THIS MONTH’S FEATURED REAL ESTATE ARTICLE

In 2018, the last time Main Street looked at real estate in the Town of  Pine Plains on the northern border of Dutchess County, we predicted that real estate activity and prices were poised to move upward. COVID, low interest rates, and a national housing shortage fueled the town’s real estate market from total sales of $9 million in 2017 to $16 million in 2021. Despite record activity in the last four years, prices in Pine Plains remain affordable, and the town retains its […]

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 zip lining at the Catamount Ski area in the northeast corner, and dazzling Copake Lake with water-skiers, marinas, and summer campers. The public 18-hole Copake Country Club, “quality since 1921,” […]

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 hopes to move back in July. The library is only one of Sharon’s established institutions along with the Sharon Historical Society, the Sharon Playhouse, the Audubon Society, the Sharon Land […]

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 state has different rules and methods; however, the underlying principle is the same – to treat all property owners fairly for tax purposes by adjusting property assessments to recent market […]

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 tear down a house or a barn or fill in a pool? Sometimes it is the careful calculation of the cost to repair and renovate versus building new. The structure […]