303 Wren Hollow Road

Priced to reflect it

I'm going to be straightforward about this one, because that's the best way to sell it. 303 Wren Hollow Road is a 1940 cottage on almost an acre, on a wooded road a few minutes outside the village of Saugerties. It has good bones and a lot of charm, and it needs some love. The price reflects that. The wood stove works; the bathroom is from 1962 and knows it.

Here's what's good. The house was built by a local carpenter as his own place, and it shows in the details: knotty-pine walls in the living room, a stone chimney he laid himself, built-in cupboards on either side of the kitchen window, and a steep little roof that sheds snow. The cast-iron wood stove on its brick hearth heats most of the house. The lot is lovely: a level clearing around the house, a rough lawn, tall white pines and hemlocks along the back, and a small stream on the far side of the property line that you can hear in April. There's a detached shed with a lean-to for firewood.

Here's what needs attention. The roof is roughly twenty years old and has a few years left. The electrical service is 100 amps, partly updated, with some older wiring still in the walls. The bathroom is original to a 1962 remodel: pink tile, a cast-iron tub, a pedestal sink. The kitchen is small and basic. Windows are mostly original. The well is an older dug well, and the septic's age isn't documented; we'd strongly suggest a septic inspection and a water test. The crawlspace needs a vapor barrier.

None of that is a reason to walk away. It is a reason to come with a contractor or a good inspector, a realistic budget and some patience.

Buying a house that needs work

If this would be your first home, you have more options than you might think. Some loans let you roll the cost of repairs into the mortgage, based on the house's value after the work is done; there are versions for FHA, conventional and some first-time buyer programs. They take more paperwork and a contractor's bid, and they work best when the seller is flexible on timing, which this seller is. I can introduce you to two local lenders who do these loans regularly. And please, before you fall in love with the knotty pine, talk to an inspector.

Room by room

Front stoop

Small covered entry with a bench.

Living room

13 × 16, knotty-pine walls, wood stove on a brick hearth, two windows facing the woods.

Kitchen

9 × 11, built-in cupboards, electric range, room for a small table.

Bedroom 1

11 × 12, closet, pine floor.

Bedroom 2

9 × 10, closet; currently used as a sewing room.

Bathroom

1962: pink tile, cast-iron tub with shower, pedestal sink. Works fine. Looks like 1962.

Attic

Pull-down stair, unfinished, insulated in 2009.

Crawlspace

Block foundation, dirt floor, water heater and pump.

Facts

MLS #

251934

Status

Active

Type

Single-family, cottage

Year built

1940

Interior

980 sq ft

Lot

0.9 acres

Taxes

$5,920 (2025)

School district

The town's K–12 district

Heating

Wood stove (primary); electric baseboard in bedrooms and bath

Cooling

None

Electric

100-amp, partly updated

Water

Dug well (water test recommended)

Sewer

Private septic, age unknown (inspection recommended)

Roof

Asphalt shingle, about 20 years old

Parking

Gravel drive for two cars

Sold

As is; seller will provide the property condition disclosure statement

HOA

None

Estimated monthly cost: about $2,420 with 20% down at 6.1%, including taxes and insurance, or about $2,650 with 10% down before mortgage insurance. That's before repairs; budget for them.

The neighborhood

Wren Hollow Road winds through woods and small houses northwest of the village of Saugerties, where the Esopus Creek meets the Hudson. The village is about six minutes away: a walkable grid of shops and restaurants, a Saturday farmers market in season, and a lighthouse at the end of a trail on the river that you can, remarkably, stay overnight in. Kingston is 15 minutes south on the Thruway, and the Catskill trails are 20 minutes west. It's quiet out here; the plow comes, but not first.

Come see it

Information deemed reliable but not guaranteed.