And the winner of the 2013 Ulster County Realtor Associate of the year is...

ME!
Way humbled.
After a great record breaking year for me, to win this has blown me away!

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...

http://www.ulsterchamber.org/guide/

 

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...

http://goo.gl/lCCiV

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!

http://goo.gl/qYSLO

The second is a restored historic building with three store fronts and two 2 bedroom upstairs apartments.  It's in Saratoga's "arts district".

http://goo.gl/AjZgK

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"!!

http://nyra.com/saratoga/stories/Aug202012c.shtml

 

 

Upstate New York Real Estate

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...

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/25/nyregion/25rosendale.html?_r=1&partner=rss&emc=rss

New York Times says "Woodstock is dead"...

http://nymag.com/guides/summer/2009/57481/

Village Green's blog just wrote this about Rosendale...

http://villagegreenrealty.wordpress.com/2012/06/28/rosendale-ny-hippest-little-town-you-never-heard-of/

Rosendale also has a few sweet bed and breakfast places to stay.  The 1850 House is one of the town's newest makeovers...

http://www.the1850house.com/

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!

The Ulster County Fair and Woodstock properties!

One of the best things about owning Ulster County Real Estate is being able to be part of all the farmer's markets and different fairs during the summer!  The Ulster County Fair is a lot smaller than the Dutchess County Fair, but it's also more of a "classic" county fair.  It's a single price admission and that includes rides and shows.  This year the VILLAGE PEOPLE are playing!  I saw The Village People, (and CHARO) at the Dutchess County Fair a few years ago and they were a blast to see live! 

http://www.dutchessfair.com/

 Here is the Ulster County Fair website...

http://www.ulstercountyfair.com/page.asp?pageid=55

The fair is in New Paltz.  New Paltz is a really great town and owning Ulster County Real Estate there is not only great value, but also a really hip, cool, laid back lifestyle!

http://www.newpaltz.org/

This is a great property I just previewed yesterday in New Paltz.  It can be hard to find land and the right home when looking in Ulster County Real Estate, but this one not only has a cool 50's style Catskill's retreat home in excellent condition, but is also on almost three acres of property!

http://webhosts.ihouseelite.com/Web/AR297973/ListingSearch/details/?mls_id=NY-UCMLS&mls_no=20120099&display_page=1&lpp=6&index=1&total_listings=1&from=results

If you are looking for Woodstock property, there are two Woodstock properties I previewed the other day and loved!  They are two completely different styles and prices, but each has that perfect Woodstock property buyers are looking for right now! 

This home had such great "Restoration Hardware" design and privacy, (over SIX private acres)! I wanted to move right in!

http://webhosts.ihouseelite.com/Web/AR297973/ListingSearch/details/?mls_id=NY-UCMLS&mls_no=20122132&display_page=1&lpp=6&index=1&total_listings=1&from=results

The second home is priced much less and for even MORE acreage, (SEVEN acres)!  The house has such a warm country feeling and all you hear are the waterfalls from the creek outside!  A PERFECT and AFFORDABLE Catskill getaway or permanent home!

http://webhosts.ihouseelite.com/Web/AR297973/ListingSearch/details/?mls_id=NY-UCMLS&mls_no=20122110&display_page=1&lpp=6&index=1&total_listings=1&from=results

If you are looking for Ulster County Real Estate or that perfect Catskills getaway...call me now!

Life in my historic home...

I live in a home that was once a brick manufacturer along the Hudson River.  Kingston, NY once had many brick companies because the clay was perfect for making bricks.  I live where Goldrick bricks were once made and in Mr. Philip Goldrick's home.  Some information about him and the company is here on this site...

http://brickcollecting.com/collection.htm

A few months ago I was asked by the Town of Saugerties to have my home on the  Saugerties historic home tour.  At first I said "no" mostly because I didn't think my home looked like other "historic" homes in the area and also because I really did not know what to expect.  The people on the commission addressed all my concerns and made me feel like it would be a great worthwhile experience. 

Being a Realtor I looked at the opportunity to also meet possible future clients.  Expecting about 200 people, I didn't want to just hand each person a card and had to think of a more creative way to get everyond my contact information.  After a lot of thinking, I came up with making chocolate Goldrick brick bars with my card attached to the wraper!

My neighbors Marion Boxer and Jason Boxer found out about the tour and really were not happy we were doing it, (well, they never really ARE happy about ANYTHING).  I explained to them that there would be a small bus taking small groups to the house all day and it would never be crowded, but they told me, "we have been on these tours and they are very invasive.  The people go through your drawers, destroy property, and have no respect for the home owners".  They had a survey done and started to park their cars in a way to make the whole tour difficult for any flow of parking.  As the tour got closer I started to wonder if they had a good point and started to get anxious about my descision.  Were the (peronoid) Boxers right?  Was this going to be the nightmare they promised?

Nothing could have been further from the truth.  On the day of the tour, small groups of people were bussed in.  The bus had no problems turning around, (even after the Boxers did all they could to block off my road).  People all day were just beyond grateful for my hospitality, respectful, and cociderate of my home and really loved learning it's history from all the voulenteers working.  Saugerties even had a woman, (Anna Serravallo) who was in her 90s and worked in the brickyards and sat on my porch telling the most fascinating stories of life back then!

One thing we have always known about Goldrick bricks was that they were used in building the original Yankee Stadium!  Looking online you can find the bricks from the stadium selling for big money!

What a great expierence and honor it was to be part of such a cool event!  It was pretty strange having groups of people walk through my home with voulenteers telling them all about the home I live in...sureal.

Some Hudson River bricks

&

A great brick website...

My house...

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...

http://rebac.net/index.cfm

I was on Barbara Corcoran's segment on the TODAY show!!!

Barbara Corcoran contacted me asking to talk about my "this market is a DRAG" open house event I did a last year.  I told her "SURE"!  I am still so blown away by how many people saw it!  Here, see it for yourself, (I come on at about 2:30 in the story)...
http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/26184891/vp/46769220#46769220
Way cool after just returning from Rio De Janerio...(but that is a whole other blog post soon)!

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...

http://ulster.paragonrels.com/publink/default.aspx?GUID=74ae327d-2462-4443-a4b2-a92331242db9&Report=Yes

Give me a call today and I can make sure to get you in to see this before it's GONE!!!