The Second Twenty - 2015

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

In no particular order (but well overdue):

4107 Jordan Road      Town of Skaneateles    $100,000

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

2442 Wave Way         Town of Skaneateles   $530,000

100 Sinclair Street       Village of Skaneateles  $490,000

1007 The Lane            Town of Skaneateles   $430,000

Lot 44 Orchard Road  Village of Skaneateles  $395,850

6 Gayle Road               Village of Skaneateles  $416,000

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

703 School Street         Town of Skaneateles   $192,000

3821 Knightsbridge       Town of Skaneateles   $179,000

606 Phillips Road           Town of Skaneateles   $174,901

3 Highland Street           Village of Skaneateles  $166,663

1713 Parliament Place    Town of Skaneateles   $160,000

4147 Jordan Road         Town of Skanateateles $117,500

819 Franklin Street         Town of Skaneateles    $217,500

1769 Wiles Lane            Town of Spafford         $210,000

71 East Lake Street        Village of Skaneateles  $232,500

38 Onondaga Street        Village of Skaneateles  $265,000

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

3470 County Line Road   Town of Skaneateles   $355,000

Passings

Last week was a doubly sad time for Skaneateles.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Skaneateles Real Estate Update - Almost Halfway There!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Open House Alert! 2742 West Seneca Tpke - Marcellus

2742 West Seneca Turnpike - Marcellus 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Open House and New Listing Alert! All in One!

2572 East Lake Road - Skaneateles

$645,000

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Open House Alert! - 121 Clover Road in Westvale

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

MLS#S331711 - $142,500

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Skaneateles Real Estate - Good News Update

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

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

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

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

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

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

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