Clifton Park and Albany NY Homes for Sale: November 2009

Halfmoon Senior Express

The Halfmoon Senior Express serves Halfmoon residents age 55 & up with no-cost transportation to medical appointments and local shopping.  Please call 664-2186 to schedule an appointment for this service.  Please give them as much advance notice as possible to ensure availability.

This is a tremendous service to our local Senior residents and is a wise investment with our tax dollars.

If you have any questions about Halfmoon Real Estate or anything in the entire Capital District, please call me at 518-281-3951 or search the entire MLS at no charge at www.LewisB.com.

On Friday November 27 at 10:00am the Clifton Park-Halfmoon Public Library will have a FREE showing of the film Duplicity.

Julia Roberts and Clive Owen star as CIA Officer Claire Stenwick and MI6 agent Ray Koval, two spies-turned-corporate operatives having a clandestine love affair. They have turned their skills to a high stakes espionage game where they are attempting to secure a product that corporations would do anything to patent. The pair try to stay one double cross ahead of the other, but find that that hardest thing to cheat is their love for one another. Rated PG-13. 2 hours, 5 minutes.

All are welcome to this drop in program; no registration is required. Light refreshments are served. For more information, please call the Library at 371-8622.

If you have any questions about Clifton Park Real Estate please call me at 518-281-3951 or search the entire MLS at no charge on my Web site; www.LewisB.com

Here is a brief outline of the expanded First Time Home Buyer tax credit and the Expanded repeat home buyer tax credit.  It is available for everyone in clifton Park NY.

Extended New Purchaser $8,000 Tax Credit

• The $8000 Tax credit is for first-time home buyers. For the tax credit program, the IRS defines a first-time buyer home buyer as someone who has never owned a home or has not owned a home in the past three years. The tax credit does not have to be repaid.

• The tax credit is equal to 10 percent of the home purchase price up to a maximum of $8,000.

• The tax credit applies only to homes priced at $800,000 or less.

• The tax credit now applies to sales occurring on or after January 1, 2009 and on or before April 30, 2010. However, in cases where a binding sales contract is signed by April 30, 2010, a home purchase completed by June 30, 2010 will qualify.

• For homes purchased on or after January 1, 2009 and on or before November 6, 2009, the income limits are $75,000 for single taxpayers and $150,000 for a married couples filing jointly.

• For homes purchase after November 6, 2009 and on or before April 30, 2010, single taxpayers with incomes up to $125,000 and married couples with incomes up to $225,000 qualify for the full tax credit.

The $6,500 Move-Up / Repeat Home Buyer Tax Credit

• To be eligible to claim the tax credit, buyers must have owned and lived in their previous home for five consecutive years out of the last eight years.

• The tax credit does not have to be repaid.

• The tax credit is equal to 10 percent of the home's purchase price up to a maximum of $6,500.

• The tax credit only applies only to homes priced at $800,000 or less.

• The credit is available for homes purchased after November 6, 2009 and on or before April 30, 2010. However, in cases where a binding sales contract is signed by April 30, 2010, the home purchase qualifies provided it is completed by June 30, 2010.

• Single taxpayers with incomes up to $125,000 and married couples with incomes up to $225,000 qualify for the full tax credit.

If you have any questions about this or any Clifton Park NY Real Estate needs, please call me at 518-281-3951, or visit my Web site to search the entire Capital District MLS at no charge; www.LewisB.com.  Thank you, Lewis Beynon, Prime Property Solutions, LLC.

Working with buyers is the best part of my job.  Although the process is basically the same for helping any buyer, I enjoy it because I learned a long time ago in my professional career that I simply like helping people.  No matter what project we were working on, I was always closely involved, always stayed until the end, and always offered to help a colleague.

Another reason I enjoy working with buyers is because no two people are the same.  I have enjoyed meeting people from all over the country (Europe too).  I have a particular interest in listening to people's life-stories; where they are from, what kind of job they have, and how they got here.  I also have a particular interest in learning about my buyer's line of work.  I've learned that most industries are far more complicated than I ever imagined.

I especially enjoy helping first time home buyers becasue I enjoy teaching people.  I'll never forget the emotions I had when I purchased my first home and I like helping people feel the same way.

So, if you need any help looking for a home in Clifton Park or the Capital District of Albany, NY please be sure to give me a call at 518-281-3951.  It would be my pleasure to help.  Meanwhile, feel free to search the entire MLS (Multiple Listing Service) at no charge on my Web site: www.LewisB.com

Radon - Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What is Radon?
Radon is a naturally occurring gas which is part of the air that we all breathe every day. It is present in all homes. You cannot see, smell or taste Radon and the only way to determine if unsafe levels of Radon exist in your home is to test it.

Q: How much will it cost to fix my Radon problem?
Cost are dependent on your needs. Generally, mitigation costs approximately $1,300 to $1,700.

Q: Where is Radon Found?
The major source of Radon in high levels is in the soil and bedrock surrounding and under the house. Radon is found all over the United States and around the world in varying concentrations. Problems with Radon have been identified in every state.

Q: What are the health risks?
Almost all scientists agree that Radon is a health hazard to humans and that it causes lung cancer, however the exact risk calculation and the action level usually raise debate. The EPA has declared Radon to be a "Class A Carcinogen," which means that it has been shown to cause cancer in humans.

Q: What levels are too high?
Radon is measured in pico-Curies per liter (pCi/L) of air. A picoCurie is a measure of the amount of radioactivity of a particular substance. The level of Radon in outdoor air is about 0.4 pCi/L. The average indoor Radon level is about 1.3 pCi/L. The EPA has established 4.0 pCi/L as the action level for Radon in homes, schools and workplaces.

Q: How does Radon get into homes?
Radon is a soil gas that typically moves up through the ground to the air above. Air pressure inside a home is usually lower than pressure in the soil around the home's foundation. Homes draw Radon in through dirt floors, hollow-block walls, cracks in the foundation floor and walls, and openings around floor drains, pipes and sump pumps.

Q: Should every home be tested for Radon?
Yes, every home should be tested for Radon, since testing is the only way to know if you and your family are at risk from Radon. Both the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Surgeon General recommend testing all homes.

Q: I have sandy soil around my house. I don't have Radon gas, right?
You still might! Sandy soils tend to produce a lower percentage of homes that test above the EPA Guideline, however homes with high levels of Radon gas are still found in such soils.

Q: I already have an existing Radon Mitigation system. There is no need to test my home, right?
Actually, yes. The home should be tested to ascertain if the mitigation system is effective and still functioning.

Q: How does it work for radon testing when selling your home?
EPA has developed specific testing protocols for use during real estate transactions. For passive tests the recommendation is: "Take an initial short-term test for at least 48 hours. After the first test has been completed, take a follow-up short-term test for at least 48 hours." or "Take two short-term tests at the same time in the same location for at least 48 hours." For either approach, "Fix the home if the average of two tests is 4 pCi/L or more." For an active test, "Test the home with a continuous monitor for at least 48 hours. Fix the home if the average Radon level is 4 pCi/L or more."

I hope this FAQ helps you in your search or sale process.  If you have any more questions, please feel free to contact me at 518-281-3951.  Lewis Beynon, Licensed Real Estate Salesperson, Prime Property Solutions, LLC.  Or, seach the entire Capital District MLS on my Web site at no charge: www.LewisB.com

Listed below is the YTD Market Statistics for the Saratoga Spring School District.  As you will see unit sale are off dramatically (24.7%), but surprisingly, prices are "only" down 7.2%.  What I find interesting is that just a few miles down the road, in the Clifton Park School district, unit sales are down 10.3% and prices are down 3.5% (see my Clifton Park post HERE).  This clearly illustrates that buyers and sellers need to utilize the services of a real estate professional to make sure they know what is happening in the neighborhood and town.  Please don't listen to the National news and think this directly applies to your home or search.  After all, we all know the news outlets are "paid" to sensationalize everything!

Best wishes from upstate NY.  Lewis Beynon, Prime Property Solutions, 518-281-3951, www.LewisB.com

Here are the YTD real estate statistics for the Shenendehowa Central School District that includes Clifton Parkand the surrounding communities.  Unit sales are off more than Saratoga County, but not surprising, prices are performing much better than the entire county (-7%).

If you have any questions about the data provided, please feel free to call me at 518-281-3951.  To search the entire Capital District MLS at no charge, please visit my Web site; www.LewisB.com  Prime Property Solutions, LLC.  Thank you.

Listed below are several resources and links to facts on H1N1 Influenza.

For information specific to New York, try this link to the NY State Department of Health which has a weekly update.  http://www.health.state.ny.us/diseases/communicable/influenza/h1n1/

Find general information on H1N1 Influenza from the Center for Disease Control http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/qa.htm

Try this link from the NY Statewide School Health Services Center for information for faculty, staff, parents and students. http://www.schoolhealthservicesny.com/h1n1.cfm

Look here for information for clinicians and nurses, as well as patients. This site includes information published in multiple languages. http://www.ebscohost.com/flu/

Best wishes from Upstate NY, I hope you all have a happy and healthy Holiday season!!!  If you have any real estate questions in Clifton Parkand the surrounding communities, please give me a call at 518-281-3951 or search the entire MLS at no charge on my Web site; www.LewisB.com

The Clifton Park Elks Lodge #2466 is hosting its annual Lodge Hoop Shoot, national free throw shooting contest for youngsters ages 8 through 13 (As of April 1, 2010), on Saturday, November 21 at the Shenendehowa East High School Gym. Qualifying will be held from noon to 2 p.m. There is no pre-registration, just show up.

Over three million youngsters from throughout the country entered last year’s competition for boys and girls in age categories 8-9; 10-11; and 12-13. Each contestant has 25 shots at the hoop. The boy and girl in each age group with the best scores advance through four tiers of competition to qualify for the national finals at the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Massachusetts. Last year, two boys represented our Lodge at the Elks Hoop Shoot Regional Finals competition on Saturday, February 7 in Rotterdam.

This is a FREE event. Prizes will be awarded in each age division. The Hoop Shoot is America’s largest non-commercial co-educational sports program and has served to highlight the Elks commitment to youth. Winners and their parents also travel to state, regional and national competition, courtesy of the Elks. One parent wrote, “we can't say enough positive things about the Clifton Park Elks and the Hoop Shoot Contest". Today’s Elks are in good company. Former Presidents Franklin Roosevelt, Gerald Ford, Harry Truman and John Kennedy, and Vince Lombardi, Michael Mrochko, Casey Stengal and Jack Benny all were Elks.

Hoop shoot funding is provided by the Elks National Foundation, the charitable arm of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks of the USA. For more information, visit http://www.elks.org/lodges/home.cfm?lodgenumber=2466. If you have any questions, or would like to get more involved in our lodge’s youth activities programs, please contact Mike Gunther.

If you have any Clifton Park real estate needs, please be sure to give me a call at 518-281-3951 or search the entire MLS at no-charge on my Web site; www.LewisB.com.  Good luck to all the participants!

You may have noticed the unique egg shaped building in the Albany skyline header of my blog?  I attended my first concert in the Egg a couple weeks ago (Acoustic Alchemy) and thought you might enjoy reading about it's history and architecture.

The construction of The Egg began in 1966 and was completed twelve years later in 1978. The Egg was designed by Wallace Harrison for all the people of New York State and to accommodate many events and performances.

Architecturally, The Egg is without precedent. From a distance it seems as much a sculpture as a building. Though it appears to sit on the main platform, the stem that holds The Egg actually goes down through six stories deep into the Earth. The Egg keeps its shape by wearing a girdle - a heavily reinforced concrete beam that was poured along with the rest of the shell. This beam helps transmit The Egg's weight onto the supporting pedestal and gives the structure an ageless durability that belies its nickname.

The Egg houses two theatres - the Lewis A. Swyer Theatre and the Kitty Carlisle Hart Theatre. Seating 450, the Swyer Theatre is used for chamber music concerts, cabaret, lectures, multimedia presentations, solo performers and a majority of educational programming. With a seating capacity of 982, the Hart Theatre is used for larger productions including musical theatre, dance and music concerts. Wrapping around fully half The Egg is a lounge area for the Hart theatre. This space is ideal for seminars, receptions, after theatre parties and small cabaret type performances.

The building's curved exterior defines the interior statement as well. There are virtually no straight lines or harsh corners inside The Egg. Instead, walls along the edge curve upward to meet gently concave ceiling light for celestial effect. The backs of performing areas are fanned - inviting one inward - providing an intimacy impossible in a conventional theatre. And throughout, walls of Swiss pearwood veneer add warmth and enhance the acoustics in the theatres.

Visually distinctive, yet ingenious The Egg is a beautiful synthesis of form and function. We invite you to use it for your organization - and hope you visit and enjoy it frequently.

If you ever find yourself in downtown Albany, be sure to stop by the Empire State Plaza to see this building up close and personal.  You'll be glad you did.  If you have any Albany real estate needs, please be sure to visit www.LewisB.com.  Thank you, Lewis Beynon, Prime Property Solutions, LLC.