New York Post on the Non-Skiing Charms of Hunter

An article about the non-ski related attractions of Hunter Township, which includes the village of Hunter and neighboring Tannersville, ran in today’s New York Post.

I find Hunter village rather sleepy, even by Upstate standards, but I completely concur about the warmth and friendliness. The last time I was in the hardware store on Main Street, they had coffee and cookies on offer for anyone who wanted them—seriously, baked goods at the hardware store!

Five Figure Fridays! Spotlight on Saugerties

Saugerties has a lot to offer – easy Thruway access, an Esopus/Hudson riverfront downtown area with sheltered marinas, and a lovely woodsy sprawl of well kept residential outlying areas that manage a nicely hybridized suburban/rural feel.  And fifteen or twenty minutes away is the lovely and ski-y Tannersville/Hunter/Windham area, just up the steep and twisty 23A past Kaaterskill Falls or the closed-every-winter, butt-clenchingly hairpin Platte Clove Road (pro tip: do NOT drive down this road in a 1984 camper van with lackadaisical brakes).

That said, in a lot of cases staying under 100 grand in Saugerties requires some imagination and some courage.  So with dauntless, fixer-upper spirit, here are five five-figure Saugerties properties.  Details and more pictures of each property are after the jump.  From highest to lowest:

Dock Street 3BR - $89k

A true “handyman special,” this waterfront (!) village home has, according to the broker, been in the same family since 1890.  Which is amazing and also somehow a little mournful.  Fifty feet of frontage on the Esopus, just below the dam, which means constant white noise for extra deep sleeping.  Attention kayakers: your backyard water access here is a couple hundred yards from the Hudson River.   There are no interior pictures (whuh-oh) so assume you’re buying the location and the water. $89k.

Church Rd. 3BR - $89k

This is a mobile but looks well-kept and turnkey.  Pretty front lawn on 2.4 acres.  Half the property is across the street and consists mostly of bluestone quarry, which is either depressing or exciting depending on how you feel about stone, I guess.  Imagine the patio you could build, with ulra-local materials!  $89k.

Kate Yaeger Rd. 2BR - $65k

Adorable and affordable, this little blue cottage has the distinction of being the first property in a long time that made my wife say “yes, I want it.”  Of course, she also looked at the picture of the on-property stream and said “oh look, it even has its own puddle!”  $65k.

Manorville Rd. 1BR - $65k

Another fixer for the staunch of spirit, but my sakes could this be striking when it’s done.  A 1965 contemporary with interesting bi-level design (the Zillow link has even more, and more interesting, pictures than the listing agent does) but, since this changed hands for $150k just eight years ago, you have to assume there’s something badly wrong here.  Still, it has tremendous potential.  $65k.

Band Camp Cir. 2BR - $37k

Lastly, the bargain of the bunch – an estate sale that hasn’t been occupied in over a decade (what is it with Saugerties and mournful backstories?).  There’s certainly lots to do, but at this price you can probably afford the reno.  Best of all, it’s on Band Camp Circle, so you can spend your out-of-town weekends endlessly repeating “This one time?  At Band Camp?”  (NSFW).   $37k.

BONUS BARGAIN:

This isn’t in Saugerties, though it’s just up 23A, but it’s a Craigslist ad and not listed on Realtor or Zillow which means it may disappear any time.  It’s an inoffensive, 20ish year old doublewide on an acre of land and it would sorely benefit from some tree plantings to mask its slab-sided doublewideness.  The killer here, though, is the proximity to the gorgeous Kaaterskill Falls.  To wit:

Haines Falls 3BR - $79k

Amazing.  Just reduced from $130k to $79k and described as “must sell.”  Go, waterfall-loving bargain hunters, GO!

After the jump: links and stats for each, plus a big gallery with a bunch more photos.  Happy bargain hunting.

Need Someone to Check on Your Greene County Country House?

Carol Shaw from Shaw Country Realty has very generously offered to check on the homes of second home owners post-Hurricane Irene. The number for Shaw Country Realty is 518-734-3500.

Part of the motivation here is the National Guard is only supposed to let residents through to closed roads. That said, I am not a full-time resident, but I was able to get through. The National Guard has been pretty reasonable about letting people pass, but if you can’t make the trip, don’t hesitate to ask for help.

One more thing: if you bought your home relatively recently, you might want to try your own broker for a similar check-in service. Many Greene County brokers have offered to do the same as Carol.

Country House with Curb Appeal in Hunter for $279,000

This one looks so pretty with those stone walls and established flower beds and the terrace overlooking the mountains. I’m already imagining all the sunset cocktails I’d drink. Plus,  it’s on 6.1 acres and located in the village of  of Hunter, so it would work well as a four season escape and occasional ski rental. Home sales are have been on the decrease for the past two years in Hunter, and this house is well below the average listing price of $384,00.

The inside has it’s pluses, too: four fireplaces, hardwood floors, a claw foot tub in one of the three bathrooms, but we didn’t love the interior as much as the exterior. It seemed a little too Twin Peaks ski lodge, not enough airy country house. How do you all feel about the wood paneling to regular walls ratio? At this price, I’d find a way to work with it, or renovate.

Village of Hunter, Google Maps

Distance to NYC: 114 miles; 2 hours, 30 minutes
Transportation: Adirondack Trailways to Hunter
Land: 6.1 acres
Neighbors? No
Water: No
Bedrooms: 4
Baths: 3