New York home sales slip in January, CNY sales mixed

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ALBANY, N.Y. — New York realtors sold 10,935 previously-owned homes in January, down 5.4 percent from the 11,565 homes they sold in January 2021, as the industry grappled with record-low inventory. Pending sales in January edged up 0.6 percent to 9,698 from 9,639 a year prior, pointing to a possible reversal of sales declines in […]

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ALBANY, N.Y. — New York realtors sold 10,935 previously-owned homes in January, down 5.4 percent from the 11,565 homes they sold in January 2021, as the industry grappled with record-low inventory.

Pending sales in January edged up 0.6 percent to 9,698 from 9,639 a year prior, pointing to a possible reversal of sales declines in coming months.

The data comes from the New York State Association of Realtors (NYSAR)’s January housing-market report issued Feb. 18.

“Inventory of homes for sale dropped to historically low rates in the beginning of 2022 while home prices continue to rise across the Empire State,” NYSAR said.

New York sales data

Amid the constrained supply of homes available for purchase, house prices continued to leap higher. The January 2022 statewide median sales price was $396,500, up more than 13 percent from the January 2021 median sales price of $350,000, and over 34 percent higher than the median price of $295,000 two years ago.

The months’ supply of homes for sale at the end of January stood at 2.3 months, down more than 36 percent from 3.6 months at the end of January 2021, per the NYSAR report.

A 6 month to 6.5-month supply is considered to be a balanced market, the association said.

The number of homes for sale totaled 29,535 in January, down more than 30 percent from 42,383 homes in January 2021 and off almost 55 percent from 54,070 homes in January 2020.

Central New York data

Realtors in Onondaga County sold 348 previously owned homes in January, down 3.1 percent from the 359 homes sold in the same month in 2021. The median sales price rose 9.5 percent to $180,700 from $165,000 a year ago, according to the NYSAR report.

The association also reports that realtors sold 162 homes in Oneida County in the first month of 2022, up 8.7 percent from 149 homes sold in January 2021. The median sales price increased 19.4 percent to $179,140 from $150,000 a year earlier.

Realtors in Broome County sold 133 existing homes in January, down 6.3 percent from 142 a year before, according to the NYSAR report. The median sales price fell 2.7 percent to $129,900 from $133,500 a year prior.

In Jefferson County, realtors closed on 85 homes in January, down 18.3 percent from 104 in January 2021, while the median sales price of $176,300 this January was up 7.5 percent from $164,000 in the year-ago month, according to the NYSAR data.

All home-sales data is compiled from multiple-listing services in New York state, and it includes townhomes and condominiums in addition to existing single-family homes, according to NYSAR.

Birch Wealth Management adds employee, plans growth

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ROME, N.Y. — With the philosophy that everyone deserves a financial planner, whether they are close to retiring or just starting their careers, Iris Buczkowski founded Birch Wealth Management in September 2019. Since then, she has grown her firm to $40 million in assets under management and recently added a full-time employee. Birch Wealth is

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Since then, she has grown her firm to $40 million in assets under management and recently added a full-time employee. Birch Wealth is located at 414 N. James St. in Rome.

While she still has her own business goals, the true focus, Buczkowski says, is providing goal-based planning to her customers.

“I just love what I do,” she says. “I don’t feel like I’m working. I spend my day helping people.” And by people, she means everyone from high-net worth individuals to emerging professionals.

Buczkowski also believes in helping her community. She serves on the board of the Kelberman Center in Utica, which provides services for people with autism, and also the board of the Rome Area Chamber of Commerce. She also works closely with the Golisano Special Needs Center at Upstate Golisano Children’s Hospital in Syracuse.

That community involvement and being available to meet with clients throughout the COVID-19 pandemic in whatever way worked best for them have both benefitted her business, Buczkowski says.

“I never shut my doors,” she notes. The pandemic shuttered much of the state just six months after she opened her business, but she felt it was essential to be there for her clients. If they wanted to meet in person, she made sure they could safely do so. If a client preferred to have a Zoom meeting instead, she did that, too.

Buczkowski found that many of her clients, especially new ones, wanted to meet in person and that some new clients chose her over another firm because they could meet face to face.

About 90 percent of Birch Wealth clients come through referrals from existing clients. About 20 percent of clients are people Buczkowski has worked with throughout her almost two decades in wealth management. The other 80 percent are new-to-her clients.

At the end of 2021, Buczkowski added Noah Hartung to the staff. The addition will help her work toward her future goals for the firm.

“When I started this firm, I told myself I wanted to be a $100 million firm by five years,” she says. She envisions eventually employing 10 to 15 people. Buczkowski wants people to know who she is and know the Birch Wealth brand.

She chose birch for the business name after learning that birch trees are a symbol of new beginnings and that to Native Americans, the birch is a symbol of resilience.

“I think a new beginning is great, but resilience is even better,” she says.

Birch Wealth (www.birchwealth.com) offers a full array of financial-planning services including individual retirement planning, small business retirement planning, income planning, tax planning, education planning, estate planning, business-succession planning, portfolio management, wealth-accumulation strategies, and special-needs planning.

North Country projects get boost from National Grid grants

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Economic-development projects involving Watertown Public Square, a boost for the Drum Country NY marketing program, and a Potsdam business renovating an adjacent building were among those National Grid helped fund last year. The energy company said it invested a total of more than $2.6 million in economic-development funding in 2021 in Central and Northern New York aimed

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The energy company said it invested a total of more than $2.6 million in economic-development funding in 2021 in Central and Northern New York aimed at growing the regional economy.

National Grid has a portfolio of economic-development programs to restore vacant buildings, “revitalize” commercial corridors, and remediate brownfields to spur new business, expansion, and job growth.

“National Grid is more than just an energy delivery company,” Alberto Bianchetti, regional director for National Grid, said in a release. “We contribute to the engine powering the local economy by incentivizing projects that remediate and revitalize brownfields and vacant storefronts, promote entrepreneurship, and keep businesses in Central New York. These investments fuel economic growth, job creation and retention, and new business opportunities that have a positive impact on everyone living in the region.”

Watertown Public Square project

A renovation project on Court Street in Watertown’s Public Square is converting a vacant building to a multi-purpose space. Developer S&J Properties, LLC is renovating the buildings located at 168-170 Court St. to house a restaurant and event space. Upper floors will have market-rate apartments.

The structure, built in the 1870s, is one of three projects on Court Street and a half-dozen on the Public Square to receive support from National Grid. Funding for the project is provided by the Main Street Revitalization program, National Grid said.

Drum Country NY marketing program

The Drum Country NY Coalition has created marketing tools to support its ongoing external outreach for a business-attraction campaign. The Drum Country NY Coalition includes the Development Authority of the North Country, Lewis County Economic Development, the Jefferson County and St. Lawrence County Industrial Development Agencies, Ft. Drum Regional Liaison Organization, and National Grid.

Funds from National Grid and the federal Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation were used to redesign the Drum Country website, create new collateral materials and deploy a social-media campaign. The agencies used more than $33,000 from the Strategic Economic Development Outreach program. The program supports expertise and capacity for research, marketing, and sales efforts to attract new businesses to the region, National Grid said.

Potsdam building renovation

Summit Storage and Business Solutions of Potsdam renovated a vacant building adjacent to its property in Potsdam into an energy-efficient workspace and secure document-shredding facility. The project added 10,250 square feet of self-storage units to its business.

The vacant building was gutted, renovated, and crews built a new building façade and entryway. The project also added a roadside LED (light-emitting diode) sign.

New York egg production dips nearly 1 percent in January

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New York farms produced 146.6 million eggs in January, down 0.95 percent from 148 million eggs in the year-prior period, the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) recently reported. The number of layers in the Empire State averaged almost 5.75 million in January, a drop of 0.7 percent from nearly 5.79 million in the same month in

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Program offers information on launching a food-based business

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ROME, N.Y. — For everyone that whipped up some sourdough bread while in lockdown and thought, “I should sell this,” Cornell Cooperative Extension of Oneida County has just the program to help make that happen. The From Recipe to Market program, in partnership with Mohawk Valley Community College’s Rome campus, kicks off March 9 and

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The From Recipe to Market program, in partnership with Mohawk Valley Community College’s Rome campus, kicks off March 9 and teaches aspiring food-business entrepreneurs what they need to know to bring their dream to reality.

“The idea of the course is to give people a peek behind the wizard’s curtains into running a business about food products,” says Beth Irons, Oneida County Public Market manager and agricultural incubator kitchen manager at Cooperative Extension.

It’s an opportunity for those people who make those delicious cupcakes everyone says they should sell to see just what is involved in the process, Irons says.

“People who go into these kinds of businesses do it through their passion,” she says. This program helps connect their passion with a plan.

The six-part workshop series, which starts March 9, meets every Wednesday from 5:30-8:30 p.m. and covers a wealth of topics including the various legal requirements, how to develop a business plan, how commercial kitchens work, food safety, and marketing, or as Irons likes to say, “Once you get it on the shelf, how are going to get it off the shelves.”

Every food product is different, and the process for selling maple syrup, for example, won’t necessarily be the same as it is for selling baked goods. The program teaches participants where to go to learn the requirements for their particular product.

On top of learning what it takes behind the scenes to launch a food product, participants will also tour the commercial kitchens at MVCC’s Rome campus and get a taste for what it’s like to produce commercial-sized batches of a product. Making a 60-gallon batch of salsa in a commercial kitchen is much different than making a small batch at home, Irons notes.

Participants will also practice their product pitch, which is important, Irons says. “They need to be able to talk about their product if they want to sell their product,” she says.

One of the most-important elements of the program is the professional network of contacts it introduces participants to, Irons says. For those who go onto the next steps of the process, they will already have contacts at commercial kitchens and more to help them. “We’re already putting them in touch with the right people to take the next steps,” Irons notes.

While she didn’t name specific businesses, Irons says past participants in the program have included producers of salsa, pizza sauce, and specialty baked goods such as gluten-free or vegan products. This spring is the fourth time Cornell Cooperative Extension of Oneida County has offered the program.

Some have gone on to bring a product to market, while others have opted not to, Irons says. “This helps someone who thinks they want to start an ag-based business decide if they want to take the next step.”

For Rebecca Spartano, of Utica, the program was an informative and eye-opening experience. She participated in the spring 2021 program to learn more about brining her hummus recipe to market.

“It was a lot of information, and it was awesome actually,” she says. While Spartano wasn’t completely in the dark about what was required, the wide variety of topics brought a wealth of information on government regulations, packaging, mass production, and more.

Before the program, she didn’t understand many of the government regulations or know how to go about finding a commercial kitchen with which to partner.

“You have no idea what’s really involved, and you should really take this course,” Spartano says to prospective food entrepreneurs. The information learned will help prevent mistakes and provide an ongoing support network.

Ultimately, Spartano decided not to move forward with her idea. “It wasn’t the right product, and it wasn’t the right time,” she notes. But she still has a binder full of information and a list of contacts if she has another idea in the future.

The program, which costs $75 per person currently, typically takes about 15 participants each time it’s offered.

Three North Country businesses transition to younger ownership

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Three businesses in Franklin County are remaining “active in their communities for years to come” with the involvement of young entrepreneurs and local economic-development organizations. The businesses are Little Town Lanes and Martin’s Handmade Pretzels in Moira and Happy Camping RV in Vermontville. The Franklin County Economic Development Corp. (FCEDC) worked with the new owners of the

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Three businesses in Franklin County are remaining “active in their communities for years to come” with the involvement of young entrepreneurs and local economic-development organizations.

The businesses are Little Town Lanes and Martin’s Handmade Pretzels in Moira and Happy Camping RV in Vermontville.

The Franklin County Economic Development Corp. (FCEDC) worked with the new owners of the three businesses to develop customized plans that met “their business transition and financing needs.”

FCEDC is a partner organization of the North Country Center for Businesses in Transition (CBIT), which is a program of the Adirondack North Country Association (ANCA), according to an ANCA news release.

CBIT noted that younger entrepreneurs are “often unable to access” the capital they need to purchase an existing business.

“We are honored to support the next generation of business leaders in Franklin County,” Russ Kinyon, director of economic development at FCEDC, said. “These entrepreneurs bring valuable experience and energy to our local businesses and the communities they serve. We’re excited to see how they shape and grow these businesses into the future.”

An estimated 10,000 to 16,000 businesses in New York’s North Country region are expected to close or change hands in the next decade as their owners enter retirement, ANCA said.

Helping the transitions

Over the last three years, Kinyon and Jeremy Evans, FCEDC’s CEO, have been working with business owners to identify and address their financing needs. The agency has expanded its existing gap-lending programs to offer more flexible terms and specialized services for entrepreneurs.

“In our work connecting retiring business owners with possible successors, we find again and again that access to capital is a major hurdle when purchasing an existing business, even when the interested buyer is an employee who is well positioned to take over,” Danielle Delaini, ANCA’s entrepreneurial program director, said. “Russ and Jeremy’s work with these young entrepreneurs has been instrumental in making these transitions possible.”

For example, Max and Veronica Nason had been working at Happy Camping RV in Vermontville for six years when they learned of the opportunity to purchase the business.

“Going through the usual avenues to secure funding to buy was a huge challenge. We are younger, and no banks wanted to take us on with a reasonable offer that would put us in a good position,” Max Nason said. “Russ and Jeremy were extremely knowledgeable, and they were rooting for us throughout the entire process. They saw our vision to not only purchase the business, but also to build a new service garage and expand. They worked hard to help us secure the funding we needed.”

As for Jeremy Bonville, he spent “countless hours” bowling at the local alley in Moira as a child, and he eventually went on to join the venue’s staff. When his employers announced they were ready to retire two years ago, he began the process of purchasing and renovating Little Town Lanes.

“This has been a huge improvement for the business. The lanes had the same look for 20 years, so it was a major change,” Bonville said, noting the updates will allow the venue to support more special events and bowling competitions. “We hope to continue to grow the business and provide our community with a safe place to have fun with friends and family.”

In addition, Martin’s Handmade Pretzels in Moira changed hands last year when Josiah Martin purchased his grandparents’ pretzel bakery with help from his father, Justus. The family business has been in operation since 1935 and in 2019 relocated from Theresa in Jefferson County to western Franklin County.

After a fire in 2020 heavily damaged the bakery and country store, Martin’s completed a major renovation and reopened in December 2021.

The business aims to employ at least 12 staff members who will make “hundreds of thousands” of pretzels every year to be sold locally and at established markets in New York City and across the country, ANCA said.

FCEDC partners assisted Martin throughout the transition process with referrals to regional resources, connections to stakeholders, and support promoting the new business.

“For me and my family, the ability to do what we love and share it with others is a legacy we all want to be part of,” Martin said. “Personally, it is very fulfilling to be back in operation and continue the family tradition for another generation.”

Available assistance

Besides FCEDC, other CBIT organizations that offer flexible loan services for transitioning businesses include the Adirondack Economic Development Corporation, Essex County Industrial Development Corporation, Hamilton County Economic Development, and Lewis County Economic Development.

CBIT is planning its second Small Communities. Big Opportunities conference in February 2023. The event will provide business owners and potential buyers opportunities to connect with each other and learn from experts and business owners who have been through the transition process.

In 2022, CBIT will continue its Plan for the Future workshop series and Sellers Working Group and offer a new Train-the-Trainer Program that provides staff from economic-development organizations, chambers of commerce, and nonprofits with skills to support owners who are preparing for succession.

CBIT was established by ANCA in 2018 with grant funding from the Northern Regional Border Commission and is currently partially funded by a grant from the United States Department of Agriculture’s Rural Community Development Initiative, per the ANCA release.

B&L makes two senior-level promotions in Watertown office

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WATERTOWN, N.Y. — Barton & Loguidice, D.P.C. (B&L) — a regional engineering, planning, environmental, and landscape architecture firm — announced that two employees in its Watertown office have received a senior-level promotion in 2022. Dustin J. Clark, an engineer, has been promoted to associate. He is a member of B&L’s water resources practice area from

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Rice appointed as Adirondack Park Agency executive director

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Gov. Kathy Hochul recently announced that the board of the Adirondack Park Agency (APA) appointed Barbara Rice, the governor’s recommendation, to serve as executive director. Rice replaces Terry Martino, who retired from the agency after more than 12 years of service. Rice starts her new position on March 8. Martino retired Feb. 23. “Barbara Rice has

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Gov. Kathy Hochul recently announced that the board of the Adirondack Park Agency (APA) appointed Barbara Rice, the governor’s recommendation, to serve as executive director.

Rice replaces Terry Martino, who retired from the agency after more than 12 years of service. Rice starts her new position on March 8. Martino retired Feb. 23.

“Barbara Rice has worked tirelessly for the people of New York State in her years of dedicated service,” Hochul said in a Feb. 10 news release. “She is no stranger to the Adirondack Park Agency and undoubtedly her commitment to her work will carry over into this new role. There is no one better for the job and I commend the Board for confirming this appointment.”

Rice served as an APA board member from 2016-2018. She has an extensive background in local-government administration and community land-use planning and development. Most recently, she served in the governor’s executive chamber as assistant secretary for economic development. In that position, Rice oversaw expansion of broadband-internet access in unserved and underserved areas of New York state through the implementation of the $500 million New York Broadband Program. She also supervised $265 million in capital projects through the Olympic Regional Development Authority in preparation for the 2023 World University Games and helped launch the Upstate Cellular Task Force, which identified policies to improve cellular communication in upstate New York.

“The Adirondack Park Agency Board is thrilled to welcome Barb Rice back to her lifelong home. As a third-generation business owner and dedicated public servant, Barb has the practical experience and proven management skills necessary to successfully advance the mission of the Adirondack Park Agency,” John Ernst, APA board chair, said in the release. “The Agency thanks Governor Hochul for prioritizing the seamless transition of leadership at the Park Agency.”

During her time as a Franklin County legislator, Rice oversaw county-government operations including management of department heads, implementation of strategic-planning initiatives, business recruitment, and implementation of countywide ethics reform.

In her prior role as Saranac Lake Village trustee, she helped oversee operation of the fire, police, code enforcement, public works, and water/sewer departments. Serving in this capacity provided valuable perspective on the critical issues that Adirondack Park local governments must manage, per the release.

Rice has held several other high-profile positions. She was a member of the North Country Regional Economic Development Council, a trustee with the Adirondack Health Foundation, member of the NYS Fire Safety and Building Code Council, director of the Saranac Lake Local Development Corporation, and a member of the Harrietstown Board of Assessment and Review.

Lewis County farm adds energy-efficient barn with help from National Grid grant

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LOWVILLE, N.Y. — A family farm in Lowville building a new, energy-efficient pole barn to house dairy cattle was one of the economic-development projects National Grid helped fund in calendar-year 2021 in central and northern New York. The 3,600-square-foot building features energy efficient LED lighting and variable-speed fans. The project received $3,000 from the Agribusiness

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Morrisville professor is finalist for Ag Educator of the Year

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MORRISVILLE, N.Y. — SUNY Morrisville professor Charles (Chip) Ax III has been recognized with a Nationwide Golden Owl Award, naming him a finalist as the 2021-22 Ag Educator of the Year. Ax, associate professor of diesel technology and agricultural engineering, is one of 11 finalists across the state for Ag Educator of the Year, SUNY

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MORRISVILLE, N.Y. — SUNY Morrisville professor Charles (Chip) Ax III has been recognized with a Nationwide Golden Owl Award, naming him a finalist as the 2021-22 Ag Educator of the Year.

Ax, associate professor of diesel technology and agricultural engineering, is one of 11 finalists across the state for Ag Educator of the Year, SUNY Morrisville said. The annual award recognizes “extraordinary” teachers and supports their educational efforts, per the university’s news release. Ag is short for agriculture and agricultural.

As a finalist, Ax is now in the running to win the New York State grand prize, which will be announced in May, per the website of New York State FFA, an organization dedicated to New York agricultural education.

Ax grew up on a fruit farm in Pennsylvania and would eventually go on to have roles with FFA, operating a crop farm in St. Lawrence County. He would later become a high school and BOCES ag teacher, before moving to a college classroom, where he has been educating SUNY Morrisville students to become agricultural leaders for more than a decade.

Ax’s work in educating students and supporting agriculture happens not only in the classroom, but also in his work as advisor of SUNY Morrisville’s Collegiate FFA. Throughout his tenure, the college’s program has “flourished and forged strong connections” with other agricultural-related schools, including Cornell University, Alfred State, and Paul Smith’s College.

“Chip is a tireless advocate for our students and for ag students everywhere,” Anthony Contento, dean of the School of Agriculture, Business & Technology, said. “He spends much of his free time working with younger students and helping them plan their careers in agriculture. We are fortunate to have him as one of our faculty and division chairs at SUNY Morrisville.”

Ax’s career has included providing students with hands-on learning and offering students opportunities through FFA to volunteer, develop their leadership skills, and impact the community through agricultural education.

“I want students to realize their full potential in whatever it is,” he said of his goal as a teacher.

A graduate of SUNY Morrisville’s fruit and vegetable production program in 1988 and agricultural engineering program in 1989, Ax returned to his alma mater in 2010 to teach, the school said.

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