Carol Volk and Jules Leichter’s careers have taken them everywhere in the world — Washington, D.C., Paris, Rome, Tel Aviv, Baghdad and Addis Ababa, to call a number of cities they’ve known as residence. Most not too long ago, in 2023, Ms. Volk’s work as a diplomat with the U.S. International Service led her and Mr. Leichter, an economist with the Worldwide Financial Fund, to Rabat, Morocco, for an project.
Whereas there, the 2 determined it was lastly time to wind down their worldwide work, and so they contemplated the place to spend the approaching years.
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Given Ms. Volk’s roots in New York Metropolis, certainly one of their sons now dwelling in Manhattan, and a fascinating trip expertise a number of years in the past within the Ulster County hamlet of West Hurley, N.Y., they settled on the Hudson Valley.
“Associates of mine have a spot in Halcott, and so I knew the realm,” Ms. Volk mentioned. “However once we rented the Airbnb in West Hurley, after which we visited Kingston, and we had been in a position to go to Rhinebeck and Catskill and Saugerties, we form of realized, wow, there’s loads for those who’re near the Hudson.”
The couple needed to search out an space that provided the serenity of the nation and the facilities of small-city life, like eating places and large field shops. “We don’t essentially need that in our yard,” Mr. Leichter mentioned. “But it surely’s good to have it shut by.”
On this not-too-isolated setting, they had been hoping to discover a residence with a view, extra land than only a garden, and ample bedrooms and loos for visitors. Their funds ranged from $600,000 to $800,000.
Ms. Volk, who mentioned she’s “sort of obsessive about actual property,” began the search in Rabat, spending hours on Redfin perusing properties and taking digital walks across the block. The couple then traveled stateside in March 2024 and spent a few days touring houses.
Hillary Kolos, a licensed salesperson with the Upstate Curious workforce at Compass, mentioned {that a} funds of as much as $800,000 could be sufficient for an exquisite property within the space — although, with stock operating low, in all probability not one with every part on the couple’s wishlist.
“If you wish to keep extra to the 600 vary, you may nonetheless discover an excellent home, however you may see a neighbor, you could be slightly nearer to a highway, it’d want slightly extra work,” Ms. Kolos mentioned. “In case you’re trying within the 800 vary, you may in all probability discover one thing that’s slightly extra turnkey, slightly extra non-public — though we’ve simply persistently been seeing the costs going up and up right here.”
Amongst their choices had been houses at each stage of their funds.
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