems is, whatever power is not used by the consumer is fed into back into the local suppliers lines and is purchased by the power company. Now, do not expect any checks to be coming in the mail, but credits to your account will be made.
If PV systems seem like a financial burden on people there are still ways to save energy and reduce your power bill.
An inexpensive way to save money is, using CFL’s (compact fluorescent lights). These lights have a %75 less demand for energy and last up to 10 years, compared to conventional bulbs which last approximately a year. These light bulbs are widely available at hardware stores and require no extra parts to install. Imagine if every light bulb in your house was replaced using these CFL’s, you would save %75 just on your lighting bill!
Also, when choosing appliances, furnaces, boilers, windows, office equipment and air conditioners pay particular attention to energy star labels. These products are designed to help reduce the demand of energy and increase their efficiency.
All in all, a collaboration of many different systems and energy star products will render amazing differences in your energy bill and may even eliminate the need for consumers to write that check every month. There are many incentives and new technologies designed specifically to help reduce our electric bill, so take advantage today and break free of the bear hug the power company has on all of us. Next months article I will discuss the benefits of wind generated systems and how it functions.

“Nice job on selling that rehab at 5 Oliver, Matt.
I originally bid on that bear when it was REO and never thought it would sell for more than 159K after rehab in that area – and that was when the market was still liquid! … I am definitely impressed.”

—
Presley Acuna
REAL ESTATE BROKER
Presley Acuna is a Licensed Broker and owns Acrobat Properties. He sent us this email after we sold this house in 30 days for 188.9k for another investor.

“It was a delight to work with you. I hope we’ll have the chance to work together again soon!”

—
Robin Caruso, Closing Coordinator
Wein Young Fenton and Kelsey, PC
Attorneys and Counselors at Law

“Sylvia from 518LIST.COM helped us find and buy the retirement home we needed. She assisted us through the process of buying a home, which was as smooth as it could be! We are now in a home we LOVE!”

—
N&W Walsh
HOME BUYERS