Category Archives: Home & Real Estate

By Maureen Werther

With the onset of spring, Landscaping companies are gearing up for what usually is a busy work season.

Jim O’Keeffe, owner of Pure Perfection Landscaping and Services in Hudson Falls, is focusing on spring cleanup, lawn de-thatching and core aeration, clearing out debris left by winter winds and storms, and generally preparing lawns and garden areas for the warmer weather. 

O’Keeffe said his main focus is residential properties and he works with both homeowners and developers to create outdoor landscaping that enhances the look of the property and expands the living space for homeowners during the warmer months.

By Rachel Phillips

Warren County is facing a shortage of inventory in real estate, local agents say. 

Despite that, agents said the markets for both residential and commercial real estate are strong and buyers and sellers alike have a positive outlook.

Nicholas Ketter of Levack Real Estate in Glens Falls said the commercial market is strong, but while some aspects of the market are trending nicely, others have remained flat.

“There is strong interest to invest in the apartment market right now,” said Ketter. 

By Rachel Phillips

After nearly 40 years of vacancy, Glen Street Associates has plans to renovate the century-old former post office at 70 Warren St.

Glen Street Associates, run by Peter and Suzanne Hoffman, is a real estate development, construction and property management company in Glens Falls that procures historic buildings to renovate and restore. The company then leases the space. 

The company deals in properties usually built between 1865 and 1929 and has rehabilitated both residential and commercial buildings in the area, according to Peter Hoffman.  Since its founding the company has done a quarter of a million feet of renovations in the North Country and owns 165 apartment units. 

Apex Solar Power, a Queensbury-based company that installs solar power systems through the region, has launched a new division of the company: Apex Roofing.

The addition of a roof-focused division came about as a solution for home and business owners who have expressed interest in solar power, but would require a new roof to have the installation completed on their property, the company said.

 “Most solar installations are performed on rooftops, so adding a roofing service provides our customers with a simple solution to complete both projects for their home,” said Stan Dobert, president of Apex Solar Power.

NBT Bank will be offering its Home in the City program in Glens Falls and is partnering with the Affordable Housing Partnership of the Capital Region (AHP) to assist first-time homebuyers. "Through our partnership with AHP, NBT's Home in...

Wood Brothers Quality Construction in Glens Falls started three years ago. This is one of the company’s new homes, of which it builds two or three per year.

Courtesy Wood Brothers Quality Construction

By Maureen Werther

Some people excel in one area but may fall short in others. For Dan Wood, owner of Wood Brothers Quality Construction in Glens Falls, a combined excellence in his craft and knowing how to run a business has brought him early success and a steadily growing reputation in the upstate New York and Vermont regions.

In his third year of business, Wood said he made the right decision to venture out on his own. After working in the construction field for 15 years, first as an estimator and then as a project manager, he felt it was times to “take the leap.”

“I reached a point where I was doing a lot of jobs on the side,” he said. The timing was right and he made the change from employee to business owner. He’s never looked back.

“There’s always that uncertainty and knowing that you have to raise a family,” said Wood, who is also the father of two young girls. “I’m doing exactly what I was meant to be doing. This is a passion for me.”

That passion is two-pronged. He loves building things, but he is equally passionate about marketing and selling them.

Wood began his building career designing and constructing birdhouses, then finding ways to sell them. He attributes much of his drive to growing up in a large family that didn’t have a lot. As one of seven children, his parents always pushed them to do their best.

By Jennifer Farnsworth

With spring finally here, local designers and home improvement experts say they will see a dramatic increase in calls from homeowners looking to make a change.

Trends for 2017 center around the desire for customization; everything from cabinets to tiles, to paint colors.

Craig Vollkommer of Details and Improvements in Glens Falls said as soon as the weather starts to warm up everyone seems to want to start renovating at the same time. His advice to customers is to start making calls to contractors as early as possible in order to get their projects on a work schedule.

“Plan ahead, and prioritize, know what you want. We seem to get the calls all at once, so if you are looking to have something done sooner, rather than later, you need to reach out to designers and contractors now,” said Vollkommer.

Kitchens and bathrooms seem to continue to be the most in-demand, according to Vollkommer. He said people want the newest in bathroom shower options, laminates, granites, custom tiles, and backsplashes. He said that requests for painting is the one thing that never changes.

By MAureen Werther D.A. Collins' Real Estate Division is aggressively marketing an industrial development of 400-plus acres to regional, national, and international companies. The site is the former base of the EPA's Hudson River PCB Superfund dewatering facility in...

Kim Salerno is the principal in Salerno Law PC in Ballston Spa. Courtesy Salerno Law PC By KIMBERLY A. SALERNO, ESQ This is such an exciting time to be involved in our real estate market. The market is extremely...