Ulster County Real Estate

Come to my open house this Sunday 9/30 from 1-4pm. A lovely Kingston home, with a new kitchen, new energy star windows, bonus room in basement, huge walk up attic, pool and spacious deck with a fenced in back yard. All this in a convenient uptown Kingston location and a recent price reduction: 189,900. 222 Tremper Ave. Hope to see you there!

These days one hears a lot about a "sluggish" Real Estate market in the media. Here in Ulster County, I beg to differ. Below are some statistics comparing the first half of the year from 2005-2007. According to the National Association of Realtors 2005 was the best year for Real Estate on record. Although there are slightly fewer listings sold thus far in 2007, it looks like the average days on market is about the same and the average price is actually up 8.8%. In my opinion, Ulster County continues to have staying power and still has a very active market.

One of the most important considerations of a healthy market is supply and demand. In Ulster County, the supply has been limited by a lack of new home production in recent years. This is partly because residents tend to fight development projects, thus keeping a rural feel to Ulster County. But also, there are high costs for new construction and there aren't many experienced builders or large building firms in Ulster County.

Since we are within a reasonable commute of Manhattan, the demand for rural homes has been strong and steady. Many folks telecommute as well. Being that Manhattan prices have gone up in 2006 and 2007, it is not surprising that city buyers are enjoying the relative bargains and high quality of life that Ulster County provides.

Over the past decade, many parts of the country experienced runaway appreciation rates. Ulster County, however, was much more steady and realistic. Most of all, I think homeowners here see their property not only as a solid investment but as a lifestyle.