Brownstoner Upstate: Rental Houses for Less Than $2,000 a Month

True confession time: I am a renter, and I always have been. Chances are, if you live in the boroughs, you’ve always been a renter, too. There are definite pros and cons to renting. Pros: Someone comes to fix things that break, and they’re not you (we hope). Someone (again, hopefully not you) clears the driveway when it gets covered in snow. And maybe, if you’re lucky, someone pays for at least one of your utilities — probably not a big, expensive one, like your cable or Wi-Fi or electricity, but perhaps your water, or your garbage removal. Someone pays your property taxes (unless, like me, that cost is factored into the rent). Cons: Renting isn’t really an investment. You’re essentially sinking your money into a living space that you don’t own, meaning that you can’t build equity in your home. But if you’re looking to live upstate and pay as much as, or, often times, less than you’re paying for your tiny apartment downstate, or you’re interested in a second home without the long-term commitment of owning a property, then perhaps renting upstate is just the thing for you. This week, let’s explore some standalone homes that rent for less than $2,000 per month.

Ancram is a sleepy town in Columbia County, east of the Hudson. This is one of the most recognizable houses in a village filled with interesting old architecture, and it’s located just down the street from the Ancram Opera House. Ancram needs some love.  We’ve been watching it and hoping that nice things start happening here. Located roughly 25 minutes from Hudson. Beds: 2. Baths: 1.5. Square Feet: 1408. Lot Size: .15 acres. Distance from Brooklyn: 2 hours, 9 minutes.

2405 State Route 82, Ancram (Scot Cohen Realty) GMAP

——

This property is up north of Woodstock, close to the Byrdcliffe artists’ colony. It’s a 1 bed/1 bath situation, but it’s in a pretty spot on a full acre.  Walking distance to the village of Woodstock, if you’re willing to schlep up and down the hill. Still, cheap for a full house in Woodstock, even though it’s basically a loft. Beds: 1. Baths: 1. Square Feet: 838. Lot Size: 1 acre. Distance from Brooklyn: 2 hours, 11 minutes.

2445 Glasco Turnpike, Woodstock (Coldwell Banker) GMAP

——

Back in Columbia County again, this time in Copake, which is located just south Hillsdale and within minutes of the Catamount Ski area (ski bums, take note). What an attractive (and big!) Craftsman bungalow with a screened-in porch and 4 bedrooms. There isn’t a lot going on in Copake, but it’s rural as all get-out. And isn’t that what it’s all about upstate? It also comes with a bit of land. Beds: 4. Baths: 2. Square Feet: 1546. Lot Size: 1.36 acres. Distance from Brooklyn: 2 hours, 24 minutes.

\

9 School Road, Copake (Halstead Property) GMAP

——