buying an old house in the Catskills
buying an old house in the Catskills
as summer approaches and NYer’s start to think about getting out of town on the weekends, we’d like to give a hearty endorsement to renting or buying a cheap house in the Catskills! we’re born and raised NYC and have hit just about every summer vacation spot within 4 hours of the city. and for summer fun, the Northern Hudson Valley has become our favorite spot. no crowds, little traffic (2-3 hour drive), swimming holes, waterfalls, yard sales, country auctions, mini golf, demolition derby’s, county fairs, unending scenic roads, trails and mountain views, old abandoned inns, history everywhere, good restaurants and shopping and it’s CHEAP!
historic home from the 1700′s for $75,000 (available!)
buying an old home upstate can be a particularly rewarding experience for people who live in the city. with NYC prices being so insane – it’s an opportunity to own real estate (the prices upstate are still low but it’s a hot market and great investment), and while you pay the mortgage you get to enjoy your weekend home! places under $100,000 with owner financing are still out there (this one is “sale pending” but a nice example.) for years we rented a $600 a month 4 bedroom house overlooking the Hudson with a bunch of friends. then we bought the house down the street and it’s changed our lives (for sale by owner!) over the years lots of our good friends have gotten places in the area.
it can be tricky finding a house to rent upstate. sometimes the NYTimes has listings, but most of the local papers (where the house rentals are listed) are not online. we recommend getting to know the area by exploring over a couple weekend trips, grabbing a bunch of local papers, a good map and cruising around. the areas we love are Ulster, Greene and Columbia Counties in the heart of the northern Hudson Valley (but many people love the surrounding counties also.) the Rip Van Winkle Motor Lodge is a cool spot to explore from. they have little cabins, are near a sweet country village, and are centrally located. pick up a Catskill Mountain Guide at the info booth as you get off the highway for maps lots of cool tips and attractions, and local papers will tip you to auctions, events and real estate agents. Rip Van Winkle Realty is a good real estate office that’s centrally located, and with MLS these days (Multiple Listing Service) through any agent you can see all listings for all agencies.)
Update: we were tipped by a friend that the NY Times published a big piece on Catskill the same day as us!