The Clydesdales are in town!  As Labor Day quickly nears and with it the return to school and disappearance of those "lazy days of summer", many of us are looking for something fun & different to add to our last hoorah...  This weekend you can catch the Clydesdales in the Saratoga Springs and Lake George areas.  And those venues always offer great options to make it a full day with great restaurants, attractions & shopping.  Upstate NY is a great place to be! Is it time for you to call it HOME?  Agent Brenda can make your Capital Region real estate goal a reality.  Visit www.brendamayette.com or call 518-527-0800 and let's get started. 08/17/2016

Price Just Reduced to $239,900!  Great for 1st Time Home Owner - or as a Rental Property.A 3 Bedroom Ranch (and two of the Bedrooms are BIG) with two full baths, a large family room and an enclosed porch and rear deck on almost 1 acre of land, backed up to acres and acres of beautiful fields and woods just 2 miles up the road from SPAC.  This is A Great Buy for a 1st time home owner.  Or - If you're paying any attention, lately, to the rental market in Southern Saratoga County, you know there is a huge need right now for houses, apartments and even rooms to be rented out for Globalfoundries workers, as well as the Navy & other military trainees who are stationed at the NPTU in W. Milton (Ballston Spa), and a few other firms that are doing some local several months-long training programs... 08/28/2014

Clifton Park NY Homes for Sale Saratoga Lake Front Home on Double Lot 88 Lakeshore Dr, Malta, NY 12020 You've been waiting a long time to purchase your vacation, rental, or year round residence on Saratoga lake. NOW is that time! This large Lake Front house is on a double lot with possible subdivision. Close to everything; Saratoga Raceway, Saraoga Performing Arts Center, Saratoga National Golf Course & Historic Saratoga Springs. Includes exclusive deeded dock. Do not miss this great investment opportunity & enjoy relaxing with family & friends all summer long. Many recent updates & plenty of space for everyone. More pics @ 88LakeshoreDr.com   04/30/2014

Maybe you buy organic or even grown your own. But if your kitchen is toxic, you're only halfway to healthy! Most of us strive to fill our kitchen with the healthiest foods possible for ourselves and our families. But many of us don't stop to think about potential health hazards in our kitchen itself. Improperly vented gas stoves, Teflon-coated pans and particleboard cabinetry made with formaldehyde-laden glues can emit unhealthy fumes and off-gas toxic chemicals into a kitchen. (Formaldehyde, which is particularly ubiquitous, is a known carcinogen.) Ironically, some of the very products that we use to clean and disinfect our kitchens can add to the chemical soup; drain and oven cleaners are among the most toxic products out there. The good news: Whether you’re renovating or just lookin... 06/20/2013

Get the principles of displaying accessories down pat to give your home some soul! Accessories are what give an interior soul and help distinguish a home from a furniture showroom. When accessories are done right, they tell the story of the owners' lives — their passions, their travels ... and maybe even their heartbreak. But accessorizing a house can be a scary thing. We're often unsure what to include, what to leave out and how to arrange the things that remain. Fear not. Once you understand the principles, accessorizing can be a snap. Look around your house, attic, basement and yard for potential accessories. Sometimes it's not the thing itself, but how you  display it, that counts. Common objects like stones, shells or pinecones make great accessories — if you gather enough of them... 06/19/2013

The upfront investment is high, but solar pool heaters can lower energy costs by harnessing the renewable energy of the sun. Homeowners in search of a greener and more economical method of keeping their swimming pools warm are harnessing the sun’s energy. Solar pool heaters can lower energy costs because they rely primarily on a free and renewable energy source, rather than electricity or natural gas.Solar pool heaters cost more upfront than traditional alternatives, perhaps 50% more than electric heat pumps and several times more than gas heaters. However, the payback can come in as little as two years, depending on local utility rates and other factors. How solar pool heaters works A typical solar pool heating system centers around large plastic solar collectors installed on the sout... 06/14/2013

Choose recycled glass for counters, backsplashes, accessories and more — this material is as durable as it is ecofriendly. Although glass was once an expensive material used in very limited applications, today's large-scale manufacturing systems have made glass a huge part of our lives. Although its beauty is a welcome addition to the home, the negative side of this love affair is that without recycling, glass goes straight to the landfill when we're done with it. Although glass is inert and not directly hazardous to our planet, it remains in landfills indefinitely. The good news is that glass is recyclable — not just once, but on and on, without any degradation of the material. Consider some of these ideas for bringing the sparkle of recycled glass into your house. by West Elm »   Rec... 06/13/2013

After losing their home, a family ventures back into home ownership in a tiny way. How small would you live? The Berzins family lives in a tiny home in Virginia — just 320 square feet. All images in this post: Hari Berzins, TinyHouseFamily.com While many of us commit to the three decades it takes to pay off a mortgage, Hari and Karl Berzins come at home ownership from a completely different viewpoint. They live in a tiny 8-by-21-foot home they built with salvaged materials in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. Counting the loft space with its three feet of headroom, that’s 320 sq. ft., or about the size of most people’s master bedrooms. It might be a tiny house, but it’s paid for. “We wanted to really cut back our overhead as far as we possibly could and own what we live in outright ... 06/10/2013

A good exterior paint job adds value; a misguided one can make you weep — or LOL. Here’s a collection of our favorite oddballs. Credit: Libby Walker for HouseLogic   Urban Jungle Friends and the pizza delivery guy won’t have any trouble finding your house when you tell them to look for the leopard spots. No matter what your color scheme, take care when prepping an older house for repainting by testing for lead paint and knowing current lead paint laws. Credit: Brittany Powell   Flower Power The prospect of brand-new siding for this 1907 house brought out a creative flurry in the homeowners, who spent a weekend festooning the old siding with little portraits of roses as a fond farewell to their 100-year-old exterior. Give your wood siding some TLC by inspecting, caulking, and trimming ba... 06/07/2013

Perch some of these houses and feeders around your garden, and watch pollinators and feathered friends flock in! One of the greatest pleasures of summer for me is sitting in the garden listening to the birdsong and the droning of the bees. And I can't be the only one, because everywhere I look lately there is another great design for encouraging these little friends to stay in our own personal patches of paradise. The only decision is which design to choose. — Carole fromDear Designer by Not on the High Street » Bee Hotel and Flower Seeds - $40.37 » This Bee Hotel is a great way to help boost the population of bees in the garden by giving them a place to live. And it looks pretty good too! by Bee Station » Bee Station - GBP 39.99 » This bee house sits in the flower beds and would suit a... 06/03/2013

Experience the thrill of the hunt without ignorance ruining the spoils, with this guide to antiquing for novice buyers. The world of antiques has so much to offer, and it is more accessible than you might think. If you’ve been considering adding an antique piece or two to your home but are not sure where to begin, this mini guide covers the basics, from what makes an antique an antique to how to spot a great piece, the importance of provenance and more.   Whether you are curious about buying antiques or are a seasoned antique lover, jump in and join the discussion!   by Bosworth Hoedemaker » Why buy antiques? Even one or two antiques can infuse a home with warmth and personal style. Here are a few more reasons to welcome antiques into your home:   Unlike most new furniture, which decre... 05/31/2013

Take the ecofriendly high road with a low-cost outdoor chair you make yourself! Summertime is just around the corner, and the days of old iron patio furniture are behind us. We’re all about going green and reclaiming materials for new purposes! Today the possibilities with pallets are endless, and the materials are often free. If you’ve got access to pallet wood and basic power tools (and the skills to use them), this project shouldn’t take longer than an afternoon.   Make sure you’re obtaining your pallets legally. Just because you see a stack of pallets behind a store doesn’t mean they are free and available for you to take. Always ask first. You can also search online to find free stashes in your area. If you can find pallet wood that’s already disassembled, I recommend taking that ... 05/30/2013

Not a natural tidying and organizing whiz? Take hope in one short phrase that can change your life forever. Ask anyone who knows me well: For years and years, a passion of mine was cleaning and organizing. This might lead you to believe that our home was a bastion of tidiness and order, but the truth is, I was constantly fighting against chaos. Unfortunately it was more a battle of the mind: I read books and tried various plans; I studied my organized friends and family and thought about it incessantly. Looking back I can see all I needed to do was get rid of at least half my stuff, establish some cleaning routines and set up a few systems. Half of you probably read that last sentence, pressed your lips together and thought, "Yes! Of course!" while the rest slumped across your keyboards... 05/28/2013

Most people don’t think that when they’re renting a house or even an apartment that they could easily be paying a mortgage which can be cheaper than paying rent. If you plan on staying in a home or neighborhood long-term, you should consider buying instead of renting because you will be able to breakeven. The term “long-term” varies from different areas around the country and even different neighborhoods in different cities. When considering breaking even, you are essentially recouping the costs of buying a house which includes upfront payments, closing costs, mortgage payments, insurance, taxes, utilities and maintenance costs. Choosing the right neighborhood is the most critical part of the home shopping process, you want to consider the crime rate, what schools are around if you have... 05/24/2013

Use a post to add architectural interest, create a focal point or just give your open kitchen some structure. Before you tear down a wall to open your kitchen to the dining or living room, you must determine if it is holding up part of your ceiling. If it is, you will need to install a header beam and one or more posts in its place to provide the necessary structural support. Your contractor or architect can confirm if the wall is load bearing and help you sort through the options for post sizes and placement. Incorporating a new support system into your plan presents some design challenges, but it can also be a useful design element. by m.a.p. interiors inc. / Sylvia Beez » A portion of this modern kitchen area has a dropped ceiling, and the post and beams appear as one unit and create... 05/23/2013

Don't dismiss cars, bars and the kegerator — a man space of some kind is important for emotional well-being at home. Calm down, ladies. When a man wants his own space in the house — be it a cave, garage, bar, media room, billiards hall, woodshop or bowling alley — it’s not a red flag indicating that he's rebelling in your relationship, trying to avoid you or shirking social commitments. In fact, having one’s own personalized space is actually necessary and important psychologically for everyone.“Space is very important for regulating emotions,” says Sam Gosling, a University of Texas at Austin psychology professor and author of Snoop: What Your Stuff Says About You. Gosling studies how space is a powerful mechanism for evoking our emotions, and he’s seen firsthand how having your own sp... 05/22/2013

Want a picture-perfect lawn? Maybe artificial grass is the answer. It solves watering, weeding, and fertilizing woes. But is it perfect?   If you live in a low-water area, or if you’re just tired of constant lawn maintenance, you’re in good company. More home owners are saving time, water — and their backs — by switching from real grass to artificial turf.     Synthetic grass for landscaping and recreation is growing 10% to 15% a year in the U.S. That means more and more home owners are using fakes for: Lawns Dog runs Play areas Pool surrounds Rooftops Putting greens Decorative borders between patio pavers Faking It is Right for You If: You’re tired of watering, weeding, fertilizing, and cutting real grass.   Your summer water bills are too high.   You don’t want to use chemical fertili... 05/21/2013

Soaring stonework and nifty custom storage take a spacious living room in Washington from bland to beautiful. When Houzzer Lana Carlene became fed up with her house, which she called a "big, bland, beige box," she decided to do something about its lack of character — one room at a time. She began her coup in the living room, where an expansive fireplace wall screamed for attention. In less than two weeks of construction time, she had the black granite from around the fireplace stripped, natural stone installed all the way to the ceiling and a smart new storage system packed in. Here's how she did it. Project at a GlanceWhat: Living room makeoverLocation: Maple Valley, WashingtonDuration: About two months of planning; 12 days of in-house constructionBudget: $12,000 Installation done by P... 05/17/2013

Container gardening is great for gardeners of all ages and skill levels. Containers are easy to water and weed, can be moved to different locations for sun or privacy, and they add pizzazz to small spaces. They’re terrific accents for decks and patios, and add a welcoming touch of curb appeal to entryways. Ready to be inspired? Credit: Kimberly McKinnis/Flickr Small-Space Splendor No soil in your back yard? No problem! Containers let you garden in bits and pieces and are perfect for small homes. Varying container sizes and styles lets you fill nooks and crannies — and even walls — with natural textures and colors. Best of all? No muddy shoes to track dirt inside! Credit: Amy Kinser/Kinser Home Made in Your Shade Containers create mini-climates, so you’ll want to choose plants that thriv... 05/17/2013

Breaking the rules by mixing edibles with ornamentals makes for happy horticulture. These "Matt's Wild Cherry" tomatoes are interspersed with fall-blooming aster for a gorgeous color combination. All images in this post: Cristina Santiestevan In my garden, kale dances with cosmos, sweet potatoes mingle with marigolds, and bush beans party with coneflowers and black-eyed Susans. That’s right. Vegetables have invaded my flower garden. The rules say flowers deserve the front yard spotlight while veggies should be hidden in the backyard. But some rules are made to be broken. That one, for example. I started growing veggies with my front yard flowers because I had to — the backyard is too shady. Now, I’m hooked. Once you mix your edibles and ornamentals, I’m betting you’ll be hooked too. The... 05/15/2013