56 Bennett is a Millard Style home located in the Abel Bennett Historical District, a Prime West Side Location between Recreation Park and Riverside Drive. It was built around 1910. The district is onboth the State and National Registers of Historical Places. There are no restrictions placed on owners of state and nationally registered historic properties. The actual purchase price of the propertyis $84K "as is", but the house requires $50-70K in renovations to get it up-to-speed with the other single family homes in the district. The total cost of the homewill be $134K+ after renovations, depending on yourchoices. If you want a home in this areawith a new kitchen and bathroom, this may be your most costeffective opportunity!

Total taxes are currently less than $2,400 per year.

Bennett Avenue is one of only three streets in the city scheduled for a total "street reconstruction" in 2008. That includes new sewer lines,water main, curbs and sidewalks!

It is the same style as 53 Bennett [yellow] displayed above. A photo of 56 Bennett [Porch under construction], 55 Bennett [Stucco and blue duplex] and 58 Bennett [white], along with a view east on Bennett Avenue away from #56 and toward #56 [fourth from left] arealso displayed by clicking on the NEXT button above.

The second picture down on this web page is a view of the eastern section of Bennett. http://www.westsidebinghamton.org/treepreservation.html

An online brochure for general information about the West Side is provided at the West Side Neighboorhood Association's link: http://www.westsidebinghamton.org/westside.html

Additional information on the Greater Binghamton area: http://jewishbinghamton.info/

This house is a good prospect for the family who does not want to live with someone elses used kitchenand bathroom or wishes to restore an older home in a historical district. BUT, YOU MUST HAVE A STRONG DESIRE TO CUSTOMIZE YOUR OWN HOME AND BE READY TO WORK WITH CONTRACTORS. IF YOU ARE NOT AT THAT POINT, 56 BENNETT IS NOT A GOOD PROSPECT FOR YOU. However, Spring 2008 is looking like the opportune time for initiating aconstruction mortgage loan.

A sample of single family sale prices on Bennett Avenue: #13 [Millard Style] sold for$169K in 12/07, #16 sold for 145.5K in 10/07, #27 sold for $161.1K in 10/06, #70 sold for $140K in 6/05and Rod Serlings childhood home, #67, last sold for $169.9K in 1991. http://www.danville.lib.il.us/Pathfinder/rodbin.html

Other single family prices in the district:

Davis Street: #48 sold for $170K in 8/07, #32 [Similar to Millard Style] sold for $164K in 8/07, #41asking $144.9K and #57asking $186.5K

Johnson Avenue: #24 [Millard Style] sold for $139.9K in 2/07, #32 sold for $136K in 2/07 and #60 sold for $121.3K in 12/07

Lathrop Avenue: #34 sold for $195K in 3/07, #44 sold for $163K in5/07and#60 sold for $121.3K in 12/07.

Leroy Street: #111 sold for $182.5K in 8/07, #124 sold for $229K in 8/07 and #126 asking $139.9

Lincoln Avenue: #39 sold for $172.5K in 9/07, #49 sold for $132K in 01/08and #50 sold for $134K in 7/07

Home shoppers are encouraged to viewopen houses in the R-1 zoned [See WSNA site] sections of the West Side before considering 56 Bennett. Then, if you can't find anything you will be are happy with - you can better visualize how you would want the purchase price differential to be invested in 56 Bennett and whether a project like this is appropriate for your situation. It is reasonable to expect to spend more than the difference, but it will be newand done to your satisfaction.

The sale prices above are per the Gannett database: http://php.pressconnects.com/deeds/search.php

The house is located on a level section of Bennett Avenue and features a flat lot [50 by 125] that will easily accommodate a first floor addition [family room, office, etc.] or expansion as has been done to some of these Millard Style homes. The single car garage was removed leaving room for a two car garage. It is within one mile of two synagogues and two Roman Catholic Churches. A number of Protestant churches are within five miles. Lourdes Hospital is about 1/4 mile away.

56 Bennett is a well built home requiring a great deal of TLC in a nice quiet side street neighborhood as the photos illustrate. The new overbuilt front porch is over 90% complete. You can decide where you want the permanent front steps installed and you choose the style and materials for the post wraps and railings. The cedar shingles on the second floor need to be replaced on two sides. The clapboard on the first floor is in excellent shape on the three sides visible from the street and is OK in the rear where it has not been stripped and sanded down to the wood. The roof has no leaks, but is overdue for replacement.

On the first floor: The 12 x 12.25 kitchen is already gutted [$1,000- $1,500 saved in demolition and removal fees]. The 10 x 6 half bath is partially gutted. There is a 6 x 6 porch under the same roofas the half bath that can be enclosed to expand thehalf bathand/orkitchen if desired.There is a 13.5 x 12.25 dining room and 25 x 12.5 living room with a wood burning fireplace. Both have new plaster walls and oak floors. No foyer.

On the second floor: There are three bedrooms with hardwood finished flooring. [14 x 12.25, 12.25 x 12 and 12.25 x 9.75] The 10 x 6 bathroom should be gutted and while updating it and the kitchen below, they both should be rewired adding outlets with GFCI breakers. The electrical service for the house requires upgrading at the same time.

The third floor is a single finished room with a solid stain hardwood floor and built in bookcases, but is not insulated. Three dormers provide windows toward the street [south] and the east and west sides of the house.

The full basement houses an inefficient steam boiler [1960-70s vintage] feeding cast iron radiators on the three floors above. This can easily be converted to a high-efficiency hot water system. Better yet, the remodeler with vision may consider installing hydronic radiant floor heat for the first floor and the second floor bathroom for the maximum in comfort and efficiency. The water service is new all the way to the water line in the middle of the street. There is room on the west side of the basement that can be converted to open living space [no posts, etc.] of up to 13 x 27'. This potential living space is not included in the estimated 1900 sq. ft. total. The third floor is!

All the interior doors are original to the house and with the exception of the door on the stairway landing between the first and second floors, they are all still close to square.

If you have a serious interest in a project like 56 Bennett, you may forward your questions to TSTRAZIK@NYSIF.com or call 607-741-3925 M-F from 8-8:30 AM

No realtors please!

BINGHAMTON -One of America's Last True Bargains, per the NY Times

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/10/23/realestate/23nati.html?pagewanted=print