Category: REAL ESTATE

So Long Hamptons & Hello Hudson Valley

The Hudson Valley region has frequently been referred to as the “Hamptons North”, but a recent article in BusinessInsider.com shows that our area is increasingly becoming The destination for vacations and second home purchases.  According to the article, while Average home prices in the Hamptons have fallen, the luxury real-estate market in the Hudson Valley, which is roughly the area stretching north from New York City along the Hudson River to Albany, is accelerating. The article also points out an increase among travelers who are visiting the area to take advantage of our numerous hiking options, and real-life experience trips.

Here’s a section of the BusinessInsider article by Madeline Stone:

Richard Ellis, owner of Ellis Sotheby’s International Realty in Nyack, New York, said he has witnessed a trend of New Yorkers buying property in the Hudson Valley over the last few years. Many vacation-home buyers he has done business with work in finance, have primary residences in downtown Manhattan or Brooklyn, and are in their mid-30s to 50s.

He has even worked with some clients who were specifically looking to trade in their Hamptons home for a quieter spot in the Hudson Valley.

“The lower Hudson Valley is certainly easier to get to than the Hamptons,” Ellis told Business Insider. “People who buy on our side of the river are not ‘keeping up the Joneses,’ so to speak. They’re looking to impress themselves, not others.”

These buyers value the proximity to Manhattan, outdoor activities, and stunning landscape that the Hudson Valley offers.

As a Realtor in the Upper Hudson Valley, I’ve been surprised by the large number of people house hunting in our area over the past few months. It appears as if people are trying to find, and buy homes during the winter, so that they can be ready to enjoy their homes in the nicer weather when it arrives in Spring. Chances are good that we will see an even greater number of people looking to buy in the region as the weather warms up.

You can see some of the homes that my agency has to offer on BeachAndBartolo.com. And don’t hesitate to email me, (jmckinney@beachandbartolo.com)  if you are interested in finding a home of your own in Columbia County.

Check out the full BusinessInsider.com article by clicking here.

 

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The Grey Gardens Estate is for Sale

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Grey Gardens, the East Hampton house made famous in the 1975 documentary about Jackie Kennedy Onassis’s relatives, is on the market. In the documentary, Grey Gardens was the decrepit, and rundown home of Onassis’ aunt Edith Bouvier Beale and her cousin, Edith Beale. Little Edie sold the house in 1979 to former Washington Post Executive Editor Ben Bradlee and his wife, journalist Sally Quinn, who restored the house from it’s dilapidated condition.

The three-story, shingle-style home was built in 1897. It’s approximately 6,000 square feet and situated on 1.7 acres. The home has seven bedrooms and 6 1/2 bathrooms, and a guest house.

Here’s some more info from the listing on Corcoran.com:

Situated near Lily Pond Lane and Georgica Beach, this one of a kind compound is approximately two acres and is a stone throw to the ocean. The property has been restored with an eye to history and lovingly maintained for the past 40 years. The spacious main house features 8 bedrooms and 6 1/2 baths and plenty of spaces for year round entertaining. Tucked away in the lush and elaborate gardens is a charming stucco cottage, heated gunite pool and an irreplaceable Har-Tru Tennis court.

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The house is offered at $19,995,000. For more pictures and info, check out the listing on Corcoran.com

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Johnsen Schmaling’s Linear Cabin

screen-shot-2016-11-13-at-4-58-27-pmA recent project from the Johnsen Schmaling Architecture firm presents a contemporary take on the traditional cabin in the woods. The ‘Linear Cabin’ is a simple, 900-square-foot rectangular structure with rustic charm, and glass walls for enjoying the surrounding views.

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The cabin is comprised of three identically sized, boxes that are separated by spatial voids, and tied together with a continuous, thin roof plane that spans the entire length of the building. The storage box acts as a shed with room for lawn equipment, canoes, or whatever needs to be stored. The service box contains the cabin’s home infrastructure, including entry, kitchen, bathroom, laundry, and boiler room. The sleeping box houses two bunk rooms. The area between the storage and service boxes is open in the front and back, and provides a covered spot for a vehicle. The void between service and sleeping boxes is the center of the cabin, and acts as the living area. This room features 15’ wide glass doors and a wood-burning stove.

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Johnsen Schmaling’s Linear Cabin was built in the sparsely populated Northwoods region of Wisconsin, but I can see this building fitting in perfectly here in Columbia County. It was built using regionally sourced materials, including a variety of timber products harvested in Wisconsin’s northern forests. The boxes are clad with blackened pine planks, and varnished cedar is used throughout the structure. The interior walls and ceilings are covered in knotty pine, and floors are polished dark-grey concrete.

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Apartments Now Available at The Falls in Hudson

The_Falls_HudsonIt’s been interesting to watch the progress of The Falls, the new luxury apartment complex in Hudson. The sprawling complex has been under construction for a while now on the site of the former Greenport School located at 158 Union Turnpike in Hudson. The Falls’ owner and developer, JMS Collective, demolished everything on the site, except for the original school building, which was built in the early 1900s. In an effort to retain the original building, the old gymnasium has been turned into into a 200-seat banquet hall.

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Phase 1 of construction is now complete, and the first batch of apartments are available for rent. Of the 24 apartments currently available, half have already been leased. The Falls offers one-bedroom apartments at $1,500,  two-bedroom units at $1,700, and three-bedroom apartments at $1,950 a month. The first phase has another 52 apartments in the works, which will become available over the next 30 to 90 days. Phase 2 will add an additional 40 units the the complex when completed in 2017.

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In addition to the apartments, and banquet hall, The Falls will include a fitness center, private movie theater, two outdoor swimming pools, tennis court, nature paths, a playground, and meeting halls.

For more information, including scheduling a tour at The Falls, check out jmscollective.com/the-falls by clicking here.

 

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Airbnb Sues New York Over Law Regulating Rentals

Airbnb, the online service that enables people to list or rent short-term lodging in residential properties, filed a lawsuit on Friday afternoon in Federal District Court in the Southern District of New York. The lawsuit is the companies’ response to a new law that allows the state to impose steep fines on Airbnb hosts who break local housing regulations. The Airbnb suit claims this law would cause it “irreparable harm”, and violates the company’s constitutional rights to free speech and due process, as well as the protection it is afforded under the Communications Decency Act, which is a federal law that says websites cannot be held accountable for content published by their users.

WHAT’S THE PROBLEM?

So, what exactly is the issue with Airbnb that prompted this new law? Apparently, the concern is that Airbnb is making it easier to illegally rent out apartments for short periods to travelers, which decreases the amount of housing for full-time residents, and drives housing costs up. It has been illegal in New York to rent out an apartment for fewer than 30 days. However, some people have ignored that law, and have been using Airbnb to rent apartments for shorter periods of time. The new law gives authorities the power to fine hosts up to $7,500 if they are caught listing a property on Airbnb.

For now, it sounds like we will have to wait and see what impact the new law, and Airbnb’s lawsuit have on the housing and online rental market.

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