Photos by Debbie Walsh, Copyright © 2017 Debbie Walsh. All Rights Reserved. These photos may not be reproduced, used or transmitted without the express, written permission of Debbie Walsh of Shahar Management in Newburgh, New York. If you would like to use an image please contact me directly. Thank you for not plagiarizing. 05/31/2017

Photos by Debbie Walsh, Copyright © 2017 Debbie Walsh. All Rights Reserved. These photos may not be reproduced, used or transmitted without the express, written permission of Debbie Walsh of Shahar Management in Newburgh, New York. If you would like to use an image please contact me directly. Thank you for not plagiarizing. 05/17/2017

All around the New York City area and slightly north, toll booths are being removed and replaced with electronic cashless tolling. This means that anyone entering or leaving New York City in their own vehicle will need to have an E-ZPass in their vehicle to pass through these “tolls.”  Passing through these tolls without an E-ZPass will create a fine to be paid for your vehicle.  These will not be small fines and will be strictly enforced once all of the cashless tolling is fully installed. This step up in modernization will greatly help the flow of traffic, the burning of fuel and commuter travel time. Governor Cuomo hopes to have this in place by the end of 2017. This is also the beginning of a major plan to rebuild and renovate New York’s airports, roads, bridges and an expansion of... 05/09/2017

For some reason I am drawn to older architecture.  I find it absolutely beautiful and the structural details just amazing.Here are photos of two local churches in my area:This is one of the reasons I live in Goshen, New York.  The local village brings you back to a much earlier time and I find it very charming.Thanks for stopping by!Kate 01/06/2017

 After completing a Feng Shui Consultation in Sawhill, NY for a local office I decided to explore the area and came across Soons Orchards Farm. I have to say, it was a delightfully and tasty find! They are known for many things, yet they are famous for their home made cider donuts. I tried each flavor, sugar, plain and powered sugar...amazing! Do be sure to stop on-in if you happen to be traveling through Upstate New York. Address: 23 Soons Cir, New Hampton, NY 10958Phone: (845) 374-5471 05/08/2016

It has been a long time since I have actually had the time to post a blog.  Each day I thought about it but was either just too tired or had too much work.  Not a bad problem to have but I definitely missed blogging everyday like I used to.  There is definitely nothing more satisfying than having so much work (in this business) you cannot make time for some of the fun things you like to do.  This year I hope to even it out a little bit so I can get back to blogging.This month I am blessed as I have been given a spot in Top Agent Magazine for February 2016.  I was also in Hudson Valley Magazine in January 2016 as one of the Five Star Real Estate Agents of the Hudson Valley.  These are the types of things that make you feel good about all of the hard work you do all year long in addition ... 02/14/2016

Despite the recent snow we are all experiencing in the Hudson Valley this weekend, it is time to prepare your home for the Spring Real Estate Market!   This is a great graphic from the Real Estate Staging Association on how to prepare your home for sale:   If you are planning to sell your home within the next few months, it is not too early to call in an accredited home stager to help you prioritize what needs to be done for your best ROI. HSR Certified Home Stagers are specially trained to help you sell your home quickly for the best price.  We undergo intensive training before we set foot into our first home. If you live in or near Orange County, New York, contact Kate's Home Staging and Interior Design for your Home Staging Consultation (which can includes a report outlining what ne... 01/23/2016

When I saw this movie I had no idea what it was or who was in it, I had not heard of it before.  It stars Keanu Reeves in an action movie called John Wick about a man who is distraught over the loss of his wife and dog.  I love Keanu Reeves so when I realized he was in the movie I was excited to see it.  However in the beginning there is a scene that was hard for me to take as an animal lover.  I think they went a little far with it but the whole movie centers around what happens in this scene.  This is definitely not a movie for your kids. If you love Keanu and you love a good action movie with a lot of good humor then this is a great movie to take your sweetie to or to see with a friend. 02/17/2015

This month has been busy for everyone across the board.  I have a client whose property developed leaks in the roof.  I began reaching out, trying to get someone out to look at the roof to get an estimate.  Apparently this time of year is one of the busiest for people who do roofing. I was not having any luck - everyone was telling me they were too busy to even do an estimate until at least January or February.  The house developed more leaks bringing the total to 14 and caused interior problems.  The interior was ripped out and we were still trying to find someone who could look at the roof and decide what needed to be done. I got in touch with Joe of Third Generation Homes and when he heard how urgent the situation had become he agreed to come out and assess the problem.  By now I am ... 12/24/2014

Last month I closed a sale that had been one of the more difficult transactions I had this year.  From the moment we placed our offer on the home they had decided on, it was constant issues virtually every other day at some points.  I did the best I could (as we always do) in a tough situation and was so pleased when all was finally aligned so that we could close.  My clients were truly not to blame for any of the toughness, sometimes you just luck out.  You work with people who truly work with you and understand how hard you work at your job.  After the closing I received this note and know too that I have found friends that I will treasure always.  Patty and Corey thank you for being so cooperative and for the lovely note.  I love you both!   Debbie, buying a new home after having a c... 11/09/2014

Photos by Debra Walsh, Copyright © 2014 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 Highland Mills, New York. If you would like to use an image please contact me directly. Thank you for not plagiarizing. 08/20/2014

In our Keller Williams office I am the Social Media person which means I teach the classes pertaining to Social Media. Each month our office holds a variety of classes on a variety of topics which always include some sort of Social Media, ranging from Facebook to Twitter to Pinterest and so on. Over the past year or more there has been a resistance to blogging because it is just one more thing to add to your "to do" list for the day.  However, with the addition of all of the share buttons at the top of the blog it makes it so much easier now to share posts to multiple networks which can cut your time in half in trying to post to several networks each day. With Zillow buying Trulia it makes it smarter than ever to make blogging your primary focus in your real estate business.  The traffi... 07/29/2014

Some of Orange County's finest homes can be found in Goshen, NY, home of the Harness Racing Museum and Hall of Fame.   Whether you are looking for gourmet kitchens, master suites, inground pools, open floor plans or have something else special in mind, it can be found here in Goshen, NY. Click here to view homes for sale in Goshen NY.     06/17/2014

Photos by Debra Walsh, Copyright © 2014 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 Highland Mills, New York. If you would like to use an image please contact me directly. Thank you for not plagiarizing. 05/18/2014

It is so gratifying when you receive a note from a client after a finished transaction.  It makes all the hard work worthwhile.  Thanks to a client who reached out and showed her appreciation! The house we sold was charming but its many problems seemed like an unsolvable challenge. You were able to identify the problems and lead me through the way to fix them. You generously gave of your time and efforts. My living in Maryland added to the difficulties you faced and what I most admired is your ability to step out and get things done with no complaints or whining. (which you certainly were entitled to) I am certain no other Realtor would have been able to draw on such a wide network of repairman, electricians, septic companies and so on. With your professionalism and kindness the sale we... 05/01/2014

A short time ago I was surprised and invited to join the ALC (Agent Leadership Council) in my Keller Williams office.  This came as a big surprise to me and I was so honored to accept.  This month marks my 4 year anniversary since I merged my own company with Keller Williams Realty. Last month I got to attend my first ALC clinic in New York City.  It isn't very often that these are held in our area - in fact not too much gets held in our neck of the woods.  For those of you who have attended these you know they are run by Mo Anderson.   I have met Mo Anderson several times; she is one of the most dynamic, charming and intelligent people you could ever meet.  They also call her the velvet hammer, so that gives you a clue about how tough she can be.  She truly believes in every Keller Wil... 03/13/2014

When my alarm went off this morning I felt like it was 1 in the morning!  But it was time for the next day of Family Reunion and I didn't want to miss a minute of it.  We headed off again to the Phoenix Convention Center's Main Stage for the State of the Company & Culture Address.  This is given by Mark Willis, Mary Tennant and Chris Heller.  How exciting to learn that Keller Williams Realty has grown by over 20,000 agents in the past year!  How many real estate companies can say that??  Keller Williams in this tougher market has also increased their business by 15%.  Keller Williams Realty is the number one real estate company in the United States by the number of agents.  Keller Williams is also an international company.  The latest addition to the company is Dubai which is so excitin... 03/04/2014

For our official start to Family Reunion we rose bright and early and headed to breakfast.  It was around 6:30 am when I left my room and snapped a picture and it was still dark outside.  I believe at home in NY it would have been light already. As we arrived to the Phoenix Convention Center there were literally thousands of people coming from every direction.  The convention center is 900,000 square feet of meeting space with Arizona's largest ballroom at 46,000 square feet.  We headed to the Main Stage for Gary Keller's Vision Speech.  This is attended by everyone as the rest of the event does not commence until after morning speeches each day.  To sit and listen to Gary Keller, Jay Papasan and John Furber (from Canada) is indescribable.  They are such a wealth of knowledge and while ... 02/22/2014

2012 was the warmest year on record during winter in our area.  So far this winter we have had well over 30 inches of snow just in the past few weeks never mind since the winter began.  Last night dumped a good foot and a half or more of snow on top of the snow we already had.  Nothing has been melting because the temperatures have been so cold.  Some driveways were not even down to the pavement yet from the last storm because it has been so cold.  Usually once you plow your driveway and the sun beats on it, the pavement is clear by the end of the day.  Not so this year!  And there is another storm coming tonight! HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY! 02/13/2014

  Photos by Debra Walsh, Copyright © 2014 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 Highland Mills, New York. If you would like to use an image please contact me directly. Thank you for not plagiarizing. 02/08/2014