One of the biggest hurdles for first-time homebuyers isn't the monthly payment—it's coming up with the upfront cash. The good news is, there's a grant program designed specifically to help with that.

It's called the Homebuyer Dream Program (HDP), and it's helped many local buyers bridge the gap to homeownership. I've personally worked with several clients who used this grant to assist with their down payment, offset closing costs, and even cover required homebuyer education. For many, it made buying a home possible sooner than they expected.

There are three versions of the program—HDP, HDP Plus, and HDP Wealth Builder. Which one you qualify for depends on your household size and income. For buyers in Schenectady, Albany, Saratoga, and Rensselaer Counties, the current income limits are:

80% Area Median Income
• $92,880 for households of 1–2 people
• $106,812 for households of 3 or more

120% Area Median Income
• $139,320 for households of 1–2 people
• $160,218 for households of 3 or more

The funds are provided through the Federal Home Loan Bank and are available on a first-come, first-served basis each year. That timing matters—once the program runs out of funds, buyers have to wait until the next cycle. To secure a spot, you'll need to be under contract on a home and have your loan file fully submitted.

Several local lenders, including Sunmark and Broadview, participate in the program. While the grant itself is the same, each lender may have slightly different processes, so it's important to work with a loan officer who understands the details and can guide you through the options.

If you've been feeling ready to buy but held back by the upfront costs, this program could be the missing piece. I'm happy to help you explore whether you qualify and create a plan that gets you there.

Your monthly payment is the amount that you will be paying to the bank every month after you close on your new home. This amount typically includes your loan principal and interest, plus taxes & homeowners insurance. 

So why is the monthly payment the more important factor?

Well for one, interest rates. With everchanging mortgage rates, your monthly payment can differ significantly depending on where rates are currently standing.

For example - a $250K house purchased in 2021 with a 3% interest rate is going to have a VERY different monthly payment than the same exact $250K house purchased in 2025 with a 6.5% interest rate.

The difference might blow your mind, too....

Have a number in your head?

The difference is a whopping $473/month. 

Let's blow your mind some more with taxes. Using today's rates, a $300K home with $3K in annual taxes will cost you about $2000/month with 10% down.

Now let's take that SAME exact house with the same price and terms, but double the taxes... you are up to nearly $2300/month! 

And those aren't the only 2 big factors that can throw your numbers for an unexpected surprise. We can't forget HOA fees (where applicable) and the great beast of insurance.

If a property is located in an area with high weather-related risk, like a flood zone, you can expect additional insurance to be required by your lender, which can cost you up to thousands of dollars per year (aka hundreds more monthly). 

So, moral of the story: make sure you are working with a STELLAR mortgage lender who knows how important it is to go over numbers on specific homes to make sure you feel good about your monthly payment, before making an offer on a property.

It is the mortgage lender's job to run numbers for you. If you have questions about your loan or mortgage terms, do not hesitate to ask questions to ensure you understand all terms of your offer & loan before making the jump. 

And even more importantly, make sure you have a Realtor on your side that makes sure you do not go into anything blindly and that you understand all of this information.

Remember, you pick your Real Estate team. Choose wisely.

"Who you work with matters."

I got a call this weekend from a newer agent who questioned what this NAR settlement means for the real estate industry and his career going forward. "Should I find some other type of work?" 

For those of you that don't know, the National Association of Realtors (NAR) recently reached a settlement on a lawsuit that argued conspiracy of price fixing commissions within the real estate industry. This settlement proposes many new changes to the way that real estate professionals do business - many of which will not take place for at least a few months.

I may be in the minority when I say this, but I'll tell you - I'm here for it. Because change brings opportunity, and those that find the opportunity in all this will rise above the rest. 

As we all know, headlines can be misleading and the media is always looking for a reaction to create hype within society. Reminder: don't believe everything you read on the internet or see on the news. 

So what exactly does this big settlement mean for the real estate industry and prospective buyers and sellers?

It's important to first state that, contrary to some headlines you've seen - this is not about no longer paying realtor commissions, but instead it is about creating transparency in an industry where the lines have been blurred along the years. 

Unfortunately, a large portion of the general public does not understand how or how much realtors get paid. In addition to that, there are many people in the industry (especially on television) who create a facade that realtors live a fun, care-free life with the luxury of doing whatever they want, whenever they want - including popping bottles, vacationing frequently, and doing a whole lot of nothing for a whole lot of money. 

I cannot tell you how far from the truth that actually is. Sure, there are some people that may have gotten in the industry with the intention of just making a quick buck while ditching their 9-5 for a more glamorous lifestyle. (I promise, our lives do not look like Selling Sunset - unless I'm doing this whole real estate thing wrong?!)

For a lot of us, we breathe, eat & sleep real estate. We go to sleep late and wake up early with a running list of never-ending tasks, that (a lot of times) take precedence over our personal lives. We are consumed by our phones at all hours of the day - even nights, even weekends, even on vacation. People don't see the endless hours of continuous education to stay up-to-date on new guidelines, technologies, and tools to best serve our clients. They don't see the work behind the scenes and they don't hear about all the times that we are basically working for free.

So for those of us who come to you as the real estate professionals, offering guidance and expertise (and don't forget free therapy) to provide the ultimate client experience on one of the largest transactions that one will ever make in their lives... we earn every penny of our commission. 

Commissions always have, and always will be, negotiable. With that being said - I will never argue my value or the level of service I bring to a transaction. The hard work and dedication that I provide to every single client - whether it is a $30,000 deal or a $600,000 deal - is not negotiable. So why would I negotiate my fee for countless hours of work, research, and negotiating on a deal? 

Well honestly, I won't. I'm sure some realtor's fees will be up for discussion, but I'll tell you, I will not budge on what I ask for because I know what I am worth. I work solely with people who can see the value that I bring to the table. And for those that don't see or don't want to compensate me for that, well, I guess I'm just not meant for you then. Like always, there will be discount brokers that will be there to provided discounted service at a discounted rate - and that is ok. 

But please don't be misled by headlines that make you think that the real professionals out here don't work extremely hard every day to earn their compensation. And please don't assume that what we do is so easy that you should skip out on hiring a realtor and just do it yourself.

For my clients, there will be some paperwork changes... but otherwise, it will be business as usual. I will always advise my sellers that offering a co-broke to the agent bringing a buyer to their home is undoubtedly the best solution to get them to their goal - which is to sell their home in the least amount of time, for the most amount of money. And for my buyers, I will work with them to find solutions on how to compensate me, if they are interested in a home that is not offering a co-broke.

We can debate all day about how this all plays out in the end - but truth be told, only time will tell. And honestly, I do believe that within the Capital Region real estate market, many other agents will operate with the same mindset. 

One impact that I think we will definitely see from all this: this will drive many agents out of the business. This will set apart the true professionals from those who "dabble" in the business to make a "quick buck". And again, I'm here for it. 

Trust me when I say, you want and need realtor representation on your side. And for those of you that try and go at it alone, we truly wish you the best. 

I tell myself that I had a lot going on. A new career, a new routine, a new love... all of these new things were happily welcomed, and that's totally OK. What's not OK is ignoring the fact that I let myself go in order to make all these things work. 

When things are meant for you, you should not need to sacrifice other parts of your life that you love in order to fit them in. I have a tendency of picking up a new, shiny, fun thing that I like, and giving it my undivided attention. I will drop everything else for that new, shiny thing (I like to attribute this to my ADHD) - and it's not because I necessarily have to, but because I want to. 

It's so easy to point the blame away from yourself, but if I've learned one thing in my twenties, it's self-awareness - and I truly have no one to blame but myself. Like history repeating itself, I take my new, shiny things and put them on a pedestal - one that does not have room for anything that came before it. 

What I wish that I could remember in these times, is that I can have my new, shiny things and still make time & space for the things that have preceded it. I can make time for it all. I just have to want to. 

With all that being said, I have come such a long way in other aspects of my life, and I wouldn't trade that for anything. I won't get into details but I can remember sitting in this same room a year ago, literally dreaming to be in the spot I am financially in now. (I am not even close to where I want to be but to not touch on the immense growth I have made in a year would be insulting to myself). It's so important to remember where you started, to keep you motivated on your journey to where you are going. That's why I absolutely adore reflecting with myself, and with you all in this space. It has become an outlet for me. And although I give myself nightmares of the people who may laugh at the full transparency in my blog here, it is my hope that at least just one person can relate and understand.

So the burning question is, how do I find balance? How do I find the time and energy to juggle building a business, becoming more mindful and healthy, and maintaining relationships, all while attempting to stay (somewhat) sane?

When you guys figure it out, please let me know!!!

Just kidding. There's no real "secret" here but sometimes it helps when you have the reminder slapped right in front of your face. At least for me, anyways.

1. Discipline. Even on days where you don't want to do it, keep your end goal in mind. Remember why you started in the first place.
2. Feed your soul. Connect with nature, clear your mind, meditate, read a book - whatever makes you feel fulfilled, make sure to make time for it, every single day.
3. Focus on today. One of my favorite sayings is "Rome wasn't built in a day." When you have so much that you want to accomplish, it's easy to get overwhelmed with everything you have to do to get there. Just keep going, one day at a time, and trust the process. Only focus on what is in front of you right now and the rest will fall into place. One percent better, everyday. 

And if there's one more thing for you to hold in your heart, please remember to give yourself grace. We are all a work in progress, striving to be better every day. It won't happen overnight, or even in a week, or a month. And if you're anything like me, you will probably try and then fail and then try a few more times and fail again. But all that matters is that you keep getting up and trying. And one day, when you least expect it, it will finally stick.

Today was Coldwell Banker Prime Properties' first annual regional sales meeting at The Desmond Hotel in Colonie. A few weeks ago, I was asked to speak on their agent panel. I have to admit, when my manager first told me they were going to ask me, I looked at her with utter confusion like ... "Me?! Are you sure you have the right person?" LOL - no but literally, that's how it happened. I was confused because while I did have a considerably decent year in real estate (especially for this being my first full year in the business), I didn't think it was anything worth publicly mentioning or honoring.

I have ultimately realized through this experience that I definitely suffer from a bit of imposter syndrome. (Imposter syndrome: the persistent inability to believe that one's success is deserved or has been legitimately achieved as a result of one's own efforts or skills.)

Ever since I was younger, I've been absolutely petrified of public speaking. So speaking in front of a room full of people sounded absolutely insane in my head. I knew there were agents that would be there with much more success than me; ones that have been in the business for much longer and had way more experience and sales under their belt. But for some reason, they wanted me! It took a while for me to wrap my head around it and I even considered saying no at one point because I thought I may throw up or pass out up there. But I ended up doing the crazier thing, and I said yes to something that completely scared the sh*t out of me.

Leading up to this event, I honestly tried not to think about it. I have a tendency of overthinking and overanalyzing and I didn't want to think about it too hard, which may send me into a spiral of self doubt. I was in Florida for the past week and just got home last night, so that made it pretty easy to get my mind off it all. Luckily, I had some words of encouragement from my loved ones that told me to just do it, and I would do great. Some of my favorite advice maybe came from my mother, who told me to just picture everyone naked. (I didn't actually do that btw - but the thought helped me to be less nervous).

Long story short, I got up there and did the damn thing! (Of course, not without some extra deep breathing this morning and a lot of self talk in the mirror). I think the fact that it was a panel of other people made it a little less difficult for me. It's so weird but when I got up there, I was nervous but it was also super comforting hearing the people around me talk and just be natural. OK I may have blacked out a bit up there and don't remember my answers - but I tried my best to just be authentic, and honest, and it worked.

The support and love I received from my fellow colleagues after was just so humbling and made me feel so grateful for the people in my corner. I have even had a few other agents at the meeting reach out to me since then, telling me how inspired they were and asking to get together for support and mentorship. Surreal, I know.

Now for some, this may sound like such a silly and miniscule thing to get so worked up over. But quite honestly, this may be one of the most significant moments of my never-ending self development journey. I walked out of that meeting feeling like I could literally do anything! Even the hard, anxiety-inducing things that I don't want to do.

I write about this experience not to brag or boast about my accomplishments, but rather to possibly inspire just one more person to do "that thing" that you're most fearful of. It may be public speaking; it may be getting out and talking to new people; or maybe just trying something else completely out of your comfort zone. Whatever it is, I'm here to tell you to just do it. 

Because conquering that one small fear may help you to discover how capable you really are of doing anything that you put your mind to. Even the hard things.

I turned 29 this year (which, I know, is "so young" to the many people who roll their eyes at me when I say I'm getting old) but I can't help but notice the weight I feel in growing older and experiencing a shift in so many things that I used to love, just not sitting right with me anymore. 

As we get older, I think we can all agree on the fact that life definitely does not get easier. Yes, I'm single and have no kids, but life is still crazy and unpredictable and sometimes so overwhelming that it feels like I don't know what the hell I'm doing... But then days like today, when I take a moment to pause, I remind myself of how far I've come and an immense feeling of gratitude washes over me, erasing any doubts I may have had in the back of my mind about how this past year unfolded.

Every choice I have made, whether I reflect on as good or bad, has made me into the person I am today. I don't regret anything - because everything I go through in life is either a blessing or a lesson. Every choice I make gets me one step closer to the person that I ultimately want to be. 

To me, the most beautiful part about life is being able to redefine yourself, over and over again, to become whatever person it is that you want to be. My definition of who exactly I want to be is something that is always ever changing, but the idea always remains the same. And that is to become the ultimate best version of myself - personally, professionally, and spiritually - and to inspire others to do the same. 

We decide who we want to be at the end of the day. And no one else - not your colleagues, not your family, friends, and definitely not people who don't even know you - can define that for you. So think to yourself... who exactly is it that you are going to be in the New Year?

I feel much excitement for what is to come, and I feel so grateful for the chance to reflect, reset, and redefine the person that I am going to be in 2024. ✨

Cheers to everyone for an ever prosperous New Year filled with love & blessings. ♥