Category Archives: Home & Real Estate

By Christine Graf  

For Arthur Zobel, owner of Zobel & Co. Kitchens in Glens Falls, designing kitchens is in his blood. His father was a kitchen designer, and Zobel starting working for him when he was a teenager. After his father retired, Zobel spent 32 years working as a kitchen designer in the New York City area. In 2018, he opened his boutique design shop and showroom at 11 Broad Street in Glens Falls.

“The majority of our business is kitchen remodels, and another portion of that is new builds,” said Ginny Brandreth, marketing director and office manager at Zobel & Co. Kitchens. “For us, it tends to be the second home market. We work with a more upscale market because our kitchen designs and cabinetry are custom.” 

In recent years, the company has seen an uptick in demand for outdoor kitchens. The demand has been so strong that the Zobel & Co. has dedicated part of its showroom to outdoor kitchens. Outdoor cabinetry differs in that it is made from materials that withstand extreme temperatures, and doors and drawers are gasketed to keep out snow and rain.  

By Christine Graf

For homeowners looking to save money on heating and cooling costs, heat pumps may be the answer. Heat pumps operate using electricity, extracting heat from outside, bringing it indoors to heat a home during winter. Conversely, the pumps move heat from indoors to outdoors during the summer.

Although heat pumps have been commercially available since the late 1940s, it wasn’t until the energy crisis of the 1970s that their popularity increased. As fuel prices skyrocketed, people looked for more cost-effective ways to heat and cool their homes. 

According to Craig MacDonald, owner of Suburban Services Group in Burnt Hills, heat pumps declined in popularity as fossil fuel heating equipment was mandated and engineered for much higher efficiency.  

“We’ve been installing heat pumps for 30 years, and most people remember that the old heat pumps blew cool air and were often inefficient compared to oil or propane heat. Over time, they fell out of favor as furnace technology improved.  But because of improvements in heat pump technology, today’s heat pumps are capable of heating many homes in cold climates.”

In recent years, heat pumps have been re-engineered, enabling them to recover significantly more heat from the outdoors. Unlike conventional heat pumps, these cold climate heat pumps are ideal for those living in Northern New York and New England.  

By Ryan McCall, Esq.

Property ownership in New York can be complicated, especially when you choose to rent or leave your property empty for extended periods of time throughout the year. Specifically, issues of squatter’s rights have recently come into the limelight, as many horror stories have surfaced across the country of homeowners returning from a long vacation only to find a complete stranger comfortably sprawled out about their house.

While property title claims are rare, many squatters have been abusing legal loopholes in recent years in New York, costing property owners lots of money in legal fees and living rent-free during the lengthy court eviction process, often with no repercussions for the alleged squatter.

In an effort to protect property owners from the recent rise in squatter cases, the New York legislature has been pushing to introduce new laws to help crack down on squatting and give New York property owners another avenue to protect their assets and investments by making squatting illegal and offering more ways for property owners to evict squatters.

In the meantime, what should renters be aware of when it comes to squatting and squatter’s rights in New York State and City? What avenues would a homeowner have to defend their property? While there is no one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to dealing with delinquent tenants, understanding the basics of squatting in New York and what timeframes and information are needed to evict unwanted tenants is the best way to protect your property.

By Jill Nagy

EXIT Realty now has a Glens Falls office in addition to its Clifton Park and Hudson offices.

The real estate group held a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the Glens Falls office in February. But actually, the office had been open since June 2021. The event was delayed by the COVID pandemic. 

The Glens Falls branch is part of the regional franchise, EXIT Realty Empire Associates. The group’s headquarters is in Clifton Par. 

Jennifer Vucetic, principal broker and owner, said the company was doing so much business in the Lake George area, out of its Clifton Park office, they decided to open the new  office at 1 Lawrence St.

Empire Associates celebrate its fifth anniversary this summer. Vucetic has been in the real estate business since 2005.

Currently, there are 12 agents in the Glens Falls office. The core of the group is a team of agents headed by Bill Moon, who is also director of the board of the local Big Brothers and Sisters organization. The office occupies the first floor of a former pediatrics office.

The connection with Big Brothers and Sisters reflects the community service participation that is part of the DNA of both the national EXIT Realty International organization and the local franchise. A portion of every transaction fee received by the parent company is applied to its charitable fund, $7 million, to date, according to the company. 

By Susan Elise Campbell

Hotelier Robert Gregor has plans to transform two properties adjacent to one another on Lake Avenue and Canada Street so that year-round guests can enjoy the amenities of an Airbnb with the classic services of a hotel in one rental experience.

Gregor is a litigation attorney who splits his work week between home in Lake George and a firm in Ithaca. About 11 years ago he started purchasing motels in the community where he is raising his family.

The two properties are Lake Haven Motel and Motel Montreal, which Gregor describes as “mom and pop motels that have been good to me,” but which are “tired and typical.”

Lake Haven and Motel Montreal will be razed so that Gregor can create a single vacation resort out of the properties and their combined 1.58 acres. 

The first round of sketch plans will be presented to the local planning board and Gregor is prepared this spring to make his case for helping Lake George grow as a year-round destination with the construction of this project.

“I’m optimistic we have the right infrastructure to keep the drive for a year-round tourism industry going,” he said.

Gregor said it has been “a strong winter exceeding projections by about 25 percent” for his Sundowner Motel on Canada Street that he purchased in 2016.

By Steven Luttman

Few things warm my heart more than a trip to the Lake George outlets. 

Some might say cheap, others prefer “financially thoughtful,” but no matter what you call it I like finding a good deal. No doubt many of you feel the same way. Think for a moment about a purchase you’ve been considering recently. 

If this item were to become available for 79 percent less than its historical price how excited would that make you? That’s an amazing value. People line up hours in advance for Black Friday deals less great than this. But before you take out your wallet, what if at this exact same time last month the item could be had for 85 percent off. Given that the discount has shrunk, is it still attractive today? Of course, it’s a no brainer.   

Freddie Mac’s weekly lender survey found the average 30 year fixed rate mortgage  closed out the month of March at 4.67 percent, a sizable jump from the sub 3 percent we were seeing as recently as November. 

For anyone that’s been eyeing a home purchase or refinance it’s easy to think “I’ve dropped the ball here, rates are just way too high now”. With a short term perspective you wouldn’t be wrong. However if you were to line up the average rate for every single week over the past 50 years, rates are lower today than they’ve been for almost 80 percent of those data points since 1971. 

By Christine Graf

As demand for new homes surges throughout the country, supply shortages and price increases continue to plague the construction industry. According to the National Association of Homebuilders (NAHB), more than 90 percent  of builders experienced materials shortages and delays in 2021. 

Builders were encouraged when lumber prices began to fall after a record high in May of 2021, but prices began to climb again in December. The average cost of lumber is now about three times more than it was before the pandemic, industry officials say. 

Economists predicted that supply chain shortages and material costs would begin to ease, but that was before Russia invaded Ukraine. Experts say the war in Ukraine will disrupt supply chains and further exacerbate shortages and price increases. The increase in oil and gas prices that have resulted from Russian sanctions will also impact production and transportation costs. 

According to Cecil Provost, owner of Saratoga Construction and Saratoga Modular Homes, increased material costs have caused the average home price to skyrocket. 

His companies build custom “stick-built” homes as well as custom modular homes. Stick-built homes are constructed on the job site, whereas modular homes are built in sections at a factory. 

By Paul Post

Todd Drake is recapturing a popular period in Lake George summer tourism with the purchase and upgrade of two mid-20th century type resorts on Lake Shore Drive.

He recently purchased Cramer’s Point Motel & Cottages, 3382 Lake Shore Drive, recently sold for $1.275 million. That follows last year’s $915,000 acquisition of Adirondack Diamond Point Lodge, 3629 Lake Shore Drive, which underwent a more than $300,000 makeover.

“The purpose of buying these properties is to maintain them as 1950s-style resorts with modern amenities in excellent condition and quality,” Drake said. “Instead of tearing down and replacing these places with condominiums, townhouses or a $7 million lake home, I see it as my job to maintain this tradition so people have a place to go that’s reasonable, affordable, quality, but fun for the kids and adults offering amenities like shuffleboard—which you don’t see much anymore—or a nice pool deck under the trees, fire pits and barbecues. It’s the outdoor Adirondack-style vacation.”

He purchased Cramer’s Point from Francis and Marion Sause, who owned the business for nearly 30 years.

Drake wants to provide the type of experience people can’t find at major brand-name, corporate-owned hotels.

He owns a Watervliet-based construction firm, CornerStone Building Corp., and Empire Real Estate Management, which specializes in long-term apartment rentals at sites such as Remsen Place, a four-story residential, office and retail building that opened two years ago in Cohoes.

The two Lake George resorts fall under the umbrella of a different business he owns called Adirondack Lodging Co., which includes rustic-style Moreno’s Cottages in Ray Brook, campgrounds in Crown Point and Chestertown, and several short-term vacation rental homes.

Drake learned that Cramer’s Point was for sale last year, but the timing wasn’t right. Then things changed.

“And now with the experience of renovating the (Adirondack Diamond point Lodge)  I could tell this property offered value,” he said. “It needed upgrading, but less in terms of expense. Time is money as well as money is money. Looking at this project we felt we could do something similar with less upfront costs and time. That’s why we decided to pursue it.”

Cramer’s Point Motel & Cottages has a seven-bedroom home, 10 seasonal cottages, eight motel rooms and two suites. It is about a mile south of Adirondack Diamond Point Lodge. The two resorts are similar in size, but offer different amenities. Cramer’s Point has two pools and beach access.

Drake spent considerable time in Warren and Essex counties, pursuing year-round outdoor activities, while growing up in Clifton Park. He first learned about Adirondack Diamond Point Lodge about 20 years ago. Last year, he saw an opportunity that was too good to pass up, he said.

That property has seven cabins plus the 16-room main lodge.

“We closed on it in mid-April 2021 and really had to put things in high gear to be open for Memorial Day,” he said. “It was neglected for many years. We spent a considerable sum of money replacing all the furniture, a lot of the flooring and did the whole exterior over again, everything from windows, doors and roofs to top-level lawn furniture.”

In addition, all housekeeping material such linen and bedding was tossed out and replaced,  Drake said. “But we kept it in the price point of expectations for a mom-and-pop resort. It was very well-received by guests. We did a considerable amount of business over what the previous owners did. We also enjoyed very good feedback and return rate for people coming back last fall or this summer.”

The job got done despite difficulty obtaining materials and supplies caused by COVID-19, and an ongoing statewide and nationwide labor shortage problem.

“We brought the marketing to a modern level with a strong website and reservation system that was very user-friendly and interactive,” Drake said. “But what really mattered was the service. We took time with each customer, telling them how we could best accommodate their party, group or event. You don’t see that today with 1-800 systems.”

“By bringing the quality up, I think we attracted a new audience that was looking for quality, which made a difference. That said, we did have a lot of returners who had reserved from prior years. Their reaction was nothing short of astonishment,” he said.