a Sullivan County Democrat publication July 2013
home c o unt r y
in the
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HOME IN THE COUNTRY
SULLIVAN COUNTY DEMOCRAT
JULY, 2013
BROADWAY HOME NYC Design team Expands to The Catskills!
THE COUNTRY STORE OF DISTINCTION SINCE THE 1840S The region’s finest gifts and handmade goods-- from Penny Candy to Amish Furniture, with candles, soaps, lamps, American crafts, Fine Country Preserves and Food, and a pickle barrel, too!
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67 East Broadway, Monticello, NY 12701 800.734.5591 / 845.796.1500 | www.mbagency.com
SULLIVAN COUNTY DEMOCRAT
JULY, 2013
Recent Home Sales 1. Bethel Township Cottage/ Bungalow
2. Bethel Township Cottage/ Bungalow
2 BR/1 BA Acres: .4017 Sold For: $22,375 School Tax: $1,183 Town & County: $1,029
Built: 1940 Listed By: Malek Properties
1 BR/1 BA Acres: .51 Sold For: $52,000 School Tax: $1,068 Town & County: $941
3. Liberty Township Ranch Built: 1940 Listed By: Resort Realty
3 BR/2 BA Acres: 3.69 Sold For: $129,000 School Tax: $2,197 Town & County: $2,004
Built: 1988 Listed By: Gibson E. McKean, Inc.
2 BR/1 BA Acres: 1.88 Sold For: $185,000 School Tax: $1,845 Town & County: $1,668
2 BR/1 BA Acres: .57 Sold For: $80,000 School Tax: $2,392 Town & County: $1,282
Built: 1951 Listed By: Matthew J. Freda Real Estate
home in the country
5 BR/4 BA Acres: 1.54 Sold For: $260,000 School Tax: $3,646 Town & County: $2,926
Proud Pro ud Member Mem ber oof: f:
Published by
Catskill-Delaware Publications, Inc. Publishers o f the
(845) 887-5200 Callicoon, NY 12723 July 2, 2013 • Vol. CXXIII, No. 4
Servingthe theweekly weekly Serving communitynewspapers newspapers community of of New York State since 1853. New York State since 1853.
National NationalNewspaper Newspaper Association Association
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4. Monticello Township Two Story Village Tax: $1,695.78 Built: 1977 Listed By: Prudential Peters Realty
7. Forestburgh Township Contemporary/Custom
6. Highland Township Cottage /Ranch
5. Highland Township Ranch
HOME IN THE COUNTRY
Monticello Township Two Story 3 BR/3.5 BA Acres: .17 Sold For: $110,000
School Tax: $1,730 Town & County: $1,182 Built: 1912 Listed By: Valued Properties
8. Bethel Township Contemporary/Ranch Built: 1955 Listed By: Catskill Castles
4 BR/3.5 BA Acres: 5.00 Sold For: $775,000 School Tax: $11,974 Town & County: $9,326
Built: 2004 Listed By: Myrna Ginsberg Real Estate
Publisher: Fred W. Stabbert III Editor: Frank Rizzo Editorial Assistants: Kaitlin Carney, Dan Hust, Eli Ruiz, Jeanne Sager Advertising Director: Liz Tucker Design/Production: Rosalie Mycka Advertising Coordinator: Sandy Schrader Advertising Representatives: Katie Peake, Cecilia Lamy Marketing Director: Laura Stabbert Business Manager: Susan Owens Business Department: Patricia Biedinger, Jasmine Rivera Telemarketing Coordinator: Michelle Reynolds Classified Manager: Janet Will Production Associates: Sue Conklin, Ruth Huggler, Petra Duffy, Tracy Swendsen Elizabeth Finnegan, Jacob Stein Distribution: Richard Conroy
Bethel Country Builders, LLC
BCBL-127481
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CUSTOM-BUILT HOMES LOG HOMES & CABINS PORCHES & DECKS MODULAR HOMES SHEDS ADDITIONS RENOVATIONS RADIANT HEAT
RAYMOND OTTO PROPRIETOR PO BOX 2 BETHEL NY 12720 845-583-7691 908-797-3400 www.BethelCountryBuilders.com BethelCountry@aol.com
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HOME IN THE COUNTRY
SULLIVAN COUNTY DEMOCRAT
JULY, 2013
A craftsman in tune STORY AND PHOTOS BY FRANK RIZZO here once stood a barn slowly dying beside Route 97, north of Long Eddy and south of French Woods. One day in 1997, Steve Zahler of Long Eddy by way of Brooklyn and Manhattan went to look at the property with realtor Jitka Klimchok of Callicoon. The barn came with 39 acres, designated as a protected wetlands area. No new construction was allowed, but the barn was grandfathered in. The roof, being both rounded and arched, was still in decent shape. But the cinder block foundation walls had deteriorated and were barely holding up the structure. Something made Zahler decide to buy it, and it has influenced his life to this day. Reflecting on his decision and subsequent labors in shaping the structure, he ran off a string of quota-
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tions illuminating his thought process: “The barn is too beautiful not to survive. ... It spoke to me, ‘Please help me.’... The spirit of the barn told me, ‘This is the home you have to build.’... I’d lie down in the middle of the barn floor and imagine what it could be....You have to listen to the ghosts of the carpenters and masons who built the barn.” Finally, “I was looking to build my own home. I’d always been a tenant, and the house in Long Eddy was built by someone else.’ Zahler spoke of the barn’s spirituality, likening its exterior shape/interior space to a cathedral. And like a cathedral, which took centuries to complete, the barn is an evolving opus of Zahler’s “mature” period. The living quarters Continued on page 6H
The Zahler profile
A
s a boy growing up in Brooklyn,
called Fortune 100 companies, eventually
Steve Zahler, like many Jews of his
advancing to the age of digital media.
generation, came to know Sullivan
In 1998 he bought a co-op off of Central
County when his parents rented cottages on
Park West and decided to retile the bathroom.
bungalow colonies in the White Lake/Swan
The building’s realtor liked the results and
Lake areas.
asked Zahler to work on other apartments.
Decades later, then a Manhattanite profes-
“It was the first time someone thought my
sional seeking a weekend retreat, he and wife
work was good enough. I gradually realized I
Yolande discovered a place in Long Eddy, on
could make a living at it,”Zahler said.
Rock Valley Rd. “Three thousand down, eighty-nine dollars
More work followed – including historic renovations and brownstone rehabs –
a month [mortgage and taxes],” Zahler said
between film projects. In his early days as
of the modest cottage on a half acre he
contractor, his time was divided 90 percent
bought in 1975. The couple was paying
filming/10 percent tilework. Slowly, those fig-
$250/month at their Upper West Side apart-
ures came to be reversed. “I realized I was
ment. “It was a place to chill out and do
having more fun as a contractor,” Zahler said.
some primal screaming,” after the stresses of
“I was a good craftsman in the world of
city life, Zahler called his Long Eddy home.
industrial/corporate filmmaking and spent my
Zahler worked for an early pay-per-view outfit, Computer Television Inc., later bought by Time-Life. “Those were heady, pioneer days with new technologies,” Zahler said of the firm headed by television demographic (he even
entire career working with my mind. I decided it was time to use my hands.” The Zahlers moved to Long Eddy full time in 2004, and he started his tile business here in Sullivan County soon after. Yolande manages a Ford Foundation
coined the term) visionary Paul Klein, creator
scholarship program for the Institute for
of groundbreaking TV shows who brought
International Education in Manhattan. Son
the mini-series “Roots” to the screen and
Michael is an interior designer in NYC.
was NBC’s chief programmer for many years.
Daughter Marisa is a genetic counselor in
Zahler eventually struck out on his own, making corporate-industrial films for what he
Bordeaux, France, where her husband Jean is a researcher at the University of Bordeaux.
Steve Zahler, upper left, transformed an old barn on Route 97 into a striking residence, using the existing rounded, arching roof to maintain its original shape. Inside, at left, is an airy central space dominated by a stone fireplace, above, built by Jerry Krum of Honesdale.
JULY, 2013
SULLIVAN COUNTY DEMOCRAT
HOME IN THE COUNTRY
with his materials
Upper left, the front patio is one of two gracing the residence, with a small balcony off of the master bedroom. There is also a two-level deck facing the majority of the 39 acres, designated as wetlands, on which the barn sits. Left, granite floor tile and gleaming black granite dominate the kitchen, near the front entrance. Above, the arched large window echoes the arch of the ceiling.
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HOME IN THE COUNTRY
SULLIVAN COUNTY DEMOCRAT
Continued from page 4H
are done, but much work remains. Zahler spoke with locals, found out his future house was built in 1942 and had housed cows on its ground floor and hay on the main level. His Long Eddy neighbors told him of the square dances held here once the hay was gone in the winter. “It was an historic barn. I felt I was preserving what was an icon to many of my neighbors. Jitka told me the same thing,” Zahler said. Zahler sees his barn as a legacy project, a culmination of his life’s work. As much as possible, Zahler uses locally (within 60 miles) sourced materials. He has worked with a number of area contractors along the way. “The smartest thing you could do as a CEO/business owner is to hire someone smarter than you,” he said. “I would invite local craftspeople to the barn and talks things over with them and have them decide if they wanted to be part of the journey. Because building a house is a journey.” He likened the building process to making a movie – in both cases it is a collaborative process involving the melding of different talents and skills. But filmstock and even digital media can be ephemeral. Zahler is confident his barn-house will long outlast him.
Top, a “media room” alcove at the north end of the barn’s interior space. The slate tiles were saved from a barn roof and Zahler made use of them as a wall element. Left, the arch of the roof/ceiling is echoed in this detail from the cast-iron railings, created by Dan Burdick of Windsor. Zahler made the stained glass elements to fit in the decorative squares. Above, a whirlpool bath with Zahler’s tile handiwork. When he moved to Long Eddy full time in 2004 to start his tile business, Zahler used the barn, on which he had worked on since 1997, to show off his craftsmanship. Upper right and right are details of the arched interior space.
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JULY, 2013
SULLIVAN COUNTY DEMOCRAT
HOME IN THE COUNTRY
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Steve Zahler, contractor n 2004, Steve Zahler moved to Long Eddy full time and began his ceramic and stone contracting business. “Nobody knew me or my work,” Zahler pointed out. But he had been working on his barn for seven years, and realized it represented the best advertisements for himself, a showcase for his craft. “The barn had a positive impact on my business,” he concluded. Of his working process he said, “I treat clients’ homes as my own, and I invite them to see mine. My approach is, “Will the clients let me make a contribution to their house? Will they trust me?” Tile in all its varieties, he explained, has advantages over other materials, especially
I
for flooring: “It doesn’t wear, it’s waterproof, and can recreate any color or texture. “You can do much more now with tile [than in the past],” he added. “It’s a low maintenance material with a tremendous amount of creative potential and aesthetic possibilities.” Along the way he has learned from masters of their craft, like Jerry Krum of Honesdale, who erected the elaborate stone fireplace dominating the main hall in the barn. “Jerry was my first teacher,” Zahler said. “He told me, ‘The stone tells me where it wants to go. I just listen to it.’ All [craftspeople] are on the wavelength with the materials they work with. They innately know.”
Working with his hands in the second half of his life brings Zahler, in a way, back to his roots. “My grandfather was a diamond cutter,” he said. “He had to know where to make that first cut, or else the stone would be ruined.”
Above, a detail of the fireplace and wall/floor tile work in a house in Hancock overlooking the East Branch of the Delaware River that Zahler and son Mike, an interior designer in NYC, are rehabilitating. Left, a Zahler tile design.
This circular staircase in the Hancock “cottage” Steve and Mike Zahler are building will feature tile precisely cut to fit in each step. The staircase was fabricated by Dan Burdick of Windsor and mainly designed by Michael.
MLAW-125376
67 E. Broadway, Suite 200, POB 876, Monticello, NY 12701
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HOME IN THE COUNTRY
The rear deck leads to walkways throughout the property and offers outside places for dining and relaxing. Greenledge was restored to offer many smaller places for intimate entertainment. The property is welcoming for friends and visitors.
SULLIVAN COUNTY DEMOCRAT
JULY, 2013
JULY2013
SULLIVAN COUNTY DEMOCRAT
HOME IN THE COUNTRY
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Shangri-La, with a guest cottage, in Parksville STORY AND PHOTOS BY KAITLIN CARNEY reenledge is a unique property, located on a quiet road in Parksville. The main house is a carefully and lovingly restored hunting cabin. Design features maintained the rustic aesthetic while offering modern updates and sensibilities. The exterior is board over board Hemlock with copper flashing, while the interior offers bluestone flooring. One of the original cabin walls was maintained in the renovation and restoration of the one-bedroom home. Natural light spills through the many windows of the home, that boasts many cozy spaces for entertaining or relaxation. The property also features a guest suite, artists studio, wood working
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shop, planting shed, gazebo, screened in porch, and two garages (one two car, one single car). The grounds were painstakingly designed and landscaped to produce the unique greenscape garden on rock ledge. Thoughtful plantings of yellow dogwood, siberian pea trees, lilac, grapes, and hydrangea complement the fern forest. The recirculating pond and serenity bench provide a tranquil setting while the artists studio offers a place for vision and creation. Greenledge is an oasis, a homestead designed to be a place of creative inspiration and a return to nature. The over three-acre property was featured in Fine Gardening magazine because of the innovative ledge garden, and the home offers a quiet retreat. Above: A large screened in area is a multipurpose location at Greenledge. Right:The master bedroom offers a quiet place with only windows separating you from the views of Greenledge. Below right: French doors lead into this sunroom that is wrapped in windows. Below: The original Mahogany cabin door was maintained and is used to access the barn. Left: The country kitchen at Greenledge features an original Chambers Stove.
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HOME IN THE COUNTRY
The rear deck leads to walkways throughout the property and offers outside places for dining and relaxing. Greenledge was restored to offer many smaller places for intimate entertainment. The property is welcoming for friends and visitors.
SULLIVAN COUNTY DEMOCRAT
JULY, 2013
JULY2013
SULLIVAN COUNTY DEMOCRAT
HOME IN THE COUNTRY
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Shangri-La, with a guest cottage, in Parksville STORY AND PHOTOS BY KAITLIN CARNEY reenledge is a unique property, located on a quiet road in Parksville. The main house is a carefully and lovingly restored hunting cabin. Design features maintained the rustic aesthetic while offering modern updates and sensibilities. The exterior is board over board Hemlock with copper flashing, while the interior offers bluestone flooring. One of the original cabin walls was maintained in the renovation and restoration of the one-bedroom home. Natural light spills through the many windows of the home, that boasts many cozy spaces for entertaining or relaxation. The property also features a guest suite, artists studio, wood working
G
shop, planting shed, gazebo, screened in porch, and two garages (one two car, one single car). The grounds were painstakingly designed and landscaped to produce the unique greenscape garden on rock ledge. Thoughtful plantings of yellow dogwood, siberian pea trees, lilac, grapes, and hydrangea complement the fern forest. The recirculating pond and serenity bench provide a tranquil setting while the artists studio offers a place for vision and creation. Greenledge is an oasis, a homestead designed to be a place of creative inspiration and a return to nature. The over three-acre property was featured in Fine Gardening magazine because of the innovative ledge garden, and the home offers a quiet retreat. Above: A large screened in area is a multipurpose location at Greenledge. Right:The master bedroom offers a quiet place with only windows separating you from the views of Greenledge. Below right: French doors lead into this sunroom that is wrapped in windows. Below: The original Mahogany cabin door was maintained and is used to access the barn. Left: The country kitchen at Greenledge features an original Chambers Stove.
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HOME IN THE COUNTRY
SULLIVAN COUNTY DEMOCRAT
JULY, 2013
HOME FEATURES
Top: The main floor also features a comfortable dining area. Above: A stone fireplace is the central point of this uniquely restored cabin. Right: The artists studio at Greenledge has heat and electricity and plenty of quiet to create in any medium. Below: This Dutch door from an old schoolhouse was restored with new glass, and opens from the sunroom onto a new trex deck and out into the tranquil gardens of Greenledge.
MLS No.: 36155 Type/Class: Single family/residential Address: 740 Anderson Road, Parksville Township: Rockland Township School District: Livingston Manor Rooms: 7 Bedrooms: 1 Full Baths: 1 Half Baths: 1 Garage Type: Detached Garage Capacity: 3 Fireplace: 1 Above Grade Square Feet: 954 Total Taxes: $5240 Year Built: 1920 Style: Contemporary, custom Condition: Very good Exterior: Clapboard Roofing: Pitched, shingle Electric: Circuit breaker Heating Fuel: Electric Water: Drilled well Sewer: Cesspool Water Heater: Electric Heating: Baseboard, electric Basement: None Appliances: Attic fan, BBQ grill, ceiling fans, dishwasher, dryer, ice maker, intercom, microwave, refrigerator, stove, washer, water filter Close To: Lake/stream, parks, state land Road: Town/village, unpaved Land Features: Fruit trees, gently sloping, private, professional landscaping, rugged, secluded, view, wooded Interior Amenities: Cathedral ceiling, central hall/foyer, family room, fireplace, furniture, hardwood floors, insulated windows, tile, track lighting, TV cable, woodwork Exterior Amenities: Barn, deck, guest cottage, outbuilding, patio Price: $349,000 Contact: Myra Rappaport, McKean Real Estate, 583-6003, mrappaport@hvc.rr.com
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WOODIES CONSTRUCTION ABOVE GROUND POOLS
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JULY, 2013
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DECKER OIL
JULY, 2013
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Serving Sullivan County Prompt Professional Service • Reasonable Prices
Fuel Oil - Kerosene - Prompt & Dependable - No extra charge weekends or evenings DCDD-126618
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(845) 707-4393 • (607) 339-6140 mcbeth5577@aol.com 58 Pleasant Street, Monticello, New York 12701
• Grinnell . . . Authorized Dealer • Unilock . . . Authorized Dealer • Straw Hay & Sod • Landscape Fabric • Stone Facing • Stone Works . . . (Owens Corning cultured stone) • Field Stone • Blue Stone . . . cut to size • Gravel . . . all types/sizes • Bags . . . peat moss/organic soil/soil
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13H
Preferred Homes & Properties
Serving all of Sullivan County when buying or selling a quality home or property. Phone: (845) 482-4300 • Fax: (845) 482-4433 E-mail: diane@preferredhomes.net Website: www.preferredhomes.net
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Top 10 steps to prepare for a remodel he National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI) advises homeowners of the 10 most important steps to take before starting any remodeling projects in and around your home. “The planning and researching phases of a project are the most critical steps in the remodeling process,” says NARI National President Art Donnelly, MCR, CKBR, Legacy Builders & Remodelers Corp., based in Mount Sinai, NY. “The more knowledgeable and prepared a homeowner is, the more they protect themselves.” What can a homeowner do to prepare for a remodel? NARI provides a top 10 list of steps homeowners should take before breaking ground on their next remodel. Research your project. Taking time to research projects on the Internet and NARI.org will provide a good sense of what is involved such as price, scope of work, return on investment and new product/material options. Also, research property values in your neighborhood to make sure your project is in line with other homes in the area. Plan project around the long-term. How long do you plan to stay in your home? How might your family structure change over
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time? Life can change quickly – these questions should be answered early on to ensure your project will fit your lifestyle long after it’s complete. Set your budget. Deciding on a realistic budget and arranging finances to support your project
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3
1
are essential. This number needs to include everything – the project, products, contingencies, etc. Don’t be afraid to share this with your remodeler; professionals are respectful of a
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client’s budget and will create a plan around it, not over it. Use advanced search for professionals. The online world makes it easy to gather information about strangers. Ask friends, family and neighbors for referrals and then spend time researching that person online. Professional remodelers take their reputation seriously and hold credentials beyond licensing, such as certifications, memberships in trade associations and additional training. Look for examples of press coverage or involvement in industry presentations or events. Check online reviews and social media to see how they interact with past clients and peers. Ask the right questions. Time and cost are important, but getting the right information requires the right questions. Ask your professional remodeler about his educational background, train
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JesseGsNursery.com
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914.443.5802
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HOME IN THE COUNTRY
SULLIVAN COUNTY DEMOCRAT
JULY, 2013
ing, specialties or past issues with clients. Ask about how the remodeling process will work. Verify your remodeler. Don’t take their word for it. Check the information given to you such as references, license numbers, insurance information and certifications by calling providers to verify. Request a visit to an active client’s jobsite. Make it known that you are checking on him—a true professional considers that as a positive sign to working with a homeowner. Review contracts word-by-word. A remodeling contract protects you and your remodeler. Homeowners should review this carefully. Professional remodelers have done this before, and know what should go in a contract. Homeowners are not as familiar with remodeling and should ask about terms if they don’t understand. Pay attention to details about change orders, payment, additional fees, timeline and responsibilities. If it’s not in the contract, it doesn’t exist. Keep design in mind. Your design guides the entire project. Think about what you dislike about your current space and the intended use of the new space. Use Websites such as Pinterest.com and Houzz.com to gather design ideas. Make sure you can articulate specifically what you like about that design when talking to your designer. Professionals don’t recreate a photo—they incorporate accessibility, functionality, ease of modification, style and value into your design. Make your selections. Deciding on products and materials is a larger process than most
The dramatic difference in two renovation projects is shown with this bathroom and with the outdoor deck area on the facing page.
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imagine. With so many options to choose from, product selections are one of the primary reasons for project timelines to get extended. Base decisions on quality, function, price, style and availability. Include selections in the contract to lock down pricing and keep your budget intact. Create a communication plan. A common downfall in remodeling is lack
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of communication between homeowners and remodelers. Your remodeler should lay out a communication plan at the beginning of the project. If not, ask them to do so. This plan should clarify roles of everyone involved, communication methods, availability, and frequency of communication that is expected. As an industry that struggles with a persistent negative perception of remodeling contractors, these tips serve both the industry and consumers in elevating real professionals from the pack. The first step to hiring a professional is through NARI, whose members are vetted and approved by industry peers to ensure they live up to the professional standards that NARI expects. Consumers may visit www.NARI.org to find a qualified professional who is a member of NARI or call NARI National at (847) 298-9200 and request a free copy of NARI’s brochure, “How to Select a Remodeling Professional.”
BEAUTIFUL LAKE WALLENPAUPACK
Route 6 570-226-9726 VANG-126468
HISTORIC DOWNTOWN HONESDALE
Church & 6th Sts. 570-253-1860
VanGorders.com ZAHL-126572
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