Capital Region Real Estate Tips
Here you’ll find real estate tips from the experts at CM Fox Real Estate, as well as helpful information about the areas we serve. We specialize in Latham, Colonie, Guilderland and Albany NY real estate, and have more than 50 real estate agents throughout the Capital Region. Whether you need tips for buying a home, selling a home, or you just want to learn about the area, you’ll find it all here in our real estate blog. Looking for more personalized insight and advice? Call (518) 861-7030 to speak with one of our local real estate agents.
Her door was open. When I stepped into Beth’s office this morning, there were three items of importance that caught my eye. I didn’t
When there’s more demand for homes from potential buyers than the current available housing supply, the condition known as a “seller’s market” exists. This
It’s summer time in the Albany area and the living is easy. Unless of course you’re living without central air, and then it tends
Whether you’re a full-time music lover or you’re just looking for something to do, these free outdoor concerts are a great way to spend
Planning to buy a home this year? Then you’ve probably heard that 2018 is a seller’s market, but what exactly does that mean? As
While it still doesn’t feel like spring here in Guilderland NY, we are holding out hope that warm weather is on its way. As
Buyers frequently ask us if they really need a home inspection, and every single one of our Guilderland real estate agents will tell you
As real estate agents, we get a lot of questions, but one of the most frequently asked is, “How do I get rid of
With access to dozens of websites and online tools that will tell you how much your home is worth, homeowners often ask us if
While most home buyers know that they should be on time, dress appropriately and use common courtesy when attending an open house or home
While you can change many things about a house, changing its location is not one of them. Finding the right neighborhood and community to
With home prices usually at their lowest in January and February, winter is the perfect time to find homes for sale in Guilderland, Colonie,
As real estate agents, we frequently hear the lament, “We need a bigger house!” And that’s especially true around the holidays. While we’re happy
As the holiday season quickly approaches, CM Fox Real Estate in Guilderland NY is proud to be working with the Toys for Tots Foundation
Buying a home can be a daunting task, and it’s not unusual for the home buyers we work with to have a lot of
Thinking about selling your home next spring? Well, if you want to improve your curb appeal, you should be treating your lawn now to
Whether you’re relocating for a new job in tech valley or for the high quality of life that the area offers, New York’s Capital
CM Fox Real Estate held its 5th annual golf tournament on Friday, September 8th at Orchard Creek Golf Club in Altamont, NY. To say
While most of our clients have already decided that homeownership is right for them, we are occasionally asked, “Is it better to rent or
When you decide to move, whether it’s because you are ready to move up from an apartment to a house, or because you want
Selling Your Guilderland Home and Decreasing Clutter Whether you’ve been in your home for one year or ten years, you’ve bound to have collected
If you are ready to sell your Guilderland home, choosing when to sell can make a big difference in how fast your house sells,
Our Inaugural Spring Gala was a huge success and we once again have our community to thank. On April 29th, a beautiful Spring day,
Are you ready to make the transition from renting to buying your first home? Purchasing a home in Guilderland NY is both and exciting
With access to dozens, if not hundreds, of home-finder websites and online real estate tools, our clients, friends and even family sometimes ask, “Do
Meet Our Guilderland Real Estate Agents Did you happen to notice our first “meet our agents” picture on Instagram or Facebook today? Well, if
Spring Tips for Selling Your Home in the Albany Real Estate Market Spring is traditionally the busiest time of year for home sales, and
Albany Real Estate Benefits from Spring Staging April showers bring May flowers – as well as plenty of potential homebuyers! Spring is the optimum
Use Curb Appeal to Increase the Value of Your Albany Area Home While the inside of your home might easily sell itself, there are
How STYLE affects the sale of your Albany home The meaning of “style” encompasses everything from your head to your home! Every year, stylists
Find your passion- Yes, it is #7 on Martha Stewarts “10 Golden Rules for Successful Living”. Doesn’t matter whether it is silly or funny,
Rustic is the new Modern: Reclaim — Reuse– Regenerate Have you taken a drive around Albany or Guilderland lately? Maybe Latham or Clifton Park?
Why Winter is a Good Time to Sell Your Albany Home Conventional wisdom tells us that spring is the best time to sell a
7 Ways to Make Your Winter Yard Eye Catching for Your Open House 1. Make sure you mow through the fall If you know
Trends in Buying and Selling Houses Consumers trends have changed over the past 35 years– but by how much? Thirty-five years ago, the National
Finding a Motivated Seller in Albany, NY and Beyond Motivated seller is one of those industry terms that sometimes makes us stop and
When Buying a House in Albany, Know What You Want Ahead of Time It’s that time of the year again. It’s the time we
Increase the Chances of Selling Your Albany, NY Home If you are interested in selling your Albany, NY home, there are two main reasons
CM Fox Licensed Salesperson Elise VanAllen had the House of the Week in the Times Union this past weekend. So we asked her a
We’ve been busy over here at CM Fox. The Spring season in upstate New York is a busy one. Spring represents growth, rebirth and
Let’s be honest– we ALL have Spring fever right now. Yesterday it was about 40 degrees in Guilderland and that was all most of
As you know, CM Fox is located in Guilderland, NY. What you might not know, or realize, is how awesome Guilderland really is. Don’t
Happy bitterly cold Monday, everyone! Upstate NY is NOT the place to be right now. You may have noticed your car give you a
2015 is right around the corner– literally. A new year will be here before the weekend! We like to think of it as our
Happy November everyone! We have officially entered into the shopping and giving holiday season. The season of giving is upon us and CM Fox
This past September CM Fox hosted it’s 2nd Annual Golf Tournament Charity Event at Orchard Creek Golf Course in Altamont, NY. Once again,
It may be of no surprise to you that ” 60 percent of the buyer journey is complete before prospects reach out to vendors.” ~ The Corporate Executive
One of the scariest parts of purchasing a home can be the financing. Some of the most common questions we hear are: Which is loan is best
Have you ever thought about going to an open house, but weren’t sure what to expect? Maybe you thought you would be hounded by
Click here for the Virtual Tour! Stonington Court Condominiums is a brand new 10-unit condominium located in the beautiful, historic village of Voorheesville. It
CM Fox recently visited the Ronald McDonald House to donate $10,000 to the local charity from our recent golf event, and to spend time with
This year CM Fox coordinated a food drive for the Regional Food Bank, where we ended up donating 224 pounds of food! Thank you to
Your First Step Toward Buying a Home When preparing to buy a home, the first thing many homebuyers do is look at the real
How would you like a mortgage loan where you did not have to make the whole payment if you did not want to? Or
In the olden days, when someone wanted a home loan they walked downtown to the neighborhood bank or savings & loan. If the bank
What is a FICO® Score? FICO® stands for Fair Isaac & Company and is the name for the most well known credit scoring system,
Mortgage Bankers Mortgage Bankers are lenders that are large enough to originate loans and create pools of loans, which are then sold directly to
There really is no such thing as a no-cost mortgage loan. There are always costs, such as appraisal fees, escrow fees, title insurance fees,
Have you received an advertisement offering to save you thousands of dollars on your thirty-year mortgage and cut years off your payments? With email
What kind of lender is best? If you ask a loan officer, “What kind of lender is best?” the answer will be whatever kind
An alternative to a non-conforming loan is the use of a land contract, which is allowed in some states. A land contract is an
Have These Items Ready When You Apply For a Loan It used to be that lenders mailed out verifications to employers, banks, mortgage companies,
Years ago, credit scoring had little to do with mortgage lending. When reviewing the credit worthiness of a borrower, an underwriter would make a
When you apply for a mortgage loan, you expect your lender to pull a credit report and look at whether you’ve made your payments
When buying a home, it is not enough to just come up with the money. With the exception of no asset verification loans, lenders
Closing Costs When Buying or Refinancing a Home This is a detailed summary of costs you may have to pay when you buy or
An adjustable rate mortgage (ARM) has an interest rate that fluctuates periodically. This is in contrast to a fixed rate mortgage, which always has
Adjustable Rate Mortgages – Pros and Cons Now that you know what an ARM is and how it works, you may be wondering what
Real Estate Related Terms Defined The Real Estate Market can be confusing. There are so many elements that go into buying or selling a
Title Insurance. It’s a term we hear and see frequently – we see reference to it in the Sunday real estate section, in advertisements
What is title insurance? Newspapers refer to it in the weekly real estate sections and you hear about it in conversations with real estate
After months of searching, you’ve finally found it — your perfect dream home. But is it perfect? Will you be purchasing more than just
Lower interest rates have motivated you to refinance your home loan. The lower rate may save you a tremendous amount of money over the
In today’s world of busy probate courts and exorbitant death taxes, the living trust has become a common manner of holding title to real
Title Insurance: As a homebuyer, the term is probably familiar – but is it understood? What is your dollar actually paying for when you
Buying or selling a home (or other piece of real property) usually involves the transfer of large sums of money. It is imperative that
What’s in a name? When a title company seeks to uncover matters affecting title to real property, the answer is, “Quite a bit.” Statements
Sellers of real property will have certain information regarding the sale reported to the Internal Revenue Service. This required reporting is a consequence of
Creative financing: You’ve heard of it, and, as a seller, the idea sounds pretty attractive. But, do you know everything you need to know
It’s the big day. The day you go to the title or escrow company, sign your name on the dotted line, hand over a
It is an unfortunate commentary, but when economic activity declines and housing activity decreases, more real property enters the foreclosure process. High interest rates
Underground heating oil tanks can pose many potential problems to both home buyers and sellers. They have been the source of many environmental problems
A radioactive gas found in some homes that in sufficient concentrations can cause health problems.
In purchasing your new home, your future monthly payments will be made up of principal, interest, real property taxes, and insurance. But what is
The Mechanics’ Lien law provides special protection to contractors, subcontractors, laborers and suppliers who furnish labor or materials to repair, remodel or build your
Estate planners often recommend Living Trusts as a viable option when contemplating the manner in which to hold title to real property. When a
Lead Poisoning in Your Guilderland Home Lead poisoning in your Guilderland home is a serious problem that can lead to adverse health problems. In
When purchasing a piece of property, it is important to be aware of any environmental liabilities associated with it. For example, you should find
Builders, in an effort to combat the dual problem of an increasing population and a declining availability of prime land, are increasingly turning to
How Should I Take Ownership of the Property I am Buying? Real property can be incredibly valuable and the question of how parties can
An increase in foreclosure rates will inevitably bring with it an increase in short sales. But what is a short sale? A short sale
The price is the first thing buyers notice about your property. If you set your price too high, then the chance of alienating buyers
Analyze why you are selling – If you understand your motives, you will be able to better negotiate and to get what it is that
If you want buyers to be interested in your home, you need to show it in its best light. A good first impression can
If you know exactly why you are selling then it is easier for you to follow the right plan of action for getting what
A professional home inspection protects both you and the buyer. It allows both you and the buyer the opportunity to learn about the property’s
In order to sell your Albany home at the highest price in the shortest time, you need to know how to market your home.
For Sale By Owner in Guilderland, NY Selling a home in Guilderland, NY and thinking about foregoing the real estate agent? For Sale By
Are you ready to sell your home? The right real estate agent will make your sales process as straight-forward and stress-free as possible. What to Consider
You’ve worked with a real estate agent to determine a fair asking price for your home, put it on the market, and opened your
Don’t go on a spending spree using credit if you are thinking about buying a home, or in the process of buying a new
It’s important that you choose an experienced real estate agent who is there for you. Your agent should be actively finding you potential homes
With the housing bubble burst and the subprime mortgage crisis, millions of homeowners found themselves unable to make their mortgage payments. Many found themselves
With the burst of the housing bubble, credit crisis, and millions of foreclosures across the country, you may wonder if buying a home is
Guilderland Home Inspections As a buyer, you are entitled to know exactly what you are getting. Don’t take anything for granted, not even what
Guilderland Real Estate Markets Hot Market This is an extremely competitive market and is advantageous to the seller. Sometimes, homes will sell as soon
It used to be that buyers could go house shopping and when they have found their dream home in Guilderland, then they go to
The best seller is one who is highly motivated. A highly motivated seller is more likely to sell their Guilderland NY home at a
Buying a House in Guilderland, NY Buying a house in Guilderland, NY or any surrounding city will probably rank as one of the biggest
Buying a Home in Guilderland | Managing Stress Let’s be honest, being house poor is terrible. When you’re house poor you immediately start regretting
