Horseback Riding in The Hudson Valley

All my life I was completely obsessed with horses. When I was a child, growing up in England, all I wanted was a rocking horse. I never got one.

Stop. This is not going to be the whiny story of my sad inner child, fed only with hand-me-down toys. It is, in fact, a story of realized dreams.

When a rocking horse wasn’t forthcoming, I downgraded my expectations somewhat and asked for a hobby horse. You remember those; a stick with a stuffed animal horse head on the end? I never got one of those either.

Fortunately I have a Dad who loved to ride and found a way to combine his Daddy duties with his favorite pastime. I was often the only (very tiny) child on a wild adult ride, galloping behind on my

Wood. 

I think most of us feel an innate connection to wood. Homebuyers can't help but run their hands across a live edge wood surface that has been carefully incorporated into a home’s design. Many of us who choose to live in the Catskills and Hudson Valley regions call ourselves "tree huggers". Sometimes this is because of our desire to protect our natural environment, sometimes it's also because we like to hug trees. Literally. I’ve been known to give a tree a good tight squeeze. I also grew up with a woodworker – the smell of wood shavings is the smell of my childhood. Wood and me are like THIS.

So, when I recently had the opportunity to meet a kindred spirit I was ecstatic. This was someone who loves wood too – probably

So many people move to the Catskills and Hudson Valley so they can spend more time enjoying the outdoors. A great thought! But days can become filled with errands and work, social appointments and obligations of all sorts. It IS possible to move here and end up spending as little time outdoors as you did when you lived in the city or the ‘burbs. Horrors! But, there’s a way to be sure you live the lifestyle you sought.

Choosing a house that is interconnected with the natural world is the key to ensuring you get connected to it too. A house with easy access to the outdoors - from multiple egresses, through large glass windows uninterrupted by fussy decorations, a house that has outdoor spaces that invite gatherings and are just as comfortable as

Musical Pedigree & Elegance - 441 Clum Hill Road, Hunter, NY

Drama. It’s everywhere. Even in our homes. When it comes to residential theatricality there are two types: good and bad. We’re all familiar with the bad sort – teenagers slamming doors, toddlers crying over spilled milk, etc, etc. But the good type of drama isn’t always immediately obvious, unless your home is at 441 Clum Hill Road in Hunter, NY. This house is a shining paragon of the right kind of domestic drama!

The drama begins with 441 Clum Hill Road's storied pedigree. It was built in 1902 as a personal residence with impressive architecture designed to capture equally impressive views. Later it became a school for the study of Opera. Singers, teachers,

Marbletown NY Real Estate

Marbletown residents are a lucky bunch. With easy access to The Catskills, The Shawangunks and the Ashokan Reservoir it’s the perfect place for people who want to explore the outdoors. Being midway between Kingston and New Paltz means “Marbletonians” can take advantage of these bustling towns, or they can also choose to enjoy the charming and slower-paced hamlets of High Falls NY and Stone Ridge, visiting the farmer’s markets, arts events and antiques shows that pepper the local calendar. Some days though, they’ll choose to simply enjoy the serenity of their own backyards. There’s something about the air in Marbletown that invites deep relaxation. There’s also something about the soil that encourages a garden to grow

The average sales price for homes sold in our area in thus far in 2017 is $256,783 according to the Hudson Valley and Catskills Region MLS.*

That’s the average, so of course, there are plenty of people purchasing homes well below that mark. It also means there are plenty of homes available to purchase in that range.

There are some great reasons for keeping your housing costs low. Maybe you’re buying your first home and you’re nervous about utility bills and the costs of maintaining a home. Maybe you place more value on having experiences than assets. Or, maybe, you want to keep your mortgage right around the cost of a rental apartment. Whatever your good reasons we want to share some great options in the $150,000 price range.

#1.

2 Farmhouses for Sale - Catskills & Shawangunks

So many Ulster County homebuyers are looking for farmhouses with barns. When we search for homes we’re so often searching for something much more than a space to place our couch so we can binge watch some Netflix. Some of us are searching for open air, a connection to the land, a connection to history, to be surrounded by a craftsmanship that is uncommon in today’s world, or to have the space to make our art. Perhaps we’re looking to be enchanted, swept away by the fulfillment of our perfect-house dreams. Whatever we’re all looking for in a home, many of us find the farmhouse a perfect fit.

This year housing inventory is uncommonly low in Ulster County. In 2014 between April 1st and May 30th,

Amidst an election that made people uncertain of the future and caused many to be distracted from their personal goals, the real estate market soldiered on in 2016, and finished with a bright outlook. Forbes Magazine provided a very concise summary of what happened nationally, "...on balance 2016 was a pretty good year for housing. National prices finally crossing the previous 2006 peak, mortgage rates remained historically low and there were some signs that Millennials, a generation which some feared would never buy homes, are beginning to enter the market. Through it all the election loomed large. In 2017 we'll see how profound its effects."  

 Regionally 2016 might be called "The Year of The Hudson Valley"

There was a rash of articles

39 Raycliffe Drive
Woodstock NY Luxury Real Estate For Sale

Hudson Valley Views. There are many lovely homes in the Hudson Valley. There are even many lovely homes with lovely views of the Hudson Valley. This home is one of those. But there’s something different about this one. It seems to float.

Standing at a corner of the decks that encircle this house, is like standing at the prow of a ship looking out at the horizon. Lean against the railing and throw out your arms. You feel more than a little bit “Leo and Kate”. You feel yourself King (or Queen) of the World. But, here your view does not consist of nautical miles of sea, but of regular old terranean miles. However, laid out at your feet this way, they do not appear merely regular. When

Perfect springtime activities for children in the Catskills and Hudson Valley.

Last weekend my family took a trip to Washington DC to see all the monuments and go the Smithsonian Museum of Art and the Native American Museum. It was great! My husband and I totally enjoyed it and my 10-year-old daughter only became antsy when I marveled at the Dutch Masters for too long and then got sucked into an opera concert rehearsal we happened to stumble upon 3 minutes later.

(a little F.D.R. wisdom from our trip - pertinent to an article about kids outdoors!)

Her waning enthusiasm reminded me of the last time I had visited DC. I was 12 years old.

• I remember being miserable.
• I remember being HOT.
• I remember being incensed