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        <author>dylan@taftstreetrealty.com (Dylan Taft)</author>
        <title>Ulster County Property Tax Info | How Not Knowing the True Numbers Can Hurt You</title>
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Ulster County Property Tax Info | How Not Knowing the True Numbers Can Hurt You

Not too long ago, property taxes were not a major concern when looking at Ulster County homes for sale. Property taxes rarely, if ever, got in the way of a sale when it came time to close. My how the times have changed These days knowing the exact property taxes on a home for sale is a MUST. Otherwise buyers may be in for a big and possibly very costly surprise. With the date for tax grievances quickly approaching, we here at Taft 
Street Realty thought it would be a good time to talk about property 
taxes and how to obtain accurate tax information from your local municipality. In some cases if a buyer thinks the taxes are too high they may be able to get permission from the seller to grieve taxes on their behalf in an effort to make the home more affordable. Lowering the taxes can be the best (and sometimes the only) way a buyer can qualify to buy the home they love.

How To Gather Property Tax Info 

Tax records are public information, but that does not mean they are always easy to find Researching the tax information on a particular property tends to be more of a gathering of information from a variety of sources as opposed to a quick search of a main database. A home’s yearly property taxes are generally comprised of the town &amp; county tax, and taxes from the local school district. Adding the town and school taxes will give you the home’s annual tax bill. Simple enough - but in order to obtain that information one has to do a little digging. Where do you start? Taft Street breaks down the process to help you better understand how a home buyer can verify the exact, up to date tax numbers. 

Get the MLS Listing | But That's Just the 1st Step...

Say you’re interested in a home and would like to get an idea of its property taxes. If it happens to be for sale we encourage you to contact either your real estate agent to get the MLS Listing, or if you don’t have an agent, call the brokerage on the sign and ask that they send you the listing. The complete MLS listing will likely have many more details about the home that are not always found on a standard internet search done by a consumer - including tax information. So that’s it, you’re done right? Not exactly Taft Street Realty recommends double checking that tax information – as it could be somewhat dated, or may reflect levies and/or exemptions that are no longer in effect. 

Start Calling | But Have This Info Handy When You Do...

You'll
 need to have certain information on hand when calling for tax records, 
no matter if you're calling the Assessor's Office, the Town Clerk, tax collector, or 
the school district. Each person may ask you for something different in 
order to look up the information, so it's best to have everything ready 
prior to calling. First you should have the address, though ironically 
enough in our experience that tends to be the least likely item to be asked for. Another 
crucial piece of info is the owner's last name. Where can you find it? 
The MLS Listing we mentioned previously should contain the owner's last 
name. That's why although the MLS listing should not be your final say 
for information (especially taxes), it is still great to have handy for 
these fine details. Finally, you'll more than likely be asked for the 
&quot;Section, Block, and Lot Number&quot; also referred to as the &quot;S.B.L. &quot;. The
 SBL  refers to the standardized recording system used by U.S. Counties 
to map addresses and locations. Once again, the handy MLS listing should
 have the SBL , sometimes written individually like, &quot;Section &quot;, 
&quot;Block &quot;, and &quot;Lot &quot; (as it is in Ulster County MLS listings). Long story 
short? Before you call anyone for tax information, make sure you have 
these 3 items on hand: the address, the owner's last name, and the SBL. 

Find Out the Current Assessed Value

The bottom line is that taxes are based upon the (most current) assessed value of the home; not its asking price, last year's taxes, or what you think the value of the home might be. Usually the MLS listing will provide an assessed value of the property in its details, but Taft Street recommends confirming the most current assessed value with the town. Every town has an Assessor's Office so give the appropriate Assessor's office a call and ask them for the &quot;current assessed value&quot; of the home. How does the Assessor determine a home's value? What if you disagree with the current assessment? Check out this recent post of ours with more information on Ulster County homes' assessed values. 

Local Ulster County Assessors Contact Numbers 


Woodstock - (845) 679-2113 ext. 1

New Paltz - (845) 255-0103 ext. 3

Saugerties - (845) 246-2800 ext.'s 11 

Marbletown - (845) 687-9523 ext. 107

Kingston - (845) 334-3910

Rochester - (845) 626-0920

Gardiner - (845) 255-9675 ext. 105 

Lloyd - (845) 691-2197

Esopus - (845) 331-5546 

Hurley - (845) 331-7474 ext. 5

Wawarsing - (845) 647-7800 ext. 241


Call For Town Taxes

To obtain the town and county taxes for a property you'll most likely need to speak to the Town Clerk. Some municipalities have an individual Tax Collector, and if so you should contact them first, but in most towns and villages, taxes are collected and recorded by the Town Clerk. Just be sure to have your 3 pieces of information on hand before you call (address, owner's last name, and SBL ), because you can never be sure what they'll ask for in order to look it up. Simple as that 

Here's a very helpful tip however: Be sure to ask a few questions like whether or not the taxes have been paid (don't be shy, this is all public record). You should also ask if the taxes that the clerk just quoted to you included any &quot;exemptions&quot; or &quot;re-levies&quot;. (Oftentimes you'll have to request this specific information as opposed to it being automatically given to you) Why are you asking these questions? The current owner may have an exemption that you will not qualify for that makes their taxes cheaper. If so, you'll have to factor in what your predicted taxes will be without that exemption. If the taxes have not been paid let's say, you'll want to keep that in mind as a buyer when negotiating and factoring costs. If the tax bill sounds extremely high, there may be a re-levy on the property that consists of unpaid school taxes for example. So the tax bill is important but the questions you ask are just as, if not more, important 

Local Ulster County Town Clerk | Tax Collector Contact Numbers 


Woodstock - (845) 679-2113 ext. 4

New Paltz - (845) 255-0100 

Saugerties - (845) 246-2800 ext. 15 (Tax Collector)

Marbletown - (845) 687-7601

Kingston - (845) 334-3915

Rochester - (845) 626-7384

Gardiner - (845) 255-9675 ext. 100

Lloyd - (845) 691-8011

Esopus - (845) 331-9124

Hurley - (845) 331-7474 ext. 2

Wawarsing - (845) 647-7800 ext. 235


Call For School Taxes

On a local level here in Ulster County NY, the school taxes tend to make up the largest portion of a property's tax bill. Whether you have children or not, the school district that a property resides in can mean the difference of thousands of tax dollars per year. It's important for home buyers to be aware of the different school districts within Ulster County and how each can affect a home's tax bill. 

Obtaining the school tax information on a home is very similar to obtaining the town tax information. Each of Ulster County's school districts has a tax collector whom you can contact to obtain that district's tax information. Just be sure to have your 3 crucial pieces of information before you call, and don't forget to ask the right questions - Electronic Tax Info - More so than local municipalities, school districts have started digitizing their tax records so that they can be easily accessed online. Not every school district in Ulster County has made the transition to digital records (see which schools below) but it's likely only a matter of time.

Local School District Contact Numbers | Info


Ellenvile Central Schools Tax Collector - (845) 647-0120

 Kingston School District Online Tax Info - https://www.municipaltaxpayments.com/index.cfm?rev=0000&amp;fuseaction=status.disclaimer&amp;CI=0&amp;CL=11

New Paltz School District Online Tax Info - http://infotaxonline.com/

Rondout Valley Central Schools Tax Collector - (845) 687-2400 ext. 4813

Highland Central Schools - (845) 691-1000

Onteora Central Schools Tax Collector - (845) 657-8743

Saugerties Central Schools - (845) 246-2800 ext. 15


Town Taxes + School Taxes = Total Tax Bill

Congratulations You now have all the information you need for a reliable and accurate picture of a property's tax bill. Now simply add the town taxes and the school taxes and that will give you a pretty good idea of the annual tax bill. Though the above may seem like alot of work for a simple equation, hopefully you can also see how important it is to have the current and accurate information when calculating property taxes. Outdated or incorrect numbers can give you wildly different results for a tax bill, and since it is a fixed annual cost, you want to make sure you've got it right At Taft Street Realty we always go the extra mile to make sure every fine detail is correct and verified

Like everything in our lives, Taft Street Realty believes that all of this information will eventually be digital and accessible via an online platform. School districts have already begun this inevitable transition. But until then, you still have to let your fingers do the walking when obtaining accurate and reliable property tax information for Ulster County. Or better yet? Work with a local Ulster County real estate expert like Dylan Taft who can navigate these fine details of a transaction for you, so you can focus on purchasing your Ulster County dream home
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    <pubDate>Thu, 31 Jan 2013 12:05:51 -0500</pubDate>
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        <author>dylan@taftstreetrealty.com (Dylan Taft)</author>
        <title>Ulster County NY Service Directory - Taft Street Realty Local Area Contacts &amp; Connections</title>
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Ulster County NY Service Directory - Taft Street Realty Local Area Contacts &amp; Connections

Taft Street Realty's Local Ulster County NY Service Directory is an invaluable resource on our website Taftstreetrealty.com We encourage everyone to check there whenever looking for contact information about local businesses and services. It's an ongoing project of ours, constantly updated with new &amp; helpful info, and we hope that it also becomes a valuable local resource for you 

Ulster County NY is full of local professionals who offer a wide range of services. From Ulster County NY mortgage brokers, to general contractors in the Hudson Valley and everything in between The Taft Street Realty service directory brings all of the businesses together in one convenient place for you to refer back to when you need say, a Kingston NY locksmith, or beautiful flower arrangements in High Falls NY.

The Taft Street Realty Ulster County NY Service Directory isn't just for businesses however We also feature plenty of helpful local information like Ulster County NY schools' contact info (read our recent blog post detailing Ulster County NY Schools) and contact information for Ulster County NY's local governments and municipalities. Dining out in Ulster County NY? We've got you covered The Taft Street Realty service directory lists various restaurants, separated alphabetically by town, from dining out in Gardiner NY to restaurants in the Woodstock NY area

Like we said before, the Taft Street Realty Ulster County NY Service Directory is an evolving list that grows every day so please check back often Know of a great local business or service that we may have missed? Contact Taft Street Realty and let us know and we'll be sure to add it to the list At Taft Street we want to be not only your resource for Ulster County NY real estate, but your go-to resource for all Ulster County NY area services and businesses Our Service Directory is part of our ongoing campaign to provide you with all things Ulster County NY 
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    <pubDate>Tue, 31 Jul 2012 13:37:30 -0400</pubDate>
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        <author>dylan@taftstreetrealty.com (Dylan Taft)</author>
        <title>Ulster County Update - Rondout Valley Fundraiser &quot;Empty Bowls&quot; Planned for Friday April 20th, 2012</title>
    <description> <![CDATA[ 
Ulster County living is simple yet rewarding; forever focused on benefiting the community. The annual &quot;Empty Bowls&quot; program by the Rondout Valley High School puts a creative spin on the usual charity event. It's one of those positive, homegrown movements unique to Ulster County NY. It is a simple yet brilliant premise that benefits the community, promotes the arts, and teaches students the valuable lesson of helping those in need. How does it work, and how can you participate? It's easy Taft Street Realty gives you the 2012 Guide to Rondout Valley's &quot;Empty Bowls&quot;.

Created by a Teacher - Organized by Students - Aided by Local Ulster County Businesses

It is a simple, yet powerful image: an empty bowl. This most basic of tools served as inspiration to Marnie Hart, a ceramics teacher at Rondout Valley, one of the local schools in Ulster County NY. She came up with the concept of her students creating ceramic bowls, filling them with yummy food, and then selling them to benefit local charities. This was back in 2004, and eight years later Empty Bowls has grown into an event, now organized by students, that they, the school, and the community can be proud of Yet the true genius of Empty Bowls that we can all be thankful for lies in the delicious ice cream, soups, breads, and beverages that we, as the general public, are obligated to eat; because hey, it's for charity 

Help a Good, Local Cause While Gaining a Hand-Made Piece of Art 

Students from Rondout Valley, as well as local artists from the area create beautiful ceramic bowls by hand, using classic techniques. The bowls are then offered for sale to the public, and once purchased, can be filled with a variety of soups and yummy ice cream along with different breads and beverages provided free of charge by local businesses. All of the proceeds go to 4 local food pantries (Rondout Valley, Rochester, Rosendale, &amp; ARCS of Kingston) so you can be certain that your help will have a direct and immediate impact Last year's Empty Bowls raised over $10,000 - a true testament to the generosity of those that live in Ulster County NY. This Year's Empty Bowls aims to raise even more, but they need everyone's help When the community, schools, and local businesses join together, we can wipe out hunger, as the program's motto states, &quot;One bowl at a time&quot;

Rondout Valley's &quot;Empty Bowls&quot; - Friday April 20th, 2012 from 5pm - 7:30pm in the cafeteria of the Rondout Valley High School (Kyserike Road, 1/4 Mile off of Rte. 209 in Accord, NY 12404) - Ceramic Bowls, $15 - Paper Bowls, $5 - If you can't attend but would like to contribute, visit the &quot;How You Can Help&quot; section of the Rondout Valley Empty Bowls website - www.emptybowls.webs.com 
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    <pubDate>Tue, 17 Apr 2012 11:53:06 -0400</pubDate>
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        <author>dylan@taftstreetrealty.com (Dylan Taft)</author>
        <title>It's Official - Rosendale Elementary School Set to Close - What Now?</title>
    <description> <![CDATA[ 






Sadly, it’s official. The Rosendale Elementary School is set to close, but what now? As of now the schools doors will close at the end of the 2012 school year. We here at Taft Street have been following this story through past blogs about the debate on closing local area schools. In what has proven to be an emotional issue among residents here in the Rondout Valley Central School District, the closing of Rosendale Elementary raises new questions and concerns. A recent article in the Daily Freeman (January 15th) illustrated the ongoing debate over the future of this beloved local school.

Rondout Valley School Board Not Interested In Selling School

The Rondout Valley School Board states in the article that they’re not interested in selling the Rosendale Elementary School, but favor leasing it because, “some parties are interested in using it”. Though not specifically naming any names, the Board has ordered appraisals of the school property be performed in order to get a better sense of the its value. Selling the property is not completely off the table, but market stats indicate that real estate sales in Ulster County, NY have not completely recovered since the recent housing downturn.  Although we feel local market conditions have improved slightly over the past 12 months, we believe any robust real estate recovery is still years away.  In 2012, look for modest gains in both values and the volume of homes sold.  Regardless, the board has reiterated that it has no intention of leaving the building vacant, which has been a concern for some residents.

Past Lessons Learned…

The concerns about leaving the building vacant are not unfounded; with critics pointing to the hard lessons learned from Kingston School district’s handling the closing of Tillson, NY’s Elementary with no clear plan for the future after its closing, and the building for the most part has been left vacant to deteriorate. It is a sad fate for a once thriving elementary school. Residents, local businesses, and eateries in Rosendale &amp; Cottekill

So What Should Rosendale Elementary Become?

The obvious question now remains, what should Rosendale Elementary School become in the future? We here at Taft Street have a few suggestions. Ideally, we’d like to see it remain a school. That’s why we think that the nearby Brook Side School of the Autistic Research Center, or the A.R.C. (less than ½ mile from Rosendale Elementary) would be a great candidate for purchasing or leasing the school. The nearby Ulster County Community College, U.C.C.C. could also make great use of a Rosendale “campus”. Perhaps an arrangement can be made or financial incentives offered to keep Rosendale Elementary a center of learning. If not a school, than perhaps a municipal building is the answer, with Rosendale Elementary becoming a branch of some civil institution. Also, we think Rosendale Elementary could make a fine business center someday, perhaps for a tech start-up, or a green-tech company. Employees and workers at this future center would surely be a boost for the local economy, simply by ordering lunch or gassing up in the area. 






  
Taking an Optimistic &amp; Constructive Approach











Like many, we here at Taft Street are sad to see Rosendale Elementary close its doors, but we’re taking an optimistic and constructive approach to the school’s future, in hopes that this beloved building can continue to serve the Rondout Valley area for years to come. To stay current on all things local in Ulster County, NY check back in regularly with the most read Hudson Valley Community Blog out there and visit the Taft Street Realty website as often as you’d like

Click these links for more information on Rosendale, NY or Rosendale, NY homes for sale 
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    <pubDate>Thu, 19 Jan 2012 14:11:52 -0500</pubDate>
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        <author>dylan@taftstreetrealty.com (Dylan Taft)</author>
        <title>Historic Ulster County Flooding Poses Biggest Challenge In Wake of Hurricane Irene</title>
    <description> <![CDATA[ 
 

Though it may look pretty bad, Ulster County will recover. As expected, Hurricane Irene caused extensive flooding, power outages and knocked down many trees. Ulster County officials are still assessing the extent of the damage, but all it takes is a short drive around the neighborhood for the impact of Irene on some Ulster County homes to become painfully apparent. However in spite of the destruction, the general feeling is that we were prepared and have fared well. Innovations like social media rose to the occasion and assumed an important role in providing a means for communication amidst a blackout. Our area has proven to be resourceful enough to withstand what County Executive Michael Hein called, “The worst natural disaster in Ulster County’s history.”





















































 

Ulster Among the Hardest Hit Counties



As of noon today 34,000 customers of Central Hudson remain without power. The utility has reported that extensive flooding has made it difficult for crews to reach affected areas.  New York State Governor Mario Cuomo reported that Ulster County was one of the 3 hardest hit counties in the state. Most all of the creeks and rivers in the area crested well above their flood stage, causing road closures throughout Ulster County, including the NYS Thruway, and in some cases washing away entire bridges. Damage was localized and differed greatly from town to town, even street to street. Ulster county real estate varies in topography, having many low-land, valley, and creek-level areas, as well as homes situated on high vistas that experience no flooding whatsoever. Farms were especially hard hit, suffering damage to crops that were labored over during an already harsh 2011 season. We encourage everyone to support local farms and businesses whenever possible, and if there ever was a time to buy local it’s now. 







 

  

 

Central Hudson is also warning of the potential instability of underground pipelines. Any gas odors should be reported via the Utilities Gas Odor Hotline @ 1-800-942-8274 or contacted through www.fb.com/centralhudson. Bottled water and dry ice are being distributed at the following 3 locations: In Ellenville – The Village Hall on 81 North Main Street, Ellenville, NY 12428, In the Town of Ulster – Ulster Grace Community Evangelical Church on 160 Seremma Court, In Lake Katrine – 2001 Route 9W (1 mile north of Adam’s Fair Acre Farms) Lake Katrine, NY 12449 .



Pulling Together &amp; Patience…  
We here at Taft Street predict a 2–3 month storm recovery reriod for the overall local economy including the housing market, local retail businesses, and agricultural sector. Expect pending home sales to decline during this time period, as well as a dip in new construction starts. It’s not all bad news however Thankfully, there’s been a calm after the storm in the form of perfect weather, which has allowed flooded waterways to recede and crews to continue their hard work. Communities have pulled together and emergency shelters have been established in Kingston, Highmount, Kerhonkson, and New Paltz.     Constant media coverage of Irene stole the spotlight from very affordable home prices and historic low interest rates, which continue to spur savvy purchasers off the fence during an ideal buying opportunity. If your home has suffered damage, be sure to photograph and document both the damages, and repairs being done, and contact your insurance company as soon as possible. Most of all, we encourage everyone to practice a little extra patience and rest assure that Ulster County will no doubt recover from Hurricane Irene 
 
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    <pubDate>Tue, 30 Aug 2011 16:02:18 -0400</pubDate>
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        <author>dylan@taftstreetrealty.com (Dylan Taft)</author>
        <title>Tough Choices: Which Rondout Valley Elementary School Should Close?</title>
    <description> <![CDATA[ 
The Answer Depends On Who You Ask


The Rondout Valley Central School District is facing some tough decisions in the face of a dismal school budget. The district hopes to cut costs by consolidating and reorganizing its schools and has made public its decision to close one of its three elementary schools. Superintendant Rosario Agostaro said that he and his team considered different options for reconfiguring the district and found that closing one elementary school was, “The model we found to be the least disruptive academically.” With the decision final and a school closing imminent, there remains the question of which of the three elementary schools (Rosendale, Marbletown, or Kerhonkson) will close its doors.



I’ve noticed how locally this issue has spanned generations. I have a number of peers who are new parents and living in the Rondout Valley district, some of whom are currently looking for a new home. They’ve expressed their anxiety and conflicting emotions that come with the uncertainty of not yet knowing which schools their young children are likely to attend. For some residents I’ve spoken to, the closing of an elementary school is an unfortunate, but necessary step to reign in school taxes that have long been out of control. New York tax payers have reached a breaking point after years of the highest property taxes in the nation. Newly elected governor Andrew Cuomo has vowed to lower taxes and has proposed putting a cap on property tax increases. School budgets are feeling the squeeze, and many see the closing of an elementary school as an unavoidable result of trying to be more economical. Then there are my peers, (myself included) who once attended these schools, played &amp; learned inside their walls. For us the debate has a much more nostalgic tone. While understanding the need to control taxes (many of us being relatively new home owners ourselves) we can’t help but feel sad if the school of our childhood closes its doors forever, leaving a long and happy history behind.



The decision has yet to be made. Rondout Valley has created an advisory committee in order to gather information and community feedback about the potential school closures. Although the committee is still being formed, Agostaro says that its sole purpose is to give a voice to the community regarding this decision. The committee will be chaired by Trustee Breanna Costello and is scheduled to meet Wednesday evenings. Those interested in becoming involved can contact the district office for more information.

RVCSD - (845) 687-2400   http://www.rondout.k12.ny.us 

 


References:



	
“Rondout Valley Moves Toward Closing An Elementary School” By Kyle Wind – The Daily Freeman 1/12/11 http://dailyfreeman.com/articles/2011/01/12/news/doc4d2deae82a3b0161307789.txt

	
“Rondout Valley Forms Committee To Form School Closure” By Kyle Wind – The Daily Freeman 1/27/11 http://dailyfreeman.com/articles/2011/01/27/news/doc4d40dbfb93e5c783375572.txt



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    <pubDate>Mon, 14 Feb 2011 07:50:04 -0500</pubDate>
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