Rehabbing a 'Cheap Old House'
And an op-ed from the mayor of Greenwich; solar in Hebron
Let’s start today’s newsletter with an op-ed from the mayor of Greenwich…
Home Rehabilitation Grant Program: A New Opportunity for Income – Eligible Greenwich Residents
By Amanda Hurley
Mayor, Village of Greenwich
Special to Journal & Press
I am excited to share a significant opportunity for our residents to enhance their homes and improve our community. The Village is applying for a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) to fund housing rehabilitation, prioritizing lateral connections to municipal utilities for income-qualified residents. This program is more than just home improvement. It is about building a stronger, more resilient community and allowing residents to age in place in the home and community they have loved for years.
The Village is partnering with Flatley Read, a local community development consulting firm based here in Greenwich. Flatley Read will be assisting the Village by answering questions, reviewing applications, and helping residents navigate the process of securing grant funds. They've assisted rural communities throughout NYS with community development for nearly 25 years.
Who is Eligible?
To participate, applicants must meet several criteria:
Property Ownership: You must own, occupy, and have title to a 1-4 unit residential property within the Village limits. The property must be your primary residence.
Tax Compliance: You must be current with all local, school, and property taxes.
Income Qualifications: Your household income must fall within specific limits based on household size. Here are the income limits for 2024:
1 Person: $50,750
2 Persons: $58,000
3 Persons: $65,250
4 Persons: $72,500
5 Persons: $78,300
6 Persons: $84,100
7 Persons: $89,900
8 Persons: $95,700
How Does It Work?
Assistance is provided as a declining balance loan. No payments are required as long as the assisted property remains your primary residence. If you sell your home within five years, a prorated portion of the loan must be repaid to New York State. After five years, the loan converts into a grant, meaning no repayment is necessary.
The Village has prioritized water and sewer lateral connections, ensuring that our homes are safely and efficiently connected to municipal utilities. Additionally, the program may cover roof repairs, window replacements, accessibility improvements, and HVAC system upgrades. These improvements not only enhance the safety and comfort of your home but also contribute to the overall health and sustainability of our community.
Filling out the pre-application form is a critical first step. While it does not guarantee participation, it helps establish a waiting list and is essential for the Village to secure the necessary grant funds. Applications are available at the Village Office, Comfort Food Community, and online at the Village of Greenwich’s website.
Common Questions
Who Chooses the Contractors? Homeowners can choose from at least two bids for the required work. Funding is based on the lowest reasonable bid. If you prefer a higher bidding contractor, you'll need to cover the difference.
Can Local Contractors Participate? Yes! Local contractors are encouraged to join the program. They must hold a minimum of $1 million in general liability insurance plus workers' compensation. Interested contractors can contact Flatley Read at 518-577-5681 or via email at grants@flatleyread.com.
When Will Funding Decisions Be Made? The Village will submit the CDBG application to the NYS Office of Community Renewal by July 31st. We anticipate that awards will be announced in December. If funding is granted, all pre-applicants will be contacted by mail and email in early 2025.
Is There a Lien on My Property? Not exactly. Grant funds will be secured with a Property Declaration and UCC Security Agreement. This is not a mortgage and will not affect your home equity. It simply means the Village must be notified if the house is sold within the five-year regulatory period.
What Happens If I Sell My House? If you sell your house within five years, you will need to repay a prorated amount of the grant. The repayment amount decreases by 1/60th each month. After five years, no repayment is required.
We urge all eligible residents to apply, even if you are unsure about your income qualifications. Your application helps the Village secure the necessary funds to support this initiative. For more information or assistance with the pre-application, please contact Flatley Read at 518-577-5681 or email grants@flatleyread.com. Want to learn more? Join us for an informative workshop hosted by Flatley Reed on June 26, 2024, from 10 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. in the Greenwich Free Library Community Room.
Please submit pre-applications to Flatley Read by July 14, 2024. Let's work together to improve our homes and strengthen our community.
Amanda Hurley is the newly elected Mayor of the Village of Greenwich.
Finkelsteins on Max
By Darren Johnson
Journal & Press
Speaking of re-habbing homes, I noticed that Greenwich’s own Elizabeth and Ethan Finkelstein’s new show, “Who’s Afraid of a Cheap Old House,” is now on Max (I still call it HBO). Lots of Upstate old homes are featured.
As home prices have soared, many of us have romanticized selling our, say, $400,000 home in Greenwich, and buying maybe a $100,000 home in some cheaper town, especially if you no longer have kids in the schools, and then having a huge lump sum. This show doesn’t discourage that, but it’s also a reality check. It may not be as easy as it seems to buy a cheap old house — but if you have the gumption, it is doable.
Here is what Elizabeth told me in January:
Darren: So what brought here, how long have you been here?
Elizabeth: I grew up in the area. I recently moved but I grew up in the area and I’m still here. I could say quite confidently that I’ve always wanted to move back here. I’ve always loved Washington County. I think that it’s the most beautiful place in the entire world.
Darren: Where else have you lived?
Elizabeth: My husband is from the Philadelphia area. I went to college in New York City for 17 years. And then we moved to New York. That was our first home when we had our son, we moved here. I guess we’ve been here a year and a half.
Darren: How did you get into the viral video business?
Elizabeth: We had, for a long time, a website called CircaOldHouses.com. It’s a website that hosts real estate listings for historical homes for sale all over the country. We started a little Instagram feed called Cheap Old Houses just as a fun spinoff of that because we personally love fixer uppers and houses that no one notices or seems to want to invest in. We’ve been doing it since 2016 and it’s taken off. We now have a website and subscription newsletters focused on specific kinds of cheap old houses for sale, a book, and a TV show on HGTV.
Darren: How’s the TV show doing? I watched the episode you did on the schoolhouse because we did a story on it back when.
Elizabeth: Yeah. That was the TV show, and we’re doing another one that is coming out in the spring. It’s called “Who’s Afraid of a Cheap Old House?” There’s not a set release date yet.
Darren: You were an early adopter on Instagram because in 2016 it wasn’t doing much.
Elizabeth: Yeah, I suppose we were. We were definitely one of the first people to use it. Well, I don’t want to say we were one of the first people, but definitely in the real estate space, it wasn’t really being used the way that we had chosen to use it. I think it started out for people to sort of just like post photos. And we kind of flipped it on its head a little bit and found a formula to use it as its own sort of content feed. We were the first ones to put the price and the town, write all the photo captions, and make it its own little news feed as it relates to real estate. Definitely we succeeded in the old house space.
Darren: How do you get your tips on which houses to profile?
Elizabeth: So, I search the internet every day. I look at all the houses for sale. We also get a lot of submissions from the community. It’s totally curated based on what we know after all these years will resonate with people. I’m more interested in houses being intact than their condition.
Darren: That’s what I like about your show vs. other home rehab shows. Other shows seem to mock old houses as being out-of-date, but you are kinder to the history of the houses and the people who had lived in them before. I wonder why more people don’t just buy old people’s houses and simply leave them exactly the way they are; of course, repairing and painting things, but keeping their overall authenticity.
Elizabeth: I think that’s what so much of our book is really about. You don’t have to make huge overhaul transformations to your house to make it work and livable. It’s not always necessary to gut everything and start anew.
Darren: What should people know if they want to buy an old house?
Elizabeth: They should know that there will be projects and maintenance involved. Every house requires maintenance, whether it’s new or old. But going into an old house, they should be prepared for the work and the process. It’s important to educate yourself through resources available online and learn from others’ experiences.
Darren: That’s good advice. So, how’s the reception for your book been?
Elizabeth: The book has been well-received. We wanted to write a book that showcases normal people buying and restoring old houses, making it feel accessible to everyone. It’s not a typical design book, but more about inspiring and giving permission to pursue restoring old houses based on personal style and resources.
Darren: That’s great to hear. Why do you think upstate New York has so many intact old houses available?
Elizabeth: Upstate New York has a rich history with homes from different eras. There’s an abundance of different styles of homes here because of the early development. The rural nature in our area has helped preserve many of these homes. In other parts of the country, where there’s more wealth and development, old houses get turned over quickly.
What I love about Upstate New York is that every style of home can be found here; it’s such an old part of the country, where people came through from different eras. So we have an abundance of Victorians, and we have craftsmen bungalows, and we have Greek Revival farmhouses, and we have salt boxes, and even earlier than that.
Whereas in so many other parts of the country, they were developed later, and so you don’t have the multiple century stages of development that you have in Upstate New York. I think our part of Upstate New York is a little too far to have ever been a bedroom community for city dwellers.
You can find the Finklesteins’ book at local bookstores as well as on Amazon.com.
And Now for the Comics — “Broom Hilda” by Russell Myers
Hebron Solar Project to Launch June 30
Town of Hebron Supervisor Brian Campbell, along with Sustainable Hebron, announced a renewed campaign to extend the benefits of community solar to more residents of Hebron. A launch event will be held on June 30, 2024, from 11.30 am to 1.00 pm at the Hebron United Presbyterian Church Fellowship Hall, 3153 County Route 30, West Hebron, NY 12865, where residents will have an opportunity to learn about community solar and its benefits.
“With the success of our initial campaign in 2022, we are excited to offer this opportunity again, helping even more residents reduce their utility expenses,” said Town Supervisor Brian Campbell. “Community solar represents a practical solution for anyone looking to save on their energy bills.”
Community solar is a solar farm located in New York State that generates utility bill credits based on the amount of electricity produced by the solar panels. When you subscribe to a community solar project, you get a share of the energy generated by that solar project in the form of monthly credits applied to your NYSEG bill. Savings will vary from month to month based on factors such as time of year, solar production, and individual energy usage, but subscribers can expect to save up to 10% on their electricity costs over the course of a year.
With community solar, no solar panels are installed on the subscriber’s roof or property. There is no change to the subscriber’s electricity supplier. There are no sign-up or cancelation fees. Just savings on the utility bill. It’s hassle-free and costs nothing. Most everyone is eligible - homeowners, renters, farmers, small businesses, houses of worship, and others.
Susan Snyder, a long-time member of the Hebron United Presbyterian Church said: "HUPC enrolled in the Hebron Community Solar initiative in 2022 and we are happy with the savings on our electricity bills. PowerMarket customer service managed the setup with NYSEG and sends regular updates by email. The entire process was very easy."
Jill Nadolski, Town Council Member and Sustainable Hebron Coordinator said: “PowerMarket currently manages 26 community solar accounts in Hebron and has reported total savings of $2,412 for those customers since a solar farm in central NY became operational in the Fall of 2022. This will be our second community solar campaign and we are pleased to again be partnering with PowerMarket.”
The Sustainable Hebron (formerly Climate Smart Hebron) Task Force was formed in January 2022 to promote clean energy and sustainability initiatives in the Town of Hebron, becoming the first town in Washington County to receive the Clean Energy Communities designation by the NYS Energy Research and Development Authority.
Sustainable Hebron Task Force members serve as volunteer ambassadors and advocates, spreading the word and developing plans for high-impact actions. In addition to Ms. Nadolski, current members are Randy Brooks, Jordan LaMothe, Rich Roman, and Bill Throop. The Task Force also receives free technical assistance from the Capital District Regional Planning Commission’s Clean Energy and Climate Smart Communities Coordinators.
Participants in the community solar initiative will be connected to the upcoming Dickinson Community Solar Project, a 3.7 MW solar farm located outside of Binghamton, NY, being developed by EDPRNA. The project is expected to be operational in December 2024. PowerMarket manages the enrollment process, connecting residents directly to solar projects, while handling all customer support. PowerMarket will email subscribers when the project is operational and when they can expect to start seeing credits on their bill.
The campaign will raise awareness through letter-based outreach, social media, and distributing flyers and posters. Members of the Sustainable Hebron Task Force will serve as campaign ambassadors and assist with spreading the word about educational events, answering questions from the public, providing insight and guidance as the campaign progresses, and any other needs identified during the campaign.
"Following a highly successful first campaign, we are thrilled to collaborate once more to expand community solar benefits to more Hebron residents,” said Brad Tito, Director of Community Energy at PowerMarket. “This continued effort is a practical approach to reducing utility costs and enhancing environmental sustainability. We're excited to help Hebron continue making significant strides in clean energy adoption."
The Hebron Community Solar Campaign will officially kick off on June 30 when it holds its first information session. Hebron residents and business owners who are interested in learning more about the campaign are urged to attend.
Residents can learn more and sign up at powermarket.io/hebron.html.
For more information, contact Jill Nadolski at jill.hebronny@gmail.com.
So that will do it for today. Have an item for the newsletter? Send it our way.
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