Columbus Day Carnival / Peekskill Celebration in Peekskill, NY

Taste of the Towns Coming to Armonk, NY

 

All proceeds go to Support Connection

How to Hurt Your Credit

When you make a major purchase (like buying a Peekskill, Yorktown or Cortlandt Manor home), lenders look at your credit score to determine both your creditworthiness as well as the interest rate they will charge you to borrow the money.  That’s why it’s so important to get your credit in as good a shape as possible before you buy.  Here are some things you may have done that will hurt your credit score:

• Late Payments – This is an obvious one.  When you’re 30 days or more late, your creditor reports it to the credit reporting agencies and your credit score is dinged.
• Collections - When you stop paying on a credit account and the creditor has exhausted their attempts to get a payment from you, they will send the account to collections.  This also includes any medical bills that you have not paid.  Many people are under the mistaken impression that your insurance company pays all your medical bills.  However, if the bill isn’t paid, it is still the patient’s responsibility to make sure it is taken care of.  The collection agencies also report to the credit reporting agencies.  So, not only do you get dinged for the original debt, but your credit gets hit a second time by the collection agency when you fail to pay them.
• Charge Offs – After your account has been delinquent for a certain period of time, the creditor may decide to charge off the debt as a loss on their books.  Future potential creditors will see this as a huge red flag because it shows you don’t always pay back your debts.
• Settlements – While paying a portion of your debt is much better than not paying at all, anytime you pay less than what is owed, it hurts your credit because it shows you didn’t pay the original debt in full.  This is true even when the original creditor OK’s the lesser amount.
• Bankruptcies/Tax Liens – Unfortunately, many people find themselves in the position of filing for bankruptcy because they are unable to pay their debts.  These will stay on your credit for up to 10 years.  And, even after 10 years, you may still have to contact the credit reporting agencies to have them taken off.  Tax liens will negatively impact your credit even after you have paid them off completely.
• Foreclosures/Short Sales – A foreclosure (including a deed-in-lieu of foreclosure) can cause your credit score to plummet as much as 150 points (up to 200 points if your credit was over 750 before) and stays on your credit for seven years.  A short sale, on the other hand, will knock 75-100 points off your credit score.  If you are responsible with your credit, you can qualify for a home loan again in approximately five years.  With a short sale, you can qualify for a Peekskill, Yorktown or Cortlandt Manor home in two years, providing you’ve been responsible with your credit in the interim.

 

All of these behaviors will stay on your credit for at least seven years.  So, before you decide to purchase your dream home in Peekskill, Yorktown or Cortlandt Manor NY, you may want to review how your behavior affects your credit so you can avoid future issues.  As always, you should talk to your trusted financial or legal advisors with any financial questions you may have.  Please contact me when you’re ready to buy or sell your New York home.

Barbara Bodnar, Your Westchester, Putnam and Dutchess County New York Real Estate Resource

Tree Fertilizer

* Reprint Courtesy of Brad Gurr

June 5th, 2011

The topic of tree fertilization can be a controversial one.  I personally have been on both sides of the fence on this debate which tends to have two primary views.  One view is “Trees do well in the woods and fertilization in your yard isn’t needed”.  The other view is that “Trees in their natural environment recycle nutrients and your yard the soils and nutrient recycling are far from ideal”.  The first view is one that I held before I spent many years studying trees and their responses to supplemental fertilization.  I have developed an understanding for the second position after years of careful observation.

Your yard is a harsh place for trees, the soil has been compacted and modified to such an extent that it no longer bears much resemblance to the loamy duff of the forest floor.  Forests are harsh environments, but they are places that trees are uniquely adapted to survive and thrive in.  Trees exist in communities and grouping that balance nutrient requirements.  Unseen battles for scarce nutrients take place in the forest and result in the forest you are looking at.  The trees in your yard certainly would not exist as a community naturally in the woods.  I no longer think fertilization is ” Snake Oil”.  When correctly prescribed, formulated and correctly applied it is one of the most beneficial applications you can make to your trees.

The results of fertilization can only be seen over time in the growth and development of your landscape trees.  Any gardener knows that to keep a plant alive you must water and fertilize it as needed and on a regular basis.  If you don’t they simply struggle and fade away.  The basic N-P-K of fertilizer, nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium, come in a variety of formulations and forms.  For trees it is important to have a substantial proportion of the nitrogen in a slow release form that is available to the tree on an extended basis.

There are a variety of ways to apply tree fertilization, broadcasting on the surface, drilling and placing granules into the soil, tree spikes, low pressure high volume hose end feeders, and high pressure liquid injection systems.  Each has its advantages and disadvantages, having used all of them over the years I do recommend high pressure liquid injection as my method of choice.  This method has the advantage of being able to quickly and accurately, both important considerations, deliver the correct blended fertilizer and soil amendments to the root zone.  As we have discussed many times in the past most tree roots are in the upper 12 inches of the soil where oxygen and water are available.  Soil fertility, micro nutrients, soil pH and root stimulation are only a few of the areas that can be addressed using the correctly formulated soil injection.  The important issues of formulation, timing and proper application can be prescribed by an ISA Certified Arborist.  If you want your trees to thrive and prosper, contact your ISA Certified Arborist.

* Brad Gurr is an I.S.A. Certified Arborist and Plant Health Care Specialist dedicated to the care and preservation of trees. For more information on this subject or any plant health care related questions please feel free to contact on line at gurrb@yahoo.com.

Brad Gurr, “Dedicated to the Care and Preservation of Trees”

Barbara Bodnar, Your Westchester, Putnam and Dutchess County New York Real Estate Resource

Cruise the Hudson in Peekskill NY

Starting later this month, the Trinity Cruise Company will be offering three cruises each day aboard its Evening Star every Thursday through Sunday.  The cruise departs from Pier E at the Charles Point Marina (5 John Walsh Blvd, Peekskill, NY).  Throughout July and August, there will be a Wednesday cruise departing from Riverfront Green Park in Peekskill as well.

The Evening Star was originally commissioned as a US Coast Guard Buoy Tender to aid larger vessels in navigation, search and rescue missions, environmental protection, law enforcement and other marine duties.  In 1999, it was converted into a tour boat, where it provided sightseers an up close look at life along the Erie Canal.  This is the first year it will be calling Peekskill home.

The 46 foot long vessel can hold up to 40 passengers comfortably and is available for charter any day of the week.  Beverages are made available on all public tours.  Catering is available for charter cruises.

On each public tour, not only will you be able to see the beauty that is the Hudson River, but you will learn the history of the area as well.  As the seasons change, so does the scenery.  You don’t want to miss out!  Check with the Trinity Cruise Company’s website often to find out the latest news and tour information or you can call (914) 589-7773.

Barbara Bodnar, Your Westchester, Putnam and Dutchess County New York Real Estate Resource

Peekskill Celebration 2011

For 15 years now, Westchester County’s Peekskillhas been holding its annual Peekskill Celebration to bring the community together, have some fun, encourage local businesses and raise awareness of causes close to our hearts.  This year, the Peekskill Celebration 2011 will be held August 5th and 6th and has been expanded from its original Riverfront Green Park to include Peekskill Landing, located on the park’s north side.  That will allow for even more fun.

Included in the festivities will be food, an arts and crafts show, parade of boats from the Peekskill Yacht Club, a Run/Walk, underground railroad tours, youth basketball clinic, classic car and motorcycle show, kids craft tent, live entertainment on the main stage and fireworks.  More than 100 local vendors, artisans and community groups will also be on hand to showcase their talents and promote community involvement.

On Saturday, August, 6th, the Dragon Boat Races will be held on the river.  Each boat is decorated with dragon heads and tails and operated by a team of 20 paddlers, a drummer and a steer person.  Each 41 foot long boat races against other teams in a heat comprised of 4-6 boats for 500 meters.  The popular Dragon Boat Races have always been held to help raise awareness of cancer by honoring those effected by cancer, including honoring those that have passed away and those who have beaten the cancer “dragon”.  During the extremely touching Rose Ceremony, paddlers will raise their roses up and throw them out onto the Hudson River.

Putting on a celebration of this magnitude requires months of planning and organizing to make it happen.  All proceeds from the event go to funding the next year’s event, with any surplus being reinvested into improvements.  If you wish to be a sponsor, please contact the Peekskill Celebration at 914-736-2000.  Volunteers are always welcome to man the information booths, sell raffle tickets, organize the teams for the Dragon Boat Races and general work.  Please click here to download a copy of the volunteer application.  If you have a team interested in joining in with the Dragon Boat Races, please click here to sign up.  If you want to paddle but don’t have a team, you can join an existing one.

If you’re in the area on the weekend of August 5-6, 2011, come to the Peekskill Celebration 2011.  It’s lots of fun and you’ll have a fantastic time.

Barbara Bodnar, Your Westchester, Putnam and Dutchess County New York Real Estate Resource

The Depths of Planting

* Reprint Courtesy of Brad Gurr

May 15th , 2011

Root Flare on Tree Planted at Right Depth

This time of year will always find me answering questions at plant sales or speaking with students about the importance of planting trees. Unfortunately this year an unseasonal cold prevented me from speaking at either. I did manage to attend and was able to confirm the old saying that ” you have two ears and one mouth so listen twice as often as you speak”. While my voice was out of commission I was able to stand back take a few pictures and listen to one of my fellow arborists speaking with a group of 4 and 5 year olds. He, being unprepared due to my sudden laryngitis, showed true mastery in arboriculture by improvising a great presentation on trees, how important and present they are in our lives. Halfway through I croaked ” Whats in the bag?” and he pulled a small white spruce plug out of the paper bag he was holding. The children were ecstatic and without missing a beat he held the tree up side down and asked ” Do we plant a tree like this” to a gang shout reply of ” No” they all replied, flipping the tree. ” How about like this?”,the tree was now right side up and all agreed that “Green on Top” was the way to plant. So how do we go from this simple consensus to over half the trees in the average landscape being planted to deep?

The simple truth is if I you walked out your door and found a planted tree it would more than likely be planted too deep. At the mall,shopping center, park or many of my clients properties there are no shortage of these buried alive trees.

Trees grown in nature from seed are rarely planted to deep. Flooding, landslides and wind sedimentation can cause tree burial but it’s rare. In our landscapes the most common culprit is planting too deep and settling after planting.

Trees almost universally flare out where the roots differentiate from the trunk tissues.

This basal flare should be your clue to correct planting depth. The flare should never be completely buried and should generally be at the surface or just slightly above. This translates to a centimeter or half inch or less above the surface of the soil. If you see a tree that looks like a pencil coming out of the ground, strait with no flare at the base it is likely planted too deep. Trees want to grow roots in a downward direction, this is called geotropism and ensures roots remain in the ground and not heading to the sky.

The process of planting a a tree or shrub often starts with a hole in the ground that is more suitable for a fence post or pit barbecue than a plant. Trees do best if planted in shallow lens like planting sites that are wider than deep. Care must be taken in most soils not to glaze the outer edge of the planting site by packing it while shoveling. Once you are done take the side of the shovel and break up the hard polished soil so the roots can easily penetrate it. If the tree requires staking once planted do so loosely and be sure to have a plan in place to come back and remove the stakes and wires once the plant has settled. If in doubt when planting trees contact your ISA Certified Arborist they are the go-to experts on tree planting and care.

* Brad Gurr is an I.S.A. Certified Arborist and Plant Health Care Specialist dedicated to the care and preservation of trees. For more information on this subject or any plant health care related questions please feel free to contact on line at gurrb@yahoo.com.

Brad Gurr, “Dedicated to the Care and Preservation of Trees”

Barbara Bodnar, Your Westchester, Putnam and Dutchess County New York Real Estate Resource