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!