Skaneateles Real Estate Update - The Chestnuts Roasting Edition

Oh dear!  I didn't realize it had been so long!  A favored old friend wrote yesterday to remind me....I apologize!

Currently in the Skaneateles area of the multiple listing service there are ONLY 62 listings!  How could this be?  Since my last update, only 4 single family homes have come on the market; they cover most categories - waterfront, lake rights, condo and a re-list.  Of the total 62 active listings, 19 are in the Village and 10 are considered waterfront.  So...few have come on the market. (Clue #1)

There are 21 homes waiting for close.  Five were just put under contract, so it is doubtful they will make it by the end of the year.  Always difficult to close at this time of year...too much happening that is not work-related.

But somehow.....there are 16 single family homes that managed to close in this season of holidays.  Amazing! What is truly amazing, and clue number 2 as to why there are so few homes on the market, we now have 125 sold and closed properties for the year!  So far.....

Compare this to totals from other years:

2014 - 107 homes
2013 - 116 homes
2012 - 129 homes
2011 - 71 homes

If we add 5 more homes 2015 will be the year of the highest number of homes ever sold in the Skaneateles area!  Will we make it?  The weather will not be a factor...no snowdrifts will keep the hard-working attorneys and lenders from their duties, that's for sure...  Stay tuned!

Thanksgiving

We went to New York to see ARLO after they had their Thanksgiving.  For the first time ever they had their own celebration.  Generally they had gone to families - either ours (before they were married) or since then, to Rachel's extended family which was centered around her mother's very good college friends and had grown voluminously over the years  They chose to make the holiday theirs this year, eliminating a lot of traveling and stress.

In the morning Rachel and her father took the boys to the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade.  It was a glorious day - warm and bright.  All those terrorists had to take a back seat to the beauty of the day and the staunchness of New York City residents.

Alex stayed home and made the meal.  He roasted a turkey, which I think is pretty good for a vegetarian. The boys love it - and Ollie could eat all the time anyway - and it's Rachel's favorite meat.  Next year Bob will teach him how to make a tofurkey.  I was so proud of him, and of them, to start their own holiday tradition.  (Of course, if they try to do that with Christmas I won't like it at all!)

We came on Friday and by that time the boys were exhausted.  We played around with them in the apartment and then watched the SU basketball game.  Sweet and simple, with the high of the team winning the tournament!

Saturday we drove up to Rachel's parents house in Dutchess County for a Thanksgiving brunch with family members; in-laws like us, aunts cousins...  A lovely tradition, one I appreciated far more than I had in the past.  This is our family now, in sickness and in health.

This has been a difficult year, health-wise, for so many people.  There are so many people I miss already who passed on, and others who are struggling but overcoming huge obstacles.  Rachel's aunt has Parkinson's, but just recently had the surgery that put her back able to care for herself and her husband, has given her her life back to a great degree.  It was marvelous seeing her and her exuberance over being able to live again.

So I am very thankful for my families - Bob's, who shared our dinner and our after-dinner pie tradition, Rachel's open-arms extended family, Alex's stepmother and brother who enrich our lives from a distance, and all my friends who care for us.  And so much more...but this year family has meant a great deal.

P.S.  The photo above - That's Nancy, our niece, who participated in the Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving Day!

Showing Houses at Night

Let it be known first and foremost:  I do not advocate showing houses at night.  There are a zillion or more safety reasons;  Realtors need not put themselves in situations that are in any way precarious.  But with the proper precautions, I am re-thinking my self-imposed prohibition on showing houses at night.

First of all, this is the darkest time of the year and showing hours are limited.  This is the time when, as an administrator of the Spring Hill Waldorf School in Saratoga, I was introduced to Lantern Walk.  The boys and girls each made lanterns and carried them through the streets of Saratoga, singing songs appropriate to the time.  This brought light to the darkness, and created a positive experience for them.  Some said it was instead of Halloween, and all the candy and hoopla....but we had Halloween too.  And they were wonderful walks in the autumn stillness.

I was reminded of this when I showed 24 State Street last week right around sunset.  Intrepid Janet had turned every light on in the house (I swear!) and it glowed.  It looked so warm and inviting - I'm surprised we didn't have people walking up onto the porch and asking to come in!

The first group came with their own agent, a second showing.  They had seen it in the daytime and wanted to explore further.  The agent loved it so much she jokingly said she would buy it herself if her clients didn't! And it showed beautifully, as always.  So beautifully that the buyers decided to stay in their old house but remodel and add lights and decorate, just as Intrepid Janet had done.  Oh my!

I showed it second, after dark, but felt very comfortable knowing the the buyer.  I was worried that the yard wouldn't be able to be seen, but there was still enough light.  As we stood outside I saw how lovely it looked.  A Village home, all lit up on a fall evening.

The next time you drive up or down State Street at night, take a look.  And it's not just 24 State, but all the homes that are lit up.  All the homes in Skaneateles that invite people to stop and stay. What a great Village we have, even in the darkest time of the year!

"What I Did on my Day Off"

Rarely do I take a day that doesn't involve ARLO or another family occasion.  I did yesterday - almost a whole day - and thoroughly enjoyed it.  Definition of a day off:  I did something, but of course I was connected to my cell, making appointments, setting up others, working on closings.  I just wasn't home or in the office or showing/listing property.

I have heard Realtors over the years talk about what they do.  Several mysteriously disappear into Turning Stone for the day.  They wouldn't appreciate my naming them, so I won't.  Others go to the movies rather than wait for weekends or evenings.  Shows are less-filled then.  Others hike or bike;  one woman actually lived out of state and came back only a few days a month - I guess she talked more about her rare days "On."  Because of technology, who knows where anyone is at any given time?

My day was indeed rare.  I went to Carlo's on West Genesee in Syracuse for my regular hair appointment and then took off from there.  Destination:  Utica, and the Munson-Williams-Proctor Arts Institute and Museum.  They had been showing a collection of French Impressionism (Monet to Matisse) and it was due to leave on the 29th.  With all the focus on France this past week, it made it especially important to me.

The art institute is lovely, and the paintings were beautiful.  I found myself drawn to less-known artists who painted seasides and tiny details.  There were several timelines that put the era in perspective with what was happening in the world in the mid to late 19th century.  I wandered over to the Fountain Elms, the home built in 1852 and owned by the family that gave the grounds to the art institute.  There I was, on my day "off," admiring the home with several rooms preserved in the fashion of the day, all ready for the Christmas holidays.  What Utica must have been like when homes like this lined Genesee Street!

I passed on the Terrace Cafe, filled with mid-week diners, and returned to the art institute.  I wanted to re-visit a painting I had fallen in love with the first time through earlier.  This is "A Coach Stop on the Place de Passy" by Edmond Georges Grandjean.

In the Museum it is huge, and certainly loses quite a bit here.  The horses shine, there's a small French flag displayed in the rear, the building is so "French."  (Reminds me of our old Paris Flea, now the corner bakery.)

I ate pumpkin Chobani in the car followed by a great macintosh apple, considered putting the top down, and then sped away to the Thruway.  In an hour I was back in Syracuse, turning up the heat for a friend who had been away a couple weeks.  A homeless man asked me for money and I gave him some (rare) and a woman approached me for a ride to the grocery store as I stopped.  I ran her over the few blocks to Tops in Westvale.  I felt generous and filled.

Skaneateles Real Estate - The Fall Update

"When the frost is on the pumpkins..."  Actually, I just looked it up and it's "punkin" - a poem by James Whitcomb Riley.  Anyway, it's frosty out there even though on Sunday, driving to my open house on Clover Road, I had the top down on the Fiat.  Any day we can take from the winter months is glorious....

There are currently only 72 single family home listings in the Skaneateles area of the multiple listing service. Of these, 24 (a huge proportion) are in the Village and only 7 (a small proportion) are considered waterfront. Only five new houses have come on the market in the past month, and four were re-listed.  I know when I open my hotsheet daily I see the November-type listings...almost twice as many reductions in price as new listings.

There are, however, 32 properties waiting to close.  Seven new ones have joined the list, of which 4 are Village homes.  None are waterfront...it's been that kind of year.

And now the fun number: 109 single family homes have sold this year so far.  Amazing!  In the past month five closed in the Village, 3 were waterfront, and one was a simple town property.  I am sure everyone is inspired by the possibility of rates going up - almost 4% now - and of course our lovely Village and lake.

SUPER Open House Alert! 121 Clover Road

We have all agreed that it is time for 121 Clover in Westvale to be sold.  The open house this weekend -  pardon me, the SUPER open house this weekend - will get the job done, I am sure.

First of all, what is this house and why hasn't it sold?  As you may or may not know, Westvale is a part of the Town of  Geddes that was built/developed in the 1950s.  Homes are generally small, garages attached, and in many ways it is the essence of the Eisenhower years.  Neighbors knew neighbors, fences were for talking over.  The swimming pool was the next new thing.  The roads were not city sidewalks, but roads for walking and visiting.  Holidays were and are huge!  For Halloween and Christmas the homes are decked to the nines.  We had friends who lived there and we would visit on Christmas Eve to see the luminarias lining the road.  Schools were close by and the center of life.  Quietly Westhill Schools grew into schools dedicated to high standards; testing scores went up and up.  

So here is 121 Clover Road, OPEN SUNDAY 11:00 to 3:00

  

                                                           $119,500.....ML#S340937

A pretty house, right?  The front door is neatly centered, there's a window box on the right, the left window is large.  Shutters, green lawn, attached garage on the left, sidewalk to the front door.  Would you believe that there are actually five bedrooms in this house?  That it's over 1600 square feet?  Upstairs there are three bedrooms, one of which could be turned into a full bath.  Downstairs, on the first floor, are another two and a full bath.

People walk in and think they are looking at a ranch but discover the upstairs quickly.  "Oh no," they say, "I don't want a big house!"  "Think of it as an attic!" I want to scream, but smile pleasantly.

People walk by and think they are looking at a ranch and never open the front door.  "Oh dear," they say, "I thought it was larger - they must be counting the finished basement in the square footage."  I never get a chance to say otherwise.

Then there's the pool issue, a lovely inground pool that remarkably doesn't take up the whole back yard. Some people never see it - others don't want it.  It can go away...I have several friends who have plowed theirs under for not a great deal of $$$.  Really!  

The SUPER part of the open is to attract everyone who has even a slight inclination towards Westvale. Amber Spain will be your host from 11:00 to 1:00 and then I will take over until 3:00. Hopefully people will come, because for the price of $119,500 it's a great home. I am also offering an incentive of $500 in the form of a Wegman's gift card if an offer is written and accepted by November 26th, the day before Thanksgiving.  That's after you make your deal with the seller.

Please come and bring an open mind and, if you're not in the market, a friend.  The more buzzzzzzz we get the better!

Football

It's been one of those weeks, when so many things have converged that I can't ignore or not write this particular blog.

Which came first?  And does it matter....

A friend - fellow Realtor in another state, as it happens - sent over the photo from long ago of his Sherman Park team.  It was light-hearted, meant to be a reminder of the good old days when these guys were maybe 12 to 14.  His brother passed away this summer, so he had spent time resurrecting photos of that time, of our neighborhood.  At the wake we all stared at them.  A friend pointed out several member of the teams who had died, or gone on to incredible careers, gotten married....etc.

Last week I had gone to dinner with a friend at Doug's, as always talking about the old days...  This photo came in and I sent it over to him.  His texted response... "Hated every minute of it."

The Syracuse University - Louisville game was played while we were visiting ARLO in Manhattan.  We recorded the game, but after a day with the boys we were too tired to watch.  I checked the score on my cell right before sleep - I knew we had most likely lost, but how.  And most importantly was everyone healthy?  No, apparently.  Eric Dungey, the freshman quarterback from a little town in Oregon I had visited a few years ago, had "writhed in pain on the field" and then left the game with a head injury.  Only four minutes left in the game, down by 31 points.  He had been sidelined previously for another, earlier head injury a few weeks ago....and he was still in there, scrambling.  As tired as I was, I didn't sleep well.  Nightmarish stuff.

Yesterday I heard from a friend that her son had a concussion.  A young man, about the age of the guys pictured above.  I texted "How?"  "Football."

I am going to the SU - Clemson game tomorrow at the Dome with an old friend from the Sherman Park era. We used to walk over from her house to the games; her brother parked cars, we sat in the stands in Archbold Stadium in the open air, usually on the wrong side of the field.  Men smoked cigars and puffed in our faces, but we cheered our guys on.  Larry Csonka, Floyd Little, Coach Ben Schwartzwalder.....

Clemson is number one in the country, right now.  The SU team is hopelessly outclassed.  The third string - or is it fourth-string? quarterback will take over for Dungey.  There's another guy possible...hasn't played a lick of QB for SU.  Up against the number one team.

When Coach Schafer first took over from Doug (Dream Job) Marrone, he was introduced at an SU basketball game which we attended.  It was right after the NFL players had filed their suit because they were so very injured during their playing time, and then forgotten.  Coach Schafer talked about fighting hard, being aggressive, "knocking a few heads together..."   I may be paraphrasing, but whatever he said made me wince.

I worry about young men being hurt and disabled for life.  Bud Poliquin in the Post-Standard today wrote about Schafer's call to keep Dungey in the game, even when there was no chance of winning.  Coach said there was, but as Poliquin details, there wasn't.  Coach is a commander who leads his troops into battle, knowing there is a high probability - he does know this, doesn't he? - that it is all for nought, that players could get hurt with reckless and unnecessary plays.

We'll still go to the Clemson game.  I'll still watch my Seahawks and Peyton Manning and the Giants; we'll still host the family Super Bowl party.  But I'm not sure I will ever be back to an SU football game after Saturday.  Even when Coach Schafer goes.  It's just too hard to watch.

And oh yes....I hope Eric Dungey transfers to Harvard, a chance he passed up to play for Coach Schafer and Syracuse University.

Skaneateles Real Estate - The Fifth Twenty

Amazing year!  And with rates possibly going up in December PLEASE lock in a rate and a home before then!

10 Lakeview Circle         Village of Skaneateles      $330,000

2708 East Lake Road      Town of Skaneateles       $340,000

1562 Heifer Road            Town of Skaneateles       $273,000

5 East Lake Street           Village of Skaneateles      $295,000

1541 East Lake Road      Town of Spafford            $280,000

46 East Elizabeth St.         Village of Skaneateles     $242,000

2591 East Lake Road       Town of Skaneateles      $595,000

23 Calemad Drive             Town of Sennett             $475,000

4224 County Line Road    Town of Skaneateles      $472,000

1137 Hencoop Road        Town of Skaneateles      $450,000

1539 Tracy Drive             Town of Spafford           $410,000

32 East Street                   Village of Skaneateles    $390,425

78 Fennell Street               Village of Skaneateles    $149,500

796 Franklin Street            Town of Skaneateles     $162,500

73 West Elizabeth St.        Village of Skaneateles    $196,000

1934 Amnaste Lane          Town of Skaneateles      $228,750

1957 Amnaste lane            Town of Skaneateles      $220,000

4574 Vinegar Hill Road     Town of Skaneateles      $219,000

26 State Street                   Village of Skaneateles    $190,000

25 Hannum Street              Village of Skaneateles    240,000

OPEN HOUSE ALERT! 2 Green Street

OPEN SUNDAY, OCTOBER 25th

1:00 to 3:00

$134,900

 

 

A picture (or four) is worth a thousand words!  These photos of 2 Green Street in the Village of Camillus are from the previous owner's residency.  The bushes have been taken down by the front door, a beautiful wrought iron fence was installed to fence the back yard, and there is minimal furniture in the house now.  But it is still a gem!  And oh yes - the old and crumbling Verizon building across the street has been reduced to rubble, soon to be carted away...thanks to the neighbors requesting and receiving a visit from Senator Schumer.

Hopefully this gives you a sense of the house and what it could be again.  Pictures - whether actual photos or descriptions - help to make it real, but seeing the home is always better.  Please come!  ML#S338420

A Quick Primer on Taxes

As I wrote the last "Twenty" I realized that I haven't gone over why I put Village or Town in the notations, at least for quite a while.  As an extension of that, what does it even mean to a buyer or seller?  Certainly it affects the value of the house.  So a quick primer is in order:

All listings that I use are in the Skaneateles area of the multiple listing service.  That does not mean that all are in Skaneateles...Town or Village.  Skaneateles is quite well-known while Spafford or Sennett or Niles are not.  Waterfront homes are on Skaneateles Lake - so searching for a lakefront property it is natural to look under Skaneateles.  The Skaneateles School District extends into Spafford, Niles and Sennett....again, searches make more sense to look under Skaneateles.

Taxes and amenities differ.  The Village has a Village tax....but it also has really low electrical rates, sewers, and public water.  Places in the Town have public water, but not too far away from the Village.  There are no sewer connections outside of the Village (maybe a house or two right on the edge on Onondaga..)  No sewers in Spafford or Niles, either.  Skaneateles Falls (zip code 13153) has public water, but some homes are in the Jordan-Elbridge School District.

Taxes.  Over the last few days for some reason I realize I have been talking a lot about taxes to prospective buyers, most of whom are from out-of-state but not all.  Skaneateles has the lowest taxes in all of Onondaga County.  That's Skaneateles schools and town/county taxes.  The rate hovers around a total of 2.2%.  It also has the highest prices of homes.  You can be in Skaneateles but have J-E schools and therefore much higher taxes.  Our rate, by comparison, for Town of Elbridge and Jordan-Elbridge Schools is around 3.8%.   Of course our house would be assessed higher if it were a few miles down the road.

Does it come out even in the end?  Not really.  So many people are looking for homes in which to retire. They want to pay off their homes and only pay taxes.  A $300,000 home in Elbridge would require at the present rate upwards of $12,000 per year while a Skaneateles home would only mean paying $6,600....a huge difference.  The argument can be what you get for that 300K... and on and on, which is why the discussion continues always.

Remember this:  Skaneateles has the lowest tax RATE in Onondaga County.  And by the way, this is thanks to WelchAllyn and all those waterfront properties that create the base to allow for the low rate.

Another point of interest.....The Town of Sennett has the lowest RATE in Cayuga County!  Thank you Wal-Mart, Panera Bread, Staples.....and all those Grant Ave stores.

Taxes do matter.  Think of the young people who buy $100,000 starter homes (and you still can in Skaneateles.)  $2200 vs. $3800 per year translates into a difference of about $125 per month in their payments.

Looks like I had a lot to say, after all....so much for "Quick"!

Skaneateles Real Estate - The Fourth Twenty

What a busy, busy summer it was!  These homes were closed between August 1st and September 2nd....usually 20 homes close over a period of at least a couple months.  You can see why we are on a record pace this year.

5 Kane Avenue       Village of Skaneateles      $975,000

1797 Russells Ldg   Town of Skanateles         $535,000

105 Orchard Rd      Village of Skaneateles      $460,000

31 State Street         Village of Skaneateles      $436,175

52 Leitch Ave          Village of Skaneateles      $440,000

1691 Buffs Bluff       Town of Skaneateles        $354,000

1562 Heifer Rd        Town of Skaneateles        $273,000

135 E. Genesee        Village of Skaneateles      $290,000

20 Griffin                  Village of Skaneateles      $289,000

3989 Highland Ave   Town of Skaneateles       $237,500

1969 Amnaste Lane  Town of Skaneateles       $209,000

3853 State St. Rd.     Town of Skaneateles       $132,900

2524 Wave Way       Town of Skaneateles       $356,500

60 Jordan Street         Village of Skaneateles    $375,950

61 State Street            Village of Skaneateles    $325,000

3838 East Street          Town of Skaneateles     $321,000

3350 County Line        Town of Skaneateles     $340,000

3949 East Street          Town of Skaneateles     $280,000

718 School Street        Skaneateles Falls           $111,600

3762 Fisher Road        Town of Skaneateles      $95,000

Skaneateles Real Estate - October's Bright Blue Update

What a gorgeous month to live in Central New York!  Last weekend the boys and Alex and Rachel came up (aka ARLO) for a whirlwind 48 hours.  We started at Tim's Pumpkin Patch as we had last year - a slightly shorter drive (they made it in 4 hours!) and a very active, much-needed break.  Liam and Papa went on the hayride out into the fields; Ollie and I checked out the goats.  Both boys played in the barn with other kids. The rest of the weekend Bob and I took them as much as possible into our woods and out into the cornfields behind.  We also apple-picked with good friend Robin.  A glorious weekend!  Much thanks to Gary at Rosalie's for helping Alex and Rachel to celebrate her birthday Sunday night, too!

But what is happening in Skaneateles?  Currently there are only 82 single family listings in the Skaneateles area of the multiple listing service.  Of these, 28 are in the Village and 11 (only!) are considered waterfront. As mentioned last time, this is a disparity rarely seen.  Certainly at this time of year more waterfront should have appeared, and fewer Village homes should still be available.

Ten are new listings (actually only one of these is a re-list).  Five are in the Village and one is waterfront. There are 35 properties waiting to close or at least under contract.  Fifteen of these are new since my last update of September 20th.  Three are Village and one is waterfront.  (I love it when the numbers are consistent and form a consistent pattern!)

And for the grand news:  There are 100 sold and closed single family homes so far this year.  As of the 15th, when I compiled these stats, that was the number.  How much fun is that!  Should all the under contract homes close by the end of the year - and that's a reasonable assumption even with the new mortgage rules and regs - it will have been a record year for Skaneateles.  But hey - there's still time to add another home! May I suggest 24 State Street?  You could be in by Dickens!

Skaneateles Real Estate - The Third Twenty (or Thereabouts)

Playing catch-up here.....These are the sales that occurred between May 21st and July 31st.  Because the end of the month is always busy, there were three sales on the 31st.  I am reporting 21 sales here.

1700 Albring Road     Town of Skaneateles    $315,000

1981 Amnaste Lane    Town of Skaneateles    $230,000

3044 County Line       Town of Skaneateles    $62,500

49 East Street             Village of Skaneateles   $264,000

9 E Elizabeth St.        Village of Skaneateles    $225,000

89 W Elizabeth St.       Village of Skaneateles  $199,900

6 Gayle Road               Village of Skaneateles  $416,000

54 W Genesee St.        Village of Skaneateles  $425,000

9 Heather Woods         Village of Skaneateles  $323,000

4205 Jordan Road        Town of Skaneateles   $212,000

4378 Jordan Road        Town of Skaneateles   $129,000

4521 Jordan Road        Town of Skaneateles   $115,000

4162 Jordan Road        Town of Skaneateles   $115,000

3325 Kane Ave            Village of Skaneateles  $265,000

2025 W Lake Rd           Town of Skaneateles    $865,000

20 Lakeview Circle       Village of Skaneateles  $344,740

1348 Laxton Lane         Town of Skaneateles   $460,000

3740 Lucinda Lane        Town of Skaneateles  $235,000

1669 Old Seneca Tpke  Town of Skaneateles  $100,700

1853 Pork Street            Town of Skaneateles  $279,000

1057 The Lane               Town of Skaneateles  $380,000

Skaneateles Real Estate - The Summer Months Update

I started out yesterday to write this update, but quickly became too immersed in looking back over my own summer.  But now that that's all cleared out, please read - and hopefully enjoy - this HUGE update.

24 State Street - one of the new Village listings that came on over the summer. 

 $279,000 - ML#S338894

Since June 15th there have been 47 new (or re-listed) homes brought onto the Skaneateles area of the multiple listing service.  Currently there are 91 listings; 31 are in the Village and only 12 are considered waterfront.  If you have been following this blog you know that usually the numbers of Village homes and waterfront properties are similar.  Not this year!  Waterfront is at a premium.

The range of prices is astounding.  The lowest listing is $72,500 and the highest is $10,000,000.  The median price is $379,000.

There are 34 homes under contract.  Nine are in the Village and 6 are waterfront.

And now we come to the fun part.  When I wrote the last update, there were 44 homes sold and closed.  I also added the Second Twenty list of sales.  Well!

There are now 84 single family properties in the Skaneateles area that have closed to date.  The median price is $289,000.  In 2014 there were only 66 at this time; in 2013 there were 78.  Of these 84 closed to date, 16 are in the Village.

A record year is blossoming.  Has blossomed and is BLOOMING!  No wonder we've all been busy!

The Summer Summary

Quick, before Autumn arrives in a couple days!  It was an incredibly busy summer, as my lack of blogs should attest.  Since starting these blogs in 2007 (I think it was) I have rarely missed a few weeks.  A few months - never!  But it was that type of summer.

I was busy - everyone was busy.  We went places this summer, at least in the beginning.  We saw the Stones in Buffalo - and then I slept all the way home and got up and did an open house the next day.  We went to New York a couple times and had the kids up here.  We celebrated Liam's fourth birthday and Ollie's second.  We took in ball games - once to the Chiefs with our baseball buddies, the Andersens, and once at the Doubledays, again with them!  Socializing we rarely did.  I tried to have lunch with my old friend Gloria as we do each year at the Sherwood when she's in town and it took several tries to find a date I could go. Well worth the wait - always good to see friends who have been there forever...and will be.

I spent time at the lake.  After Jazz Fest, Charlie (our aging King Charles Cavalier with only two teeth) passed away.  We missed him terribly, and decided the house was too much of a reminder.  We went to the lake...no desk for him to situate himself under while I typed, no place to take a really long walk down the road, no memories of him there, really.  Boo came with us and returned to being a camp dog, although now with a lead.  He loved lying on the deck or in the open doorway, occasionally barking at "The Peskies" as we called them, our neighbors' little dogs.

Last week it was his turn.  He "just wasn't right" and I took him to Weedsport Animal Hospital after he ignored a huge cat fight.  A mass on his spleen....just like Sheba.  But this time Dr. Hopp was able to save him.  The operation went on for a couple hours and I paced outside while Bob sat.  He's not out of the woods yet...but still with us.

I took one trip - to Bethany Beach for a day with the boys and Alex and Rachel.  Bob had committed to a couple jobs and we had little notice.  One day at the ocean, a couple long walks with Liam, and I roared home again.  Sixteen hours of driving alone to sort things out.  I enjoy that actually.

And in-between all this was real estate, the actual focus of the summer.  I put miles on the Fiat, had the top down most of the time.  I watched tennis and more tennis.  And now fall is almost here.  I'm not ready to give up the lake quite yet, but I feel the pull to stack wood, get in shape, go to the Adirondacks.

We live in the most beautiful and one of the safest parts of the country.  We have vistas that take your breath away, gorgeous lakes that are accessible...go paddling in the Village!  We can stroll through lovely towns, admire homes that are (for the most part) not homes only a millionaire could afford.  And about 6 months out of the year the weather is perfect, the lawns are green, the streams run with pure water.  This summer I made a point of starting early and appreciating all of it.  It was grand, a summer to remember always.

The Second Twenty - 2015

I read Sean Kirst's column today in the paper about a family who grew up on the North side or Syracuse. Their boys went off to the Second World War....it was about them, but after spending a few days with our boys (and Rachel) I wished fervently that our kids could be here.  To grow up - marry - have kids - work - and live out their lives in our small corner of the world.  I know I didn't, really.  Alex was born in Seattle, grew up quite a bit in Saratoga, and went off to school (with my blessing) to Virginia.  That he's in Manhattan shouldn't surprise me - but I wish they were here.

In no particular order (but well overdue):

4107 Jordan Road      Town of Skaneateles    $100,000

4122 O'Neill Lane       Town of Skaneateles   $110,000

2442 Wave Way         Town of Skaneateles   $530,000

100 Sinclair Street       Village of Skaneateles  $490,000

1007 The Lane            Town of Skaneateles   $430,000

Lot 44 Orchard Road  Village of Skaneateles  $395,850

6 Gayle Road               Village of Skaneateles  $416,000

1025 Autumntree Court  Town of Skan...        $390,000

703 School Street         Town of Skaneateles   $192,000

3821 Knightsbridge       Town of Skaneateles   $179,000

606 Phillips Road           Town of Skaneateles   $174,901

3 Highland Street           Village of Skaneateles  $166,663

1713 Parliament Place    Town of Skaneateles   $160,000

4147 Jordan Road         Town of Skanateateles $117,500

819 Franklin Street         Town of Skaneateles    $217,500

1769 Wiles Lane            Town of Spafford         $210,000

71 East Lake Street        Village of Skaneateles  $232,500

38 Onondaga Street        Village of Skaneateles  $265,000

2194A W Lake Road      Town of Skaneateles   $315,000

3470 County Line Road   Town of Skaneateles   $355,000

Passings

Last week was a doubly sad time for Skaneateles.

The Big News that was revealed on Wednesday was that WelchAllyn, the family-run business that established Skaneateles as a wonderful place to raise children, retire, enjoy the beauty of the land and not just be a destination for a week in the summer...WelchAllyn had been sold.  Its headquarters would be moved to Chicago.  The thirteen hundred jobs in the area....well, no word on those as yet.

As the week went by we learned that the Allyn family agonized over the decision as well they should.  They were such a huge part - are such a huge part - of Skaneateles.  They put their belief that a small town could stay a small town and be productive on the global market on the line.  Not just productive, but competitive. I always enjoyed living in Seattle but seeing WelchAllyn products, made just a few miles away from where I grew up. Not knowing then that I would ever live in Skaneateles, that Alex would graduate from the high school, that I would be so intimately tied to the company through real estate relocation.

I doubt that the company will leave the area in the way that Carrier (where my father worked until he retired) did.  I don't see the new plant on State Street Road falling into disrepair like the factories in Dewitt.  (I refuse to look at Skaneateles Falls and the WA Jordan Road plant across from the Red Rooster.  Not yet.)  I also don't see the jobs leaving the area...we are growing here.  Think Tessy Plastics.

I see change though....I see Skaneateles more and more becoming a wealthy town, a recreational rather than residential town.  Homes becoming B&Bs, fewer kids in school (already there!), retirees rather than new parents.  But that's not all bad...just different.

The second sadness came from the passing of Jack Tracy.  By way of introduction he was the patriarch of a family in construction....Lake Country Construction.  He was also the seller of the lake lot I have represented on Firelane 21B plus the house and 50 acres in Niles.  His company, coincidentally, built the WelchAllyn Lodge.

He was a tough old bird, and I mean that affectionately.   When I heard he was sick - he told me actually - I discounted it.  He had come back from worse.  I never thought I'd be sitting in the Presbyterian Church marveling at those lovely stained glass windows on a late spring morning, listening to his eulogies.  I really didn't.

He was a gentleman of the first degree.  He loved his wife of 59 years, Midge, and treated her with a courtly gentleness that I see rarely these days!  He was only 20 when they married....think of that. They were always together.  I can honestly say I have never seen Midge without him.

I still hear his voice.  Kind of a laugh, then a "I really want that lot sold, Meg."  I would argue for a reduction in price.  He'd laugh again.  Say "Well, no...no..."   I would sigh, say something like "Okay..." and give in another time.  Why?  I am not sure, except maybe to stay a part of his world.  Ego, most likely.  I wanted to sell it to show him.

My favorite lines are apt here, for the passing of both Skaneateles icons:

I listened motionless and still,
And as I mounted up the hill,
The music in my heart I bore,
Long after it was heard no more.
           
             
Poem:  William Wordsworth
Photo:  Alicia

Skaneateles Real Estate Update - Almost Halfway There!

This is the exterior of the house and the yard at 2572 East Lake Road. I love this photo!  It gives you the real sense of the house and its setting.  To the left is the pool, then one of the eight gardens in the foreground, the trees, and the house.  You can feel the peacefulness and tranquility the setting generates. See other photos on the MLS - S333098.  (It has 19 acres too!)

Currently there are only 89 active listings (including this one!) in the Skaneateles area of the multiple listing service.  Of these, 26 are in the Village and 14 are considered waterfront.  Since reporting just before Memorial Day there have been 21 "new" listings (like the one above).  Nine are in the Village, ranging in list price from $189,000 to 2.2 million.  The Town's prices are $115,000 to $645,000 (the one above).  Two are waterfront new listings.  I thought the overall number was fairly high, so I went back and looked at which were actually new on the market and which were re-lists.  Only eight had been on recently, so 18 are brand new (like the one above).

There are 26 homes listed as under contract.  We have returned to three categories of this:  C - meaning under contract but continue to show (because you never know!), U - under contract (don't bother showing, we think it's solid), and P - pended, mortgage or cash and getting ready to close with no further contingencies.  When you look something up on REMAX.com, REALTOR.com, or CNYHomes.com you will see only the "A" and "C" listings.  The others will have mysteriously disappeared but may not have closed.

Back to the actual numbers....  Of the 26 under contract, 15 are new since the last update.  They range in list price from $99,000 to $459,000.  Seven are in the Village, and none are waterfront.

Really good news!  There are now 44 single family properties closed so far this year.  Seven are new since mid-May.  One was waterfront and two were in the Village.  This means a "Second Twenty" will be written soon.

That number seemed quite high so I went back and checked.  Last year at this time there were 29 sold and closed homes.  I had to keep looking way back to 2006 for more closings, or even close to 44 properties closing.  In 2006 there were 49.  The height of the market.  So - how do prices compare?

I sort of knew the answer, having had this discussion with friends a week or so ago.  The question is why homes bought in that era (2006 to 2008) haven't appreciated.  That was the the height - everyone scrambling to buy a house, driving prices up.  The good old days, when clients would arrive in town and see five houses and choose one so that they might get their first choice.  If not done then - it could be gone the next day. Prices in Skaneateles and the area were reasonable compared to the rest of the country, so grab the house and fix it up if needed, but make the deal or lose out.  Truly those days were "If you snooze, you lose."

Just the facts.  The median list price in 2006 was $300,000 for the homes that sold.  The median list price for the homes that have sold so far this year is $259,000.  Oh my!  Ouch!  But then again, there are bargains out there and they should be snapped up, as people are obviously doing.  We do volume sales now, that's all.

So hopefully this has been an informative blog.  It's helped me to pass the time while I wait for my three buyers who "snoozed" on their choices and will call me this morning to firm up deals or write offers.   (No, I won't let you know anything more....)

Open House Alert! 2742 West Seneca Tpke - Marcellus

2742 West Seneca Turnpike - Marcellus 

 OPEN SUNDAY, JUNE 7th - 12:00 to 2:00

This is a tale of two properties....First there is the land.  Eleven acres, reaching back into the trees.

Walking trails are cut into it.  You go back there, especially into the pines that were planted many moons ago, and you are in another world.  The swing and gardens are just the beginning of an adventure.

Then there is the home.  Built in 1835, it is filled with wonderful areas for living.  The above photo is of what would be considered the master - or the master's - bedroom.  That's a four-poster; the ceiling is vaulted. Look at the size of those windows!  On the eastern side are another set with a ledge.  Built-ins and more ledges are prominent in the room.  There is a memory that a small bathroom was in place and removed at some point.

Other features - a huge living and eating area with kitchen, bay window, great fireplace now converted to a wood stove, bay window looking out onto the patio and more trees.  Two more fireplaces, one in the front parlor and another in an upstairs bedroom.  Two full (modern comparatively) full baths, one up and one down.  First floor laundry room that used to be the kitchen.  What looks to be a three-car garage but has two bays and a workshop....and there is more.

This home is a space to be experienced.  No one has gotten in to see it yet and won't until the open house starts at noon on Sunday.  I am expecting agents and agents who have sent their clients.  I suspect there will be neighbors (always welcome!) and curious passers-by.  It is Olde Home Days in Marcellus this weekend, after all.

Price:  $249,900.....  ML#S333843  (home with the land....all one deed, in case I confused you.)

I plan on putting more photos in today after I walk the trails and see the progress the family has made on the inside.  Did I mention the screened- in porch?  You'll most likely find me there.  And do, please!

Open House and New Listing Alert! All in One!

2572 East Lake Road - Skaneateles

$645,000

OPEN SUNDAY, May 31st - 1:00 to 3:00pm

It's hard to know where to begin with this home!  From this view it looks massive, but it is really all about the windows and the decks.  Such a healthy way to live, with the sun streaming in during the afternoons, summer or winter.  Fling open the casements in the spring, summer and fall...you can see them to the left - that's the living room.  Or higher up on the third level - those are in the sitting room of the master bedroom.  Not enough air?  Walk out on to the decks.

The stairs to the right take you down to a gorgeous inground pool.  Swim, dive, float - let the aquabot clean it for you!

There are "standard" amenities with the house:  three-car garage, air conditioning, Corian counters in the baths and the kitchen, hardwood floors (these are a light maple).  In the living room - or should I say vaulted great room? - a stone fireplace reaches to the ceiling.  Another gas fireplace can be found in that master bedroom, as well as a whirlpool tub.

Okay - add all those things together and you get a beautiful home looking out towards the lake, with both winter and summer views.

Now add a 30' by 60' pole barn.  Do I have your attention?  Not a standard feature.

But the highlight, and what really makes this property special, are the almost 20 acres of land, with much of it trails cut into the woods.  Go out for a walk with the dog (you must own a dog; I think it's in the deed) and follow them through the woods with a bit of walking on the neighbor's land to complete the circle - and you will be gone for half an hour.  And not just any sort of trail, but 10 foot wide trails that allow for skiing and snowshoeing as well as walking or jogging.  

This is a beloved home, created over the past 17 years and now available for the first time.  Please come on Sunday and see it with me!

For more photos and descriptions, please see ML#S333098.  As always, tell me you read about it here, on this blog.

Open House Alert! - 121 Clover Road in Westvale

OPEN SUNDAY - May 24th - 12:00 to 2:00

MLS#S331711 - $142,500

When I take photos, I try to find the one picture that encompasses the essence of the home.  (My - doesn't that sound a little, well, you know.....)  But at the brokers open which was so very well-attended the agents picked out the built-in china cabinet.  You can see why - everything neatly arranged, the pieces chosen for their color and beauty.  Lovely!

The seller and I had a few meetings at the table in front.  She served me gorgeous ripe strawberries and brie with English Breakfast tea.  From the table you can see the front living room and out to the street.  The in-ground pool in the back yard was behind me, the lower windows covered with plantation shutters.  

For a house not quite 1700sf it packs a lot of rooms and that great word "potential."  The kitchen is done in maple and granite with newer appliances.  Many of the rooms have hardwoods, and there is plenty of storage.  On the first floor is the full bath and official bedroom, plus another room used currently as both a den and office.  Going out to the back you pass a walk-in pantry, then exit through a sun porch (not included in the square footage).  

Upstairs are three more bedrooms, two of which are large with angled ceilings.  The rear one overlooks the pool and also has its own built-ins.  The one in the front needs a bit of work, but is even larger.  A third bedroom is smaller, and the seller remembers when she bought the house the owners saying there might be plumbing for an upstairs bathroom.  She never checked - but when you buy it, you can!

The basement is full and has a laundry area, another full bath, and the remains of what used to be a second kitchen a while back.  A big room is finished (at least tiled) and would make a great poker room or media room or get away for kids or adults.  

And this is Westvale, a ways back from Genesee Street, too.  Westvale means similar homes built in the 1950s, a great neighborhood and community, and Westhill Schools.  Cherry Road Elementary is just a few blocks away.  Remember walking to school?  Easy access to Syracuse or 690 to get you anywhere in half an hour, plus Wegmans can be reached in five minutes, Panera Bread in 6, and I bet Target in 8 minutes.  All of course at the revitalized Fairmount Fair.  

We had friends who lived in Westvale, and we always heard about Halloween and the woman who positioned herself in a tree and threw down candy.  Then there were the luminaria at Christmas, lining the streets.  

So please come and say hello!  I will be there from noon until 2:00 on Sunday with something to celebrate Memorial Day.  Just go past Fairmount Fair on Genesee Street to Manchester on the right, and then four blocks to Clover.  If the frost doesn't get them there will be pansies in the flower boxes and a warm welcome from me!

Skaneateles Real Estate - Good News Update

I spent Monday night at the lake with Charlie.  Just to make sure everyone knows who Charlie is - our King Charles cavalier who came to us a little over three years ago at the age of 9, we were told.  He had all but two of his teeth removed and his tongue lolls out of his mouth as a result.  He is a bit bug-eyed and always looks on the verge of going mad, but he loves to walk and ride in cars, so I took him with me for the night.
He is also a good companion.

I had all the windows open - it was 72 degrees even at 3 AM!  I know because I got up to read a bit and enjoy the evening warmth.  We saw Rachel, Alex and the boys over the weekend, and Rachel had given me a book to read.  I could not put it down, so I read for an hour and a half until it started getting light out. Sarah's Key, by Tatiana de Rosnay.  I haven't finished it yet....savoring it now....but I've lost a lot of sleep over it!  The first few chapters hooked me totally.

But!  During the day there is real estate to do!  Currently there are 88 single family homes listed in the Skaneateles area of the multiple listing service.  Of these, 25 are in the Village and 13 are considered waterfront.  Since I wrote in mid-April, 19 new listings (including re-listings) have come on the market. Seven are in the Village and five are waterfront.  I think I can safely say that there are fewer waterfront properties to choose from this year.

Nine homes went under contract in the past month bringing the total number to 18, waiting to close.

The good news part?  There are now 37 properties that have sold and closed so far this year.  That's an increase of 8 in the past four weeks.  Two are in the Village and one is waterfront.

The good news comes in two parts.  If we look at 35 closings as being one-third of the year, then we are headed to at least 100 homes closed.  The second part of the good news is historical.  Last year on this date we had 22 sold and closed homes.  ONLY 22.  Long winter, yadda yadda yadda.....but this winter was long too.  In 2013 the weather was better - and there were 29 closings by mid-May.

The market in Skaneateles is jumping - and with fewer homes from which to choose, prices will go up and decisions will be easier.  I spoke with an agent today who said she had three buyers looking to buy three Village houses.  And if you have a house you are thinking about listing - please call me!  There are buyers for it!

A Tale of Two "Families"

I am going to a funeral tomorrow morning and a "wake" in the afternoon.  Two separate, very different people's services.  One man was close to 90, I am sure, and the other one my age, or thereabouts.  They represent to me very important locations - settings - homes - families.

"Mr. Moore," as I always called him, was the father of kids who like me spent summers at the lake.  Our road was filled with families who came at the end of school in June and returned Labor Day weekend to the city, or suburbs.  There were about 20 of us, and summer nights found us playing "capture the flag" or trying to ring the bell before Mr. Gehring caught us.  During the day we swam, paddled on our paddle boards, fished, explored the glen, listened to the radio play the songs of our day, and generally had an ideal childhood.  The fathers went off to work, the mothers stayed in the camps or watched us when we swam, and life was good.  We went back in to the city and suburbs to schools and rarely saw each other until the next summer.

Mr. Moore was the last of the fathers - and mothers - of that generation.  My friends are the parents, and grandparents now.

Jay Mindnich came from my winter home, the Westcott Nation on the east side of Syracuse.  There was a group of us who attended Levy and then Nottingham, but we were distingushed from the more University- area kids by Westcott Street.  After school we hung out at Abdo's Market on Beech Street, or drank vanilla cokes and ate home fries at Wittig's counter.  We went to the Westcott Theater for movies, smoked cigarettes in the alley, roamed Thornden Park.  Especially this time of year, when the lilacs were out and the scent permeated the air for a week.  Jay was one of the neighborhood kids, a State Champion in wrestling, and the kid who didn't move away.  He came back to the house he grew up in while the rest of us moved out of state or to Skaneateles.  He stayed, buying houses, painting houses, renting out houses on his block.

Jay was the last of us.  I asked his brother, who is my age, if he would be back once the house was settled. He seemed startled.  With Jay gone and the rest of us dispersed...why?

These people are both part of my extended families and as such are dear to me.  As an only child my friends became my siblings.  Cathy at the lake was my first maid of honor, the little sister I never had.  Gail and Rick bought a place in Skaneateles and I realized even Westcott Nation people could live there.

Even thought there's sadness in seeing these two men leave, there is also the joy that I had - we had - such great places to grow up.  Alex had the lake, too, and his friends are the sons and daughters of my generation.

I wish every child had such good memories.  I wish every child had a place - or places - that are as evocative as the lake and our inner-city neighborhood.  I wish that could be recreated, but I know it can't.  I wish parents would think of that when buying homes, and I know many who do.

Tomorrow we'll say good-bye to Mr. Moore (and the church will be filled with people from the lake). Then in the afternoon we will "wake" Jay, as he requested, and see old faces and tell old tales.  It's good, it is as it should be.  A moment stolen from time to remember other times, other people.  And feel blessed.

Open House Alert! 4605 Limeledge Rd

                             Come one, come all!  Sunday, May 10th from 12:00 to 2:00

How pretty is that?  Come and spend a few minutes on the back deck under the canopy.

I like to do something special when it's a special day like Mother's Day.  I don't exactly know what that will be yet, but I have a few thoughts.  Drop in and see what I came up with ... and you might just fall in love with this home!

The price is now an incomparable $189,000.  A bargain!  Almost 2500 square feet for that price?  In Marcellus?  In such great condition with so many updates and improvements?  I think you should buy it now before the sellers reconsider and raise the price!

I chose to do an open house in part because Sycamore Hill Gardens is holding their annual open "gardens" on Sunday.  The hours are 11:00 to 4:00, I believe.  Check it out at www.SycamoreHillGardens.com.  The Hanford family generously open their gorgeous land to visitors on this day.  To get there, you most likely will pass Limeledge Road off Old Seneca Turnpike just west of Marcellus Village.  Please stop in!

And when you do, tell me you saw this blog, please!

Floor Plans - Check this out!

These are floor plans for 4605 Limeledge Road in Marcellus, ML#327491.  Blogspot which hosts this blog didn't like my pdf files, but wanted an image....so I pulled out my trusty cell and took photos, but they weren't very good.  I resorted to my camera and these are better, but not perfect.  You will just have to come to my open house on Sunday to see the real things!  And the house!

A while ago Jerry Morrissey of another agency in Skaneateles started doing floor plans with his listings. They were - and are - very interesting.  I asked him about it and he said sellers really liked them.  I couldn't imagine doing them, but he said someone else did the actual measurements and converted them into the plans.  I like what I do that's different - post cards, this blog, my communication - and felt it was an add-on I could live without.

While I was opening a house for a friend/buyer/client so her new home could have new carpets as quickly as possible after closing, the man who measured showed me how easily the measurements were done and how the layout was transposed into a floor plan.  It really was neat - and fast!

I prevailed on the sellers of Limeledge to let me give it a try at my expense.  They are always interested in new ways to market, so they agreed.  Unfortunately the roll-out of these floor plans was not as smooth as I would have liked.  The carpet measurements are vastly different from creating an actual floor plan with windows and utility rooms and such.  There were mistakes, and they prevailed on me to add the garage and deck because both are excellent features of the home.  I took measurements myself, Jason at our Skaneateles office produced a method of adding to the original floor plans, and we were slooooooowly in business.

I will include floor plans in the future for the majority of my new listings.  Some houses won't lend themselves to it (I think of my nephew's house that measure 640sf and sold the first day) and other sellers may not want it done.  But I like them enough to try them for a year or so.  Monitor and adjust - that's what it's all about!

Open House Alert! 4625 Phillips Road

Sunday, May 3rd - 1:00 to 3:00

I am showing you the back of the house so you can see the door with the little awning over it.  This is the door in what I would consider the back bedroom, even though it has no closet.  When I asked the owners about it - a bit odd, I thought - they reminded me that the house was at one point reputed to be a tavern during Prohibition days.  And a tavern then needed a back door for quick exits.

We laughed and left it there, but recently Intrepid Janet saw the home and became intrigued by its history. She googled it and came up with a fascinating article about the area, and specifically a "Speakeasy in the Falls," later identified as being on Phillips Street (but most likely Phillips Road.)

The link is http://redroosterpub.net/index_files/Page459.htm.  I just tried the link from here and it didn't work (permission denied?), but certainly you could find it another way.

Or really a better way is to come to the open house today!  I have several copies of that article by Charlie Major that I can personally give you!  At the same time you can see the home, walk out the back door even!

The price is $89,500....I am offering an incentive of a $50 gift card to the Red Rooster just around the corner, if you enter into a contract to purchase the home by May 10th.  Think: 3-bedrooms (at least) first floor bed/bath, public water and natural gas, J-E Schools, and Skaneateles Creek just across the street.
Plus privacy...only two more houses on the no-outlet road.

Come sit on the front porch and listen to the creek, or walk up the half acre lot and see this exterior back view of the home.  Now, without snow!

If you miss the open today, it is easy to come by another day....just give me a call a (315) 447-0441.

Thank you, Janet, for doing this research!  And stay tuned....I will tell you in the next week or so more about the history of the Falls.

As always...when you do come, tell me you saw this blog post...I absolutely love it when you do!

Filming in Central New York

Ron Perlman wants to make films here.  So says the Post-Standard as reported by Teri Weaver on the front page of today's edition.

Ron Perlman.  I said "Beauty and the Beast" and Bob said "Sons of Anarchy."

He is here because of Governor Cuomo's Start-up NY Program.  And the nano hub in Dewitt.  He plans to do most of his post-production there and film around the area as much as possible.

The first movie will start filming July 21st.  In a few days scouting will begin for scenes to be shot around Skaneateles.

The movie, "Wooden Lake," will be about a family coming together for a wedding.  Jacki Weaver ("Silver Linings Playbook") will star.

Now where could that wedding be filmed?

Adam Weitsman's house on West Lake perhaps?  Would he allow it?

Mirbeau!

How about The Sherwood Inn where Alex and Rachel were married?

Or high atop the land for sale on East Lake Road?  That's a pretty spot.  Maybe in a vineyard somewhere....think Anyela's.

The rehearsal dinner....Rosalie's, with Gary Robinson presiding, and the violinist serenading.

They will hire 200 people for the company..... Perlman would rather keep the jobs here.

So keep your eyes and ears open this summer.  Show the film crew that you welcome them and their business.  Skaneateles is about to get the star treatment as it has always deserved!

Skaneateles Real Estate - Getting Back on Track Update

Last week a few things happened that have resulted in this blog and other blogs going forward.  I heard from an old fan of the blog who mentioned that he was glad to see it reactivated.  He also gave me a lovely referral!  I had started writing again because I do enjoy it so much, and also because it keeps me grounded in the business.  More importantly it makes me stop and think.  I gave up rushing years ago but I forget to take time for myself.  I count the blog as "me-time," just as necessary as my daily walk.

So thank you, old friend!

There are currently 88 active listings in the Skaneateles area of the multiple listing service.  Of these, 22 are in the Village and 13 are considered waterfront.  Nine "new" listings came on this week, but 4 were re-lists. People take properties off the market to freshen their listing, ensuring that as Realtors check the hotsheet it will be seen anew.  I usually print out histories for my buyers, to let them know that this is not a new listing they are viewing but one that was on the market for a length of time previously.  Also there may be changes - new pictures of updated work that was done, a change of brokerage, new price.

Only one property was added to the "under contract" list.  It was just listed in the past 10 days and has "sold" already.  Pricing is everything!  List a home under the market value as determined by comparable sales and it will go quickly.  There the debate rages - too low and "money was left on the table."  Maybe...but also taxes weren't paid for months, insurance, mortgage costs...and there is a stress factor to selling a house that is costly, too.

No closings were reported in the past 10 days.  I did write a "First Twenty" blog, so please check if you missed it.  In 2014 by this date there were only 20 houses sold and closed.  As I noted, that was a very slow year!  In 2013 there were 25 - about 20% of the total number that year.

Since I will write more regularly I thought I would include another area (perhaps) on a regular basis.  This week I chose Marcellus.  I have four listings there now, so it is meaningful to me.  Currently there are 28 active listings of which 7 are in the Village and one is waterfront on Otisco Lake.  Five are under contract, and 12 have sold so far this year.  Last year 15 had sold - they weren't slowed by the lengthy winter!  In some ways their market is healthier....at this pace they will exhaust their inventory more rapidly than Skaneateles.

                                                4605 Limeledge Road - Town of Marcellus 

               $199,888             

One reason is their median price: $219,000 for the active listings, and $134,500 for the sold and closed properties.  More people can buy in this range, and as noted it is the lower-priced properties that have sold. By contrast, Skaneateles' active median price is $379,000 and their closed price is $339,000.

Whatever the price, the market is moving.  Get out to open houses, check daily on Realtor.com, REMAX.com, or CNYHomes.com for listings.  These are tied to the MLS system we use and will be the most accurate.  But that's another discussion.....

Central New York Springtime

Earlier this week I bought this planter of pansies at the Elbridge Tops.  They were so colorful!  Usually I buy the blues and purples for my flower boxes at the lake, but I splurged on diversity.  There are white, yellow and even orange blossoms in there.

Then it snowed.  Just a half inch or so, but there they are in snow.  During the day the sun comes out and they recover joyously.  When I wash the dishes I can see them on the table on the deck.  Sign of what will come.  Eventually.

I remember years ago when Bob had his own house in Syracuse on the east side.  He had planted pansies and they made it through the winter even.  Hardy flowers...just like Central New Yorkers!

This week in the news there were reports once again of the toll the drought is taking on the West.  The volcano in Chile exploded, bringing back vivid memories of Mt. St. Helen when we lived in Seattle.  My cousins in Alabama are in that tenuous part of the country that gets tornadoes and hurricanes.

Our hardiness is the day to day stuff.  We have had the derechos, as in the storms of 1998 and 1999.  We have blizzards, or what passes for blizzards here.  The prairies get the real thing, I think.  We just get dumped on with snow.  Last fall was amazing - warm and so beautiful in the hills!  We've had hot summers lately, too...well into the 90s for days.  But not the humidity of places like Baltimore.

We put up with the long winters, or at least most of us do.  I feel like I am losing friends to Florida's mild winters.  Houses are selling here, though, because it is a solid place to live.  Yes, there are pansies in the snow, but such beauty surrounds us!  And unlike Manhattan or other incredible cities, you can see the night sky here.  It doesn't threaten with winds or floods so much....but promises clear days ahead.

Yes, you need to be hardy here, but it is worth it.

Open House Alert! 2345 Olanco Road

I love this view of Otisco Lake!  The shot was taken from the lake access that is deeded with the camp, looking across the southern neighbor's deck.  The bits of white you see are most likely ice, still on the lake in early April.  But there in the distance is that bluff on the western (right) side.

Sunday, April 26th from 1:00 to 3:00 I will be there enjoying the view from the deck and hopefully speaking with a lot of people who have come out for the open house.  The price is now $125,000.  Really?  Yes, really!  For a three bedroom home with new bath, first floor laundry, many many upgrades.  Add to that Marcellus Schools and the access to the lake.  (ML#S328023)

Our lake - I virtually grew up on it in the summer - is changing.  The homes along the northwestern roads - Olanco and Glen Cove - are moving from small camps to incredible three-story year-round homes.  My friends are selling their city and suburban houses and moving into one house on the lake.  They winter in Florida - some - or commute to their jobs in Syracuse.  Some work elsewhere - D.C, Connecticut - but come home to the lake.

A few of us are holdouts for the old way of life, and this place on Olanco combines the best of both worlds. It is a camp - woodstove (but with a furnace too), huge deck (and also a usable back yard), garage (under the house) and gardens (mostly flowers).  The fire pit is set up way in the back for privacy and the view.  It's small - really around 1300sf for the main floor with another 800sf in the lower level.  The new homes are easily around 3000sf when all levels are counted.  Ours is a paltry 1,000sf.  And that's fine!

So come and say hello - share a healthy snack - hang out on the deck.  It's camp, after all!

The First Twenty - 2015

In no particular order, these are the homes that closed in the Skaneateles area of the multiple listing service between the first of the year and March 29th.  With 60 days to closing, most likely the majority were sold during that time period too.  Not bad for such a difficult winter!


2146 West Lake Road       Town of Skaneateles     $245,000

40 Onondaga Street           Village of Skaneateles    $249,000

163 East Genesee Street     Village of Skaneateles    $267,000

53 East Street                     Village of Skaneateles    $211,500

1695 Buffs Bluff                  Town of Skaneateles     $193,000

11 West Elizabeth St.          Village of Skaneateles    $200,000

3076 East Lake Road          Town of Skaneateles     $139,000

860 Crow Hill Road             Mottville                       $141,000

4179 NW Townline Rd.      Town of Skaneateles     $143,000

1456 Lacy Road                 Town of Skaneateles       $50,000

8A Gayle Road                   Village of Skaneateles    $2,772,000

3179 East Lake Rd             Town of Skaneateles     $1,550,000

3265 Lanning Rd.                Town of Spafford          $730,000

42 Academy Street              Village of Skaneateles    $675,000

1351 Cherry Valley Tpke     Town of Skaneateles     $575,000

34 State Street                     Village of Skaneateles    $525,000

3339 West Lake Road         Town of Skaneateles     $495,000

7032 N. Glen Haven Rd       Town of Sempronius    $350,000

104 West Lake Street           Village of Skaneateles   $355,000

1007 Butters Farm Lane       Town of Skaneateles    $366,865

Open House Alert! 4605 Limeledge Road

My Marcellus listing at 4605 Limeledge Road will be open tomorrow - Sunday, April 19th - from 2:00 until 4:00. Amber Spain from our office will be your host.

I chose the photo above to represent the home because it shows off some of the features that are important. First off, the hardwood floors gleam on the second floor.  This is the living room - or it could be called the family room.  The fireplace burns real wood but the "woodstove" on the first floor in the family/living room is actually a natural gas stove.  To the right are three windows, looking out over open fields to the hills beyond. To the left is the kitchen with new stainless steel appliances.  As you can see from the photo, there are many recessed lights.  The home glows with light, both at night and during the day.

There are four bedrooms, three upstairs and one down.  A full bath with tub and shower is upstairs and doubles as the hall bathroom and the master bath.  The full bath down has a step-in shower and could also be used as a more traditional half bath for visiting guests.

You will see if you drive by a full front lawn, a huge two-car garage with storage, and the windows.  You won't see unless you come inside the large back yard, partially fenced for dogs, the giant pines, a shed and the deck coming off the upstairs dining room.

All this, and a quick drive into the Village of Marcellus (Marcellus Schools of course) or an easy drive to Skaneateles, just over the hill via Old Seneca Turnpike.

Priced under $200,000 ($199,888 to be exact) with almost 2500 square feet and .72 acres - and ready to go!  The sellers have worked hard to make it so - check the list of the many updates.  Come see - tell Amber you saw it on my blog - please!