DUTCHESS COUNTY REAL ESTATE

EXQUISITE QUALITY! A UNIQUE HOME IN A VERY PRESTIGIOUS UPSCALE NEIGHBORHOOD. BRAZILIAN CHERRY FLOORS, SOARING CEILINGS, EXPANSIVE WINDOWS, WIDE MOLDINGS. ENORMOUS DREAM KITCHEN W/CHERRY, GRANITE & STAINLESS TOP OF LINE APPLIANCES. 1ST FL MASTER SUITE W/LIMESTONE BATH. 4CAR HEATED GARAGE W/HYDRAULIC LIFT. SECLUDED 6 AC. WOODED LOT. NEAR TSP PKWY. BEST OF BOTH WORLDS - NEIGHBORHOOD SETTING WITH SECLUSION. SUPERIOR SCHOOLS! $849,900.  

The area's largest home show showcases products and services for homeowners. The Home Show is an event designed for homeowners in all stages of remodeling, landscaping and decorating their homes. This event includes exhibits with merchandise, sample interior and exterior vignettes, and product demonstrations. With a combination of new products and expert advice from the pros. The Home Show inspires homeowners with countless ideas on enhancing their home's comfort and functionality, as well as its aesthetic appeal and overall value.

Admission: Adults: $7.00,  Children under 16 are FREE

http://www.acshomeshow.com/HGExpo/HHS.html

B.B. King is the legendary 'King of the Blues', with 50 albums, an astonishing 18 Grammy Awards, and an induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of fame, B.B. King is a legend and one of the greatest performers of our time. The King of the Blues and special guest Murali Coryell in an unforgettable evening.

Sponsored by WDST 100.1. Magic City Productions.

Friday, March 7th @ 8pm

$42.50-$47.50.
Mid Hudson Civic Center, 14 Civic Center Plaza Poughkeepsie

http://www.ticketmaster.com/

A unique architectural site & tourist attraction in the Millbrook area that shouldn't be missed is Wing Castle. Using salvaged materials from antique buildings, this stone fortress was built and fashioned as a medieval castle by the actual residents, owner/architects Peter and Toni Wing. The castle with 7 towers and moat took more than 23 years to build and they are still not finished.

At the age of twenty-one Peter Wing returned from Vietnam and started building a home for himself and his family using recycled materials. For thirty years he and his wife are proud owners of a medieval castle visited by hundreds of tourists every year.

Here is Peter Wing's story:

http://cityguide.pojonews.com/fe/Arts/stories/art_wings_castle.asp

Wing's Castle

Street Address: 717 Bangall Rd.
City/Town: Millbrook
Zip Code: 12545
Local Phone: (845) 677-9085

Living in Dutchess County provides a wonderful balance of lifestyles. You will enjoy two distinct worlds. The closeness to New York City will fulfill the fast paced metropolitan desires while you live in the relaxing bucolic country setting you will come to know as home. Mid-Hudson Multiple Listing Service is the premier computer information system for real estate in Dutchess County. The public website gives buyers the opportunity to learn search for their Dutchess County dream home.                    

To search for your dream house you can enter the Mid-Hudson Multiple Listing Service public website by clicking on the link below:

http://www.homeseekers.com/scripts/search.asp?_city_nm=Oakland&_org_id=MIDH

Or, click here for real estate sales statistics:

http://www.mydreamhouse.com/stats2.htm

And, call me if I can be of assistance with your home search (845) 430-6543   

Innisfree was designed as the private garden for Walter and Marion Beck (heiress to a Minnesota mining fortune). In 1960, Innnisfree was opened to the public, as provided for by the Beck's will. The artistic gardens at Innisfree, near Millbrook, New York, were created in the 1920s to reflect the philosophy and aesthetics of Chinese gardens. Experiencing Innisfree means taking an inspiring journey and exploring nature through ancient Chinese artistic tradition. The Innisfree Garden boasts an international heritage and a global reputation. Known primarily for its beauty. This is one of the most beautiful and unique gardens in the world: two hundred acres of woods and gardens wound around a forty acre lake cradled within hills. A unique formal garden disguised as an enchanted landscape.

Innisfree Garden:
Millbrook, NY 845-677-8000

http://www.innisfreegarden.com/visiting.htm 

MOVE IN CONDITION & VERY CHARMING TOO! NUMEROUS UPDATES WITHIN LAST 2-4 YEARS INCLUDE ROOF, WINDOWS, SIDING, TREX DECK, EXTENDED DRIVEWAY. FEATURES UPDATED BATH, CENTRAL AIR, 1ST FLOOR LAUNDRY/OFFICE. FULL BASEMENT, ATTIC & HUGE OUTDOOR SHED FOR AMPLE STORAGE. WALK TO ARLINGTON BUSINESS DISTRICT SHOPS & RESTAURANTS. CLOSE TO BUS ROUTES & ONLY 5 MINUTES TO/FROM METRO NORTH TRAIN STATION. LOCATED IN A VERY SOUGHT AFTER SCHOOL DISTRICT. MUST SEE! $262,500

I am amazed at how many people get decorating ideas from HGTV. I do credit the shows like "Designed To Sell" and "House Hunters" for helping real estate agents to set sellers straight. People do need to understand how to stage a house for a successful sale. But, I have also noticed many of the other shows which offer wacky decorating ideas and so-called color trends that are a little too extreme and most likely some could be turn-offs to the average buyer - like these before and afters:

Before                                                              After 

When selling a house - BEIGE IS BEAUTIFUL!

Do you remember Popeye cartoons? Wimpy is Popeye's friend - very intelligent, well educated, but very lazy and gluttonous. Wimpy is also something of a scam artist. He loves hamburgers. Wimpy attempts to con others into buying his lunch. Wimpy often tries to outwit others with his convoluted logic. His famous line is, "I'd gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today".

This line kind of reminds me of the attitudes of many past home-buyers who got in way over their heads, with mortgages they really couldn't, in reality, afford.    

How is Wimpy different than the rest of us? We are a gluttonous society, known for excessiveness. Americans of any generation would very much enjoy a hamburger today if we knew we didn't have to pay for it until Tuesday. And, like Wimpy, if you are American, then you probably owe somebody money. And, now there is a new generation - they want instant gratification. 

Deferred spending - it's an easy solution to short-term financial problems, but the long-term consequences are negative. Hence, the housing and mortgage crisis of today. Some home-buyers with shallow pockets, took big risks for short-term happiness. But, for many-long-term gloom is here to stay. It caught up to them. Foreclosures are mounting. Now, the banks and government are having to pick up the tab - it's having an overall effect on the housing market and the economy, in general. But, it's also going to wreak havoc on the credit scores of all those who are in default or have already experienced foreclosure.

Home-buyers, how can you learn from Wimpy?

Lesson 1:  Don't bite off more than you can chew!          

So, many people overextend themselves with ARM's thinking they will just suffer the consequences of a higher mortgage payment some time in the distant future. But the reality is that often people underestimate their future earning potential or don't factor in estimated increases to the cost of living.    

Lesson 2:  Stop craving instant gratification!

Don't be a glutton of your own punishment. Once some people begin living the high-life they want more, they decide to furnish their new homes. They borrow against equity to pay for expensive cars they could otherwise not afford. We are a pretentious society. When buying a house, draw up a wish-list of the many other things you want too, and be realistic. Determine if you are prepared to sacrifice to have the mini-mansion or are willing to downsize to afford more luxuries.       

Lesson 3:  Borrow only what you know you can pay back and can afford!  

Perhaps after purchasing a home based on two incomes, momma decides to give up her job to stay at home with the kids. If it required two incomes to qualify, the mortgage becomes a huge burden for Poppa. Be realistic to your future needs and wants - it's always safer to buy based on one income.

Like Wimpy, many people want their hamburger, many more people prefer a sizzling steak - and many want to wait until Tuesday to pay. For many, Tuesday has come and gone.  

Most sellers I work with do not want open houses. They cringe when the sign goes in the ground and they grimace more at the thought of their inquisitive neighbors walking through their home. Occasionally, I do come across a seller who really wants to showcase their home via an open house. And, while I don't mind hosting an open house I do remind them of the new millennium and how real estate works now.

Gone are the days when Mom & Dad would pile the kids in the back of the family station wagon to go looking at Sunday open houses - dad drives while mom navigates the directions from newspaper ads she has circled.

Aside from neighbors, who even shows up to an open house any more? How many "qualified" buyers ever turn out? I'm not even talking about buyers "qualified for a mortgage" - I mean, buyers who are ready, willing and able (have nothing to sell, are motivated to buy and aren't just looking for decorating ideas)?       

Today's serious home-buyers shop differently. They have little use for a newspaper. When a caller inquires about a listing I am usually told that it was discovered "online" - from the comforts of their current home.

So how do you have an open house, without having to have an open house? ...By combining great photos with good information, potential buyers can tour many houses online to determine what properties meet their needs. 

A word of caution: Not every agent takes great photos, not every agent has good online marketing skills - sometimes there are cave-man agents too! So, as times have changed and home-buyers have become tech-savvy, so have the best agents.

How do you know if an agent is tech savvy and has good marketing skills before you hire them? How do you know if an agent is a good photographers? Check out their listings online and view the photos. Evaluate their website.

Go ahead and "Google" the agent whp you're considering hiring. Any agent who can market themselves, can market any home in much of the same way. AND, they can even have an open house, without having an open house!