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Friends,
Happy New Year! 2023 is here! We don't know about you, but we're ready for it. Every year we do a New Year's newsletter for friends and clients. This year, we thought we should use it to help us move into the new year with a real spirit of renewal. We've been noticing that we're stuck with some habits we made in 2021. We've also noticed that we're not the only ones! So here's a notebook for change in the new year that we'll share with you in hopes it might help you throw off some habits you never intended to make in the first place.
We hope you have a beautiful new year. As always, if you or anyone you know is planning to buy or sell, or just needs some solid real estate insight, the Local Experts are always here.
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There’s a quote that we’ve heard so many times it lives in our minds comfortably and completely rent-free, “a goal without a plan is only a wish.” While New Year resolutions always start with a wish of what we hope will lead to a better life, every life coach will tell you that in order to turn our wishes into realities we need specifics, objectives, a strategy. This year, we have an idea; we know we’re all ready! We’re going to make our longing for a healthier and happier life a reality using my simple yet effective plan. It's a plan that involves fur and maybe some drool. The plan? Spend more time with animals!
Animals can make us measurably healthier and happier and, lucky for us, we're living in animal central! There are so many organizations in The Hudson Valley and Catskills that are focused on sheltering animals and giving them sanctuary who are also looking for help from humans. Here's our guide to the animal sanctuaries and rescues in the area that you can help and some more info on how they can help you find renewal in 2023.
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Sooo.... we think it might be time to admit we have a problem. We feel comfortable making this confession because we think it's a problem almost everyone shares with me at the moment. We are just a leeeeettle bit addicted to streaming television. Sigh. Yes, we know, we all have an excuse for our urge to hunker down and watch yet another Adam's Family reboot; for a chunk of time there wasn't all that much else for us to do in our free time (blah, blah, etcetera, etcetera). But we've had our fill of lightly plotted holiday movies and dramas about families who don't like each other - we're movin' on! We're going to win The No Netflix Challenge! Haven't heard of it? Not surprising, we just made it up! Here are the rules: 1 - do anything but watch streaming tv 6 days of the week. That's it - one rule. On the seventh day you can go ahead and binge watch because, let's face it, habits die hard. We should point out there's also a notable exception made for binge watching tv while exercising. Go ahead, watch a whole season of Yellowstone while you sweat! What else shall we do with our evenings you ask? We've put together a huge list of other things we can do locally. It includes everything from night classes to swing dance lessons, from paralegal certification to aerial gymnastics. We're going to share it with you so you can join us in the Upstate No Netflix Challenge. Let's go! | |
There are lots of events coming up - some of them are so unique we feel like we have to go because the chance may never come again. The Dolly Parton themed disco party? A night of Scottish cuisine and Robert Burns poetry? These are just good, weird fun! Here are all our event picks: | |
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We love a story of small, local business success, and we've got a fun one to share with you! Skate Time 209 in Accord is an Ulster County classic. The Hudson Valley/Catskills region has several throwback roller rinks; for some these are a weekly haunt, for others an occasional novelty. Regardless of how often we go, we don't want to see them disappear, which is why we were so excited to hear that one new Hudson Valley business is saving, preserving, and repurposing Skate Time, an older business. Skate Time closed during the pandemic, its rental skates now sit quiet on the shelves and the floor is empty of light-up wheels and people trying to "shoot the duck". Bjorn Qorn, a local popcorn company that pops its corn with solar power and flavors it with spices worthy of cool names like "earth", "spicy" and "cloudy", saw an opportunity and purchased Skate Time with the intention of using some of its space for their operations while keeping the rink intact and reopening it to the public. It seems the light-up wheels will mesmerize rink-side moms once more! It also seems like the perfect marriage to me. Who didn't munch popcorn at the roller rink as a kid? Bjorn Qorn's earth-friendly and elevated corn is a natural fit! This story has so many Hudson Valley connections it's almost unbelievable. Bjorn Qorn was born from popcorn parties at Bard! The new location will enable the company to double their staff. Right now, they're planning some community skate nights and plotting for the future which might include using the space as a performance venue as well as a rink. We can't wait to see how they make it all work together!
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The past week, as expected, has been quiet; we're ready for the explosion of showings that comes with the new year! Historically, we have just as many people browsing our website in January as we do in the summer months. We're counting down and buckling in for a listing and selling uptick starting next week. Here is just a selection of what we have available right now - get in before the crowds! | | |
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It seems like everyone starts their new year running. Some do it literally, some figuratively, but everyone seems to be barreling headlong toward their goals at the start of the year. We applaud that! Now, strap in, because we're going to talk about something so boring. Filing. But then we'll talk about something really cool. For those of you that have specific financial goals for 2023, neat and tidy files that give you easy access to your vital information can help you achieve! | |
Financial experts have been creating filing systems for organizing personal financial information since bills started to be delivered in the mail! Most are variations on a theme; below is one from David Bachs and one from Suze Ormond and, of course, there are countless apps and websites that offer digital solutions. | |
Having bills, tax returns, insurance and credit information together can help you budget, plan for retirement, and get a mortgage much faster than someone who keeps their papers in a box in the bottom of their closet. Guaranteed Rate Affinity has a loan program for people seeking a mortgage, who have paperwork at the ready, that can have them cleared to close in 24 hours and closed in as few as 10 days. Compared to just a few years ago this is lightening fast. Many times the ability to close quickly can help buyers who find themselves in a competitive bidding situation because sellers find a quick closing meets their needs. Maybe spend a little time over your holiday break doing some file tidying and click below to learn more about a "FastTrack" mortgage. | | | | |
