Average electric bill for Brewster, NY? (White Plains, Carmel: budget, maintenance, work)

[Weapon X]

In a couple days, I'll be signing a purchase contract for a townhouse in Brewster, NY. My biggest reservation is the fact that it's all electric. The current residents (a married couple) stated that they pay $159 a month for electric on the budget plan, but I find that very hard to believe.

I'm trying to find out what a more accurate number is. It's a 2100 square foot, 3 level townhouse with a finished basement and it will be me and my finacee living there. If the bill is much higher than what the current resident is saying, I may have to back out.

Converting to another heat source is out of the question due to the exorbitant cost. I'd rather get some solid estimates now instead of getting a bill I can't pay for later.

Thanks!

[Momof2inPutnam]

We also currently live in Brewster, electric bills are very easily verified. Call NYSEG.

[MikeNY]

Originally Posted by Weapon X

In a couple days, I'll be signing a purchase contract for a townhouse in Brewster, NY. My biggest reservation is the fact that it's all electric. The current residents (a married couple) stated that they pay $159 a month for electric on the budget plan, but I find that very hard to believe.

I'm trying to find out what a more accurate number is. It's a 2100 square foot, 3 level townhouse with a finished basement and it will be me and my finacee living there. If the bill is much higher than what the current resident is saying, I may have to back out.

Not sure if you signed the contract yet but $159/mo sounds about right. I have a client with a 3 level townhouse and it is electric and they are paying around the same. In Jan/Feb you can expect it to go up to $200 or so and very low in April and May.

[Weapon X]

I backed out of the deal after finding out that the $432 per year under additional charges was actually a quarterly fee for water/sewer service. The fact that it's not included in the taxes or monthly maintenance really annoyed me and I walked away. I'm not paying $1600 a year for that. It's ridiculous. Back to the drawing board.

[MikeNY]

Originally Posted by Weapon X

I backed out of the deal after finding out that the $432 per year under additional charges was actually a quarterly fee for water/sewer service. The fact that it's not included in the taxes or monthly maintenance really annoyed me and I walked away. I'm not paying $1600 a year for that. It's ridiculous. Back to the drawing board.

Ahh that sounds like Eagles Ridge in Brewster. Crazy right?

[Weapon X]

Originally Posted by MikeNY

Ahh that sounds like Eagles Ridge in Brewster. Crazy right?

Yeah. Is all of Putnam like that with sewer service? If that was a quarterly charge, I would have considered it but if I'm paying $5300 in taxes and $342 in common charges, it better include sewer and garbage pickup. I'm thinking about looking at Sparrow Ridge, but if it's going to be the same thing, I'll just forget Putnam County altogether.

[MikeNY]

Originally Posted by Weapon X

Yeah. Is all of Putnam like that with sewer service? If that was a quarterly charge, I would have considered it but if I'm paying $5300 in taxes and $342 in common charges, it better include sewer and garbage pickup. I'm thinking about looking at Sparrow Ridge, but if it's going to be the same thing, I'll just forget Putnam County altogether.

All of Putnam is definitely not like that. I have seen it in the complexes in Brewster. It is cheaper at Fieldstone Pond, I think like $150 qtr. Though I heard from a few people that the $432 is going to be reduced a lot by 2010. I really can't recall the reason but more than 1 person has told me this.

Complexes in Carmel are even cheaper than that maybe $50-$60 but that is just going by what past clients have told me they paid in these various complexes.

I love Sparrow Ridge, I just sold a few in there and actually going there today to look at another. The catch with Sparrow Ridge are the taxes. Expect to pay $7500-$8500 AFTER the STAR.

There are only 2 left in there still active and one of them has a finished basement that the town does not know about and they are already paying $7,500 AFTER the STAR so that will go up a LOT when they file with the town prior to closing. The other unit is much cheaper but taxes still around $7,000 after STAR.

[Weapon X]

Thanks Mike!

I might end up looking into Sparrow Ridge in a couple months after my wedding. My agent told me that in a couple weeks I'd be full of regret for letting the one at Eagles Ridge go, but I'm feeling nothing but relief. It was a good price for the unit and we loved it (even though everything in there was the original equipment!) but everything else was wrong.

Why are the taxes so much higher in Sparrow Ridge? Is it because they are newer? What are the common charges in there? Are they all electric or electric/gas?

[MikeNY]

Originally Posted by Weapon X

Thanks Mike!

I might end up looking into Sparrow Ridge in a couple months after my wedding. My agent told me that in a couple weeks I'd be full of regret for letting the one at Eagles Ridge go, but I'm feeling nothing but relief. It was a good price for the unit and we loved it (even though everything in there was the original equipment!) but everything else was wrong.

Why are the taxes so much higher in Sparrow Ridge? Is it because they are newer? What are the common charges in there? Are they all electric or electric/gas?

Sparrow Ridge is part of Kent and the taxes are pretty rough in Kent. They are all electric in there as well and common charges are in the low $300's

[Weapon X]

Originally Posted by MikeNY

Sparrow Ridge is part of Kent and the taxes are pretty rough in Kent. They are all electrict in there as well and common charges are in the low $300's

Thanks again Mike. I might have to just suck it up and get a place in northern Westchester. At this point, I'm already getting further from White Plains than I want to. My fiancee and I both work in White Plains and live about 5 minutes from work, so commuting is a nonissue (as are the costs associated with it) and I'd like it to stay as close to that as possible.