If your Dutchess County home is scheduled for showing tomorrow you might have spent today shoveling.  Two weeks in a row we have had bad weather, first ice, then lots of fluffy snow. It is important to provide access to buyers but only if the conditions are right. Here are a few steps to take before agreeing to a showing during the winter months. Shovel or plow your driveway or path to the door. You might need to apply salt or similar products to the driveway to keep it free of ice.  The forecast for tomorrow is for lower temperatures, some wind and icy conditions. Make sure steps are also clean and free of ice. Provide a mat for people to wipe their shoes. Providing shoe covers at the front door might be a great idea.  Some people have a problem removing their shoe and it would be asha... 12/21/2008

Winter Market in Red Hook was a success despite icy weather. Despite the icy weather and the power outage, I am happy to report that the Winter Marketat the Elmendorph in Red Hook was held as planned and many turned out to participate. Turnips and other vegetables from Hearty Roots Community Farm Fruits and vegetables from Migliorelli Farm Beautiful Wool - Hudson Valley Sheep and Wool Company  As you can see there were a variety of products, all local. This market will be held again in January on the 2nd Saturday.  It is my hope that the weather at that time will be better, then again we are talking about January in the Northeast.  See you then.     Jennifer Fivelsdal - JFIVE HOMES REALTY LLC - 845-758-6842- jennifer@jfivehomes.com www.jfivehomes.com or www.midhudsonhomevalue.com |subsc... 12/17/2008

Northeast Ice Storm wasn't a pleasant experience On Thursday December 11th there was rain, wind and ice and finally the electricity went out.  It was hard trying to sleep that night because it was cold and you could hear the wind as well as the branches breaking.  We had hoped that by Friday the heat would be back on but this did not happen because of the damage done.  According to news reports there were over 500,000 consumers without electricity in the Northeast.  Thankfully the lights came back on tonight, it is sure nice to have water once again. There were a few lessons learned. I won't complain about the monthly cost of my cell phone service, the cell was the only phone that worked. I was glad I did not throw away all phone books because I could not find information on-line.  I h... 12/13/2008

It is hard to believe this beautifully restored 1750 building was in a state of disrepair until it was rescued by a group called "The Friend of the Elmendorph " in the 1970's. Today you can view many old photographs and artifacts of the area here.  This building is also put to good use by various groups in the community. The latest usage will be for a winter market.  So what makes up this winter market? It will be a first of it's kind in the village of Red Hook and is more likely the type of market you would find in the spring.  Here are the types of products you could expect to see. Fruits Cider Meat and diary woolen Fiber Hot Soup and prepared food Jam and Jellies Fresh Breads PARTICIPANTS I am sure you are very familiar with the list of participants and have purchased their products... 12/10/2008

This is a scene you will encounter on the beautiful grounds at Blithewood on Bard College campus.  I was really intrigued, and as a result wrote a post about this, which you can read here. There is alway a lesson that we can learned from nature. BY Jennifer Fivelsdal- Keller williams Realty Team - 845-758-6842 or jennifer@jfivehomes.com   12/09/2008

      After reviewing the sales trend over several months I predicted a large inventory would  be carried forward to 2009.  This month there were only two sales of single family detached homes and 3 offers. Mortgage price has dropped, so has the price on many properties.  There is talk of some intervention to bring mortgage price even lower but only time will tell.  This month because of the lower rates many are using the opportunity to refinance to get a better rate or to get some equity out of their home to help them through this challeging time. Here is the real estate activities for the month of November compiled from data obtained from the Mid Hudson Multiple Listing services on December 1st.               Active listing  70                        Average List Price:  $490,093     ... 12/05/2008

The facial expression could be interrupted in so many ways.  I will leave it to the reader to come up with their own interpretation. I personally could not resist such a face and I suspect it will be the same for other.   Jennifer Fivelsdal -Licensed Real Estate Broker JFIVE HOMES REALTY LLC    845-758-6842  www.jfivehomes.com or www.midhudsonhomevalue.com   jennifer@jfivehomes.com   |subscribe to Blog    copyright © by Jennifer Fivelsdal, all rights reserved-Wordless Wednesday - It's a Dog's Life   12/03/2008

 Red Hook NY Real Estate Market Report October 2008  Last month I pointed out that the real estate inventory in Red Hook was high.  Sadly it is still high with an inventory of 81 and one sale, that's right 1 sale. The only point I am going to make this month is:  If you really want to sell you will need to reduce your price.  Here is the breakdown for October.   RED HOOK REAL ESTATE MARKET REPORT - SINGLE FAMILY HOMES  SEPTEMBER 2008                      CATEGORIES AVG LISTING PRICE DOM AVG SQ FT     AVG $/SQ FT 72 Active  $      468,306.00 143 2321 $202 1 New  $      299,900.00     6 2014 $149 3 Price Change  $      337,933 .00 131 2083 $162 2 Extended  $    1,350,000.00 176 4800 $281 3 Pending  $       346,267.00 179 1803 $192 1 Sold  $       279,000.00 43 1444 $193                   ... 11/04/2008

Yes that right, Red Hook home sellers and home owners you have a leaf problem and I can sympathize. The truth is we are all in the same boat.  All those beautiful fall foliage now cover your beautifully lawn and it is driving you crazy. A showing is scheduled and you are wondering what the potential buyer will think about your yard.  Your real estate agent told you how important it was to have a well maintained yard;  something about curb appeal.  Well I am hear to tell you don't lose sleep over this, just look around at the other yards those home owners have the same problem. However there comes a time when the mess will have to be cleaned up.  There are two ways of approaching this: Pay someone to do the cleanup Or you can rake, rake and rake In my case I chose the latter, I rake for ... 10/28/2008

A few weeks ago I wrote about the fall foliage in the Hudson Valley. I also spoke about the various ways to enjoy the season.  Just this week I took these shots around Red Hook, so now is the time to take that trip to the country like you always planned. You can check the I love NY site to see where the leaves are at the peak.  In my post on fall foliage in the Hudson Valley I provided many useful links. Jennifer Fivelsdal - JFIVE HOMES REALTY LLC - 845-758-6842- jennifer@jfivehomes.com www.jfivehomes.com or www.midhudsonhomevalue.com |subscribe to Blog Copyright © by Jennifer Fivelsdal, all rights reserved-The Fall Foliage Is In Full Swing In The Mid Hudson Valley 10/15/2008

Tonight I attended a performance at the Frank Gehry designed Richard B. Fisher Center For The Performing Arts at Bard College. To tell you the truth I was rather skeptical when I was told the dancing would be done on the roof. Now  when you take a look at the roof you will see just what I mean. To me this looked like it would be sucidal however by the time the performance came to an end I had changed my mind, yes I can admit it, I really enjoyed it especially when the dancers did a piece which reminded me of riding on a train. This performance is known as Rapture and was specially choreograph by Noemie Lafrance for Bard College.  There are still 2 performance left this weekend, 7:00 PM on Saturday and Sunday. I was a bit annoyed with myself for leaving my video camera home but I was abl... 10/03/2008

 (edit/delete) With less than 3 months until the end of the year Red Hook sellers have much to ponder. At this moment there are 79 homes available for sale in the town, and 5 in the village.   In 2007 63 homes sold  in the town and 3 in the village.  To date only 37 homes have sold, therefore to match last year's numbers 29 homes would have to be sold in less than 3 months.  Even if this was achieved there would still be a year's worth of inventory left over.  I won't kid you, this has been a challenging year for many.  Who would have imagined that words like credit squeeze, short sales, foreclosure and bankruptcy would have become a part of our everyday speech? So Red Hook home sellers here are a few questions I would like you to consider. Why is your home on the market? And how motiva... 10/03/2008

  Unlike the Village of Rhinebeck, the Village of Red Hook has only a few homes for sale.   As of September 30, 2008 there are 5 homes for sale in Red Hook Village.  The homes range in price from $239,900 to $499,000.   Using all the homes currently for sale in the Village of Red Hook the statistics show the following: Average listing price is $341,080 Average Days on Market (DOM) is 209 Average square footage of homes on the market is 1,841 Average asking price is $185 per square foot 0 homes closed during the month of September 2 sales are pending (under contract) and 2 have accepted offers What does this mean if you are currently trying to sell your home in Red Hook Village?  You don't have a lot of competition but because it is a buyer's market you still need to: Price it correctly ... 10/01/2008

Hardscrabble day was held on September 20th and we were delighted that the weather was just perfect, since most of the events were held outdoors It is my belief that a picture is really worth a thousand words so I prepared a virtual tours and a couple videos to give you an idea of what it was like. I am sure the community would also want to join me in thanking the Red Hook Chamber of Commerce and the Hardscrabble committee; yes you did an awesome job. Jennifer Fivelsdal - JFIVE HOMES REALTY LLC - 845-758-6842- jennifer@jfivehomes.com www.jfivehomes.com or www.midhudsonhomevalue.com |subscribe to Blog Copyright © by Jennifer Fivelsdal, all rights reserved-Highlights from Hardscrabble Day in Red Hook NY 09/27/2008

On September 20th, Red Hook held its annual Hardscrabble Day celebration. The name of the celebration refers to the fact that originally Red Hook consisted of what is now known as Upper Red Hook while the rest of the town was known as Hardscrabble (a name signifying a tough existence). The highlight of the day was a free concert, sponsored by Woodstock radio station WDST and other local businesses, featuring rock musician Dave Mason. I recognized his 1977 hit "We Just Disagree." He was in good voice and sounded just like the record. According to my husband's review, Dave played as well as ever, the band was tight and all of the old favorites were played as well as two songs from an upcoming album. Dave played much of his 1970 classic album "Alone Together." He also featured songs from ... 09/27/2008

Poets' Walk is a wonderful landscape park in Red Hook, NY.  It is operated and maintained by Scenic Hudson.  I previously wrote a post about Poet's Walk.  Today it came to my attention that there is a special event this weekend (Saturday  20th from 4:30PM-7PM) at Poet's Walk that some of you might enjoy.  It is called "Sunset Reading at Poets' Walk Park".   You can get all the details by clicking on the link.  After walking along the paths in the park visitors will gather at the Gazebo around a fire where 8 local poets will read their original poetry.  You are encouraged to bring snacks and drinks to enjoy during the readings.  Be sure to dress for the weather as the event will be held rain or shine. Although pets on leads are welcome at Poets Walk for this special event they are reques... 09/16/2008

     There are about 86 homes available between the town and village of Red Hook.  For the month of August only 6 properties closed.  I hardly think I need to say that the inventory is high and some of these will not be sold this year. What can a seller do to have a competitive edge? Make sure property is priced right. With the assistance of a real estate agent see how recent sales compare to your home. Be very flexible with access.  Remember inventory is high so if a buyer can't get reasonable access he or she will move on. Curb Appeal - Landscaping should be inviting. We are approaching Fall so make sure leaves are raked up. Consider Staging - spending a few hundred dollars could make all the difference   RED HOOK REAL ESTATE MARKET REPORT SINGLE FAMILY HOMES  AUGUST 2008             ... 09/06/2008

The annual community day known as Hardscrabble Day will be held this year on September 20, 2008  from 11:00 AM to 7:30 PM.  It is a day to celebrate the forming of the village of Red Hook. This is a day when many come out to engage in fun activities, participate in a parade, enjoy good food, music as well as support the many vendors. Rocker Dave Mason will perform at 5:30 Jennifer Fivelsdal - JFIVE HOMES REALTY LLC - 845-758-6842- jennifer@jfivehomes.com www.jfivehomes.com or www.midhudsonhomevalue.com |subscribe to Blog Copyright © by Jennifer Fivelsdal, all rights reserved   09/04/2008

I love nature, plants, animal and insects.  I have always tried to take pictures of the butterfies but they often run away.  I hope you will enjoy these shots of the butterflies from my Red Hook Buttefly Bushes. Sometimes I see a perfect shot but my camera is nowhere in sight. I was very please with this shot it was worth the wait and I hope you will find delight in it.   Jennifer Fivelsdal - JFIVE HOMES REALTY LLC - 845-758-6842- jennifer@jfivehomes.com   www.jfivehomes.com or www.midhudsonhomevalue.com |subscribe to Blog Copyright © by Jennifer Fivelsdal, all rights reserved- 08/22/2008

The weather on Saturday was delightful.  My son asked me if I thought blueberries would still be around next week.  As a mother you know how to read between the lines.  The blueberries we had picked some weeks ago are all gone because they were such great  snack.  My son though, wanted to make sure we picked some more so that he would have his blueberry pancakes during the winter months. So off we went to Greig Farm, there I met a family who loves the area so much that each year they drive up from New Jersey to pick the various fruits and to enjoy the scenery.  They also showed me a large box of peaches they had picked at Mead's Farm and that will be my next destination. Here is the Greig's Farm picking schedule for the rest of the season Blueberries            July-August Blackberries ... 08/10/2008