Ulster County Property Taxes On the Rise

Has anyone been following the story about the New York State Property Tax Cap? As far as I understand it, Cuomo ushered through some legislation late last year that caps the increase in property taxes at 2% or the rate of inflation, whichever is lower. Sounds good, right? Here’s the catch: municipalities can vote out the cap (which doesn’t apply to NYC, by the way). “Communities may raise or lower property taxes according to the needs of the community. If the taxpayers want to pay more taxes they can, and they can override the cap with a 60 percent vote for schools and by a 60 percent vote of the governing body for local governments.”

In Ulster County, all but two municipalities opted out of the cap, according to the Daily Freeman. Here’s the skinny:

“According to the  Real Property Tax Service Agency, 2012 county tax rates per $1,000 of assessed property value will be as follows.

• Denning: $23.34, up 8.4 percent from $21.53 in 2011.
• Esopus: $4.25, up 8.4 percent from $3.92.
• Gardiner: $4.85 per $1,000, up 2.3 percent from $4.74.
• Hardenburgh: $6.39, up 8.3 percent from $5.90.
• Hurley: $4.02, up 0.5 percent from $4.
• Kingston (town): $4.69, up 1.5 percent from $4.62.
• Kingston (city): $4.24, up 8.4 percent from $3.91.
• Lloyd: $4.24, up 8.4 percent from $3.91.
• Marbletown: $3.95, up 1.3 percent from $3.90.
• Marlborough: $4.27, up 8.4 percent from $3.94.
• New Paltz: $4.23, up 8.5 percent from $3.90.
• Olive: $4.21, up 8.5 percent from $3.88.
• Plattekill: $4.27, down 0.6 percent from $4.30.
• Rochester: $4.23, up 4.2 percent from $4.06.
• Rosendale: $4.25, up 8.4 percent from $3.92.
• Saugerties: $4.27, up 8.7 percent from $3.93.
• Shandaken: $18.30, up 8.3 percent from $16.89.
• Shawangunk: $21.35, up 3 percent from $20.72.
• Ulster: $5.24, down 0.2 percent from $5.25.
• Wawarsing: $257.92, up 8.3 percent from $238.05.
• Woodstock: $4.43, up 3.7 percent from $4.27.

That means that for lower taxes, head to Plattekill or the town of Ulster. Upstater will check those towns out soon!

John Leguizamo’s Upstate Pad, $835,000

Thanks to our loyal reader, who sent us this HuffPo entry on Leguizamo’s four-bed, three-bath Rosendale-area home (is HuffPo covering Upstate real estate now, too?). Looks pretty darn good: pool, lake, two-bedroom guest cottage. The man has good taste, or at least the fortitude to hire a decorator with good taste. Do you think they add a bit more to the asking price if it’s celebrity-owned? Too rich for my blood, of course, but if you buy it, please invite me to visit.

And keep the tips coming, folks!

Friday Real Estate Porn: Rosendale Manor

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The most expensive property in Rosendale would barely buy a two-bedroom in my neighborhood, but up here you get 40 acres with several lovely houses on them for $799,000. It’s a pretty great property, close enough to walk to town but plenty rural (although abutting 87 on the backside). Here’s a snippet of the description: “This fantastic property features a 5-6 bedroom main residence, a 2,000 plus sqft guest house and a 3,000 sqft studio. Home is graced with 9 foot ceilings and large open entertaining rooms. Additionally, there’s also a 3 BR home with 3 full baths, a welcoming entry space and fireplace make this a charming rental or guest house.”

So, this one really is a candidate for sharing, as long as someone doesn’t mind taking up residence in the log cabin instead of the main house. Even with all it has to offer, the place looks outdated, and the kitchen needs an overhaul. Still, and intriguing possibility if I could get a few other families to go in on it with me! Stats on the jump.

Modern in Rosendale, $429,900

This mid-century modern home is right on the main drag in Rosendale, although with 11 acres you might not have to worry so much about neighbors and traffic. Although I’m a sucker for sleek lines and Danish mod furniture and such, this place is still feeling more Brady Bunch than Frank Lloyd Wright to me, eyebrow windows and all. I do appreciate how the windows are arranged, smaller in front for privacy, longer in back to let the light in. I think they’ve done a good job making it feel contemporary — nice kitchen, for instance — and I think with another round of de-cheesing it could be pretty cool — take out the carpet, remove the Venetian blinds, etc. I think it’s quite a bit overpriced, considering a 40-acre property with four inhabitable buildings nearby is $799,000. If you want modern and you want Rosendale, I’d go see it and make a more modest offer. It’s been listed for at least three months. Stats on the jump.

Rosendale Cottage, $265,000

I’m not sure what zooming in on the photos already in the listing gets you, but here’s a video for a charming and affordable-ish little property in Rosendale. The lot is small–just over half an acre–but surrounded by trees and private-ish. And it’s only two beds, but there’s a separate, heated studio building. The place is lovingly refurbished in a manor that is so appealing to me–not overly countrified nor overly modernized. I’ve been down Sawdust Road (otherwise known as County Road 26) and it’s not terribly busy, although as I recall no sidewalk, and not walkable to downtown Rosendale–something I’d want since the downtown is part of the draw to buying here. Looks like it’s been on the market for at least 160 days, so might be negotiable. Worth a look if Rosendale is on your short list–it’s on mine. Stats on the jump.

Converted Barn in Rosendale, $329,900, or $249,500

We know that our readers get most excited about properties under $250,000, but those are hard to find in Rosendale, unless the place is right on a busy road or in need of gut renovation. This property, abutting the dramatic Shawangunk Ridge, may be a tad more than I personally would like to spend, but I’m thinking it’s (almost) worth it. Although you can see from aerial view that there’s another house nearby, that’s pretty much the only mark of civilization. It’s on a small road off another small road, with six acres and six bedrooms, and I happen to love the color (I know, the least important factor in purchasing real estate). Plus: a pond!

I liked the exposed beams, though it looks like it has low ceilings, and it would need a few appliances (my country kitchen must have a dishwasher since my city kitchen doesn’t) and some cosmetic tweaks. They seem to be making some claims that it is functionally passive solar (something else I really want in an upstate New York vacation house) and despite its size, heatable mostly by wood stove. I like that it has so much room to bring friends up, but I also think this is a good candidate for shareable real estate. Imagine getting a place 26 weeks a year, tucked along a mountainside, for, let’s say, $150,000 (plus all the other expenses, of course). It was listed on June 1 and has already been lowered $20,000. I’ll be curious to see what it goes for.

Here’s an important tidbit of information on this place:

It’s being offered by the owner/broker, who is willing to sell it with only three of the acres for $249,500. Then he’d keep the other three, with its buildable lot, to himself. He promises not to sell that lot to someone else, but will eventually build his own house there. If you can swing it, I’d say buy all six acres and built a guest house.

11 Walnut Lane, Rosendale (Blue Moon Realty) GMAP
Price: $329.900
Beds: 6
Baths: 2
Square Feet: 2,448
Year Built: 1910
Features: Pond, Mountains
Distance to NYC: 94 miles, about two hours

Town of the Week: Rosendale

via Wikipedia

Oh, what isn’t the new Brooklyn? Last year the Times pronounced the curb appeal-heavy Rosendale a refuge for artsy Brooklynites; a few years before that, Brooklyn had migrated across the river to Tivoli according to that same publication. Meanwhile, NY Mag decided Rosendale was the new Woodstock, which, of course, we believe is Saugerties.

To me, as a lover of Brooklyn, but one who can’t afford a house in my neighborhood of choice, the comparison bodes well for a town. I like art movies and fancy coffee and other yuppie amenities (hate me if you must). And I like Rosendale. I like it’s real downtown which is neither depressing (some vacancies but not too many) nor gentrified to the point of alienation (which would also be depressing). NY Mag is right that it attracts nouveau hippies, wellness-loving folks who do massage and get acupuncture and shop for organic groceries down the road at the High Falls Food Co-op. Again, none of these things would dissuade me from buying here. There’s supposedly a nice swimming hole close to town (haven’t been), also something I desire in a country pad. And I think the combination of Pickle Festival and Women’s Artist Book Residencies sums the place up.

About Rosendale real estate…