As seen below, the real estate results for Monroe, NY are now available for the May 2016 period.The median sales price in May 2016 was 13% over the previous month of April, and 36% higher than the same time last year. Sales prices in 2016 have been moving upward, which is good news for sellers and could be impetus for hesitating buyers to get moving.Regarding sales volume, sales volume remains healthy in the Monroe NY area, with 18 sales in May and a reduction in inventory from 145 at the end of April to 120 as of June 6th.  If you want more information about Monroe or any other Orange County area, feel free to call me on 914-419-0270 or email me at kat@thehousekat.com.   -------------------Initially published at thehousekat.com. 06/05/2016

As seen below, the real estate results for Monroe, NY are now available for the April 2016 period.The median sales price in April 2016 decreased about 10% from March. Compared to 2015, though, sales prices were about 13% higher. While April results may be disappointing to those looking for a continued increase in sales prices, there is an explanation for the lower results. 25% of all Monroe NY sales in April were depressed properties, split evenly between foreclosures and short sales. There were also several small two-bedroom ranch homes that sold at the bottom end of the market. While not short sales, they did also contribute to the lower results. Regarding sales volume, sales volume remains healthy in the Monroe NY area, with nearly 80% more sales in April than in March. Spring seller... 05/03/2016

On the first day of April 2016, the temperature indicator on my car reached 80 degrees as I drove home around 3pm from an appointment. Wow, what a warm beginning to Spring! Trees are budding, flowers are blooming, grass is green, and the thermometer reached the 80s. And then on April 3rd, two days later, I woke up to this:  Mother Nature was reminding us of who is in charge. Happy Spring!   04/03/2016

As seen below, the real estate results for Monroe, NY are now available for the March 2016 period.  The median sales price in March increased 6% over February, another healthy uptick. The sales price results continue to lag 2015, but the up direction is good and the last few months continue to be encouraging. Regarding sales volume, sales volume is healthy in the Monroe NY area, with 30% more sales in the first quarter of 2016 than the same period in 2015. Inventory remains on the low side for the Monroe area, but is slowly increasing. There were 111 available homes at the end of February and there are now 115 single family homes for sale.  If you want more information about Monroe or any other Orange County area, feel free to call me on 914-419-0270 or email me at kat@thehousekat.com.   03/31/2016

The "Get Out & Play" version of the Better Homes & Gardens Rand Realty Events Guide is now available. This guide provides ideas of indoor and outside activities during the March-June 2016 timeframe. These events are located in Orange, Rockland, Westchester and Putnam counties, as well as in other Hudson Valley NY areas. If you are looking for something interesting to do, you might find it here! (Click below image for the full report!)  03/24/2016

As seen below, the real estate results for Monroe, NY are now available for the February 2016 period.  The median sales price in February showed a 10% increase over January, a healthy uptick considering February results included 25% distressed properties. Although the above does show the sales price results continue to lag 2015, up is good and the last few months have been encouraging. Regarding sales volume, sales volume is healthy in the Monroe NY area, ~20% higher than this time last year. As mentioned in previous posts, inventory remains low for the area, although the last few days have seen some new listings appear. There were 107 available homes at the end of January and there are now 110 single family homes for sale.  If you want more information about Monroe or any other Orange ... 03/03/2016

I have found that during the winter months, the Monroe NY YMCA is a great place to get exercise, especially when the shoulders of the roads become too icy to run on.  The gym has all sorts of exercise classes, including cycling, Pilates, Boot Camp, Zumba, yoga, and much more.  In addition, they have the typical assortment of cardiovascular related machines: bikes, treadmills, steppers, and of course, various weight-lifting/muscle-toning options.  To make the gym even better, I recently read in the Times Herald-Record that the YMCA will be expanded at some point in the future. They plan to add a swimming pool, a full-size gymnasium and more locker rooms. I am not sure of the timeframe, but once this upgrade happens, the Monroe NY YMCA will be "the" place to work out, all year round. The ... 02/08/2016

Dear Monroe NY Future House Seller: This is an update to my post from a few weeks ago where I indicated available inventory was low. It's even lower now! Right now buyers in Monroe NY have little choice when it comes to finding the right home. As can be seen by the below, inventory has significantly declined.  The bottom line: There are serious buyers out there who may be unsuccessfully looking for a house just like yours. If you've been considering selling, give me a call on 914-419-0270 to discuss your home as it relates to the local market. I'd be happy to assist you!  02/07/2016

As seen below, the real estate results for Monroe, NY are now available for the January 2016 period.  These sale price results may be disappointing to sellers who are holding off putting their homes on the market until prices rise. There is an explanation, though, for the dip in the January 2016 median sale prices of $224K. Over 20% of those sales were foreclosured properties. Another sale was a very low priced cash-only home that needed to be ripped down and rebuilt. So there were quite a few homes which pulled down the median. If those were removed from the mix, the median would have been a much healthier $298K. So anyone who wants to sell their home should take heart. Prices are not as low as they appear at first glance. Regarding sales volume, sales volume is heading up again in the... 02/04/2016

The Better Homes & Gardens Rand Realty fourth quarter 2015 market results have been published for the Hudson Valley NY area. The report includes information on Dutchess, Orange, Putnam, Rockland and Westchester Counties. The Orange County NY summary indicates that fourth quarter sales were strong while sales prices were down slightly. To read the entire report, click on the image below. For questions regarding specific towns, feel free to contact me directly. My December 2015 Monroe NY report can be viewed here.  01/25/2016

It's time to update the garbage pickup schedules for 2016 in the Monroe NY area. Following are the official schedules for the Town of Monroe, and villages of Monroe and Harriman. The official site is listed on the bottom for more information and contact numbers.  MONROE (Town)  Tuesday: Regular household garbage pickup. Wednesday: Recylables. Bins can be picked up from the Town Highway Garage at 87 Mine Road. The Recycling pickup includes co-mingled (tin, aluminum, foil, plastic containers, cartons, glass) and mixed papers. Co-mingled should not be placed in a plastic bag. Friday: Regular household pickup AND one bulk/large item will be picked up. This cannot include construction/renovation debris, tires, computer equipment or TVs but can include furniture, hot water heater, etc. The bu... 01/24/2016

Dear Monroe NY Future House Seller: Although any time you need to sell is a great time to list your home, right now buyers in Monroe NY have slim pickings. As can be seen by the below graph, inventory has significantly declined, and while only the last year is shown on this chart, with the exception of one month in early 2014, inventory levels haven't been this low in five years.  So what does this mean to you? It means there are serious buyers out there who may be unsuccessfully looking for a house just like yours. They could be waiting to pounce. Which could mean shorter time to sell and higher prices. Don't wait to find out!  If you've been considering selling, give me a call on 914-419-0270 to discuss your home as it relates to the local market. I'd be happy to assist you!  01/13/2016

As seen below, the year of 2015 has wrapped up, and the December 2015 real estate results for Monroe, NY are now available.  So what's been going on with 2015 Monroe NY real estate? Have we seen price increases? Decreases? As can be seen above, with the exception of a few second quarter dips, median prices in Monroe have remained in the $250K and above range. If you were to add a linear trend line to the above graph, it would go straight across right above $250K which could mean prices are (overall) flat. That being said, when comparing overall 2015 prices to 2014 prices, this year has seen a decrease in prices. The average sale price in 2014 was $294K, while in 2015 the average is around $279K. So for house sellers, that continues to be less than stellar news.  Regarding sales volume, ... 12/31/2015

I shared the below information regarding things to do on the Orange Heritage Trail, also known as the "Rail Trail" previously. The trail is a 15 mile route that stretches from Monroe, NY to Goshen and is mostly paved and flat, passing through Monroe, Chester and Goshen.   Currently, the northern end of the trail is in Goshen, NY, but talk has existed for years about the potential for the trail to be extended even further north to Middletown, NY. Yesterday, on December 10th, 2015, the Orange County Industrial Development Agency board approved a $1 million grant to help pay for the construction to expand the trail. In addition, on the same date, the state approved a $500K grant for the same purpose. The project does not appear to be fully funded yet, but progress is moving forward with th... 12/10/2015

As seen below, the November 2015 real estate results for Monroe, NY are now available. So what's been going on with 2015 Monroe NY real estate? Have we seen price increases? Decreases? As can be seen above, with the exception of a few second quarter dips, median prices in Monroe have remained in the $250K and above range. That being said, when comparing overall 2015 prices to 2014 prices, this year has seen a decrease in prices. The average year-to-date sale price in 2014 through November was $295K, while in 2015 the average is around $281K. So for house sellers, that's not great news. Please note that the most recent months above could be a little misleading; the chart shows that October and November are both quite a bit lower than the preceding four months which could signal a downwar... 12/01/2015

The 2015-16 version of the Better Homes & Gardens Rand Realty Winter Events Guide is now available for the Hudson Valley NY area. This guide provides information on events that will be held in Dutchess, Orange, Putnam, Rockland, Ulster and Westchester counties, as well as in northern New Jersey, during the next few months. Click on the below image to see the full guide.   I hope you can find something fun to do to celebrate the Winter 2015-16 season!  11/30/2015

Dear Potential Seller: I noticed your home was on the market and has now expired without a successful sale. Almost twice as many Monroe NY homes sold this September compared to the same time period in 2014, so why wasn't your home included as one of the successful closings?  Here are a few reasons that could have impacted your success. Pricing: There are currently 152 single family homes on the market in Monroe NY. As can be seen by the chart below, if you now had (for example) a three-bedroom home for sale, there are over 50 other homes vying for the same buyers you are targeting. Was your original list price set to reflect market conditions at the time? Are you reviewing the new homes as they come on the market and changing your list price if needed in response to the ever-changing co... 10/06/2015

As seen below, the September 2015 real estate results for Monroe, NY are now available.Not only did median sale prices increase slightly when comparing September 2015 to the previous month, but prices are 26% higher than the same time last year.  A total of 19 homes closed in September, with prices ranging at a low of $88K to a high of $629K. The lowest price home was a now HUD-owned home that had been on and off the market since 2011. It was a three bedroom home built in 1850 and was problematic more because of its location than anything else. There was very little lawn (.086 of an acre) and the house was just about smack in the middle of a huge church parking lot. The highest priced home was a one-of-a-kind home with nine acres of property, private lake access, gorgeous landscaped gro... 09/30/2015

Officially named the Orange Heritage Trail, but unofficially and simply called the "Rail Trail" by those who live in the area, this 15 mile route stretches from Monroe, NY to Goshen.  The mostly paved and flat trail passes through Monroe, Chester and Goshen. There are multiple uses for this trail as outlined below: Walking and Running:  One of the most obvious uses is to take an afternoon stroll or a healthy run. The trail is relatively easy to access, with various parking areas in Harriman, Monroe, Chester and Goshen. The relative flatness and multiple shady areas makes it a fun place to run.  Bicycling: Bicyclists use this trail often. Going from end to end would provide a nearly 30 mile round trip ride. Please note that if you start at the south end, and work your way north, the retu... 09/25/2015

As mentioned in previous posts, the town of Monroe NY real estate market started showing signs of price improvement in 2014 and the first quarter of 2015. April and May 2015's price results dropped, with a return to first quarter levels in June and July. So where are Monroe NY sale prices in August?  As this time, sales prices in Monroe, NY are tracking pretty closely to the same type of results we had last June, July and August.  In August 2015, 21 homes closed, with prices ranging at a low of $210K to a high of $565K.  The lowest priced home was an interesting 2,000 square foot colonial home originally built in 1850 as a stagecoach stop. Over the past 165 years, modern conveniences were added; the market indicated those upgrades brought the value up over $200K in 2015. The highest pri... 09/09/2015