Skaneateles Real Estate Update - The Holidays Edition

So it's been a while - specifically November 17th since I wrote an update.  The holidays - and all the preparation and recovery from the holidays - intervened.  Very little usually happens at this time of year. Houses that should close take forever to do so.  I had four December closings scheduled.  Two did close, but both were delayed a couple weeks and one was even cash!  Title issues abounded this past fall.  I don't know how properties got closed years ago, but they didn't seem to dot and cross their titles.  Check, check, check, if the attorneys will do the work ahead of time, because when everyone is ready finding issues two weeks before closing makes it tight.

There are currently only 84 active listings in the Skaneateles area of the multiple listing service.  Of these, 23 are in the Village and 12 are considered waterfront.  Seven new listings (as opposed to re-listings) came on between mid-November and today.  Two are in the Village and most are well under $260,000.

There are 18 properties with contracts, and I can only imagine that several have closed yesterday or are struggling to today.  Of these "under contract" homes, 6 were new, 2 are in the Village, and the vast majority that sold are over $200,000.

And now the great news!  We have 103 sold and closed single family homes year-to-date.  Wow!  Talk about a fast finish!  Sixteen closed (or were reported) in the past 6 weeks.  The top three were multi-million dollar homes and another two were well over $600,000.  The remainder were under 400K.  I will publish the information once I think the dust has settled and there are no more to report, most likely by the end of next week.

May the remaining holidays be bright, may the snow be always at your back, and remember:   "In the dark of December we are nearer to spring than we were in September."

Open House Alert! 4856 Onondaga Road

Please note the time:  1:00 to 2:30 on Sunday, December 14th

Also note the new price:  $104,900 (reduced by $8,000)

Look at all that gorgeous lawn that makes up a huge back yard!  Check out the gleaming almost new, hardly used, appliances.  This is a cape you can move right into and need to do very little.

I think of it as a ranch with a great attic, actually.  Two bedrooms on the first floor are both preferable to going upstairs because the full bath is on the main floor.  One is used now as laundry, but the laundry could go back into the basement.  That corner room could be a den, or office - the view is of the back yard and the floors are hardwood.

The basement is a walkout - you can see the door under the deck.  Ceilings are high enough to feel comfortable and both the electrical and plumbing have been updated.

The home is located on Onondaga Hill at the top of Seneca Turnpike.  This makes it easy to get into Syracuse or access I-81 by going through the Valley and up to Brighton Ave.  You could probably get to the airport in half an hour or less.  But if you only want Community General or OCC - walk!  Or walk over to Dunkin' Donuts (my favorite place) or Pita on the Hill.  Western Lights is a quick drive down Velasko Road.

So come and see what this home has to offer - as always, tell me you read about it here!  I love that!

New Listing - New Open House

I thought I'd grab your attention first with this photo of the pool....drink it in for a bit - could be yours by next summer.  I think of Christmas Vacation and Clark Griswold's belief that he will build this pool with his bonus...and the fantasy he has about it.

The property is in the Town of Sennett, on the eastern edge of Auburn: 16 Rockingham.  From there you can easily walk to Hoopes Park.  You also enjoy the lower Sennett taxes, but still retain the City of Auburn's amenities, like sewer, public water, and gas.

The home is a ranch, with a huge 3-car garage attached.  The pool is on the double lot side behind a privacy fence.  The whole yard is fairly private through, with mature evergreens lining the east side.

Inside you find a good-sized kitchen with eat-in space so you can look out onto the yard and the pool beyond.  The living room has a cathedral ceiling and windows across the front and on the side.  You also get to enjoy the gas fireplace, and a mounted television.  Down the hall are three bedrooms, a hall bath and master bath.

Downstairs is a whole other house, it feels like.  Again a large family area with another fireplace.  The second kitchen is below the first and opens to a room that would handle 20 guests (I may be exaggerating a bit, but maybe not) around a few tables for card-playing or just hanging out.  Add to that laundry and workshop areas, a room that you will need to find a use for, and another full bath!  So the almost 1800sf ranch has just expanded to an almost 3600sf home....or not!  It will be your home - and your pool!

I am going to hold it open Sunday, from 1:00 to 3:00.  There will be an ad in The Citizen and a sign at the corner of Rockingham and East Genesee.  Come take a look - though we won't have any swimming in the pool, I'm afraid.  But you can dream.....

For more photos:  ML#S323374 - and the price is $205,000.

The Fourth Twenty - sort of again!

Making up for the 19 closings we had last time, there are 21 here!

Because I haven't written this in a while, all of these listings were posted under the Skaneateles area of the multiple listing service.  They are actually in different towns, or even counties, but because they have a connection with Skaneateles - school or lake - they are listed as Skaneateles.  Spafford is still Onondaga County, but Sennett and Niles are in Cayuga County.  A Village listing means sewer, public water, natural gas, Village electric and alas, Village taxes.

In no particular order, here they are:

2796 East Lake Road         Town of Skaneateles         $2,800,000

1549 Red Tail Lane            Town of Spafford               $580,000

2631 Rickard Road            Town of Spafford               $509,000

5 Onondaga Street              Village of Skaneateles         $425,000

935 Parker Lane                 Town of Skaneateles           $425,000

17 East Elizabeth Street       Village of Skaneateles          $293,550

2335 Bockes Road              Town of Spafford                $260,000

4699 Amerman Road           Town of Niles                      $225,000

3842 Highland Avenue          Town of Skaneateles           $250,000

1682 Amerman Road            Town of Niles                     $218,000

181 Hemlock Hollow            Town of Niles                      $190,000

18 Orchard Road                  Village of Skaneateles          $199,500

1907 Stump Road                 Town of Skaneateles            $194,000

43 Griffin Street                     Village of Skaneateles          $168,000

29 East Elizabeth Street         Village of Skaneateles           $185,000

3827 Clapp Road                  Town of Skaneateles             $48,000

1666 Buffs Bluff                     Town of Skaneateles            $380,000

40 Academy Street                 Village of Skaneateles          $340,000

5 East Street                            Village of Skaneateles          $315,000

4068 State Street Road           Town of Skaneateles            $322,000

1925 Amnaste Lane                 Town of Skaneateles            $315,000

Skaneateles Real Estate Update - Getting Colder

Not that our market is getting colder - just harder to get out and about.  The Buffalo area is under almost 6 feet of snow, as I write this, and we (so far) have very little.  But the cold is bone-chilling!

Currently there are 94 active listings in the Skaneateles area of the multiple listing service.  Of these, 23 are in the Village and 17 (brrrr...) are waterfront.  In the time period between the last update on October 23rd and now, there are have been 7 new listings.

Waiting to close with contracts written on them are 29 listings.  Of these, 8 are in the Village and 9 are waterfront - which makes sense - end of season, sold in the early fall....  Five are new contracts since the end of October.

Year-to-date there are 87 sold and closed properties!  Hooray!  Not phenomenal, but certainly we are closing in on the top years.  Eight are new, and they range in list price between $160,000 and $400,000. Two are Village and two are considered waterfront.

At this point it's a race to the finish.  An offer written today would most likely close after the new year.  But if all 29 properties that have contracts on them close - wow - almost a record breaking year!

So be the first to close in the new year - start us off right!

Open House Alert! - 4856 Onondaga Road

Yes - open Sunday from 12:00 to 2:00.  Please come!  ML#S322475

You can get there from Velasko Road off Seneca Turnpike in Onondaga Hill, under which it will be advertised in the Post-Standard.  Or come up South Ave or Seneca Turnpike out of Syrauce to that odd corner, and bear right past Bank of America.  The house is located next to the Middle School.

As I wrote in my last blog, it is immaculate and truly one of those rare homes where you can move right in. See if you agree - and the only way to do that is to come to the open house!!

New Listing - 4856 Onondaga Road

Every once in a while I run across a house that has been readied for sale from the first moment it was purchased.  In this case, the buyers a few years ago went through the house knowing that some day they would put it back on the market.  Until then, they wanted it in great shape and wanted the pleasure of having a "perfect" home.

To that end, they replaced all the appliances and even added a disposal and dishwasher.  They moved the new washer and dryer upstairs and created a virtual ranch.  The two bedrooms on the first floor became one plus the laundry, but they can go back to two now.  The upstairs of the cape was used as an attic - great storage space!  The deck had been reached through the garage, a couple steps down from the kitchen, then out the back door and up more steps.  A new door was put in in the kitchen so access to the deck was easy.  Great deck, too - views of the hills and nearer the deep back yard.

The mechanicals were updated and maintained in perfect condition.  The basement became just a basement although it is a walkout to that fantastic yard.

I go through homes with people who want ranches and they look at me oddly when I take them to a cape and say, "You know, the upstairs can just be for storage."  I honestly cannot work it out at times, especially when they see ranches and worry over lack of storage!

If you are in the market for first floor living, want to be close but not in Syracuse, near a library (Onondaga Free Library), a hospital (Community General) and schools (Onondaga Community College) and want to be able to walk to Dunkin' Donuts and a convenience store - try this home on for size.  Only $112,900.  With taxes, insurance, interest and principal you are most likely looking at payments of under $1,000 a month. You can change the color of the walls (oh yes, they also painted the interior.)  You can control the heat and air conditioning, which they have and for which they pay very little.

I will probably have it open on the 15th - but why wait?  Call my office at 685-4788, dial my extension of 637, and make an appointment today.  ML#S322475 for more info and more photos.

Open House Alert - 122 Winners Way

Please come!  Sunday, 12:00 to 2:00

So it might be a little odd to feature the master bedroom, but this one is huge!  To the left is a large walk-in closet.  The window to the right overlooks the yard.  I took this photo from the doorway to the master bath. The bed/bath covers the entire rear of the house.  Add two other bedrooms of decent size, a hall bath, and a loft and it has plenty of room.  We even looked into turning the loft space into another bedroom, if needed.

The downstairs - right under the master, is an eat-in kitchen with 42" maple cabinets and a family room with gas fireplace.  The table where you can eat while watching TV looks out on a stampcrete patio.  This is the Country Creek community, and behind the pretty stand of trees you see is Nine Mile Creek.  The downstairs also has 9' ceilings, a half bath, and front room that is set up as a formal dining room now but could be a den or play area or whatever you want it to be.

Please come and see it - I will have something nutritional to eat!  The price is $195,000 - you certainly could not build this home for that these days.  Figure principal, insurance, taxes and interest - your payment (depending on what you put down in cash at closing) would most likely be about $1750 per month, more or less.  Certainly it would cost more to rent - and then the rent is gone, not building equity or reducing your taxes.

The ML# is S315580 so you can see more photos....the address is actually Warners (13164) but the town is still Camillus and the school system is West Genesee.

Skaneateles Real Estate Update - The Fast Fall Version

This covers September 16th through October 24th.  I do the research and write out the information that I want to convey, and then usually write the blog.  Some weeks - like this past one - were horrendously difficult.  I had three sales that took a long time coming were actually finalized.  Hooray!  I had two other deals fall apart - not so hooray - for varying reasons (home inspection and financing - ugh!) that could not be fixed, despite efforts.  I also got two more listings that will appear shortly, if all goes well.  Add to that doctors' appointments (annual), a trip to Ithaca to straighten out my ever-slowing metabolism, and Bob completely renovating my bathroom and it was too much!  This weekend will be about catching up and taking back control.  Phew!

Quickly, before my new cat, Louie, decides he must publish this by walking over the keyboard...

There are 103 active listings in the Skaneateles area of the multiple listing service.  Of these, 24 are in the Village and 19 are waterfront.  Ten of these listings - just about 10% - are above one million.

Twenty-two new listings came on the market during this five week span.  Seven were in the Village and 2 were waterfront.  We now have 79 sold properties for the year.  Seventeen were closed during this time, of which 7 were Village and 4 were waterfront homes.  Three were over a million.

The last update was named "fast finish..." I think we are getting there rapidly.

Open House Alert! 2 Green Street in Camillus Village

Sunday - 12:00 to 2:00 - 2 Green Street will be open.  Please come!

The Library

This is my favorite photo of the house.  The furniture is gone now, but you can see just how lovely it all could be.  To the right is a small porch looking out onto the side street.  Through the door in the rear is a full bath.  Voila!  First floor suite!

It's an older home - mid-1800s, but the owner assures me that 95% of the plaster in the house is gone.  In the front parlor is a woodstove, but the boiler is new within the past 10 years and keeps the utility bills low, even for so large a home.

The seller added a fence to make the back yard more private. At the far end is a barn that can be used as a garage.

Upstairs are at least four bedrooms (depends on how you count the rooms) and the washer and dryer!  And yes, there is another full bath.

It's a great house, and always gets "lookers."  This time I would love to see buyers as well!

ML#S315932 - Price: $154,900

Open House Alert! Sunday, October 19th

Come one, come all!  At the far end of Scenic Meadows in Camillus, high on a hill, is 125 Snowberry Lane.  It is on the market for $299,000 - MLS#S320784.  I don't have access to photos here at the office, so I guess you will either have to come to the open house tomorrow between 12:00 and 2:00 or check it out on the internet.

But you miss things online.  The neighborhood looks quite lovely this time of year.  First, there are the decorations all the houses have put in their front lawns.  Curb appeal!  Trick or treating up there (and it is up there, above 695) must be wonderful.  One of the early houses as you climb up the hill has a huge black cat and white ghost.  Actually, it's the home I sold last year and the buyers seem quite happy there.

Then there are the views.  You can see far out over to Syracuse, but it's the fall foliage you will remember now.  Think of walking the loop - a long cul de sac. I am envious!

The home itself, 125 Snowberry, has over 1.5 acres, possibly more than any other house up there.  It's not super-huge, and neither is the price (under 300K).  It still has a morning room, four bedrooms, 2.5 baths, but also a walkout basement.  That square footage is not included in the listing, but if it were it would be well over 3500 square feet.

But come see, judge for yourself, imagine what you would do with that space.  And take a walk around the neighborhood.  Can you see living there?  Raising your family there?  Even retiring there - nice and quiet!

See you Sunday!  Please sign in - there will be an incentive for an early offer.

The Third Twenty (sort of..)

I went back through the listings that have closed, and by golly I could only come up with 19 since early July until the 60th closing.  Since there are many more that have closed since then, I just better get a move on these before I have another 20 to report.

In no particular order:

1020 Ten Mile Point          Town of Spafford             $177,900

191 East Genesee Street     Village of Skaneateles      $214,000

4599 Hoyt Road                Town of Skaneateles         $345,450

4028 Jordan Road              Town of Skaneateles        $180,000

10 East Street                     Village of Skaneateles       $255,000

3319 Rose Hill Road           Town of Skaneateles        $182,000

3882 Highland Avenue        Town of Skaneateles        $300,000

5611 Mack Road                Town of Niles                  $314,900

2123 West Lake Road         Town of Skaneateles       $240,000

4207 School Street               Town of Owasco            $202,900

26 Griffin Street                    Village of Skaneateles      $352,000

4236 Jordan Road                Town of Skaneateles        $175,000

2162 West Lake Road         Town of Skaneateles         $539,000

1934 Amnaste Lane             Town of Skaneateles         $248,000

2483 East Lake Road          Town of Spafford              $569,000

1710 Pork Street                 Town of Skaneateles         $75,000

819 Franklin Street               Town of Skaneateles         $125,000

250 Firelane 16                    Town of Niles                   $255,000

30 Academy Street              Village of Skaneateles       $250,000

Skaneateles Real Estate - The Fast Finish Update

So I spent the last 6 weeks trying to recoup summertime at the lake and with the kids, but finding that while business seemed to slow a lot from the fast pace of earlier, it wasn't all that slow due to closings and other wonderful occasions.  Some things didn't come together - disappointments all around and work was required on endings.  But that happens.  I have to admit that two of the issues that did get resolved were mind-boggling....properties exchanged hands but the legal work was never done?  It was missed a couple times? And of course this happens after everything else has occurred...inspections, mortgages, surveys...moving trucks standing by.  Thank goodness for attorneys who will not let anything slide and in one case at least worked tirelessly to bring the deal to a satisfactory conclusion.

It's not all buying and selling - there is so much more!

So to update what happened in Skaneateles....there are currently 111 single family homes listed as active in the Skaneateles area as reported in the multiple listing service.  Of these, 28 are in the Village and 21 are waterfront.  After July 30th 32 new listings came on the market, 8 of them in the Village with 5 being brand new, not re-lists.  There was only one new lake listing though.  Five of the new listings are under contract, 2 from the Village, both listed under $200,000.

Seventeen houses are under contract right now.  Five are in the Village, and either over 300K or under 200K.  I believe the majority of Village homes listed are somewhere in the middle!  Three waterfront properties are waiting to close.

The very good news is that we now have 62 closed sales this year, an increase of 22 just in the past 6 weeks!  Five were from the Village and 5 were waterfront.  As I said - selling late in the spring brings these closings in the late summer.

Sixty-two closings means I will write up the Third Twenty in a bit.  Comparing this to last year we are still behind, as we are with 2012.  Certainly we are above the two previous years which were awful!
Year-to-date closings:    2014      62
                                      2013     78
                                      2012     85
                                      2011     51
                                      2010     47

But it's almost fall, and I have seen open houses better attended and showings increasing.  Now is the time to get out there and look and buy!

The Second Twenty

Closings are always good...and these are from June and July actually.  I know there have been quite a few more since, so I thought I better get these recorded.  In no particular order:

1383 Foxfield Drive - Town of Skaneateles - $274,000

51 Calemad Drive - Town of Sennett - $404,000

1265 Oak Bluff - Town of Skaneateles - $980,000

83 Fennell Street - Village of Skaneateles - $305,000

44 West Lake Street - Village of Skaneateles - $989,000

81 West Genesee Street - Village of Skaneateles - $280,000

3330 County Line Road - Town of Skaneateles - $415,000

2364 East Lake Road - Town of Spafford - $255,000

2397 Wave Way - Town of Skaneateles - $275,000

4142 Jordan Road - Town of Skaneateles - $173,500

1264 Greenfield Lane - Town of Skaneateles - $495,000

2996 County Line Road - Town of Skaneateles - $526,000

5 Palmer Place - Village of Skaneateles - $309,000

1080 Jewett Road - Town of Skaneateles - $148,600

2680 Nunnery Road - Town of Spafford - $157,000

50 West Genesee Street - Village of Skaneateles - $385,000

3012 Rickard Road - Town of Spafford - $250,000

35 Academy Street - Village of Skaneateles - $875,000

3602 County Line Road - Town of Skaneateles - $515,000

48 East Elizabeth Street - Village of Skaneateles - $199,500

Wow!  Not to toot my own horn (too much at least) I was involved as either the list agent or the buyer
agent in four of these transactions!

Skaneateles Real Estate - Dog Days Update

Now why do they call them that?  "Dog Days."  I have a vision of our Boo just lying around in the heat on a dusty road, his tongue lolling out.  No, that's Charlie, and his tongue is always out (only has two teeth!)  The market is sluggish - waterfront is getting shown, and yes, I have sold a non-waterfront home or two in the past couple weeks, but this is the down part of summer.  People from other parts of the country believe it's the best season - but not here.  Everyone is too busy soaking up the sun to go look at houses.

We have 103 active listings in the Skaneateles area of the multiple listing service.  Of these, 25 are waterfront and 24 are in the Village.  There are 8 new listings - or rather, 4 absolutely new and 4 re-lists, some from a few years ago.  The new ones are two in the town and two waterfront homes.

Waiting to close are 32 properties.  That seems like a lot, and I must say getting things closed in the summer is sometimes a challenge.  Again - sun-soaking takes precedence.  There are also vacations to take into account and holidays.

In the past two weeks since the last update 8 houses have come under contract - 2 waterfront, 2 Village and 4 in the town.  I still say it's sluggish - except for waterfront, homes are not being shown as regularly.

We now have 40 closings for the year.  In the next few days I will write up the Second Twenty, the list of homes that closed and the price at which they closed.  Three new closings brought us to forty - one each for Town, Village and Waterfront.  None of the new closings were listed over $300,000.

Last year and the year before were boom years.  By this time last year we had 56 closings.  I am now willing to admit that it will be a slower year.  Our inventory is down, list prices are slightly higher, and so are the mortgage rates.  The combination puts a damper on the market.  Add to that our eternal winter - remember snow and turtlenecks in May? - and it's not surprising.  I do look forward to a robust fall however!

So go sun-soak - enjoy the season - but pick out your new home and casually drop by an open house or two.  Summer in Skaneateles is a privilege!

Skaneateles Real Estate - The "Uh-oh" Update

Just did not realize that it's been this long....many apologies.  I had this premonition that it had been a while when someone asked me a statistical question about the area and I found I couldn't spout off the answer without thinking.  Then I thought and knew I didn't know!  Got that?  Not sure I do...but while waiting for offers to be accepted this afternoon I did the research.

There are currently 105 active listings in the Skaneateles area of the multiple listing service.  Of these, 26 are in the Village and 24 are considered waterfront.  While I was away (off showing houses, selling houses, closing houses) there were 34 new listings entered into the computer.  While I doubt all are new - I know of a few re-lists) 12 of them are in the Village and 5 are waterfront.  Odd that the numbers are so similar overall, but the new Village listings far outnumber the waterfront.  It's the season - also probably more re-lists in the Village.

In the under contract category, there are 26 properties.  Seventeen were sold/contracted in the past 45 days since my last update.  If that trend continued we would have a record-breaking year.

There are now 37 closed homes and 16 of these closed since the last update at the end of May.  Six were in the Village, and 4 were waterfront.  (People are out there eating dinner by the lake, watching the sun come up or go down, kayaking in the early morning mists, hearing the waves break on the shore at midnight....hope it makes you long to buy something!)

A slight damper comes to these numbers by looking at 2013 when there were 50 closed homes by this time. But it simply wasn't the same sort of winter we had.  I was still wearing a turtleneck in the morning while walking Charlie the last time I wrote!  Not right, not right at all!

I like analyzing data, as you most likely know, so I looked at median prices.  Good news! The median list price of those homes sold was $327,900 - higher than last year.  Good news (maybe)! The median list price of all the currently active listings is $419,000.  Expect an increase, once would think, in the closed prices too.
Not so good news.  The median price of the listings under contract is a lowly (for Skaneateles) $224,000. In other words, the lower-priced homes were the ones that sold in the past couple months.

Summer is fully here now - houses are being shown a bit more slowly than in the spring rush - but I know I have offers being presented so I think others do too.

Enjoy the summer - get out and go to a ball game - eat at Doug's - watch fireworks - go to the sidewalk sale this weekend.  Have fun in Skaneateles - no better place to be!

Open House(s) Alert! Sunday, June 8th

Come see this very beautiful home at 3882 Highland Avenue in Skaneateles.  I am showing you this interior photo because that way you can see the hardwood floors, the fireplace in the living room, and I can tell you that the window you see at the rear is actually a door.  The door leads to a marvelous over-sized deck next to a stone patio.  Both look out on a level yard.  Altogether - front and back lawns - the land is almost an acre.

Price: $339,000  It has four bedrooms with 2.5 baths, a newly remodeled kitchen, dining room, and this spectacular living room.  The basement is currently used for storage and as an office.

Check out more photos on the internet - ML#S309177.  Time of the open house - noon to 2:00.  It won't be such a bad way to spend a summer Sunday, taking refreshment on the back deck.  If it gets too hot I will use the remote to roll out the awning for you.

Highland Avenue is in the town, but within walking distance of the Village and the lake.  It has public water, large lots, and a great variety of homes.  You can reach it from Genesee Street by turning at the eastern light on the corner of East Lake Street, then take another right onto Onondaga, and the next left will be Highland. You will pass two more open houses on your way there.  Feel free to check them out - I think this home does well by comparison.

This is the first open - don't miss it!  And please tell me that you read about it on my blog!  See you there!

Skaneateles Real Estate - The More Regular Update

We are getting back to normal here after that very rough winter.  The sun is shining, my slider to the deck is open, Boo is barking at some other dog, and I can hear new construction in the background.  Not only that, but our nephew is working his way through LeMoyne by painting our house this summer!  That is, when it's not the day after he and his buddies had all you can eat wings at Quaker Steak and Lube...(uncompensated advertisement).

The Skaneateles housing market has been roaring!  At least in the listings area.  A couple days ago I sent out new listings that were comparable to the owners of one of my listings so they would have a better sense of their competition, and it was one listing after another!  There are currently 89 single family properties listed as active in the Skaneateles area of the multiple listing service.  Of these, 22 are in the Village and 22 are waterfront.  (I love it when they are the same number - happens fairly often, too!)

Thirteen - as in 13! - listings came on the market in the past 17 days since I last posted.  Of these, only 3 were re-lists.  Their prices range from a low in the mid-$100s to almost $800,000.  Four are in the Village and 3 are waterfront.

We seem to be getting a logjam of "under contract" homes.  There are 25 waiting to close, and there were 21 the last time I wrote.  Four of these are new - one Village and one waterfront - but there were 8 during the last period.  Definitely the sales have slowed, as have the showings.  Now it's time for those houses that are under contract to actually close.

We had one closing in the past 17 days.  I won't even write what the numbers were by this date for the past two years because they will give the wrong impression.  I know that a number of these homes will close, and by mid-June we will be at least competitive with the past few years.  Again - houses need to be priced right to get showings; also sellers must be aware that the market is seasonal.  If it's active weeks are missed, then either a great deal of patience is required or it is time to reduce the price to get action.

We have a great product - Skaneateles - and great homes, both for year-round living or as second homes. Think of it - people come to upstate New York to buy a second home not because it's on the water, but because of the draw of the Village and the area.  We are so very, very lucky to live here!

The First Twenty

I just went back and looked at last year for the 2013 First Twenty post.  It was written that horrible Friday after the bombings at the Marathon.  My friend Rebecca lives in Watertown and we texted all day.  Turned out there was a reason to be worried for her safety.  This year is different - her daughter may come to Syracuse University for her Master's, and all is calm and strong in Boston.  Here, too, I might add.

In no particular order:

2019 Woodland Lane                     Town of Spafford                       $475,000

3809 Highland Avenue                    Town of Skaneateles                   $167,000

2887 Nunnery Road                        Town of Spafford                        $305,000

657 Crow Hill Road                        Town of Skaneateles                   $309,000

1992 West Lake Road                    Town of Skaneateles                   $900,000

112 Sinclair Street                           Village of Skaneateles                  $431,760

3512 County Line Road                   Town of Skaneateles                   $318,900

2512 Wave Way                              Town of Skaneateles                   $835,000

1990 West Lake Road                      Town of Skaneateles                  $500,000

3390 Rickard Road                           Town of Spafford                       $170,000

25 Griffin Street                                 Village of Skaneateles                 $265,000

1553 Red Tail Lane                            Town of Spafford                      $600,000

79 Woodlot Landing                           Town of Niles                           $310,000

20 Leitch Avenue                                 Village of Skaneateles               $700,000

23 State Street                                     Village of Skaneateles               $175,000

3825 East Street                                   Town of Skaneateles                $175,000

876 West Genesee Street Road             Town of Skaneateles                $245,000

9 Wicklow Drive                                   Village of Skaneateles               $335,000

6909 County Line Road                         Town of Skaneateles                $340,000

54 East Lake Street                                Village of Skaneateles               $245,000

Skaneateles Real Estate Update - Finally Warm Edition

Warming up - both the weather and the sales!  I have the slider open to the deck, Charlie is at my feet taking care of me, and Boo is sunning himself as I write.  The leaves have finally opened and in the next week all those lovely trees on East Lake will be in bloom - take a ride out to Borodino!  (You can also admire the house at the corner of Nunnery and Route 41 while you're there....)

Currently there are 80 single family homes in the Skaneateles area of the multiple listing service that are on the market.  Of these, 18 are in the Village and 19 are considered waterfront.

Eleven "new" ones came on since the last time I published an update on April 27th.  Of these, only four are truly new - the others are re-lists of property that did not sell and are now being freshened for the spring market.   I rarely write about these, but they each have a lot in common - high end (over $700,000) and gorgeous.  

There's nothing wrong with the four really new ones that range in price from the lower $100,000 to almost $500,000.  Only one is in the Village, and it's my listing at 89 West Elizabeth Street.  We held the first open yesterday and even though it was Mother's Day we had a great turnout.  And why not?  New Village listing - .83 acres:  4 (could be 6!) bedrooms, and over $120,000 in updates and structural improvements.  The price is under most Village listings - $274,900.  Add to that the private lot...hmmmm...on brokers' open tomorrow, Tuesday, from 11:30 to 1:00 if you want to see it.  Or call me: 315-447-0441.

(ML#S310283)

So what sold - and why were we all running around showing things if not to sell them?  Actually, even if only 4 new listings came on the market, 8 other properties received offers and are under contract.  This is a very good ratio, and another reason to get out there and choose your new home soon, before it's sold!  Three of the new sales are Village, 1 is waterfront, and the other 4 are in the area.  The total number is now 21 under contract.

Sold and closed - hooray! - we have now reached the magic number of 20.  The two that closed are in the Town portion, bringing the waterfront, Village and Town to fairly even numbers.  The  median price this year is $327,000 and that's a slight increase over the last couple years.  Fewer homes have sold by this time, however, reflecting the fewer homes on the market.  In 2013 there were 26; 2012 there were 29 homes closed by May 12th.  We will catch up in the next month - still my solid prediction!

So get out there and see what's there to see!  I will publish the list of the First Twenty sales of 2014 in the next few days.  Please watch for it!

Skaneateles Real Estate - It's Still Cold Out There Update

I am sitting here at my desk freezing because I know it will get up to 60 this afternoon and feel so much better having been so cold this morning.  It's been the longest winter I can remember.  In February I forgave the cold and snow if it promised to be over by mid-month.  Here we are two and a half months later and I am still wearing a turtleneck...  The good news - and there is always good news - is that we probably won't see another winter like this for years, if ever.  And if we got through this, next year will be easy!

That said, the lethargy produced by cold temperatures made selling a challenge.  Everything stopped - including this blog.  It was mind-numbing and blood-chilling.  As one agent said, no one wanted to go outside.  And you really have to in order to buy a house.  Seeing, feeling, listening is so important to the process.  And if your ears are frozen and you wear eternal gloves...it just doesn't happen!

So starting about two weeks ago there was a thaw.  At least the snow for the most part was gone.  People came out in droves for the vacation week.  We all were busy, running from home to home, making appointments, re-making them, seeing houses for second or third times.  And there was real movement in the market.

Because I haven't written since March 13th, this will be a synopsis of what happened rather than a detailed account.  Currently, in the Skaneateles area of the multiple listing service, there are 75 homes on the market. Of these, 18 are in the Village and 18 are considered waterfront.  These are not including homes that have contracts of some kind on them, even though they are "continue to show."

There were a plethora of new listings and re-listings - 26 in all!  Of these, 10 are in the Village and 5 are waterfront (now that the ice has left the lake).  But you can see there has been movement if that many came on and still there are only 75 active listings!

Surprisingly, there are only 16 total properties with contracts waiting to close.  Not surprisingly, 10 are new. Continuing with the "hot in the Village" trend, 4 are from the Village, 6 in the town, and 2 of those waterfront. They range in list price from $134,000 to 1.5 million (not waterfront, I might add).

The most important number is the sold and closed number.  We have 18 so far this year, of which 6 are recent.  Two of everything - Village, Town and Waterfront.  We are running behind the last few years, but we will catch up.  I doubt we will surpass it because we need more houses to be listed.  Gone are the 150 active listings...welcome to the new world of real estate in Skaneateles!

Open House Alert! March 30th - 50 West Genesee Street

I love this photo!  The house looks just like this - such a pretty flow...hardwoods, the stairs going up with the stained glass at the landing.  Under the stairs is a hiding place for little ones.  You look through from the front hall to the dining room, into the kitchen and then over the family/office room out onto the deck.  

Gorgeous wooden trim too.

With spring arriving on Sunday - which it will!  I promise! - I will open the front doors once again.  I might even find a way to put a chair on the porch for people-watching.

I was in the house yesterday showing it and we realized that with all the leaves off you can get a very good view of the lake (in the distance, and snow-covered) through the trees from the third floor.  I often wonder if people go by and think of it as only a two-story home.  The third gets left out, but that's where the media room or playroom could be.  Yesterday we talked about building another bath up there in the closet area - a fourth full bath that would be!  And looking out the back, over the garage, you can see the houses on the hills now that there are absolutely no leaves on the trees.  It's fun to try to identify the streets and specific homes.

The price is $390,000; the hours are 1:00 to 3:00.  Have lunch at the Sherwood and walk the couple blocks west to #50, explore it, and then walk back to discuss it over pie or creme brulee or a glass of sherry at the Inn.  If you go to Gilda's, try the dates (my favorite).

Whatever you decide, stop in!  I would love to know that you read about the open house on this blog!

Skaneateles Real Estate - The Still Winter Update

So - it's March 13th and this is the view from my kitchen.  The table lets us know how much snow has fallen - yesterday morning there was nothing on it but birdseed.  The chair you see in the background was where I sat to get a bit of a tan (50 degrees!) just two days ago.  That was after I came home from my brokers' open at 51 Calemad in the Fiat with the top down.  I try to explain this to my "Words with Friends" friend in Australia.  I imagine her just shaking her head.  Why not?  We all do!

Needless to say the winter has been slow.  Currently there are only 61 single family homes listed in the Skaneateles area of the multiple listing service.  Of these, 14 are in the Village and 17 are considered waterfront.  Since reporting last about four weeks ago only six first-time listings have come on the market. Three others were re-listed, getting ready for spring.  None of the new listings are in the Village.  They range in price from under $200,000 to 2.5 million for waterfront with acreage.  Two of the new listings are homes to be built by a builder.

Homes have managed to sell.  Five homes have gone under contract, two in the Village.  Another is waterfront and two others are homes in the town.  I've shown homes and had my listings shown, but there are usually issues related to weather or timing.  Now that Daylight Savings Time is here - and maybe spring around the corner? - I expect things to pick up.

The very good news is that homes have closed.  We have 12 now, year-to-date.  Seven closed in the past month this means.  Three were waterfront, one was in the Village, another was a newly built Village home, and the others were in the town.  Even though this is a small sample, the median price is well over $300,000. Last year 14 homes had sold and closed by now and the year before the number was 13....we are in good shape!  Inventory must improve to make it a banner year again.

So I wish you all well.  Tomorrow the temperature goes up into the 40s, Syracuse University starts its March madness with the ACC Tournament, I plan on one (at least!) of my listings selling this weekend, and I look forward to walking Charlie through the Village.  And getting there with the top down on the Fiat, too!

Open House Alert! 54 Onondaga Street 1:00 to 3:00 Sunday

Remember this?  It's called grass, the green stuff.  Those are leaves on the trees.  See the little bit of brick pavers in the driveway?  This is the view from the deck of 54 Onondaga Street in Skaneateles.  You won't see this colorful view on Sunday, but you will see it in a month.

The home is currently on the market for $305,000.  It has four bedrooms (one is on the main floor) and two full baths (one is on the main floor also!).  It's a cape that rambles, with odd peaks and levels.  The sellers have partially finished the lower level - perfect for an office because it has its own entrance and exit under the deck.  Or just a hang out family room - but there's a living room and extended kitchen/family room on the main floor also.  Add to that two fireplaces, three spaces for cars (or toys), walking distance to the lake...

ML#S299999 - what a number! - for more pictures.  Better yet - just come to the open house and tell me you saw it on my blog!

Skaneateles Real Estate - The Mid-Winter Update

Actually, winter should be winding down, but my yard does not show it!  Yesterday I shoveled out a home that had been plowed in, and Sunday I did the same with another listing.  I've had my exercise, thank you!  I do know spring is coming - the icicles are dripping, the temperature felt warm today when I took Charlie out early (it was 25 degrees!) and the calendar tells me, too.  All is forgiven if the snow is gone by the first of March and doesn't return.

The market is slow, too.  Houses are waiting to come on, buyers are waiting to see what does come on before seeing others, mortgage rates are slightly up and slightly down, but nowhere near where they were this time last year, unfortunately.  Still!  My first house in Skaneateles came with a 9.5% interest rate, and my attorney congratulated me and said he wished he had been so lucky.  (And I walked uphill in the snow all the way to school.....)

Currently there are only a few homes (59) on the market in the Skaneateles area of the multiple listing service.  Of these, 15 are in the Village and 17 are considered waterfront.   Since last reporting back in January, only 5 new listings have come on the market.  Four of these are re-lists.  The one new one is listed for over a million and in the Village.  No waterfront, but a great home!

Eleven single family homes are under contract.  Three are new - waterfront plus two town listings.

To date, only 5 homes have closed, three that are new.  This is down from last year at this time, but then the inventory is down also.  One of the new ones is waterfront and the others are in the town, but close by.

It will change - already we are seeing more people looking.  My listings are being shown, people are planning trips into town for buying purposes.  It will all work out - it always seems to in Skaneateles.  And why not?  It is just a marvelous place to live!

Skaneateles Real Estate Update - December 31st to January 27th

So it's been a while.  But as you will see not a whole lot has happened.  I am sitting at my desk looking out on the deck and yard.  The sun is brilliant - I wouldn't venture out without sunglasses!  But the wind is howling, the birdfeeders are swaying, and the temperature has dropped from a 7:00 AM high of 30 to 19.  I think that's why there has been very little happening.

We are starting the year with an extremely low amount of listings - only 65 (total!) in the Skaneateles area of the multiple listing service.  Of these, 12 are in the Village - so many were sold last year!  Eighteen are considered waterfront.  It's becoming - dare I say it - a sellers' market.  We may be back to the old days of showing everything that exists that remotely fits the buyers' criteria.  Ah, but they have to buy, then, don't they?

There have been 9 "new" listings during this time period.  Of these, 5 were re-lists....properties that hadn't sold and needed refreshing, or a change in agency or price rather than a mere reduction.  The four really new ones range in price from $225,000 to $550,000.  Three are in the town portion and only one in the Village.

Properties under contract have only 11 remaining, waiting to close or clear contingencies.  Not a lot, but then ... (see paragraph 1).

Only four houses have been brought under contract in the past month.  Despite the weather, one is waterfront.  Another is Village and the remaining two therefore come from outside the Village.

Two properties have sold and closed!  One was in the Village and the other outside - and both sold for under $200,000.  An agent remarked to me the other day that "here we go again....starting over, building up our sales.  It seems like such a long way to go!"  The same can be said of the sale of Skaneateles properties...we have a lot of work ahead of us in the new year!

Year-end Review - 2013

It was a great year once again!  Not record-breaking like 2013, but a continuation of sales of all sorts of homes.  Why?  Need to buy and sell, low, low mortgage rates, homes coming on the market for less than owners paid for them a few years ago.  We also have great houses of course!

According to the multiple listing service, there were 116 homes sold and closed in the Skaneateles area.  Of course some were in different towns, but because of either the lake frontage or school district were listed in the Skaneateles area.  In 2013 there were 129 homes closed.  Truly a banner year!

Of these 116, 46 were in the Village and 20 were considered waterfront.  This is a break from the usual percentages....generally Village and waterfront are closer.  For example, in 2012 there were 41 Village properties and 24 waterfront, not as great a discrepancy.  Going back to 2011 - when there were only 71 sold and closed houses (imagine!) - the numbers were 21 Village and 15 waterfront.

Why Village?  As the school district will confirm, people are aging out and moving on.  Homes are being sold and people are buying....and yet the population continues to age.  The people coming in - in part - are looking for a quiet Village experience, and despite what has been written about New York State taxes our home prices are good and Skaneateles has the lowest rate in Onondaga County.

More numbers:  the lowest priced home was listed at $39,000 and closed for $30,000.  The highest priced home sold for 2.8M (plus).   Nine homes listed over a million dollars sold, while three under $100,000 also closed.

The median price was $300,000, staying steady from the year before.

As I predicted, I doubt we will have the same numbers this year.  Fewer houses are on the market, the rates have gone up, and this winter weather hasn't helped in the least!  I only hope it will be an early spring, a brilliant summer, and the houses that are on the market will all be sold by the end of the year!

Two Open House Alerts! Skaneateles Village

Next Sunday, January 26th, I will hold two of my Skaneateles Village homes open.  Mid-winter, snow festivals - why not an open house festival?

I will start with 54 Onondaga Street between 11:00 and 1:00, then move on to 50 West Genesee between 2:00 and 4:00.  Then go home and collapse!  Actually not, because I love holding homes open and meeting people who are also interested in the houses.

The home on Onondaga is essentially a large cape with a mostly finished basement that adds another 600 square feet of living space.  The first floor - ground level with the street - contains a bedroom, full bath, kitchen, family, living, and dining rooms.  Sliders open to a deck that overlooks the back yard.  It is a house intended for entertaining - two fireplaces, an extra bar sink, peninsula with stools...the overflow in the summer can spill out onto the deck.

Upstairs there are another three bedrooms and another full bath.  Sweet dormers bring in light and really make the bedrooms adorable.  The ML# is S299999, price is $315,000.  The house is at the corner of Teasel...Onondaga branches off Genesee Street when you go east from the center.  I'll have signs out to show the way!

The 2:00 to 4:00 open house is at 50 West Genesee, just a short walk from the Sherwood.  It's again four bedrooms but has three full baths.  Built in 1904 it's been remodeled and updated several times but retains its beautiful woodwork and Victorian character.  It's a joy to show - the last time I went through a gentleman remarked that Harry Potter must live in the closet under the stairs!  It captures your imagination.

Instead of a finished basement, it has a finished third story.  Not a bedroom, it could be a play room, media room or someone's getaway office.  These days you can can see the lake from the ornate window in the front.  ML#S280791, and currently priced at $390,000.

As always, please tell me you read about these opens here....I love knowing that I am reaching people.

Open House Alert! Amidon Drive

I held this Marcellus home open before the holidays and was thrilled with the number of people who came to see it.  Holidays being what they are, several said they had to put thoughts of moving forward on hold. Hopefully they did so until now!

You will notice that I didn't put the number of the house - no need!  Once you get onto Amidon, from either Bishop Hill or South Street, you climb the hill and look towards the Village of Marcellus - the house sits on the edge of the hill and the 2.6 acres actually encompasses part of the cul-de-sac.  Think evergreens...views...privacy!

The house itself has three bedrooms and a full bath on the "west" wing.  On the "east" wing is another bedroom, another full bath, and a sitting room or sunroom or it could even be an office overlooking the yard.
Yes, the pool is gone, but the flat yard is larger for it.  And that 2-car garage you see on the right side of the photo?  Huge!

The price is $199,900...the open is from noon to 2:00...and there will be plenty of time to get home for the Broncos-Patriots game...we could even write an offer before the Seahawks blitz the 49-ers (I hope!)  ML#S302817 for more photos.

Come and see - and as always, please tell me you saw this on my blog or Facebook page!

Open House Alert! 51 Calemad

What a great house and a wonderful opportunity to move into (or around in) the Skaneateles School District!

The house is located in Parcell Woods, a small community in the Town of Sennett, just west of Skaneateles.  It's on a cul-de-sac, and has over two acres.  The house sits back from the road, making it quite private.  The backyard opens to woods.

Built by Kevin McCormick (Colin Homes) in 2007, it has four bedrooms, 2.5 baths, a two-car garage, and well and septic.  These are the second owners, and they've added a huge Trex deck, new water system, paved (long) driveway, and their own touches.  Granite is in the kitchen and baths with cherry cabinets. Special features include the second floor laundry (with laundry sink and cabinets), two walk-in closets in the master, and a walk-in pantry with natural light from a window.  The basement is unfinished, but it has a bank of windows on the south side as well as a second walk-up stairway into the garage.  Like most of Colin Homes' houses, the mud room allows for the removal of boots and coats before entering the house.

Come see it - Sunday the 12th (as in this Sunday) between 12:00 and 2:00.  It's an earlier than usual open house to allow everyone to see the football games.  I suppose we could turn on the TV there, bask in the warmth of the fireplace in the family room...but I think the owners would rather do that in privacy!

For more photos, please see ML#S302817 - and when you come, please tell me you read about it in this blog or on my Facebook page:  http://Facebook.com/MegBrooksRealtor

Directions:  From the Village, go north on Route 321 (State Street) about a mile to Old Seneca Turnpike - turn left, towards Auburn.  That becomes Franklin Street Road...After County Line Road crosses it, the next right hand turn is onto Parcell Road - then left into the community and left again to #51...but drive around the circle and see the homes there, and the woods, the ponds.  It's a great place to live!

Predictions and Resolutions

I love doing resolutions, and then looking back to see if I accomplished them all...monitor and adjust, what works and what doesn't, reflections...all so important to always moving upwards.

Last year I resolved to go to more brokers' opens.  I am not the most social person, and getting out and meeting people is surprisingly difficult for me.  I like having a purpose - then I am fine!  Show a house, sell a home...yes, definitely.  But mix in a crowd...not me...  I went to more broker opens (Tuesdays for the west side of Onondaga County) and took a friend usually.  But then I sold her house and she moved!  I still went, but I will do more this year.

Open houses on Sundays are easy and I love to do them!  Last year I devoted 20 Sundays (and a Saturday) to holding houses open to the public.  I believe in them, and like anything you truly believe in, it works.  The houses are advertised, there is an opportunity for people to come through casually, and the house is shown more.  This year I want to combine opens...I have listings in the Village, and they can be done two in a day. Not easily, but I want my listings open, so I will do the work.  Watch for them, starting January 11th!

I wrote to a friend this morning who was lamenting the fact that she still had three more years until she could retire from teaching.  I told her that I never regretted leaving education early, and that real estate has been absolutely wonderful even though it was a great leap of faith when I started.  I still feel that way, and the resolution that comes out of this declaration is to appreciate it every day.  Getting Christmas cards this year from past clients was so wonderful - they update me on their kids, their lives....and yes, I am a part of their lives.  I want to enhance that, cherish it, never take it for granted.

Predictions...the market will slow with the increased mortgage rates, the lack of inventory.  We simply can't have over 100 houses selling in Skaneateles when there are so few on the market.  Buyers have been coming in and picking up the houses that are there because they waited for years for the economy to change, for prices to come down.  We may be entering another phase of slow-down, of waiting for prices to increase again.  I wish I were a brilliant soothsayer...but under 100 homes sold and closed in 2014 is my educated guess...

One last resolution:  I resolve not to resolve for 2015 to lose those nagging 15 pounds because they will be gone!

Happy New Year!