Catskills - Sullivan County - Ulster County Real Estate -- Catskill Farms Journal

Flowers, even those boring ones we see everyday, have a kind of magic upon close examination.  True, maybe a more cliche-ish statement could not be made, but on a day of a funeral for a brother of a close associate, they just had a singular simplicity that strive for in our homebuilding.

Yes, it's true, I some somehow compared a flower to our homes, but that's why I'm good at what I do.  I'm shameless.  But, to be honest, actually it's not shamelessness that propels me most - it's more a sense of a mission to continue to build this business in order to provide respite for the weary urban toiler.

FYI, when I saw this sign I went in the other direction immediately, without hesitation.

Wow, tell me that doesn't look like a painting, or an illustration, or some computer-generated graphic - but no, someone actually gets to live in this house in a few months.

Since I've started this business 10 years ago with little more than a credit card which would have revoked my privileges long before if they had any inkling of the risks I was about to take, I have founded and grew a few businesses. One of the good ones - though super tough - is Ecotech Spray Foam Insulation.  Started at the height of the uber-panic, super-negative March 2009 with the really cool help of the First National Bank of Jeffersonville, we have grown this company ever since.

That's the thing about this journey - the twists, turns in the road, road less taken, risks endeavored, yields unyielded, stop signs ignored - it's been a wild road.  One of the oldest and most important is my relationship with my local bank, Jeff Bank  - I don't think there is a better example of a banking relationship that works, a banking relationship that has organically grown, a banking relationship that had the malleability, the flexibility, the access to the decision-makers, the small town big vision of relationship-building.  You want to talk relationships - then talk about me starting with a $100k loan when I needed $300k in 2003, and evolving that relationship into a $5m+ multiple business, recession-defying co-dependency that has been inarguably mutually beneficially.

It's a very small town do-good story but actually it's a national story of what works.  What works is relationships, credit-worthiness, risk-taking within historical parameters, just general old-fashioned conservative character analysis and bill paying history,

Here's the insulation.

Here's the sheetrock... (after the code enforcement inspection of course)...

And my son, through a grided-grated table at the bookstore.  That boy, for whatever reason be it nature or nurture, is just simply a powerful human being.

And the foundation of Farm 20 (F20G), who must be to be busy in the real life to keep up with his guest blog posts but it don't matter cause we will be showing what he's made of in this cool house creation of his and his newly wedded bride.

Here's the footings of the house.

Here's the foundation of the house...

Here's the frame of the house...  Lucas and I have this soothing house before he goes to bed where we do 'what I did today' where we recount each thing we did that day for his benefit before we say our prayers and go to sleep.  

and the cool garage with green house extension being readied for the concrete slab this morning, under a darkening sky and risks of thunder storms, never a good mix for a newly poured concrete floor.

And lovely Barn VI, just getting started but moving right along.

It didn't take long to move it right along with the tyvek and metal galvanized roof.

And Farm 19 is no Slacker, with perfect lines and dormer and porch and windows and what have you.

Oh boy it just goes to show you can't judge a book by it's cover cause this house, like an onion or even better like the firecracker wife in the Blind Side, just keeps revealing itself with each passing day.

and a look-a-like in Sullivan County with a different approach to colors...

And the Big Barn in Narrowsburg NY with the garage in the background.  a year of toil and wallah a masterpiece.

so that's about it.  Thanks for tagging along.

Cottage 38 is just one of those magical houses that looked so perfect and effortless it easy to forget all the yelling and screaming and craft and expertise that goes into 'effortless'.  This home is on 3+ acres in Stone Ridge NY and went into contract a few days before the foundation went in the ground.

It's funny how it almost looks like a painting or one of the cover girls all photoshopped up to create the illusion of reality.  But this is the real thing a few days before the new owners took possession.

The sun was just right and the time of day right on as well.  As I mentioned before, you come to realize you can't fake the sun with these photos - you have to wait it out and get that nice day and then rearrange your schedule to get there and get the photos.  I do most of my own photography, not that it's that great.  Just saying.

Front door into the mudroom with white wainscoting, bluestone floor, radiator, 12 pane front door and a little bench.

Visitors really loved this house, for it's flow, it's aesthetically honesty and floor plan functionality.

From the Homeowners - " You guys do amazing work. We are so thrilled how the place has come together. Every time we arrive on the property I pinch myself as its such a magical location, home and overall experience. When we stand on the porch and look out at the front yard we feel like we have our own little park. Last weekend I was speaking with a friend who lives up in Stone Ridge and who's visited the house. After his visit he referred to the home as a "jewel box" with the details and extras we've worked together on. Can't wait for the closing!!"

and the pictures speak for themselves...

Little fox camped outside our offices.

Cottage 38 was a 2 bedroom, 2.5 bath, 1300 sq ft home with a finished basement and 3 acres.  It also had a lot of porch with a nice screened section of it just of the dining room.

The bedrooms below.

Upstairs foyer.

Bedroom duel barn doors.

Heading down into the basement.  An additional 650 sq ft with laundry, closets, walk-out double doors and a bath and a gas fireplace.

I think the sunlight in these photos says it all about the type of easy living that this home will accommodate.

Lucas on the job site...

and what blog post is complete without the classic 'underwear on the head' pose.  Typically after a night of beer pong, but Lucas is pulling this one off cold sober.

This is becoming repetitive I know but what can you do - we sell a lot of homes and this is our 3rd closing this month in Sullivan County, and now we have another one on Monday in Stone Ridge, NY.  Selling 3 $300k plus homes in Sullivan County in one month is more or less a feat of sizable proportions by most measures.  I'm up in Saugerties with Lucas and it looks like a rainy one.  Luckily we skipped out of work a little early yesterday, and yesterday was one of those near perfect Catskill weather days.

This Ranch is an adaption of Ranch V which we sold earlier this month.  This one we changed a few things up, and added a walkout basement and finished half of it and put it on a real nice 5+ acres outside of Narrowsburg NY.  The carport is cool as ever with a stained ceiling and stone pillars.

Walk in the front door, fireplace to the right, deck straight ahead, kitchen and the stairs downstairs.

Fireplace, radiator, stained ceiling darkly, and a polished floor.  Oh, and lots and lots of light.

The entrance with the stone and chalkboard door at the cedar closet.  This house, in the end, was about 1300 sq ft, including the finished basement

It will be interesting to see how they set this room up.  Lots of flexibility.

Sharp light and clean lines and nothing over the top.

Hallway going back into the bath and 1st floor bedroom.

Grays have been a favorite of our clients ever since Dean at Cottage 13 came in and rocked the house with a palette of grey.  Personally, I borrowed this palette more than once.

You can see, going down the stairs, we used a good looking board and batten to set off the walls.  Attention to detail is a priority with us.

The cabinets pick up the dark of the ceiling.

Stainless steel kitchen sink looking out the back window.

And then the walkout basement which should be good space for guests, media and entertaining.

Another shot of the board and batten on the walls.

And then a fun email from some hope-to-be clients -

NJ Couple Hijacks Cottage -

After viewing a near completed home masterfully crafted by celebrated developer Charles Petersheim, Barry and Michelle of New Jersey have forcibly taken up residence in the property located at 47 Stillwater Drive in Stone Ridge.  

Overwhelmed by the attention to detail and the move-in-readiness of the dwelling, the couple did just that. Despite the fact that the home is "under contract" Barry and Michelle have moved all of their possessions into the home and have listed their New Jersey home for sale...

Chuck,

We are in. (Well not literally). I am a big fan of The Onion, hope this made you smile. Tell me about the land in Woodstock? Loved the home. M&B

A couple of weeks ago I got this letter from a 95 year old gentlemen who lives in Roscoe NY.  I personally get a lot of correspondence from strangers, which I happen to value quite highly.  But a hand-written letter from a elderly man who saw an article about me that mentioned my type writer collection and he wandered if I could shed any light on where he could find some parts and ribbons for his ancient machine, I mean, like wow, that's pretty cool.  I feel like I have a piece of history in my hands.  He writes that he graduated from Syracuse University in 1939 and that one of his first purchases after college was a refurbished typewriter that he still uses.  He writes 'I have pounded the life out of the ribbon and I'm too old to learn new technology'.

There are certain moments in this Catskill Farms journey which are rich beyond description; this is certainly one of them.