Lower Lake Rd Cayuga Lake

 Lower Lake Rd located just minutes outside of the Village of Seneca Falls offers the lake lover, the perfect neighborhood.  Two restaurants, one an old staple of the neighborhood, the Deerhead Inn and Wolfies the new up and coming bar restaurant, a convenient store and State Park offer up just the right setting for lakefront living.

This neighborhood is a mixture of new and old, and all of the little things that make a street interesting.  And of course the views are phenomenal !

Cayuga Lake looking East just past Wolfies

I am always surprised at how many sellers have no interest in selling their home. What do I mean by that ?  If you are not using a professional stager, then maybe you do not want to sell your home.  

The top 5 reasons to use a staging service are:

1.  Better Selling Price – According to the National Association of Realtors, the seller will  receive 8-10 % more in selling price.
2. Your Home Sells Quicker – Since your home will stand out from the competition, your home will be the one everyone wants.
3. Your Online Photos Will Stand Out – When photos stand out, more prospective buyers will actually want to see your home – more traffic – greater chance of selling quicker.
4. Only 10% of Home Buyers Can Visualize the Potential – That means you are leaving an entire 90% of potential buyers out of the equation – why ?
5. Without Staging You Will Be Selling the Competition – With such a large inventory of homes on the market, you want to put yourself in the front of the pack not at the bottom.

I have walked into beautiful homes that were designed in very specific decors, have numerous personal pictures around the home, have religious icons on the walls or shelves and have large personal collections on display.   The homes may be lovely and well maintained, but many buyers are not going to be able to picture themselves in the home.  

 

This information and video courtesy of Deb Landy, Professional Home Stager 

Stage Two Sell Tips

Tips for a beautiful listing
This 4 minute video will show you some beautiful staging ideas.
click this link:
Home Staqing Tips

Stage Two Sell LLC
741 South Main St
Athens, Pennsylvania 18810
607-857-5194

 If you are thinking about selling your home in the Finger Lakes, call me and we can discuss the best options for you.  I will help you sell your home for the best price and in the least amount of time as long as we follow some very simple principles.   I look forward to hearing from you !

This information brought to your 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

Bunk room in the loft area of the garage

When it comes to creativity, you see it everywhere.  And that extends to folks looking at new ways to house family and guests at their lakefront and get-a-way homes.  One of the decorating and rehab ideas that always intrigues me, are the various bunk houses that I have come across in my real estate career. 

Bunk houses allow the owners to accommodate more guests.  Basically the owners take an unused space such as a boat house, large shed or garage to creat sleeping quarters.  Just like being in college, the most efficient way is through the use of bunks.  These bunk houses do not have to be boring at all, and sometimes they are the most interesting places of the property.

Wasted space turned in to usable and delightful space

Most folks think of the bunk houses as being utilized just for the kids, but take a look – many of these places allow the greatest in creature comforts for a person of any age.  With the addition of half baths and sitting areas, they become the go to places. They do not have to be elaborate, but just another place for a bunk and maybe a futon as in the pictures below.

 Below you will see  one photo that shows the exterior of a simple building originally designed as a shed.  The Keuka Lake owners turned the space into a place where the kids could camp out.  They even included what is now considered an old-fashioned wall phone.  

Keuka Lake Bunk House Exterior

Keuka Lake Bunk House Interior

As you can see in the interior shot, this bunk house is very simple but allows for three additional sleeping quarters. It has a phone, a television, of course electric and a small water closet in the rear.  I know my boys would have loved to be able to hang out in a separate place like this and would probably elect the basic style shown or over the more styled rooms in the above photos and the one below. 

So the next time you are out looking at your vacation home and become concerned about the space of the home, be creative – you may actually have more space than you think !  

Bunk room in the loft

I save all types of design ideas for my clients just so they can see, they do have other options.  Call me if you are looking for a creative realtor to work with for your vacation home purchase and design ideas.

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

The beauty of the Finger Lakes lends itself as the conduit to budding photographers and perfection for the seasoned  photographer.  With the colorful palette of water and trees and vineyards the area has to offer and a camera in hand, you instantly want to capture the fabric of colors and textures for all to see and experience.  With the onset of Flickr and Dropbox and so many other numerous photo storage and sharing apps, the task becomes easy as pie.

My friend Nigel Kent believes that the “eyes are the windows to the soul” .  His photos show the passion he has for capturing the beauty of the glens, lakes, waterfalls, creeks and woods.  You can find his gorgeous works at www.nigelpkent.com.  He also likes to experiment with different photo effects that creates a feast for the eyes.

This is just a small sampling of the sights you will see when visiting the Finger Lakes.  Whether enjoying the lake via a kayak or boat, hiking through the glens that offer spectacular waterfalls or just driving around the countryside and taking in the unending views of the lakes and vineyards, you will understand why so many people vacation here and purchase vacation homes.  It is a calm and relaxing lifestyle.  Visit Nigel’s website for more views of the Finger Lakes. You will probably do what others do and purchase some of his lovely and serene photos to hang up or give as gifts.

If these photos have captured your imagination enough to think about a vacation home in the area, I am just a phone call or email away.  Purchasing real estate in the Finger Lakes is always the right thing to do.

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

The above photos courtesy of Nigel Kent:  Watkins Glen, Canadice and Keuka Lakes

Your reminder if you are reading this blog. 

First Daylight Saving Time law 1918
On March 19, 1918, “An Act to preserve daylight and provide standard time for the United States” was enacted. It both established standard time zones and set summer DST to begin on March 31, 1918. Daylight Saving Time was observed for seven months in 1918 and 1919.

There has always been controversy over the use of daylight savings time.  It has changed the birth date of newborns, it has caused numerous appointments to be missed, and even has been noted to cause stress in individuals by throwing them off by an hour.  Even pets are affected, since they are usually on a regular feeding and walking schedule.

Each time I sell a vacation lakefront home, I remind the new owners of what I call the “honeymoon year”. This is when you find out how many friends and relatives you have. Usually when you make the leap to purchase that long-awaited vacation home, you just have to tell the world about it and why not ? You should be proud and happy of the fact you have become successful enough to purchase a second home, your new vacation home. Well now all of your friends and relatives want to see this great place and enjoy it with you. So the first year, you will be juggling friends and relatives and trying to find some time to enjoy your new place with just your immediate family.

Keuka Lake

Keuka Lake

for the third quarter has shown a slight increase in the amount of single family residences sold on the lake in comparison with the same period last year. The downside; total dollar amounts are down from last year as well as the average selling price.  You can see this information in the two charts shown below.

2010 Keuka Lake Qtr 3 stats

2011 Keuka Lake Qtr 3 stats

Total sales for the third quarter in 2010 were  $7,696,956 and in 2011 they were down to $6,876,760 amounting to only 89% of the sales figures for 2010 even though there were a total of 3 more sales for 2011 over 2010.

The highest sale price in 2010  $940,000 and in 2011 $870,000.

The lowest sale price in  2010  $363,000 and in 2011 $180,000.

The charts below show the price ranges where the sales were found.

Keuka Lake sales breakdown for qtr 3 2010

Keuka Lake sales breakdown qtr 3 2011

This is a buyers market when it comes to purchasing waterfront properties in the Finger Lakes, even when looking at Keuka Lake real estate.  When looking for your vacation home on the lakes, be sure to give me a call first.  I will make sure that you are a very informed buyer, making your decision much easier.

Watch for my reports representing the other Finger Lakes in upcoming blogs.

This data is comprised of information reported the the Great Rochester Association of Realtors and does not reflect any sales that may have been reported in any of the neighboring Realtor Associations.

This information brought to you by your favorite lakefront realtor, Mary St. George,  your personal connection to lakefront living  and Associate Broker with Wine Trail Properties.  www.winetrailproperties.com 315-719-8377

This world-class property gracefully sits on 180 feet of lake front on beautiful Keuka Lake. Slight French influences offer the luxury you have been looking for in a year round vacation home, on one of the most desirable lakes in the Finger Lakes. Graceful manicured lawns will guide you toward the tasteful entrance of this spacious 4,628 sq ft home. Step inside and you will begin your journey of delightful tastes. From the entry level you can access the comfortable lake view office and family room area to the left. To the right you will find a comfortable and spacious guest bedroom.

Located on the beautiful and enticing Canandaigua Lake, and surrounded by luxurious waterfront mansions with tennis courts and expansive manicured lawns, you will find the luxurious 5350 ft sq foot home recently taken by the US Marshals in relation to a large kickback trial, that took place in Houston.

Keuka Lake located just about an hour away from Rochester, New York has been home, or at least a summer home to numerous affluent Rochester area people. It is one of the more desirable lakes of the Finger Lakes, making it a hot spot for local area executives to enjoy summertime lake front living. Close enough to commute and far enough to “get-a-way”.

Former Xerox Corporate Office Frank Steenburgh has put his gorgeous Keuka Lake home up for sale.                                                 
This dramatic home sits perched on it’s own point and offers panoramic views of Keuka Lake. Built less than 10 yrs ago, it offers all modern amenities and is located approximately 13 miles from the Village of Penn Yan where you can find groceries, drug stores and even a hospital. As you can see in the picture below, the home is surrounded by tress offering greater privacy. The views from this home are to die for.

This West Bluff home located on Keuka Lake is listed with an agency associated with the Greater Rochester Association of Realtors.  Call me if you are looking for a great waterfront home or vacation home in the Finger Lakes or if you would like an appointment to see this great property

This information brought to you by your favorite lake front Realtor, Mary St. George – Your Personal Connection to Lakefront Living !

Find me on www.winetrailproperties.com, email or phone !