James Bupp is one of the great people I have had the pleasure to meet, all because of Facebook.   As many of my friends well know, I love to post “stuff;  pictures, links, comments and updates. Some of it is real estate related, some about wineries, some justinspirational and some just funny little quips. 

Just as I am a sponge for information, James loves to learn more about the great people  from the Finger Lakes such as Glenn Curtiss, the aviation pioneer.  As he wanders through the Finger Lakes, he finds out more about the people, where they came from, what they are famous for and how our lives have benefited from these folks.  Jim also likes to take  pictures as he makes his way around.

Jim is no stranger to the Finger Lakes, he currently resides in Canandaigua, but spent many a year in the Southern Tier working for IBM.  A great gentleman to have a conversation with.

In the very near future, look for links on our individual web pages to link to the others’ page.  I will also have a link to James’s store area where you can purchase online note cards with beautiful photos of the Finger Lakes area.  You really will love them !

So through Facebook a new cooperation is born.  We look forward to everyone reading our blogs.  If you have any ideas for us, please let us know by commenting on our pages.

We look forward to your page visits !

Richard and Victoria MacKenzie-Childs, founders of the MacKenzie-Childs whimsical and creative design group have decided to sell their estate located on the East side of Cayuga Lake.  It is in close proximity to the business they sold, that still draws collectors from all over the world.  Their designs are easily recognizable and their fans are some of the most loyal collectors, waiting and anticipating new designs or pieces.

The property comes with 48 park like acres, complete with a pond, carriage house with quarters, and an art studio.   Perfect for so many home businesses or just a large family compound.  Loyal followers of Victoria and Richard’s style, will just adore this estate.  It is truly a showcase of their work and style.

The asking price for this world-class home is $1,100,000 and for additional funds, one of a kind pieces may be purchased.  The East side of Cayuga Lake has been home  to many affluent names and the setting for many outstanding homes suitable for the most discerning buyers.  Pleasant Rowland, creator of American Girl Dolls, owns a couple of homes in the area, as well as many other notables.

This home is currently listed by Michael DeRosa of Sotheby’s and you may contact me if you have an interest in the property or any others in the Aurora/Ledyard area.

Budget travel is having a contest for the “Coolest Small Town” and after the initial rounds, Hammondsport, NY  has made the final cut with 9 other small towns across the US.  Vote for your favorite! You can vote once daily,  so be sure to get all your votes in before the contest closes on January 31st. And remember to vote for Hammondsport.  Let us make Hammondsport the “Coolest Small Town “.

So what makes Hammondsport special ?  You have to ask ?

• The wineries
• The quaint shops
• The Glenn H. Curtiss Museum
• The restaurants
• Keuka Lake
• The beauty of the hillsides
• Historical Homes
• Antiques
• Farmers Markets

There are so many reasons to love Hammondsport !   So vote today !

Coolest small Towns :     Beaufort, NC  Cape May, NJ  Cooke City, MT  Damascus, VA  Hammondsport, NY  Jerome, AZ  Nashville,  IN  Port Townsend, WA  St. Genevieve, MO  Weaverville, CA

Read more: http://www.budgettravel.com/contest/americas-coolest-small-towns-2012,11/#ixzz1ipREzLm8

Because many folks that purchase properties from me are not familiar with the area, and actually there are some natives that miss out on some of the newer places, I like to talk a little about the new places. 

Wohlschlegel’s  is one of these places.  I had finished showing some properties and took the back roads home. I drove by a couple of metal signs with the name” Wohlschlegel” on them, saw one more and decided to follow the sign.  What was this Wohlschlegel’s ? I had never heard of them.

So Wohlschlegel’s makes maple syrup and other maple products.  You can see the huge evaporating machine used in the making of syrup,  located in the facility, a very nice new stainless steel monster, gleaming away.  The young lady that was working was very friendly and told me a little about the business as she stood there all bundled up.  She was cold, I was cold, but of course we were standing in a very large barn  located atop the Naples Hills.  With all of the bottles of maple syrup looking at me, I could only think of a nice warm stack of pancakes coated with butter and dripping with maple syrup. Yum…..

You can find Wohlschlegel’s at:

8064 Coates Rd

Naples NY  14512

585-775-7770

Take a drive up to Wohlschlegel’s and prepare to savor the view as much as the maple syrup you will find inside.    There is nothing like fresh natural maple syrup, the “real” stuff !

Effective Jan 1, 2012 The Ontario County Soil & Water Conservation District will be handling all of the septic inspections for closings in Ontario County.  In the past calls were made to the respective Towns for the homes being sold.  This has now been handed over to the County.

Realtors will be receiving information about the change as well as septic system companies.

The contact for inspections is Tad Gerace and he can be contacted at 585-396-1450

The Conservation District is also a great source for all things water related, such as ponds, rain control plants, runoff issues and more.

They always put on great information classes for Realtors to encourage a better understanding of systems as they relate to conservation and the protection of our water systems.

Have any questions, give them a call.

Cayuga Lake Cottage

Drive down State Route 89 and you will come across this cozy and quaint little year round cottage.  It has enclosed porch that opens up to a back patio area that is great for grilling or maybe the perfect place for a hot tub.  This one bedroom cottage comes with a bunk house (see next photo) that could be redesigned on the inside to look something like the accompanying photo.  This allows for additional sleeping room for children or guests.  You will also find the two car garage quite handy to park your cars or even store your boats in the off-season.  The yard is more than spacious for summer games, additional parking and even some expansion room from the existing cottage. Since this picture was taken, a brand new roof was installed.

But of course the lake is calling you.  Head down the stairs to your owned portion of lakefront complete with dock and boat hoist or walk down the street to the shared beach front and walk right into beautiful Cayuga Lake.  The fishing is wonderful here on Cayuga Lake anytime of year.  During the cold months unwind inside in front of your gas-fired fireplace with a wonderful glass of locally produced Finger Lakes wine…How divine !

Make an appointment today to see this vacation home listed under $200,000 – affordability on Cayuga Lake !

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House number styles like everything else tend to run along trend lines.  Above is a sample of signs that are currently seen on many homes.  They give the feeling of formality and were found on very formal and upscale homes.  They have become much more affordable, hence their popularity.

There have been black letter periods, gold letter periods all with different font styles.  Some people like wood signs and others just like to have the numbers posted on their house. More interestingly are the folks that have their numbers put on their road side mailbox.  When there are several boxes or a group of them, it does become difficult to determine which house goes with which mailbox.  ( This I know from experience )

Also popular now are the little solar light boxes with interchangeable area for the house numbers.  The boxes light up nicely, but the numbers tend to either fall off or blow away.

You can go to places like the Home Depot to find a huge selection of styles and materials.  Before renumbering your home.  check with your local Town to see if they have any mandated standards for identifying and numbering homes in your area..  Many request that the numbers be a certain height and can be seen from the road.

Once you find out this information, you can determine what type of numbers you want, if you want them on a plaque or on the house, or maybe you wan to design your own.

Designing your own personal sign allows you to make it yours.  You decide on the materials, the font, the style, plaque or no plaque and even the material of the plaque.  Color is no object, it is based on your taste. You can use a slab of wood, an old metal dustpan or even a metal tray found in an antique shop for a couple of dollars.  Have fun and see what you come up with !

If you live on the lake, you could use a boat for the base of your design, or put your numbers on an old wooden oar. Use your creativity !

Just make it yours !

Great way to take those cupcakes with you and keep them in one piece

Eggs for your sweetheart !

Bake cupcakes directly in ice-cream cones – so much more fun and easier for kids to eat. Definitely try this for kids parties!

 Microwave your own popcorn in a plain brown paper bag. Much healthier and cheaper than the packet stuff. This is one I will try !

Not sure where I could try this or where I would get the old gutters, but what a great use  of space especially for light weight plants like herbs.

Great idea for storing wrapping paper and still being able to access it. Who uses the ceiling in their closet anyway ?

With magnetic strips so readily available, this makes sense.  We have actually used strips in the garage for various implements.

This works.  I took an old tension rod and put under my kitchen sink.  I use one side to wrap a dusting cloth over.

Where ?    Geneva NY 14456

When ?      April 28, 2012 7 AM

What ?      7 Runners per team,

                     77.7 Miles

For more information about the race, registration, direction, and even an interactive map, visit the following page:  http://www.seneca7.com/

You can also view photos from last years race.  Talk about gorgeous surroundings and breath taking beauty, you will see it here, farms, vineyards, waterfalls and of course Seneca Lake from numerous vantage points.

If you would like to sponsor the race or even one of the legs, there is a contact link on the site.

So get your team together and plan a fun run around Seneca Lake !

photos courtesy of the Seneca 7 website.

There is a financial products company that makes a joke about the suggestion of buying a winery after retirement.  But you would be surprised with how many people dream about owning their own winery. People dream about everything.  Of course owning a winery and running it are huge responsibilities and definitely not as easy as it sounds. Like most businesses there are many other factors that come into place behind the scenes that keep everything running from growing the grapes, harvesting the grape, making the wine ( a very complex procedure ) to running a winery to serve the client, your consumer, the person that will keep you in or out of business based on all of the above.

Watch for upcoming articles for more information about where you go to learn how to run a winery.

The Finger Lakes area is the second largest wine-producing area in the United States.  Prices for land and for wineries are more affordable here than they are in the Napa Valley area of California.  This in itself is a huge draw to the winemaker or wine lover that wants to start their own business. In future blogs we will also supply you with a glossary of terms as they relate to Finger Lakes wineries.

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