Historic Upstate New York Farmhouse 350K

THIS LISTING COMES DIRECT TO YOU from a longtime blog reader of mine, Lillian DeMauro, who is selling her late 18th century house outside Andes, New York, in Delaware County’s Catskill Mountains, under three hours from NYC.

Looks and sounds good to me. For more specifics, read on:

Built c.1790 as a tavern along the Esopus Turnpike, the house has served as a community meeting house, a link on the Underground Railroad and, more recently, a farmhouse.

The house was featured in the 2013 book A Simpler Way Of Life, Old Farmhouses of New York & New England.

There are five fireplaces, two with bake ovens, several pine-sheathed rooms, original chestnut / pine flooring throughout, plaster walls throughout. The house retains “original surfacing at a rare level,” writes Lillian, including sheathing, plaster, flooring, staircases, paneling and paint.

Rooms include 4-5 bedrooms, 1 bath, library, dining room, living room. “Rooms can be used flexibly; you decide,” Lillian writes.

Much work has been done since 2000, including new cedar shingle siding, new hot air heating system, new hot water heater, plumbing, wiring and new basement.

The house sits on two-thirds of an acre, surrounded by state-owned or leased land, planted gardens, lawn and trees.

In Lillian words, it’s “near 21^st century cultural and social amenities, with the natural world at your back door.”Among the nearby diversions: hiking, kayaking, canoeing, swimming, tennis, golf, world-class trout fishing, theatre and opera.

For more info: Paul or Lillian, 607-746-7199 or  lilliandem@gmail.com

Vintage Hamptons Cottage Near Bay 435K

NOTE: This house is also available for rent through Labor Day 2014. Contact caramia447@gmail.com for info.

A PERSON CAN ONLY LIVE in so many houses, and I find myself with one house too many.

My Springs (East Hampton, N.Y.) cottage, above and below, will be familiar to followers of this blog. I’ve owned it for four-plus years and have put an enormous amount of work, time, love, and money into both the house and the 4/10-acre property surrounding it. I’ve moved on to another project nearby, and need to cash in my chips on this one.

Here are the details, and if you can think of better adjectives than charming, sweet or adorable, please let me know.

BRIGHT AND BEACHY 2BR VINTAGE COTTAGE IN MOVE-IN CONDITION ON LANDSCAPED .41 ACRE.
SECLUDED BACKYARD BORDERED BY WOODS.
NEW PARKING COURT WITH JAPANESE-STYLE WOODEN GATE.
LIVING ROOM WITH VAULTED CEILING, SKYLIGHTS; OPEN KITCHEN/DINING WITH NEW APPLIANCES.
FRENCH DOORS LEAD TO SCREENED PORCH, HUGE DECK.
NEW COTTAGE-STYLE BATH OPENS TO SECOND DECK WITH ENORMOUS OUTDOOR SHOWER.
FULL BASEMENT WITH WASHER/DRYER.
NEW ROOF, EFFICIENT OIL FURNACE, NEW HOT WATER HEATER.
TAXES 1,700/YEAR.
WALK, BIKE TO MAIDSTONE BEACH.

Please forward to anyone you think may be interested. For more photos and info, email caramia447[at]gmail[dot]com

Come be my neighbor!

  

      

Rhinebeck Village Fixer-Upper 249K

IT’S BEEN SITTING ON THE MARKET for a year, with price drops along the way. What’s wrong with it?! It’s an 1890s house in pretty decent shape, in the impeccable Hudson River town of Rhinebeck. On a tiny lot, true — I would find the lack of gardening ops very frustrating.

But sweet it is. It can only be the overall lousy market conditions that keeps this place from being snapped up, as it would have been in years and markets past.

For all the deets, go here.

And thanks to Upstater, the Hudson River Valley/Catskills real-estate blog with taste, for zeroing in on this charmer.

Heart of NoLibs 2-Family 329K

Northern Liberties street scene

NoLibs? WTF is NoLibs? You might well ask. It’s a silly acronym (is there any other kind?) for Northern Liberties, one of the most happening neighborhoods in Philadelphia. Think of it as the Williamsburg of Philly — established enough to be a secure real estate investment, yet still with development potential aplenty.

Just north of Center City — an easy walk or bike ride — the neighborhood is old and historic, with 3-and 4-story row houses in a variety of styles. It dates back to William Penn’s 1680 plan for the city, when the area was carved up into 80-acre plots (“liberty lands”) to be given away as incentive to those who bought 5,000-acre parcels elsewhere in the colony of Pennsylvania.

I own two buildings in Philly and covet more. When I get listings emailed to me, I look at them. Usually I’m not moved to act, or even blog. But this one, left, is a corner building in a prime spot and apparently decent shape. The ask (down recently from 350K) is in line with current market conditions, and the possibility of renting both units and being immediately in the black makes it seem worth a closer look.

There are two apartments: a 700-square-foot one-bedroom on the ground floor, with outdoor space in back, and an upper duplex with a loft-like living space, above, two attic bedrooms, and a deck.

It’s clear that a cardinal rule of real estate sales has been broken here: the listing photos suck. Bad for the seller; not necessarily so for prospective buyers. I’ll be down in Philly next weekend and will take a few of my own. In the meantime, for more lousy-but-better-than-nothing images, go here.

And for an appointment to view this or other Philadelphia properties, I can wholeheartedly recommend Ken Krauter, the broker I used when I bought my house in Old Kensington, one neighborhood over, in 2007: ken.krauter@ziprealty.com, 215/450-0605.

Pre-Civil War 4BR in Silvermine, Connecticut 622K

THIS HISTORIC house on the Silvermine River in an area of Norwalk, CT, long known for its eclectic population of artists, writers, inventors, and others, is on the market because its owner, a self-described “Connecticut Yankee,” has decided on a lifestyle change and is downsizing to a bungalow in Savannah.

The house, she writes, “dates back to 1789 or 1844, depending on the researcher.” That’s quite a spread, but anyway, it’s at least 167 years old.

The Silvermine area, one hour by train from NYC, is on the National Register of Historic Places. This 4BR, 3.5 bath house is set on a bend in the river, with an extension spanning the entire rear of the house providing a river view in all seasons. The lot measures 1.14 acres.

The house used to be called “the Civil War families house,” because the wives and children  of soldiers stayed together for support in that house until their men returned.

Character and charm are a given. The post-and-beam house has separate sitting and dining rooms, and original “pumpkin” pine wide plank floors and antique hearth in the living room.

The rear extension, remodeled with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the river and surrounding woodland, has a tree-house feel.

The kitchen, with custom cabinetry and high-end appliances, was redesigned by the current owner in 2007. There’s 600 square feet of living space downstairs, with a second fireplace, that can double as an in-law or guest suite, with its own kitchenette, laundry and full bath.

Add to that two finished attic rooms, and a landscaped patio fashioned after the hidden gardens of Charleston and Savannah.

The full realtor’s listing, with lots more pictures and information, is here.