Effective tonight in New York State the amended "Move Over Law" goes into effect.  This same requirement now applies to snowplows, tow trucks, emergency vehicles, highway crews and their vehicles and any vehicles flashing amber lights. If you can't safely move over YOU MUST slow down.  This law is a direct move to try and save the lives of emergency personnel while on our highwways. Only time will tell how effective this law will be but it is definitely a step in the right direction to protect these dedicated workers. 12/31/2011

12/24/2011

    December 2011  Market Update One of the key drivers of homes sales, the employment rate, is beginning to show promising signs of a turnaround. The four-week average for jobless claims, as of November 19, was 394,250, a drop of 3,250 from the previous four weeks, and at the lowest levels since April. Consumer confidence also rose 15 points in the last month, and is now at its highest point since July of this year. Eric Green, Chief Market Economist at TD Securities Inc. said, “The trend remains very constructive. Jobless claims are back below 400,000, which seems to be the pivot point in terms of a strengthening labor market as opposed to a weakening one.” In addition to improving employment conditions, home affordability also improved as interest rates fell further, opening the door... 12/12/2011

One of my favorite things about holidays are the displaying of the holiday lights.  Whether outdoors as decoration or inside on a tree they can always elicit ooohs and ahhhs as they twinkle in different sizes, shapes and colors.  With the introduction of LED lighting it has made decorating a little safer and a lot more energy efficient.  While they are more expensive compared to conventional lighting they will last longer, burn brighter and save you on all the extension cords you used to need. LED Holiday Lights: 6 Need-to-Know Tips LED holiday lights vs. old-fashioned bulbs: 6 tips to help you decide which is right for you. Read Visit houselogic.com for more articles like this. Copyright 2011 NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® 11/30/2011

May your stuffing be tasty May your turkey plump, May your potatoes and gravy Have nary a lump. May your yams be delicious And your pies take the prize, And may your Thanksgiving dinner Stay off your thighs! ~Author Unknown   Enjoy your family and friends today for they are our world and be grateful for all that we have, not wanting for all that you don't. 11/24/2011

Are you a parent or artist who is overrun with crayons that are too small to use?  NEVER THROW AWAY CRAYONS AGAIN.  Crazy Crayons recycles unwanted or unusable crayons collected in the National Crayon Recycling Program.  As of this month, November 2011, they have collected over 75,000 pounds of unwanted crayons from schools, restaurants, and other organizations all across the United States.  They are "Saving the Earth, One Crayon At A Time!"  Crazy Crayons come in 26 different colors and no two are alike making them works of art!  There are hundreds of shapes and many different themes.  They are packaged with green packaging only. Crazy Crayons began recycling to keep crayons out of landfills.  More than 12 million crayons are made in the United States everyday.    That is 60 tons of cr... 11/17/2011

I saw this come across on Twitter the other day and thought it was worth the post.  This is someone who saw an animal in trouble and not only took the time to help but caused himself some discomfort in the process.  And for those that ride you know that this was no small feat to put an animal like this on a motorcycle.  For if the animal got a little too wild it could have proven quite dangerous.  The animal was a baby and was probably extremely exhausted but he still went out of his way and he is to be commended.  I wish everyone reacted this way to an animal in trouble.  Kudos to this rider! 11/01/2011

Today is "Make a Difference Day" which was first started in 1990.  Make a Difference Day is always the fourth Saturday in October.  This is a national day devoted to helping others by doing volunteer work in your community.  It can be anything you choose to do as long as you are helping someone else.  You can be helping with cleaning and fixing, painting and repairs in parks, municipal facilities, poorer neighborhoods, senior citizens, churches or whoever needs your help.  What matters is that you participate and make a commitment to help others for JUST ONE DAY.  Make a Difference and help someone today! 10/21/2011

Yesterday on October 15, 2011 was the first of what will be an annual event in downtown Goshen, New York.  It was the Light The Night fund raising walk for Leukemia and Lymphoma.  It was quite cold and there was a pretty strong wind, probably our first real day of fall but that didn't stop everyone from turning out for this important event. There was food, dance acts to entertain the crowd, music, contests and more as everyone gathered and waited for the walk to begin.  There were VIP areas for the fund raising teams that had managed to raise $5000 or more.  For those not familiar with Light The Night there is a video below.  Those that participate in the walk carry balloons that light up in their chosen color.  Red for supporters, white for survivors and gold in memory of their loved o... 10/16/2011

    October 2011  Market Update Despite some pessimism pertaining to the global and domestic economies, the U.S. housing sector continues to show promising signs of stability and growth.  Low levels of new home construction and gaining sales volume fueled by an inventory of affordable housing since Richard Nixon was president have reduced the number of homes on the market.  This means home prices may begin to appreciate again. While there are many factors that can be barriers to buying a home, such as the tightening of mortgage lending rules by banks, consumer confidence in the job market is among one of the top obstacles to home ownership.  In the 2011 Housing Pulse Survey conducted by the National Association of Realtors, 80% of respondents cited job security as their primary concern ... 10/14/2011

As most of you know I have some wonderful animals right up the street from my house.  When I went by there yesterday the zebra which is usually too far from the road was a little closer than usual.  Unfortunately no matter what I did I couldn't get him to look my way.   Not having much of a voice I am certain didn't help me at all either.  However even without him looking over at me I was still impressed as always with his beauty.  He definitely stands out in a crowd and doesn't have to make any grand gestures to do so. If you want your home to stand out in a "crowd" then give me a call.  I am the right Realtor for you!     Photos by Debra Walsh, Copyright © 2011 Debra Walsh. All Rights Reserved.  These photos may not be reproduced, used or transmitted without the express, written permi... 10/09/2011

All of us have some sort of TechnoTrash laying around at home even if it is just a few old keyboards or mouses that don't work anymore.   Where are you supposed to send old electronics that is safe and green?  GreenDisk will take all of your computer related waste and recycle it for you from your home or your work.  Click here for a full list of what they will accept.  For loads over 500 pounds GreenDisk will provide a convenient pick up option for you or your business to facilitate the recycling of your TechnoTrash.  GreenDisk is available in 48 states.  Clean up and recycle those electronics today! 10/07/2011

Fighting Hunger is a world wide effort.  The AmpleHarvest.org Campaign is a multifunctional organization that allows local gardeners to donate their surplus whether large or small which is then routed to local Food Pantries.  If you are a family with a garden and you wind up with too many tomatoes for example rather than letting them go bad or throwing them out you can help curb hunger by donating them.  If you are a Food Pantry and you register, any local surplus that comes in to AmpleHarvest.org will be sent the Food Pantry's way.  This is spread across all 50 states and is helping diminish hunger in America. An estimated 100 billion pounds of food is thrown away annually in the United States.  IT DOES NOT HAVE TO BE THIS WAY.  You can help! There are flyers on the site that you can p... 10/01/2011

Photos by Debra Walsh, Copyright © 2011 Debra Walsh. All Rights Reserved.  These photos may not be reproduced, used or transmitted without the express, written permission of Debra Walsh of Keller Williams Realty in Goshen, New York.  If you would like to use an image please contact me directly.  Thank you for not plagiarizing!   09/27/2011

Government stimulus funds are allocated for small businesses and not-for-profits to receive free, no obligation, on-site energy audits to help analyze their energy usage and recommend cost effective improvements.  The intent of the funding is to help you and your community: Save energy and reduce dependence on foreign oil Be environmentally responsible Reduce your energy bills Provide local jobs Your 100% funded (free) energy audit will: Provide a no obligation evaluation and report (NOT A SALES TOOL) Help you understand your energy usage Let you see the impact of cost effective measures relating to energy efficiency Federal Stimulus Funding is provided from the American Recover and Reinvestment Act of 2009.  For more information contact Brian Nieves at bnieves20@gmail.com or 347-719-07... 09/24/2011

    September 2011  Market Update The U.S. housing market has shown notable stability in 2011 compared to the previous two years when the tax credit made a clear impact. Although recent economic indicators have been less than expected, including a downward revision of GDP and consumer confidence that mirrors early 2009, owning a home is still valued by the majority of Americans. 72% of renters say owning is a top priority for their future, up from 68% a year earlier.  However, most aspiring homeowners are held back by two main factors: funds for a down payment (82%) and confidence in their job security (80%). Federal Reserve Chair Ben Bernanke emphasized the importance of a healthy housing market to a robust recovery. He stressed the adverse effects of tighter credit conditions for borr... 09/13/2011

U.S. Small Business Administration Administrator Karen G. Mills issued the following statement after the announcement of the Presidential disaster declaration for several counties in New York that were affected by Hurricane Irene that began on Aug. 26. “The U.S. Small Business Administration is strongly committed to providing the people of New York with the most effective and customer-focused response possible to assist homeowners, renters, and businesses with federal disaster loans.  Getting businesses and communities up and running after a disaster is our highest priority at SBA.”The disaster declaration covers the New York counties of Albany, Delaware, Dutchess, Essex, Greene, Schenectady, Schoharie and Ulster, which are eligible for both Physical and Economic Injury Disaster Loans f... 09/07/2011

New York State Fair runs through September 5, 2011 with a Tractor Pull & Demolition Derby this weekend Woodstock - New Paltz Arts & Crafts Fair runs through September 5, 2011 with special Labor Day weekend attractions Woodstock Shakespeare Festival runs through September 4, 2011 Hudson River Cruises runs through October 2011 Olana - Tour this beautiful mansion on a 250 acre estate Splash Down Beach runs through September 5, 2011 West Point - Visit the museum on a guided tour Greenburgh Nature Center - 33 Acre preserve with museum, live animals and greenhouse Sugar Loaf - A unique shopping experience where you can find handmade items of all kinds as well as jewelry, art galleries and more! Rye Playland - Ride your favorite rides or swim at the beach! Museum Village - Civil War Re-enactme... 09/04/2011

I think this is going to be one of the best apps ever.  It is called the CHILD ID app.  It is created by the FBI and it will store photos and information about your children so it is right on hand in one of the biggest emergencies: ABDUCTION.  It will allow you to show pictures and physical identifiers to Officers right on scene should your child go missing in a store, at an event or anywhere.  There is a tab so you can email this information anywhere instantly as well.   There are tips on keeping your child safe in the app and also instructions on what to do in those first hours after a child goes missing. Right now, the Child ID app is only available for use on iPhones and can only be downloaded (for free) from the App Store on iTunes, but they plan to expand this tool to other types ... 08/27/2011

    August 2011  Market Update The U.S. housing market has shown increased stability in home sales during 2011 compared to the previous year. Home prices are up 18% since their low in February. Signs of recovery remain mixed in the economy—employment and GDP came in less than expected while the strong points were in consumer confidence and new home starts. The debt ceiling has been raised without any drastic changes to occur immediately. Although this prevents a sudden shock to a weakening recovery, over the next year and a half, experts anticipate considerable changes in how the government spends and collects money. The uncertainty of what is to come and how it will impact various industries will likely cause some to play on the safe side. The good news is that the government remains s... 08/26/2011