Blogs

December Means Hudson Valley Holiday Craft Markets

Now that the holiday season is in full swing, there are a seemingly-endless number of craft shows/markets/etc. happening throughout the Hudson Valley each and every week. With that in mind, this post will be highlighting a handful of the great shopping opportunities which are taking place around the area this weekend! No mass-produced gift can match the impact of a local, handmade item, so be sure to check out at least one of these fantastic craft markets!

Selling in Winter? Follow This Staging Advice

Although many homeowners only consider selling during the summer months, there are some advantages to selling in the winter. For instance, the smaller number of homes on the market makes it easier for your home to stand out to potential buyers. Plus, if you manage to create some buzz around your sale, then you might be able to leverage that interest into a higher sale price as buyers compete for the limited homes available. Of course, one of the most important aspects to generating a hot listing (even during the cold months) is proper staging. Keep reading to learn some important tips for staging a home during the winter!

Poughkeepsie's Celebration of Lights Is Almost Here!

Each holiday season, the City of Poughkeepsie teams up with local groups to present one of the area's best winter events, the Celebration of Lights! This year marks the 25th edition of the celebration, which features a parade, fireworks, and special events across the city. The festivities officially kick off at 6:30 p.m. on November 30, so get ready to have some fun this Friday! Keep reading to learn about a few of the different ways to take in the celebration.

Shop the Dutchess Community College Craft Fair This Weekend

Looking for a great place to find local gifts unlike any others? Then check out the 47th Annual Craft Fair at Dutchess Community College, taking place this weekend, November 24 & 25, in Poughkeepsie! For decades, this event has given area residents an amazing opportunity to purchase one-of-a-kind items on the weekend after Thanksgiving. This year's fair will feature more than 100 incredible artists, which means you are sure to find the right gift for anyone!

Lower Credit Score After Home Purchase? Don't Worry!

After spending months (or even years) boosting their credit score in order to qualify for the best possible mortgage, new homeowners are often dismayed to see their score fall after finally purchasing their dream home. Perhaps even more alarmingly, this decline often lags several months behind the purchase, making buyers question what actually caused it to happen. Luckily, a new study by LendingTree shows that this is not only normal, but generally corrects itself in less than one year! Keep reading to learn why scores fall after buying a home, how large you should expect the decline to be, and when you can expect the score to return to normal.

Which State's Mortgage Borrowers Put the Most Down?

Saving for the down payment is understandably regarded as one of the most difficult aspects of buying a home. Although the exact number depends on the purchase price, buyers generally need to come up with tens of thousands of dollars up front in order to take out their mortgage. Of course, any statistic will display a wide range of averages across the nation's fifty states, and both down payment amounts and percentages follow this rule. With that in mind, LendingTree sought to determine which state's buyers were offering up the largest and smallest down payments on their mortgages in Q3. They found that New York came in near the top of the list in both down payment amount and percentage.