Everyone here was hand-picked,” says Elda Zulick, principal broker at Grist Mill Real Estate in the northern Ulster County town of Saugerties. “We work under the same philosophy. We don’t consider this a sales job. We consider this a service job. I think that’s one of the clues to our success.” Zulick says that within the Grist Mill Real Estate family of 15 agents, including herself, there is a spirit of cooperation rather than competition.

The company started operations in 1974, with Zulick running the business from her home. In 1979 Grist Mill Real Estate moved to 265 Main Street, in Saugerties’ historic business district.

Saugerties was historically home to sawmills, and was a gateway to the Catskills for those arriving via the Hudson River; it was a source for ice, harvested from the river and shipped out of town, and the home of the Martin Cantine Paper Company, known around the world for its coated stocks.

The land which is now Saugerties was purchased through agreement with the Esopus Indian Kaelcop, chief of the Amorgarickakan Family, roughly 210 years earlier. The “price” paid was a blanket, a piece of cloth, a shirt, a loaf of bread and some coarse fiber.

Of course, the price of land has risen significantly since then, including a roughly 15-fold increase in the years since Grist Mill Real Estate opened for business.

“Back in 1974, I can remember properties selling for $23,000. Today the average listing price (in the town and village combined) is $347,000,” says Zulick.

And that’s just the average. Of 147 active listings in April, the lowest asking price was $99,000. The highest-priced listing was $1.75 million, according to Zulick.

“Saugerties is extremely eclectic,” she says. “We are located on the river, so your river-front properties are very expensive. And we’re bounded on the other side by the mountains with hiking trails and swimming holes.”

Zulick says that 10 years ago, the town was attractive to a lot of buyers interested in fixer-uppers, many of whom made their living buying these houses for resale.

“Those have been replaced by foreclosures, unfortunately,” she says, acknowledging a troubled housing market, has indeed reached this far up the Hudson River Valley. “It’s all sort of in the papers, about where we’re going,” says Zulick. “We’re floating down, but we haven’t reached a plateau yet. Everyone in my office is busy with listings. People are putting houses on the market. They’ve been educated about what is selling—what is selling is the well-priced homes.”

One new listing which seems to have caught Zulick’s imagination is “The River Knoll,” built circa 1840. Zulick describes its owner as a very well-educated seller. “He knows what the market is like and he’s motivated to sell,” she says.

The River Knoll is a Victorian-era structure with Hudson River and Berkshire Mountain views. Located on the eastern edge of the the Greene County town of Coxsackie, the property is currently being offered at $275,000.

With a breakfast area overlooking the river, kitchen and wet bar, the house features a wraparound porch, lovely grounds and a magnificent view. “It’s not your run of the mill home, or a development home. It’s not an old farm in the country, it’s a very sweet home. There just aren’t many of them,” says Zulick. “It’s a very old house. Houses like this one can’t just be replaced. The people who bought this bought it in very poor condition and brought it back. Sometimes they just fade away, or burn down. This one has been saved.”

The beautifully appointed and spacious formal living room, with a built-in bookcase, features French doors leading onto an open porch. There is a richly paneled bedroom/library off the center hall, and two bedrooms on the second floor.

The home is exactly the sort of property many people are looking for these days. “There are large homes with some land, the old farm houses,” says Zulick. “But our bread and butter has always been the suburban developments. Now we have quite a few town homes,” she adds.

“Because (Saugerties) is an older area, we have the old Victorians in the village. There’s really a lot to offer and I tell people that if they don’t know much about our area they should visit www.cometosaugerties.com (operated by the Saugerties Area Chamber of Commerce).”

“Saugerties has wonderful programs for its citizens, including senior citizens. It’s a really good community for all ages,” she says. “With the influx of the New York City market, the young ones are investing here. Some of the older ones are retiring up here. Many started with their second homes 20 years ago. Many are becoming empty nesters and making the move permanent.”

“Technology has had a great effect on the market here in Saugerties,” says Zulick. “With faxes, e-mail and other technology, people can really work up here all week and maybe go to their office in the city once or twice a week. And of course, they don’t let go. They have apartments or condos in New York City. They have the best of both worlds.”

But Saugerties is just part of the story, Grist Mill Real Estate has listings as far south as Accord and Kerhonkson, up through Rosendale, Esopus and Woodstock, and into Greene County. “We cover the whole territory, says Zulick.

“For each property, you have to know the proper venue to advertise,” says Zulick. “You’re not going to market a development home in New York City, but you would market an old farm house or country home on The New York Times’ Web site.”

“The referral, for us, is the number one source of business, referrals from our customers,” she says. “Then, because we are heavy advertisers, we generate a lot of new business.”

“Buying a home is the biggest emotional decision you’re going to make and we recognize that and are very empathetic to that. It’s not only emotional, but a big financial decision. We want to make sure our people are prepared for that,” she says, adding “There’s a lot of hand-holding. That’s the real reward of this business. That’s why we call it a service business. I don’t think you can make anyone buy a house. You can ease the process.”

“The hardest part about buying and selling is knowing how to begin,” says Zulick, adding “[t]hat’s where we come in. Grist Mill Real Estate will help you by providing valuable, inside information and lots of ideas to get you started and ensure success. Whether you are just interested in researching options or fully committed to the idea to buy, sell or relocate, we have a way to help.”

For more about Grist Mill Real Estate’s philosophy, area business and education information, as well as pictures and other details concerning current listings, visit www.gristmillrealestate.com or call toll free 800 664 5503.