Founded in 1824, the Town of Copake, the Mohican word for snake pond, is busy planning its bicentennial celebrations for next year. Located on the eastern edge of Columbia County, Copake is an all-season sporting playground, which still retains its agricultural feel. The Harlem Valley Rail Trail winds through Taconic State Park. There’s skiing and […]
Exactly ten years ago Main Street Magazine looked at the real estate market in the “consistently quiet” town of Sharon, CT. Not very much has changed except for real estate prices, super-charged by COVID. The construction fence around Hotchkiss Library on the Sharon Green has been removed and the multi-year renovation is almost complete, with […]
It’s happening again. Revaluation is increasing assessment values based on top of the market sales. What’s worse is that people don’t know how much their taxes will be until county and school budgets are finalized months from now. This month’s real estate feature will try to explain the complex assessment process in New York. Each […]
Recently it seems like houses, modest and grand, have been disappearing. Here one day and gone the next, including one of Main Street’s mystery houses. For our environmental issue, this article explores why demolition is occurring, how long it takes, and how much it costs.
It’s not worth saving
Why do owners make the decision to […]
Ten years ago, when Main Street planned its first issue, we realized that readers wanted news about real estate activity, which was still suffering from the Great Recession of 2008. Initially our editorial focus was very specific, and monthly articles tracked the characteristics, performance, and trends in specific towns and villages in New York, Connecticut, […]
December is a time of gatherings and celebrations and often conjures up visions of log cabins in the snow with roaring fires in a massive, stone fireplace, and flannel pajamas. Log homes’ distinctive construction material can create a rustic Lincoln cabin or a grand Adirondack camp. For this holiday issue we researched the history of […]
Exactly three years ago Main Street published its first article on mystery houses just in time for Halloween. Our readers responded enthusiastically to the story, so three years later we are revisiting some of our original mystery houses and adding new ones to watch. We ask readers to walk around their neighborhood and look out […]
This summer’s regional drought with four to five inches of rain less than usual, polluted city drinking water in Jackson, MS, and water restrictions in California emphasize the importance of water to our lives. What are the questions homeowners, and real estate buyers and sellers should have about the source and quality of the H2O […]
What is it about the hamlet of Wassaic, NY, that has attracted industry and idealists for over 200 years? Wassaic’s Main Street is nestled in a valley between the Metro North Train line and the confluence of the Wassaic Creek and the Amenia Stream bordered to the east and west by mountains. It’s believed that […]
What has been happening over the last four years in our area’s real estate markets? This article analyzes sales in the Town of Ancram, NY, since Main Street’s last coverage four years ago to get a market snapshot in just one Columbia County town. (This feature is data intensive. For background on the community you […]