The First Twenty

These are the First Twenty single family properties to have closed in the Skaneateles area of the multiple listing service. It's been a slow year, but now with more properties coming on the market and selling it will certainly pick up.  I believe.  And hope.

The Village:

18 State Street                $245,000

28 Academy Street         $175,100

10 Hawthorne Woods     $328,000

106 Sinclair Street          $599,000

61 West Lake Street        $2,500,000

The Town:

1893 Stump Road               $42,000

4142 Jordan Road               $162,000

1870 West Lake Road         $3,151,500

3189a Wast Lake Road       $1,318,000

998 Stump Road                  $149,000

2432 West Lake Road         $332,000

3124 County Line Rd.        $437,400

819 Franklin Street             $249,000

1642 New Seneca Tpke      $310,000

878 Franklin Street             $234,900

2230 West lake Road          $180,000

1012 Butters Farm Lane     $690,000

859 Old Seneca Tpke         $132,976

2844 East Lake Road         $425,000

948 Old Seneca Tpke         $275,000

Relationships

I visited a friend last week, a woman I hadn't seen since she moved to an assisted living place.  I brought her the flowers below (from Fleur de Lis in the Village), a box from Chocolate Pizza (chocolatepizza.com) and also Boss.  I think she enjoyed Boss the most.

I had come to know her through real estate.  Her home for almost 40 years had been an apartment in a beautiful old house in Marcellus.  I was brought in to sell it, which I did after several years, but the deal fell apart,  I got to know her and the other tenants by calling for appointments and then always being there for showings as I had promised from the first day.  I had no idea I would do it so often and for so long!  And they were wonderful, responding quickly and if possible allowing the showings.  The woman with whom I visited would have stayed forever, but eventually the stairs caught up with her.  I am glad she is safe and cared for now.

Real estate is not just a job or career for me.  Sometimes it's all about the deal, but this is less and less common.  My clients are friends, and I always enjoy renewing friendships.  Finding a home can be a long process.  In that time we learn about each other, share our concerns and families, talk and meet often.  Once the home is found and purchased I like to stay in touch, but that can fade.  When I am called in to sell the gorgeous home they had enjoyed it is always bittersweet.  

Lately - most likely due to the length of time I've been in real estate (almost 18 years!) - I have had several of these sales.  Those 18 years mean that toddlers have grown up and gone to college, incredible careers have wound down, teenage children of clients have become adults and then parents.  But as the stages progress their needs change.  Some buy huge homes, others down-size or leave the state.  It's a joyful process mostly, but I find that when sellers leave homes they loved there is always a sadness.  The new place brings new challenges, new excitement.  

Homes are important to me.  I've had several in different cities, and I can't see myself moving out of this one in the near future.  As many of my sellers can't either....but then they do move.  So I will too, some day.  And every time I sell a home that meant so much to the owner, a bit of me goes with it.  

In the end, I am glad they have enjoyed their homes, loved the land, appreciated the seasons.  I know they will take the memories with them, too.

Open House Alert! 1789 East Lake Road - Skaneateles 13152

I love this photo!  It's so dramatic, evocative of this home and the 70 (possible) acres you can buy!
Please thank Gianna Giacondo for her photos as we go through the listing.

Open Sunday, May 6th, from 12:00 to 2:00.  Please come and bring your walking shoes so you can go down the lane or up into the hills for the best lake views.

The property is being offered in two ways:

1 - Main house, classic barn, newer pole barn and 20 acres for $419,000

2 - Main house, classic barn, pole barn, smaller house and 70 acres for $800,000

The property has been divided into five lots, but the seller wants only the two possibilities above to be played out.  He sees the value in the land, and would keep it if the entire acreage isn't sold.

The home is over 5000 square feet and basically divided into two parts.  The above is an attempt to show the size of the kitchen in the more modern part of the home.  Three sinks, long island, fireplace, hardwoods, a myriad of recessed lighting, and views of the lake.  But you really have to see it!

This is the original charming area - the living room (above), a front parlor, dining room and upstairs three bedrooms with a full bath.  And everywhere the views.  Savvy Staging is responsible for the added furniture, rugs and lighting that highlight the home's inherent elegance.

There's no way I can easily tell you about it all.  Really, come on Sunday, 12:00 to 2:00, or make a private appointment with your Realtor or me.  The MLS numbers are: S1110719 and S1110418.
It's located just south of Borodino on East Lake Road, Town of Spafford, but has a Skaneateles mailing address and the school district is also Skaneateles.

Skaneateles Real Estate - The Two Month Update Version

It's been slow, yes, except when homes go on the market and then they go very quickly.  My last blog was in March about 26 Griffin Street in Skaneateles.  We listed it on Friday, pictures were taken and inputted on Saturday, it appeared in the MLS on Sunday with a delayed showing date of Tuesday.  At the brokers' open I had buyers and agents clamoring to get in ahead of time.  By Wednesday evening we had three offers and had chosen one.  Phew!  That's fast!

Why?  The house was in great shape, the sellers had staged it themselves beautifully, agents had prepped their buyers to be ready for anything that came on the market in the Village, and the price was definitely right.  Badda-bing, bada-boom, as they say...

I also listed and sold another house in Westvale that went almost as readily.  It's not just Skaneateles.  Buyers are out there actively looking. 

Currently there are 34 active listings in the Skaneateles area of the multiple listing service.  Of these, 8 are in the Village and 8 are listed as waterfront.  Overall in the Skaneateles School District there are 44 active listings.  Town prices range from $100,000 to 3.9M;  Village prices go from $150,000 to 1.4M. 

The waterfront listings include three that are actually lake rights, not on the water, so really there are only 5 in this category.  I decided to look at the lake as a whole and found 19 listings (4 as lake rights) on the whole lake.  These include the towns of Skaneateles, Spafford, Homer, Sempronius, and Niles.  I think this makes more sense.  The lowest-priced true waterfront listings are in Niles; one is listed as $425,000 and my newly-reactivated Lakewood Lane is $450,000.

There have been 13 new listings since early March and 23 in the School District.  Fifteen listings are considered under contract.  Interestingly, only two of the waterfront (1 lake rights, 1 actual waterfront) are waiting to close.

BUT! There are 20 sold and closed single family properties as of this date.  In 2017 there were 26, and in 2016 the number was 38.  The latter was higher because at that time agents used Skaneateles generically, and included homes in Spafford and other towns in this category.  Overall though, we are a bit on the low side for closings.

It's not because of the homes, just the lack of them!  So please, if you are considering selling, there are buyers out there waiting breathlessly for your house to go on the market.

Stay tuned:  The First Twenty sold and closed homes blog will appear soon!  I promise!