Skaneateles Real Estate - December 13th through December 28th

Think about all that has happened in the last two weeks.  Devastating news, Christmas, fiscal cliffing, snow, more Christmas....It's that time of year. In real estate in our small town, so much resembling Newtown in so many ways, houses have been listed, viewed and sold.  People have decided to move, others to stay.  Offers have been accepted and others refused.  Plans have been put on hold because houses don't sell, while others are accelerated because they do.  Weave a holiday in there, too.

Currently there are only 83 houses actively listed in the Skaneateles area of the multiple listing service.  Of these, 23 are in the Village, 21 are considered waterfront of some kind, and the rest are in the town or surrounding towns.  Three new listings came on, actually a re-list in the Village at a reduced price and two new ones in the town.  There's a sweet, much-beloved one out there for under $100,000 - call now if you might be interested.

Of the 18 - only 18! - single family homes in the under contract categories, two are new.  One is in the Village and the other has been coming down in price so it was a great steal for someone.

And again - we have multiple sales, bringing our total so far for the year to 124 homes.  A bonanza.  Five new ones closed, and I am sure with the end of the year others are simply not reported as yet.  The five break out as two in the Village, two in the Town, and one waterfront.  Of course, this triggers the reporting of the Sixth Twenty which will be done soon.

Happy New Year - and let's keep it as profitable as this past year was!

Skaneateles Real Estate - November 30th through December 12th

Lovely evening, late afternoon.  I am in the office enjoying the company of our new "person at the front desk," Danielle.  She is busy putting together a project Chris Evans gave her.  Neither Chris nor I can handle the copier, but everyone else in Danielle's position can make it hum.  If you're in the Village, stop in and say hello to her.

Currently there are only - and I do mean ONLY - 85 homes for sale in the Skaneateles area of the multiple listing service.  Of these, 24 are in the Village and 23 are waterfront.  But that's an amazing number.  Just a couple years ago we flirted with the 150 active listings figure.  And that's when we were closing around 75, so we had a two year inventory.

In the "under contract" categories there are 22 single family homes.  This is down, because houses are closing, trying to get people in before the holidays and the New Year.  Which the attorneys have been able to accomplish!

We now have - drum roll please - 119 sold and closed properties in the Skaneateles area.  Prices have come down a bit and people are anxious to let houses go after a couple years. Of the eight new ones that have closed, two are waterfront, three are Village, and the remainder are in the town.

The year will end with a bang, I am sure!  All this is good news to everyone who depends on the housing market - mortgage people, contractors, attorneys, and yes, Realtors.

Taking care of business:  Lately I've been receiving a ton of spam from people who pretend to compliment the blog but only want to have their websites published.  For a while I may simply have to stop allowing comments - so find me on my e-mail or through the office, please.

Skaneateles Real Estate - November 15th - 29th

The update...but there is very little to update.  The previous blog covers the only new listing to have come on the market in the past two weeks!

There are currently in the Skaneateles area of the multiple listing service only 91 homes on the market.  That's it!  Better buy them now before someone else does...Of these, 27 are in the Village and 23 are considered waterfront.

In the under contract categories there are 28 homes waiting to close.  Since it's the end of the month, I am sure we will have additions to closing figures next week.  Two new ones, both hovering around $300,000, were newly contracted.

Closings - we are up to 111 for the year.  Way more than are on the market... All three were town properties, as opposed to Village.  Two closed for under $200,000 and the third was new construction of around $400,000.  Lovely houses all!

Don't forget Dickens this weekend.  There really is excitement in the air and now that we will be in the month of December (finally) we can look forward to snow and holiday cheer.  And after you've had a roasted chestnut or two, come on down the lake to my open house for more goodies on Sunday.

New Listing!

I sincerely hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving.  We certainly did, the highlight being for me strolling Liam down Madison Avenue and looking in all the store windows on Sunday afternoon.  There is nothing like New York - except maybe coming back and going over the rise on 41 (Cortland County) to see the lake spread out before you.

Which reminds me....you can have that view every day.  I just listed a magnificent home in Niles that has that exact view.  From the eat-in kitchen, the living room, two of the bedrooms...there it is!  Because of the snow lately I haven't gotten THE PHOTO yet, but you can see it for yourself this Sunday (December 2nd) from 1:00 to 3:00 during my open house.  It's supposed to be warm, so come out and walk the acreage (over 9 acres!) and enjoy a few refreshments.  You can see the listing on whatever site you use - S282803 - or go to my Facebook page:  http://Facebook.com/MegBrooksRealtor.  Sarah takes care of it for me and promises something new and completely different...And please check later, too.  I haven't finished uploading photos into the listing.

3722 Robinia Hill - Town of Niles

The Fifth Twenty

The title of this blog says it all.  Amazing, the number of homes sold.  Is it pent-up desire?  Great prices? Low ("historically low" as they say) mortgage rates?  I think it's really a combination of them all.  I am not looking a gift horse in the mouth (is that really the phrase?)

So, in no particular order:

55 Calemad Drive - Town of Sennett - $390,000

4674 Vinegar Hill Road - Town of Skaneateles - $215,000

2092 West Lake Road - Town of Skaneateles - $240,000

3104 East Lake Road - Town of Skaneateles - $242,500

2575 East Lake Road - Town of Skaneateles - $710,000

2098 West Lake Road - Town of Skaneateles - $217,000

2895 East Lake Road - Town of Skaneateles - $999,999

2556 West Lake Road FL25 - Town of Skaneateles - $465,000

16 Academy Street - Village of Skaneateles - $400,000

1940 Collard Road - Town of Spafford - $265,600

1552 Heifer Road - Town of Skaneateles - $298,000

1916 West Lake Road - Town of Skaneateles - $856,000

2621 West Lake Road - Town of Skaneateles - $424,000

4717 West Lake Road - Town of Niles - $290,000

63 Meadow Lane - Town of Niles - $475,000

1772 Stump Road - Town of Skaneateles - $260,000

4011 Center Street Road - Town of Sennett - $338,000

611 Stump Road - Town of Skaneateles - $25,000

2134 East Lake Road - Town of Spafford - $287,500

193 East Genesee Street - Village of Skaneateles - $250,500

Skaneateles Real Estate - November 1st - 15th

I've been out of town for a bit, busy with listings and sales and near-sales for a bit, but whenever I opened up the hotsheet I was always amazed at how many sales there seemed to be in Skaneateles.  Wait until YOU see!

Currently there are 97 listings - under 100! - in the Skaneateles area of the multiple listing system.  Of these, 29 are in the Village and 26 are considered waterfront.  Five new ones came on the market in the past two weeks - well, 3 re-lists, one sizeable re-list reduction, and my new listing at 1983 Collard Road.

I don't usually show you interiors, but this is so beautiful I must share it.  The house is Timberframe construction (built in 2000), so you know there's a great deal of wood and beams.  You are looking at the downstairs living room from the perspective of a gorgeous stone fireplace and two windows looking out on a cornfield and the lake beyond.  Upstairs is a loft - now used as an art studio.  Under the loft is the new kitchen - soapstone counters, maple cabinets, stainless steel appliances.  To the right is the open dining area - open so you can see the fireplace and the views.  To the far left and not in the photo is the first floor master - yes, looking out on the cornfield and the views.  This is ML#S282345, so you can see more of the house.  Or come to the open house this Sunday, from 1:00 to 3:00.  (East Lake Road about 4.4 miles to a left on Collard...worth it!) Priced at $379,000.

But back to the update....there are now 30 homes getting ready for closing.  Only three new ones joined this list - a home in the Village in the $200,000 range, a further out home with a bit of acreage, and a lovely lakefront property.  

And on to the big news.  We now have 108 sold and closed single family properties in the Skaneateles area. We added in the past two weeks 9 homes.  Incredible!  These broke out at 3 (fabulous) waterfront properties, a grand Village home, and 4 others in the near-town.  Prices ranged from the low $200,000s to much more than a million.

What makes this so extraordinary is that there has not been this number of sales by this time of year as far back as 2000.  I didn't go further, so possibly never!  And when you think that our inventory is under 100, it all bodes well for the future. Yes, we seem to be going up in numbers and as we have all learned what goes up can come down, but this is remarkable.  Compare this to a couple years ago, when the listings hovered around 150 and the sales for the year were 70.  We are doing just peachy!

So come on Sunday to see Collard Road - don't drive-by, because it's a private road.  And if you aren't busy Saturday I am holding 50 West Genesee Street open from noon to 2:00 because it does get drive-by, walking-by traffic.  Come see them both, especially if you like wood!

Skaneateles Real Estate - End of October, 2012

The world goes on - despite Sandy, despite the loss of friends.  And that's how it should be.  So without further adieu....

There are currently 101 active listings in the Skaneateles area of the multiple listing service.  (This update encompasses October 24th through October 31st.)  Of these, 30 are in the Village and 28 are waterfront.  Only two new listings came on and they are both re-lists.

In the under contract categories there are now 39 waiting to close.  Three are new, two in the Town and one in the Village.

The number of closings is now 97 - unbelievable!  At this time last year Skaneateles had only 55 closed single family homes.  Think of it!  Looking at the surrounding towns - Camillus, Marcellus, and Elbridge plus Auburn - each and every one has more closings than they did (year-to-date) in 2011.  The entire county of Onondaga has 3,116 homes sold - last year at this time it was only 2,838.  These are significant statistics - the world is changing once again, and as usual real estate is leading the way.

Passages

A couple weeks ago Billy Lang from Gallinger/Realty USA in Marcellus passed away.  As it said in the paper, he had run his mother's real estate firm (Verna Lang) for 40 years.  A friend said he had either "birthed 'em or buried 'em" and sometimes both over the course of his time.  His office walls were lined with the heads of animals he had hunted.  His hair was long and spoke volumes about who he was.  You could always tell when someone was on the phone with Billy - the listener made a lot of agreeing noises, but rarely got a chance to speak.  I can still hear his voice.  When I heard he was sick, a couple years ago, it was hard to believe because he was so active, so energized all the time.  But he was, and will be missed.

On Saturday evening Janet Tardiff from Williams Realty in Skaneateles also passed away.  I hadn't heard she had been sick, and thankfully she wasn't for long.  I had wondered in passing why she didn't go look at Ten Mile Point when her client asked about it, but she wasn't the first.  She was a great reader of this blog - my "JT" - and always wanted to have me print the median price of sold and closed properties, not the mean.  She was the owner, with Grace Snook, of Williams Realty until just recently. Pat Snyder, an agent in the company, told wonderful stories yesterday when I spoke with her from my open house at 50 West Genesee.  Days when there were no copiers or fax machines at the office (in the building across from RE/MAX, where Paris Flea is now).  Days when the listings were sent out by mail to be included in the office's master book.  Just like Billy, I can still hear Janet's voice, sort of a drawl with a question mixed in...I liked coming in to the office and seeing her at her desk in the far corner.   I will miss her terribly.

Skaneateles Real Estate - The Occasional Update (October 17th - 24th)

I don't want to be cavalier about it, but between selling and showing things, closing others and this storm that never materialized in Skaneateles, it's been a long week.  I also held an open house at 5731 Sandbank Road in Elbridge and came away with a deeper appreciation for the property.  It's an amazing house, as everyone agreed who came through the open a couple days ago.  Add the property - 1.5 acres of truly a park-like setting - and it is much more than it appears from the outside.  Also, it demonstrates what you need to do prior to listing, if you look at the landscaping.  Fall is a great time to put a home on the market for this reason - all those colors!  You can see the full listing at REMAX.com or Realtor.com:  ML#S280235. (Sorry - I tried to upload a photo but blogger was having none of it today...could it be the storm?)

During this week, there were 104 active listings in the Skaneateles area of the multiple listing service.  Of these, 31 were in the Village and 28 were waterfront.  There were (despite my suggestion above) no new listings.

In the under contract category there continues to be a fairly high number of single family homes waiting to close, 37 to be exact.  Four are newly placed there - two in the Town and two in the Village.  Hopefully they will be able to close before the end of the year.

I firmly believe, though, that we will have no problem getting to 100 closings this year.  We have three new ones to report, all in the area surrounding Skaneateles.  Two of them are on the higher end - we are getting back to the prices that dominated the market a few years ago, as well as the volume.  All good news.

Skaneateles Real Estate - October 3rd - October 17th

Before I forget (as if I would) I have an open house this weekend at my new (sort of) listing in Skaneateles.  Please come!  Tell me you saw it here!  The house is 50 West Genesee, almost across from the new Krebs. If the photo or the location sounds familiar, it is.  I listed and sold this last year.  The owners are relocating and want the house to move with them, but alas, it can't.  So you have the opportunity to buy it!  Hooray!
Four bedrooms, three full baths, a third floor that is now being used as a media room.  Incredible woodwork throughout - really, a pleasure to show.  Check it out online: ML# S280791  It's priced below where we had it last year, even - now $415,000.  See you between 1:00 and 3:00 on Sunday.

There are actually only 109 listings in the Skaneateles area of the multiple listing service.  Of these, 32 are in the Village and 29 are waterfront.  Besides this beauty above, five other houses came on the market during this time frame.  Three are waterfront, ranging form a low of around $600,000 to a high of two million.  The other two houses are in the town, and less than 50 West Genesee - with less space, too.

In the under contract categories there are 35 houses!  Seven are new, including two that made the trip from newly active to contingent during this time period.  Priced right and they sold!

As has been our custom, two more homes closed, bringing our total to 92 so far with still 10 weeks to go in the year.  Both sold right around the $400,000 mark.....hmmmmm.....kind of like 50 West Genesee.....Let's see if we can add that to the contingent list by the time the next update blog gets written.

Skaneateles Real Estate - Update Sept. 19th - Oct. 3rd

As you can tell, it's still busy and I am still out and about way too much it seems.  I pulled together the research for this blog and just never got a chance to write it out.  It helped me get a listing - I love knowing what I am talking about and being able to throw out exact numbers.  I feel like I could take on a candidate running for Realtor in Skaneateles!  I just need to find the time to communicate what I know to my readers.  And I know they will decrease without my publishing regularly, so I will do better by writing more often.  Starting here today.

During this period there were 111 active listings in the Skaneateles area of the multiple listing service.  Of these, 33 were in the Village and 27 were considered waterfront.  Eight new listings came on the market, but 5 of these were re-lists with reductions in price.  One of the new ones was a beautiful Village home priced just under one million.  A home in the town but not far outside was priced around $200,000 and a waterfront  camp came on around $300,000.

Six new ones joined the under contract or pending category to bring that number to 30.  One Village, 4 in the town, and a waterfront.

We now have 90 sold and closed, year-to date.  Incredible!  Six new ones were added to this list: one in the Village and five in the town.

This brings the number of Village properties sold year-to date (remember, the end-date is October 3rd) to 34.  I went back and looked at 2011; there were only twelve (12!) sold in that time period.  We are having a blazingly hot year, especially in the Village.  The median prices are slightly down - $285,000 vs. $349,000 - and certainly that is a contributing factor.  But so are the mortgage rates.  Come to Skaneateles!

The Fourth Twenty

I am not sure that I have EVER written a Fourth Twenty - certainly not at this time of year!  The Third Twenty was published on August 8th, so we are only about 7 weeks past that.  Magnificent!

The list is a bit odd - I will point out where - but I believe that it closely follows what has occurred.  We are well into the 80s for closings anyway....

1905 Stump Road - Town of Skaneateles - unpublished sale price

1719 Russells Landing - Town of Skaneateles - $355,000

80 West Elizabeth Street - Village of Skaneateles - $150,000

1863 Sugar Maple Lane - Town of Skaneateles - $198,000  (reported twice)

9 Academy Street - Village of Skaneateles - $295,000

174 East Genesee Street - Village of Skaneateles - $270,000

2812 East Lake Road - Town of Skaneateles - $293,000

38 Academy Street - Village of Skaneateles - $349,900

25 Hannum Street - Village of Skaneateles - $225,000

4755 Austin Road - Town of Skaneateles - $278,000

1711 Lancelot Lane - Town of Skaneateles - $280,000

628 Crow Hill Road - Town of Skaneateles - $337,000

2258 Cherry Valley Turnpike - Town of Skaneateles - $170,000

639 School Street - Skaneateles Falls - $87,000

3143 West Lake Road - Town of Skaneateles - $270,000

2753 East Lake Road - Town of Skaneateles - $499,900

3 Ramble Wood Drive - Village of Skaneateles - $557,500

24 East Elizabeth Street - Village of Skaneateles - $220,000

1025 Autumntree Court - Town of Skaneateles - $402,500

Skaneateles Real Estate - The Bi-Monthly Update

Summer is over, sort of, but it doesn't feel like it is.  I've had only one new apple so far thanks to the frost, and it was hard!  Usually I stop on Route 20 coming out of Lafayette and grab the first of the Jersey Macs.  Besides not having time this year, it just hasn't felt right.  Maybe because the rush is still on for real estate, and I haven't done the fall open house with cider and donuts because everything is selling.  It's just very different this year.

What is really different is the amount of business we are all doing.  Hold on to your hat!

Currently there are 117 active listings in the Skaneateles area of the multiple listing service.  Of these, 34 are in the Village and 27 are reputed to be waterfront properties.  Since I last wrote on September 5th, 13 new listings have come on the market.  Five of these are re-listings with a good deal of price reductions.  All of the three waterfront listings are in this category.  In the Village there are four new homes out there ready for their buyers.  They range in price from $400,000 to $800,000 or thereabouts.  There are four new ones in the town section.  Those range from the mid-$100,000 to higher $300,000s.  If the selling continues, I am willing to guess that half of all of these will be gone in two months' time.

In the contingent-under contract-pending category we have a low of 23 waiting to close.  Five are new to this, three of the non-waterfront properties averaging around $200,000 are "sold" but not closed.  The two new waterfront additions are quite lovely and higher priced, as you would imagine.

So of course if you've been reading this blog you know that if there are so few in the last category, then a lot must have sold and closed.  Eight more to be exact!  That brings us to 84 for the year, an unheard-of number in recent times.  As I have reported since spring, the majority are Village homes.  It's been a great year for the Village.  In the next week I will publish the Fourth Twenty closings.  Incredible!

BUT!  If you don't know what to buy or want to wait and see if your favorite Village home will come on the market in the next year, you are more than welcome to lease 31 East Elizabeth Street.  It's a Victorian with almost 2,000sf, four bedrooms, two full baths, a detached single car garage, and within easy walking distance of everything - shops, schools, lakefront, parks....The cost is $1,800 per month plus utilities.  Nicely-behaved pets are welcome.  Enjoy the seasons from the warp-around porch at the corner of Elizabeth and State Street, then stroll on down to our office to the left of Doug's Fish Fry and check out our listings.  Not such a bad place to live, work and play.

Skaneateles Real Estate - The Summer-Ending Update

The past three weeks is the longest time I've been away from this blog ever, in the five or so years I've been writing it.  But business has never been better!  I start the day before dawn when Charlie gets me up if I'm at home, and then fall into my chair at night around 8:00, content to have a Corona Light and talk about the day, or just sit there.  If I'm at the lake I skip dinner altogether and go straight to a movie and falling asleep in my wicker chair.  "Make hay while the sun shines..."  It's been a bit cloudy over the past few years, not in my business, but in the market as a whole.  August.  Who knew?

So to catch up.  In the listings area there really wasn't much action.  Currently there are 109 active single family homes in the Skaneateles area of the multiple listing service.  Of these, 30 are in the Village and 27 are listed as waterfront.  In the past three weeks only 6 homes have come on the market for the first time.  Each and every one is a Village home!  They range in price from the low $200,000 to almost a million.

There is not a great deal of change in the numbers of the "contingent, under contract" homes - still a hefty 31.  However, 11 of these are new to this category.  Six come from the town, two are waterfront, and three are Village properties.  That's remarkable in that the percentages are similar to the active listings.

Let's think....if there hasn't been a sizable increase in the contracted properties, then where did the others go?  To the CLOSED category!

We now have 76 homes sold and closed this year - so far - in the Skaneateles area.  Eleven are new, with four coming from the Village and five from the town, and two waterfront homes rounding it out.  Soon we'll have the Fourth Twenty homes to publish.  Last year at this time only 46 homes had closed.  In all of 2011 there were 70.  Yes, we are on a roll!

More interestingly, all the newly closed homes were listed this year.  So if they went under contract approximately in late June, then none of them were on the market longer than five and a half months at the very most.  Of course some were refreshed, or changed agencies perhaps, but I can only see one that was listed in 2011.

So this means that it is time to buy.  With this much demand the prices will undoubtedly rise soon - just the nature of the business!  Rates are still low, but as I cautioned someone today they have risen just a bit in the past two weeks.  We are doing well, and only now going into the fall season.

I can't wait!

Skaneateles Real Estate - Summer Edition

Yes, it's been two very busy weeks for me, so I didn't do last week's blog update.  But it's summer, the days are winding down...no, I haven't been hanging out on my paddleboard at the lake, but I have been getting a couple very sweet new listings, one of which I will add to the update.

This is my new listing at 1020 Ten Mile Point, just south of Lourdes Camp.  Look at that beach!  It has 295 feet of level small rocks, two current docks, and a cottage up in the trees.  The price is $250,000 - and no, this is not a giveaway.  Contributing to the peace and quiet you see here is the limited accessibility - a good thing in this rush-around world!  No cars, no roads, no traffic.  Take a short boat ride or woodland path past other camps along the shoreline and find silence, only the lapping of the waves and the birds in the many trees.  You are truly away from it all, but only minutes to the Village.

So!  There are currently 117 other active listings in the Skaneateles area of the multiple listing service.  Of these, 27 are in the village and 29 are considered waterfront.  Eight are new, including Ten Mile Point.  A couple are re-lists, including the huge mansion at the Enclave on Route 20 - now priced at $500,000 for the house and over 24 acres.  There's another property with twice as much acreage, also in the town.  A good little ranch and pretty cape, both in the town,  came on the market over the past two weeks.  An under a million waterfront property completes the new homes.

And sure enough, four new properties came under contract.  All of them are outside of the village, and three of them hover around the $300,000 mark.  There are 32 altogether in this category, including the four new ones.

And more closed!  Five new ones!  We are up to 65 sold and closed homes for the year!  Three of them are in the village, to continue the 2012 theme of buying there.  They range in price from a low in the mid-$100,000 to a high close to $600,000.  The two in the town that closed were sold near their asking price.

We are on to something here - Skaneateles is going through a wonderful upsurge in real estate.  And why not?  It is a beautiful area, filled with beautiful homes, where prices have not fluctuated as they have in the rest of the country.  And rates - oh my!  One of my buyers got a 3.5% FHA mortgage just recently.  It makes a HUGE difference!  So buy now - please!  And you can start with my Ten Mile Point listing!

Saundra Smokes

Saundra Smokes passed away unexpectedly on Wednesday in Syracuse.  She was a columnist for the Post-Standard for years, and only returned in May to write again in her hometown.  She was writing during the years before I tried to get my charter school off the ground, and she was an inspiration to me, pushing me (although she had no idea) to go out there and do things I never thought I could ever do.  But I should do them because I believed in them, no matter how hard.  Because it was the right thing to do.

I never wrote to her, as I had planned to do since her return.  I wanted to say thank you.

But this is a column she wrote that was hung up in my house on East Street in Skaneateles, and then made its way with me to Elbridge.  It resides on the back of the pantry door.  To remind me.

Put Resolve in Your Resolutions

One of my sister-friends and I were talking about the foolishness of making the same old New Year's resolutions.
I am going to lose weight.
I am going to get organized.
I am going to be on time.
I am going to exercise.
I am going to spend more time with my family.
I am going to learn a new skill.
And on and on.
Not that these goals are not worthy goals.
It's just that most of them are self-centered, and most of them keep finding their way on the list year after year - sometimes decade after decade.
What if - my sister-friend and I reasoned - what if all of us made new kinds of  resolutions?
Attitude resolutions.
Character resolutions.
Community resolutions.
We weren't talking about vague "I want to be a better person" or "I want to do more for my city" promises.
We meant specific, identifiable, reachable goals that would benefit others - loved ones,co-workers, neighbors.

What would have happened if, years ago, President Clinton had made a character resolution list and decided that he was no longer going to mess around on his wife, ignore his marriage vows, hurt his young daughter, jeopardize the office in which he was serving?
What if he had decided to deal with his lust problem and gotten some help to get himself in check?
Maybe we wouldn't be where we are at the moment - wrestling between censuring the man or putting him through a Senate trial to determine whether to remove him from office.
All of us have a list we can make that goes beyond giving up ice cream or reading more books.
Why can't people who have biting tongues make a point of controlling what comes out of their mouths?
What can't parents who holler and scream and say any old thing to their children resolve not to talk to their kids any old way?
Why can't bosses who think they know it all decide they don't, and listen to their employees?
Why can't employees resolve not to whine about everything?
Why can't the folks who are cheating on their loves resolve to stop lying and cheating and manipulating people?

Why can't those who are being cheated on , lied to and manipulated, resolve to stop the abuse or get help to stop the abuse?
Why can't family members who aren't speaking to each other resolve not to let another year go by without addressing whatever it is that is keeping them apart?
Why can't fathers resolve to acknowledge the children they pretend aren't theirs?
Why can't people in the caring and nurturing professions - doctors, nurses, teachers - resolve to treat all their patients and students with respect, affection and dignity?
Why can't neighbors resolve not to disturb the peace of the neighborhood by playing music too loudly or letting their dogs run loose?
Why can't people in the social services field resolve not to think of themselves too highly and forget that they may some day be where their "clients" are?
Why can't every person resolve to make a difference in the life of one child this year - by being a mentor, volunteering at a Boys and Girls Club or community center, becoming a Big Brother and Big Sister, joining an "Adopt a  School" program?

Why can't people resolve not to tell one racial joke, not to make on racial slur, not to contribute in any way to racial stereotyping or racist behavior?
Why can't customer service employees resolve to treat the public the way they would like to be treated?
Why can't companies resolve to truly assess the working conditions of their employees?
Why can't lawmakers resolve that every person in this nation will have a health-care plan as good as the one the lawmakers have?
Why can't lawmakers resolve that every child will get the kind of education their children are getting?
Why can't parents resolve to keep abreast of what is happening with their child in school?
Why can't parents resolve to not let the schools raise their children?
Why can't people resolve not to have to be motivated by the holidays to reach out to the needy?

Why can't the folks who want to lose weight resolve to give the money they would have spent on cookies, doughnuts and lunches that could pass for dinners, to charity?
Why can't people who are always stirring things up, always gossiping, always trying to cause trouble, simply stop it?
Why can't we all put some resolve in our resolutions?

I will miss her column, and miss her.

The Third Twenty

Amazing.  Just amazing - that there could be so much activity this very hot summer.  With no rational reason for this order:

1711 Borodino Bluffs - Town of Spafford - $921,500

1541 East Lake Road - Town of Spafford - $284,000

1 Elson Lane - Village of Skaneateles - $140,000

1012 Butters Farm - Town of Skaneateles - $600,000

3332 Kane Avenue - Town of Skaneateles - $217,500

1721 Lancelot Place - Town of Skaneateles - $159,000

8 Goodspeed Place - Village of Skaneateles - $300,000

205 Hemlock Hollow - Town of Niles - $458,000

887 West Elizabeth Street - Town of Skaneateles - $245,000

82 State Street - Village of Skaneateles - $300,000

10 Fuller Street - Village of Skaneateles - $263,000

2155 Singing Woods - Town of Spafford - $544,000

6787 Glen Haven Road - Town of Sempronius - $110,000

1760 Tamarack Trail - Town of Skaneateles - $1,225,000

3130 East Lake Road - Town of Skaneateles - $234,000

160 East Genesee Street - Village of Skaneateles - $210,000

5 Ramble Wood Drive - Village of Skaneateles - $540,000

60 Calemad Drive - Town of Sennett - $436,000

26 East Lake Street - Village of Skaneateles - $279,000

33 Calemad Drive - Town of Sennett - $428,000

Skaneateles Real Estate - The Weekly Update

The moon rose last night over the lake.  It's a blue moon - or rather, the first full moon in the month of August and there will be another at the end, I guess making that the actual blue moon.  I learned that the cycle between full moons is 29.5 days, which explains why it isn't the same day every year, every month.  The moon slipped in and out of the pink clouds, at times totally obscured.  We watched from our deck with guests there for dinner - and the light show!

What a summer!  Both for weather and for real estate.

There are currently 119 active listings in the Skaneateles area of the multiple listing service.  Of these, 26 are in the village and 30 are waterfront.  Three homes were re-listed this past week, each with significant reductions in price.  Four others came on the market - a little bit of everything: new construction, almost new construction, a ranch down the lake, and a sweet Village home.

The already contracted houses number 34, just waiting to close.  Three more were added to the list - one in the village, and two others in the town.  These were higher priced homes, too, ranging between $300,000 and $400,000 for list prices.

And now the Big News!  We have reached another milestone for the year.  SIXTY!  Sixty homes have closed year-to-date in Skaneateles.  Three new homes were added to bring it to this number - village, near-village, and a house in the town with acreage.  The price-point on these was around $200,000.  But SIXTY!  

Why such a big deal?  In both 2010 and 2011 at this time there were only 38 houses that had closed.  In 2009 there were 46.  Last year it took us until November 15th - another 3.5 months - to get to 60.  That's why.  Whether its pent-up need or great rates (I saw a flyer for 3.25% for a 30-year fixed FHA loan!) or this gorgeous weather or good prices on these homes - let the analysts argue the reason.  I just love it!

Again - if you are thinking of buying or selling - do it now!

Skaneateles Real Estate - The Weekly Update

Back on track!  It's been such a wonderful summer and I have worked hard to enjoy it.  Real estate can swamp an agent, but there are so many things to do in the Finger Lakes in the summer that by prioritizing it can all get done.  Last week we went to the Nationals at the Fairgrounds.  Despite all the hot, hot weather we've been having, the day was cooler and breezy making touring so much better.  It's a rite of summer - like the Sidewalk Sale (aka Curbstone Festival), the library book sale, and this weekend the Antique Boat Show.  We have had an unprecedented lack of rain - possibly the driest July on record - so it might be due this Saturday or Sunday. Go early, go often.

Currently there are 116 active listings in the Skaneateles area of the multiple listing service.  Of these, 25 are in the village and 29 are waterfront.  As a side note, I have been searching in Syracuse for the perfect house for some friends.  As I open that category every day, I see that there are about 425 active listings - in all of Syracuse.  I know that "Skaneateles area" is loosely interpreted, and the City of Syracuse is not, but this seems disproportionate with the populations.  Still, there are excellent deals to be had in Skaneateles - and it is a great place to live even at its higher prices for homes.  (JT would like to remind everyone to check out the listing in Woodmere that is still available - a very lovely home in an excellent Village location!)

Speaking of lovely....two new listings came on in the past week.  One is a knock your socks off house out in the country for well over a million, but with six full baths.  The other is a village home that personifies the old village of the mid-19th century, the agent writes.

We still have 34 homes under contract with four new ones in this category - two in the village (there's that theme again) and two in the town.

Fifty-seven single family homes have closed so far this year.  Two were just reported - one of those good bargains in Spafford and the other in the actual Town of Skaneateles.

So walk around the village this weekend, take in the sights and sounds of summer.  Admire the boats and think of the old days when the wooden cruisers dominated the lake.  Oh yes - and please buy a house while you are here!

Skaneateles Real Estate - The Summer Edition

It's been a couple very busy weeks.  I have seen houses for listing and I am very excited about some new prospects, shown and sold houses, and still had time to celebrate Liam's first birthday.  When I first started I wrote that I intended this blog to be about a Realtor's life in Skaneateles.  In the summer I take my time off when I can find it, and generally very few people know where I am at any given time, just that I am working. Whether I answer the phone from the park near the East River or at the lake, or in Auburn eating lunch at Connie's with Intrepid Janet, I am vacationing and working at the same time.  My Fiat is my vacation - top down (except in this heat) and flying down the lake.

(Sign by Absolute Sign Company on Erie Blvd.)

There are currently 118 active listings in the Skaneateles area of the multiple listing service.  Of these, 26 are in the Village and 29 are considered waterfront.  Eight new ones came on in the past two weeks (July 4th through today, July 18th).  Two are re-lists.  A huge, gorgeous waterfront property is available at well over 2 million dollars.  One in the town - close to the village - is now on the market for over $300,000 while a smaller house just a little bit farther out is listed at $200,000.  A couple are fixer-uppers - and their prices reflect that.  A pretty village home is also there for under $300,000.

While I'm thinking of it, my clients are looking for a home that has a first floor master bedroom/bath and is in good condition, close to the village.  They are well-qualified and their home has sold.  Pricing somewhere around $200,000 would be wonderful.  If you are thinking of selling, or know someone who is, and the home meets these criteria, please call or e-mail me:  MBrooks@REMAX.net 

I am trying out a new way of reporting on the CUP homes.  These are the ones that have a contract on them and are in some stage of the selling process.  They could be anywhere from a contract contingent on a home to sell or a day or two away from closing.  To you it probably doesn't matter, and since I don't name houses it wouldn't help anyway.  So!  There are currently 32 homes in this C (contingent) U (under contract, do not show) P (pending) category.  Five are new in the past two weeks.  They range in price from the low $200,000 list price to a high around $500,000.  They are all recently built (stay tuned to why that is important!)

We now have 55 homes that have sold and closed year-to-date.  Seven are new in the past two weeks. Two are large waterfront homes and one is smaller, with a smaller price.  Three are homes in the town and one is in the village.  Except for one of these homes, all are in great shape and the vast majority were built in the last 15 years.  I think what we are seeing is a trend towards newer homes, or homes that have been updated, especially the kitchens. Not a single one of the new CUPs or sales was built prior to 1920.

But the spectacular news is the volume of sales.  When I say we've been busy - we were!  To reiterate, 55 in 2012 to date.  Only 30 in 2011, 36 in 2010, 45 in 2009, and sadly only 23 (!) in 2008 had closed by this date.

My suggestion to everyone - sellers or buyers - is not to delay!

Skaneateles Real Estate - The Weekly Update

What a busy, busy week!  Marvelous, with Alex, Rachel and Liam coming up from Manhattan.  We are so lucky to live where we do.  They come up the FDR and cross the George Washington Bridge.  On a good day it takes about half an hour, give or take a few minutes.  On Saturday it took an hour and a half.  Mostly sitting in traffic.  Bob and I get perturbed on 690 if we have a slow down!  We are spoiled.  But they left yesterday and stopped for lunch in the Poconos and still made it in and parked on the street in around 5 hours.

So here we are - another update.  make sure you read "The Second Twenty" that I just finished writing.  Very interesting, in that half of the sales in this group were in the Village.  And that it all happened swiftly.

But currently we have 120 single family homes for sale in the Skaneateles area of the multiple listing service.  Of these, 29 are in the village and 27 are considered waterfront.  Three listings came on in the past week; two are re-lists with major reductions in price and the third is a lovely new construction home.

Altogether in the "under contract" category there are 32 homes.  Three of these are new this past week - one in the village and two waterfront homes.  Imagine if all these closed in the next three months!  We would have CLOSED more by September than we did all of last year.

I am enthusiastic because there are now 48 homes that have closed!  Seven are new this past week, at least being reported in the past week. Three were homes in the town, a couple in need of some work.  Three were village homes, snapped up when the buyers saw what they wanted.  The last was considered waterfront because it had private rights to the lake - and a lovely house too!  Congratulations to everyone who got in before the Fourth of July, and who now can enjoy the summer in Skaneateles.

Tomorrow night at the gazebo is the first concert for the community band.  Please - give them your support.  It's a great tradition and the weather promises to be perfect.  And look around while you're there - you may want to buy a home so you can walk to the park next summer....

The Second Twenty

Wow.  So many homes have closed!  Unlike last year, when it took us well into June to get to The First Twenty, I can publish (in no special order) the addresses and selling prices of the second set of 20 homes to have closed in the Skaneateles area of the multiple listing service.

13 Day Lane - Village - $850,000

17 East Elizabeth Street - Village - $288,000

2474 Nunnery Road - Town of Spafford - $153,000

88 State Street - Village - $242,000

85 East Genesee Street - Village - $750,000

4740 Vinegar Hill Road - Town of Skaneateles - $205,000

3 Chestnut Circle - Village - $284,000

10 East Elizabeth Street - Village - $192,000

2 Heritage Woods - Village - $265,000

2487 East Lake Road - Town of Spafford - $225,000

3552 County Line Road - Town of Skaneateles - $335,000

37 West Elizabeth Street - Village - $197,600

1947 Weeks Road - Town of Skaneateles - $235,000

36 West Lake Street - Village - $725,000

2017 West Lake Road - Town of Skaneateles - $300,000

8 Heather Woods Court - Village - $349,500

11 West Elizabeth Street - Village - $160,000

1633 East Seneca Turnpike - Town of Skaneateles - $143,600

4000 State Street Road - Town of Skaneateles - $110,000

7021 Glen Haven Road North - Town of Sempronius - $265,000

Skaneateles Real Estate - The Weekly Update

I have been working to explain seller concessions recently.  Those are the pesky dollars added on to a purchase offer to help the buyer with little cash to finance a house.  They are limited - 3%, I believe, for a conventional mortgage and 6% for an FHA mortgage.  This means that if the purchase offer is $207,000 and the concessions are $7,000 then the seller will net $200,000.  The $7,000 will go back to paying the costs by the buyer of buying the house:  appraisal fees, escrow, attorney's fees and others spelled out in the contract.  The seller never sees the $7,000 - and neither does the buyer, usually, with the expenditure automatic at closing.  This is a difficult concept, stumping other agents sometimes and certainly confusing sales.  The first page of the contract says one number, i.e. $106,000 for an FHA loan and the second page says the $6,000 is going away.  And then because the higher number is financing the deal, that is both the number the appraiser has to say the house is worth and the number reported in the paper!  Plus we are seeing more seller concessions being written.  (Brokers' commissions are based on the net.)

But in the event you want to buy a house in Skaneateles with or without seller concessions, then there are 123 actively listed homes.  Thirty-two are in the village, and 28 are considered waterfront.

Six "new" listings came on this week.  Only one was a true re-list, with a new agent and new price.  The others range in price from the low $100,000 to about $700,000 for a home and acreage, plus other amenities.  In-between are three village homes.

In the contingent category there are 19 homes.  The recent ones are mostly village and except for one stunning waterfront property are listed around $300,000.  One home was sold recently at auction.

The best news, however, is that the number of homes closed year-to-date is now 41.  That doubles - DOUBLES - the number of homes closed in 2011 by this time.  Amazing.  The Second Twenty list will come out this week.  You can go back into the archives of this blog to check it against the First Twenty filed at this time in 2011.  Yes, I would say the recession, in Skaneateles at least, is receding.  Hooray!

Take me out to the Ballpark

We went to the Doubledays' game on Thursday night.  It was one of the 95 degree days, with brilliant sunshine so you knew the evening would be hot and warm.  What Fields of Dreams are made of.

And it was an extraordinarily beautiful night.  Falcon Park in Auburn is right out of a Norman Rockwell painting.  The young men who play may some day make it to the majors, but most likely will not.  They play for pride, I would imagine.  That, and nights like last Thursday when it all comes together.

It was dollar night.  I got a hot dog for a dollar, and a beer (or two) for a dollar.  Admission was $6.  Parking is free, and right across the street.  No reserved seating - box seats (a few rows) and general admission.  It wasn't packed, so we could spread out and easily see the field a few feet away.

Our friend Tammy came with us, rather spur of the moment.  She regaled us with tales of going to a Mets game.  She said the ballpark was phenomenal - well-planned out, very secure, and extremely clean.  She had a hamburger that cost $11.  Ah, those New York City prices!  But that trip took planning.  Bob called her around 5:00 and we met up at 7:00.

The Doubledays were tied with the Batavia Mud Dogs in the 9th, after the sun went down and the lights came on.  Then on through the 10th, the crowd getting a bit raucous and committed to rattling the other team.  But in good humor, certainly okay for childen's ears.  And then hits came in, a manager was ejected, a call disputed by the Doubledays' 3rd base coach and suddenly a hit - and they won.

But we all had won long before, having the rare privilege of being there on such a night.

Buffini and Company

As I alluded to in my last post, I went to a conference called the Turning Point given by Buffini and Company at the Hyatt on Long Island.  I was able to spend Father's Day with Alex, Rachel and Liam in Manhattan (we picnicked in Schurz Park) and then drive out to the hotel.  I had been looking forward to this event for a very long time.

I had seen Brian Buffini in Vegas at the RE/MAX convention years ago.  I think it was 2007.  I came back ready to go and that's when I started my blog.  So I like the way that spawned a new beginning and hopefully Turning Point, at the 500th blog, has started another chapter in my career.

I have always liked the philosophy that Buffini espouses:  real estate success is formed by relationships, not "one and done" fly-by listings and sales.  As I've said before, my clients become friends or acquaintances, people I enjoy meeting on the street or having lunch with.  I have been in business for 11 years almost, and their children have grown up and gone on to their own lives.  I have one entire family which I have watched as the four sons develop their businesses, meet and marry, have children.  And it's not just them, it's their friends to whom they refer me.  I went to a party last year - there were at least 40 transactions represented there, and every single person or part of a family in the room had been my client at some point, most for multiple transactions.

The other part of the Buffini message is a direct expansion of Rational-Emotive Therapy which I studied years ago while doing my Master's in counseling at Ohio University.  RET is based on the assumption that what you tell yourself produces your behavior.  Much simplified.  If you do certain things you will receive rewards, even if the reward is simply telling yourself you did well.  That confidence boost will produce energy that will produce more good things that will increase your energy....and on and on.  You can actually work your way out of a slump or depression.  Therapists hand out homework - do the homework, and in the doing you are actively participating in your recovery and - voila - you recover!

One thing I've always liked about real estate is that, unlike other careers, the harder you work the more you make.  Within reason of course.  So I have worked hard and it has paid off, not only financially but emotionally and socially.

I still needed a tune-up.  I needed and wanted a way to work smarter.  Buffini - through a discussion with our broker, Dave Cramer - had helped me through financial planning so that my money was not scattered but relegated to separate accounts.  Now I needed to find a way to work and have a life.  Last year by necessity I spent days away from Skaneateles with the birth of Liam.  And I had one of my best years - how could that be?  I told Rachel I had to find a way - and that Buffini and Company would make it happen.

They did.  Through two intense days I got the answers I needed.  The answers were there before, of course, but I hadn't been ready to do the work.  Liam's birth pushed me over the edge.  And everyone will benefit.


Basically they gave me a structure to my days and weeks.  One I have to implement and individualize but I am ready.  And it all makes sense.  I hadn't seen the forest for the trees.


So, Brian Buffini, who came to America from Ireland with $92 in his pocket and became a millionaire at a very young age and now employs 370 staff, I thank you.  He told a story the last afternoon about the notes he receives.  He can't keep them all, but he keeps those of the children who write.  They say things like "Thank you for giving me back my mother."  "My father finally saw one of my games."  


I will be there both for my clients and the children of my clients, and my family as well.


http://www.buffiniandcompany.com

Skaneateles Real Estate - The Weekly Update

The last blog I wrote turned out to be the 500th published blog.  Five hundred.  I would bet that the largest portion was the update - whether weekly, bi-monthly, the Wedding Edition.  I have enjoyed the process but like most writers I know the "sitting down to it" is the hardest part.  But 500 times I did.

And what that has gained me is an insight into the Skaneateles market that comes readily when asked.  I was at a conference the past two days on Long Island and most of the Realtors I spoke with had never heard of Skaneateles.  Amazing to me.  But I remember when Rachel and Alex wanted a destination wedding and they chose Skaneateles and the Sherwood Inn, a vast majority of her downstate family and friends had no clue where the Finger Lakes were, much less Skaneateles.  But the agents politely asked me about the market - sales, average prices, trends....and the words came swimmingly off my tongue.  Of course the conference was in part about knowing me and my trends and stats and I was much more challenged.  That will change, that will change.

First we have business to attend to.  There are currently 122 active listings in the Skaneateles area of the multiple listing service, of which 30 are in the Village and 30 more are considered waterfront.  The numbers are creeping up again.  Last month we had only 106 active listings.

Three new ones came on the market in the past week.  One is an extremely lovely waterfront home priced well under a million dollars.  Another is a large village home with a good deal of bathrooms, which can be a rarity with our homes.  The last is a home in the town (so we cover all categories) with acreage.  The three re-lists are all Village homes which have been reduced quite dramatically.

Nothing new in the contingent categories or pending.  We have 37 just itching to close, I am sure.

But this is the statistic that matters - 36 sold and closed single family homes year-to-date.  Two of these are waterfront, and the third is a small Village home.  All three were sold under their listing price - but not given away, as the phrase goes.

Another statistic that came up today....I went through my hotsheet and found 32 new listings in the areas I watch most closely.  There were also 48 reductions in price.  People are getting anxious - and they should.  If rates increase, their potential buyers will be able to buy less house.  An example given at the conference was a home selling at $450,000 with 3.6% interest rate.  If the rates went up to 6%, the pool of buyers would drop;  a current buyer would only be able to afford a $325,000 house.

So the good news is that there are homes for sale in our area.  Some Realtors said they "have no inventory"! Others asked about working into the night because homes were selling so fast you had to show them the day they came on the market.  Not here - not yet.  Buy now - avoid the rush!

Skaneateles Real Estate - The Weekly Update

I came to the rather brilliant conclusion, way overdue, that buying a house is not like buying a car.  I have had and will continue to have buyers who want specific criteria in a home.  Some want village, and village only.  Others want a view of the lake or waterfront that is cleared and easily accessible.  I had my stream people a few years ago who wanted to fish but also had a budget.  Homes can be changed, I think, to a certain extent.  Locations can't.  When I bought my Fiat convertible recently I had several choices - red, black, black with red interior - and except for varying delivery dates and promotions I could have gotten it in March or September - virtually the same car.  Not so with houses.  Once that house has gone, especially in Skaneateles, it doesn't come around again in six months (usually).  The rates are so low that adding another $10,000 or so to get the house that the buyer specifically wants does not add a great deal to monthly payments - probably less than $50 per month or $600 per year on a 30-year mortgage.  Just food for thought, as homes are moving quickly these days.

Currently there are 116 active listings in the Skaneateles area of the multiple listing service.  Of these, 27 are in the village and 30 are considered waterfront.  This past week four properties were re-listed and three new ones came on the market.  All three are in the $200,000 to $300,000 range but are vastly different.  One is in the village, and the others are in the town, one with acreage and the other on a major road.

There are a total of 38 single family homes with contracts on them.  One new home was placed in this category last week.  We now have 33 sold and closed properties year-to-date with the addition of a pretty village ranch.

Since Skaneateles is so far ahead of last year's totals I thought I would compare its progress to surrounding towns.

Elbridge is also doing well - 15 closings compared to 9 the year before.  The median list price of $140,000 is slightly higher than 2011, and there were three homes that closed over $200,000.

Marcellus has no change in volume (20 homes) but its median list price was $155,000 compared to $128,000 in 2011.  In both years there were 6 homes listed over $200,000 that closed.

Camillus has had an incremental increase in sales with 85 this year compared to 73 last year.  While the median list price dropped to $127,000, this year 6 homes listed at over $300,000 closed and two of these were over $400,000.  It looks like the higher end homes are finally catching up - and that could explain Skaneateles' spike in spring sales, also.

In any event - there are good deals out there and yes, unique homes that may not be on the market again this decade.  Buy now!

Skaneateles Real Estate - The Weekly Update

I just got back from an afternoon of driving around.  First I went to meet the owners of 1650 Coon Hill which will be open on Sunday from 2:00 until 4:00.  We talked drainage - they have a great system they installed a few years ago - and wells.  The pump went on and off, giving the impression that there was sometimes a lag in the water pressure.  A plumber put in a new valve and all is well - consistent excellent pressure, just in time for the open house.  Then on to 169 Garrow Street Extension to put up the Open Sunday sign.  That will be open from 11:00 to 1:00 in Auburn.  My favorite part of the house is the private stone patio on the side.

Afterwards I stopped at Panera Bread.  I got a gift card for Rachel because she's so excited that Panera Bread is opening in her Manhattan neighborhood.  I also got one for Jolanta who has been recovering from rotator cuff surgery.  Nice to do... And of course since I was there I indulged in a fruit pastry and coffee.  The woman who served me explained that these pastries are made fresh at least every four hours, and she personally had made mine.  When I am done with this blog I plan to go online to http://paneralistens.com and take their survey.

Now that I've slyly thrown in the two open houses this weekend....There are currently 114 active listings in the Skaneateles area of the multiple listing service.  Of these, 29 are in the Village and 28 are waterfront.  Eleven (!) new listings came on in the past week.  Seven of these are re-listings, some with new prices but mostly just freshening.  The four new ones include three 4-bedroom homes in the surrounding area, priced in the lower $300,000 and one of them over $400,000.  The last is a waterfront home marketed above 1 million.  

Nothing new has happened in the listings under contract or pending.  The total number waiting to close is 38 - huge!  I do know that one will close tomorrow, but as we all know it's not closed until it's closed.  But oh please let it close!

However, two more homes have sold bringing the total number of closed sales to 32 for the year.  One is an adorable ranch in the Jordan-Elbridge school district that had a contract within the first week.  The other is a larger, more complicated estate that has now found its buyers.  Congratulations to them both!

So on Sunday, when it's hot, come cool off with me on the patio in Auburn - listed at $139,500 - and then make the mad dash to Skaneateles and a couple miles out of town to Coon Hill ($169,900) off East Lake Road.  The back yard is beautiful and the Adirondack chairs are waiting for you!

Radon

Yesterday I attended an all-day class for continuing education sponsored by the Cayuga Board of Realtors at the Holiday Inn in Auburn.  About 50 Realtors were in attendance;  I had expected more from Skaneateles but saw only Tom, Suzanne and Romy.  It was a great place to hold it - the Holiday Inn was most accommodating with a full breakfast (bacon!) prior to the class and then lunch.  The room was pleasant - not too cold and not too warm for once.  And they asked about the temperature!  Most importantly, Auburn is so close.  Usually we trek up to North Syracuse and need to allow a good 40 minutes each way.  Makes for a long day.

Radon.  The presentation was sponsored by Rutgers University.  The instructor was a radon expert and currently a mitigator and tester.  I must say I learned a lot - actually I learned too much to remember it all, but there was great information that I am sure will arise in conversation in the future.  I also know that I am calling a company today to test my own mitigation system to make sure it is still running and reducing the radon in the house, and that the placement of the pipe is accurate (after 11 years of being here) and the fan is small and not wasting electricity.  Most importantly, that we are not exposed to this dangerous gas.

Some facts:

• Over 21,000 deaths per year are attributed to exposure to radon
• Radon exposure is the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States
• While the 4.0 pCi/L is the standard in the United States, the better rate to use is under 2.7 according to the World Health Organization
• Granite emits radon, though not at a level that is dangerous unless close to the surface or in confined areas (such as tiny Manhattan apartments)
• Mitigation piping works by sucking the gas up from the soil beneath the house and letting it blow out into the atmosphere
• A house should be tested for radon every two to three years - it changes
• Onondaga and Cayuga counties are areas in which there is a higher frequency of homes with radon
• Once exposed, limit any additional exposure of radiation
• Unoccupied houses test much lower than occupied ones
• Living in a home with 10 pCi/L of radon is like smoking a pack of cigarettes per day
• One out of every six homes has a radon issue

Worthwhile day?  Certainly.  

Skaneateles Real Estate - The Weekly Update

So - a bit later than usual, but with all the crises in real estate....Can there be crises?  Yes - end of month closings - will it close or won't it?  Where the heck did that appraiser go?  What do you mean you got another offer?  We have pre-possession - don't make us move!  We want pre-possession....  The glass man will see you now - and I mean NOW!  Yikes!  In New York it takes a collective team to move along a closing - Buyers, Sellers, 3 attorneys usually, appraisers, inspectors, mortgage people (who have their own team), and yes, the Realtors who try to pull it all together.  That's my excuse.  Crises, not of my making.

Currently (and this is Wednesday to Wednesday) there are 108 active single family homes listed in the Skaneateles area of the multiple listing service.  Of these 30 are in the village and 28 are waterfront.  I looked a bit closer at the numbers and thought these statistics were of interest.

The median price for an actively listed home in Skaneateles is $359,000.

The lowest-priced home is $99,900 (and there are two) and the highest is 2.995M.

Of these 108 homes, 11 are priced over one million dollars (that's 10%!).

Waterfront homes have a median price of $650,000, with the lowest being $195,000 and the highest that 2.995M home.

Non-waterfront homes range from the $99,900 homes to 2.795M with $295,000 being the median listed price.

Going on to homes under contract, there are a total of 38 single family homes waiting to close.  Two new ones were added this past week - one around $300,000 and the other priced to sell under $200,000.

Nothing sold this past week - and that's a rarity in this market.  But wait another week or two for the end of month statistics to come in.  My old friend Marty who is a Realtor in Colorado pointed out a report that said Syracuse and Buffalo were considered to be in the top ten of affordable cities in the entire country.  I wonder if the report meant Metropolitan Syracuse or just the city?  But look at what you can get - that lake, the hills, the quaint and cared-for little towns and villages, the contented people who greet you with a smile.  Not such a bad life, here in Central New York.

And if you want to build in this area - a great ad ran last week in the Sunday Post-Standard and will be repeated this week.  It's also been online at syracuse.com all week and featured on my Facebook Realtor page.  Many thanks to Mallory Brown at the Post-Standard for designing it!

Skaneateles Real Estate - The Weekly Update

I started this blog earlier and got sidetracked into a different sort of blog.  Back to the facts.  And this year the facts are fun.  When I began writing the economy began its downturn.  No, I do not have an ego that suggests I had anything to do with it, but chronicling the fall was not pleasant.  I like this upswing - a lot.

Currently there are 106 active listings in the Skaneateles area of the multiple listing system.  Of these, 31 are in the Village and 26 are considered waterfront.  Frankly I don't go through to see which ones are streams (Skaneateles Creek runs along many boundaries) and which ones have a pond and claim waterfront.  Agents  have no real way to denote lake rights vs. right on the water, so they become "waterfront."  (We need another category!)  I think it's close enough.

Nine properties came on the market in the past week.  Two adorable houses in the village well under $300,000 and another in the town not too far out but under $200,000, equally adorable, came on.  A fourth listing was for a house with lake rights, positioned under $400,000.  The remainder were re-lists, with freshening or some reduction in price.

Three houses are newly contingent, bringing the total number of all homes waiting to close to 33, a fairly high number.  Of the three, two were on the market less than two weeks when they received their offers.   This is great news for everyone.

And of course, which is so lovely to say, we have another property that closed this week.  It was located in the town and sold for about 12% off its original list price.

What will next week bring?  Stay tuned! And have a peaceful and happy Memorial Day!

A Reminder

Reading the Post-Standard (www.syracuse.com) today at breakfast Sean Kirst's article caught me unawares.  I am usually prepared for him, but today I wasn't.  I thought I was reading an article more related to real estate; a man was selling the house his father had built years ago.  But when he got to the part about how his father had kept a box of balls the dog had retrieved on a summer's evening of play when the man was a boy, well, I lost it.  Am again, too, as I write.  A house is a home, not just a commodity.

Then I realized why it hit me so hard.  Bob's father also built the house his family grew up in - all seven kids in what today would be considered a small cape on the west side of Syracuse when there were still meadows down the road.  The boys had one bedroom and the girls had another.  Bob's mother is still there and hauling things out that she had saved, just like in Sean's article.  Ten years ago Bob's father passed away, just as we were getting married.  He attended our shower, a shower I had protested against but am now so glad I gave into having, in early May.  Then the doctor's appointments started.  Alex graduated from Mary Washington College the next weekend and we checked train schedules in case Bob had to get back quickly.  Mr. C passed away on Tuesday, the calling hours were Thursday, funeral Friday and we were married on Saturday.  He was going to walk me down the aisle, but instead we had a ton more guests than originally planned.

So Sean's article hit me.  I look at the photos now - my aunts and one of Bob's are gone, as is my mother.  Alex's best friend passed away in the interim too - we didn't know he was sick until later that summer.  Cheri and Wayne McDonald catered our wedding reception, adjusting to an extra fifty guests without a blink.  Wayne is gone, too.  Our home holds those memories, just as Sean described.

This week we welcomed a baby into the world, my brother- and sister-in-law's first grandbaby, Jason.  Stop in to Hobby House and tell them congratulations if you get a chance.  The baby's father was on his way home from Afghanistan for the birth and didn't make it in time - Jason had other plans apparently.  But he's there now, and a new generation has begun.

So as you buy houses and sell houses, prices are of course important as are the conditions of the house and all the legal and financial work that goes into the process - but they are also homes.  Homes in which people have lived or will live.  Where memories are made and forgotten.  Thank you, Sean, for reminding me.

Skaneateles Real Estate - The Weekly Update

Oh so busy!  Everyone is saying they are, and as we have all learned - "Make hay while the sun shines!"  it all could end.  Just stop.  Interest rates could rise (what are they doing in Europe!?).  There could be a national disaster (I started real estate four weeks to the day before 9/11).  Fracking could be approved and there could be a platform going up in Bear Swamp or at the polo grounds...no, this won't happen.  Toronto is experiencing a California-like market.  Homes go on for one price and are bid up rapidly.  What happens in a couple years when the owner must relocate?  I know several people stateside to ask, unfortunately.  No, our type of busy is good!

Currently there are now over 100 active listings in the Skaneateles area of the multiple listing service (actually 103).  Three new ones came on the market this week: village and town around $500,000, give or take, and one that is further out for around $300,000.  All are relatively newly built.  Three more returned to the market after a hiatus, possibly because of winter or renting or to re-freshen the numbers.

There is nothing new in the contingent, under contract or pending statuses - 31 homes are waiting to remove contingencies or close.

But once again, two more houses have sold and closed, bringing the year's total to an amazing 29 homes.  One sold at a markedly low price, but it was in need of work.  The other needed nothing, a gorgeous village home.
Last year at this time there were only 16 closed sales.  It took us until July 16th of 2011 to get to 29 closings. We made up for it some in August, but if the summer closings continue (and I have a couple that will add to this number) then we will have a record year.  But then again - it could all just stop.

Interesting figure - the median list price of the first 29 homes that closed last year was $275,000.  This year it's $279,000 - hardly a huge swing. (Thank you, JT, for keeping this in my mind!)

So go now - rates are incredibly low!  Keep all of us Realtors busy!

Skaneateles Real Estate - The Weekly Update

Wow.  I knew I had started writing this blog in May of some year.  I didn't realize the year was 2007, and that it's been five years.  Time goes by quickly.  A Realtor asked me how I find time to write because he knew I was as busy (almost) as he is, and I don't have the benefit of a team.  Obviously I don't have as much time as I used to, but I love writing.  It helps me to write the update, as I've said before, because then I can rattle off the number of listings in Skaneateles - closings and contingencies - and it keeps me on track.  I can spot trends, know where my listings fit into them (or not).

I am a day late getting this blog out because I was in the midst of listing and buying and selling yesterday, morning, noon and yes, even night!  I can't tell you what we bought yet, because it's not done ("we" being my buyers and me) and I can't tell you what I sold, because It's not done either!  I can tell you what I listed, though: a lot on the lake, ready for your architect to design the camp of your dreams, on a dead end road (hate to say cul-de-sac because it gives it a different flavor - there aren't cul-de-sacs in the Adirondacks, are there?).  This one has steps, because that's the way it is on the Southwest side of the lake - but only 17.  The lot is on a wooded hillside - think decks and walk-outs - next to a stream.  Recently perked and ready to be built on.

This is the view - oh my!  The price is $179,900.  You could be in by the fall - or relaxing on this decking by June!  Watch the lighting of the lake on the Third!  Come on down! Firelane 16A in Cayuga County, about 10 miles down the lake on the west side - just follow my signs.  ML#S271935.

There are currently 96 active single family homes in the Skaneateles area of the multiple listing service.  Of these, 25 are in the village and 26 are considered waterfront.  This past week 5 new listings came on the market, all in the higher price bracket.  Two are waterfront - one above $500,000 and the other below.  Two stately  homes came on just outside the village - one above $500,000 and the other just below.  Another home with 25 acres and in the Jordan-Elbridge school district also entered the market.

Homes are selling, too.  There are 34 (an unheard of number) houses under some form of contract.  Three were new - two from the Village and one waterfront.  There are the trends.  Village and Waterfront.

Again, two more homes closed, bringing the year-to-date number to 27.  Waterfront and village - amazing.  We are doing well - hooray!

Skaneateles Real Estate - The Weekly Update

Nice time of year, now that the warmth has returned.  People are out looking and buying actually.  A RE/MAX agent called me today to tell me about a property coming on the market that he knew my buyers would want to see.  The old days are coming back.  "Hurry and buy this house before it goes away!"

Which reminds me - we reduced the price of 1650 Coon Hill Road to $169,900 today.  I will hold it open on Sunday from 1:00 to 3:00.  It's had a good deal of activity but no offers - yet.  As I told the sellers, and I firmly believe, there is a price at which the world comes a-calling.  Let's hope it's this price, this weekend - or even before.  Just two miles outside of the village from the light on East Lake Road.  And such a great back yard stretching waaaaay back, with two sheds and sheltering trees on the sides.  Come see!

There are currently 96 single family homes available in the Skaneateles area of the multiple listing service.  Of these, 28 are in the village and 26 are waterfront.  We are still far under last year's numbers of active listings.  Two new homes came on the market this week, and two others were re-listed.  The new ones are both in the upper $200,000s, one in the village and the other with lake rights in the town.

In the under contract category there are 30 homes - the highest number I can remember seeing in these blogging years.  Four new ones went contingent, coincidentally (or not) all Village homes too.  Their prices range from the mid-$100,000 to almost $600,000 - at least those are the published list prices.

We now have 25 closed properties so far this year.  One of the smaller ones closed, and not in the Village.  This bodes well for 1650 Coon Hill - one less competitive home.  Check out more photos online - the ML# is S261632.  See you this Sunday!

Skaneateles Real Estate - The Weekly Update

Everyone I speak with is busy.  Homes appear to be selling at an extraordinary rate, or at least are being viewed.  My listings are truly doing well and I am glad for that.  I just finished putting stamps and address labels on post cards to be sent out about one of my newest listings, 3803 Gray Ledge Terrace.  The post cards coincide with the first open house this Sunday from 1:00 until 3:00.  It has gotten rave reviews from Realtors who saw it at the brokers' open last Tuesday.  The owners have done everything to make it sell - their closets are phenomenally de-cluttered, the countertop is new and quartz, the appliances are upgraded, and if the weather would cooperate the pool would be inviting!  But the most important thing they did years ago - they chose a lot at the very back of Buxton Woods, and a treed lot at that.  Location, location...!  Come Sunday and see - Town of Onondaga but Marcellus Schools.  (Seneca Turnpike past OCC to a right on Cedarvale - ICJ Cookies on one side and the new Nice n' Easy complex coming soon on the other side.  Go north on Cedarvale almost to Howlett Hill - Buxton Woods' entrance is on the right.)

And now the update....

Currently there are 99 single family homes listed as active in the Skaneateles area of the multiple listing service.  Of these, 30 are in the Village and 27 are waterfront of some type. There are four new listings, one of which is a re-list of a Village home.  The waterfront property is priced over a million dollars, but quite lovely.  Another Village home came on - low $300,000.  The last new listing is actually a restaurant currently just outside the village.

Three single family homes were marked contingent.  One is a fairly new listing that got a great deal of attention and is now under contract - think $400,000 price range.  The second contingent property has been there quite a while and slowly been reduced in price until everyone wanted it - again, village.  The last has been listed a bit, but now has found a buyer in the mid-$200,000s.  There are 25 properties marked under contract in some way.  Nice.

Three more homes closed in the past week.  Two were in the village - notice a theme developing here? - and the third was not too far out with a bit of land surrounding it.  That brings to 24 the total number of closed homes so far this year.  Maybe we can get to the second twenty homes even quicker than the first twenty.  I aim to help!

See you Sunday!

The First Twenty - 2012

Blogger changed yesterday and threw me into a tailspin.  I am proud to say I worked it all out and I can write again.  But for a while I was worried.

The very good news is that I am writing about the first twenty closings in the Skaneateles area of the multiple listing service on April 25th.  Last year I wrote on June 27th!  We are doing well, very well.

I am changing the reporting just a bit.  The same "just the facts" - address and sale price.  However, I want to break it up a bit for better understanding.  There will be three sections:  Village, Town and Waterfront.  Enjoy!

Village

113 Orchard Road - $427,137 (new construction)

116 Orchard Road - $440,000 (new construction)

23 West Elizabeth Street - $128,000

30 East Lake Street - $135,000

23 East Street - $250,000

77 Onondaga Street - $160,000

8 Wicklow Drive - $310,000

8 Highland Street - $127,000

9 State Street - $180,000


Waterfront

3125 East Lake Road - $980,000

72 Carlton's Cliff - $345,000

2686 East Lake Road - $269,900

2114 Lakeview Lane - $485,000


Town

1358 New Seneca Turnpike - $260,200

2817 Nunnery Road - $415,000

51 Calemad Drive - $332,000

1206 Hencoop Road - $190,000

3201 West Lake Road - $175,000

3244 East Lake Road - $279,000

Lot 11 Butters Farm Lane - $445,600 (new construction)

"Know Your Neighborhood"

A few weeks ago Suzanne Thompson from the Camillus office of Realty USA called to ask if I could hold my listing at 208 Dorwin open on Sunday, April 22nd.  The Greater Syracuse Association of Realtors was sponsoring a "Know Your Neighborhood" weekend and encouraging agents in specific areas to have open houses.  This Sunday it's the Valley in Syracuse.  My sellers were thrilled to hear of this program and have worked diligently to make our open house possible.  I will be there from 1:00 to 3:00 - please stop in and say hello, especially if you read about it here on my blog.

Just a bit about the home....All those windows you see are the front porch, not included in the square footage because it's a non-heated space - but a great liveable space a good part of the year.  Inside you will find high ceilings in the living room, dining room, kitchen and first floor bed and bathroom.  You can eat in the kitchen in a nook overlooking the very deep back yard.  Upstairs is a master bedroom with two large closets - the dormer in the photo is the bedroom, creating a cathedral ceiling.  There are two more bedrooms, and another full bath.  One of the bedrooms was probably an attic originally so has a lot of interesting angles to it.

The price is a very reasonable $96,000 - cheaper than renting.  With a few thousand dollars down, your payment including taxes and insurance will be less than $1,000 per month.  If you want to see this home - come to the open house, or make an appointment with me (447-0441) or check it out online at http://realtor.com/ or http://remax.com/.  The ML# is S260830.  Dorwin is located between Valley Drive and South Salina Street, at the very southern edge of the city.  Green Hills (the grocery store) is only a couple blocks away.

If that doesn't entice you - I'll also have refreshments tomorrow!

Skaneateles Real Estate - The Weekly Update

I started the day off with a bang.  It was hair day, so I went in to Carlo's on West Genesee in Syracuse.  The proprietor and owner, Carmen Logan, was celebrating his 75th birthday and looking great.  A client brought in champagne, and there we all were sipping out of plastic cups at 9:30 in the morning.  I could get used to this!

Currently there are only 98 active listings in the Skaneateles area of the multiple listing service.  Of these, 30 are in the village and 26 are considered waterfront. I say "considered," because until the listings change it is difficult to distinguish between lake rights and actual on the water waterfront.  Ponds and rivers are also called waterfront.  Just a note.

Two new listings came on.  One is a lovely village home priced to sell in the mid-$300,000 range.  Another is just at the edge of the village for well under $200,000.  I predict both will be gone by September 1st.

There are 12 properties marked under contract, none of which are new.  Thirteen others are pended, with one new one, a home needing work but having a great deal of acreage.

We have now reached the magic number of 20 for closings!  Very early this year, compared with other years.  I will in the next week publish a list of homes with their addresses and disclosed selling price.  The latest closing was a small village home.

The lowest priced house this year sold for $128,000 and the highest for $980,000.  The median, as I am sure JT will ask, is a sale price of $269,000.  Of real significant interest is the fact that 40% (8) homes that closed are village homes.  They seem to be selling well - is it the gas prices or just the houses themselves?

Please consider buying now.  The rates are the lowest they have been but who knows when they will rise.  You can get so much more house than you can for the same price even at 5% interest.  Do not wait!  Consider this a warning!