Strong New York Housing Market Continues Through October

As the weather gets colder, the New York housing market continues to heat up. Sales remained at higher than normal levels amid continued low inventory across the Empire State

Albany, NY – November 19, 2020 – As the weather gets colder, the New York housing market continues to heat up. Sales remained at higher than normal levels amid continued low inventory across the Empire State, according to the housing report released today by the New York State Association of REALTORS^®.

Closed sales in New York State continued to be robust, jumping 16.6 percent from 12,853 units in October 2019 to 14,981 last month. Pending sales skyrocketed to 16,333 homes – a 38.8 percent increase from the 11,766 total in October of last year. Year-to-date, pending sales are also up 6 percent in 2020 with 126,681 homes compared to 119,462 in 2019. New listings were also on the rise, up 9.7 percent for October – from 16,732 units in 2019 to 18,359 in 2020.

Housing inventory remained low through October. The 51,351 units represented a 20.9 percent decrease compared to 64,930 homes last year at the same time. Months supply of inventory dropped 23.2 percent – from 5.6 months to 4.3 months.

The median sales price in the Empire State surged 24.5 percent in October, from $273,000 to $340,000 in year-over-year comparisons. The average sales price also jumped from $362,572 to $441,020 – an increase of 21.6 percent compared to this time last year.

Low mortgage rates helped maintain the strong housing market in October. According to Freddie Mac, the monthly average on a 30-year fixed rate mortgage in October fell to 2.83 percent. This is the eleventh consecutive month the average monthly rate has decreased.

Data and analysis compiled for the New York State Association of REALTORS^® by Showing Time Inc.

Jeff McKinney is an Associate Real Estate Broker in Columbia County, NY (Beach & Bartolo Realtors ~ 34 Main St., Chatham NY 12037 ~ 518-392-2700). Connect with him on Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, or Pinterest.

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Great Article in The New York Times About People Moving North of NYC: ‘Forget the Suburbs, It’s Country or Bust’

There was a great article in the December 14, 2018, Real Estate section of The New York Times, titled Forget the Suburbs, It’s Country or Bust by Brooke Lea Foster. The article takes a look at people who have left the city, and in many cases Brooklyn, behind and moved north.

There was a great article in the December 14, 2018, Real Estate section of The New York Times, titled Forget the Suburbs, It’s Country or Bust by Brooke Lea Foster. The article takes a look at people who have left the city, and in many cases Brooklyn, behind and moved north.

Here are the first few paragraphs of the article:

Forget the Suburbs, It’s Country or Bust

For some New Yorkers, being priced out of the city means it’s time to move to the woods.

Former Park Slope residents Steven Weinberg and Casey Scieszka bought and renovated an aging motel and farmhouse in the Catskills, where they now live with baby Amina. In the kitchen, they repurposed an antique barn door as an island countertop. CreditCreditTony Cenicola/The New York Times

By Brooke Lea Foster

When Casey Scieszka, a freelance writer, and her husband, Steven Weinberg, a children’s book writer and illustrator, decided to leave Park Slope, Brooklyn, they didn’t consider the New York suburbs, where the yards were too small and the property too pricey. Instead, they moved to a house five miles down a dirt road — in the Catskills.

If you’re surprised to hear that two city-based creatives gave up their urban roots for life in the country, so were their families. Perhaps no one was more shocked than Mr. Weinberg’s grandmother and a friend of hers who once vacationed near the young couple’s new home in West Kill, N.Y. “The Catskills are over,” the friend said with concern.

Mr. Weinberg, 34, politely responded: “But you haven’t been there in 40 years. It’s different now.”

One could say the same for many of the rural hamlets, lush valleys and charming Main Streets of upstate New York: They’re changing, thanks to a wave of city folks moving in. Sure, the hemlock trees are still towering, the mountain ranges still majestic and the streams still rushing, but telecommuting has inspired a new crop of people to move to these sometimes wild, sometimes walkable and sometimes wide-open spaces. Priced out of the city, but armed with the possibility of working at home, some New Yorkers are willing to trade their walk to work for a walk in the woods.

“If you want to live on five acres, that’s never going to happen in the suburbs, so some people are looking farther,” said Jessica Fields, a real estate agent for Compass in Park Slope. In 2014, she founded Beyond Brooklyn, which helps people who want to leave the city figure out where to go.

She and her husband considered moving their family to Ulster County seven years ago — and while that is not entirely off the table, they are staying in Brooklyn for now. “We know so many people who have moved upstate or are curious about moving there. It attracts the people that want to be outside and make their own kombucha, but still want to stay connected to arts and culture.”

A 2018 StreetEasy report showed that when New Yorkers move within the tristate area, 6 percent go to Westchester and Rockland counties, while 12 percent wind up in New York counties north of there. (For comparison’s sake, 9 percent move to Long Island and 13 percent to New Jersey, whether to urban Hudson County or beyond.) Residents of the Bronx and Staten Island are most likely to move upstate (17 percent), followed by Brooklynites (12 percent).

Visit the New York Times here, to continue reading.

For more local happenings, news, and events, follow ColumbiaCountyCurrent on Facebook, and twitter @CoCoCurrent.

Jeff McKinney is a Realtor in Columbia County, NY. Connect with him on Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, or Pinterest.

Real Estate: A Rare Round House in a Private Setting, in New Lebanon

A rare, round house in a private setting. You have to see this unique circular home with 6.15 acres of secluded, wooded lands at the end of a 900-foot driveway. This 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom house with attached garage has 2336 square feet of open floor-plan space spread between the main house and the matching, circular guest house.

NEW LEBANON, NY
Beds: 3
Baths: 2
Sq. Ft.: 2,336
Lot Sz: 6.15 acres
$439,000

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The home’s two circular structures are connected by a large deck that wraps around the main hous, and leads to the guest house, which also has a 360-degree deck of it’s own. Large stone-slab steps lead from the deck to the backyard and a gravel patio with a Garden Room. The Garden Room has a sink, counters and a wall of windows for starting seeds or growing plants.

The deck leads you from the main house to guest house.

Stone steps leading to the gravel patio and Garden House.

The home’s CATHEDRAL CEILINGS allow for a sleeping loft in the main house, and a custom floating table in the guest house that can automatically be raised or lowered to your desired height. There are two FIREPLACES in the main house, and a wood burning stove in guest house that provide a cozy atmosphere on chilly nights. Multiple Sun-Tunnel Skylights provide natural light in the home, and there are custom features throughout, including a nonagon (9-sided) kitchen island w/ oven & downdraft cooktop, wood cabinetry designed to perfectly fit the home’s circular shape, and closets that maximize every inch of the home’s storage potential.

A view of the Great Room in the Main House with sleeping loft visible over doorway on left, and a fireplace on right.

Closeup look at the fireplace located in the master bedroom. The two Fireplaces in the Main House feature mantels made from reclaimed barn wood beams.

The Nonagon, 9-sided, kitchen island continues the homes circular theme.

Enjoy the views of the Berkshire mountains in the distance, and rolling hilltops that surround the property from the gazebo with it’s hammock chair. You can quickly reach the Berkshires by car, which are just a few minutes drive away. The village of Chatham is also a short drive, and Hudson is about 30 minutes away. The “Circle House” is about two hours from NYC and Boston, and conveniently located near the Taconic Parkway, and Interstate 90.

There’s even a Circular House for the birds.

For more information, additional photographs, or to schedule a showing, visit the Beach & Bartolo listing page by Clicking Here.

For more local happenings, news, and events, follow ColumbiaCountyCurrent on Facebook, and twitter @CoCoCurrent.

Jeff McKinney is a Realtor in Columbia County, NY. Connect with him on Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, or Pinterest.

New To Market: A Hill-Top Home with Stunning, Panoramic Views in Spencertown NY

Stunning, panoramic views await you at The Ledges. This 2-story Spencertown NY home is located on the highest point of 8.83 acres of peaceful, secluded land.

AUSTERLITZ, NY
Beds: 3
Baths: 4
Sq. Ft.: 3800
Lot Sz: 8.83 acres
$699,000

Stunning, panoramic views await you at The Ledges. This 2-story Spencertown NY home is located on the highest point of 8.83 acres of peaceful, secluded land.

The living area great room features soaring cathedral ceilings and a spacious open-floor plan that provides additional enjoyment of the views outside. There’s also year round sunroom off of the great room, with a door to the large deck, that wraps around the rear of the home.

Imagine waking up to a gorgeous, far-reaching vista that you can enjoy from bed. This 3 bedroom, 3.5 bathroom, 3,800 square foot house is situated to take in the views from multiple rooms, including the large master bedroom, which has an updated private bath, is large enough for a king-sized bed and seating area, and has a door leading to the large deck.

Guests will be just as comfortable in the home’s second en-suite bedroom, which like the master bedroom, is located on the main floor, and has a private bathroom.There is a third bedroom located on the lower level, with another full bathroom next to it.

The lower level also includes a family room with a wood-burning fireplace, and access to an additional deck that has a tree-house like feeling, thanks to the surrounding trees. There is a large bonus room that can be used as an office, workout room, studio, or additional bedroom. And finally, the bonus room has workshop porch off it that connects to a side entrance.

A recent addition to the property is the two-story barn, with room for two cars, and plenty of storage on the first and second floors.

This peaceful property is located in Spencertown, a few miles from Hawthorne Valley School, about a 10 minute drive away from the shops and restaurants of Chatham Village. Hudson, and The Berkshires, are both under 25 minutes away.

For more information, additional photographs, or to schedule a showing, visit the Beach & Bartolo listing page by Clicking Here.

For more local happenings, news, and events, follow ColumbiaCountyCurrent on Facebook, and twitter @CoCoCurrent.

Jeff McKinney is a Realtor in Columbia County, NY. Connect with him on Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, or Pinterest.

Interesting Article About The Berkshires in The New York Times

There was a very interesting article in the April 13, 2018, issue of The New York Times. The article, titled “Betting on the Berkshires” by Tim McKeough, took a look at the Real Estate happenings, economic developments, and potential of Berkshire County.

There was a very interesting article in the April 13, 2018, issue of The New York Times. The article, titled “Betting on the Berkshires” by Tim McKeough, takes a look at the Real Estate happenings, economic developments, and potential of Berkshire County. The article gives us a great overview of ongoing activity taking place in the northern Berkshire towns like North Adams.

Here are the first few paragraphs of McKeough’s article:

When the partners behind Tourists, a boutique hotel under construction in North Adams, Mass., invited the celebrated San Francisco-based chef Cortney Burns to open a restaurant at their establishment, her first impulse was to say no.

“I had no reason to go to the East Coast. I had one restaurant I was closing, one I had just opened and another I was just about to sign the lease on,” said Ms. Burns, 38, a James Beard Foundation Award winner who was co-chef at Bar Tartine in San Francisco before opening Duna, both with Nicolaus Balla. “So by no means did I find myself free.”

However, after agreeing to visit North Adams, a former manufacturing town of brick industrial buildings ringed by rolling green hills in Berkshire County, to discuss a possible consulting role, she found it impossible to leave.

“What I saw here was this beautiful confluence of nature, culture, solitude and such a deep historical story,” Ms. Burns said. “It was one of those open doors that I felt like I would be a fool to not walk through.”

The article also discusses some recent real estate transactions, new development projects in Great Barrington, and new restaurants in the region. If you haven’t read the full article yet, click here, and check it out. Its a great read.

For more local happenings, news, and events, follow ColumbiaCountyCurrent.com on twitter @CoCoCurrent.

Jeff McKinney is a Realtor in Columbia County, NY. Connect with him on Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, or Pinterest.