Upstater seeks to profile the exceptional work of architects, builders, interior designers, carpenters and handy homeowners. If you’d like to showcase your work, drop us a line.

This week, we’re taking a look at Green Acres in New Paltz. It looks like a subdivision, and yet the houses are incredibly eco-friendly, generating as much energy as they consume. This means that your utility bills are tiny — in the hundreds of dollars for the entire year.

The builder is Anthony Aebi, who previously completed another green neighborhood, the Esopus homes. Aebi came to green building not from an environmental background, but from a purely practical perspective as a builder. “Before Esopus I was building my home which I like to call the last crappy house I built,” he says. “I was so disgusted with the temporary homes I and the rest of the USA build, where we are creating homes that are starting to fall apart before we complete them.”

Instead of giving up the building trade — something he considered —  Aebi sought a better way to build homes that, in his words, “would last for hundreds of years instead of decades.” He partnered with Bolder Architecture to create homes that look like updates on the folk Victorian, with open floor plans, modern kitchens, floating stairs, and windows that favor mountain views.

They used a collection of green building materials from heavy-duty insulation (r-60, far above what the code requires), high-performance windows, ICFs (Insulated Concrete Forms) which keep the buildings from being drafty, geo-thermal heating and solar. “When the rater came back and said it was the first zero energy home I didn’t believe him, and I still don’t,” says Aebi. But it’s true: the Department Of Energy presented Aebi with an award for the building on February 9th; it’s the only zero-energy home in the northeast, he says. “I just wanted to build a better home.”

Better, it is, not just in its construction but in it’s financing. LEED-certified, with a NY State-funded $5,000 solar tax credit, a 30% tax credit from the Feds for the geo-thermal and solar systems, and a $1,500 tax credit for the windows and doors. Aebi estimates that works out to $34,000 for most Green Acres residents.

Green Acres went on the market in the fall of 2008; currently there’s one home left for sale. And yet it’s been a tough sale, he says. “The public has not yet been able to grasp the idea of having energy bills of less the $400 for the year. Even the buyers did not realize it or believe it till they lived there. The real estate agent has a lot of trouble convincing people that these homes, besides not having energy bill or if any very small ones, talso provide the buyers with $30,000 to $40,000 of tax credits and cash back from the state and federal governments.”

This 1952 mod rustic ranch is a unique property in that it is private, and yet walking distance to the market and village. With plenty of charm and an extremely cool studio building with it’s own stone fireplace and covered porch, this house could be a warm cozy weekend retreat close to great shopping, dining, and outdoor activities. The interiors solid wood paneling appears in great shape, and lends a fun funky kitsch vibe to the space. The large livingroom fireplace has a stove insert which will be a HUGE money saver, and I imagine from the size of it could heat almost the entire house. The kitchen cabinets are built-in,  and it has a nice layout. With a few hardware and appliance tweeks the kitchen would be easily updated.

I see so many possibilities for this home. I can see an inground pool with the studio doubling as a guest house/pool house in the summer months. I think it has some of the potential of  this home that I always loved in Stanfordville, that was featured in the NY Times. I believe they are renting it out, as there is a facebook page for the home now.

This home is set on 2.9 acres with Bonticue vues, flowering gardens and a winding drive. Link to full listing

Beds:2  Baths:1 House Size:1,476 Sq Ft Lot Size:2.90 Acres

Normally when I say a house needs updating, I’m talking about structural issues. But in this case, I think the bones on this place are strong. It’s the mid-80s decor that’s gonna need to go. However, some new tile, new carpet and reupholstering will do the trick. What it’s got going for it is the view. I love the sliding glass doors revealing the mountains beyond. Funny built-in fireplace with rounded corners that must have been high design at some point. I think it could still be cool.

Why do they make it so hard to figure out the taxes? As with so many Ulster County homes, I had to search on Property Shark to find an assessment: $14,787. Oh, that’s why. Jeez. Stats on the jump.

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Warning: conflict of interest, instance of nepotism. This is my pal’s place, and since she so kindly gave us her insights into life in New Paltz, we decided to show it to you. Liz says the house, built in 1999, is amazing, wonderful, a revelation, close to town…and just too big for her family of three. So they’re looking to downsize.

If you, however, are looking to upsize, here’s what you’ll get: “4 bedrooms, 5 baths, finished recreation room, a second sunroom with soaring, sky lit ceiling, and a gourmet kitchen with granite counters joining the spacious breakfast area.” Space, indeed, with over 4,000 square feet. And nice views. Close to town. Taxes: over $16,000, which is a common problem with real estate around these parts.

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!

Hm, what have we here? I’m not a big fan of the center hall myself — I cotton to open floor plans myself — but this New Paltz center hall colonial has enough to offer that I’d be willing to overlook it. What nice views, gardens, pool. Built in 1840, it’s on 7.5 acres and has over 3,500 square feet. Been on the market for over a year and has already had a $100,000 price reduction. I admit the description has me interested: “A Majestic tree lined driveway leads to this stately, historically significant Schreiber Family Homestead. Original woodwork is intact, wideboard floors, original doors, a beautiful wrap screened dining porch w/ MT. views for entertaining!”

Here’s the puzzling part: Property Shark says it was last sold in November 2010 (which contradicts the amount of time it’s been listed) for $850,000, a price that seems more reasonable considering what this house purports to have. The buyer was Alpenaster Corp, a company based on West Broadway in Manhattan. So, there’s a bit of a mystery, and a steep price cut. It’s also only about a mile from the Thruway, but I doubt you can hear it.

Here is the big bummer: taxes. $17,500. There goes my dream. Stats on the jump.

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Is this a colonial? I’m not sure — I always thought eyebrow windows were an ingredient in Greek revival architecture. Regardless, this New Paltz house from 1800 caught my eye. Tastefully renovated, harking back to its early 19th century roots but obviously updated. Route 32 is fairly busy, although it’s far enough out of town that one wouldn’t be affected by the traffic that sometimes clogs downtown New Paltz. One great thing about this place is that it sits far back off that road, which makes it a contender. And it has four fireplaces! A bit cozy at 1,500 square feet but, hey, it has a pool and a chicken coop! Taxes: $8,097.94. That’s Ulster County for you. It was purchased in in 2008 for $310,000 and before that, in 2006, for $325,000. So it went down in value, and is now finally worth more than its 2006 value… or so the seller hopes (last assessed at $310,000, FYI). Stats on the jump.

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Yes, that’s right: $59,000 for this handsome New Paltz saltbox. Would you like to hear the catch(es)? “It may not be a tear-down.” Yep, that’s in the description. A dream house begun and abandoned, with 3.9 acres on a pretty wooded road close to town. Seems like a good deal if the place is salvageable and you want to almost build your own house. Stats on the jump.

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Photo from Wikipedia

This week we have another guest-poster writing about her newly adopted home town of New Paltz, giving us the inside scoop from an ex-Brooklynite’s perpective.

Of course, this is not just any ex-Brooklynite. This happens to be my former acupuncturist and doula, so in addition to having discriminating taste in real estate, she has intimate knowledge of, um, me (and the 41 most grueling hours so far of my life). Thus, I trust her with my life…and my Upstater.

By way of full disclosure, Liz is also selling her house in New Paltz (which we’ll put up later in the week), but only because it’s too much house. Sometimes people relocating from 700-square feet Windsor Terrace apartments get a little square feet crazy, and now Liz and her family are looking for something smaller. But they definitely want to stay in New Paltz, and you’ll find out why below.

As far as my own impressions, well, New Paltz has a bit too much tie-dye and a few too many drunken college students for my taste, although the non-drunken students make for a great babysitting pool. I’ve eaten at some delicious restaurants there, especially the Village Tea Room. The real estate snapshop at the time of this writing shows an average listing price of $397,000, with an average of $182/square foot, the same as last year at this time. The average for sale price is over $400,000, but the average sold price is less than $300,000. Pricier than some surrounding towns, but that probably has to do with the amenities, which Liz will tell you about now…

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I grew up in Brooklyn with a hundred kids on my block playing kick the can, catching fire flies in jars and going to the football field to tumble with all the neighborhood gymnasts. Life was good and my mom cooked for the neighborhood. She’d open the door and yell my name when it was time to eat and we’d all come running. Our house, which my parents bought in 1977 for a whopping $54K, was filled with neighborhood kids and family from morning till night. That was Brooklyn. And I loved it.

But it was different as an adult and a parent.  Prospect Park became the backyard for our kids. Moms would gather and meet at the playground, we’d meet at the zoo and at local kids sing alongs. We were always trying to find a place to go, since no one’s apartment was big enough to play in. There was a great sense of community amongst my mom friends, but as many of them began having a second and even third child, things began to shift. Space, high priced real estate and schools were the issues at hand. Slowly, friends started leaving Brooklyn. They all left for the same reasons, more space, better schools, safer streets and yards to play in.

We visited them. A lot. It was clear that we wanted to go too.

We started driving upstate, looking for towns; I think we went everywhere between Manhattan and Newburgh until we crept north to New Paltz.  As we drove through the village and then across the Carmine Liberta bridge in the summer with the cornfields and the sunflowers and the gunks in the distance, I felt a sense of openness and expansion that I have never felt in Brooklyn. New Paltz also had everything we wanted; a walkable village with a good coffee shop, bookstore, and yoga studio. It had the outdoors: climbing, canoeing, hiking and riding.  It had health food stores; CASs, organic restaurants and it even had an amazing Waldorf school. We know it’s amazing because our tween now goes there, and believe me… it’s amazing.

We test drove New Paltz. We lived here for a month and completely felt at home. We bought a house 3 months’ later and spent weekends in the country till we were able to sell our Brooklyn condo and make the full move. The transition was not without its hard moments, but they were just growing pains.

One of the first “play dates” our son had here in New Paltz was with a boy from his class. They went out into the woods behind our house and climbed trees. The neighbor’s dog, which is a huge German Shepard, met them in the woods and played with them. I watched from the window, sort of uncomfortable and worried. Finally I went to the office where my husband was working from home and sheepishly asked, “They are playing in the woods and I can’t always see them from the window, that’s ok, right?” He said “honey; they are 12-year-old boys playing in the woods with a dog, what could be more right?”

Yup. We were home.

We wrote this place up during our upstate New York housing swap week, and, guess what? Curbed writes that the super eco-chic New Paltz dome house is now for sale. A cool $1.2 mill will get you the greenest, roundest, most space-age house we’ve seen.