Susan's Blog

Exciting Things to Do in Orange County for Spring

Susan Jackowski Orange County New York (RJ Smith Realty) — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 13:14:07 -0500

Chocolate, Wine and Music Festival
Saturday, April 4 10 a.m-5 p.m.
Hudson Valley chocolatiers, wineries and musicians, recipes by local chefs, samples, tastings, gifts, plus the Easter Bunny.
$5 adults, free kids 12 and under
John S. Burke Catholic High School, Fletcher Street in Goshen

Turkish Educational Maps Exhibit
Tuesday-Sunday through April 30
10 a.m.-4 p.m., Tuesday - Saturday, noon -4 p.m. Sunday
On display are elaborate, early maps drawn by Turkish cartographers, including a medieval map of Asia showing the Great Wall of China, a map of Europe with crudely drawn Vikings in Scandinavia, a map of the Holy Land with primitive painting of the Crucifixion and more.
The Karpeles Manuscript Library Museum, 84 Broadway, Newburgh
569-4997 or www.karpeles.com

Adult Workshop Series: Reducing Energy Consumption
7-8:30 p.m. Thursdays, April 2, 16, 30
This workshop will be guided by environmentalists, who will follow the book "Low Carbon Diet" by David Gershon. The book will be available for purchase.
Outdoor Discovery Center at Hudson Highlands Nature Museum, Cornwall. Free
534-5506 Ext. 204 or www.hhnaturemuseum.org

Idols in Concert
8 p.m., Saturday, April 18
Four of the Top 10 finalists from Seasons 1-6 will give solo, duet, and ensemble performances of the songs they belted out on the hit Fox show. Performers may include Ace Young, Constantine Maroulis and Anthony Federov.
Eisenhower Hall Theatre, West Point.
938-4159 or www.ikehall.com

Cinderella
3 p.m., Sunday, April 19
The timeless Prokofiev classic performed by the Russian National Ballet Theatre, and showcasing stars from the Bolshoi and Kirov ballets.
$42 adults, $31.50 kids age 18 and under
Lycian Centre, Sugar Loaf
469-2287 or www.lyciancentre.com

River to River Art Walk
Noon-dusk, Saturday, April 25, May 30
Enjoy music, cinema and art events along Newburgh's waterfront promenade featuring drawings, paintings and photography by local artists.
561-9374 or www.newburgharts.com

Children's Gardening Class
10-11:30 a.m., Saturday, May 2
Children ages 8-12 will learn gardening techniques taught by Carol Hausler. Registration necessary. Kosuga Center at Orange County Arboretum, Thomas Bull Memorial Park, Montgomery.
615-3824

Lycian Centre Film Series: Orange County Connections
Friday, May 8
Find out about the incredible impact Orange County writers, directors and actors have had on the film industry.
Lycian Centre, Sugar Loaf
469-2285 or www.lyciancentre.com

Walk MS: Walk to Create a World Free of MS
Sunday, May 17
Starting time TBA. Come join in the fight to find a cure. Form a team or join one to raise funds and awareness.
Goshen Historic Track, Goshen
294-5333 or www.goshenhistorictrack.com

Happenings in Pine Bush

Susan Jackowski Orange County New York (RJ Smith Realty) — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 18:41:07 -0500

Town Government:

Come meet the people in the Town of Crawford's Government Center: I have heard from Charlie Carnes, Supervisor and Kelly Eskew, Town Clerk that the Town will be holding an Open House on Thursday March 19th from 8:30 a.m.- 7:30 p.m. and Friday March 20th from 8:30 a.m.- 4:00 p.m.

All departments will be open for you to come in and meet your department heads and their staff the are encourging all the residents to come out; light refreshments will be served. If you have any questions please feel free to call 744-5010 or 744-2029.

School:

Pine Bush School Board of Education meeting will be on Tuesday, March 24^th at 7:30pm at the Pine Bush High School. The topic will be the Final Decision making and establishing the budget for 2009-2010.

Library:

Pine Bush Public Library is always looking for volunteers. Their activities help support the library's goals. Meeting time s on the second Thursday of each month at 2pm. Our next planned event is the Easter Bake Sale to be held on Good Friday, April 10^th. Other events included the Spring Fliing on Saturday, June 6^th 7-11pm tickets will be available in May. Don't forget about the annual town wide yard sale for May 23^rd.

Meals on Wheels, Pine Bush:

We are in need of home delivery people to deliver meals to the sneiors of the Pine Bush area. If you can spare an 1 ½ hour once or twice a month please call Anna at 615-3700

Happenings Around Pine Bush

Susan Jackowski Orange County New York (RJ Smith Realty) — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 17:00:57 -0500

Town Government:

School:

Library:

Meals on Wheels, Pine Bush:

We are in need of home delivery people to deliver meals to the sneiors of the Pine Bush area. If you can spare an 1 ½ hour once or twice a month please call Anna at 615-3700

How to be in the lime light in this market

Susan Jackowski Orange County New York (RJ Smith Realty) — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 20:43:45 -0500

Here are a few tips to use in this market to keep you visible and make the emails come or the phone ring.

1. Blog Try active rain, google blog, your own website etc. your content can come from the local newspaper, from your mls stats or propety advertising or just your own experiences. Make sure you use your own content.

2. Go to local events in your area. Sporting events, parades, bingo, school board meetings, church dinners, fire-mans events etc. Don't be shy introduce yourself and get involved in a conversation.

3. Join your local organizations network and make sure you hand out your business cards.

4. Volunteer in your community. Meals on Wheels, Senior Citizen programs, Humane Society, Garden Club, Library. You can benefit with referrals and you can help people in need.

5. Review your old sales files the people who bought 7-10 years ago probably are thinking about selling and the best thing in most cases is that they have equity in their homes.

6. Get on the internet and get involved in social networking, Face Book, Linkin, Plaxo theses are great ways to meet people and catch us with people that you haven't seen since high school.

7. Market your properties free on Craigslist, Face Book and several other sites.

Remember keep a smile, always be passionate and ready to help anyone in need. Oh and don't forget to hand out your business cards.

Community organizations in needof your volunteer help.

Susan Jackowski Orange County New York (RJ Smith Realty) — Sun, 15 Mar 2009 16:22:39 -0500

Community organizations in need of volunteers if you're looking to join in and help out in your community here are some.

The Walden Rotary which encompasses Pine Bush, Walden, Wallkill, Maybrook and Montgomery will be conducting Operation Clean Sweep on Saturday, march 28^th. The goal is to pick up roadside trash along the streets within all of these communities. Walden Rotary is reaching out to the clubs, organizations churches and the community to work with us on that day in picking up roadside trash. Orange bags will be supplied along with street assignments in the parking lot in front of the Pine Bush Government Center on Rt 302 from 8-12pm on the morning of March 28.

Office of the Aging is in need for Home delivery people to deliver meals in the Pine Bush area. If you are interested in volunteering call Anna at 615-3700. It only takes 1-1-½ hours of your time, it will be worth it to you. The satisfaction you will get is unbelievable.

Pine Bush area Garden Club will meet on March 18^th 6:30pm at the Crawford Town Hall on Rt. 302. The topic of the meeting will be "Pruning of Trees" The installation of new officers will also take place. Any new members wishing to join are welcome to attend.

Senior Citizen taken advantage of....shame on you!

Susan Jackowski Orange County New York (RJ Smith Realty) — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 14:26:42 -0600

I am in a situation where I am trying to help one of our local senior citizens here in Pine Bush, New York. She has owned and lived in her home for over 50 years now, and recently, she re-mortgaged it because she needed extra income. She is 85 years old living on Social Security and was not able to get by. She got a referral from a friend and dealt with a mortgage broker and took out what seemed like a reverse mortgage.

Without giving all of the details, she received checks for a period of time and was making monthly payments to a Bank, but then the checks stopped. Recently, she started receiving notices that she was in jeopardy of losing her home if she could not continue to make the monthly payments. Because she only received a very small portion of the money that she was supposed to get as a result of the mortgage, she is back in the same situation. She went to see an attorney and he was really not able to help her.

It is very sad to see a senior citizen (or anyone else) taken advantage of this way. We were able to get a copy of the mortgage and the other documents that were recorded in the County Clerk's office, and, as the attorney pointed out, they appear to be legitimate. However, she has received hardly any of the money! We are encouraging her to contact the press so that they can maybe do some further investigation and bring this into the light. She cannot afford to pay an attorney so we thought that getting the press involved would be a good alternative.

She has so much pride and does not want to speak out "at her age". She just wants to "be quiet". We need to encourage our Senior Citizens not to feel embarrassed and afraid to speak out or to ask for help. There are people that can help that will not take advantage. Please, do not be afraid to ask for advice. We hope that we will be able to sell her house for enough money so that she can pay off her mortgage and move on with her life, which is what she wants to do.

Town of Crawford in Pine Bush, New York launches new website

Susan Jackowski Orange County New York (RJ Smith Realty) — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 13:13:33 -0600

The Town of Crawford has launched it's new website. It is:

http://www.townofcrawford.net/index.htm.

There is a great deal of information on the site already, including the Town Code, which governs everything from zoning to dogs, alcohol in in public places to skate parks. There are also links to many other organizations, including the Free Library, the Boys and Girls Club and a Business Directory. Whether you are new to the area or have lived here all of your life, this site is a great resource. Good job to the Town of Crawford!

Homebuyers, now is the time! Here is why...

Susan Jackowski Orange County New York (RJ Smith Realty) — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 12:27:08 -0600

I wanted to take an opportunity to tell you something that might be of interest to you regarding a set of unprecedented circumstances that are taking place in Orange County and throughout the Hudson Valley region regarding housing.

Right now, there are three changes that dominate the market. In the last 17 years in my own successful real estate practice, I have never seen better circumstances for homebuyers because of the following:

Prices on homes have decreased substantially
Interest rates have decreased substantially
There is a new $8,000 TAX CREDIT for some homebuyers

What does this mean to a new homebuyer? In 2006 an Orange County home that cost $300,000 is now likely to sell for $250,000. The interest rate on a fixed 30-year mortgage was (about) 7% and is now about 5.5%. The table below shows what savings a homebuyer may enjoy:

30-Year Fixed Rate Mortgage 2006 and 2009
YEAR	Cost	Interest Rate	Monthly Principal and Interest	Change
2006	$300,000	7%*	$1,995.91
2009	$250,000	5.50%*	$1,419.47	$576.44
*Percent Change 2006-2009 for Principal & Interest*	28.88%

*Not an offering: these rates are illustrative only of what was a common apr rate at the time.

On top of that, the president signed the new American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 into law on February 17, 2009. In that law, there are provisions for a TAX CREDIT of $8,000 to homebuyers who qualify. $8,000 is typically close to the amount needed for most closings.

If you are interested in exploring the market, or if you know someone who is interested (a friend or family member) please call me and I will guide you through the process of finding your dream home and taking advantage of this wonderful moment for homebuyers. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

It's not all gloom and doom

Susan Jackowski Orange County New York (RJ Smith Realty) — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 10:52:13 -0600

As I look out the window, I can see that it is a gloomy day and it does not look like it is going to get any nicer out. Sometimes, I think this is the way that people are feeling about the real estate market.

But, if you are optimistic, you can find all that is good. This week I have listed a new house, negotiated an offer on another house (an offer that I have been working on for a long time) and one of my Team members closed on a vacant land transaction yesterday. I also received an offer for a new construction model home in a subdivision that we have listed. It is from another Realtor® that is buying the home for himself and I am really hoping to be able to get everything worked out. This is GREAT! We are busy! For first-time Buyers, we are really trying to push the message that it is a GREAT time to buy. In fact, it may be one of the best times to buy EVER and people really need to put their fear aside, with the help of a Realtor® (of course!) and make the commitment. Many people can take advantage of the tax credit, but even those that cannot can benefit from LOW interest rates and favorable pricing along with Sellers that are reasonable and willing to negotiate.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

If you are looking to buy or sell a home in the Hudson Valley area, I can help. Let my experience work for you! Feel free to visit my Team's website to browse available properties at http://www.teamrjsmith.com or our company website at http://www.real-estate-solution.com.

Some upcoming events in the Hudson Valley area...

Susan Jackowski Orange County New York (RJ Smith Realty) — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 12:05:36 -0600

Healthy Aging Programs. First Monday of each month in Ellenville (at the Trudy Resnick Farber Center). Info from Ulster County Office for the Aging. Call (845) 340-3456.

Knimble Knitters. 10am-Noon. Bring your knitting or crochet Saturday mornings. Beginners are welcome. Ellenville public library, 40 Center Street, Ellenville. Call (845) 647-5530.

Senior Luncheon. Noon. Tues. Kerhonkson Synagogue. 26 Minnewaska Trail. Call 845-626-0185.

Learn to Line Dance. Beginner lessons 6:30-7:30 PM. High beginner/Intermediate lessons 7:30-9PM. All proceeds go to Catholic War Vets for charitable use. Pine Bush Catholic War Vets Hall, 161 Center Street, Pine Bush, New York, Call 361-2339 for more info.

Sunday-Beginning Fly-Tying and Fly-Casting Classes. 2PM. First class on Jan. 18. Pine Bush Equipment Co., Route 302, Pine Bush, New York. Reservations required, equipment will be provided. Call Bob at 744-5608. Runs through March.

Sam's Point Preserve - Kids Rock. Saturday, 2/14. 9AM-Noon. Children between the ages of 6 and 13 are invited to immerse themselves in the geology of Sam's Point with educator Linda Richards. Participants will hike to Sam's Point and beyond with rocks as the focus. Activities include hiking, rock exploration, rock tests, rock sculpture and maybe even a little rock and roll-through songwriting! To register, call Heidi Wagner at 845-647-7989, x101, email hwagner@tnc.org. Meet at Sam's Point Conservation Center.

Valentines Day Dinner Dance. Saturday, February 14th. 6-11PM. Hosted by the Walker Valley Fire Dept. Ladies Auxiliary. Music of Ken Henry. Advance tickets $25/couple, $15/single, $30/$17 at the door. RSVP to Debbie King. 744-5531.

Free Budgeting and Credit Card Management Workshop. Tues, Feb 17th., 6:30 PM. Cornell Cooperative Extension of ULster County hosts a workshop teaching how to develop a spending plan, budgeting and saving skills, identify opportunities to reduce expenses, how to manage credit card debt and more. Free and open to the public, registration required. 340-3990 to sign up. Highland Public Library, 30 Church Street in Highland.

The Hudson Valley area is full of exciting things to do. So, take advantage of what is offered and have a great time.

If you are thinking about making the Hudson Valley your home, I would be happy to assist you. Please call me at (845) 744-6589 or email me at suej@rjsmithrealty.com.

Preparing an appraisal packet...it's a good thing!

Susan Jackowski Orange County New York (RJ Smith Realty) — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 09:15:48 -0600

We had an appraisal this morning on one of our listings in Pine Bush, New York. Typically, we prepare a packet to present to the appraiser to support the price. We find that it is really well received. This morning the appraiser said. "You guys are the best!". Here is what we try to include (based on feedback that we have gotten from appraisers in the past):

1. Copy of the listing and any other information for the property available through MLS,

2. Copy of the Deed;

3. Survey (if you have it);

4. Property data card from the municipality;

5. Three active comps;

6. Three sold comps;

7. A copy of the fully signed contract of sale or purchase offer if contracts have not been done yet;

8. Floor plans if available, and

9. Tax map highlighting the subject property.

This really does not take much time at all. If you have a complete listing file, you most likely have all of the information that you need. In this market, we should do whatever we can to support our pricing and help our Sellers get the deal closed.

If anyone else has any suggestions of what else could be included in the packet, please share them. We are always happy to have new ideas. Thanks!

PINE BUSH RELAY FOR LIFE CPS 3 HELP FIGHT CANCER

Susan Jackowski Orange County New York (RJ Smith Realty) — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 00:57:42 -0600

SAMPLE CPS 3 NEWSLETTER ARTICLE:

We all want to know we have made a difference in the life of another. This year our community has a unique opportunity to make an impact on the lives of many.

The 3^rd Cancer Prevention Study of the American Cancer Society will be enrolling participants at the Pine Bush Relay for Life on June 13, 2009 during the hours of 4:30-8:30pm. The relay is held at the Pine Bush Town Park. Individuals who choose to participate will complete a brief survey, give a waist measurement and a small blood sample. After enrollment study participants will be followed over time to update information via mailed questionnaires every few years. Your involvement in CPS3 will help American Cancer Society researchers understand the causes of and ultimately determine ways to prevent cancer.

If you are between the ages of 30 and 65 and never been diagnosed with cancer, then you will want to participate in this study. If you don't meet the eligibility requirements, your significant participation comes from telling everyone you know about the opportunity to help prevent cancer.

Visit www.cancer.org/CPS3 or call 1-888-604-5888 or email cps3@cancer.org to learn more about the difference you can personally make in the fight against cancer. Locally contact Donna Henke at bhenke@hvc.rr.com or 845-744-8017. We want you....research today for a Cancer Free tomorrow.

Pine Bush 2009 Relay for Life needs people to be on the Committee

Susan Jackowski Orange County New York (RJ Smith Realty) — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 11:35:17 -0600

Anyone who would like to be involved in a great cause email Donna Henke at bhenke@hvc.rr.com and let her know you would like to be involved, she will find a position for you.

2009 Committee

On-line George Varianides info@pbeinc.com

Kick Off Elaine Gaynor rgaynor@frontiernet.net

Tricky Tray Barbara & Eunice handsdown@frontiernet.net and babs194903@yahoo.com

Paint the Town Sheri Herbert sheri.herbert@waldensavings bank.com

Logistics

Media Donna Henke bhenke@hvc.rr.com

Survivor Denise Harrison dharrison@hvc.rr.com

Relay Central Stephani Berchtold stephanib@frontiernet.net

Luminary Cathy Corti amore100@frontiernet.net

Food Eileen & Bob Cole ecole@hvc.rr.com

Bank

Program Stacey Varianides Stacey@russinlumber.com

Sponsor Barbara Hentschel babs194903@yahoo.com

Entertainment Kathy Montimurro kathy845@earthlink.net

J. Schwacke jschwacke@hvc.rr.com

Clean Up

Activities

CPS 3 Coordinator Donna Henke bhenke@hvc.rr.com

2009 Relay for Life in Pine Bush

Susan Jackowski Orange County New York (RJ Smith Realty) — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 11:28:27 -0600

UPDATE FROM THE FIRST MEETIG HELD FOR THE 2009 RELAY:

Hello..,.just a brief overview of the 1st team capts meeting held on 1/22/09: ---the website is up & ruuning for you to sign your teams up. Please have as many sign up on line, cost now is $10.00 per person to register now. It may be going up after 5/1/09. All team capts MUST complete the tshirt order registration from for their teams. The form is to include those who register on line and those who register on paper. These forms are due by 4/1/09.

---the kickoff is March 16, 2009 at 6:00pm at the Pine Bush firehouse. All are invited to attend, we do need RSVPs ----list of the important dates is attached, please save ---=fundraising can begin now

----May 1st is Paint the Town Purple. Sheri Herbert is in charge & looking into a purple ribbon for your yard.

----CPS3 Cancer Prevention Study 3 will be done at our relay. We need to spread the word. This is a one time opportunity to make a difference. If you are between the ages of 30 & 65 and never been diagnosed with cancer & willing to committ to a long term study WE WANT YOU. Every two years you will rec a follow up survey in the mail. Sign up is between 4:30-8:30pm at our relay. Please tell everyone you know...if you have access to a newsletter & can get something published for me, I have attached 2 articles you can use. Let me know if you get it printed & where. I also looking to get the word out & can attend meetings, clubs, organizations etc///let me khow.

---Pedometer challenge will begin AFTER luminary is over...this is new as CPS3 is our big priority & we dont want anything interfering with the sign up

----them is still CELEBRTE, REMEMBER, FIGH BACK. In addition, relay is celenbrating its 25th year so we are looking at how we can make this special as well

---finally, there was a suggestion that as teams know what type of fundraising they will be doing on site....a list is made up so all teams are NOT doing the same type of fundraisers. We will be doing Tricky Tray again this year.

Below are the meetigs to come.

PINE BUSH RELAY FOR LIFE----MEETING DATES

COMMITTEE MEMBERS:

January 15, 2009,February 12, 2009,March 12, 2009,April 9, 2009,May 7 and 28^th. 2009,June 11, 2009

TEAM CAPTAIN MEETING DATES:

January 22, 2009,February 19, 2009,March 16, 2009 KICK OFF,April 16, 2009,May 14, 2009 LOGISTICS NIGHT,June 4, 2009 BANK NIGHT

ALL MEETINGS WILL BEGIN AT 6:00PM AND WILL BE HELD AT THE TOWN OF CRAWFORD GOVT CENTER, 121 RTE 302 IN THE UPSTAIRS MEETING ROOM

Pine Bush Relay for Life getting started for 2009

Susan Jackowski Orange County New York (RJ Smith Realty) — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 11:12:46 -0600

UPDATE FROM THE FIRST MEETIG HELD FOR THE 2009 RELAY:

----May 1st is Paint the Town Purple. Sheri Herbert is in charge & looking into a purple ribbon for your yard.

---Pedometer challenge will begin AFTER luminary is over...this is new as CPS3 is our big priority & we dont want anything interfering with the sign up

----them is still CELEBRTE, REMEMBER, FIGH BACK. In addition, relay is celenbrating its 25th year so we are looking at how we can make this special as well

Below are the meetigs to come.

PINE BUSH RELAY FOR LIFE----MEETING DATES

COMMITTEE MEMBERS:

January 15, 2009,February 12, 2009,March 12, 2009,April 9, 2009,May 7 and 28^th. 2009,June 11, 2009

TEAM CAPTAIN MEETING DATES:

January 22, 2009,February 19, 2009,March 16, 2009 KICK OFF,April 16, 2009,May 14, 2009 LOGISTICS NIGHT,June 4, 2009 BANK NIGHT

ALL MEETINGS WILL BEGIN AT 6:00PM AND WILL BE HELD AT THE TOWN OF CRAWFORD GOVT CENTER, 121 RTE 302 IN THE UPSTAIRS MEETING ROOM

Pine Bush local area blood drive

Susan Jackowski Orange County New York (RJ Smith Realty) — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 08:51:21 -0600

The Pine Bush Teachers aassociation is sponsoring a Blood Drive on Wednesday, February 11t from 2:30pm to 7:30pm in the Crispell Middle School cafeteria. Call Maggie Hyland to set up an appointment or just stop by the day to donate blood. Get out and donate our area can use people like you. Maggie is in the Crispell school 845-744-2031

VETERAN'S group in search of fresh faces

Susan Jackowski Orange County New York (RJ Smith Realty) — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 08:44:47 -0600

Local veteran's groups in Pine Bush the Veterans of Foreign Wars Pine Bush Memorial Post 5492 (VRW), the G. Paul Bettinger American Legion Post #1308 and the Catholic War Veterans of the U.S.A. Eugene L. Kelley Post 1937, have all recently been unable to recruit many new members to there organizations. The group would like veterans involved to allow for comradeship, sense of patriotism and for members to always be aware of things going on for veterans.

The catholic War Veterans of the U.S.A. Eugene L. Kelley Post 1937 meets the first Tuesday of the month at 7pm at the Catholic War Hall and can be reached at 845-744-4766 For the G. Paul Bettinger American Legion Post #1306 call 845-744-3991 meetings are the first Thursday at 1pm and the third Thursday at 7:30pom of each month at the Legion building 4 Main Street in Pine Bush.

Give a call!

Fabulous testimonial from a wonderful Seller

Susan Jackowski Orange County New York (RJ Smith Realty) — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 13:50:21 -0600

November 25, 2008

Dear Sue,

Several weeks ago, we completed the sale of my parents' property. The transaction had its challenges inclusive of right-of-way issues. As we worked our way through the various issues, one thing became clear to me - I had chosen the right real estate agent and the right firm. A seller expects the property to be listed and shown. Where you and your team stand out is that once an issue is identified you take on an appropriate amount of responsibility to get the issue resolved andyou deliver on your commitments. When we were working out the various issues, I felt I had a teammate at my side, not just an agent. The RJ approach - use of a team, not just an individual, is another area where you stand out. Problem identified, assignments given, problem resolved - that is my perception of the service you provided. Once last comment - you provided this service without complaint - it was part of the job. Yes, I would use you and RJ again.

Sincerely,

John

This is a testimonial that I received from a Seller for a transaction that closed last year. I was so happy and felt so good about what he wrote. We really believe in the Team concept and this shows how well it works to benefit our Sellers (and the same applies to Buyers). He was a great Seller -- organized, motivated and realistic. He was a pleasure to work with. There were issues that came up during the transaction, but I feel that it is our job to help in any way that we can. We helped get documents signed and notarized and then delivered them to the necessary parties. We would not have it any other way. But, sometimes it is nice to be recognized for a job well done.

Thank you to John and all of the Sellers and Buyers that make my real estate career succesful and rewarding. We are very happy to be of service to you and we are even happier when you are pleased with that service!

If you have a home that you need to sell or are looking for a home to buy in the Orange or Ulster County area of New York, please call me at (845) 744-6589. You can also visit my website at www.teamrjsmith.com to view our current inventory of homes and commercial properties, as well as to read more about my Team.

Market Report for the Pine Bush School District for the 4th Quarter

Susan Jackowski Orange County New York (RJ Smith Realty) — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 11:04:58 -0600

Here is the quarterly market report for the Pine Bush School District for the end of this year. There is no doubt that it has been a tumultuous year in real estate, but with change comes opportunity. The combination of favorable interest rates and motivated Sellers makes this a great time to invest in real estate.

If you have any questions about the market here in the Pine Bush area please let me know. In addition, if you have given any thought to moving or if you hear that any family or friends are, I would be happy to help.

Downsizing on new construction

Susan Jackowski Orange County New York (RJ Smith Realty) — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 10:30:52 -0600

I have been reading a lot of articles lately in Local and National publications that have pointed out the trend of builders turning away from large, expensive "McMansions" and trying to build smaller, more affordable homes. It seems that the Builders that have been featured in these articles have been having great success sticking to this idea. One of the Builders featured in a local publication is offering homes under 1,500 sqaure feet, which he describes as "cottage style". They have designed and built more than 50 homes throughout Sullivan County, New York and they are attracting city dwellers looking for second homes as well as local people just looking to downsize.

We are hoping to be able to use this information to help builders that are following this trend find some affordable lots that they can build on.

Are you seeing similar trends in your area? I was curious to see how widespread this was.

Pine Bush Holiday Photos

Susan Jackowski Orange County New York (RJ Smith Realty) — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 10:50:47 -0600

I love Pine Bush all year round, but it is particularly beautiful this time of year. Many local shops and homes are decorated for Christmas and with the recent snowfall, it really looks magical. Here are some photos that I thought that I would share with everyone:

There are many more beautiful homes in Pine Bush. Also, the businesses did such a wonderful job with their windows.

Happy Holidays to everyone! Enjoy the time off with your families!

What a weekend! Snow, Snow, Snow...

Susan Jackowski Orange County New York (RJ Smith Realty) — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 09:41:58 -0600

So, if you like the snow, you are a happy person! Here in Pine Bush, we got snow Friday afternoon and it continued into Saturday. We got a break for a few hours, and then it started again Sunday. We probably ended up with about 8-10 inches, with more in certain areas. It is really beautiful to look at, but what a mess for commuting! Our RJ Smith Realty office here in Pine Bush closed at 1PM on Friday and then again on Sunday. We rarely have to close early, but the roads were pretty dangerous! This week is typically a quiet week in real estate (as I am sure most of you would agree), but with this weather, it is going to be really quiet. It may be a good time to get some cleaning and organizing done-catch up with contacts, go over your Christmas card lists, etc.

If you love the snow and winter sports from sledding to ice skating to snowmobiling, the Hudson Valley is a great place for you to call home. It is really beautiful this time of year. If you may be interested in looking at homes in the Hudson Valley, please call me - I would be happy to help.

Upcoming events for kids in the Orange County, New York area

Susan Jackowski Orange County New York (RJ Smith Realty) — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 14:11:48 -0600

Weather permitting; the following are some activities for KIDS taking place in our area:

Saturday, December 20^th

Green Gifts Workshop for Children: 10PM-noon at the Wallkill River Art School, 242 Ward Street in Montgomery. Children will make their own gift wrap and use it to wrap compact fluorescent bulbs. $30, includes lunch. Call 457-ARTS

Coats to Warm Little Bodies: 2-4PM at the Interactive Museum in Middletown. The Girl Scout Brownie Troop 674 will be giving away coats to children in the community in need of a warm coat. 341-2626

Welcome Winter: 2PM at the Stony Kill Environmental Education Center, Route 9D in Wappingers Falls.

Teen Center: 7:30PM-10:30PM at the Middletown YMCA, 81 Highland Avenue in Middletown. Open to children ages 13-17. A variety of activities including basketball, dances, swimming, art and music.

And they all lived happily ever after....

Susan Jackowski Orange County New York (RJ Smith Realty) — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 14:43:49 -0600

Once upon a time there was a mother and father who had a daughter. She got married and had two children of her own. They were both living in the same town, but not close enough and that made them frown. The mother got hurt and was unable to work. She ended up retiring and now provided child care for her granddaughter while her daughter worked.

They all got together one day and decided that they would like to build a castle where they could all live together (with separate quarters for the mother and father). They came to us to help them to sell, a job that we thought we could do well.

The daughter and son-in-law were the ideal Sellers-they painted and cleaned and made it "show-ready" as fast as could be. Their sale went smoothly if you ask them and me.

Now, they needed to move in with their parents. This was not ideal as their house was too full. So, the daughter and son-in-law worked with their parents to clean and decorate and make the house shine. It was on the market for a few months and a buyer came along. They went back and forth and back and forth.....finally they agreed on repairs and credits, etc. Then, just before the Buyer was supposed to sign the contracts, she changed her mind. Oh no!!! So, the mother and father and all of the kids waited and waited....

Then, Buyers came along. This time, a great offer was presented and their agent was like a knight in shining armor-attentive to every detail, diligent and easy to work with. The Buyers were living in a hotel and wanted to close as quickly as they could...they did their inspections, signed contracts and then came the appraisal...

The appraisal came in low...uh oh! Everyone reviewed it and picked it apart. It seemed that the appraiser was not being fair. It was challenged and she would not waiver...we begged, can someone do these Sellers a favor? Of course, we know that this is not a land far away and there are no favors when it comes to appraisals. So, the price was renegotiated and everyone relaxed. It was something that our family could live with, so they began to pack. They would not be able to move to their castle yet so they needed to find a rental...

A rental they found- a charming B&B with bedrooms abound. So now came the closing. Everyone was friendly and no one was opposing. The family loved the Buyers and the Buyers loved them. We all sat at the table and they signed and they signed, a better closing you could never find.

After all was done, they hugged and they talked. Everyone was happy and away we all walked.

Now that this chapter is done, the contracts and negotiations for their castle have begun. This story is not over, so I will post an update, until then...you will just have to wait.

Article featured in the Shawangunk Journal

Susan Jackowski Orange County New York (RJ Smith Realty) — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 10:02:54 -0600