Our featured columnist for this month is Gail Vesely.

Below are some statistics from the Ulster County Board of Realtors of the current market as we begin to see prices decrease and inventory improve slightly. I find more local buyers are looking to buy than in the previous 24 months, which is nice to see, and fewer NYC buyers. We have been expecting a turn in the market and I believe we are at that point now; however, the announcement of the state of emergency from our governor regarding monkeypox makes me think we could be facing another exodus from the city if they shut things down again.

Hopefully, that won't happen. We need normalcy. I have seen a lot of changes in the real estate market as a realtor for 25 years, and prior to that, being the daughter of a realtor since the mid-60s when Mom’s office was attached to our house. Watching from the plateau of the hills and valleys of real estate, it is an interesting life, and rewarding, helping people find their dream home, or selling the home for the next chapter in their lives. I like being part of that.

Here’s the latest update on the inventory for single-family homes available for sale in Ulster County. For the days spent on the market, we’ll have to go back to April for a three-month comparison, since the July report is not out yet.

April: 78 houses, with an average sale price of $475,491.

May: 61 houses, with an average sale price of $518,763

June: 46 houses, with an average sale price of $488,798

Here is a breakdown of the 388 active single-family home listings currently available in Ulster County, as of August 1, per the Hudson Valley Catskill Region MLS:

$1 million and over: 70

$750,000 - $999,999: 51

$500,000 - $749,999: 88

$400,000 - $499,999: 51

$300,000 - $399,999: 67

under $300,000: 61

Remember, I love what I do! Please call me at 845-901-4553 if you are interested in listing your home, or are ready to buy.

Gail M. Vesely is New York State Licensed Real Estate Broker and owner of Lucille Hand Real Estate, located in Napanoch. She has a Certified Negotiation Expert designation, is a current member of the Board of Directors of the Hudson Valley Catskill region MLS (formally the Ulster County MLS), Chairperson for the MLS Wawarsing Caravan, serves on the MLS Grievance committee and past Board of Directors member on the Ellenville/Wawarsing Chamber of Commerce. Gail has been recognized for her sales achievements for the past 6 years from the Ulster County Board of Realtors.