Scene from 2006 Hudson Valley Food & Wine Festival In recent years the Hudson Valley Food & Wine Festival was held at the Grieg's Farm In Red Hook Dutchess County.  This year it will be at the Dutchess County Fairgrounds in Rhinebeck. This festival provides lots of fun for the entire family. You can enjoy the food tasting while watching a chef demonstrating how to cook with chocolate or the best way to enjoy wines.  It is a change to stock up on sauces and jellies.  Then the hayrides and balloon rides are also big hits with both children and adults. I suspect the adults are mostly interested in the wine.  I was impressed last year when I heard the people selling tickets for the wine tasting asking who was going to be the designated driver. This is a great time for the wineries in Dutch... 07/28/2007

Rhinebeck, NY Farmers Market - A Great Place to Visit What a wonderful way to spend a lazy Sunday morning! Rhinebeck, NY has many wonderful shops and restaurants every day of the week but on Sundays from Memorial Day to early November the village comes alive with the Farmer's Market.   The Farmer's Market in Rhinebeck takes place in the municipal parking lot in the middle of the Village of Rhinebeck from 10A to 2PM. A wide assortment of vendors set up their "wares" and the scene is a feast for the senses. There are wonderful smells, colors, textures, tastes and sounds not to mention the interesting people watching! As you stroll through the market (and yes your dog is welcome) =you will come upon fresh fruits and vegetables, fresh flowers, fresh baked breads and pies, home made pickles ... 07/24/2007

  Looking for a great place to take a walk?  There are two wonderful places in Northern Dutchess County.  The first, Poet's Walk is in Red Hook.  The second, Burger Hill Park is in Rhinebeck.  This article will focus on Poet's Walk. Poet's Walk, which is owned by Scenic Hudson, is a 120 acre landscape park.  The land was formerly part of the estates of The Astors and The Delanos.  In 1849 the families hired Hans Jacob Ehlers to create a very special place. Ehlers had beautiful stone walls built on the property and created unique areas that create a feeling of outdoor rooms. .  There are open mowed fields of green grass, fields of beautiful tall grasses, densely wooded areas where the trees create canopies, ravines and eventually you will come upon the Hudson River. There are about 2 mil... 07/03/2007

The weather was perfect last weekend and people were certainly having fun.  I watched the motorcyclists go by; then cars on the way to the auto show in Rhinebeck.  Unfortunately I had to work so I send my boys (husband  and son) off to the show with strict instruction to take some pictures. I must say they did not disappoint me.  So here are some of the cars from the show.  I really can't tell you the name of any of these beauties so I thought we could play name that car.  So for all you car enthusiasts, if you know something about any of these cars please post a comment.  I will give each car a number, so here goes.    1   2  3  4  5  6 7 8  9  1011121314   An auto show would not be complete without:         Jennifer Fivelsdal - JFIVE HOMES REALTY LLC - 845-758-6842- jennifer@jfivehome... 05/08/2007

Today I was on Route 33 in Germantown, Columbia County when I noticed the apple blossoms.  It suddenly reminded me of two events in the Rhinebeck and Red Hook area that somewhat officially kick off spring. First will be the Antique and Classic Car Show at the Dutchess County Fairground in Rhinebeck.  This year it will be held on May 5th and 6th 2007. This event will be well attended. Attendees will probably include my husband and son.  I prefer to watch the cars go by on there way to and from the show.  I think it is very special that I get the opportunity to see so many unique or classic cars. Somehow the cars of today lack that beauty which makes you want to turn around and stare -maybe it is the shiny chrome and electric colors that catches my eye, I am not sure.     On May 12th , 20... 04/26/2007

   New york State has the SONYMA program to assist New York State residents to purchase their first home.  In Dutchess County there is also an organization that helps these first time buyers to achieve home ownership.  I find that many of these buyers have a very hard time saving a down-payment or closing costs.  Hudson River Housing is an organization which has several outreach programs.  I am especially excited about the Home buying Club; this allows low or moderate income  potential home owners to save over a ten month period at the end of which they could receive $5000 dollars in addition to their savings.  The beauty of this plan is that you will not be kicked out of the club even if your income increases above the stated income level during that ten month period.  The program prov... 04/01/2007

Rhinebeck New York, located in Dutchess County in the beautiful Mid-Hudson Valley has some wonderful antique shops.  Whether you are looking for fine English antiques, artwork, collectibles, vintage jewelry, pottery, porcelain or any other item prized by collectors you can find it in the antique shops in Rhinebeck, NY. It was a beautiful day today in Rhinebeck so my husband and I took a stroll through all of the great shops.  The pictures you see were taken by my husband, Richard, as we strolled through town and spoke to all of the friendly shop owners. The Beekman Arms Antique Market is located in a red barn directly behind the Beekman Arms Inn.  The Inn is reputed to be the oldest continuously run inn in America.  The Beekman Arms Antique Market is a group shop with everything a colle... 03/31/2007

  I was recently asked by several residence about the number of units on the market and how many have sold so far. Taking all categories into consideration there are 201 active listings, 15 accepted offers, 12 in contract and 9 sold as of Feb 9th. This data reveals a high inventory level, and with 27 purchase offers, February-March sales is on track to increase.  The breakdown is listed below:                                                                                                       RED HOOK                                                                       ACTIVE    ACCEPTED OFFERS      CONTRACT             SOLD    SINGLE FAMILY                                           83                       5                                      4                      3   ATTACHED    ... 02/09/2007

  Yesterday I had a closing on a piece of Rhinebeck real estate. Anway what is interesting about this property is its history.  Commonly referred to as "The Thompson House,"   this was once a stately residence but in 1903 based on a grant from the Thomas Thompson Trust was converted into a 14 Bed Infirmary.  This became the first hospital in Rhinbeck.  I recently had conversation with individuals who had family members born in the building when it was operated as a hospital.  This property is now included on the walking tour of the village.  The location is great, you can walk from here to the restaurants and shops right in the heart of the village. For the last few decades it has been used as  a multi-family residence and I think this usage will continue.    Sketch provided by previou... 02/09/2007

Today I had to make a trip to the local Staples because I ran out of paper.  To do this I had to take a deep breath.  You see, I hate shopping this time of year; there are far too many shoppers. Watching people stuff there shopping carts made  me think of all the stuff we have all acquired over the years. We have so much stuff that we have gone from the garage to the self storage units.  Do you know that the self storage business is one of the fastest growing businesses.  Just driving through Red Hook and Rhinebeck you will notice many storage units. I have clients who have units in several states.  The fact of the matter is that most of us can't even remember the items we put in storage. I am personally guilty.  I moved six years ago and I still have boxes in the basement I never open... 12/19/2006

                                         Please enjoy a 60 second tour of a wonderful town    RHINEBECK Considering we are almost at the end of the year inventory is also high in Rhinebeck. There are 68 single family detached propeties on the market Pending 7 Year to date sale about 92. The least expensive property currently on the market is $65,000 the most expensive is $ 8,500,000 Jennifer Fivelsdal - JFIVE HOMES REALTY LLC - 845-758-6842- jennifer@jfivehomes.com  www.jfivehomes.com  or www.midhudsonhomevalue.com   Flickr | Facebook | Linked-in |Twitter |suscribe to Blog   12/04/2006

I live in the MidHudson Valley (Dutchess County) about 90 miles from New York City.  After 9/11 many individuals moved out of the city and demand for housing increased. The town I live in has since taken steps to ensure that open space will be preserved for future generations. In spite of the growth and subsequent restrictions on development this area still offers many large parcels suitable for building second homes and country estates. Recently, there has been a slowing in price increases and some excess inventory of homes. However, homes that are properly priced have been moving. I do love the Red Hook, Rhinebeck area, the majestic Hudson River, the Catskills Mountain, the variety in the vegetation and seasons as well as the rich historical heritage. The area also abound with cultura... 11/18/2006