Showing posts with label Hudson Valley. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Hudson Valley. Show all posts

Sunday, March 23, 2014

From Rio back to the Hudson Valley...

The Hudson Valley Real Estate market usually slows down during the middle of winter and it’s when I take my two month vacation each year to Rio De Janerio.  One sure sign that the market is changing is that last year and this year my properties really had a lot of previews and I even sold homes these past two winters!  It’s an exciting sign of a changing Ulster County Real Estate market!
I rent an apartment each year in Ipanema and have been going to Rio for the past 15 years.  I have a lot of very close friends there and it’s always great to get back and see everyone each year.  I am in Rio during Carnaval each year and even get to parade and compete with one of the major “samba schools”, Vila Isabel.
I have been back less than a week and already have clients to take out to see homes.  I let sellers know that the “buyers who are out looking during winter are the SERIOUS buyers”.  This was a brutal winter and buyers that were out looking were serious and put offers in on properties and Ulster County Real Estate did not “flat line” this year.
Here is one of my properties that has been shown a lot these past few weeks.  I think it’s a perfect Victorian for someone looking for a move right in home!
Well, NOW it’s SPRING and it’s when I get VERY busy, so please let me know what I can do for you.  Many thanks, and hope all is well.The Hudson Valley Real Estate market usually slows down during the middle of winter and it’s when I take my two month vacation each year to Rio De Janerio.  One sure sign that the market is changing is that last year and this year my properties really had a lot of previews and I even sold homes these past two winters!  It’s an exciting sign of a changing Ulster County Real Estate market!

I rent an apartment each year in Ipanema and have been going to Rio for the past 15 years.  I have a lot of very close friends there and it’s always great to get back and see everyone each year.  I am in Rio during Carnaval each year and even get to parade and compete with one of the major “samba schools”, Vila Isabel.
I have been back less than a week and already have clients to take out to see homes.  I let sellers know that the “buyers who are out looking during winter are the SERIOUS buyers”.  This was a brutal winter and buyers that were out looking were serious and put offers in on properties and Ulster County Real Estate did not “flat line” this year.
Here is one of my properties that has been shown a lot these past few weeks.  I think it’s a perfect Victorian for someone looking for a move right in home!
Victorian dream home
Well, NOW it’s SPRING and it’s when I get VERY busy, so please let me know what I can do for you.  Many thanks, and hope all is well.

Monday, March 18, 2013

A Rio postcard and how to pick a house Upstate...

As many of my clients and blog readers know, I take a two month trip to Rio each year in the middle of winter, (when the market is slowest).  This year's trip was really special.  I compete in Rio's Carnaval and parade in one of the 12 groups (samba schools) that fight to win each year.  The groups all have to write a new song, theme, and dance each year and they are judged on about 40 categories from four different judges who give from 5 to 10 points, (ten being highest).
This year our parade was almost PERFECT and we won!  We have not been champions since 2006 and it's pretty incredible to be on the winning team!
Here is the video... (the small group of dancers in the front at about nine minutes tell the story of what the parade will be).
Here is a photo album from the news...
 
Each year when I get back in March, things are starting to pick up and I become busy with clients looking for that perfect upstate home.  With so many different towns and communities it can really be a challenge to decide which place is right for you.  I have had plenty of clients tell me they want one type of property when we start out, and wind up with something completely different from what they thought they were looking for.  That is where I come in and help guide lost clients.
Here is a GREAT article that explains some choices...
Here is one of my favorite listings on the market right now that is in a very popular neighborhood and will probably not be on the market for too long!
 
Many thanks and think SPRING!



 

Saturday, October 13, 2012

I'm on the cover of The Ulster County Chamber of Commerce's mag!

This past Spring when my house was on the Saugerties historic home tour, (I live at one of the Hudson River's brickyards) the Ulster County Chamber of Commerce sent a photographer on the tour.  They asked to take a picture from my gazebo for their business directory and I said, "sure"!  I really thought it was going to be just a small picture, but now when I go inside any local store or business, I see MY HOUSE on the cover of a magazine!  Buying this house ten years ago is what brought me to becoming a Realtor.  My "buyer agent" was so good and really covered so much deatail that it looked like the perfect career choice for me.  That agent, Arielle Curtin, worked for another broker then, but now works with me at Coldwell Banker Village Green Realty!
Here is the directory for Ulster County businesses...

 

Thursday, August 23, 2012

Hudson Valley Summer horse life...(and a couple listings)

While Saratoga is described as "the best six weeks of Summer", Saugerties also has a major horse competition and venue as well.  HITS, (horses in the sun) is a really big annual event that brings a LOT of visitors here to the Hudson Valley, (Bruce Springsteen even came to watch his daughter compete)!  The horses mostly compete in jumping courses with the Catskill Mountains as an awesome background.  The venue also has an end of season concert and this year Michael McDonald is playing on September 9th. http://www.hitsshows.com/
I previewed a GREAT horse farm yesterday in Saugerties on TWENTY acres that is PERFECT for anyone looking for property for horses.  Here is the property...
I spend as much time as I can in Saratoga during racing season, and this year had an excuse.  I have two really great listings in Saratoga!
The first is a motel I have stayed at for years now because it's right on the backstretch and as close to the horse "action" as you can get!
The second is a restored historic building with three store fronts and two 2 bedroom upstairs apartments.  It's in Saratoga's "arts district".
This weekend is the "Travers Stakes" and I will be in saratoga all weekend and hopefully not only win big, but sell both of these great properties I've had so much "action" on during this season!  "AND they're off"!!
 
 

Friday, July 27, 2012

Kingston..."Brooklyn on the Hudson"...


I always love when I have clients from the city come up to look at houses in Woodstock, and after talking to them think Kingston might be a better fit.  To give them an idea of Kingston, I may have them meet in the Kingston office instead of meeting in our Woodstock office.  My Kingston office is in a very historic area and there are lots of shoppes, restaurants, and plenty of historic buildings from when this was NY’s first capitol.

Kingston has an artistic urban vibe, but you can still find, (like I did) a home that is on a dirt road and feels miles away, but is just a few minutes from EVERYTHING you need!

Kingston is not for everyone.  It’s a very diverse community where the locals really want to meet new people.  Some of my buyer clients really don’t want that, and would prefer to bring supplies and really escape for a remote weekend, (yes, I can find that also for you)!

Here is a photo log from our company Flickr page of Kingston…
http://www.flickr.com/photos/coldwellbankervillagegreenrealty/sets/72157629650584396/

Here are two of my own listings I have on right now that I feel are really the BEST this city has to offer!
http://www.upstatenydreamhome.com/Web/AR297973/ListingSearch/details/?mls_id=NY-UCMLS&mls_no=20122194&display_page=1&lpp=6&index=1&total_listings=1&from=results
&
http://www.upstatenydreamhome.com/Web/AR297973/ListingSearch/details/?mls_id=NY-UCMLS&mls_no=20115144&display_page=1&lpp=6&index=1&total_listings=1&from=results
 
I take great pride in this city, and would really love to show you around to all it has to offer, (even if you have no plans of buying property here)!

Many thanks, and have a great weekend,

(Fridays are a Realtor’s Monday)!

 

Friday, June 29, 2012

Have you heard the buzz about ROSENDALE yet?

I often have clients who come up from Manhattan looking for property in Woodstock.  They usually choose Woodstock because Woodstock is one of the only towns some people in NYC know about in the Catskills.  Some are suprised with the prices of property in Woodstock.  Woodstock is some of the most expensive of all Ulster County Real Estate. 
Those clients who feel a "sticker shock" over Woodstock Real Estate I can introduce to Rosendale.  Rosendale has the same "vibe" and scence of artistic community that you find in Woodstock, but with a very affordable price tag.
Here is what the NY Times says...
New York Times says "Woodstock is dead"...
Village Green's blog just wrote this about Rosendale...
Rosendale also has a few sweet bed and breakfast places to stay.  The 1850 House is one of the town's newest makeovers...
The Rosendale music festival is one of my favorite local music festivals!  It's three days of great music and food!
http://rosendalestreetfestival.ning.com/
Speaking of food...
One of my favorite Rosendale places is "Twisted foods"!  GREAT lunches and amazing pretzels!
http://www.facebook.com/twistedfoods.pretzelrollfactory
Give me a call and let me show you Rosendale!


Saturday, June 2, 2012

Ok, a crazy random test...Ulster County Real Estate

I heard that putting Ulster County Real Estate in 65% of a blog post will push your web presence up high on Google.  You can stop reading now...
This is a test...
This is only a test.

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Saturday, May 26, 2012

Eat...MEAT!

For about sixteen years not only did I refuse to eat meat, but had become one of the most picky eaters on the planet.  I was an adult who had the appetite of a spoiled brat!  When I moved to the Hudson Valley from NYC it got even easier to not eat this or that and pass judgement on the people who did.  Family and friends also had opinions about my food lifestyle..."oh, he won't eat THAT" was often said at family holiday dinners.  Sometimes it was "oh, come on, just try this, you will love it".  It was like the teenage me with the crazy hair colors and styles was now rebelling with FOOD. 
Funny looking back at that.  How LAME!  I started going to South America and trying to explain to some of the sweetest people in the world "no meat" was almost impossible.  It was usually a beautiful plate of vegetables with MEAT on it that I would pick around and be grossed out that it touched the rest of the plate.  I was a mess and knew it, but had to change this because I hated looking this way, (typical American Gringo ASS) to people in another country who I really loved so much so I started to try and just eat what I was served.  I found out, IT WAS GOOD!
Back in Kingston a new butcher had opened uptown.  It was organic meat.  I knew if I was going to start eating meat again THIS was the way to go.  I could still be the picky eater and start eating healthy meat again!  The first time I stopped in  to Fleisher's it just smelled so amazing.  I had no idea what to order or what anything in the store even was.  The owner Joshua Applestone suggested BEACON.  Clever of him.  NOBODY can say "no" to BEACON! 
It was AWESOME and not the greasy fatty salty stuff I remembered.  I started to go in to the store more for my weekly gentle meat fix.  I always asked, "what's that?" and they would always explain what I was buying and how I should cook it.  I was discovering meat the way it should be discovered...learned.
Over the years I have learned so much, and just from being a customer.  Fleisher's also offers butcher classes and owner Joshua Applestone even was on tv teaching Martha Stewart how to butcher a pig!
They offered a class a while ago to the public and I was almost signed up, but then saw "see the slaughter of the pig" on the sign and decided I couldn't.  I really do understand if you eat meat, you should see how it is killed, but all I think I can do is catch fish.  Somehow deep sea fishing and getting monster fish on the boat with blood and gross really is the line for me.  Weird.
I now have a routine.  Stop in to Fleisher's Thursday or Friday and stock up.  I can't go in there on Saturday...way too busy with "weekenders".  I'm beyond happy that the store is PACKED on Saturdays, but I like stopping in during the week way better.  I stop in and still ask the guys behind the counter, "what is THAT and how do I cook it" or "I LOVE those" and they just are always happy to suggest how they like to cook it.  It always feels like such an old fashioned way to buy food.  Talking to a vendor about their product...what a concept.  I always walk out of the store feeling like I didn't just "buy something" but had a way cool food experience!
Can't make it to the Kingston or Park Slope stores?  get the book!

"I EAT CANNIBALS"!


Wednesday, May 2, 2012

The City of Hudson

The City of Hudson is now the latest cool, hip, trendy, and fun place to be!  One of the bloggers at Coldwell Banker Village Green Realty just wrote a great blog about the real estate market in Hudson and how while opportunities to buy may have been missed, there is still PLENTY of properties with value to be found at a great price! 
It really was just a quiet sleepy town with some cool antique and junk shops a few years ago and needed some work.  The City of Hudson is one of the few towns on the side of the river that Amtrak reaches from New York City which makes it a really perfect weekend place for second home buyers.
Here is a photo album of the city of Hudson...
There are plenty of places to stay in the City of Hudson before deciding to buy property there.  Friends of mine own "The Inn at Hudson" and it's a really special place to stay in town...
If you think the City of Hudson is for you and want to find the perfect property for you, give me a call or look for City of Hudson homes on my website...
www.upstatenydreamhome.com



Wednesday, April 11, 2012

What are "buyer's agents" and "seller's agents"?

I am always telling people I know that they should never drive by a house they like and call the number on the lawn sign, (unless it's my listing...lol)! 
The person on the sign is almost ALWAYS representing the seller to get the highest price for the seller.  When someone is buying a home they should always hire a "buyer's agent" to represent them and get the best possible price for them.  This means the "buyers agent" will negotiate for them, know the current market, and really try to save the buyer (sometimes thousands) dollars. 
The best part about having your own "buyer's agent" is the seller of the home usually has to pay the "buyer's agent's" commission!  It's really like hiring an expert to work for you for FREE!
I hold an ABR designation to represent buyers and really love working for them!  Here is the website for the ABR information...
116 Fair Street Victorian House


Monday, April 2, 2012

spring rise!

Sunrise on the Hudson at home....


Tuesday, March 27, 2012

My fave food and COFFEE!

Hudson valley coffee traders in uptown Kingston is where I spend almost every lunch break during the week.  Besides the most delicious coffee, they also sell really great sandwiches, Paninis, salads, and really something for any lunchtime craving.  The owners and staff are some of the coolest people in town, and can always give out great information for any local things happening you may want to know about.  The gallery space changes and always has a great art show up to enjoy while munching and wiring out!
They also do catering and I have used the for open house events, (guaranteed to bring agents and buyers)!
here is their blog...
http://hudsoncoffeetraders.wordpress.com/

Friday, March 23, 2012

The sweetest classic farmhouse

I just showed a home the other day I had to share with everyone!  This is a farmhouse in New Paltz and when I walked in with my buyers I just said "WOW"!  This house had really old charm and warmth, but with many new updates so someone can move right in!  It's also surrounded by the most beautiful apple orchards, (go ahead, pick your own...they are right out back)!  I have relatives that live near this home and they LOVE living there!  Here is the full listing!  Let me know if you want to  preview this.  I love showing it and am sure it will be sold SOON!
http://ulster.paragonrels.com/publink/default.aspx?GUID=ffca0dc0-1dbf-4978-8a1a-b38d1807a4d6&Report=Yes

Thursday, December 15, 2011

Looking for Hudson River Views?

I just previewed this AMAZING Montana log home that sites high above the Hudson River. I love this home and location to Metro North trains, walkway over the Hudson, village of New Paltz, and so much more! Here is what the listing agent has to say…

Elegant and sophisticated one of a kind Montana Log built home. Enjoy nature at it's finest with 5 secluded acres yet just 1.5 hours from NYC. Gorgeous Hudson River and Berkshire views from your very own balcony off Master Suite! Take a dip in the inground pool or relax in your very own Suana. Soaring cathedral Ceiling with massive stone fireplace for those cold winter nights. Everything you are dreaming of and so much more....

Here is the full listing...
Give me a call today and I can make sure to get you in to see this before it's GONE!!!




Thursday, December 1, 2011

A classic historic Victorian!

My latest listing is an elegant Victorian home on the "National Register of Historic Places".  The home is almost 6,000 square feet AND has a separate two bedroom downstairs apartment, (for added income).  Here is the full listing...
This is the "Chichester House" and has a rich history.
The home is walking distance to so much of Kingston's nightlife, Farmer's market, and busy community.
Here is a recent NY Times story about Kingston's new "scene"...






Thursday, October 27, 2011

What's shakin and sellin this week?

I just like to keep track of what sells right now in this market.  It's good to let clients know how many days a property is on the market before it sells, what it's original price was, and most important what it sold for.  Here are this week's numbers...
http://ulster.paragonrels.com/publink/default.aspx?GUID=54d2bd91-d3ec-4449-806e-d4503c1424d2&Report=Yes
This is one of my properties I think is one of the best priced homes on the market right now!  It's in the Town of Ulster just outside the village of Rosendale.  Rosendale is a hip art community a lot like Woodstock, but at an affordable price. 
http://ulster.paragonrels.com/publink/default.aspx?GUID=d78df56b-fc9d-4d6b-aa45-8f311b6e361f&Report=Yes


Here is what the NY Times has to say about Rosendale...

New York Magazine has this to say...
If you are looking for anything else in today's market, my website has the entire MLS of properties on the market right now...
www.upstatenydreamhome.com



Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Calling Saratoga fans

and investors!  I have two really great properties on the market right now in Saratoga Springs, NY. 
I enjoy Thoroughbred racing and follow horses and trainers all year long.  Saratoga Racetrack is America's oldest sports venue and the "best six weeks of Summer" in August.  Being a racing fan, I like to be as close to the "action" as possible and always stay at a motel that is right across the street from the backstretch.  I like get up really early morning and watch trainer's morning workouts while the Daily Racing form broadcasts the "morning line' across the street from the motel. 
After the races I leave the track and head across the street from the motel to the Horseshoe Inn for the all night party with racing fans.
The owners of the motel have run the very successful motel for many years, but are now ready to leave it and pursue their true careers.  They are both very famous Opera singers and it is time for them to focus on Opera once again.
Here is the full listing.  It's really an investor's smartest dream to find a property this close to the most famous racetrack in the world...
The couple also owns a gallery space with stores and two apartments in Saratoga's hip and trendy art neighborhood.  This is a historic corner building that will definitely be a smart investment.  Here is that listing...





Saturday, October 8, 2011

Sooooooooooo much happening around this weekend!

There really is just so much going on all weekend, and I am trying to take a break from Hudson valley Real estate to take part in some of it all!  Last night kicked off the O positive festival.  Kingston has really wild art all over the city, and great bands are playing all over midtown.  It's a really cool event where artists perform and create for free heath care, (what a concept)!  You can read all about it and see some of the amazing bands here on their site...
Fresh off the stage from opening last weekend's B-52's concert in town, The Lady Esther Gin kicked things off in the parade last night on her giant toy horse!
This article was just in the New York Times all about Kingston's scene...
Sunday in Rosendale, (the REAL Woodstock town) is a Brasil festival and parade...
&
Of course, the real estate market is full of amazing places to live here in the Hudson Valley!  Please, let me show you some of the coolest places to live in the area!