Based on the above photo, we almost disregarded this house completely. Not that there’s anything wrong with it. It just didn’t really draw us in. But it’s good to look deeper sometimes, and it turns out, this house is on a 10-acre dairy farm, and the inside is really cute. Plus, the land is pretty with a stream-fed pond, ivy-covered silo, and big barn with recent upgrades.

The main house is a renovated carriage house and looks super cozy inside. The property is located in north Stamford (Schoharie County) about three miles from the village of Stamford, and it’s right next to the Stamford Reservoir. Utsayantha Lake is right down the road, too.

386 Taylor Road, Stamford (Frank Lumia Real Estate) GMAP (approximate)
Asking Price: $335,000
Beds: 3
Baths: 1
Square Feet: 1800 (cottage)
Year Built: 1960
Land: 10.56 acres
Taxes: $2765
Features: Dairy farm

If you’re heading up Stamford way in May, or live nearby, and have dreams of bushwacking a nice path on your land, check out Trails University. Sponsored by the Greater Stamford Area Trust (GSAT), the one-day workshop on May 20 will held by the New York – New Jersey Trail Conference and Headwaters Trails, and “provides the skills necessary to maintain a hiking trail so it is easily passable and harmonious with its surroundings.” Both in the class and out in the field, “students will learn assessment of trail conditions, clearing, blazing, proper use of tools and how to report any trail problems they may come across on their segment of trail. Students will spend the morning in a classroom environment and then head out into the woods for hands-on instruction.”

Bring your hiking boots, water and work gloves and don’t forget to tuck your pants into your socks!

For more information (and to register), visit Headwaters Trails or e-mail them.

See? We told you we’d show you something other than a Victorian in Stamford. We were kind of on the fence about this house at first since we’re jaded like that, but then we saw the kitchen. So although the rest of the house is a little run-of-the-mill, it certainly scores some points in the cool kitchen/lots-o-land departments.

But then again, we consider pouring over high-end cabinetry websites “fun times”. Speaking of cabinetry porn, the kitchen in this house has a pretty sweet set of Wood-Mode cabinets, plus a Wolf range.

The house is set far off of Main Street in the village of Stamford at the end of a private driveway. The listing description calls it “secluded but not remote,” which is fairly accurate, unless you consider the village of Stamford remote. Which, you know, it is.

168 1/2 W Main Street, Stamford (Catskill Premier) GMAP
Asking Price: $274,000
Beds: 4
Baths: 3
Square Feet: 2467
Year Built: 1984
Land: 10 acres
Taxes: $5085
Features: Fireplace, full basement

Are we wearing out our welcome with these Stamford Victorians? There are just so many of them. We definitely have a couple of more modern properties in the queue: It’s just that they’re not nearly as interesting.

It’s a nice one. Curious about what lies under the less-than-impressive carpeting. Also not so crazy about the fuchsia walls, and there are certainly some other, um, fascinating color choices, but we like the cute little kitchen and for $149,000, you can buy lots of new paint. Yay! New paint!

House also includes a detached, two-car garage and a sun room. Located right in the village of Stamford, walking distance to local businesses.

11 S. Delaware Street, Stamford (Country Homes of NY) GMAP
Asking Price: $149,000
Beds: 4
Baths: 2
Square Feet: 2600
Year Built: 1882
Land: .5 acres
Taxes: $2635
Features: Pellet stove, new windows, roof and electric

There are a few Queen Anne Victorian houses in Stamford, in various stages of both disrepair and loveliness. We posted about this one last year in September, and it seems to have sold (maybe to an Upstater reader? Let us know!). Luckily, we stumbled upon this one recently, and we love it. Potential exists to rent out the (also pretty nice) guest house for income. So, two nice houses on 1.5 acres for less than $300,000? Go on, salesman…

Okay, we’re not nuts about the floral wallpaper (surprise!), but that’s easily remedied. Loving all the details like circular windows, woodwork, antique stove in the kitchen, etc. On the outskirts of the village. Guest house is divided into two separate apartments.

4 Park Avenue, Stamford (Coldwell Banker) GMAP
Asking Price: $259,000
Beds: 8
Baths: 3.5
Square Feet: 3800
Year Built: 1905
Land: 1.5 acres
Taxes: $6518
Features: Two-apartment guest house, original woodwork

This circa-1860 farmhouse just south of the village of Stamford (in Gilboa, to be exact, in Schoharie County) would be a great place to live for someone who just wants to feel like they’re on vacation at all times. But really, who doesn’t want to feel that way? It’s on 100 stunning acres, and it boasts four ponds, two for fishing and two for swimming.

Two ponds for swimming!

And that explains the asking price right there. That, and the orchards, waterfalls, corn fields, and everything else you could imagine would exist on 100 acres in the Catskill Mountains.

House ain’t too shabby, neither, but it’s small with 3 bedrooms and 1 bath. It was most recently renovated in 2005 and is connected to the 800 sq. ft. guest house via the deck.

It’s pretty much all about the land for us. If a rickety shack was on it instead of a pretty farmhouse, we’d probably still be writing about it, anyway.

707 Cape Horn Road, Stamford (Frank Lumia Real Estate) GMAP
Asking Price: $775,000
Beds: 3
Baths: 1
Square Feet: 1590
Year Built: 1860
Land: 100.34 acres
Taxes: $4089
Features: Swimming and fishing ponds, guest loft, tons-o-land

Main Street Stamford

Rumor has it that the village of Stamford (Delaware County) likes to refer to itself at the “Queen of the Catskills”. That’s saying a lot, because the competition for the crown is rather stiff. There are so many great, small towns nestled into the Catskill mountains, and while we could never play favorites, we will say that Stamford is one of the good ones.

Even in the 21st century, Stamford hasn’t strayed far from its 18th century roots as a rural farming area. The area boomed in the late 19th century as a rail town loved by tourists, and now, Stamford has settled into what seems to be a middle ground between Catskill tourist destination and farming community.

Stamford rests in the shadow of Mount Utsayantha (here’s a good little history lesson on the mountain), which is good place to catch the view and explore the fire towers. Currently, there’s a plan floating around to open a park at the top of the mountain.

Mount Utsayantha at sunset, via CatskillSearch.com

The village is easily walkable, as its total area consists of just over a mile. There are a few shops, restaurants, and B&Bs in Stamford, and the Catskill Scenic Trail runs through the southern portion of town and parallel to Route 10 south and east in the other direction to just outside of Grand Gorge.

There’s not a lot for sale in Stamford right now, but we like what’s available. Stamford real estate is a mix of vacation home/ski getaways (Hunter and Windham Mountains are nearby) and inexpensive properties on lots of land.

Check out the village website for more Stamford haps.

TaxBrackets.org

The Western Catskills Community Revitalization Council and the Schoharie County Rural Preservation Corporation will offer a free Home Buying Class on May 4 and 5. Day one covers the preparation for home buying — are you ready to do it, loan programs, how to get your credit report, and how to fix your credit if it’s bad. Day two: getting a mortgage, making an offer and dealing with closing on a house. Once you complete the class, they’ll hook you up with info about home ownership grants.

Classes will be held at 76 Main Street, 1st floor, in Stamford from 8:30AM to 3 PM. RSVP to info@westerncatskills.org or call 607.652.2823 to register.

The folks at Living Social are offering this deal: two nights at the Catkills Bed and Breakfast at the Harrison Center, in Stamford, NY, for half-off. For $295, you get a room with a shared bath, a vegetarian cooking class, breakfast and a seven-course meal; it’s $369 if you want a private bath. And though the storm headed this way might not make this seem attactive, they offer this as well: a “Hiker’s Day Pack with Trail Maps, Trail Mix, Bottled Water, and Sunscreen.”

While you’re there, see if this amazing Queen Anne is still on the market.

15 fenced acres in Stamford

Fancy yourself a farmer but don’t want to go the proverbial whole hog (or chicken or beef cattle or field full of broccoli, say)? Catskills FarmLink is for you – and more committed farmers. The website lets farmers find land not simply to buy, sometimes to borrow and share. Created by groups as diverse as NYC’s Department of Environmental Protection, the Cornell Cooperative Extension and Farmhearts, it’s got a back to the land, Seventies vibe like the ad for sharing 200 acres in East Meredith, where the owners have “several possibilities for discussion” concerning housing and are “looking for a farmer/ farm couple with expertise in any of vegetables, berries, fruit, mushrooms, medicinal herbs and/or livestock to help re-establish our farm, preferably using permacaulture….”

Despite how easy it might be to joke about permaculture, the site has laudable aims to keep land being farmed, no small thing in the Catskills where reforestation and parceling up old farms threatens not only existing farms but the ability of new farmers to start.

200 acres to share in East Meredith

Personally I love the idea of the farm share in Bovina. Perhaps that’s because my husband jokes that he wants a summerhouse there. Just over the hill from Margaretville, Bovina has an excellent general store that does a fine breakfast. There, a couple offering to share or lease their 167 acres are also trying to talk their overseas neighbors into letting the sharing farmer live in their house.

While these places might not have quite cool factor of the baroque Beekman Boys (yet), (more…)