The morning paper reminded me that we don't need "Lonely Joe," the fictional character because Elbridge has its own ghost at the old Wayside Inn at the four corners (South, North and Main Streets). Very well-known, this ghost has been seen many times in the past - a lonely girl haunting the third story...But now there is also the tale of the playful ghost, recently christened "Harry" by the new owners. He has tapped them on the shoulder, run around upstairs, and misplaced things. Being local people - Conroys and Spains - they certainly knew about the ghosts when they bought the building.
Not always so! When I was first taking classes we heard about a house out towards Buffalo which was purchased by a family. The resident ghost was not disclosed. Soon after closing and moving in, the family moved out and sued. The result was the return of their money, amazingly enough, by the courts.
Then there's the haunted house in Seneca Falls, I believe. The manager of Gallinger told us at a staff meeting one day about the house, and how difficult it was to show it. Although totally vacant, children's toys appeared and disappeared as clients toured. Imagine a Victorian home and after you've seen the absolutely empty front bedroom returning to find a red ball in the corner!
Fascinating all this talk! There's more out there than we know - For more stories try http://blog.syracuse.com/strangecny posted by Frederic Pierce of the Post Standard in Syracuse.
And be careful out there....
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Saratoga
I drove out to Saratoga yesterday, just for the day, to visit a friend. I love the fact that Saratoga exists within three hours of Skaneateles. It's a similar town, somehow - wealthy, expanding rapidly, filled with history (think Edna Ferber's Saratoga Trunk) and truly lovely. Of course the track and Skidmore make it different, just as the lake qualifies Skaneateles.
But you can walk, and we did with my little dog, Koko. My friend took me down streets I should have known from having lived there between 1983 and 1990, but I didn't. Instead of older homes and storefronts in disrepair, there were huge (for Saratoga) buildings of apartments. "Condos," she said. "Selling for over $800,000, I heard."
"Why? Even in Skaneateles with lakefront views and 1800 square feet and granite getting 800K was a stretch."
"Stockbrokers. People from The City. They work at home a lot - computers - and go down a couple times a week by the train from Rensselaer - only a couple hours commute. Ah," she sighed, "young people."
What a deal, I thought! A great little city, virtually no crime, "good" prices compared to The City, easy access to Montreal, the Adirondacks, and yes, my Finger Lakes. A steal!
"But," she went on, "look around. You see no young mothers with their babies. It's too expensive to live here now for young couples. The houses are too high."
And as we walked I noticed she was right. On such a beautiful fall day in Skaneateles every other person would have a young child in tow, whether they were parents or grandparents. In Saratoga there were students, and street people even, but not the plethora of strollers.
An unscientific study at best - but telling, I think, even so.
But you can walk, and we did with my little dog, Koko. My friend took me down streets I should have known from having lived there between 1983 and 1990, but I didn't. Instead of older homes and storefronts in disrepair, there were huge (for Saratoga) buildings of apartments. "Condos," she said. "Selling for over $800,000, I heard."
"Why? Even in Skaneateles with lakefront views and 1800 square feet and granite getting 800K was a stretch."
"Stockbrokers. People from The City. They work at home a lot - computers - and go down a couple times a week by the train from Rensselaer - only a couple hours commute. Ah," she sighed, "young people."
What a deal, I thought! A great little city, virtually no crime, "good" prices compared to The City, easy access to Montreal, the Adirondacks, and yes, my Finger Lakes. A steal!
"But," she went on, "look around. You see no young mothers with their babies. It's too expensive to live here now for young couples. The houses are too high."
And as we walked I noticed she was right. On such a beautiful fall day in Skaneateles every other person would have a young child in tow, whether they were parents or grandparents. In Saratoga there were students, and street people even, but not the plethora of strollers.
An unscientific study at best - but telling, I think, even so.
Saturday, October 27, 2007
"Stay Off the Tracks!"
The past couple weeks as I've been coming home I've run into signs for "Lonely Joe Film Production." For a few days they were on Route 5 in Elbridge, filming at a lovely old farmhouse. I remember thinking it was a great location - the quintessential farmhouse, white and gabled, set back from the road, good porch, some pretty gingerbread trim.
I wondered vaguely if these were the same local people who had filmed in Port Byron a couple years ago, creating a soft horror film which premiered at the high school.
But when I turned the corner on my road and was stopped by the crew set up in the orchard, this took a new turn. Filming on my road! Wow!
As the day went on - an absolutely gorgeous October's bright blue weather day - I watched them do make-up on the side lawn, set up lights and eat the catered food. A police car appeared in the driveway, clearly there for the filming.
I called my friendly Post Standard reporter, Matt Michael, and he informed me that it was local people and NYC people, not the same ones as the Port Byron film. Lonely Joe would be their first film.
The second day of filming it rained and rained. Hope they needed a rainy day....
The owner of the orchard told me later the crew drank 20 gallons of his cider and pronounced it the "best they'd ever tasted!" He also said they left things behind - a director's chair, lights and electrical equipment, even a laptop. But he had enjoyed his moment in the sun!
You can read more about the premise for Lonely Joe and the production on their website: http://www.knowlonelyjoe.com.
I wondered vaguely if these were the same local people who had filmed in Port Byron a couple years ago, creating a soft horror film which premiered at the high school.
But when I turned the corner on my road and was stopped by the crew set up in the orchard, this took a new turn. Filming on my road! Wow!
As the day went on - an absolutely gorgeous October's bright blue weather day - I watched them do make-up on the side lawn, set up lights and eat the catered food. A police car appeared in the driveway, clearly there for the filming.
I called my friendly Post Standard reporter, Matt Michael, and he informed me that it was local people and NYC people, not the same ones as the Port Byron film. Lonely Joe would be their first film.
The second day of filming it rained and rained. Hope they needed a rainy day....
The owner of the orchard told me later the crew drank 20 gallons of his cider and pronounced it the "best they'd ever tasted!" He also said they left things behind - a director's chair, lights and electrical equipment, even a laptop. But he had enjoyed his moment in the sun!
You can read more about the premise for Lonely Joe and the production on their website: http://www.knowlonelyjoe.com.
Friday, October 26, 2007
How We Have Grown!
Rumor has it that a new clothing store has opened in the village, down the street on Jordan, about half a block from our office. Change.
I remember when Cooney's and MacLaughlin's were the only clothing stores in the village - or at least how I remember them. MacLaughlin's just closed and is now an artisan co-op. Cooney's - dear, dear Cooney's - left quite a few years ago. I have kept the last sweater (a celery green cotton turtleneck) I bought there just because it came from there.
Cate and Sally came to the village by way of Cazenovia and have found a great home on Genesee Street with a view of the lake out the back window, the way Cooney's was positioned, too. Bella Blue took their old store in the Sherwood House next to the Inn, but experienced "too far out" blues. Robin, the young owner of Bella Blue, is now in the new building on the opposite side of Doug's. I bought the most luscious autumn sweater there the other day!
And there's the Country Ewe, upstairs from Danny White's antiques and taking his old storefront. I miss his white little dog who used to lounge on an assortment of sofas in the window and terrorize my two old dogs by pretending to be stuffed, then popping up and barking at them.
So much lovely village history here - I wonder how much that will change as we move out of the center?
I remember when Cooney's and MacLaughlin's were the only clothing stores in the village - or at least how I remember them. MacLaughlin's just closed and is now an artisan co-op. Cooney's - dear, dear Cooney's - left quite a few years ago. I have kept the last sweater (a celery green cotton turtleneck) I bought there just because it came from there.
Cate and Sally came to the village by way of Cazenovia and have found a great home on Genesee Street with a view of the lake out the back window, the way Cooney's was positioned, too. Bella Blue took their old store in the Sherwood House next to the Inn, but experienced "too far out" blues. Robin, the young owner of Bella Blue, is now in the new building on the opposite side of Doug's. I bought the most luscious autumn sweater there the other day!
And there's the Country Ewe, upstairs from Danny White's antiques and taking his old storefront. I miss his white little dog who used to lounge on an assortment of sofas in the window and terrorize my two old dogs by pretending to be stuffed, then popping up and barking at them.
So much lovely village history here - I wonder how much that will change as we move out of the center?
Sunday, October 21, 2007
Syracuse is Selling!
Time to make a note about our market here.
Today in the Post Standard there was an article on the real estate page about how Syracuse is still doing well despite the national housing crisis. To quote Jeff Roney, President of our local board, by way of Tim Knauss, the average length of time a home is on the market in the Syracuse area is 54 days. Our percentage of decrease of sales is just 1%! That's across the board, from the city multi-families to the high end homes.
My own perspective bears that out. My homes sell within that period, well within, except for commercial properties. They sit longer, much longer, as do the waterfront properties. And mine are fairly representative of the market as a whole.
The investors come looking for bargains, especially in the city. My multi-family in Strathmore had seven - count them! - seven showings in a two day period and yes, we have an offer now. Contrast that to the outside of the city multi-families and they get only looks, not active pursuit. I spoke with an agent this week who had priced a suburban three-family home well under its worth and still it took two months and low offers to get it sold.
And why wouldn't the investors come? I sent out 110 listings of multi-families to an investor and that was only a third of the city's listings. Destiny, a reconfigured Carousel Mall, is actually being built and the workers will need at least temporary housing until our big boom comes. Prices are right - all the listings were under 200K.
But we are doing well, here, overall. The rates are still down - 6.25% and with at least one builder a 5.95% incentive - and this is the time to buy in Syracuse.
Today in the Post Standard there was an article on the real estate page about how Syracuse is still doing well despite the national housing crisis. To quote Jeff Roney, President of our local board, by way of Tim Knauss, the average length of time a home is on the market in the Syracuse area is 54 days. Our percentage of decrease of sales is just 1%! That's across the board, from the city multi-families to the high end homes.
My own perspective bears that out. My homes sell within that period, well within, except for commercial properties. They sit longer, much longer, as do the waterfront properties. And mine are fairly representative of the market as a whole.
The investors come looking for bargains, especially in the city. My multi-family in Strathmore had seven - count them! - seven showings in a two day period and yes, we have an offer now. Contrast that to the outside of the city multi-families and they get only looks, not active pursuit. I spoke with an agent this week who had priced a suburban three-family home well under its worth and still it took two months and low offers to get it sold.
And why wouldn't the investors come? I sent out 110 listings of multi-families to an investor and that was only a third of the city's listings. Destiny, a reconfigured Carousel Mall, is actually being built and the workers will need at least temporary housing until our big boom comes. Prices are right - all the listings were under 200K.
But we are doing well, here, overall. The rates are still down - 6.25% and with at least one builder a 5.95% incentive - and this is the time to buy in Syracuse.
Thursday, October 18, 2007
Westcott Cinema
Growing up on the east side of Syracuse my neighborhood was dominated by the shopping district known as Westcott Street. The grocery store (A&P) was there, also a 5 and dime, a pharmacy, and the Westcott Cinema.
On Saturdays at 1:00 there was always a monster movie matinee. I would walk the few blocks over to the alley by the A&P parking lot and cut through to Westcott, emerging just by the theater. I'd be with or find the neighborhood kids - Russ Steenberg, Linda Baker, Priscilla Seimer - and we'd stand in line until it was time to go in. The owner took our quarters, we bought popcorn, and Fifi, the owner's wife, with the diamond glasses and very mature figure would yell at us for putting our feet on the backs of the seats ahead of us. We saw The Creature from the Black Lagoon and The Fly many times there.
In junior high I'd come with my parents to see movies on Saturday nights. Double features usually. I remember coming in at the end of "Night of the Iguana" with Ava Gardner, Sue Lyon and Richard Burton and being riveted by the last few minutes of the movie. My best friend, Annie, closed her eyes. The film wasn't approved by the Church. But the "Unsinkable Molly Brown" was and that was what we'd come to see.
I saw "Gone With the Wind" with my mother and Beverly, a friend who chided me for crying during the opening credits but I had read the book and was SO excited to be finally seeing the movie I broke down in tears.
Later I saw "A Man and a Woman" on a date and spent years afterward playing and replaying the score, learning rudimentary Portuguese so I could sing the words.
I was away for a long time, and when I returned to the area Westcott had become "The Westcott Nation," with head shops and bookstores and more recently wonderful restaurants. As always the theater remained, although Fifi was gone. It had become an art cinema, playing the sort of movies that weren't shown in the malls. I remember David Mamet films, in particular. Thought-provoking films.
It was always a good night, especially in summer. Dinner at Munjed's, then the show at 8:00, sticking to the floor in the restroom upstairs, but enjoying the peace of a not jam-packed theater. Walking back to the car on the side streets I used to roam as a kid, though not through the alley any more.
The Westcott Cinema closed today.
On Saturdays at 1:00 there was always a monster movie matinee. I would walk the few blocks over to the alley by the A&P parking lot and cut through to Westcott, emerging just by the theater. I'd be with or find the neighborhood kids - Russ Steenberg, Linda Baker, Priscilla Seimer - and we'd stand in line until it was time to go in. The owner took our quarters, we bought popcorn, and Fifi, the owner's wife, with the diamond glasses and very mature figure would yell at us for putting our feet on the backs of the seats ahead of us. We saw The Creature from the Black Lagoon and The Fly many times there.
In junior high I'd come with my parents to see movies on Saturday nights. Double features usually. I remember coming in at the end of "Night of the Iguana" with Ava Gardner, Sue Lyon and Richard Burton and being riveted by the last few minutes of the movie. My best friend, Annie, closed her eyes. The film wasn't approved by the Church. But the "Unsinkable Molly Brown" was and that was what we'd come to see.
I saw "Gone With the Wind" with my mother and Beverly, a friend who chided me for crying during the opening credits but I had read the book and was SO excited to be finally seeing the movie I broke down in tears.
Later I saw "A Man and a Woman" on a date and spent years afterward playing and replaying the score, learning rudimentary Portuguese so I could sing the words.
I was away for a long time, and when I returned to the area Westcott had become "The Westcott Nation," with head shops and bookstores and more recently wonderful restaurants. As always the theater remained, although Fifi was gone. It had become an art cinema, playing the sort of movies that weren't shown in the malls. I remember David Mamet films, in particular. Thought-provoking films.
It was always a good night, especially in summer. Dinner at Munjed's, then the show at 8:00, sticking to the floor in the restroom upstairs, but enjoying the peace of a not jam-packed theater. Walking back to the car on the side streets I used to roam as a kid, though not through the alley any more.
The Westcott Cinema closed today.
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
Trump
I just finished watching a CNBC show with "The Donald." He spoke and answered questions for an hour about how he became a success and some key insights.
One of them was not losing focus. He said he felt early on in his career that he had reached success very easily and could do no wrong, so he stopped working at it. Soon he was no longer the incredible entrepreneur, but he regained his focus, and went on to where he is today.
I am afraid I lost my focus, at least with blogging. It made good sense to start, I sincerely enjoyed it, but like a diet, after a time I let it slip. Trump has brought me back.
So now to tie the show and the blog into Skaneateles real estate - focus! - I was fascinated by what Trump said about selling real estate. He spoke about two different developers with different philosophies: one preferred to price high and sell slowly while another priced lower for quicker sales. Both were successful in the same market.
I have recently had opportunities to list properties in the Skaneateles market. I realize that my "price it right and they will come" philosophy works well. If I don't get the listing because of the price, I don't really take it to heart. I know that I would be frustrated ("It should have sold already!") and my seller would feel the same way by extension. It becomes a meeting of the minds: the philosophy of the seller must match the agent's philosophy.
And why price it right? Why not "try it high, because you can always go down..." I hate waiting, I have no patience, I want to see the end in sight and make the buyer and the seller feel like they got a good deal - no one has "sold out." I want open houses filled with people, showings every day. I love making people happy.
I must add this post script. I've never been one for awards - I never attended a single awards banquet with Gallinger, and when I was with them I earned many awards. But recently I received notice that I am the #2 RE/MAX agent in the entire region for gross commissions in the first six months. I am having my best year ever, my clients are happy, and I feel as if my philosophy is, quite literally, paying off.
One of them was not losing focus. He said he felt early on in his career that he had reached success very easily and could do no wrong, so he stopped working at it. Soon he was no longer the incredible entrepreneur, but he regained his focus, and went on to where he is today.
I am afraid I lost my focus, at least with blogging. It made good sense to start, I sincerely enjoyed it, but like a diet, after a time I let it slip. Trump has brought me back.
So now to tie the show and the blog into Skaneateles real estate - focus! - I was fascinated by what Trump said about selling real estate. He spoke about two different developers with different philosophies: one preferred to price high and sell slowly while another priced lower for quicker sales. Both were successful in the same market.
I have recently had opportunities to list properties in the Skaneateles market. I realize that my "price it right and they will come" philosophy works well. If I don't get the listing because of the price, I don't really take it to heart. I know that I would be frustrated ("It should have sold already!") and my seller would feel the same way by extension. It becomes a meeting of the minds: the philosophy of the seller must match the agent's philosophy.
And why price it right? Why not "try it high, because you can always go down..." I hate waiting, I have no patience, I want to see the end in sight and make the buyer and the seller feel like they got a good deal - no one has "sold out." I want open houses filled with people, showings every day. I love making people happy.
I must add this post script. I've never been one for awards - I never attended a single awards banquet with Gallinger, and when I was with them I earned many awards. But recently I received notice that I am the #2 RE/MAX agent in the entire region for gross commissions in the first six months. I am having my best year ever, my clients are happy, and I feel as if my philosophy is, quite literally, paying off.
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