How did you get into real estate in Upstate New York?

I've lived in Brooklyn and the Lower East Side of Manhattan for years. My first Catskills home was a charming white cottage that I rented. It was my little nest of tranquility away from the hectic pace of the city. After my wife Vickie and I met, I bought a 2-story farmhouse better suited for visits from our new blended family. I was excited to tackle the renovation and merge vintage warmth with modern design. I learned a lot from that experience and realized I wanted to be in the Catskills full-time.

My mother was a top real estate broker. So I've been immersed in real estate my whole life. She's been a terrific mentor over the years. I became hooked on the Catskills, and it made sense for me to get my license and help other people achieve their Upstate dream.

Why are so many of your clients from creative industries?

My background is in fashion styling for commercial photo and film productions and as a set and prop designer for museums, films, special events, and commercials. My father was a jazz musician; my wife is a music industry professional, and many of our close friends and family work in fashion, music, media, art, film, photography, advertising, and design. Being surrounded by creatives, naturally, most of my clients are creative professionals. Most creatives have cultivated taste, so my styling and design background gives me a discerning eye and attention to detail they appreciate.

How does your experience managing your renovation projects help your real estate clients?

I’ve managed all the construction projects on our personal and investment properties, where I work as an interior designer and often as a general contractor. I understand how a home’s mechanicals differ in the country vs. a city or suburb. I’ve developed a trusted resource of local craftspeople, tradespeople, artisans, and architects. I can pass on my resources to clients. My experience has also helped me to understand the potential risks or opportunities of a property.

What’s the biggest renovation project you’ve tackled?

It was expanding and modernizing our current home in Big Indian. When we bought it, it was a cozy 1-story cottage on five acres. Like many properties around here, its biggest asset was its land and views. It has a beautiful vintage fireplace hand-crafted from local stone that I wanted to preserve as the heart of the home, but otherwise, it was small with a kitchen that needed to be more functional.

We expanded outwards and upwards by adding a second floor with an additional bathroom and bedrooms and a modern kitchen downstairs. It was essential to me for the construction process to be as green as possible. We reused what we could and transformed our home into a modern, airy place full of light with views of our gardens and the surrounding mountains (and plenty of room for when our two grown kids visit Upstate).

What do you love about living in the Catskills?

First and foremost, nature. It's beautiful, and we love being active year-round. It's been exciting to see how much the Hudson Valley/Catskills region has evolved over the years into a rich, diverse, and inclusive creative (and queer) community, not too different from the ones I love in New York—just with a lot more square footage and gorgeous views. I'm happy to share our growing community.