Urban housing conference scheduled in Schenectady Tuesday, April 1, 2014 By Kathleen Moore (Contact) Gazette Reporter Text Size: A | A Advertisement SCHENECTADY — A major housing conference is coming to Schenectady next week as urban leaders share ideas for community development.
HUD will use Schenectady as a case study for urban success, detailing the many efforts of the HOMES program as well as non-profits’ efforts to combat homelessness.
Panelists will present on many other topics as well, ranging from goals for housing finance reform to strategies for eliminating homelessness. The event is called Strengthening Cities, Communities & Homes.
“There’s hopefully something there for everyone,” said Mayor Gary McCarthy, adding that he’s looking forward to hearing about other cities.
“Schenectady is not unique. Things that we’re doing can benefit them. Things they’re doing can benefit us,” he said.
But mainly, he’s hoping to persuade homebuyers to pick a house in a city.
“We need to continue that dialogue to show there is value in these urban centers,” the mayor said, citing the convenience and walkability of cities.
HUD field officer Jaime Forero is also looking forward to the case study on Schenectady.
When he took his job two years ago, he said, he looked for a community in which he could get some “quick wins.”
He found Schenectady already in action.
“The mayor’s already doing it in Schenectady,” he said, describing the coalition of bankers, nonprofits, Realtors and other community groups that work together in the HOMES program.
The group runs open houses every month, kicking off each with an event highlighting a different aspect of the city.
The mayor’s long-term goal is to sell the vacant and foreclosed buildings in Schenectady, a process that has taken much longer than he expected. But the city’s backlog of foreclosed houses are now selling, as well as the many private homes that are marketed through the monthly open houses.Forero is now setting his sights on Utica, “trying to replicate” the successes of Schenectady.
He’s also working on housing finance reform, along with the top leaders in HUD. It’s one of their biggest priorities, he said, and Forero will moderate a panel on the topic.
“I think people are really looking forward to hearing that one,” he said. “How do you get a mortgage with credit as tight as it is these days?”
Bankers and Realtors will attend the panel, he predicted, but he said many others will wish they had. The issue has wide-ranging impacts.
“It will probably have an impact on more people than even know they should be interested,” he said.
"The mayor’s long-term goal is to sell the vacant and foreclosed buildings in Schenectady, a process that has taken much longer than he expected. But the city’s backlog of foreclosed houses are now selling, as well as the many private homes that are marketed through the monthly open houses"
Is Kathleen Moore from the Gazetto on Drugs in publishing such inaccurate statement about houses now selling in Schenectady? Has she taken a look at the GCAR sales number for the City of Schenectady no one is buying houses in Schenectady let alone the city foreclosures. She got the first part right about the process has taken much longer than he expected McTHUG H.O.M.E.S project is a FAILURE! TAXES ARE TOO HIGH PEOPLE WON'T BUY THEY RATHER GO TO SARATOGA COUNTY TO BUY BECAUSE TAXES ARE LOW AND SCHOOLS ARE WAY BETTER! IT IS THAT SIMPLE STOP FOOLING PEOPLE MCTHUG! YOU SHOULD BE SHAME OF YOURSELF MCTHUG! HOW MANY CITY OWNED HOUSES DID YOU SELL MCTHUG SINCE YOU TOOK OFFICE? LET ME GUESS 5 IN YOUR SOON TO BE 1 TERM AS MAYOR! YOU CAN MANIPULATE THE NUMBERS IN 2015 WHEN YOU RUN FOR RE-ELECTION BUT PEOPLE WON'T BUY YOUR VOTE BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT BUYING YOUR HOUSES!
city living means one must rely heavily on city systems that cost MUCHO BUCKS....corrupt unions....corporate welfare... political welfare and a very punitive cog making machine.....
BUT....there is light at the end of the tunnel....there always is....sometimes things get really bad before they get better....
screw the political parties because over the past 40 years it's been the same machine with different team colors that haven't changed the foundation of how the city foundation is laid.
CONTRACTS/CORRUPTION/CONSOLIDATION
taxes aren't going down anytime soon because the status quo continues
...you are a product of your environment, your environment is a product of your priorities, your priorities are a product of you......
The replacement of morality and conscience with law produces a deadly paradox.
STOP BEING GOOD DEMOCRATS---STOP BEING GOOD REPUBLICANS--START BEING GOOD AMERICANS
HUD field officer Jaime Forero is also looking forward to the case study on Schenectady.
Who is this guy and where did they get HAND PICK him from??? OMG!
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
Wow, guess when HUD allowed the City to hand over half-a-million to Galesi for the old DSS building rather than using funds for the intended purpose of demolishing vacant, deteriorating crack houses , they had to come to town for a good laugh.
Wonder if Councilman Erikson will be attending to inform the attendees that the failed HOMES program only sold one house in 2 years?
Poor Utica... I hope they don't take advice from McCheesy.... it will be the nail in their coffin.
Look like it is the norm for urban communities to be subject to high crime, substandard schools, failing infrastructure and high taxes.
Look out Utica!!!!!
But dontcha love the word URBAN??? It's not URBAN.....is a deteriorating, high taxed, high crime, welfare, government subsidized community....PERIOD!!
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
ur·bane adjective \ˌər-ˈbān\ : polite and confident
: fashionable and somewhat formal
Full Definition of URBANE
: notably polite or polished in manner — ur·bane·ly adverb See urbane defined for English-language learners » See urbane defined for kids » Examples of URBANE
Who is this guy and where did they get HAND PICK him from??? OMG!
I suspect Chuckie Schumer hand picked this guy to go around town and tout McThug's FAILED H.O.M.E.S PROGRAM. Now they are ramming it down the throats of other Cities like UTICA... MCTHUG HAS TO CREATE THIS MIRAGE THAT HIS HOMES PROGRAM IS WORKING BUT THE NUMBERS DON'T LIE! 1 HOUSE SOLD IN TWO YEARS IS A FAILURE. MCTHUG LIES BUT THE HOME SALES NUMBERS DON'T!
Roger Hull back in 2011 said that McThug's housing plan was going to be a slow process that will take years and years to restore parcels back to the tax rolls and would stifled home values. He was right! McThug is a PENSION PADDING FAILED MAYOR!
Can Schenectady afford another 12 years of the same old Stratton and McThug strategy to sell 1,200 city owned houses??? Results will be 6 houses sold in 12 years.
Even though he doesn't understand real estate, homeownership, and taxes, he clearly has seen what we all say here.
He has read the ACTUAL, UNAVOIDABLE, INCONTROVERTIBLE TRUTHS that I have posted here, including but not limited: -- The city's tax base is falling big time and DV has seen (but won't admit) that it is the truth as I have posted the actual pages from the city assessment roll which is the EVIDENCE that proves that I write and post the ACTUAL, UNAVOIDABLE, INCONTROVERTIBLE TRUTH.
Property values -- both residential AND commercial -- are falling and DV has seen (but won't admit) that it is the truth, as I and others have posted the equalization rate, this year up to a whopping 123%. Actually, knowing DV probably thinks that an Equalization Rate of 123% means that values have incrased by 123% But he won't address that because as he is not nor has ever been a taxpayer and homeowner, he would not understand that term
Home sales and home prices are falling BIG TIME, and DV has seen (but won't admit) the actual sale prices based on the official real estate reports (not the lies the mayor tells), and the tables showing the actual sale prices of many houses which prices far lower than the asking prices and far lower than the assessed values that the city claims the houses are worth.
Virtually no one wants to buy a home IN the city, and DV has seen (but won't admit) that he has seen the official real estate reports showing the ever increasing numbers of houses put up for sale compared to the miserably ever falling numbers of closed sales from the information posted on these boards.
People are fleeing the city even before their often nice city homes sell and DV has seen (but won't admit) that this is the truth as I have provided a wealth of EVIDENCE of all the real estate ads, and McC's HOMES program where the houses are EMPTY.
People are fleeing the city and won't move into the city, and DV has seen (but won't admit) the proof via the numbers of tax foreclosures is high and going higher and the mayor can't get people to buy the homes, other homes are the people flee before they even receive and offer on their for-sale house, the record high numbers of vacant rental units, and these vacancies are all proven by the EVIDENCE of the blight spreading throughout the city.
The taxes are higher than they were 10 years ago and DV cannot provide one teeny weeny shred of evidence to prove his statement that taxes are lower than 10 years ago.
The tax around here are so high that the tax portion of a mortgage payment exceeds the cost of the house. DV won't address this issue because he doesn't own a house and never paid a mortgage, but for his benefit we can explain that when the escrow amount exceeds the combination of principal plus interest, that's a big indicator of a really falling city.
People who have bought houses in recent years are underwater on their mortgage, DV won't address this because he doesn't understand what it means, but any amortization table will show the truth and just compare it the market values of the house. Just look at an amortization schedule and see what the pay off balance is two years after you buy a house; in the city, the overwhelming majority of the few buyers (that have purchased) have financed 100% of their mortgage (lower income and lower middle income buyers who would not have the typical 20% down payment) viia these taxpayer-backed programs. To look at such a schedule, the payoff balance today is substantially higher than the house is worth -- anyone who has bought should refer to their monthly mortgage statement come May 1 and refer also to the city's tentative assessment roll because there is a figure on there that states "full market value." Here is an explanation:
If you bought your house assessed for $100,000, in the city of Schenectady on Jan 1, 2009 for $100,000 and got a 30 yr mortgage, 100% financing at 4%, the payoff balance on 6/1/2014 would be $89,740.
If you bought your house assessed for $100,000, in the city of Schenectady on Jan 1, 2010 for $100,000 and got a 30 yr mortgage, 100% financing at 4%, the payoff balance on 6/1/2014 would be $91,834.
If you bought your house assessed for $100,000, in the city of Schenectady on Jan 1, 2011 for $100,000 and got a 30 yr mortgage, 100% financing at 4%, the payoff balance on 6/1/2014 would be $93,845.
If you bought your house assessed for $100,000, in the city of Schenectady on Jan 1, 2012 for $100,000 and got a 30 yr mortgage, 100% financing at 4%, the payoff balance on 6/1/2014 would be $95,778.
When you look at the 5/1/14 tentative assessment roll, (a month from today) if the equalization rate is made official at 123%, then the full market value of the house will appear on the assessment roll as $81,301.
But we all realize that the equalization rate really should be much higher. So many houses that sell, sell for 30%, 40%, 50% less than the assessed value that the E.R. should be higher. Granted most people would not have paid $100,000 for a house assessed at $100,000, but if they bought a $100,000 assessed house for $75,000, the property values are tumbling so rapidly in the city that the pay off balance would still exceed what the person could sell there house for, if for example they bought the house two years ago (or any time in the recent past).
Lastly, DV will NOT post on this thread because he simply cannot say that living in the city is so wonderful when he, himself, absolutely refuses to buy a house IN the city, and further, does not even want any part of renting IN the city.
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Optimists close their eyes and pretend problems are non existent. Better to have open eyes, see the truths, acknowledge the negatives, and speak up for the people rather than the politicos and their rich cronies.
Hey, you notice that I spoke the truth once again. I told you he won't post and address the facts that I posted, and he has been on these boards today, but he avoids addressing the TURTH's about taxes, home values, home sales, home sale prices, the falling tax base.
Optimists close their eyes and pretend problems are non existent. Better to have open eyes, see the truths, acknowledge the negatives, and speak up for the people rather than the politicos and their rich cronies.
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