"It's Christmas-time in the Finger Lakes..."

I've wanted to write this blog for quite a while, but every time I get ready to sit down and do it I have another event to go to!  Today I knew I needed to finish the update with the Fifth Twenty, so I turned off the Bills v. Steelers and sat down to do it all.  Seahawks are on at 4:00 - a much preferred game with the Packers.

A week ago Friday I went to lunch with my old friend Dodie.  (She is old - older than me by 6 months.) We've been very close friends since 8th grade, except for about a 15 year hiatus when our politics didn't mesh.  I was the hippie going out west, she was the bank employee working her way up the corporate ladder.  Her life was stable with husband #1, also a banker.  Mine was a little wild - Seattle there we went!
But at some point between husbands I found out she had been sending Christmas cards all those years to my mother....When I moved back to Skaneateles she was only an hour or so away.  The friendship continued.

So - we ate at the Sherwood on the porch, enjoyed a healthy lunch then feasted on creme brulee (me) and the tri-berry tart (her).  We shopped, doing the "sunny side" of the street this year.  Chestnut Cottage had enough presents to actually finish her shopping for her sisters, I was impressed by F. Oliver's on Jordan and bought a few olive oils.  I can't wait to try them out on ice cream!  Seriously!  The chocolate and the blood orange...oh my!

At Chestnut Cottage we marveled at Patience Brewster's work.   You can see it at www.patiencebrewster.com.  I also understand that Whoopi Goldberg likes it so much that she will talk about it on The View on Wednesday of this week - the 14th.  Skaneateles isn't just where presidents vacation...it's where artists live!

The Village looks like that, too.  I watch those sappy Christmas shows from Hallmark and Ion while I bake or pull together the cards I send each year.  I always seem to find the ones with pretty little towns.  A couple years ago one actually filmed in Aurora.  So why not Skaneateles?

Dodie and I finished our shopping - or at least she did - and we went our separate ways.  She'll probably move back some day, and either come to Skaneateles or go through to Caz.  But we'll still shop, I hope. And while Dickens is energizing, shopping with an old friend is oh, so much fun!

The Fifth Twenty

As promised, and without further ado....

1242 Greenfield Lane     Town of Skaneateles      $1,375,000

1266 Greenfield Lane      Town of Skaneateles      $1,075,000

104 East Genesee Street  Village of Skaneateles     $900,000

34 1/2 Academy Street    Village of Skaneateles     $875,000

62 West Elizabeth Street   Village of Skaneateles     $80,000

1713 Lee Mulroy Road     Town of Skaneateles      $120,000

4810 Jordan Road             Town of Skaneateles      $131,500

41 Griffin Street                 Village of Skaneateles     $180,000

53 Leitch Avenue               Village of Skaneateles     $350,000

67 State Street                   Village of Skaneateles     $375,000

1019 The Lane                   Town of Skaneateles      $445,000

9 Onondaga Street              Village of Skaneateles     $515,000

1 Clift Lane                         Village of Skaneateles     $775,000

7 East Street                       Village of Skaneateles      $680,000

3899 Highland Ave             Town of Skaneateles        $543,200

1264 Greenfield Lane          Town of Skaneateles        $516,000

4662 West Lake Road         Town of Skaneateles       $260,000

179 East Genesee Street       Village of Skaneateles     $275,000

2141 Terrace Lane South      Town of Skaneateles       $325,400

6 East Lake Street                 Village of Skaneateles     $345,000


Wow!  Notice how many Village homes sold and closed! 

Open Houses Alert! Sunday, December 4th

First up is 8805 Horton Street in the Village of Weedsport.  Jeannine Larose will be your host from 11:00 to 1:00.  It's a small house, yes, but certainly Alex, Rachel and and the boys live in a smaller apartment in Manhattan and pay waaaaaaaay more!  Plus their garage is about 20 blocks north instead of in the back yard.  They have two (sort of, kind of) bedrooms and this has only one real bedroom, but it's twice the size of the legal one in their apartment.  Oddly, they have a half bath which doubles as a much-needed closet. Horton Street has closets - several of them without toilets.  While the kids look out at Liam's new school - literally into the classroom and courtyard - Horton Street is a quiet, residential area.  And you can own Horton Street - actually own it and get tax benefits from it for about $2700 less per month.

Look! Two of the cedars are gone now!  That's the garage at the end of the driveway (a good place for it!) On the right side of the house is the sunporch, which with some work and imagination could be a second bedroom, if necessary.  Again, open Sunday from 11:00 to 1:00....

I will be at 188 East Genesee Street in the Village of Skaneateles from 12:00 to 2:00.  There will be plenty of time for you to come to the open house and then still walk into the Village for the Dickens celebration.  I hope to have some good, healthy refreshments, too - think apples, cranberry juice, seasonal things.

This is a beautiful home for the holidays!  I've said before that it reminds me of the house in which I grew up in Syracuse, by the University.  We had French doors too, and as a little girl I'd come down the stairs before dawn on Christmas day and, being the good little girl I was, just sit and wonder what was under the Christmas tree that I could see through those French doors.  Usually there were two unwrapped gifts:  A Madame Alexandra doll and a Steiff animal.  But I'd run back upstairs with those sugarplums in my head and wait for dawn when I could wake my parents.

Hardwoods reflected the Christmas tree lights, the French doors kept me at bay...the fire in the fireplace made it all cheery and warm.  Dinner was served in the dining room with sconces similar to the ones on the wall here. The garage was detached, as this one is, with little space behind it.  But we had a park that gave the illusion of depth.  This house has that illusion too - fields in which the kids play even though owned by someone else.  Our driveway was narrow, so narrow that there was permanent damage on the corner of the house!  The driveway at 188 East Genesee is wider, and not shared.

Come and see the house and visit with me on Sunday, from 12:00 to 2:00.  We can talk about how this home would accommodate your holidays!  Maybe have some eggnog too!


P.S.  I've (quietly) changed the comment requirements here for the blog so anyone can write in....I'll monitor it, but it will be easier than e-mailing me, I think.

Skaneateles Real Estate - The Post-Election Update

I do know the election happened three weeks ago, but it is still reverberating and will for a while.  I love surprises, and I watch sports so much because I never know what will happen.  I don't like that in my politics - there is too much at stake.  The uncertainty of the 2000 election was cerebral, not emotional.  I never felt threatened; I knew whichever way it turned out that everything would be all right.  Years and years ago one of my favorite books was A Separate Peace by John Knowles.  One small part of the novel elucidated a character by his belief in a group of old men who sat in a room, eating their steaks and smoking cigars, making sure that "everything would be all right."  There's something good about that, even though I would add an equal amount of women in the room now.

The week after the election I went on a trip to Alabama, of all places, to visit my cousins.  I had learned about safety pins by then, but never saw one outside of Skaneateles.  I didn't wear one either - they were hardly a "hidden" sign any more.  But Alabama was fine, on the surface and on the Gulf Shore.  I saw my wonderful Fairhope again, home to Fannie Flagg, a pier and lovely little cottages.  As I've said in the past - when we go on vacation we end up in places just like Skaneateles!  And as usual, it was warmer here than there!  (Always when I visit anywhere south....)  I flew home in the midst of the blizzard, though.

So it's been a while getting back to this blog.  But I'm here now, and I will be in the office this afternoon.

There are currently 65 active listings - that's all! - in the Skaneateles area of the multiple listing service.  Of these, 11 are listed over one million dollars.  Twenty-three are in the Village, and fifteen are considered waterfront.  Only six listings have come on the market since October 21st - and only three are truly new listings, not re-lists of properties that haven't sold.  (Helps to explain the low number - the lowest? - of active listings, too.)

Eighteen homes are under contract, eight of them in the Village.  Eleven have been placed in this category since October 21st.  So only 7 have been waiting over 5 weeks to close....hmmmmm.)

Must be the others have sold - and they have!  There were 10 closings, bringing the year-to-date number to 105!  This is excellent news!  Last year at this time there were 113 sold and closed properties, but we are over 100 again!  I'll publish the Fifth Twenty soon.

Just in time, too...rates are starting to go up.  Buy now - lock in - and be part of next year's count to 100!

Skaneateles Real Estate - The Rainy Day Update

It has rained!  Our little pond is filled to almost overflowing, water is cascading down our driveway, and I am afraid to think of what might be happening at the camp.  We are getting new drainage put in...but maybe not soon enough.  At least the lake levels will come up.

Years and years ago I walked with Alex and a couple friends (they were all about 5) and our dog, Turkey, down the lake and through the causeway.  We were able to meander by way of the waterfront, and it was late fall so the level was low.  We traversed some muddy patches, climbed over docks and stairs, and had a grand time on a gorgeous day (unlike today).  That was an amazing hike...most likely 5 miles!  And then there we were, at the southern-most part of the lake!  This was in the day before cell phones.  Camps were closed for the winter, and very few people were around.  Oh my!  Someone finally answered a door and allowed me to use the phone to call one of the kids' fathers to pick us up, Turkey and all.  What a great memory it was for me - I doubt the kids remember it at all.

But on to the rainy day update:  Currently there are 73 listings in the Skaneateles area of the multiple listing service.  Of these, 28 are in the Village and 16 are considered waterfront.  Nine listings are reported as "new," but actually 4 of these are re-lists.  I know 188 East Genesee is among these;  the re-list was written to highlight the new staging and new photos.  Only one of the new listings is waterfront.

In the under contract category, there are 16 listings.  Six are newly contracted since the end of September and four of the six are Village homes.  Most of these will close before the end of the year, I would think, and will bring our sold and closed number to over 100.

Speaking of which:  There are now 95 sold and closed properties year-to-date.  Of these, 31 are in the Village and 12 are waterfront.  Last year at this time there were 104 closed single family properties.  Twelve of the 95 just closed since the last blog post.

Waterfront property listings remains low.  There simply aren't as many places for sale as there have been in other years.  Last year by this time it was a similar result: 11 waterfront homes were closed.  But in 2014 there were 20, and 2013 had 17.  I think pricing has a great deal to do with it.  The listings are overall much higher in price and demand is as great or greater due to the small amount of homes on the market.  Prices rise under these conditions.  I know Otisco Lake is seeing the same situation:  Currently there are only four listings, and one is shared lake rights.

Will it change?  As everyone says, "There is only so much lakefront out there."  Buy now!

Open Houses Alert! 188 East Genesee and 8805 Horton St

So let's start at 188 East Genesee Street.....Open Sunday, 11:00 to 1:00 (so you can head on out to look at the foliage, watch football games, and pick apples after you've seen the home.)  Jeannine Larose will be your host.  I've tried, but I simply can't be in two places at one time!  Jeannine knows the home and can certainly write your offer!

This is another photo of the living room and the fireplace.  For more photos, please go the ML#S1005775.
The home is listed at $249,500....Village of Skaneateles which means sewer and public water connected, plus cheap electric (ask Jeannine!)

Then:

                                                                  8805 Horton Street
                                                                 Village of Weedsport
                                                                     (Town of Brutus)
                                                                      ML#S357862
                                                          Open Sunday, 12:00 to 2:00

Now why on earth would I show you a water heater in a basement?  First of all, check out the beautiful stone work that has held up since 1880 - 136 years!  Then notice that the water heater is new, which leads me to telling you about the new plumbing and the new electrical.

The home is small, as is the price: $62,000.  I'll let that sink in for a bit......sinking....sinking....done!

Under 1,000sf, I am fairly sure that the unheated but enclosed sun porch is not included in the square footage, so in actuality it's over 1,000 sf.  The laundry is on the (heated) back porch area, there's a dining room as well as a living room, plus a garage.  All of this on a very quiet back street in the Village. Weedsport Schools, of course.

There is currently only one bedroom upstairs, but it is good-sized: 252 square feet!  Part of it is hardwood and part newly carpeted.  It made more sense to create one large bedroom instead of keeping the two smaller ones, as it was when the seller bought it.  I still think the sun porch could be insulated and heated to make another bedroom.  Check it out and tell me what you think....

And why no interior photos?  The home is being staged on Friday to give a better sense of how furniture can be placed and make it feel more like a home, rather than a renovated little house that will have low utilities and a low mortgage.

Please come and see it!  I will be your host and have a sign-in for Berkshire Hathaway's October of giving to the Cancer Society.  As always, please tell either Jeannine or me that you read about these opens on this blog.

The Fourth Twenty - July 15th through September 15th

Actually, I lied....there are only 19 here....It turns out that 3 single family properties closed on September 16th.  I decided the shorten the "Fourth Twenty" in order to pack the Fifth, and possibly the final, "Twenty" of the year. 

In no particular order:

67 State Street                 Skaneateles Village     $375,000

1491 Stump Road            Town of Skaneateles   $180,000

1043 The Lane                 Town of Skaneateles   $770,000

7 Hawthorne Woods Ct.   Skaneateles Village    $315,000

3867 Highland Ave          Town of Skaneateles   $260,000

4014 Jordan Road            Town of Skaneateles   $179,500

2141 West Lake Rd         Town of Skaneateles   $385,500

1365 New Seneca Tpke   Town of  Skaneateles   $331,000

1635 New Seneca Tpke    Town of Skaneateles   $129,000

2 Ramble Wood Drive      Skaneateles Village    $517,500

3258 Rickard Road           Town of Skaneateles   $102,000

2167+2158 W Lake Rd     Town of Skaneateles   $220,000

2572 East Lake Road        Town of Skaneateles   $619,500

668 Masters Road             Town of Skaneateles   $50,000

685 Masters Road             Town of Skaneateles   $70,000

3 Compass Lane               Skaneateles Village      $452,500

2856 County Line Rd       Town of Skaneateles    $999,999

4 Gayle Road                    Skaneateles Village      $538,000

1601 E. Genesee St           Town of Skaneateles    $700,000

Open House Alert Plus Staging!

                                                         188 East Genesee Street

                                                           Village of Skaneateles

                                                        Open Sunday, October 9th

                                                                  12:00 to 2:00

Now isn't that a lovely room?  It's large enough to accommodate a long couch and a love seat!  The windows serve as a framing device for the furniture, and who wouldn't want to lounge there and watch the world go by (as Jeannine noted.)  Across from this grouping is the wood-burning fireplace, too, plus built-in bookshelves.

Through French doors you reach the sun room.  Personally, I just want to curl up there and read a book on a sunny fall day.  The view from that gorgeous chair is the back yard which extends only to the end of the garage, but you can see the wide open area beyond from this angle.  Please - bring me a cup of tea and a crumpet!

I don't even want to show you the way the rooms looked before....there was just no visualizing how lovely it could be.  And to see more, please come to the open on Sunday.  It's special for Berkshire Hathaway.  Because this is Breast Cancer Awareness month BHHS CNY Realty will donate an amount for everyone who signs in at an open house.  I'll have the pink sheets there, and most likely a couple more special goodies... so come, please!

And yes, this home was professionally staged by Rebecca Sienkiewicz from Savvy Staging.  At the brokers' open on Tuesday I gave out at least 4 of her cards to agents who came through and loved the look. Her website is www.savvystagingsyr.com.  Homes aren't used without furniture and furnishings, so (now) I believe they shouldn't be shown that way.  I've sold them both ways, and I can think of one home in particular that showed better without furniture, but perhaps that is the exception.  I know I love going through model homes, and even while the designer's tastes may not be mine, I still like to look.  A staging like this brings a sense of use and space.  A room appears smaller without furniture, and this is especially important in bedrooms.  I was constantly asked if the master in this home would take a king, and I could say yes (it had) but I saw the dubious looks.  

I am very pleased ... and once we get an offer, I am sure the sellers will be too!

Skaneateles Real Estate - The Early Fall Update

I've been doing the research required for the update over the past hour.  Several times I was interrupted by phone calls and notifications.  One of them was from Syracuse.com....WelchAllyn will get 100 new jobs! Hooray!  Another was from an old friend who is ready to move into the Village and enjoy life on a quiet street.  He needs a ranch, or at least a home with a master bedroom and bath on the first floor.... He had seen my 5 Orchard listed but knows now that places like that go quickly...as that has done...and are rare.

Currently there are 73 active listings in the Skaneateles area of the multiple listing service.  Thirty of these are in the Village, while only 15 are considered waterfront.  The median list price of all the listings is $400,000; fully a third of the homes in the Village are listed between $200,000 and $300,000.  Fifteen listings have come on in the past 6 weeks since the last update.

In the under contract category, 24 homes are waiting to close.  Of these, 12 are newly contracted.

To date, 83 single family properties are sold and closed.  Ten are new closures since I last wrote.  Another four had closed but had not been reported.  The median list price of the 83 closed homes is under the 400K mark but about the same as last year.  While we were on a whirlwind pace to meet or exceed last year's record, the pace has slowed.  We are 10 behind where we were in 2015.  Now if those WelchAllyn jobs would materialize quickly and everyone bought and closed before the end of the year.....that would be great!
It wouldn't be right to close without relaying that it's been a tough week for the real estate community.  Pat Snyder, who for so many years was a staple at Williams Realty and who had moved to RealtyUSA just recently, passed away.  Pat was the heart of the business, the laughter behind the goofball things that happen. She found joy in everything, certainly making me laugh all the time.  She told me years ago before Liam was born how wonderful grandparenting could be.  She said some day he would look up at me and say "I love you, Grandma..."  She called me Grandma, and always asked after the boys.  I will miss her so much.

Our Boo

This photo was taken in 2008, when he was only three years old.  What a handsome guy he was!  You can barely see his signature snaggle-tooth on the right side (his left).

We got him in May of 2005 from Wanderers Rest.  I was looking for a "black fuzzy puppy" because I had a "white fuzzy puppy" named Sebastian for 14 years.  There was no replacing him, so I wanted a different dog.  And Boo was.

We found out from his groomers at Von Skauton Kennel in Weedsport when he was about three that he was a black and tan English shepherd.  No AKC recognition, but if you go online you'll see others who look like him.  And their description fits him....laid back, loves to ride in cars and hates to get out of them.

After Bob had carried Sebbie up and down stairs for about a year and a half, we had wanted a smaller dog. Boo was supposed to be it - but he grew to be 90 pounds at his heaviest.

He was with us at all times.  For years he roamed the road at the lake with his pal Koko, my mother's dog. They visited the Browns daily for their treats.  Neither really liked the water, but they loved the deck where they could watch the goings on and invite other dogs to come up and visit.

But home was his favorite place...and especially the trails he traversed every day with Bob, and occasionally me.  They got to the point where the deer would note they were passing, but not run.  They stopped at "the treat tree" so he could get his mini treat.  Sheba and Charlie had gone there before, and made it an institution.

In the house Boo was "the sheriff."  He watched over the cats, keeping them in line.  Or thought he did.  Last September he failed to break up a huge fight and I knew something was horribly wrong.  I took him to Doc at Weedsport Animal Hospital and he was operated on successfully.  Another couple hours and we would have lost him.

As we did on Saturday.  He was slowing down the past few months, despite pain pills and our insistence (and his) to keep walking.  Another tumor most likely got him...

We miss him horribly.  He was so very much a part of our lives for over 11 years.  He went with us to the Adirondacks and North Carolina.  The last time the kids were here Liam walked him, and cuddled him. He was a favorite of anyone who met him or cared for him if we were out of town.  Intrepid Janet brought a mum, Cat and Barb sent cards. We have realized in the past few days how many people knew him and appreciated him, as big as he was.  Our days feel empty, and everywhere we turn there are reminders.

I have a friend who tells me she won't get a pet because the endings are so hard.  But the years before, to us, are precious.  We wouldn't have had it any other way.

Here and Away....

A couple came into the office this afternoon looking for a good place to eat.  We showed them the office first, and the gorgeous deck and took their breath away before sending them down to Bluewater so they could marvel more at this beautiful lake.  It never gets old.

I've been coming and going over the past couple weeks, and now I can hardly believe it's only been that long!  We went off to join the kids in Bethany Beach (Delaware) and drove 8 hours down and 8 hours back.  It's lovely - I personally know at least 6 families, the majority from this area, who were there that week.  You just can't get "ocean" in Central New York!  Each evening we had ice cream at a pretty little place...just the thing after a day on the beach!  (I especially loved the raspberry truffle...)

We got home in time to get ready for their visit.  The camp needed to be cleaned, the house set up for kids, the lawn mowed because it had finally rained a bit.  I mowed at the lake - until the bees found me and chased me away.  I heard they are "nasty" this year. 

Then they came, and we spent literally 48 hours with them.  Bob, Liam, Ollie and I walked out to the point on the lake, meeting our new neighbors in the cove.  The water was so low we could walk most of the way around the front.  I came back sooner with Ollie who wanted only to be in the direct way of Liam's casting. 

Back at the house, Liam worked on the mulch in our front yard and then later Bob's new shed.  He chose his pumpkin and walked Boo.  It has taken years for us to feel comfortable with Boo and Liam together, but finally we did.  I got a great shot of Liam with Boo lolling in his lap, quite content.  He got walked a lot.

On Friday night Alex found the SU game on Watch ESPN and we continued the tradition of SU football.  And they won!

Saturday was devoted to the Fair....hours and hours of the Fair!  We avoided the Paw Patrol and its long lines, opting instead for the kiddie midway.  The highlights only:  Liam took his first roller coaster ride and loved it; Alex won a prize - hooray!  Ollie "rode" a stationary car for about an hour.  People came and went, and when someone complained that it wasn't going anywhere, Ollie said "We're stuck on the bridge."  My NYC grandson!

Going away from here always reminds me about what we have....I paddled out this morning onto an absolutely still lake, then drove less than half an hour home.  Only one stop light at East Lake.  I am looking forward to new apples for a snack this afternoon before showing a sweet and affordable little house.  I can sit at my desk and type - the lake is in front of me, the Village behind me.  I'll have a local salad from Bailiwick tonight, perhaps, and finish with a bowl of raspberry truffle, their new ice cream flavor.  It's all here, except that ocean part.....  But I can rent that for a week every year, if I want.

Skaneateles Real Estate - The Dog Days Update

The heat has been phenomenal over the past couple weeks.  We rarely have a need for air-conditioning, but this year I was glad we put in a room A/C.  Even camp was hot - I slept with a fan going some nights!  Boo has spent his days and nights lying in front of "his" fan.  He walks grudgingly with me in the early morning, and sometimes just balks when Bob takes him out later.  He goes though...keeps those old legs moving, then lies in front of the fan for the rest of the day.

Currently there are only 71 listings in the Skaneateles area of the multiple listing service.  Of these, 28 are in the Village (an interesting number about which there will be more later), and 17 are considered waterfront. There are 4 that are both waterfront and Village.

The range in price is $50,000 to almost six million.  The median is $370,000.  If you look only at the Village, the price range is $160,000 to three million, with $399,000 being the median.  Waterfront goes from $340,000 to 6M.  Often agents list property not in Skaneateles proper as Skaneateles to attract more buyers.  In this case, all but one of the waterfront properties under 900K are in other townships, like Niles and Spafford, but in the Skaneateles area of the multiple listing service.  What this means to the buyer, is that if your criteria is to be within a few miles of the Village, you will most likely look at listings above 900K.  The median for waterfront properties overall is 1.25M. Wow!

There were nine new listings since my last update of July 26th....2 of these were re-lists.

In the under contract category, there are 27 homes waiting to fulfill some contingency or waiting to close. They range in price from $85,000 to 1.5 million.  The median is $365,000.  Here's the interesting part that I referred to earlier:  11 of the 13 are Village properties.  My goodness!  And there are still 28 active Village listings!  The lowest of these Village listings that have gone under contract, excluding a foreclosure, is listed at $350,000.  Conclusions:  People are buying in the Village and buying the higher-priced homes, plus there are many choices in that higher range.

To round this out, 69 homes have sold and closed this year so far.  Eight of these are new closures.  We are one home above where we were last year, and that was a record-breaking year.

188 East Genesee Street - Skaneateles

So it takes two blogs to write about this home.....it's worth it!

I "met" this home years and years ago through a friend whose father lived there.  It reminded me of my own house, growing up.  It was built in 1915 and ours was built in 1920.  There was an economy of space...and by that I mean that all space was used well and with a purpose.  No huge front halls, like we have now in our 1989 home.  No straight up and down staircases, but rather a landing with a window.  My family's house in Syracuse had a back stair that joined the front at the landing, then went up from there.  I liked it, but didn't realize how special that was.  But it brought me to an appreciation for landings.

Three bedrooms in both houses, with one full bath upstairs.  The previous owners of 188 East Genesee carved out a half bath downstairs.  They told me that with six girls in the family their father needed a place to shave so he made the half bath.  I was an only child, so there was no need.  My mother refused to put one in - she cited that as a reason to move in with us, instead!

Yes, I met a good part of the 6-girl family at the last open house I held there.  I had heard stories but found it hard to believe.  They used the attic (our attic was strictly for storage), but as you can see in the previous blog the attic of 188 East Genesee makes a great playroom.

Everything back then was hardwoods, or at least wooden floors.  Each house had a fireplace that was in part ornamental and part useful.  Living rooms and dining rooms of course.  Both houses have sconces on the walls.  Both have wonderful sunrooms, although I am envious of the Skaneateles home's sunroom.  So large, with French doors!  I could see myself basking away in there on cold but sunny winter days.

Kitchens were smaller back then and not the focal point they are now.  Both mine and this one are eat-in possible, for those casual breakfasts and lunches.  Each house had a little back porch, for hanging out in the summer or stomping snow off in the winter before going into the kitchen.  Basements were for laundry, although 188 had the washer and dryer moved into the kitchen for convenience.

But while we lived on a street bordering Thornden Park, 188 East Genesee is just a short walk from the lake and all the stores.  We went to Westcott Street and the University; in Skaneateles you can go to the Sherwood Inn or the festival in August!

So check it out on Sunday.  I will be showing houses elsewhere, but Jeannine Larose from our office in the Village will be your host.  It's a solid house, and a good price for Skaneateles.  Don't forget those low taxes!  As always, tell her you read my blog - I love it when you do!

Open House Alert! 188 East Genesee Street

188 East Genesee Street

 OPEN SUNDAY, August 21st
            12:00 to 2:00
            ML#S358766

The sunroom

The attic

The Third Twenty - May 15th through July 15th

How lovely to walk through the Village early this morning on my way to the office and floor time.  It was a moving post card:  the hanging flower pots, Legg Hall's beautiful brick walls, the height of M&T bank.  A woman in a flowered, flowing dress walker her little dog towards Thayer Park.  A remembered video in my head.

So here they are, in an order I bet no one will figure out.....

4723 Jordan Road        Town            $100,000

12 Heritage Woods       Village         $353,400

767 Sheldon Road         Town             $72,000

50 State Street               Village           $950,000

1055 Butters Farm         Town             $556,102

102 Orchard Road          Village           $529,000

2 Ramble Wood             Village           $517,500

10 Academy Street         Village           $385,000

1014 Autumntree  Ct.      Town            $372,000

26 State Street                 Village           $350,000

2074 East Lake Rd.         Spafford         $290,000

4205 Jordan Road           Mottville         $205,000

55 Onondaga Street         Village            $133,500

4499 Jordan Road            Town               $76,500

1254 Oak Bluff                Town               $285,000

2360 West Lake Rd.       Town                $280,00

3908 East Street              Town                $252,500

2536 East Lake Rd.         Town               $186,000

863 Milford Drive           Town               $253,000

2450 East Lake Rd.         Spafford           $345,000

Skaneateles Real Estate - The Up Late Watching the Convention Issue

So I am tired....and I am going out to show a property at 6;30 tonight.  Then on to the lake, to sleep, I hope!  Tomorrow an old friend is coming into town for about 24 hours and I want to be ready to run around and do things in this beautiful weather.

The update:  There are currently 77 single family homes in the Skaneateles area of the multiple listing system, of which 37 (such a high number!) are in the Village.  Only 16 are considered waterfront....(and more about that later.)

Fifteen of the listings are new.  Eight are in the Village and 2 are new waterfront listings.

There are 24 homes waiting to close in the under contract category.  Ten of these just sold in the past 35 days since my last update.  That's pretty good considering the temperatures were above 80 most of the time, and going out to look at houses can be a very sticky business.

We now have 61 sold and closed single family homes this year.  Hooray!  On my next stint in the office I will write and publish the Third Twenty.  We are doing quite well!

About those waterfront properties....I was showing waterfront homes on Owasco Lake and ran into a fellow Realtor who does most of his business over there.  I commented that there were twice as many lakefront listings on Owasco than on Skaneateles, even though the lake is much smaller.  He disagreed....said there about 100 on Skaneateles.  Since all this was playing out in front of my clients, I allowed that I may have been mistaken.  As of today, there are 23 - only 23! - waterfront listings on all of Skaneateles Lake according to the multiple listing service.  Of these, 9 are priced at a million or more.  Owasco Lake has 45 listings.  

The upshot of this is that there is such low inventory.  Or so it seems.  When I first started 15 years ago it was worse...very few homes came on the market.  Everyone had long lists of buyers, and when a property appeared it was a race to bring them in to see it and potentially write an offer.  We are not quite there yet....the prices are so much higher than 2001 when there was only one 'real" million dollar house.  The higher the prices, the fewer the people who can afford them of course.  Just a discussion on a lazy afternoon in the Village.  Your thoughts are welcome!

New Listing! 8805 Horton Street

It's been exactly a month since I was able to write this blog.  So many sales, closings, almost sales and almost closings, and now new listings.  I hope to make up for the lack of writing over the next week.

Horton is a little (936sf) home in the Village of Weedsport.  The seller bought it a few years ago and it was a mess!  Over the course of the past years she and friends have renovated it beautifully.  You can see from the photos above that the kitchen and bathroom are virtually new.  Yes, those are cherry cabinets.  The light fixtures in the full bath are quite lovely (I like the dining room lights best though).  The bottom photo is a view of the upstairs bedroom.  When it was purchased, there were two small bedrooms.  Now it's all one big one that takes up the second story along with storage.  In order to improve it, the seller tore out the old stairs and put in new ones.

Things I like:  

The laundry is located on the insulated back porch - so, first floor laundry!

There is a garage.  How handy!

The yard is fairly private and no house is between it and Route 34.

There's an island in the kitchen that provides more counter space and a place to sit and talk to "the cook."

The sunporch needs a bit of work still, but it's all windows on two sides and has a natural wood ceiling.

There are windows everywhere!

The price is $62,000......amazing!  Definitely cheaper than renting!


Take a look - drive through pretty Weedsport.  Horton is sort of on the way out of the south end of the Village, but you can certainly walk into town for ice cream, maybe an antique at the Purple Monkey, or a coffee at Dunkin' Donuts.  (ML#S357862 for even more photos and comments.)

When I was single and living on my own, I rented a carriage house in Syracuse.  Absolutely loved it...and this reminds me of it.  So, investors, maybe you could lease it out to another young person who wants to be on her own?

Skaneateles Real estate - The Mid-Year Update

I was going to write about the places we've been lately, but then I realized that it had been a long time -  May 25th - since I had written an update. Could be because we've been places....hmmmm...
Anyway, without further ado....

There are currently 77 active listings in the Skaneateles area of the multiple listing service.  Of these, 30 are in the Village and 15 are considered waterfront.  Think about that....this whole entire (gorgeous) lake that I can see while sitting here and typing, has only 15 listings?  I haven't heard the usual question about why there are so many "For Sale" signs on East Lake Road.  There aren't any!  It's rather amazing, but goes right along with the low inventory complaint.  Overall, there are 3 homes listed under $100,000 and 10 over a million.  The median is $365,000.

Twelve of the listings are new since the end of May.  Only one is a re-list of a property, which is unusual but indicates that homes are selling, rather than sitting. 

Twenty-five are under contract, waiting to close.  Five of these are under $100,000 and only one is over a million.  The median is $295,000, notably less than the active 365k median.   Six are newly under contract since the last update.

We now have 50 sold and closed single family homes in the Skaneateles area in 2016.  Two are under $100,000 and 5 are over one million.  The median list price is $325,000.  This sold and closed number is just above where we were last year at this time.

Recently I've been working with buyers looking for homes in Skaneateles - waterfront and elsewhere - plus others in Camillus and Marcellus.  I've also sold a home in Auburn.  As we have looked, I have realized that homes are going quickly, but extremely quickly in Camillus especially.  So I checked the statistics today.

Remember, Skaneateles has about a three to one ratio of active to under contract homes (77 to 25).  Turns out that Marcellus is more like two to one (29 active, 14 under contract.)  Auburn is an accelerated market also: 104 active to 67 under contract.  But Camillus!  Oh my!  They have only 86 active listings and 99 under contract!  Wow!  I've never seen anything close to that in Skaneateles. Ever.

Now let's take it a step further.  I checked on the population of these towns.  As you may know, Skaneateles comes in around 7,200.  Marcellus is smaller with 6,200 good souls.  The City of Auburn now has 27,000 or so people.  Camillus, although larger in physical size, has 24,000 people.

So although Camillus is over 3 times larger than Skaneateles, it has close to the same number of active listings and four times as many homes under contract.  Why?  If you have an idea, please write to me at mbrooks@bhhscnyrealty.com. 

Gas & Grass

I love grabbing my readers' attention!

Last weekend an old friend came through Syracuse for a memorial service.  We went to school together way back when and reconnected around our last reunion.  He was from my "hood" and we shared that.  He is also a Realtor in Colorado.

We had lunch at The Sherwood on Sunday.  He'd been away so long he honestly didn't know where it was, except that it was in Skaneateles!  Now he does, and the lunch awakened memories of his mother bringing him and his brother and sister to the Village for a day away from our Westcott Nation neighborhood.  Even back then people loved Skaneateles. 

We talked about this and that, what people were doing, whom we had seen recently.  Then he told me about courses he had taken for continuing education to keep up his license.  One of them was about marijuana, and how to handle the new law in his state and the ramifications of it for real estate.

I had just seen a house that most likely had been used as a "grow" house, at least according to a code enforcement officer.  We smelled something as I turned the key in the lock, and then realized what it was when we saw the lightbulbs.  So how is that disclosed?

In Colorado it should be done, he was told.  It's beyond belief to me that there could possibly be a part of the state disclosures that asks:  "How many plants have been kept in the house?"  "Are there still plants on the property?  If so, what are their locations?"  I am imagining, I don't know.

How does a Realtor handle walking into a house that openly displays plants?  You are allowed - it is legal - to have two producing, mature marijuana plants in your home, and two immature, non-producing (at the time) plants.  There is no reason to hide them.

On his way to an appointment he saw the Gas & Grass station and took the photo I reproduced at the top of this blog, and sent it to me.  It's also hard to believe that grass is still illegal in parts of this country, and that people are fined or even go to jail over it.  As he says, "Colorado is just different than New York."  That it is.

Open House Alert! 3681 Causeway Road

This is a photo I took a few years back of the beach on the south side of the Causeway that runs (used to run, really) across Otisco Lake.  This area is a couple minutes' walk from 3681 Causeway Road, the home I am holding open this Sunday (June 12th).

When the seller bought the cottage a while back we were told there were lake rights.  Many of the homes in the area had them written into their deeds.  Everyone used the beach, cleaned up after themselves, and generally took care of it.  Presumably the original seller had also.  Unfortunately there is nothing written in the deed, but traditionally there are no issues.  It's a small community, and even with written permission from some long ago owner it would not be acceptable to treat the beach poorly.  Isn't it lovely?  Imagine those hills in the fall.  As someone said recently, "Just being near the water is calming."

The cottage is also serene.  As you can see, at some point an old porch was enclosed to create this lovely great room with the vaulted ceiling, supported by those beams.  You are looking at it from the kitchen...a small table on the right side looks out at the lake.  Although the house itself is small, it has three bedrooms. One of them is upstairs and actually has a balcony.

I went back and looked at my notes.  We - the seller and I - first put it on the market in 2007 when she realized that her move was too far to make it a practical commute or even weekend retreat.  When it didn't sell after a couple months, she was approached about renting it.  The people ended up staying for years, they liked it so much!  Since then we've tried to sell it a couple more times, but the home rents easily, the mortgage gets paid, and the tenants treat it kindly.

This time she would like to sell it, so we started early.  The price is $59,000.  "Really?" you ask.  "Yes, really!"  I say.

Let's do the math.  Say you put down 10%...that's $5,900, but let's call it $6,000.  You will then finance $54,000.  Amortized over 30 years, at 4%, your payments will be $257.80 per month.  Taxes are about $3000 per year, so add a monthly $250 escrow.  Insurance too....another $50 per month...Rounding again you owe $550 monthly.  This is without the STAR tax discount, without appealing the assessment, and without taking into account the tax benefits of a mortgage.

Clearly this 3-bedroom home so close to the water is a very good deal.

So come this Sunday between noon and 2:00 and see the home and give it a good thought.  It's in Tully School District....the marina is just around the corner within walking distance....you can get to Syracuse or Auburn within 45 minutes, Cortland in only 30 minutes.  And when you get home, relax on your very own deck!

Multiple Offers - 'Tis the season!

The market is booming.  I have clients looking for a home in the West Genesee, Marcellus, Westhill or Skaneateles Districts.  We've see quite a few, enough to get a good feel for what you can buy for around $200,000.  One early house we saw came on the market just above that - and had 7 scheduled appointments before I could schedule ours.  More buyers than homes.

We saw another one this weekend.  The house was priced under the assessed value and staged very well.  We saw it after 6:00 on the first evening it was available to be shown.  When I called the agent to ask about coming back, she said there were already two offers in and a couple more expected.  Oh my!  One of the offers was taken the next afternoon.

I felt like I was rushing them when I said it would be gone.  That old Realtor game...hurry up and buy!  But no, I wasn't, and certainly how it all played out proved that. 

The message here is simple.  Be ready.  See a lot of houses if you must, but when you see one you want - take it.  I always think the test is asking yourself...."How would I feel if it were gone the next day?"  If there would be sincere regret, don't play around....take it. 

You take it by giving the sellers their asking price, or a bit more.  You make it hassle-free.  If you can tolerate no inspections and can say "we'll deal with whatever comes our way," then you add to the value of your offer.

Very few places have unique homes in the way Skaneateles does.  I know homes in this Village that literally get "visits" when they come on the market.  People will say, "I loved this house 10 years ago when it was for sale.  I have no intention of buying, but can I just take a peak?"  They know they may not have a chance for another decade if they don't look now.

That's the same with buying.  It may be another 15 years before the house emerges onto the market again.  A family will have raised their children there, spent Christmases and watched parades, walked home from the fireworks on Labor day... and then turn it over to another generation.  If you see a home like that, and you can afford it, take it.  Enjoy it.  Plant your lilacs, watch your dogs play, walk your kids to school. 

Just do it!

The Second Twenty

I am so pleased to tell you that I am working from the office today during my 10:00 to 2:00 floor time.  The weather is phenomenal - hot, even,and filled with sunshine - but the Office is still cool.  Mary MacKaig, the VP of Berkshire Hathaway Home Services CNY Realty (and that is a mouthful!) stopped by and we put up a flag.  People are looking in the windows and I can hear bits of conversation floating by....So lovely!

There is rhyme and reason to how I am organizing closed listings.  Can you guess?  "Town" and "Village" of course refer to Skaneateles....If the property is listed in the Skaneateles area because of the school district or some other reason allowed, but is really in another town I will put the town's name.


7 Academy Street     Village      $290,000

1682 Amerman Rd    Town       $385,000

2595 Benson Rd        Town       $230,000

21 Calemad Dr          Sennett     $575,000

3827 Clapp Rd          Town        $250,000

3092 County Line      Town       $314,000

13 East Lake Street   Village     $206,900

50 East Street             Village     $271,000

3754 Fisher Rd          Town        $160,000

1190 Greenfield        Town         $1,285,000

4331 Jordan Rd         Town         $130,000

1889 W Lake Rd       Town         $175,100

2138 W Lake Rd       Town         $382,000

2356 W Lake Rd       Town         $362,000

3087 W Lake Rd       Town         $299,900

1031 Old Seneca       Town         $134,500

780 Sheldon Rd        Town         $164,600

24 State Street          Village       $273,000

2338 Thornton         Town          $1,460,000

4338 Vinegar Hill    Town          $153,000


I was thinking also of delineating which were waterfront, but somehow I bet you can guess that too!

Get outside and enjoy this day!

After Hours with the Chamber - The Citizen

Each month (or even more often) the Skaneateles Chamber sponsors an "after hours" event.  I wrote about the one at Finger Lakes On Tap (www.fingerlakesontap.com) a while back.  My first one was at Anyela's (www.anyelasvineyards.com) (...hmmm...a theme is developing here). I missed the Last Shot Distillery (http://www.lastshotdistillery.com) after hours with the move to Berkshire Hathaway taking up some time. (Definite theme.)  This week I made it to The Citizen in Auburn though.  No, not a new bar - the newspaper! (www.auburnpub.com)

The Citizen has been publishing since 1816....amazing!  It covers the Auburn and Cayuga County areas with a 6-day publishing schedule.  It also publishes the weekly Skaneateles Journal - or actually the West Onondaga County Journal, as it's now known.  The Journal was published for 10 years covering solely Skaneateles, but was re-branded this year to add Marcellus, Spafford and Elbridge.  You can find it at http://wocjournal.com.

Tara Lynn, the Chamber's Director, gathered us together for a quick tour of the facilities.  I was really surprised at how cumbersome the machinery was...how "old school" it seemed to me.  The papers were put through several machines to create the colors.  Somehow I had thought they were spit out of a vast copying machine!  What a process!  And how much paper is used to make the Citizen, Journal and the Chamber's Directory, which it also prints.

We were all astounded....this amount of paper you see here - it's only one month's worth!

I think I will go to as many of the after hours events as I can attend.  I really enjoyed the time  - thanks, Tara!

And oh yes, the Chamber's website:  www.skaneateles.com

The Berkshire Hathaway Office - First Floor Time

32 East Genesee Street

This is the view from the front desk, where I sat to do floor time yesterday.  The front door was open, and while it was a bit noisy, the air felt phenomenal. Intrepid Janet and Sarah (Facebook) Cole stopped in to visit and gave the office enthusiastic thumbs up. No clock is necessary...we have the M&T clock to watch.  In the upper right-hand corner of the shelving is the listing for the Purple Monkey.

The view from the deck is amazing.  We don't have chairs yet, but will soon.  Heavy, wrought iron chairs so when the wind swirls around they will stay in place.  Sun comes in all day long because it's southern exposure.  I remember from my Gallinger days that you can watch the moon cross the night sky.  When you walk out onto the pier, look back: the building is light yellow and and you can see the deck clearly.  Walk through town and if I'm in the office I'll give you a tour.


The first floor time was a bit on the quiet side.  The computer guy was there installing the large screen monitor in the conference room.  Another man assembled file cabinets.  The nice thing about an office this size - 1200sf or so? - is that everything must have a place and be in that place.  Kind of like our camp...nothing extra...just what is needed.  And because everything is exposed it must be neatly placed as well.  Nautical, is the term we always use.

I'll take more photos as the days go by.  It was extraordinarily bright in there - all windows across the rear - so I was having trouble with my camera settings.  At one point Janet remarked how cool it was.  I checked the temperature outside - 87 degrees!  But with the front and rear doors wide open the breeze came through and naturally cooled the space.  Janet said, and I agree, there is nothing like the breeze from a lake.  And especially Skaneateles Lake.

Skaneateles Real Estate - The First Floor Time Update

One of the things I like about Berkshire Hathaway's new office in the Village is floor time.  I had it at Gallinger when I started and it grew my business rapidly.  One-third of all my sales in the first couple years came from floor time....another third was from WelchAllyn and the last came from open houses and friends. But as a new agent, that floor time was invaluable.   I remember the people coming through that first fall so vividly!  Floor time is simply time dedicated each week to time spent in the office as The Agent.  Phone calls and walk-ins go directly to The Agent, unless of course the potential buyer/seller is looking for a specific agent or property already listed by Berkshire Hathaway.

My time today is 1:00 to 5:00.  Saturday I will be there from 10:00 to 2:00.  Please stop in!

To prepare for floor time and answering questions about the area, I decided it would be helpful to write an update.  I always love quoting the number of sales, the listings, the breakdown in categories.  I write the update as much for me as for you.  I know other agents take advantage of it too!

Currently there are 71 listings in the Skaneateles area of the multiple listing service.  Of these, 27 are in the Village and 16 are considered waterfront.  The latter is an increase of 6 properties in the past 16 days....Memorial Day is this weekend, after all.  (Plus the weather decided to go from winter to summer this week.)  Thirteen of these listings are new, with only two being re-lists.  Four of them are priced over a million dollars.  Seven are waterfront, while only three are in the Village, a new development away from past trends, certainly because of the approach of summer.  The median price is $569,000....a huge jump since it has been hovering around $300,000 for the past couple years.

In the under contract category, 28 single family properties are waiting to close.  Three are new additions to this list since the last update on May 8th.

Hooray!  We now have 41 sold and closed homes for the year.  This is exactly the same number as last year at this time!  And remember, last year there were a record number of closings....129.  We are on track for another record-breaking year!  That also means I will be writing "The Second Twenty" sometime soon.

So once again, please stop by at 32 East Genesee Street and say hello.  The office is bright but cool, the deck overlooks the lake, and hopefully the phones are now working despite the Verizon strike.  If you want to reach me, please text or call my cell: 315-447-0441.

Have a wonderful Memorial Day!

New York First Home Initiative

Each week I receive an e-mail from the New York State Realtor Association.  I read it and keep going...Local issues are far more pressing, as are my sellers' and buyers' needs.  But the one I received today made me explore further.

Under consideration by the legislature is a bill to help first time homebuyers.  It's not a grant, as much as a dedicated savings account.  The small blurb says "The program would allow individuals to save up to $5,000 ($10,000 for couples) per year in a designated savings account to be used solely for costs associated with the purchase of a first home."

I am not sure I quite understand....is this before taxes?  I was more interested in the figures they used to promote this.  New York State had the lowest rate of home ownership in the country in 2014.  The lowest! The national average was about 64% while NYS came in at 52.9%.  That is low!  The disparity was even greater prior to the recession in 2008.

The reasons given were two-fold:  property taxes are among the highest in the nation (as if we didn't know!) and closing costs consistently are the highest of all the states (nyfirsthome.com).  So when buying a new home, not only do buyers have to come up with as much as a year in (high) taxes to escrow, but they also pay higher closing costs.  Cash at closing, taxes, costs associated with buying (appraisal, attorney fees, etc.) can easily be more than $10,000.  Even when the houses are under $100,000 in price.

In some ways this keeps the prices of houses artificially low.  I hear from people who relocate here that they can't believe the prices compared with where they were.  Our education systems are excellent, for the most part, our roads decent, communities accessible, and commutes (another blog to come) reasonable.  Once in a house the low costs are reflected in the monthly mortgage bill....it's the getting to the monthly mortgage bill that causes the problems.

I'll keep an eye on this program.  You are more than welcome to check it out:  http://nyfirsthome.com.  I would love to hear what you think!

The Purple Monkey

Yep, I said that...."Purple Monkey."  Here he is:

Now that I have your attention....The Purple Monkey is a huge antique store in the Village of Weedsport, Cayuga County.  I have driven by it countless times on my way to a friend's house and the NYS Thruway exit 40 which is just a mile down the road.  It's western Onondaga County's jumping off point to Rochester and Buffalo.  I've been told that the four corners a block away is the busiest intersection in Cayuga County.

So I've driven by, but never stopped.  The store sells antiques, and I have more interest in selling than buying, so I've driven by.  Last year one of my clients needed a place to sell her grandfather clock, and the people at the Purple Monkey were the only ones who generously took it in and picked it up even.  That kindness stayed with me.

But the Purple Monkey is now for sale, and I have the listing, my first since joining Berkshire Hathaway. It's an amazing place, and once I went in I was hooked.  Between the store itself and the building next door known as the Weedsport Mall there are 53,000 square feet.  Much of it is retail, another good portion is warehouse, but there are other businesses leasing in the mall, apartments, and a workshop stocked with tools.

 The Purple Monkey
dwarfs the truck!

             
                      The Mall is right
                      next door.

Not only are the buildings included in the listing, but the entire inventory and business.  There are literally thousands of items in the store.  The sellers have worked the business for over two decades, building up their database and molding their work to fit the technology that exploded.  They are not just a storefront, but an international business with clients all over the world.  They sell through ebay as well as the old-fashioned way of opening their doors five days a week.  They tried advertising, but so many people showed up their small staff couldn't handle it all.

You could do it too.  They've made a great living at it but are ready to turn it over to the next generation. They fully expect a team to come in and take it all to a different level.  They envision ten people selling online, another crew working the store - longer hours, more advertising, opening the third floor also.  Perhaps a different crew could travel to shows like Brimfield in Massachusetts.  There is enough inventory to last years, and more still comes in every day.  The mall could be a FedEx store, or another showroom.  So many options!  So much expansion is possible!

If you have the drive, the vision and the energy or even just the curiosity, check out http://purplemonkeyantiques.com for more photos.  Also look at the listing:  ML#S352999.  The price is 2.5M - but the earning power of this business could be so much more.

                        Stay tuned.....too much information for just one blog!              

Getting Ready to Close - The Walk-through

This is an obvious follow-up to "The Cleanout," but also confirmation that real estate is a balancing act.  The first blog in this mini-series left me feeling wiped out, not ready for any more drama - ever!  This second one, while it happened the exact same day, is the reason I enjoy real estate so much.

My clients were both sellers and buyers.  Their walk-through had happened before they moved out, so their buyers saw the house with boxes and things still on the walls.  They knew it would all go, and be gone, and that the sellers were doing them a favor of closing sooner than they wanted.  The buyers' lock on their rate was running out that day so they had to close or face extension fees.  Agents, attorneys and buyers/sellers all agreed and communicated.  It was so positive!

The last bit remaining was the walk-through of my buyers-sellers of their new home.  The owner had everything cleared out - more people working on behalf of the deal!  They cleaned, they boxed, they removed furniture and clothes even the little itty bitty things that can get left behind, and held an estate sale at the same time.  The house looked wonderful!

The seller met us at the door, and when the family moved into the kitchen with her she presented them with a watercolor painting of the home that a friend had done for her.  "You are the new owners, and you should have this," she said, as I teared up.  A lovely moment.  Then she left to talk with neighbors while we walked through the house we had seen almost a year ago, and were closing on the next day.  No complaints...not perfection, but there really can never be.

After we went outside and found the seller in a small group.  She introduced the neighbors clustered around her.  The two girls met other children their age, and true to form, everyone was a bit shy.  They would ride the bus together come fall.

I left them there chatting and drove away with the top down on the Fiat in the warm sunset light.  This is what a walk-through should be, I thought, again tearing up.  A passage from one family to another, a moment in time remembered as the beginning of a new era.  Sweetness, and above all, kindness.

Getting Ready to Close - The Cleanout

It's a good week this week....two possible purchases for my buyers, two listings closing, one buyer closing...Lots of last minute details to be worked out.

Some people think that real estate is just showing houses, writing offers, and then picking up the commission check at closing.  Heck!  Getting the check in the mail is more normal these days.  I go to my buyers' closings; it's a big day, and I want to be there to celebrate with them.  One of my favorite closings years ago was at Solvay Bank (where I am coincidentally heading tomorrow.)  The buyer brought in a case of champagne and gave out bottles to everyone, including any staff who happened to be there.  Memorable.

But as my 9th grade social studies teacher used to say....."Into each life some rain must fall..."  Yesterday I sat in an ice storm on the phone for an hour, sorting things out.  Central New York's version of "some rain." One of my listings had not been cleaned out as purely as the buyer's agent wanted.  Admittedly there was a breakdown in communication, but what should have been a joyous occasion was being turned into a stressful series of events.  Maybe I can prevent someone else having to go through that with this blog.

When you clean out, take everything.  Don't think that the rolled up wallpaper for the den will be what anyone wants.  The paint that touches up the bathroom is not wanted.  The cans of food need to be donated if the expiration date hasn't occurred.  Garbage anywhere goes.  Look for it.  It can hide in plain sight.

A rule of thumb....Buyers look at everything, and if they want anything that isn't nailed down they will ask at some point.  Otherwise they really don't care.  Get it gone.  Yes, that concrete block is handy, as are the bricks that could be decorative in a garden.  Wooden pallets help a lot.  But if the buyer doesn't ask for these items, get them gone.

How?  Contact one of the many companies online that will take your junk.  I had a gentleman a few years ago who came and cleared out a basement in a couple hours - and charged $150.  That cleanout would have taken three people days.  He didn't look at things - he just took them.

And don't forget that things need to be cleaned, too.  The fridge, the oven, the toilets....while not listed in the contract it is very helpful to create a good sense of welcome.  (You may even get away with a concrete block or two if the house is clean.  But don't bank on it.)  The standard is "broom clean."  The house that needed more things out yesterday had been swept of cobwebs in the basement.  I rarely hear that!  Still, the paint had to go.

Try to be done a couple days early so the house can be checked by the listing agent.  In some cases that's hard to do, being done early.  And some people work better with crunch time.  But if it's finished early then it reduces the stress, if nothing else.  Allow way more time than you think you'll need...because you will need it.

Of course the time will come when something "of value" is tossed.  But if it were that valuable, then it would have been noted, I have to believe.

Trust me - you don't want 24 pictures of left behind stuff appearing the night before closing in your e-mail. There's always that temptation to say "It will take a couple days to rectify this."  The buyer has moving trucks on the way, the lock on the rate expires....everyone gets upset.  And what goes around comes around.  So I get it done - some way, some how, before closing, too.  Ah, the easy life of the Realtor!

In the Village

Our very good friends, Annie and Tom, came to visit for a brief afternoon.  They live outside of Saratoga, and now that they are retired they attend rallies in their HUGE RV.  I suppose it's called something else - camp on wheels? - but they love it.  They have toured the country many times, generally wintering a bit in California and summering in Saratoga.  Not a bad life!

They were attending a rally at the Turning Stone and came over from there.  I asked Annie what she wanted to do, and she immediately replied...."Go to Skinny!"

We went to Bluewater for lunch.  I had checked the weather a few days ago and yes, indeed, the promise was for 80 degrees.  I reserved four places on the deck, with Bob joining us.  While it was cooler than expected with the breeze off the lake, it was glorious to be sitting outside and generally just being together again.

For lunch we had an assortment of goodies.  Annie tried the Poke Bowl with tuna and calamari.  Tom - a big man - relished and ravaged his bowl of lobster bisque and three half sandwiches - chicken salad maybe? Bob had the margherita pizza and a "side" salad that was a meal unto itself.  I had my pear and gorgonzola salad with salmon...I am stuck on it!  I will also have the other half for dinner!  The service was excellent, although the waitress confessed it was her first day.  She was a pro and much appreciated.

We walked over to the new Berkshire Hathaway office, but the key wouldn't unlock the door - oh, my!  I found out later that the owner of the building had all the locks changed just that morning.  Another time.

We went towards the pier afterwards, and Annie was mesmerized by a young goldie chasing a stick in the water over, and over, and over.....  She has loved goldies all her life, or at least since her Irish setter days in grad school.  Currently they have one dog, Millie, who tours the country with them.

Both Annie and Tom were thrilled with the color of the water and its clarity.  I tend to lose sight of the remarkable quality of the lake....and I love being drawn back into marveling at it.  We walked up West Lake Street to where the sidewalk ends, then back into town.  A leisurely walk, one I wish we could take more often.  We live 150 miles apart, and while Annie and I have been friends since fourth grade we have rarely lived closer since her family moved from Syracuse in seventh grade.  She is still the person I call first when tragedy or joy comes my way.

I love that we could share the glorious day - I look forward to many, many more!