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!

Skaneateles Real Estate - The "Oh So Busy" Update

It's been about six weeks since I wrote last....oh my!  During that time my clients listed property, sold property, closed on property and we got rid of the snow!  What a difference from last year, when everyone waited until the snow melted.  This year the rush came on during the Ides of March and is only just slowing.

Without further adieu, I will try to summarize.  Currently there are 82 single family homes on the market in Skaneateles.  Of these, 19 are in the Village and 11 are considered waterfront.

Since the beginning of March, 26 properties have come on the market.  Eight of these are Village homes and also eight are re-lists.  None - hard to believe, but I checked it - were waterfront.  (Will this be a trend this year?)  

In the "under contract" category there are 19 listings.  Five of these came on the market since the last blog post, and are already waiting to close.  Eleven properties "sold" during this time - hence the busy-ness.  Five were in the Village and 6 in the town.

But now we come to the exciting part!  There are 29 sold and closed listings since the beginning of the year! In the past 6 weeks, 18 - count them! - homes closed.  Wow!  Five were Village homes and one was waterfront (there's that trend again!)  This means I will write out The First Twenty in the next week so you can see what closed and what price was paid.  You might be surprised....really! Hint....hint....

But get outside - go enjoy these lovely days!  I always say no one appreciates spring like Central New Yorkers....

Open House Alert! Two on Sunday!

This is the morning room at 125 Snowberry, Town of Camillus.  Isn't it great?  Plenty of room for a huge family dinner....with the overflow going into the formal dining room.  It overlooks the back yard and the trees on the hill; a door opens to the deck, equally as large.  You can see the sunsets from here.

The home will be open Sunday, March 15th from 1:00 until 3:00.  The price of the house is $284,000, a bargain in Scenic Meadows.  There are 4 bedrooms, 2.5 baths and a walkout lower level.  I will be there to greet you!  (ML#S320784)

A vastly different experience awaits you at 4625 Phillips Road in Skaneateles Falls.  This is one of the two upstairs bedrooms that is as quaint and sweet as it can be.  Unlike other country farmhouses, this room actually has a very deep walk-in closet, then more storage over the downstairs rooms.  Hardwood
floors, a quiet street, a front porch for passing summer evenings - it's all here.

The home will be open from 12:30 to 2:00 Sunday, March 15th as well.  Since I can't be in two places at once, Amber Spain from our office will be your Realtor.  There are 3-4 bedrooms, a full bath on the first floor, and a detached garage.  Price?  A mere $95,000.  (ML#S323104 - J-E Schools)

Please come!  And as always, tell us that you read about it on this blog!

Upcoming Event - Wednesday, March 11th

Last December I went to the pre-Christmas sale at the Methodist Church in the Village.   I was looking for mittens for Liam - there's a woman who makes the prettiest felted mittens out of old sweaters!  I found her, bought a pair, and then ran into David Figura from the Post-Standard. He was selling his book, So What Are the Guys Doing?, and we had a chance to talk.

The book interested me because I was in the age group for whom it was written, and had similar concerns.  I was also coming out of the questioning period and into full enjoyment of my age and what it offers.  When he told me there would be panel discussions I told him about my rather radical career change into real estate.  I also volunteered to be on a panel.

I left it there, bought a book and he signed it, gave it to Bob for Christmas...  but about a month ago David called and invited me to be on the Career Change panel.  I love it!

Tomorrow evening - as you see above - I will join others for a discussion.  I am really looking forward to this.  Bob asked me yesterday if I was nervous, and I said no.  Besides trying to figure out what to wear - something I am very much not good at doing - I am simply excited. Usually when I am presenting - as in the old charter school days - a couple days ahead I wonder what possessed me to agree to talk.  But not now.  Real estate is what I love to do, and as a panel member I can be quiet and listen, contributing that way also.

I asked a few friends to come for moral support, but I only know that Bob will come for certain.  If you are anywhere near Auburn tomorrow night, please stop in.   

Skaneateles Real Estate - The "In Like a Lion" Update

The photo above is of our backyard about the first of March.  Please note the yardstick coming out of the snow on the table - about 32 inches of snow.  We carved paths for the dogs, and the one you see is to the birdfeeder.  Way in the back is our dog park fence - maybe a few inches of fencing exposed.  Darling Louie, our new cat, has managed to use the railings to get about.  We've been here a dozen winters and never saw it like this.  But it's March!

There are currently only 67 single family homes listed in the Skaneateles area of the multiple listing service.  When people say "inventory is down," this is in comparison to 150 homes a few years back.  Admittedly it is winter - and this winter in particular - but fewer houses means more rapid transactions.  Of the 67, 15 are in the Village and 11 are considered waterfront.  Oh yes - only one new listing has come on the market.

Waiting to close or at least under contract are 26 homes.  Even with this weather 6 new ones have been put under contract in the past couple weeks.  People are out there buying, unlike last year when everyone waited it out.

And they have been closing, too.  We now have 11 homes closed since the first of the year, five of them since February 10th.  Three of those were Village homes, and the other two were in the Town.  

So stay warm, stay safe.  I gave up and got snow tires from Bernie's garage a couple weeks ago for the Passat.  I had gotten stuck once (very rare for me with front wheel drive and a refusal to go where I might get stuck).  I also managed to scrape the side of the car on a snowplow;  it's not looking as pretty as it once was so it has now officially become my winter rat. Oh, to to be cruising in the Fiat again!  Soon - I promise you - but don't hold me to it!