Tuesday, February 17, 2015

New Listing! 38 Onondaga Street



Check out this toilet...If you have a small space and want to turn a closet or half bath into a full bath, this is one solution to squeezing everything in.  That is the sink - yes - on the top of the toilet.  Another eye-catcher photo!

In the Village, 38 Onondaga Street is close to everything.  Walk down the street to Genesee Street and the center of the Village, plus the lake.  Go around the corner and a block away are the schools.  It probably doesn't seem realistic now, but you could easily walk to and from the Sherwood for a summer dinner, or get an ice cream at Doug's and relax by the lake.  if you walk for exercise it's a great starting point.  Have little ones to go to the park?  It's an easy stroll.  Dogs would feel privileged to live here - and it has a fenced back yard.

The home is remodeled as well.  Not only the downstairs bath pictured above, but there's a gorgeous quartz counter and double sink upstairs with a jetted tub in the second floor bath.   The kitchen also has quartz countertops plus a brand new stove and refrigerator.  The gas fireplace serves both the eat-in kitchen and the family room.  A separate living room has hardwoods, multiple windows, and access to the deck.

The lower level is a walkout basement with a rec room, laundry and a garage under the family room.  On the second floor are three bedrooms, one with a walk-in closet with built-ins.  And those hardwoods that do gleam!

Priced at $269,000 it has attracted attention and will attract more once we have less than three feet of snow on the ground and windchills in the minus 20s....  So if you are looking for a Village home, please consider 38 Onondaga.  For more photos, please look up ML#S325820.




Monday, February 16, 2015

Skaneateles Real Estate - The BRRRRR Update



I thought this might grab your attention more than a house with icicles hanging off it, and all the houses have icicles hanging off them.  Yes, one of my dear clients actually had the nerve to send me this photo of another place, and another lifestyle.  Really - no shame, no compassion for our plight here!  Ah - but he/she will return here some day...and by choice!  

There are currently 76 active listings in the Skaneateles area of the multiple listing service.  Of these, 16 are in the Village and 11 are considered waterfront.  In the past 3 weeks since the last update 11 listings have come on the market, but only five are new listings.  

Waiting to close or under contract are 25 single family homes.  Six were added since the end of January, with five of them being in the Village.  Yes, there are buyers out there, braving the high banks of snow to see homes.  The Village also shows off their little snowplow that does the sidewalk shoveling for you, courtesy of the Village taxes.

We now have six houses that have sold and closed so far this year.  Two are new closings, one a waterfront home and the other a town listing.  

This week is February break for the schools.  With the temperature at -11 this morning and windchills in the -20s, I doubt there would have been school anyway.  

Stay warm!  And get out and enjoy the snow - when it's safe again to do so!


Thursday, January 29, 2015

Skaneateles Real Estate Update - The New Year

Let's start out strong and finish up strong!  I did the research a couple days ago and have been on the move ever since, so stats are as of January 27th.

Currently in the Skaneateles area of the multiple listing service there are 73 - only 73! - active listings.  Of these 19 are in the Village and 11 are considered waterfront.  (Think of it - with 107 closed last year we can run through the inventory fairly rapidly, I would hope!)  Only 4 really new to the market listings have come on since the first of the year.

Waiting to close or at least under contract are 21 single family homes.  Two have come under contract recently.  (January is a tough month - and this year it was a cold cold month with lots of illnesses going around.)

Four homes have closed already, however!  Two were waterfront, one had good acreage, and the fourth was a new build.

Since there is so little to report, I looked at other categories.  As of the 27th there were 3 condos listed as active.  In the town/village 2 multi-families were on the market (meaning 2-4 family homes).  Five commercial properties were listed - 2 for sale and 3 for rent.

The category with the most listings (other than single family) is "Lots/Land/Farms."  In the Town section there are 23, and only one in the Village.  Of the total number (24) three are considered waterfront.

As I always say, it is easier to buy a home than to rent one.  There are six homes listed as residential rentals, and that's the highest number in the Central New York MLS for any one town west of Syracuse.  Craigslist and other listing internet sites have taken over this section of the market.  However, if you want representation by a Realtor, as many homeowners in Skaneateles prefer, then listing your rental through the MLS accomplishes that.  You don't have to take the phone calls or qualify the tenants.

Since this may be my last post prior to the Super Bowl, I have to say "Go Seahawks!"

Friday, January 23, 2015

Open House Alert! 4856 Onondaga Road, 13215


Just look at that sunshine and green grass!  This time of year we have to be reminded that those days are coming again, and wouldn't it be lovely to have this huge back yard?

The open house this Sunday will be from 12:00 until 3:00, so that should give you plenty of time to get there.  I won't be there....Amber Spain, who has recently joined our Skaneateles office, will do the open house.  She's the one who opted for three hours, and more power to her!  I was supposed to be in Manhattan for a weekend with the grandsons, plus Alex and Rachel.  They were devastated by a stomach virus that lingered into this week so they decided to spend it resting up instead of galavanting with me.

Amber is excited about getting her license, but it's not like she is coming into the business with no experience. She had her own marketing firm for a while and has bought and sold her own homes, as well as renovating them.  We met when her brother bought a house through me last spring.  She had already started her classes online while maintaining a full-time job and being a full-time (is there any other way?) mother to her two children.  I am glad she's onboard with us - she brings an energy to our office that Peter, Chris and I appreciate.

So come meet Amber - and see the house!  Two bedrooms on the first floor and two rooms upstairs, as well as a basement that is a walkout to this gorgeous yard.   The price is right - $104,900 - and with all the upgrades and new appliances you are getting a home that (hopefully) will require little work.  Check out other photos:  ML#S322475.

Monday, January 19, 2015

2014 Statistics and Analysis

Going back through the listings I see that indeed there were 107 sales in the Skaneateles area of the multiple listing service.  Of these, 30 were in the Village and 27 were considered waterfront.  The median price overall and for the Village was around $310,000.  Waterfront's price price was around $500,000.  Six sales were over a million, way over.

This compares with 2013 with 116 sales of which 46 were in the Village and 20 were waterfront.  The median price for the Village and overall was $300,000.  For waterfront it was $840,000 with 8 properties selling over a million, but not multi-million.

The unusual year was 2013 for the disparity between Village and Waterfront sales.  Generally they have each come in around 30, just as they did this year.  The Village was really going strong in 2013 - gas prices were up, people were encouraged by the strong overall sales the previous year.  This year it leveled out with a slight increase in price.

The waterfront had the highest priced sales ever.  Perhaps it was the MacDonald property getting a good deal of press, with rumors of buyers flying in for the auction which encouraged other homeowners to add their incredible properties to the market.  It was simply the year of the multi-million dollar homes.  Nine of the ten highest-priced homes in the county were sold in Skaneateles.

I like to see how our neighbors did at this time of year.

Camillus    (2014) 287 sales      (2013)  274

Marcellus               60                              60

Elbridge                 57                              49

Auburn                 165                           170

Onondaga
  County             4,153                        4,043


Except for Elbridge, the sales were hardly statistically different from 2013 to 2014.  I find that fascinating. We are a stable county.  Let's see what 2015 brings!

Wednesday, January 14, 2015

The Last Twenty-Eight (2014)

So we went over 100 sales this past year - marvelous!  Without further discussion, here are the last 28 closings.

3007 East Lake Road                Town of Skaneateles               $4,100,000

3285 East Lake Road                Town of Skaneateles               $4,600,000

2025 West Lake Road               Town of Skaneateles               $2,150,000

1740 Coon Hill Road                 Town of Skaneateles               $1,050,000

4446 Old Salt Road                   Town of Niles                            $840,000

1351 Cherry Valley Tpke           Town of Skaneateles                  $575,000

102 West Lake Street                Village of Skaneateles                 $600,000

1666 Buffs Bluff                         Town of Skaneateles                  $380,000

150 Plunkie Point                        Town of Niles                           $360,000

125 Orchard                               Village of Skaneateles               $385,000

66 East Elizabeth                         Village of Skaneateles               $353,000

1 Lakeview Circle                       Village of Skaneateles               $359,000

105 East Lake Road                   Village of Skaneateles               $340,000

1703 Russells Landing                 Town of Skaneateles                $349,000

242 Firelane 16                           Town of Niles                           $302,000

1925 Amnaste Lane                    Town of Skaneateles                 $315,000

3816 Knightsbridge Road           Town of Skaneateles                 $250,000

38 Onondaga Street                   Village of Skaneateles               $255,100

3947 State Street Road               Town of Skaneateles                $210,100

2726 East Lake Road                  Town of Skaneateles                $200,000

1382 Foxfield Drive                     Town of Skaneateles                $204,000

41 Jordan Street                          Village of Skaneateles               $199,500

1396 Thornton Heights Rd           Town of Skaneateles                $189,000

906 Mottville Road                       Town of Skaneateles                $163,000

4684 Jordan Road                        Town of Skaneateles                $111,000

4127 Jordan Road                        Town of Skaneateles                 $112,000

4741 Jordan Road                        Town of Skaneateles                 $93,000

936 Old Seneca Tpke                   Town of Skaneateles                 $72,000

Sunday, January 11, 2015

Predictions - 2015

Last year I predicted that there would not be over 100 closings in the Skaneateles area of the multiple listing service.  I was accurate up to December 10th, when there was a sudden flurry of activity and we went over the 100 mark to 107.  I like being wrong!  It was true that we did not have the record-breaking year of 2012 (129 closings) or 2013 (116 closings), but over 100 is still excellent.

My rationale for such a prediction still exists.  The rates are up a bit, the number of homes on the market are down, and that combination should make for a slightly less bullish year.  Which it did.  Today the rate for a 30-year mortgage is an easy 3.73% compared with last year's rate of 4.51%.  The years before we were seeing around or under 3.0%.  The number of active listings - an incredible 76!  We haven't seen numbers like that for years.

Some of the explanation for this is of course the winter doldrums.  Last year was horrible - no one wanted to go outside for months and months.  Selling waterfront is difficult this time of year - but if you like the home in January you will love it in July!

So my prediction stands another year - under 100 homes will be sold in the Skaneateles area of the multiple listing service.  We just don't have the numbers....  Now - go out there and prove me wrong again!

And remember, because of the very few homes on the market - if you see it and like it, buy it!  You may not get a second chance.