Wordless Wednesday Are you Mooooving to the Hudson Valley ?   Orange County NY has some contrasting landscape, and scenery. One minute you are in the Historic District of Newburgh, and the next you are in the rural meadows and countryside. The Borden Farm that made the original Elsie the Cow famous began in Orange County NY. Driving just five to ten minutes out of town from most anywhere brings you out of the city and onto a farm. Who doesn't love a a cow? 05/23/2012

Memorial Day Parade ~ Newburgh NY  New York was the First State to Offically Recognize the Holiday In 1873 Memorial Day Parade in Newburgh NY will be held 10am  Monday, May 28th 2012 Memorial Day was first observed May 30th 1868. The observance began with flowers being placed on the graves of the soldiers of the Union and Confederate soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery. Over the years a Memorial Day Parade has become a tradition to honor those that have given their lives for their country. The Parade begins at 10am, starting at West Street and Broadway, marching East towards the Hudson River. The parade turns onto Liberty Street and continues into George Washington’s Headquarters. Directly after the parade will be a Memorial Day Service  at (approximately 11:45). The public is welco... 05/22/2012

 hosted by... Mount St Mary College Newburgh NY 37th Annual Artists on Campus: Fine Arts Show and SaleSunday, May 20th, 2012~ Artists On Campus ~Join in the fun and visit the beautiful Mount St Mary College Campus. Each year art is displayed for exhibit and sales by local artists living in the Hudson Valley from 1pm to 4pm.This event is also in conjunction with “ A Taste of Greater Newburgh”  Mouthwatering Tastings featuring local restaurants plus Live Jazz Tickets Available for $30.00 per person  12:30 to 2:30pm Two events one location... See you this weekend! 05/13/2012

 Just My Photos  ~  Happy Mother's Day  Speechless Sundays Last weekend I spent in Boulder, Colorado with my daughter Allie. It was an early "Mother’s Day's" weekend, doing all sorts of fun things together. The flowers were blooming and this rose was just beginning to open up. I guess if I was out there this weekend instead I would have missed the beautiful buds just starting to open. It is all in the timing when taking photos. Time with my daughter doesn't need a "holiday" to declare it special...as my Mother's Day came early this year. 05/12/2012

Celebrating MOTHER’S DAY in NEWBURGH NY  What to get that special Mom?     Maybe A Day at the SPA? but Cooking Dinner for MOm is Special!!   especially if you clean up after! Flowers can be just perfect… Who doesn’t love flowers? All Great Ideas... but.. Why not CELELBRATE Mom by finding her a Brand New HOME in Newburgh NY! What an amazing gift for Mom, and the entire family. A home is where families gather and spend precious time together   creating memories. A Mom makes the magic of taking a house and turning it into a HOME! A Home can be  the gift of Love!  Happy Mother’s Day     My expertise is in New Construction Homes. If you would like more information about the area or homes available for new construction in Newburgh NY please contact me. Homes “to be built” don’t always show up... 05/09/2012

Just My Photos  ~  A Quick Question?? Wordless Wednesday On a recent trip to the Denver Zoo I found this beautiful creature looking right at me. Or at least it seemed that way.  It was as if he wanted to ask me something. This giraffe, with his long neck and rather pensive eyes, seemed to be gazing my way. Our eyes met briefly and then in a flash he was back to nibbling on the leaves of the trees. No Questions today... 05/08/2012

Are You Getting Ready to Sell Your Home? Begin Outside the Home and Think  Curb Appeal The time has come and you want to sell your home. Where to begin? While the weather is warm start with the outside and work your way in. Take the time needed to get your house ready for selling. How does your home compare to others in the area? Take a photo of the front of your home and then ask yourself if it compares to other homes on the market, and on your street.  What do you see as you approach the front porch? Does the home look tired and in need of repairs? Chances are if you are questioning it, the buyers will too. Landscaping ~ Are the bushes and lawn neat and tidy? When was the last time you pruned those Azaleas and Birch Trees? Old swing sets, rotting lawn furniture, toys and abandoned car... 05/07/2012

TAXI!!  Just My Photo ~ Wordless Wednesday   Getting from one place to another can be an adventure. Living in the Hudson Valley I am only 60 miles north of New York City … the Big Apple! Nothing compares! Living close by, allows me free time to play. A warm day to just tour around and take some photos makes me smile. And when exhausted from the day, and my feet get tired ... TAXI!!!  05/02/2012

Avoid Poison Ivy When Building a New Home in Newburgh NY Do You Know What it Looks Like? Living in the Hudson Valley has many beautiful wooded areas for new homes. New construction is built on at least an acre of property as per town requirements to accommodate the standards of a particular location. Although the Hudson Valley countryside is amazingly beautiful, care needs to be taken when wandering through the woods when the building process starts. During the construction of a new home, the area being cleared for the foundation is fun to explore. This helps to envision where this new home will come to life. Spring is the season when Poison Ivy begins anew.  It is never really dormant, but in the winter, contact with the plant is less likely. Being careful to avoid the poison ivy is re... 04/29/2012

Just My Photos  ~  Hanging Out in the Hudson Valley  Speechless Sundays I was on my way home yesterday and up in the sky I saw some people parachuting from small planes.   A nearby tiny airport called "The Parachute Club", on a farm in Gardiner NY, allows those that love adventure, the thrill of jumping out of a perfectly sound airplane. Me… I just watched and was able to grab a few photos, while….. hanging out in the Hudson Valley. 04/28/2012

 Do You Know How to Optimize Your URL on LinkedIn? How? ~  Just Clean it Up! LinkedIn and Google ~ Please Find Me! Did you know that Google “likes” LinkedIn and favors it in the search engines?  Knowing that is nothing new to many of us. What many don’t know is that we can have a custom URL on LinkedIn. So what does that mean? And why is that important? LinkedIn assigns us a URL with a bunch of numbers when we join, and it is just not pretty and doesn't help us to be found.  You can optimize your URL on LinkedIn by just changing it. Super simple and it looks more professional to those that see it. The best part is that Google Likes it!  I know that when there is a simple task that helps me with Google, I want to make sure that I’m using it for any added Google Juice!  So … how is it don... 04/26/2012

 ~Just My Photos  ~ Looking UP! Wordless Wednesday and it's all good...... I love it when things all start to come together. Clients finding the home of their dreams… land being sold from an owner that "wants out"... building permits for new homes… a couple finding the home with the "mountain views" is a reality… Everything happens all at once. A lot of hard work... and a dose of good karma...Things are looking up! 04/24/2012

 Are You Building a New Home in Newburgh NY?         Three Bedrooms or Four Bedrooms in New Construction Homes...               Which has More Value Now and Then? In the constant battle that we face with local taxes the issue always comes up as to the sales value and the tax value of a home. New York State has some hefty taxes when it comes to real estates. Location matters, and then the size of the home and the school district come in to play. When building a new home the question does arise if we should build the home as a three bedroom with a den, or an actual four bedroom home as the taxes on this home will change. Value is the question. A bedroom is defined in most towns in Orange County as having a door, a window and a closet. Take out that closet and call it a den, and now you ha... 04/23/2012

Just My Photos ~ A Giant WHAT ????  Speechless Sundays  AHHHH!!   Whenever I travel, one of the things I enjoy most is finding out of the way places to explore. On a trip to the Big Island of Hawaii, we found hidden away in the hills over looking the ocean, a small sculpture garden with this rather Giant Bug? Or Monster? Whatever he was, I’m glad he was just a hunk of metal or I would have been chow! 04/21/2012

 New Construction Homes in Newburgh NY ~ TWO NEW BUILDING PERMITS ISSUED ~ O'Brien Lane, Newburgh NY New Construction Homes in Newburgh NY are quite popular.It seems that all my buyers lately want a brand new bi-level home! The problem with this is that we don’t have any available that are up and not sold. Inventory on the MLS is showing that there are many homes to be built, but very little new construction in the area is available for buyers that are looking today. To solve the problem.... land was purchased, maps were filed, plans were drawn and permits have been issued! Two new homes began the first stages of the building process this week.  A road has been cut in, trees cleared and now a backhoe is digging out the foundation of two new homes. Dirt is flying fast and furiously! A mi... 04/20/2012

Last Sunday we met at Torches on the Hudson,for the first ever Activerain meet up in the Mid Hudson Valley. And although only four of us showed up a little less than half the expected group Andre Aragon, Debra Walsh Janis Borgueta and I had a wonderful time.The weather was delightful and the views of the Hudson River was spectacular. As you will see in the video there were very few photos of the group, mainly of the scene.   When we were leaving I talked Andre into doing a short video about his business.I would recommend meet ups to fellow rainers, it is a great way to network off-line. 04/17/2012

Sunday after I was done working I was lucky enough to be able to run by Torches to have lunch with some of my favorite people!  It was a beautiful day and one of the first warm days after being so cold lately.  It was the perfect day for lunch looking out on the Hudson River.   We all laughed quite a bit, enjoyed the food, (no the plate wasn't mine!) and talked of many different topics which made it a very enjoyable time.  The view from our seats was just beautiful.  We watched all types of boats and several jet skis passing by our window as well as the occasional train.  If you are in the Newburgh area and are looking for waterfront dining Torches is the place to be.  All in all it was a thoroughly enjoyable day - kudos to Active Rain for bringing us together again!  Thanks to Jennifer... 04/16/2012

The weather today was delightful; and many decided to have some fun on the Hudson River, I saw sail boats and other watercrafts. I was especially intrigued by the couple who setup chairs and threw their fishing line into the Hudson River.  I actually saw the woman catch a fish and she was extremely proud of her accomplishment. She then made a decision to throw it back,  I missed the shot because at that moment I took a phone call. Yes the Hudson River could be considered the centerpiece of the region.     04/15/2012

The Current Newburgh NY Inventory for New Construction Homes  that are “Ready Now” is amazingly low! Look at These Two Beautiful Brand New Homes .. In the Town of Newburgh: *  7 new construction homes available that are currently under construction   *   8 new construction homes that under contract that are being built or to be built  *  21 new homes available in the Multiple Listing, but construction has not yet started. Inventory is disappearing quickly as the weather continues to remain great. Buyers are looking to find some great deals in older homes, and then finding that new construction is more affordable than they originally thought. The current trend with builders is to put up homes that are affordable and with all the features that buyers find valuable in today’s market. Gone ... 04/15/2012

Quinn ~ The Family Favorite   Mona’s contest to blog about animal welfare has triggered a flood of localism posts lately. Great info there to protect and  care for our furry friends. Anyone that knows me, knows how much my pup was a part of my family. Gone but not forgotten....Quinn (better known as Mr. Perfect) was the family favorite… you can see why! 04/14/2012