You are looking for a new home ?  You have many real estate options in Dundee.

Stop by 31 Harpending St on November 13, 2011 and see this cute and adorable cape cod home with 3 bedrooms and two baths.  Hardwood floors thoughout and an eat in kitchen round out this great home that is conveniently located to the Dundee School District and only a short walk to  grocery store, restaurant and bank. 

The roof is new in 2008 and you get the added bonus of a large fenced in yard.  Have a small business – this home can assist you there with an additional side entrance for added privacy.  So stop by and take a tour for yourself.   Offers now will place you in the home for the second semester of the school season.

Stop by and say hello from 1-4 PM Sunday 11/13/2011

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

  If you ask most people in the Upstate New York area that  neighbors Van Cleef Lake, where it is, most will not know, even though they have driven by it or even sat by it.  Some may have even navigated a boating vessel on it. 

It is  man made lake on the back-end of Downtown Seneca Falls and is basically a reservoir  for the canal system.  The picture above depicts one of the most photographed churches in New York State.  It is the Trinity Episcopal Church and it backs up to the lake, creating a beautiful backdrop for numerous oil paintings, watercolors and photos.

A very creative lady when it comes to gardens, came upfrom Conneticut  in search of the perfect lakefront property to be her personal backdrop for her numerous ideas for a picture perfect garden.  She was looking at Seneca Lake and Cayuga Lake and then she stumbled upon Seneca Falls.  There was this poor destitute home sitting on the edge of Van Cleef Lake that was calling out for help, serious help.  Well, this was to be the home for her.  I said ” Are you sure?  This place is a disaster.”  But she could see the eventual beauty that would be uncovered.  What follows is a montage of what she has started in her yard.  Little by little she is creating a little piece of heaven with the beautiful backdrop of the church.  Enjoy !

 This home has become this owners “garden retreat”.

In your serach for your vacation or second home, you may end up changing paths and that is fine.  It is about your happiness and if that means rescuing a historic home in a very historic village, then so be it.   I look forward to being your Realtor in search for the perfect property.  Call me when looking for properties in the Finger Lakes.

Come Visit, Come Enjoy, Come Stay !

 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

If you are looking for a place on Keuka Lake, that offers more than just waterfront,  then 302 W Bluff Dr, Keuka Park, NY  14478 is for you.   This great property includes two homes on five acres and of course 170 feet of waterfront with a dock and boat hoist on beautiful Keuka Lake.  The five acres back up to state land offering great options for long walks and hikes,  snowshoeing and four wheeling.  Riding a bicycle on the bluff is an enjoyable experience, stopping to enjoy the views across the lake and the little places tucked in along the way, such as Garrett Chapel, a wonderful old church surrounded by a wrought iron fence or some of the vintage cottages that are still in tact.

During the winter everything quiets down and offers you the opportunity to explore your way through Keuka Lake State Park, as you will find numerous trails.  The beauty is inviting as you hike through snow-covered trails catching glimpses of wildlife throughout your trek. Photographers will love the opportunities for some great shots.

Need to put your boat in or out of the water ?  Well the State Park Boat Launch is just minutes away.   Don’t feel like cooking, well you can grab a quick bite at the Trading Post and pick up some needed items or stop by the Antique Inn for a delightful meal, both only minutes away.  A short drive to the North will put you in the Village of Penn Yan where you will find groceries, banks, drug stores and other assorted shopping needs.  To the South, you will come into the little hamlet of Branchport, offering you a hardware store, leather shop, gas station, corner grocer and mercantile shop.

At the water side you will find a deck, boat hoist and a waterside deck, a great place to sit and watch the sunset.  Enter the driveway directly across from the water and you continue up to the first house.  This is the smallest of the two homes with one full bedroom and full bath downstairs and a loft bedroom and half bath upstairs.  The kitchen, dining and living area are open to the front of the home and have an entrance to the deck that flanks three sides of the home and offers a calming view of the lake.  Up the driveway a little bit, you come up to the larger of the two homes, This wood sided home offers three full bedrooms with one downstairs and two upstairs.  There is a full bath up and down in this home.  The living and dining area are open up to the second story lending a feeling of openness.  You will also find a spacious deck on the lake facing side of this home with plenty of room for dining and lounging.

Both homes have been well-built by the owner and you can see the pride in each one.  Both homes come completely furnished and have a wonderful rental history with financials available to serious buyers.  You have nothing to do but show up with some personal items, the homes are all ready for you !  Having two homes on the property allows you options with the use of the property.  You can rent both, use one and rent the other or purchase for an exclusive family compound.  You decide, call me if you would like to view this delightful retreat.  These homes are waiting ro the right buyer -Is that you ?

Come to Keuka Lake, Come Enjoy, Come Stay !

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

But my neighbor’s is …..

This is what you are ultimately saying when you end up selling your neighbor’s house.  What am I talking about ?  Well, there are some sellers, that you could swear are trying to sell their neighbor’s house. How do they achieve this goal ?  Read on…

1. Price your home way above what the market is offering, usually listed above your neighbors listing price
2. Let your cats lounge around the counters and neglect to change the litter box.  If they are animal lovers, they will understand
3. Forget about curb appeal.  If they really want your house, they will take it like it is.  After all, they can do what they want with it after they buy it
4. Don’t make it convenient for buyers to view.  You have a life and if they really want to see your house, well they will just have to work around your schedule
5. Don’t keep up with maintenance issues, buyers will only want to change things anyway

Sellers will come to you and explain that they really want to sell their home, they want to move to another area or the home is not the right size for them anymore.   So as a great realtor you go over a buyers expectations, and they stop you with their expectations.,  After all, you are such a great realtor, you should be able to sell the property like it is, for the best price.  Well no…it does not work like that. 

You want to take some nice pictures so that buyers will want to view the property.  The home owner says  “Go ahead and take some pictures, I have all of the kids pictures up on the wall and my collections are out for display. “  When you explain, the picture will be more inviting without the extras, well you know what happens. You have just put a wall up.

When you point out some items that should be addressed, they explain how busy they are. 

When you want to show the house on Saturday, well they have a big birthday party planned.

When you talk to them about the price being too high, they explain how a neighbor down the street sold her house for $20,000 more than what they are asking.  Even though that house was 20 yrs newer and had an additional bedroom and an updated kitchen and pool.

When you ask them to crate their cats and they explain the cats don’t like being crated.

When other houses in the neighborhood are selling and receiving offers and their isn’t and they are sure you are not doing your part as the realtor.

These are all items that make you wonder as a realtor if your clients really want to sell their home, because the ony thing they seem to be doing is,  selling the other houses in the neighborhood.

So if you really want to sell your lakefront home, call me and we will go over comparative listings and prices.  I will recommend items you will want to address before listing your home and I will suggest things to do so that I can take photos that will entice buyers and make your home feel like it could be theirs.

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

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 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

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