Do starter đ homes exist in Saratoga anymore?
BUT FIRST: đłď¸ You voted! Super Bowl ad poll results.
Hey, Dispatchers!
Itâs a balmy 35 degrees out (âfeels like 24,â but letâs not split hairs), and we have poll results. Itâs a pretty exciting Wednesday for February.
âAbby
đ Poll results: fave Super Bowl commercial
On Monday, we asked you what your favorite Super Bowl ad was, and two tied for first, at 37% each.
First up: Ben Affleckâs clever, star-studded Dunkin ad (costarring Matt LeBlanc, Jason Alexander, Jennifer Aniston andâŚTom Brady, among many others.) It was a reimagined Good Will Hunting if it took place in a donut shop, and seemingly everyone was in it.
Good for: people who wanted a good laugh during what turned out to be a slow game.
The second one? A celeb-less Budweiser ad that starred a little baby bald eagle left out in the rain and rescued by a Clydesdale horse. (âIâm not crying, youâre crying!â)
Good for: patriotic sports fans who needed a pick-me-up during aâŚdid I already mention the slow game?
If we really wanted to choose a winner, we did get a comment on the Substack app: âI missed many of the ads, so cannot comment outside of the leaked Budweiser oneâŚand being a horse lover, well perhaps no contest.â
The Clydesdale horses in the (winning?) ad last made an appearance at the track in August 22.
So Saratoga, our connection to horses just might have edged out the impressive star power of Dunkin after all.
đď¸ What To Do
Tomorrow night: âcozy eveningâ of modern folk music at Caffè Lena
Buy your tickets now to catch the great Lucy Wainwright Rocheâs âcrystal-clear voice and disarming wit.â
Tomorrow nightâs headliner at Caffè Lena has all the bragging rights one could possibly ask for: âeffortlessâ modern folk musicianship, laughs, a bold-faced name, has toured with groups such as the Indigo GirlsâŚyes, weâre talking Lucy Wainwright Roche.
Lucy is a second-generation Caffè Lena performer, the daughter of Loudon Wainwright III and Suzzy Roche (and half-sister to Rufus, whom sheâs also toured with).
âShe inherited musicianship that appears effortless, and a dry sense of humor that gives the audience that delicious feeling of being in on the joke,â says Caffè Lenaâs executive director, Sarah Craig. âSheâs so smart. And sheâs a mom, a brilliant songwriter, and just the kind of person you want to hang out with for a cozy evening at Caffe Lena.â
Lucy might come from music royalty, but she never took it for granted â earning degrees in creative writing and education (she taught elementary school in North Carolina and New York before jumping off into music full-time in 2007). Sheâs been described as having a âcrystal-clear voice, disarming wit, and an understated storytelling style that cuts straight to the heart.â
To grab your ticket for tomorrowâs show and for more information, visit caffelena.org.
đ ICYMIâŚ
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Local finance leaders in the hot seat: âWhat keeps you up at night?â
Savor this, Saratoga: TogaNolaâs efforts to give back are downright delicious
đ Local News
Do âstarter homesâ still exist in Saratoga?
Itâs official: The median age of first-time home buyers is now 40 (yes, you read that right). Allison Bradley tells us what this means for Saratoga.
TOGETHER WITH
Is it still a âstarter homeâ if youâre firmly in middle age when you buy it?
The median age of first-time home buyers is now 40, nearly a decade older than 20 years ago, according to the National Association of Realtors. And these sobering new statistics are pronounced in Saratoga County for some very specific reasons.
âHomes for sale in Saratoga County tend to be older â and thus potentially in need of updating cosmetically and/or structurally â and more expensive,â says Allison Bradley of Four Seasons Sothebyâs Realty. âAnd there is relatively little new construction at true starter-home price points.â
Our area is seeing some major job growth (hello, GlobalFoundries) in technology, healthcare and other professional fields. And indeed, for residents not currently trying to put money together for a first-time home, the economic boon signified by more jobs and rising housing prices is seen as something very positive.
âItâs bringing more people into the area, which is great, but itâs also adding pressure to an already limited housing supply,â Bradley says. âThis means that first-time buyers are often competing not only with each other, but with upsizing and downsizing buyers and cash-backed relocations.â
As a result, many buyers donât reach the financial readiness to purchase until later in life. Dual incomes, reduced student debt, and career advancement have become prerequisites rather than advantages. In many parts of the county, the traditional âstarter homeâ has effectively disappeared.
This shift can have long-term consequences for Saratoga and Saratoga County.
âBuying later in life shortens the amount of time homeowners have to build equity,â Bradley says. âThis reduces turnover at the lower end of the market, making it even harder for the next wave of first-time buyers to purchase. Without more housing options across a wider range of price points, the age of first-time buyers in Saratoga County is likely to continue to rise.â
For more information visit sothebysrealty.com/fourseasons and contact Allison Bradly via text at 518-339-7313 or email at Allison.bradley@sothebysrealty.com.
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