We are offering two homes on five acres of stunning Keuka Lake bluff property boasting 180 feet of waterfront. Both owner-built homes afford a magnificent, private lake view of Keuka Lake from a highly desirable bluff perch, situated on the west branch of one of the most uniquely-shaped lakes in the world.

Located on West Bluff Road, the lower house features two bedrooms, one and a half baths, and an open living/dining/kitchen area.  The lower deck provides extra outdoor relaxation and entertainment room for the summer months and a sublime lake view no matter what the season.

The larger home sits at the top of the driveway and boasts three bedrooms with two full baths with an open living and dining area, leading to an oversize front porch and lake view.

Truly private, this property holds the keys to any nature enthusiast’s heart.  It is perfect for cross country skiing, snowshoeing and hiking.  Traffic and road use is minimal as the bluff has no main thoroughfares. Nestled in abundant trees, the property also backs up to Keuka Lake State Park.  A raised deck and a dock with a boat hoist at water’s edge and there is a state-owned boat launch just minutes away at the park.

The Quiet Place To Be...

You interview a real estate agent for your lakefront home and the Realtor says to you ” I am the best Realtor and I can prove it by the amount of homes that I sell the same day they are listed.”  Your first instinct is probably WOW !  And of  course, why not?  If you hire this person, your home will be sold quickly, end of story.

Now take a step back.  The best scenario is one where your home is available to all realtors, and for them to be able to show to their clients.  This ultimately will get you the best price. 

When I see  agents selling homes the same day they are listed, a few things come to mind. 

1. Was the house priced correctly.
2. If an offer comes in as soon as the home is listed,is it really the best price
3. The agent had the property in mind for one of his buyers and talked the seller into listing at the agent’s buyers price

This type of information snowballs and everyone assumes the agent is just the best.  The downside for the neighbors that want and command a more appropriate price, will now have to put off the sale of their home or sell low.

If a listing agent tells the buyer that they can make the deal work, then the agent is not doing their duty by protecting the interest of the seller.  If the agent is not protecting the seller as their license states they should, do you really think they are working for you the buyer.  I am thinking that agent is only working for the best interest of themselves.

Here is an example:

     A home owner is talked into listing their home for $110,000.  Another agent brings a buyer and they offer the seller $107,000.  The listing agent knows of a buyer that wants the home for $105 ,000.  The listing agent now encourages the seller to accept the $106,000 offer because it comes with no contingencies, even though the seller has a higher offer on the table.  Let us look at the listing agents potential commission.

     Listing agent shares the sale with the buyers agent and splits the 6% commission on $107,000 which =$3210.00

     Listing agent brings their own buyer and collects both sides of the commission on $105,000 which =$6300.00

Which offer do you think the agent will be working the hardest on ? Your agent should be working for you and you have the right to find a buyers agent,  this will protect your interest.

The listing agents first priority is to the seller, not to the buyer. Your agent should not tell you what price to offer.  That should raise a flag.  If you are looking to list your property, do not just hire the person that everyone hires for a couple of reasons.  If that agent has so many listings, how will they find the time to market or show your property?  Also, marketing has changed over the last few years and is this agent going to utilize newer methods of marketing, especially since buyers tend to look for homes much differently than they did even 10 years ago.

And the winner is Beaufort, NC after a hair-splitting race.  Congrats to Beaufort…

This contest started out with hundreds of small towns across the US being nominated and it came down to 10 finalist, of which Hammondsport, NY was one of the 10.  Once the ten finalists were identified Hammondsport, NY and Weaverville, Ca immediately started garnering all of the votes.  Both towns were vying for that first place position, then just like in a horse race, Beaufort, NC came out of the back stretch to bypass Weaverville and then the attempt to overtake Hammondsport, and they did even if by only tenths of a percent at a time.  This became a highly publicized and watched race for a good week.

Beaufort, NC    pop, 4309

Hammondsport, NY  pop, 725

Folks were keeping track on Facebook.  we are up , we are down.  Well all of us in the Finger Lakes gave it a valiant attempt given the fact that Hammondsport has 1/6 of the population as Beaufort.

Beaufort may have won with Budget Travel, but it is still number one in my book.  A special thanks to everyone that voted and encouraged ech other in this contest.   We are a world-class number two coolest place.  If you visit Hammondsport, you may find we really are number 1.

In many homes now, the master suite is the same size or larger than our entire downstairs of our home.   The kitchens are large enough for an entire restaurant kitchen staff and then there are all of the rooms that never get used , the formal living room and dining room.

One builder in my area Morrell builders, now offers building plans without the formal dining room.  It reduces the cost of the home and most people are happy to be without it.

In Chicago there are developments being designed to be more creative with less space.  After all the more space, the more the cost and the more it cost for utilities.  People are realizing that they are having homes built with rooms they never use.

How about an office with a Murphy bed or day bed for guests?  Do we really need both a formal dining room and a formal living room.  Most families will most likely tell you that they do not use those rooms. And what about those showers that use 10′s of gallons of water.  What happened to conserving water.  When I am tired and stressed, there is nothing better than soaking in a nice bath of warm water.

So the next time you are out looking for the perfect house, think about how efficiently you can use the house.   When purchasing a lake home, think about sq ft a little more, because then you have the additional tax base.  Smart people like to spend their money wisely and I am just throwing in a few suggestions.

A friend of mine was with me while I went out to take some listing photos.  Hunger hit just as we were going through Hammondsport.  We thought about a burger, a barbecue meal and then noticed the Union Block Italian Bistro was open.  We looked at the menu from outside and decided ” Hey let’s go for a decent meal”,  after all we had missed lunch and I had been waiting to try the meals in this restaurant.  Many of my clients had raved about Union Block, told me all about their delicious meals and I just could not find the time.  So here I was inside ! 

We sat down and began a pleasant conversation with the server Nichole.  She brought me a nice warm and freshly brewed cup of coffee and my friend had a nice glass of  white wine, which I believe was a Pinot Grigio.  Now the menu, It appears simple and small, but….from the appetizers, such as the Antipasto Piatto, to the soups and salads, to  the entrees, we were enthralled.  Then came our server back with what seemed like an unending list of delectable sounding specials.  Oh my !

Our server explained that the Piatto comes with 1 each of 6 items and a salad.  It came made for 1 or 4.  We decided to order the Piatto which I dubbed an “Italian Pu Pu Platter” for two and split an order of the Macaroni and Cheese special, made with 4 cheeses, lobster and shrimp.  Before the meal came out, we received a warm basket of garlic and spice toast that melted in your mouth.  Between the bread and  the Antipasto Piatto platter would were pleasantly full.  Of course when the macaroni came, we had to try it.  It was creamy, the combination of the cheeses made it mouth-watering and the lobster and shrimp mixed in were like “the frosting on the cake”. 

We decided to have the mac packed up for later and decided to try the creme brulee with a fresh cup of coffee. What a pleasant and delectable end to a great meal.  The only downside for th Union Block, is that I am disappointed that I had not been there before.  Here we were in the middle of winter in a very seasonal town and the restaurant had a full house.  A great sign that the food is great.

I will be visiting again very soon and I am already thinking about my next selection !   Stop in and enjoy a great meal !

When purchasing lakefront properties, many buyers want to know about grocery stores, banks and doctors,  Well right up there on  the priority list, should be a dentist.  As you get older you still have issues with your teeth.  However most of us would not willingly walk around with a broken tooth in the front of our mouth like a little kid, and then have to wait for an appointment to open up.

I have been fortunate to find a great dental office and wonderful dentist.  I have had the misfortune of breaking a front tooth and Dr Jason was there to the rescue. His entire office team is friendly, efficient, and inviting.  They are very adept at  minimizing the pain and stress of going to a dentist. 

You can find Dr Jason Tanoory and his staff at :

Saturday, January 28th from Noon to 5 pm for our annual visit McGregors for their annual ROBBIE BURNS DAY
CELEBRATION.

And of course Haggis is on the menu ! So if you are craving traditional Scottish dishes, this is the place to be Sat.

Mc Gregor Winery contact info: 5503 Dutch Street Dundee, NY 14837-9746
(607) 292-3999 www.mcgregorwinery.com

Don’t be surprised that this Scottish named winery would be celebrating Robbie Burns Day, there is quite a large contingent of Scotts in the area as evidenced in Dundee every year, where you can find the quite sizeable Scottish Festival.

McGregor Winery is another fine example of wineries you can find on the Keuka Lake Wine Trail located in the heart of the Finger Lakes.

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

www.winetrailproperties.com

The Nest Egg Gift Shoppe in Penn Yan, NY chosen the “Business of the Week ” by the Finger Lakes Times !

Congrats to Joan Hansen for offering shoppers such a lovely store,  always neat, lovely selections, quality merchandise and all done with a fun presence. The custom wood facade is easily recognized by shoppers, as is the ever-changing window display, done up with the seasons best offerings.

Both local  residents and visitors from afar frequent this adorable and fresh gift store to make purchases for both themselves and for friends,  I do not know anyone that leaves the Nest Egg empty-handed.

The Nest Egg is also very proud to promote both Penn Yan and Keuka Lake with their selections.  And… Vera Bradley collectors from all over come to check out the newest selections of Vera Bradley items, as Joan has one of the best selections around.

Stop by to see what Joan has to offer.  She will even gift wrap it for you free of charge !

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 !

It makes sense to see Starbucks try out this design style.  They have always been considered a “green” company.  Since shipping containers are made to be easily moved, Starbucks can easily move the location of this store.  The only thing that has me confused, is that they have a drive-up window.  I have never found drive up windows to be very “green” and find it healthier to get out of your car and move around if only for a few minutes . 

I am thinking this could cause havoc for some zoning boards, it could cause major stress, trying to figure out how to classify ….

Let’s see how this shipping container trend moves and if it does…