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Features: May 20, 2002
Rensselaer Community Takes Advantage
of University's Homebuyer Incentive Program
On any given weekend, Sean Moore can be
seen making repairs and sweeping out ancient debris of the
100-year-old home he recently purchased at 577 Congress
St. in Troy.
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Sean Moore
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Moore, who works in Rensselaer's Physical
Plant Department, is one of several members of the Rensselaer
community who have taken advantage of the university's recently
launched Homebuyer Incentive Program. The program, which
offers $5,000 to qualified homebuyers who purchase a home
in neighborhoods north and south of campus, is part of the
university's Neighborhood Renewal Initiative outlined in
The Rensselaer Plan.
"I was looking to buy a house for a
couple of years, and I knew that any little bit of money
would help. When I heard about the grant, I just jumped
all over it," says Moore. He plans on restoring the
building's antique façade and renting the empty storefront,
which once was a restaurant that used an old trolley as
kitchen space.
Other Rensselaer employees who have taken
advantage of the initiative are Jennifer Guadalupe, assistant
dean of admissions, who bought a two-story home on Hutton
Street, and Jacqueline Baldwin, executive chef manager for
Sodexo Dining Services, who bought a home at 156 Fourth
St.
"The incentive was one of my main reasons
for considering buying in this area," says Guadalupe,
who has lived in Troy her entire life.
Two other individuals not associated with
Rensselaer also have used the initiative to buy homes. Several
applicants are currently shopping for homes in the target
area, according to Barb Nelson '80, project manager for
campus planning and facilities design, who is heading the
Homebuyer Incentive Program.
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