Looking for Land: Buying Property in the Hudson Valley

We’ve written a number of posts about looking for land in the Hudson Valley. We’ve discussed looking for land in the winter, buying property upstate, and a general post on looking for land.

With the beginning of spring, we’ve had a number of potential clients reach out to us about land purchases. We’ve also had renewed interest in the properties available at Catskill Terraces and are excited to share some updates later in this post.

What to Look for While Searching for Property

One of the primary considerations for property is, unsurprisingly, location. Whether you’ve spent your life in the Hudson Valley or you’re a first time visitor, you’ll want to consider proximity to different parts of the area. All of our projects are on the west side of the river – we love the proximity to the Catskills, the quieter small towns and the connections we’ve built to the local community.

If you’re looking for a property for a full-time residence, proximity to local daily amenities might need to be balanced with privacy and quick access to the many hiking trails to the west. Seasonal access is also important – does a quick drive to neighboring ski resorts in the winter win out over weekly visits to the Kingston Farmer’s Market?

These might seem like the obvious things, but they help guide the big picture search. As you’re nailing down location, you also want to consider views and site features. Are you looking for wooded property with a high likelihood of a creek or stream running nearby? We’ve worked on multiple properties in Kerhonkson and Accord that have these features. If sweeping mountain views and rocky landscapes are more of interest, you may want to look in Saugerties and towns in and around the Catskills, like Woodstock, Phoenicia, and Big Indian.

Site Development

One of the biggest reasons that you should work with a professional during your land search is that they will know how and where to find lots of valuable information about the property. Site development in the Hudson Valley can be tricky – each municipality has its own rules for what kind of development can occur on specific parcels. Zoning rules and specific overlays can affect what you can build, where on the site you can build it and even what your new home looks like.

You’ll also want to consider what site developments have already been made. Having a driveway and site clearing complete will likely reduce your upfront costs, but will have a large impact on where on the property your new home will go. Other developments that may be in place include electrical service from a public roadway to your building site, a well and a septic field. The other important thing to consider is whether the property has Board of Health approval – meaning that you already have permission to install a well and septic system onsite. If not, that shouldn’t be a deal-breaker for the property, but it will add some time to the construction process.

For all of these reasons, a realtor experienced in property sales is key to have on your team. We also recommend reaching out to our architect, Studio MM – they offer property search services to help evaluate land and zoning restrictions prior to purchase.

Land by HV Contemporary Homes

If you’re looking for property and haven’t had any luck, we currently have six parcels still available at Catskill Terraces! We recently sold Lot 5, which had some fantastic views of the Hudson Valley. We’re also excited to have an accepted offer on Lot 4! Both of these clients have approached us in the past couple months, so it’s a great time to reach out and learn more about the six remaining parcels. We also have two custom homes currently under construction at Catskill Terraces – Fermata and IRIE House. We’re thrilled to see all of the progress on this project, which we’ve been working on for a number of years.

The land at Catskill Terraces has BOH approvals in place, but electrical, septic and well improvements are all the responsibility of the new owners. If you’d like more information about the properties still available, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us at or to our realtor team at Upstate Curious. Spring is a great time to walk land with new clients and we’d love to meet you!