I opened my e-mail this very snowy, frigidly cold morning and found a comment to my blog from "Anonymous." I won't repeat it here - it should show up on The Reserve blog entry soon, but it was fun and mysterious.
I sent it off to friends - who is this? - and made some guesses myself. Mid-day I thought I had it, so I stopped in to Bijou behind Bella Blue in the village and Kim 'fessed up. She said she had found my blog by reading Robin's Bella Blue website...still with me?
I went from there with our dear Karen's help to discover www.skaneatelestalk.com, a local and new website and blog. Turns out Christine has been reading my blog all along. Hers is much more sophisticated - pictures galore, and has marvelous information. Her company, Skaneateles Design, has added a CNY Business Blog.
I spent the afternoon writing cards to all my clients and friends who have bought homes this past year. The STAR tax application deadline for towns is March 1st and while we talk about it at closing it can sometimes get lost in the mix. Missing the deadline means missing the opportunity to lower your taxes - not a good thing! I bring this up because some of the cards I sent out came from Chestnut Cottage and were old scenes of Skaneateles. There's so much history here, so much scenery!
To chronicle it all is the key. From the old photos that Mr. Trabold kept in his garage, to the new postings on Skaneateles Talk - it can now be preserved.
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
The Reserve
I just finished reading The Reserve by Russell Banks. I had bought it the moment I saw it because I love his story-telling about the Adirondacks. This one sounded like the best of all worlds - a young, wealthy woman stands alone on the beach of a hidden lake on the Fourth of July, 1937.... The book jacket promised mystery and murder, a period piece about the mountains.
This Sunday a lengthy article appeared in the business section of the Post-Standard, our Syracuse newspaper, about the Adirondacks. The author wrote about the period of the 1930s, when the area was still in the thrall of the Great Camps, and there were two distinct classes of people, the "haves and have-nots," the owners who came up from The City, and the local people who worked for them.
The second World War changed this. The local people bought onto the lakes as properties broke up, the Great Camps cost too much for even the wealthy to keep up. There were other places to go with the advent of easy travel to Europe and beyond. The classes became less distinct.
The author of the article contends that due to taxes and supply and demand, the gap is widening once again. Lakefront - all - property has become expensive, and as the prices have risen so have the taxes. People are forced out, other people buy in, assessments go up, and the cycle continues. Young people are unable to buy starter homes and so leave the area. As they go with their parents and grandparents, only the service-workers and the wealthy are left.
Skaneateles is not in this same equation as yet because, unlike the Adirondacks, it is not isolated. Go outside Skaneateles 6 miles to Auburn and there are a plethora of homes under $100,000. But it will change the discussion, this cycle that has invaded the Adirondacks. Even the little homes are now priced over $200,000 in the village, and many have been remodeled with granite and second baths. Who buys these? Not the middle class most likely.
But the pendulum is always swinging, and like the mountains up north a few generations will bring more change.
This Sunday a lengthy article appeared in the business section of the Post-Standard, our Syracuse newspaper, about the Adirondacks. The author wrote about the period of the 1930s, when the area was still in the thrall of the Great Camps, and there were two distinct classes of people, the "haves and have-nots," the owners who came up from The City, and the local people who worked for them.
The second World War changed this. The local people bought onto the lakes as properties broke up, the Great Camps cost too much for even the wealthy to keep up. There were other places to go with the advent of easy travel to Europe and beyond. The classes became less distinct.
The author of the article contends that due to taxes and supply and demand, the gap is widening once again. Lakefront - all - property has become expensive, and as the prices have risen so have the taxes. People are forced out, other people buy in, assessments go up, and the cycle continues. Young people are unable to buy starter homes and so leave the area. As they go with their parents and grandparents, only the service-workers and the wealthy are left.
Skaneateles is not in this same equation as yet because, unlike the Adirondacks, it is not isolated. Go outside Skaneateles 6 miles to Auburn and there are a plethora of homes under $100,000. But it will change the discussion, this cycle that has invaded the Adirondacks. Even the little homes are now priced over $200,000 in the village, and many have been remodeled with granite and second baths. Who buys these? Not the middle class most likely.
But the pendulum is always swinging, and like the mountains up north a few generations will bring more change.
Friday, February 15, 2008
Go West! Or Rather, Don't!
It's February and a difficult time here in Central New York. The snow is falling, finally, and I realize I haven't put on the cross country skiis once this year. Soon winter will be over - or will it? We have less than the normal amount of snow and only a couple months (we hope!) to go of snowy possibilities.
We're looking west and south from relief from the cold. In early March we head out to Las Vegas for the RE/MAX convention. I'm not a usual convention-goer, but it's a good excuse to take a brief vacation and the temperatures should be in the 60s at least. It always makes me enjoy Skaneateles more.
I was surprised (so coincidental!) to hear from a gentleman who wanted, therefore, to sell his newly built home outside of Las Vegas and called me for a referral. I love RE/MAX - I get to look at resumes, call agents, and discuss situations. Finding the right person for the job who will work for the specific client is fun. I learn a lot, too.
I learned from two very forthright and honest agents that the real estate market is horrendous out there. Homes built less than three years ago were selling - if at all - at 60% of their value at the time of closing. One of the agents had advised her client to lose the $5,000 deposit he had paid for a new home and walk away from the closing. "He should be sending me flowers!" she laughed, a bit ruefully.
The good point about Las Vegas, the agents agreed, was that the population was continuing to grow. Eventually - maybe in five years - it would turn around. But five years is a long time to wait and pay a mortgage.
My gentleman decided to do just that. He was in the enviable position of having that option, and owning a lovely home outside of Las Vegas is not such a bad thing come February in Central New York.
We're looking west and south from relief from the cold. In early March we head out to Las Vegas for the RE/MAX convention. I'm not a usual convention-goer, but it's a good excuse to take a brief vacation and the temperatures should be in the 60s at least. It always makes me enjoy Skaneateles more.
I was surprised (so coincidental!) to hear from a gentleman who wanted, therefore, to sell his newly built home outside of Las Vegas and called me for a referral. I love RE/MAX - I get to look at resumes, call agents, and discuss situations. Finding the right person for the job who will work for the specific client is fun. I learn a lot, too.
I learned from two very forthright and honest agents that the real estate market is horrendous out there. Homes built less than three years ago were selling - if at all - at 60% of their value at the time of closing. One of the agents had advised her client to lose the $5,000 deposit he had paid for a new home and walk away from the closing. "He should be sending me flowers!" she laughed, a bit ruefully.
The good point about Las Vegas, the agents agreed, was that the population was continuing to grow. Eventually - maybe in five years - it would turn around. But five years is a long time to wait and pay a mortgage.
My gentleman decided to do just that. He was in the enviable position of having that option, and owning a lovely home outside of Las Vegas is not such a bad thing come February in Central New York.
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