Category Archives: Home & Real Esate

By Rod Bacon

It is never too early to embark on a career as an entrepreneur.

When he was 11 years old, Blake Mahieu started mowing lawns in his neighborhood, soon adding other yard maintenance tasks to his services. He built his client roster to 25 weekly clients, continuing to operate this business through his high school years at Christian Brothers Academy in Albany. 

Never one to rest on his laurels, however, he added another business to his resume while still a student. A family friend in New Jersey had a company specializing in eliminating irritating insects from residential properties.

“He offered to show me the ropes and didn’t want any equity in the company, and I thought ‘when is an opportunity like this ever going to happen again’ so I jumped at it,” Mahieu said.

 He established Upstate Bug Busters, a company that protects outdoor spaces from unwanted insects like ticks, mosquitoes, fleas, gnats, spiders, ants, stink bugs and chinch bugs. He uses an all-natural, environmentally friendly solution that is delivered via a high-pressure system mounted on a truck that ensures maximum coverage of a client’s property. The formula was devised by the family friend, who also manufactures and markets it nationwide. Mahieu purchases it from him. 

He said the solution contains all natural essential oils rather than harsh chemicals. The high volume 300 psi delivery system allows him to fully saturate all the areas where bugs live, which include lawns, plants, tree trunks, most flower beds, retaining walls, and the bottom sides of leaves. To ensure full coverage he sprays 30 feet into any woods surrounding the property.

“For a while I was operating both  businesses simultaneously but Bug Busters really took off so I gave up the lawn business last year to concentrate on it,” said Mahieu. 

By Rod Bacon

A significant mixed-use project in Saratoga County is on the cusp of getting underway.

Luizzi Companies, developers of 146 Marketplace, has secured all approvals from the Town of Halfmoon and is waiting on a Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILOT) agreement prior to breaking ground. Company officials expect to finalize that agreement by June.

According to Christian Luizzi, manager of real estate development, the $175 million development will offer high-end residential and commercial space as well as many amenities for residents. 

When completed, which Luizzi estimated will take three to five years and be done in phases, there will be 328 apartments and 82,900 square feet of commercial space. The apartments will be studios, one-bedroom, and two-bedroom units in five four-story buildings. There will also be executive units and penthouses. No condominiums are included in the plan. He said the first apartment buildings will take 18-24 months to complete. 

By Paul Post

A Westchester County couple wants to enjoy the Adirondacks without impacting its natural beauty.

Their forward-thinking dream home’s energy-efficient features are the perfect solution.

“I’ve been visiting the Adirondacks, skiing and hiking, since I was a kid,” said Bill Martimucci, a retired primary care physician. “We wanted to create a modern cabin in the woods and reviewed the whole concept of a passive home. We’re very excited about getting settled up there.”

“I feel like it’s our responsibility to take care of the Adirondacks,” his wife, Edie, said. “You’ve got to do it one piece of property at a time. If we’re going through the trouble of building, why not build something that goes into the future that deals with all the energy and environmental issues? Why would we build a house with concepts from the Sixties or Eighties with no insulation, no solar. This seemed to be the only sensible way to do this.”

Their 2,000-square-foot, 1.5-story home  in Brant Lake is nearly completed, built by Queensbury-based Hilltop Construction Company. Douglas fir was used to create attractive interior highlights such as a custom staircase, railings and cabinetry.

Plans call for using it as a year-round second home, possibly the couple’s permanent residence in future years.

The highly energy efficient house was designed by Cold Spring-based River Architects, which specializes in passive homes and commercial buildings.

It utilizes solar electricity with roof-mounted panels, and is connected to the grid, but goes much further than a regular passive solar home in regard to energy efficiency.

The five fundamental principles of passive house construction are continuous insulation, airtight construction, high-performance windows, heat recovery ventilation, and thermal-bridge-free design. These principles work together to minimize energy consumption by reducing heat loss and gain through the building envelope. 

By Christine Graf

For more than 35 years, Ballston Spa-based Hinman Construction has been a fixture in the Capital Region home renovation market. Owners Jami and Kim Hinman work alongside their children, Jesse and Caroline, in the family business. 

“Our son and daughter decided they wanted to work with us after they went off to college and got their business degrees,” said Kim Hinman. “We work very well together, and we all have very clearly defined areas of responsibility”

Hinman Construction offers complete design and build services for those interested in remodeling their kitchens, bathrooms, or other rooms in their home. 

The process begins with a design meeting during which clients view 3D visuals and virtual renderings for their desired project. They are presented with various options, ones tailored to fit into their budgets.

“Our design process is much like you see in the HGTV shows. With the 3D visuals, we can place you in the home so that you can visually see what it’s going to look like,” said Hinman. “It’s photo-realistic, and we can do as much or as little as needed. ”

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 Jill Nagy

 Lihan Bozkurt plans to open his fifth Empire Pizza restaurant next January in Ballston Spa. He recently purchased an I Love New York Pizza outlet and is in the process of renovating it to join his growing family of Empire Pizza outlets. 

Empire Pizza restaurants are located in Corinth, Glens Falls, Hudson Falls, and the newly opened one on South Broadway in Saratoga Springs. Bozkurt’ opened his first  location in Glens Falls in 2009. Further expansion is planned for Clifton Park and Amsterdam. Bozkurt plans to develop the chain into a franchise operation. The first franchises are slated for long-time employees; others will be sold to non-employees.

The Ballston Spa restaurant is planned to seat between 20 and 25 customers. It will also offer take-out service and delivery. Customers will be able order online or in person, as they can at other Empire Pizza outlets.

Allerdice, a leading provider of Marvin Windows & Doors for over 35 years, has announced the grand opening of its new showroom. 

Located at the front of the Allerdice Ace Hardware & Building Supply at 41 Walworth Street in Saratoga Springs, the showroom is set to serve the growing community of homeowners and contractors in the area. The Allerdice Marvin Windows & Doors showroom showcases a comprehensive range of premium products, emphasizing the long-standing partnership between Allerdice and Marvin. This new space provides a dedicated environment for customers to explore and learn about Marvin’s exceptional windows and doors.

The Allerdice team takes pride in its seasoned Marvin Millwork Specialists, including Joe Monaco, Bill Hartloff, and Don Cox. With a collective experience of over 100 years in dealing with Marvin products, they bring unparalleled expertise and knowledge to assist customers in making informed decisions for their homes.

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

Shannon McCarthy may be ahead of the curve when it comes to rapidly changing trends in the local real estate industry.

The Shannon McCarthy Team of 14 real estate professionals, formerly part of Keller Williams, has moved en masse to eXp Realty, a cloud-based firm that trades on NASDAQ and claims to be the number-one independent real estate broker in the U.S. in terms of transactions and closed sales, according to the company’s website.

McCarthy is a Saratoga native who sold her first home in 2003. She has her flagship realty office in Saratoga and a second office in Lake George. 

In the next month she plans to expand south into the Tri-Cities, where she said there is need for experienced real estate professionals.

“Once you have team members in an area and working it, you slowly grow market share,” said McCarthy.  “It grows organically because you are attracting more agents.”

Whatever brick-and-mortar presence the team may build next, headquarters is now a cloud-based, non-traditional business model that McCarthy says benefits both agents and consumers.