Tuesday, January 19, 2021 / by Vanessa Saunders
The town of Bethel is situated 90 mi (144 km) from New York City In Sullivan County, and extends to the hamlets of White Lake, Kauneonga Lake, Smallwood, Hurd Settlement, Bushville, Briscoe and Bethel. It's claim to fame is that of being the host for the first Woodstock Music Festival held from August 15 through 18, 1969 which featured legendary artists like Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, Crosby Stills and Nash and what would turn out to be an A-list of 1970s musicians, performing before an unexpected audience of 500,000.
A century before being the official capital of the Woodstock Nation, Sullivan County became famous for its large number of premium hotels in the “Borscht Belt'' of the 20th century. It was also heavily promoted as a 19th century sportsman’s destination. The opening of the Monticello and Port Jervis Railroad in 1870 made the area accessible by a direct two hour trip from New York City. The line ran from Piermont, NY, through Port Jervis and on to Lake Erie ...
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Wednesday, November 4, 2020 / by Vanessa Saunders
Winter chills came early to the Hudson Valley this year. We woke up to ice on the pond, first time this season. It prompted that annual discussion about thermostats, temperatures and heating your house. To wit:
Is it more economical to keep your home heating zones at a single steady temperature all winter, or to turn down the heat when you are sleeping or away, and turn back up when you return?
The common sense answer seems to be to keep the temp steady because it takes more energy to return the house to a comfortable level. Sounds logical, but it turns out to be wrong.
According to the US Department of Energy (DOE) it requires more energy to keep the house at its normal temperature 24-7 than to heat it back to that temperature after dialing the thermostat down. Heat naturally moves to places where it's cold. So if your heat is up, it is constantly moving from the inside of your house to the outside, even if your house is well-insulated. A home loses energy more slowly once the te. ...
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Friday, October 9, 2020 / by Vanessa Saunders
Spacious homes like this one outside Newburgh, NY have become increasingly popular. This property on 38 Susan Drive is listed at $1.2 million.
By Vanessa Saunders, MBA, MIMC , Broker Owner, Global Property Systems Real Estate.
It seems like only a few months ago that demand for large properties in the Hudson Valley - million dollar mega mansions, private estates, and luxury ranches - had declined significantly over the previous few years. Nationwide surveys now indicate that the health crisis has brought to light how valuable more square footage and carefully designed floor plans can be. Home offices, multi-purpose rooms, gyms, and theaters are becoming more popular, and some families are finding the space they need for these upgrades in the luxury market.
For Hudson Valley buyers looking for larger homes, steady increases in equity might be what makes a move possible. Leveraging home equity makes it easier to afford the down payment on a luxury home, and current low interest . ...
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Friday, June 12, 2020 / by Vanessa Saunders
By Vanessa Saunders, MBA, MIMC , Broker Owner, Global Property Systems Real Estate.
Phase Two for the Hudson Valley's re-emergence from the Covid shutdown has commenced. (Blow the herald of heavenly trumpets I can finally go have fun.) But what fun is awaiting Hudson Valley residents? First of all, realize that social distancing is still in effect. Wear your mask, keep your distance, wash your hands and stay home if you feel sick. Store staff will have more to do: work behind the Plexiglas, use the hand wash and wear gloves if handling food.
You can get retail therapy. Sort of.
For the first time since the lock-down began, you can shop INSIDE any retail store. You may still encounter "One Goes In When One Comes Out" standing in line as store occupancy is capped at 50%. Malls are out however, unless the store you're visiting has access from the parking lot. Still, retail therapy is retail therapy.
You can get a haircut. At last.
Finally we don't have to pretend we're the Chewbacca ! ...
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Tuesday, June 9, 2020 / by Vanessa Saunders
By Vanessa Saunders, MBA, MIMC , Broker Owner, Global Property Systems Real Estate.
As we reported last month, the race is on as buyers from NYC and other urban centers scramble to spend at least the summer away from Covid-19, preferably near a lake or swimming pool.
Coincidentally, there is a group of home owners dying to sell them their upstate properties.
Some homeowners have secondary upstate properties they typically rent to summer tourists, either on their own or through companies like Airbnb. But the impact of diminished summer travel due to virus has severely affected their business in this unpresidented time.
A recent report by CNN concluded "Hosts face the possibility of losing thousands of dollars a month in canceled bookings while bills, maintenance costs, and mortgage payments pile up.”
A survey by ValuePenguin agreed:
48% of Americans have already canceled summer travel plans due to the current health crisis.
36% indicated they don’t have vaca. ...
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