Cree Quaker - Ulster County Real Estate

After I got over the initial shock and inconvenience of not being able to park quickly at Houst Hardware and grab the must-have items I seem to need nearly every day, I really loved the Woodstock Farm Festival.

You can grab a bounty of fresh fruits and veggies and meander through the myriad of chocolate, vintage clothing and booths featuring local goods. The restaurants are bustling and if you are a meat lover then swing by the Woodstock Meat Store for a little BBQ and music. If they start serving grilled veggie dogs I might linger longer!

At the risk of sounding cliche, I love a parade, but love basking in the community of the Woodstock Farm Festival even more!

Every Wednesday afternoon in the summer!

Oh and if you can't find it...look for the blonde searching for parking and light bulbs!

Happy Farm Festival!

Cree Quaker

www.Barqua.com

I am always on the hunt for good renovation projects for my clients and myself. I was told about this great spot just off of Yerry Hill Road in Woodstock, NY. She told me that her sister rents a cabin up on the top of this dirt road, and in the thick woods a couple hundred yards behind is a seeminly abandoned mansion. The house is in ill repair and all of the contents (furniture, fixtures, etc.) were thrown outside into a heap and have been wrecked by the weather.

I asked my friend if she had ever been inside, or did she just walk the perimeter. She said that indeed, one night, she and her boyfriend took a walk outside with a machete in hand (as you do?) and creeped up to the window with their flashlights. She said the main room was bare with the exception of about 50 white folding chairs set up in no particular order, and from the ceiling there were hooks and things hanging. I sat in my seat, stunned, scared and not ever wanting to buy a house up on that road, but I was also desperately curious. My friend said she never went back and doesn't visit her sister up there...she makes her come down the hill for a visit.

I've asked around town about the road and one broker said she knew of something up there, but said she wasn't going to go.

Perhaps one day I will venture up there with a bundt cake, refrigerator magnet, but no machete. Until then...

Peace, Love and Full Moons

Cree

HITS - Horseshows in the Sun is one of Ulster County's great treats. It's located in Saugerties, NY off of Mike Kraut Road. It's an amazing event for horse lovers and folks who just want to get out and enjoy the sun.

Here is a list of event dates:

Join the fun and see the sights in Saugerties!

Cree Quaker

Barqua Real Estate and Design, LLC

845-679-1237

http://www.barqua.com/

cree@barqua.com

The 2008 Ulster County Tax Auction will be held on April 17, 2008 at 9:30am.

For those that have never been to a real estate tax auction, here is a little background:

The auction is one day only and the houses that are up for auction have been delinquent in there school, general or both taxes. The County lists the property address, type, taxes owed, etc., and the amount owed on taxes is the starting bid.

SAVED BY THE BELL - The owner of the property can redeem the property by paying all taxes and fees up to the moment it is on the auction block, and may even do so beyond that point. Further details are provided at the Ulster County Tax Auction

When you see the extensive list of properties you may think you have some great options, but I've been to these auctions for several years and, at times, have not been able to purchase anything. Most of the good propeties get redeemed by the owner prior to auction, or the owners have been contacted by a third party and have worked out a deal for the property's redemption.

OPPORTUNITY WITH RESPECT - While purchasing a property at a tax auction can be a great opportunity to find an affordable investment, realize that for every opportunity made there is someone who has lost. It's important to do your due diligence with respect to the various properties, but it is not okay to trespass and infringe on another's right to privacy.

LEMONS - Oh there are a lot of lemons on the table. At the Ulster County Tax Auction, you should note that for 2008, the newest properties on the auction block have tax issues from 2005. You will also see properties with tax issues from 2004, 2003, 2000, 1998, etc. This means they have been on the auction block since that date and have appeared in every subsequent year. I personally don't deal with any properties that have been on longer than the current year. It's too risky for my blood and there are too many opportunities to dwell in that muck.

DUE DILIGENCE - I know I mentioned this before, BUT everytime I attend I see folks with big buck stars in their eyes and know absolutely nothing about the property. It's often difficult to get title insurance on a tax auction property and in that, not always easy to flip. Some of my buyers have purchased, rented, acquired title insurance and then sold, which has worked well. I have known buyers to hold a property for up to two years or more. So keep that in mind. Additionally,some of the properties are not so easy to find. My team found a house that was perfect and we won the bid at the auction. Later we found we were at the neigboring house, and what we purchased was not what we THOUGHT we purchased. We backed out and lost our deposit. The twisty turny back roads of Ulster County can be deceiving!

Have fun at the auction and let me know if you want to look at some on an Adventure in Auctions!

Cree

QUIMBY THEATRE, VANDERLYN HALL

ULSTER COUNTY COMMUNITY

COLLEGE, STONE RIDGE, NEW YORK

Adventures in Real Estate Investing

The Brooklyn Beat

The Woodstock Beat

Barqua Real Estate & Design

Here are some statistics for Woodstock, NY from January 1, 2008-March 19, 2008. This will give you some insight as you look to purchase or rent a home in the hippest town in America!

Bedrooms Current Active Average List Price Average DOM

0 to 2 16 $371,050 152

3 41 $577,607 142

4+ 30 $1,215,038 161

Beds Total Listed # Sold % Sold Avg Sale Price Sold Sale Price/List Avg DOM

All 31 14 45.16% $388,614 92.07% 172

0-2 5 4 80.00% $218,025 96.49% 187

3 17 6 35.29% $361,416 93.01% 169

4+ 9 4 44.44% $600,000 89.75% 162