Fifteen years ago, a young Rye family decided they needed more space, as well as privacy. They wanted to raise their children in a community with good schools and well-educated citizens, like Rye, but one with a slower pace that was still within commuting distance of Manhattan, where they had to be a few days a month for work. They hoped to find a home with property where their sons could play endlessly and safely, hang with friends when they became teenagers, and want to return to as adults. They also wanted a house where they could entertain and see the stars at night.
After months of searching, they found their dream house two hours north, in the hamlet of Loudonville. In addition to being a tranquil and physically beautiful community, it is centrally located, accessible to New York City by train, ten minutes from state government buildings in Albany, 20 minutes to the racetrack in Saratoga, and you can be at a beach in Cape Cod or on a ski slope in Vermont in under three hours.
Tucked away on a dead-end street that backs up to Wolferts Roost Country Club, the six-bedroom 1980 home has the look and feel of a grand 1930s Colonial on the outside but has been thoughtfully modernized inside. The pool and pool house get lots of use, as do the guest rooms. The third floor serves as a kids’ campout. The 2.2-acre property has seen plenty of old-fashioned games and races, and, these days, there is often a pickleball game going on in the driveway. In winter, the golf course is where everyone heads to cross country ski.
With their sons now 23 and 21, the Rotolos, both of whom work in high tech and can work remotely, decided that it was time for them to begin the next chapter of their lives. “May be nomadic for a while.”
What’s noteworthy is that when they were looking for a realtor, they chose one from their old turf, Fiona Dogan, whose sons went to kindergarten with theirs in Rye.
“They reached out to me to see if I would handle their listing — even though I am two hours away! — because they liked my ‘personal branding and the way I showcased homes’ and felt I would bring a little New York City/Westchester glitz and glamour.”
Dogan accepted the challenge, and partnered with another Sotheby’s agent, Katie O’Keefe, from their neck of the woods so that the Rotolos would be well represented and get the best of both worlds.
“I spent several days driving back-and-forth to Loudonville with my staging partner and my staging inventory, to transform the house into an HGTV-ready dazzler,” said Dogan. “That’s not typically done in this region and my sellers were thrilled with the way it turned out.” O’Keefe is now handling the showings.
The Rotolos were ahead of their time in pulling up suburban roots and heading upstate. Now that more and more people are working remotely, enjoying pastoral views and birdsong, not leaf blowers, while one works has increasing appeal.
Downstate is discovering that upstate isn’t that far away and possesses all the amenities needed for a wonderful life.
To check out the listing, go to www.sothebysrealty.com/eng/sales/detail/180-l-853-y36mz7/2-douglas-lane-loudonville-ny-12211.
