CSA you say…what is that ?  It stands for Community Supported Agriculture.

It is a community effort of families and individuals to bring healthy, and locally produced farm fresh food to the table.  Members have a share in the produce that is grown.  I have belonged to the Keuka Lake CSA and membership is $500.00 per year. This allows me one share per week.

Every week different crops are available and are picked up at one of the participating farms.  In the Spring it starts out with asparagus and rhubarb May/June to winter squash in the Fall.  Usually when you pick up your vegetables, folks have recipes available for the produce you are picking up, to make the most of your fruits and vegetables. When you sign up,you are given the names of the farms involved in the CSA.   Almost all farms involved in CSA’s grown their produce organically.

CSAs benefit the farmers as well as the community share member.  For the farmers, they know in advance what they need to grow for the share supply and they have upfront money to purchase their seeds.  The consumer is guaranteed fresh and healthy produce every week and every week the produce is a little different. These programs are a huge win/win for all involved.  New relationships are developed between the shareholders and the farmers.

These types of community efforts are also part of the reasons that folks from other areas want to purchase real estate here.  A little way of being green.

If you are interested in eating healthy and would like to be an integral part of your community and its efforts to support local farming, CSAs are fo you. Contact one of the local CSAs in your area now, since most are going through their sign up periods.  If you miss out on the deadline for your area, you can still inquire into the farms that are supporting the effort.  They may have additional produce to be purchased for non-shareholders.  This is a program that will make you feel good in many ways !

This information brought to you by Mary St. George, Associate Broker, Wine Trail Properties, Your Personal Connection to Lakefront Living in the Finger Lakes. 315-719-8377 www.winetrailproperties.com

$2,000 “up in smoke”

We have all done embarrassing things in our lives, most we don’t tell anyone about, some are witnessed by others and become the basis of a good laugh and some even become lesson learned teachings.  I have actually spoken to the gentleman this tale is about.  He is bright, intellectual and a real people person.  I  contacted him because of the business he created in the Finger Lakes and his conversation led me to believe he was very passionate about his endeavor.

So what was the embarrassing moment?  Apparently he was heading out on a trip and realized he had some cash in the house and decided to hide it in the fireplace wrapped up in foil and then carefully placed within the ashes.  What a perfect place.  The problem is that when he came back home from his trip, there was a chill in the air and he decided to start a fire in the wood stove. Ouch !       

The story now takes a turn.  Because he wrapped the money so carefully in aluminum foil, the money was actually in such a condition that it was legible to its denominations.  After a trip to the bank, he mailed the money to the Federal Reserve as directed, thinking it would be a lost cause.  But fortunately 18 months later he received a check for $1995.00 which was $5.00 less than the $2000.00 that had been wrapped in the foil. 

He should not feel alone.  My grandmother used to hide money in kleenex and tuck the tissue in her clothes.  When it came time to do laundry, she would forget about the money being tucked inside and toss the kleenex out.  Sometime she was fortunate and able to withdraw from the trash other times she would send the kleenex on its way in the toilet bowl and only realize what she had done as the water-soaked kleenex exposed the bills in hiding as they swirling down the bowl… Never to be seen again.

I must have picked up her habits of hiding things.  I used to hide money in my car under the rugs, but usually did not remember it until after I sold the car. I hide things so well, I can never find the items when I need them.   Needless to say, I am trying really hard not to hide things, as I have not been as fortunate as the man with the singed bills.

If you are planning on stashing away the money that will eventually be used for your down payment in purchasing your home, always remember where you are putting it and most definitely do not hide money in the fireplace.

This information brought to you by Mary St. George, Associate Broker, Wine Trail Properties, 315-719-8377  www.winetrailproperties.com

Every little town has a place or two that the locals know about, but for some reason they neglect to tell those visiting.  I am not sure why that is.  But when friends and associates find out about Morgans, they ask me “How long have they been there?” and look at me as if they should have had prior knowledge about the store.

For all of the meat lovers out there, you can find a great steak at Morgans and the filets will melt in your mouth.  Once visitors find out about Morgans Grocery and try their meats, they show up with a cooler on their next visit to take a supply home – yes, the meat really is that good.  Besides being a great butcher that will cut the meat to your liking, you can find groceries, plenty of  fresh baked goods and an old-fashioned lunch counter. 

If you are looking for convenience, look no further.  Morgans has a great selection of stuffed pork chops, stuffed peppers, barbecued beef or pork and even meatloaves that are ready to throw in the oven.  Need a side dish ?  You will also find a huge assortment of deli salads.  If you go home empty-handed, must be you don’t like to eat.

So if you are in Penn Yan, head down to Hamilton St located just over the railroad tracks off of Elm St.  Or just ask any of the locals.  Bon appetite !

This information brought to you by your favorite waterfront Realtor, Mary St. George, Associate Broker, Wine Trail Properties, Your Personal Connection to Lakefront Living in the Finger Lakes, 315-719-8377  www.winetrailproperties.com

Seneca Farms Ice Cream, a local landmark in Penn Yan, especially so for the summertime vacationers to Keuka Lake.  Everyone has to visit Seneca Farms at least once.  For many it has become a tradition.

Is it the home-made ice cream in an unending amount of flavors or is it the fresh strawberry sundaes made with fresh picked local strawberries that brings families back year after year. Or maybe it is all of the cute young ladies that serve the ice cream up.  Whatever it is, Seneca Farms has gone through a couple of expansions, including a full fast food menu with some of the best rated chicken and fritters.  (yes, I did say fritters, and yes we are up North )

For me it is a terrible atrocity when they open up for the season.  Why ? Because I only live a stones throw away and the temptation is just too great sometimes to just pass by or in my case walk by.

Since they have closed for the season, the temptations will be gone until March when they open back up and will be advertising their Easter Ice Cream cakes. 

This is a small reminder of how quiet and desolate it feels around the lake once the cold weather comes along.  The lake people have gone, the wineries are having their big weekends and then will be winding down until the early part of next year.  The only increase in vehicles will  be the salt trucks and the snow plows.  The go-cart track is closed until June and the empty parking lot is a reminder of that, with only empty tires outlining the course but no carts to be seen. A walk down to the park on the lake is easily shared with the geese that are not quite sure if they should migrate or not.

So for now, I patiently wait to see the ice cream sign light up, the lines of cars pulling with hungry visitors willing to place their order for a cold ice cream on an even colder day. Because, then I know everything will begin to fall in place right behind them,  Dougs Meaner Wieners and Keuka Karts.   For me that also means the lakefront buyers will be out looking to purchase the perfect waterfront property and I want to be ready for them !  Where do I take my new clients ?   Well Seneca Farms of course !

This information brought to you by your favorite waterfront Realtor, Mary St. George, Associate Broker, Wine Trail Properties, Your Personal Connection to Lakefront Living in the Finger Lakes, 315-719-8377  www.winetrailproperties.com

The bridge that crosses the Keuka Outlet located on State Route 14A has been closed since September 12th, 2011, and is planned to be rebuilt and reopened in June of 2012 according to New York State Dept of Transportation.
This information brought to you by Mary St. George, your favorite waterfront Realtor, Associate Broker, Wine Trail Properties, Your Personal Connection to Lakefront Living in the Finger Lakes, 315-719-8377 www.winetrailproperties

The Seneca lake Wine Trail is celebrating it’s 25th year. And this may have something to do with their Deck the Halls wine event being sold out early. But  you can still order their 25th Anniversary Cookbook.  I would order a couple as they would make great gifts for family and friends.

You still have time to purchase tickets and attend holiday events on Keuka and Cayuga lakes. For Keuka Lake  information, go to www.keukawinetrail.com.  They are having events Nov 12 -13 and Nov 19-20. Keuka Holidays ticket holders will receive a handmade grapevine wreath at their starting winery and collect a Christmas ornament at each winery. Each winery will offer winter foods along with their wines. As always designated drivers receive discounts on their tickets. 

 For Cayuga Lake events visit www.cayugawinetrail.com.  Visitors  receive a souvenir wine glass, grapevine wreath, an ornament at each of the 16 member wineries, wine and food pairings plus great holiday recipes from each of the wineries. The event dates for the Cayuga wineries are Nov 18-20 and Dec 2-4.

These holiday wine events are some of the most visited wine events in the Finger Lakes.  Besides all of the little goodies you will walk away with, you will enjoy the a true holiday feeling with the food, the decor, the ornaments and of course the great wine.  Remember to pick up extra wine to have on hand for the holidays for last-minute gifts.  Everyone loves a great bottle of wine,  or two !

Besides the ability to purchase great wines, most of the wineries have other great gift options, such as cheese boards, hand painted glasses,  artwork, and wine flavored condiments to name a few.

If you have never been to  a wine tasting event in the Finger Lakes and have always wanted to attend one, this is the time to do it and enjoy a great holiday experience at the same time.  To make it even better, consider renting a lake front property for an even more enjoyable experience. I’ll be watching for you !

This information brought to you by your favorite waterfront realtor, Mary St George, Your Personal Connection to Lakefront Living in the Finger Lakes, Associate Broker @ Wine Trail Properties 315-719-8377   www.winetrailproperties.com

When a nationally syndicated newspaper such as the USA Today does a story on your little slice of heaven, everyone starts talking both locally and nationally.      They have just laid a golden egg for you.  It is what you do with that article, that determines how gold that egg stays.     

Locally, everyone can claim bragging rights to the area, we all know it is wonderful place to be able to call home, even though we sometimes forget that important fact.

Nationally, everyone wants to know why they don’t know about the area already.  So they start making phone calls about real estate availability, about business in the area, tourism numbers and “is it true that John Travolta bought a house there?”  ( I will get to that question in a minute or just click on the link )

When it comes to real estate, it is important to sellers, to not hike up the selling price for the potential of speculating in the area.  As Realtors we want to make sure that we maintain our professionalism with all contacts to these inquiring minds.  We do want to expound on the benefits and attributes of the area, but we do not want to make speculative promises to those blinded by the light.  We do not want to promise housing prices with cash flows that do not exist.

One of the listing examples in the article was about a house on Honeoye Lake.  It was listed for under $165,000 and actually the listing price is $149,000.  It is currently in a rental management program but does not produce cash flow that is going to make someone wealthy.  The income will most likely cover the taxes and some maintenance. And the owner does not own the lakefront.  They own rights to use the lake front.                                                               

I have already received  several calls from folks looking for properties like this as if they were all over the place.  Well if you are from the area, you know that not to be true already.

However, if the right type of investors see and understand the beauty of the Finger Lakes, it can benefit all of us. 

•  The Finger Lakes Museum is counting on private funds to cover the costs of the museum.  
•  The long standing developments for the lakefront on Keuka Lake in Penn Yan may actually happen.
• Mr Genecco may see the lakefront developement in Canadaigua come to fruition.
• The Boating Museum may actually determine will they will be located

So lets keep an eye on articles relating to our area and hope that folks come here with good intentions.

For more news about the Finger Lakes and where to find it, contact Mary St. George RSPS – 315-719-8377

A valuable report,

Presented by Mary St George Lakefront Property Specialist in the Finger Lakes Remodeling projects can be fun if you like fixing and building things, and this do-it-yourself inclination can prove invaluable when you’re planning on selling it. Whether or not you are leaving your home, it makes financial sense to renovate it. The value of your home will rise after improving visual appeal and energy efficiency. In previous real estate markets, investing thousands of dollars on renovation paid back. In 2006, the return on your investment was about 76 percent. Today, it is closer to 67 percent. This doesn’t mean, however, that you should consider renovation a thing of the past. It simply means that you have to either spend more sweat equity or find help at a discount.  Here, then, are seven steps you can take to boost your home’s value before you put it out on the market.  Step One: Improve Your Kitchen’s Efficiency Still using boring white or bisque colored appliances from the 80’s? Replace them with something more modern, especially Energy Star rated appliances. Their stainless steel look and electric bill savings make them appealing to home buyers. Using compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs instead of standard incandescent light bulbs, you’ll only use 25 percent of the electricity. CFL light bulbs use less wattage to produce the same glow and they can last 7 years or more. Add granite tiles to your counter tops. They are relatively cheap to install and give an attractive look to your kitchen. Change panels to raised-wood cabinet doors and drawers. Install a new faucet and sink. Improve flooring. Replace wall coverings. Research shows kitchen renovation costs are recovered by more than 75 percent, sometimes up to 100 percent.

 Step Two: Rip Out Your Old Carpets  Often when buyers walk into a home that they’re thinking of buying, they find fault with the carpet. Besides the popular appeal of hardwood floors, carpets are notorious for displaying stains left by coffee spills and odors left by pets. In addition, dirt embedded in carpets can agitate asthma and allergies. A hardwood floor not only looks appealing but it does away with all the musty problems of old carpeting.  If you’ve got hardwood floors underneath your carpets, by ripping out the old carpet and buffing the floor, you can do this in a short time and with less expense. Adding an area rug can add even more aesthetic appeal, adding to the look and feel of your home. Step Three: Paint Your Walls New paint in a house immediately radiates a new ambiance. Depending on the house, colors can be bold: for example, a bright red for the dining room and a pleasant yellow in the kitchen can give your house a cheerful look. Alternatively, if you’re not sure about the best colors for your rooms or are uncertain about your home décor savvy, use neutral colors.   Step Four: Embellish Your Bathrooms Besides kitchens, buyers closely examine bathrooms. Sometimes homes are sold just because the bathrooms have an aesthetic look. Changing faucets, retiling the walls and floors, installing new toilets, and replacing a vanity sink for a double sink model can dramatically increase the visual appeal of your bathrooms. Again, like kitchens, you can recuperate from 75 to 100 percent of your costs.  Step Five: Improve Your Outdoor “Look And Feel” You can do a number of things to improve the outward look of your house, including pressure washing dusty, blackened walls, decks and docks, adding colorful flowers and attractive bushes to your yard, trimming the lawn, and pulling up those weeds. With lakefront homes, all sides of the home lend themselves to first impressions.  How does your property look from the lake?  Are seating areas well defined?  How does the beach area look, is it full of weeds and debris?  A cute little shed would be ideal to store all of those boating items and keep them out of site. Well thought out landscaping will undoubtedly boost the perceived value of your home. The right plants in the right places, the right mature trees blowing in the wind, all go to create a pleasing appearance, a rustic appeal for urban dwellers. It’s estimated that a wonderful garden can increase a home’s value by as much as ten percent.      Step Six: Complete All Your Minor Repairs Remember all those things that you intended to do around the house but never found the time to do them? Well, now is the time. What bothers you about the house will also bother the discerning buyer. A few simple repairs can make the difference between changing the impression of a neglected home to the impression of a well-loved and carefully-maintained home. If you have a great dock, make sure it still looks great. Here are a few suggestions: 1. Replace siding using popular materials like fiber, cement, foam, and vinyl. 2. Windows and doors. If your windows and doors look weather beaten, consider refreshing outmoded styles with something modern. In addition, you’ll improve the energy rating of your home once you get rid of warped windows and doors that let the cold in.  3. Make your home eco-friendly. There are many ways to do it: insulation, weather-stripping, caulking, and adding energy efficient appliances as mentioned above, to name a few. Savvy buyers appreciate “green friendly” homes.  4. Miscellaneous stuff. Make a list of all the things in your home that need repainting, dressing up, repairing, installing, upgrading, updating, and modernizing. Look over your walls, decks, fixtures, appliances, hardware, mantels, and wall coverings for what needs repairing.  Step Seven: Add A New Room (optional) While the first six steps will impressively renovate your home–you may not even want to leave after you’re done!–here is the seventh step you can take that will complete your quest for excellence. This, of course, is an optional step, not necessary at all, but if you do it– it will make a huge difference. Consider adding an extra room, something that adds an extra functionality to your home, like dens, playrooms, and guest rooms. You don’t need to extend an existing space in the house to add a room!  You can simply divide a large room with some creative dry walling and framing. Dry walling can be done for as little as $250 a room.    In Closing: Here’s something to bear in mind: in any real estate market, whether the economy is booming or busting, some people do well. What makes the difference? Why do some people find that they simply can’t sell their homes? Why do others compromise and sell well below market value? And why do some sell at a great price, regardless of the state of the economy? The reason is simple–those who sell their homes at a great price aren’t waiting for things to get better. Instead, they are making everything in their homes better. When buyers walk in, they are blown away and can’t wait to sign the papers. Ultimately, renovating a home, like building a great life, has to do with your commitment to do more than the average person! 

Mary St George has been a Realtor® in the Finger Lakes Area since 2005. She takes pride in delivering valuable information to great neighbors like you.  If there is a topic you would like to see discussed in a future report, or if you have any questions about lake front real estate, please contact Mary at 315-719-8377 or [email protected].  You can also visit www.thechaironthelake.com for more great information!

Some Information supplied by Coach Jig  

As in most areas, there are usually landmarks that just seem to have been there forever.  The same holds true for Keuka Lake  in the Finger Lakes.  There was once a little (and I mean little) store on the East side of Keuka Lake called “Froggys“.  You knew you were there because it had a huge green frog outside of the store. Everyone knew what you were talking about when you said Froggys, and just as important, they knew what area of the lake you were referring to.  The place was sold and the frog became history.  Towards the end of its existence,  the old store had become one of those places that made you question whether it was even open. You know, something you would see in the movies.

Along came a young forward thinking man that decided to tear the old place down, build a new, larger, cleaner and more updated facility, and offer a deli. Since this stretch of road covers around 20 miles from Penn Yan to Hammondsport without any other stores, I see this as a wise decision to rebuild.  The name of the new facility is “The Olney Place” on Keuka, Market and Deli. The best part about it for the owner, is that it is opened seasonally allowing him to pursue other interests during the winter months when most lakefront properties sit empty.

Once Spring arrives, so do the lakefront owners.  I am sure they will all be meeting at Olneys, grabbing a fresh cup of coffee or maybe even the sandwich “Special of the Day”, and then discussing everything they missed during the winter. The area will be bustling.

As someone that has brought clients there for a quick lunch and a nice cold drink between home viewings, I can tell you first hand, they do have great food there.  The selection of sandwiches will make you hungry, even if you thought you were not.  The store is clean and has a great selection of items for your lakeside needs.

So when you are driving around the lake this summer, or you are stopping by your lakefront home, stop into Olneys, pick up something cold to drink, grab a sandwich and then tell Seth that Mary sent you.

Finger Lakes Information brought to you by Mary St George