About Putnam County, NY

File this under "you can't make this up."

Whilst confirming the home inspection with a seller client, he filled me in on garage access and then casually said " oh- don't mind any free roaming sheep if you see them on the property. The adjoining 98 acre farm is corralling them in."

Now, after 15 years in the business I seldom look at my phone and laugh, but this is one of those surreal moments. This is New York. I could be in Manhattan in half an hour with the wind at my back. Sheep?

Yes, sheep. The home is located in Brewster, NY, bordering the top of Westchester County, NY in neighboring Putnam County. My uncle's family lived in Brewster for many years and visiting his home was like going to a farm; it had a pond, 2 acres of land, and they rode their lawnmower instead of pushing it. I always related to that city mouse/country mouse story from childhood because of this.

Just about all of Putnam is pastoral, bucolic, often wooded, and an awesome quality of life with Westchester a stones throw away and New York a manageable commute. My clients, a couple of super awesome special education teachers, still work in southern Westchester, where they grew up.

And apparently, they have gotten accustomed to some runaway sheep every so often. For me that is still going to take some getting used to!

This is what is so great about Westchester and the surrounding areas like Putnam: A little south of us is Broadway and Times Square. A little north is horse farm country. There is no place like this in the world.

Want to find your own home (with or without sheep) in Brewster? Get yourself a free Listingbook account.

If one were to do a heat map of population density for Westchester, Putnam and the Hudson Valley, they would discover an amazing fact about Philipstown- of all the river communities from Westchester to Poughkeepsie, Philipstown -including Cold Spring and Garrison- is the least populated and perhaps most pastoral river town for 60 miles.

That's a good thing. That's a great thing. That means you can live on the Hudson line, commuting distance from New York City, close to the river, but not be in a crowded place.

Philipstown has two school districts, and this market report for the 3rd quarter of 2011 will center on Haldane schools. Garrison will be forthcoming. Haldane includes the Cold Spring post office, which is mostly the village of Cold Spring, neighboring Nelsonville, and the town of Philipstown.

For the 3rd quarter of 2011, Cold Spring and the surrounding area had 9 single family homes closed at a median price of $459,000.

Two homes are under contract at a median lst price of $239,900.

57 homes are available with a median asking price of $549,000.

Buyers have incredible choices. There is village living in Cold Spring, or an outstanding, more pastoral lifestyle in Philipstown with Cold Spring close by. But more than just that, the high inventory makes this a unique opportunity for buyers seeking quality of life at enticingly affordable levels. I seldom speak in superlatives. But the facts are hard to argue. Buyers are in a great position, and the options before them in Philipstown are awesome.

One good example is this home in Philipstown. It is a 4 bedroom ranch on a private 8 acres with its own pond- stunning! It is only $499,000. Click on the photo for more details, or for a walk through video, scroll down.

Not far away is the village of Cold Spring and all it offers. To see this and more home in Philipstown, register for a free Listingbook account and search the MLS database of homes effortlessly.

Anyone who knows me knows that I love the Hudson River towns, and not just the ones in Westchester. Nyack in Rockland is near and dear to my heart, and so is Cold Spring, a hop skip and a jump away in Putnam County, NY directly across the Hudson from West Point.

The area is very popular with weekenders from Manhattan, and aside from the village of Cold Spring, which has one of the most charming downtowns you'll ever see, there is also the village of Nelsonville, and the larger areas outside the villages in the town of Philipstown. All share the Cold Spring post office, and all are served by the Haldane school distict. There is something here for everyone here from historic, quaint village living, to bucolic acreage with privacy and majesty up the mountainside.

The market here is more like Westchester than Putnam or nearby Dutchess county. In the 90 days spanning June through August, the area had 10 closed single family home sales at a median sale price of $407,500, which is almost $100,000 higher than the $315,000 median price in the rest of Putnam. In the same period last year when the stimulus was still skewing price and volume upward, 10 homes sold at a median price of $481,000. This is a significant drop in median price, but 2010 was affected by the $8,000 tax credit. There are two homes under contract at a median price of $457,500. 65 homes are on the market at a median list price of $499,900.

The high inventory points to now being an exceptional time to be a buyer in the Cold Spring area. There is some real opportunity here. We currently have a beautiful listing in the town outside the village on 8 acres with a pond for $549,900. It is an all-brick, 2400 square foot 4 bedroom 2.5 bath ranch with a 2-car garage and 2 patios. That is an incredible value for a locale that is just over an hour from New York City on the Hudson Line. The area is one of the little jewels that deserves far more attention.

If you'd like more information on the property, call or email me. If you'd like to search for Cold Spring area homes like an agent, get yourself a free Listingbook account.

Hudson Valley

Summer Events Guide

August 20 & 21, 10 AM-5 PM, Garrison, NY - The Garrison Art Center will present its Annual Fine Arts & Crafts Fair. This event, located at Garrison’s Landing, will feature more than 70 crafters from across the country. Suggested donation $5, under 12 free. (845) 424-3960.

If you would like to include your event, email me your event and contact information at anthony.stokespereira@randrealty.com

This community event is provided as a service. As event information is provided by organizers and can change without notice, we advise you to contact organizers directly to confirm all details. Every effort is made to provide information that is accurate. However, information of this community event is subject to change at any time by the organizers.

Anthony Stokes Pereira

Better Homes and Gardens Rand Realty

I can help you with every aspect of buying or selling your home because I'm experienced, because I am a Better Homes and Gardens Rand Realty Real Estate Professional . . . and because I care.

As your Better Homes and Gardens Rand Realty Sales Professional, I will provide you with the information you need to make an educated decision.

The relationship between a home buyer or seller and their agent is based on trust, shared goals and understanding. I strive to continually improve and to do this I listen and take the needs and wants into consideration.

For assistance with any of your real estate needs, please contact me, whether it's to get started on helping you realize your goals and dreams, or just to ask a question - no pressure, no hassle, no obligation - just a friendly conversation. I would welcome the opportunity to make a difference for you.

Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate - Rand Realty, founded in 1984, is the No. 1 real estate brokerage in the Greater Hudson Valley with 25 offices serving Westchester, Rockland, Orange, Putnam and Dutchess counties. Rand has more than 800 sales associates, as well as a commercial real estate company (Rand Commercial Services), mortgage company (Rand Mortgage), title company (Hudson Abstract Services) and insurance agency (The Hudson Group Insurance Agency). The company’s Web sites are: randrealty.com, randcommercial.com, randmortgage.com, www.hudsonabstract.com and www.hudson-group.com. Rand Realty is also on Facebook and Twitter. Anthony Stokes Pereira web site www.anthonystokespereira.com . Information deemed reliable but not guaranteed.

Hudson Valley

Summer Events Guide

August 20 & 21, 10 AM-5 PM, Carmel, NY -

If you would like to include your event, email me your event and contact information at anthony.stokespereira@randrealty.com

This community event is provided as a service. As event information is provided by organizers and can change without notice, we advise you to contact organizers directly to confirm all details. Every effort is made to provide information that is accurate. However, information of this community event is subject to change at any time by the organizers.

Anthony Stokes Pereira

Better Homes and Gardens Rand Realty

I can help you with every aspect of buying or selling your home because I'm experienced, because I am a Better Homes and Gardens Rand Realty Real Estate Professional . . . and because I care.

As your Better Homes and Gardens Rand Realty Sales Professional, I will provide you with the information you need to make an educated decision.

The relationship between a home buyer or seller and their agent is based on trust, shared goals and understanding. I strive to continually improve and to do this I listen and take the needs and wants into consideration.

For assistance with any of your real estate needs, please contact me, whether it's to get started on helping you realize your goals and dreams, or just to ask a question - no pressure, no hassle, no obligation - just a friendly conversation. I would welcome the opportunity to make a difference for you.

Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate - Rand Realty, founded in 1984, is the No. 1 real estate brokerage in the Greater Hudson Valley with 25 offices serving Westchester, Rockland, Orange, Putnam and Dutchess counties. Rand has more than 800 sales associates, as well as a commercial real estate company (Rand Commercial Services), mortgage company (Rand Mortgage), title company (Hudson Abstract Services) and insurance agency (The Hudson Group Insurance Agency). The company’s Web sites are: randrealty.com, randcommercial.com, randmortgage.com, www.hudsonabstract.com and www.hudson-group.com. Rand Realty is also on Facebook and Twitter. Anthony Stokes Pereira web site www.anthonystokespereira.com . Information deemed reliable but not guaranteed.