Greater Binghamton, New York: February 2010

Price reduction on this mint townhouse in Endwell, NY. Take a look at what you get for the money- ready to move into townhouse with open floor plan, gorgeous hardwood floors and gas fireplace in the Maine-Endwell school district. The sellers have taken excellent care of this home but need to move on. They installed new stainless steel appliances in the kitchen which has Corian countertops and a lovely garden window overlooking the professionally landscaped private courtyard. Newer roof, brand new A/C (yes, summer will come eventually!) There are California Closets in the Master Bedroom and a full, dry basement with room to expand.
Offered at the new price of $174,900, this is a lot of house for the money. There is a monthly Association fee which covers all exterior maintenance except snow removal and lawn care in the private courtyard. Two bedrooms, one and a half baths with a one car garage may be all the house you need. And at this price you can't go wrong!

See more details on my website at www.HouseBMine.com. Just click on the "Properties" tab at the top of the page. While there, see how YOUR home can be featured there.

     The Greater Binghamton Association of REALTORS, REALTOR OF THE YEAR 2009, Binghamton, NY. 

2009 NYSAR President, Daniel Hartnett and 2010 NYSAR President, Henry "Hank" Fries pose with REALTOR of the YEAR, Jennifer Arbach at February's Mid-Winter Meetings in Albany.

Carbon monoxide poisoning is a preventable tragedy and with the introduction of Amanda's Law, hopefully a thing of the past. On February 22, 2010, Amanda's Law goes into effect, making mandatory the presence of Carbon Monoxide Detectors in any home where combustible appliances or systems are present or in the case of an attached garage.

The story of young Amanda really strikes home for me. As a young girl in my early twenties, I was camping in very cold weather and we took a kerosene heater into the tent. Pain and discomfort are fortunate mechanisms God put in place to tell us something is wrong. I kept getting very lightheaded and dizzy and when I stepped outside the tent I would feel better. The decision was made to get indoors and that was the end of my symptoms. I shudder to think about what would have happened had I fallen asleep and not suffered those symptoms.

Previously, only homes built or bought after July 30th, 2002, were required to have the devices in place.
The bill's justification reads: "This legislation would remove the construction and sale provisions, leaving it a new requirement that all homes regardless of construction or sale date be outfitted with a carbon monoxide detector." Until now when an older home was purchased, the device didn't even have to be in place until the date of sale. Home sellers often left a new packaged device on the counter for the buyer if they didn't have one in place before. Later legislation made mandatory carbon monoxide detectors in a multi-family home at the time of listing. This is a huge step in the right direction.

Gas or oil-fired appliances such as furnaces, ovens and hot water heaters can emit the odorless gas causing flu-like symptoms. However, if the homes' occupants are asleep death can occur without any warning whatsoever. The death of 16 year old Amanda Hansen in January of 2009 while at a sleepover, sparked the legislation. Passing the law was one of the smartest things to come out of Albany as of late.

   Any home built after January 1, 2008 must have the detector hard-wired  right into the homes' electrical system. Older homes may use a battery-operated or plug-in model. Home improvement stores, such as Lowe's, carry a wide variety of carbon monoxide detectors, some of which come in combination with smoke alarms. they come in a variety of prices as well.

Having one in place is no guarantee that it will save your life. We all know the drill regarding our smoke detectors; New Year's Day or the day we turn the clocks ahead or back is always a good time to check the batteries and test the device. As far as CO2 Detectors ccording to the Consumer Protection Agency "consumers should follow the manufacturer's instructions. Using a test button tests whether the circuitry is operating correctly, not the accuracy of the sensor. Alarms have a recommended replacement age, which can be obtained from the product literature or from the manufacturer."

Law or no law, a working carbon monoxide and working smoke detector should be part of any homes' inventory. Don't wait for a horror story to get the message.

This 4 Bedroom, 2.5 Bath Townhouse in the Susquehanna Valley School District is in beautiful condition and is ready to move into. The owners have replaced the vinyl siding and had the yard professionally landscaped. The kitchen has been updated with beautiful solid maple cabinets and granite countertops. There are new solid surface countertops in two bathrooms and granite in the Master Bathroom.

The fireplace in the living room greets you when you enter this 4 bedroom townhouse with its custom made mantle.The covered deck overlooks the beautiful yard which is partially fenced. The sellers have also replaced the dishwasher, microwave/range hood and installed an insulated garage door.

This lovely 4 Bedroom Townhouse is tastefully decorated, has a partially finished lower level and is just waiting for a new owner. It is conveniently located across from the Susquehanna Valley High School just off Conklin Road. The owners testify that the property did not take in any water during the floods of 2006. they have also paid for a Home Inspection so as to remove the expense from any potential buyers. 

The MLS# is 173130, the taxes are $3459 without the benefit of the STAR discount and the total square footage is 1756 square feet. You can find more photos on my personal website www.HouseBMine.com.
The Google Street View can be seen here.

This 2 Bedroom, 1.5 Bath Townhouse in the Maine-Endwell School District is in absolute mint condition and is ready for a new owner. Within the last year the owners have replaced all the appliances with stainless steel appliances. The Corian countertops in the kitchen and the garden window make the kitchen the hub of this home.

The formal dining room flows into the living room making it a great space for entertaining. Gleaming hardwood floors and a gas fireplace complement the room's design. A flat screen TV above the fireplace is an added bonus for the new owner. The price haw just been reduced to $174900! A lot of house for the money!

The private courtyard of this 2 bedroom townhouse has been professionally landscaped with perreniels and brick pavers. This home is a part of a Homeowner's Association and there is a monthly fee of $275 to cover all exterior maintenance. Never shovel or mow again! The home is deceiving at 1679 square feet. The taxes are $4853 per year. This townhouse home is listed at $179,000 and is MLS #173393. This home is located just off Farm-to-Market Road near Maine-Endwell High School and is just 15 minutes to downtown Binghamton.

See more pictures on my personal website www.HouseBMine.com .

This 3 bedroom, 2 bath single family home in the Chenango Forks School District shows pride of ownership. The interior of this house was torn down to the studs in the 90's and plaster ceilings and plaster walls went up. It is a darling Cape Cod on 3 acres of land giving it a warm country feel but only five minutes from the bustling Chenango Bridge shopping area along Upper Front Street and about 15 minutes to the Downtown Binghamton Area.

The huge open deck overlooks a fenced-in area and a well-maintained 24 foot above ground pool. A covered porch runs along the front of the home. The roof and the vinyl windows are newer as is the boiler and the electrical system. The large eat-kitchen is adjacent to the formal dining room making for great entertaining space. A small room off the living room makes a great den or office.

A Home Inspection has already been done for your convenience and cost savings. More pictures and more information on this lovely home are available on my website www.HouseBMine.com It is listed for $172,000 and is MLS#173059. The taxes are $3436 without the STAR discount. The home has 1674 square feet on 2 floors with an unfinished basement. Lots of counter space and lots of storage!

You can also see the street view of this property courtesy of google maps.

     I must confess that I attended the "Gas Symposium" hosted by the Greater Binghamton Chamber of Commerce with a fairly closed mind. After all, isn't the integrity of our water supply more important than all those dollar signs that everyone is so excited about?

     At least, that was what I was thinking. I can't say that I am 100% convinced because the danger will always exist that an accident can happen. Private wells have already been contaminated in the highly-publicized event in Dimmock, Pennsylvania. My understanding is that Cabot Oil has not taken full responsibility for the damage done either. If you can't have water, clean water, your home is worthless.

    However, I learned a few new things at the symposium about the process itself, the economic impact and land reclamation that have allayed some of my earlier fears. A representative from Chesapeake Energy gave an in-depth presentation covering these aspects as well as some others:

• Gas-drilling is not new to New York, in fact was begun back in the mid 1800's.    
• The Marcellus Shale deposit is possibly the largest deposit of natural gas in the world. After the oil fileds of Saudi Arabia, the Marcellus Shale deposit is the second largest fuel source in the world.
• There is enough natural gas here to last 100 years of production.
• The economic and fiscal impact would be beneficial as a new revenue stream which is much more desireable compared to increased taxes or cuts in benefits and services.

• The gas companies do not have the power of eminent domain.
• Oil and gas exploration and production is heavily regulated under a stringent system of federal, state and local laws.
• The gas is extracted from beds that are generally 1-2 miles below the earth's surface. In contrast, nealry all potential drinking water is found generally 500 feet or less below the earth's surface. The water table therefore, is protected by thousands of feet of rock.
• Natural gas is one of the cleanest and most abundant fuels available today.
• Drilling of domestic gas reduces our county's need for foreign oil.

     Of course, one of the biggest questions is 'how will this affect land and home values'? The answer is 'no one knows'. A local credit union refuses to write mortgages for any property with a gas or oil lease on it regardless of whether the rights convey or not. They see it as a lean upon the property. 
     Another issue is simply the availability of land for sale. I have a buyer who has no interest in gas drilling but simply wants to build his dream house. There are few parcels available and we are having a fit finding some thing suitable.

     Right now, there is a moratorium on drilling until things get straightened out. You can read more here:
                                                            http://tinyurl.com/yjevwn9

     Lots of good information and upcoming events related to the Marcellus Shale gas drilling:

                                                           http://gasleasing.cce.cornell.edu/