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About Us

Ray and Vanessa
Ray and Vanessa

Our goal is to partner with homeowners to generate passive income.

We are also passionate about creating local jobs and driving visitors to small businesses, makers and farms.

Three years ago, we took a leap. Going from a cramped apartment on Smith Street in Brooklyn to a 2,400 square foot home in the Hudson Valley was exciting! Finally having the rooms we dreamed to decorate, countertops to cook on and living space to host our friends and family was fantastic. But, it was also overwhelming. All of that space was WAY more than we needed.

For years we travelled using Airbnb’s for work and pleasure. And then we thought… could we do that? Short-term renting–whether on Airbnb, VRBO or a slew of other sites–made perfect sense for us.

We took a small apartment connected to our home and renovated it. We invested in high-end finishes that made the small space still feel luxurious. Yes, we were nervous at first. Would anyone book? Would guests like the space? And more importantly, do people really want to stay in our one stop light, hippy town of Rosendale?

We quickly learned the answers to these questions. Yes, they would. Yes, they did. And, YES, they love Rosendale!

We received our first booking within 45 minutes and lots of bookings soon after. Then, we had some more questions. Who was going to clean the space between reservations while we were busy traveling for our real jobs? Were we pricing it correctly? And, is there an app we can just download to answer guest messages about how to start a fire at 1am while we’re traveling around Italian wine country?!

Fast forward to 2018 and we took another leap. We founded Home Sweet Hudson with the goal of helping other homeowners to manage their homes as short term rental properties. We strive to generate income for folks just like us–freeing them of the time and energy it takes to make it all happen. From housekeeping to pricing strategies and 24/7 guest support–we’re your on-the-ground, local team of hospitality experts and we look forward to hearing from you.

Since then, we’ve curated a portfolio of luxury properties that meet the wants and needs of a very specific target consumer. We specialize in homes with a story and properties that offer unique ways for guests to experience the best of the Hudson Valley.


Who Are We?

Ray is a New Paltz native with a background in new business development and digital advertising. He has worked with various media companies in Miami and NYC for more than ten years. In his free time, Ray trains Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and teaches beginner classes at Fighting Spirit Karate in Gardiner, NY.

@reinaldorvargas
Vanessa is a Brooklyn-born, Hudson Valley transplant. She spent ten years working in communications and marketing for international wine importers and wine and spirit brands. Vanessa spends her free time in the kitchen trying new recipes and exploring new restaurants across the Hudson Valley.

@girlplusglass