Philipstown, NY

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.

I don't often blog about listings because I focus more on commentary here, but I think the walking tours we now do for our listings are very appealing. I do them Bob Vila style, with a candid, conversational walk through as if we were chatting together touring the house. I don't use a script, so where language limps I add an annotation for clarity or to flat out correct myself.

We just listed this home, and I think you'll find that the tour will pique your curiosity to see the place, not just for what the walkthrough shows, but also for what it does not show, such as the pond on the other side of the grounds.

Price taxes, and other specifics are on the walk through, and if you dig the place or have questions, give me a call or send an email.

This is a beautiful home in Philipstown with a small pond, lovely grounds and considerate owners, and I believe that it is priced right as well. Enjoy my nasal voice.