real estate

Realtors retain positive outlook

Area realtors expressed little concern about last week’s historic decline in global capital markets and largely agree it’s too soon to know what the impact will be.

“In times of economic uncertainty — whether driven by market volatility or global trade tensions — real estate remains one of the most reliable investments,” observed Elyse Harney Morris of Elyse Harney Real Estate. “Unlike the stock market, which can react instantly to news and speculation, real estate is grounded in tangible value, especially in regions like Litchfield County. We continue to see strong interest in existing homes, and the current market has not shown signs of slowing due to increased building costs. If anything, those higher costs have made move-in ready homes even more attractive. I believe we’ll continue to see people investing in properties here as a way to diversify their assets, secure a foothold outside the city and enjoy the lifestyle this beautiful area offers. In a shifting economic landscape, real estate up here isn’t just a safe harbor – it’s a smart move.”

One real estate broker largely confirmed Harney’s viewpoint.“It’s too early to tell. We remain in a high demand market … Properties priced properly are going under contract in fourteen days or less, in some cases, within the first two days of listing with multiple offers and closing above list price.”

Andrew Gates, a real estate agent with Houlihan & Lawrence in Millbrook commented, “No one can tell if the tariffs will have any direct effect on our local market, which as everyone knows is driven by demand from second home owners, largely based in New York City. However, if the stock market continues to correct to the downside, that is likely to put a chill on demand. Having said that, it’s always possible that if things feel unstable for any particular reason, people may seek a safe and secure refugee upstate. On the supply side, I’m renovating my fifth house … and have yet to see upward price pressure on building materials, but very tight availability of labor in the construction space remains an ongoing issue”.

More pessimistic brokers are concerned that buyers will walk away from already signed contracts or simply stop looking at the same time that potential sellers will wait and see what happens on Wall Street. John Harney of William Pitt Sotheby’s observed succinctly, “When there is uncertainty buyers stay on the sideline.” All agree that the direction of the local real estate market changes slowly and don’t anticipate an immediate change in our high demand real estate market.

real estate

Latest News

Kevin Kelly’s After Hours

Kevin Kelly’s After Hours

Kevin Kelly

Photo by Christopher Delarosa
“I was exposed to that cutthroat, ‘Yes, chef’ culture. It’s not for me. I don’t want anyone apologizing for who they are or what they love.”— Kevin Kelly

Kevin Kelly doesn’t call himself a chef; he prefers “cook.” His business, After Hours, based in Great Barrington, operates as what Kelly calls “a restaurant without a home,” a pop-up dining concept that prioritizes collaboration over competition, flexibility over permanence, and accessibility over exclusivity.

Kelly grew up in Great Barrington and has roots in the Southern Berkshires that go back ten generations. He began working in restaurants at age 14. “I started at Allium and was hooked right off the bat,” he said. He worked across the region from Cantina 229 in New Marlborough to The Old Inn on the Green at Jacob’s Pillow before heading to Babson College in Boston to study business. After a few years in Boston kitchens, he returned home to open a restaurant. But the math didn’t work. “The traditional model just didn’t feel financially sustainable,” he said. “So, I took a step back and asked, ‘If that doesn’t work, then what does?’”

Keep ReadingShow less
restaurants

Books & Blooms’ tenth anniversary

Books & Blooms’ tenth anniversary

Dee Salomon on what makes a garden a garden.

hoto by Ngoc Minh Ngo for Architectural Digest

On June 20 and 21, the Cornwall Library will celebrate its 10th anniversary of Books & Blooms, the two-day celebration of gardens, art, and the rural beauty of Cornwall. This beloved annual benefit features a talk, reception, art exhibit, and self-guided tours of four extraordinary local gardens.

The first Library sponsored garden tour was in June 2010 and featured a talk by Page Dickey, an avid gardener and author. This year’s Books & Blooms will coincide with Ellen Moon’s exhibit “Thinking About Gardens,” a collection of watercolors capturing the quiet spirit of Cornwall’s private gardens. Moon, a weekly storyteller to the first grade at Cornwall Consolidated School and art curator for The Cornwall Library, paints en plein air. Her work investigates what constitutes a garden. In the description of the show, she writes: “there are many sorts...formal, botanical, cottage, vegetable, herb...even a path through the woods is a kind of garden. My current working definition of a garden is a human intervention in the landscape to enhance human appreciation of the landscape.” Also on display are two of her hand-embroidered jackets. One depicts spring’s flowering trees and pollinators. The other, a kimono, was inspired by Yeats’s “The Song of the Wandering Aengus.”

Keep ReadingShow less
cornwall library