If you are like me, when you think of Habitat for Humanity you think of a small band of dedicated souls who generously donate their time and energy to provide deserving low-income families with homes to call their own. To date, Habitat for Humanity of Greater Newburgh has been doing just that. They have made homeownership a reality for 27 families in Newburgh, NY. Now, Habitat for Humanity of Greater Newburgh is taking what they do one giant step further. This non-profit will soon be opening a ReStore. More than just a clever play on words, the ReStore will offer new and used building supplies and related inventory at discount prices. ReStore's merchandise will come from donation sources as varied as builders, manufacturers, landfills, and homeowners. Income generated by the ReStore wil... 10/19/2007

That anonymous quotation means a lot to me. I carry it with me everywhere I go. It is printed on a credit card sized card that fits neatly in the windowed pocket of my wallet. Every time I handle my wallet, which is often, I read those words. "Denial is not just a river in Africa."I found my little treasure at a vender's booth way back in my high school teaching days during a break between workshops at an educators' convention. The convention was devoted to teen crisis intervention. Talk about depressing! Maybe that explains why the saying caught my eye. I enjoy a good pun, so the statement initially made me chuckle. Believe me, by then I needed a good laugh.After the laughter subsided, I got to thinking about the important message behind the pun. Denial is not just a word. Denial means... 10/07/2007

There is tremendous potential in the City of Newburgh for recreational and business development. And in the next few years, the Historic City of Newburgh will join the other Hudson River Communities that have been targeted by investors for revitalization. The City is finally scheduled to take its place among the popular Hudson River business and recreational destinations in the Hudson Valley.City officials and business leaders believe three major projects at or near the water front will help to foster an economic rebirth. The following three projects are scheduled for the City of Newburgh: a new City Courthouse, an expanded Orange County Community College campus and a mixed-use development project which is being proposed by Tuxedo-based Leyland Alliance LLC.City of Newburgh Mayor Valent... 10/06/2007

Sellers, don't overlook the importance of lighting in your homes. Buyers and their agents need to be able to shed a little light on the subject.Recently, I accompanied a young couple and their home inspector as they went room to room in a home the couple has an interested in purchasing. Fortunately, this couple is very anxious to purchase this particular property. Otherwise the situation we encountered could have damaged the deal. There were rooms in this home we literally had difficulty seeing. The basement rooms in particular were problematic. There was very little natural light, so we really needed to be able to turn on electric lights, not just to test the lights, but in order to actually see the rooms. Some bulbs seemed to be blown, and in one large room we could not find a way to ... 10/02/2007

On a tiny island in the Hudson River, between Duchess County to the East and Orange County to the West, stands a fragile, nearly forgotten, remnant of New York State's past, Bannerman Castle. Constructed of red brick, concrete and stone, the ruins of this structure remain a fascinating anachronism in modern day New York. The genesis of Bannerman's Castle was purely economic, and the result is spectacular.  In 1901 Francis Bannerman chose to erect this building on an island to attract attention to his military surplus business and to warehouse his inventory. Why build it in the style of a Scottish castle? Why not. Originally Mr. Bannerman used the walls of the warehouse castle as immense billboards, clearly visible to those traveling past via steam boat and rail. In no time at all his is... 09/23/2007

This is a new program that provides a direct rebate check to homeowners based on a portion of their school taxes paid. All homeowners who are currently enrolled in the STAR program with a household income less than $250,000.00 are eligible for this program.If you are already in the Enhanced STAR program a rebate check will be mailed to you automatically. If you are in the Basic STAR program, the state Department of Taxation and Finance will send you an application. Applications must be returned by November 30, 2007, to apply for the rebate. For more information contact the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance on: 1-877-678-2769 or visit: http://www.nystax.gov/.This information is also available at the office of New York State Assemblyman Tom Kirwan 190 South Plank Road Newb... 09/19/2007

The Town of Newburgh, NY utilizes two sources of water, Chadwick Lake Reservoir and the NYC Delaware Aqueduct. A total of 951 million gallons of water or daily average of 2.6 million gallons per day was produced during 2006. A total of 732 million gallons of water was metered.The difference of 200,558 gallons is unaccounted for and is the result of leaks, water main breaks, hydrant flushing, fire flow and non-metered uses. The cost per 1000 gallons of water to the average homeowner in the year 2006 was approximately $1.09.This information is available at the Town of Newburgh Consolidated Water District.  09/19/2007

Travelers through the area can't help but notice major construction and development in the vicinity of Stewart International Airport. The New York Port Authority is set to arrive at Stewart International Airport November 1, 2007, and work in the vicinity of the airport is going ahead full steam. Improvements to airport facilities are expected, but that is not all that is happening. Road construction is underway. Work on roads includes enlarging and realigning Drury Lane, and creating an I-84 interchange for direct connection to Stewart. Major building project also abound. Projects in the vicinity of Stewart International Airport include construction of hotels. Adding to Hilton Garden Inn and Courtyard Marriott on Route 17K, the Homewood Suites Hilton at Stewart Commons is set to open Oc... 09/17/2007

Brighton Green is a community of 154 townhouses set among 25 beautiful acres in the Town of Newburgh and offers a low maintenance lifestyle for residents of the community including maintenance of all common areas, sidewalks, garbage removal and resident exclusive clubhouse. The community clubhouse is 3,100 sq.ft., sits near the center of the community and features an outdoor swimming pool, billiards room, fitness center, lounge with kitchen and outdoor tot lot. All of the homes in Brighton Green come with a generous appointment of luxury amenities like central air conditioning, Corian countertops and GE Profile appliances in the kitchen, and master suite conveniences including a walk-in closet and soaking tub. Learn more about the community in general with our Brighton Green community p... 08/25/2007

Brighton Green is a community of 154 townhouses set among 25 beautiful acres in the Town of Newburgh and offers a low maintenance lifestyle for residents of the community including maintenance of all common areas, sidewalks, garbage removal and resident exclusive clubhouse. The community clubhouse is 3,100 sq.ft., sits near the center of the community and features an outdoor swimming pool, billiards room, fitness center, lounge with kitchen and outdoor tot lot. All of the homes in Brighton Green come with a generous appointment of luxury amenities like central air conditioning, Corian countertops and GE Profile appliances in the kitchen, and master suite conveniences including a walk-in closet and soaking tub. Learn more about the community in general with our Brighton Green community p... 08/24/2007

Orange County NY has many towns, villages and hamlets, but only has three cities. The cities are Newburgh, Port Jervis and Middletown. The City of Newburgh is located in the most eastern part of the county and borders the Hudson River. The City of Port Jervis is located in the most western part of the county and borders the Delaware River. The City of Middletown is just about in the middle of Newburgh and Port Jervis. So, the name speaks for itself.Each of the three cities is unique in its own way. But when it comes to real estate, they all offer a choice of 2 to 4 unit multi-family properties to choose from. To an investor, that can equate to 2 to 4 unit investment properties to choose from.As of August 10, 2007, the City of Newburgh leads all three cities with a total of 222 multi-fam... 08/10/2007

The City of Newburgh NY will be hosting its 19th International Waterfront Festival starting on September 1, 2007 and running through September 3, 2007. It will be held on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd near the waterfront.The festival will run from 12:00 PM to 11:30 PM on September 1st and 2nd. And from 12:00 PM to 9:30 PM on September 3rd. Live performances are scheduled to take place at various times throughout the event.A Firework show is scheduled to start 9:00 PM on the night of September 3. And rides will open the night of August 31, 2007 from 5:00 PM to 11:00 PM. Come one, Come All!!Festival Poster: http://www.newburgh-ny.com/press/2007B/07-0901-FestivalPoster.pdf 08/04/2007

On Wednesday and Thursday Nights continuing through August 30, 2007, the Hudson River Waterfront located in Newburgh NY is the place to be to see and enjoy the FREE Newburgh Jazz Series 2007 concerts. If you enjoy Swing and Big Band music do not miss these events. There are opportunities for sponsors, vendors and volunteers as well.For more information and events schedule visit: http://www.newburghjazzseries.com or call (845) 568-0198.    07/31/2007

Here's an update on Blog Entry: It's About Dealing With People Not All About The Money which was originally written on 07/20/07.The couple has now established an alternate credit history via utility bills payments, telephone bills payments, insurance payments, and rent payments. And now have been pre-approved for a mortgage amount of $135,000.00.We have found them a two family home and they have an accepted offer on the property. I do believe this transaction will close within next 60 days. The couple is elated and I am very proud. I have one less loan contact source but I think I have friends for life! 07/27/2007

On Monday afternoon, I received a call from a person who is currently renting but wants to purchase a multifamily residential home. He explained that he receives about $6,000.00 per year in disability payments and has no credit. He further explained that his wife makes about $23,000 per year and just recently established credit and only has one credit card. I told him "Mmmmm, this is not going to be easy, but I will try to help."After talking to him, I placed a call to a loan officer who I've worked with many times before in the past. I explained the couple's situation to her and stated that I would like for her to speak to them to see if we could get them pre-approved for a loan.  In a very negative and disturbing way she said "They only have a combined income of about $30,000.00, they... 07/20/2007