Poughkeepsie, NY

Locust Grove is one of the many wonderful historic sites to be found in the Hudson Valley. This lovely estate is located in the town of Poughkeepsie, and sits high above the Hudson River.

This property was purchased in 1851 by Samuel F. B. Morse who was inventor of the Morse Code. After purchasing the property Morse worked with renowned architect Alexander Jackson Davis to transform the house into an Italianate Villa. The Tuscan Tower provided wonderful views of the Catskills and Hudson River as well as of the many beautiful gardens.

Locust Grove is listed on the National Historic Landmark, and today the site is open to the public for tours and a popular wedding destination.

Jennifer Fivelsdal- Associate Broker- Keller Williams Realty Team - 845-758-6842- jennifer@jfivehomes.com and www.jfivehomes.com

Flickr | Facebook | Linked-in |Twitter |subscribe to Blog

What is the Tax Credit? Has the Tax Credit Really Made A Difference in Poughkeepsie, NY?

I can tell you that I have a buyer here in Poughkeepsie who would not be in contract if it weren't for the tax credit. It's not that they wouldn't afford the house without the credit, thus propagating the problem of owning a home you can't afford. It is an incentive. It motivated them to move forward in purchasing a home.

I do see the credit as a plan to stimulate the economy and since I am in the trenches, I see the benefits.

What are the two tax credits for Nov. 7 to April 30th?

In short, according to NAR's website, these tax credits apply to Primary Residences and the amount of the credit is determined by income and cost of house.

1. The First-Time Home Buyer's may qualify for the Tax Credit of up to $8,000 from Nov. 7 until April 30, 2010.

• Must not have owned a home in the last three years prior to purchase.
• Single buyers can have incomes up to $125,00 per year.
• Married couples can have incomes up to $225,000 per year.

2. Existing home owners may qualify for the credit up to $6,500 when purchasing between Nov. 7, 2009 and April 30, 2010.

• They must have used the home being sold or vacated as a principle residence for five consecutive years within the last eight.
• Single buyers can have incomes up to $125,00 per year.
• Married couples can have incomes up to $225,000 per year.

I advise everyone to check with their accountant for personal qualifications regarding the tax credit.

I have had the opportunity to work with a number of different buyers in the last few months who are influenced by the credit to start to look. Based on what their loan officer's say, they are not dependent on the tax credit but are influenced by it. At a time when we need to jump start the economy, isn't that a good thing?

Besides the realtors, I see the tax credits benefitting the independent contractors who are in need of work.

To sum it up, this is a great opportunity for the first time home buyers and the existing home owners. In addition, people may qualify for grants through Dutchess County and the City of Poughkeepsie.

Please contact me for any information in the Dutchess County, Putnam and Westchester County areas in New York.

www.dutchesspropertysearch.com

Why Buy Property In Poughkeepsie, New York? Dutchess County

People wonder why I moved to New York City from California and now reside in Poughkeepsie, New York. 18 years ago I left California because of my infatuation with New York City.

I lived, worked and went to school in the City.

Until I met my husband from 'upstate New York" (Any place north of NYC is upstate). Although I have to say that after living 'upstate' I realize the term is a matter of geography because I'm still in the outer suburbs of NYC and to me, 'upstate' is North of Albany, which is an over an hour from Poughkeepsie.

Honestly, in seeking affordable housing and lifestyle, we stumbled on Poughkeepsie, and have been pleasantly surprised, The pricing is minimal compared to NYC or Westchester County. You can have find a starter home for under 200K with an acre.

http://dutchesspropertysearch.com/buyers/mls-search/

Since I've moved to Poughkeepsie, I've always missed NYC. It's just over an hour away but I miss the city life. I've lived 'upstate' for 12 years or so. I get to enjoy NYC about 6 to 8 times a year, depending on what is going on in my life. Poughkeepsie is close enough to NYC to take advantage of Broadway, Restaurants, world class hospitals, (my kids were born in NYC) and yes, I commuted there when I was pregnant for all my doctor appointments.

In Poughkeepsie we have access to many things you would find in NYC. We have the Bardavon Opera House from 1869 where Itzhak Perlman played a few years back. http://www.bardavon.org/ The Bardavon always hosts some of the best in the world. The Chance hosts great bands like Collective Soul among other billboard rock bands. At Vassar, the Francis Lehman Loeb Art center has approx. 15,000 works of various art.

Poughkeepsie is home to Vassar College, a top college in the country. I enjoy meeting friends at some of the hip, college town, restaurants in the area. I love how quaint the area is with a great New Age store, Juliet Cafe for playing pool, indian, chinese, vegan food all within a short block of Vassar.

10 minutes away on the Hudson River are some great attractions. The Samuel Morse Estate has some of the most beautiful trails I have ever been on.

Shadow's restaurant is a great place to hang out with its patio bar overlooking the Mid-Hudson Bridge and when they have weddings, there is a great firework show. Up the river is the Children's Museum which is a fun place for the kids to play and learn about the area including the Hudson River. Near the museum is a skateboard park and a dock where the Clearwater docks and a replica of the Half Moon during special events throughout the year.

We also now have the Walkway on the Hudson, which is the longest pedestrian bridge in the world.

Traveling North on route 9 parallel to the Hudson you pass Marist College and near Poughkeepsie is the world famous Culinary Institute of America which hosts five restaurants where you can enjoy different styles of cooking from the students. Cat Cora is one of the graduates of the CIA!

What I love about Poughkeepsie is the proximity to the city and the beautiful country living. It got its name from the native americans. According to information from Wikipedia, he name means "the reed covered lodge by the little-water place" Poughkeepsie sits right on the Hudson river.

I get to choose to have my horse live with me on my property or board him at a stable down the road.

We have many equestrian events and access to beautiful countryside riding.

Poughkeepsie has a lot to offer! If you are interested in Poughkeepsie, which is in Dutchess County, New York, please check out my website and log on to see housing available in the area. Search the outer areas too like Hyde Park, Fishkill, Hopewell Junction, Millbrook and many other great towns.

The weather forecast shows a wet, rainy, but warm Halloween is expected in the Mid-Hudson Valley and Poughkeepsie are. Hi 69 / Lo 42. It might turn out to be the first rainy Halloween night since I moved into my house 10 years ago. I can track the weather back that far because each Halloween I set up a table outside on my driveway and serve donut holes and cider to the trick-or-treaters. It's great to see all the neighbor having fun and to chat with the parents too.

If it rains this year I might need to set up shop inside my garage or forgo tradition all together.

And, after the trick-or-treaters are done collecting their loot, the next thing I'll be doing this year is setting all my clocks back.

Remember, Daylight Savings ends at 12am on November 1st. Yes, and it will be getting darker sooner now ...that means one less hour of daylight available each day for Dutchess County homebuyers to be looking at property. Well, we can always bring a flashlight to look around outside I guess Heck, I'm not afraid of the dark. Are you?

The Walkway Over The Hudson is a story of a community that came together to rescue a landmark bridge. The old Poughkeepsie - Highland Railroad Bridge was abandoned after a fire in 1974. It sat for decades deteriorating because it was too expensive to tear down. On October 3rd, 2009 the restored bridge was finally opened to the public. Take the walk and you will see how obvious it is that this river community is so very proud of our new Walkway Over The Hudson, but be sure to bring your sneakers - it's 3 miles to walk from one end to the other and back (1.5 miles each way).

For a better glimpse of the bridge on fire in 1974 click on this link: http://www.catskillarchive.com/rrextra/pbpj743.Html

I visited the Walkway Over The Hudson this week and had the chance to experience the beauty of the Hudson Valley during the prime time for fall foliage - while standing directly above the Hudson River. I am pleased to be able to share my photos below.

This recycled 120-year-old Poughkeepsie-Highland Railroad Bridge is now considered to be the world's longest pedestrian bridge.

Fred Schaefer is a local Poughkeepsie real estate attorney who I have had the pleasure of working with during my real estate career. I remember a few years back there had been a couple of different functions within the same month where Fred approached me and several other real estate agents - he couldn't stop talking so enthusiastically about the development of the bridge. Funny, I just could not see it coming together like it did - and, now today it is just as he had described. Yes, at that time I had my doubts. Fred offered to take us up to the bridge for a sneak preview - I had concerns about the structural integrity and graciously declined. No way was I going to go up there on that old relic! I was convinced the deteriorating bridge would crumble and I would fall to my death!

Fred continued to pursue his vision and successfully spearheaded this project which has even been featured by the NY Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/25/nyregion/25metjournal.html What a wonderful legacy!

For more information about The Walkway Over The Hudson and for frequently asked questions click on the link below: http://walkway.org/

For more information about the history of the bridge click on this link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poughkeepsie_Bridge

This is the view of Poughkeepsie from the Highland side of The Walkway On The Hudson (1.5 miles away)

This is the view of the Mid-Hudson Bridge from the Pedestrian bridge ,a.k.a. The Walkway on The Hudson