Open House Sunday July 20

4484 Vinegar Hill Road, Skaneateles, open from 2 - 4

Currently priced at $219,000 and situated 200' feet from the road on over 5 acres, this lovely home has a screened porch beckoning you to come read a book, visit with friends and family, or just sit and enjoy the peaceful setting.

 The bright and airy great room.

Aren't those cabinets gorgeous?

I hope you'll stop by this Sunday from 2 - 4.  Be patient if I'm running a little late - I'll just be on my way over from Limeledge!

Directions:  From Route 5 to 321 to Stump Road, left on Vinegar Hill.  Look for the Prudential signs!

Open House Sunday July 20

5024 Limeledge Road in the Marcellus School District, open from 12 -2 

3 bedrooms, 2 1/2 baths, formal dining room and informal dining area, built in bookcase/entertainment center, hidden walk-in pantry, fantastic mud room, very private setting not far from the villages of Marcellus, Skaneateles and Camillus. 

The entrance to the walk in pantry is this recessed bookcase!  On the left you can see the sliders.  The sellers have since put on a new deck!  To the right of the pantry is the door to the one of the best mud rooms I've ever seen (this room could be featured in a magazine!).  It's spacious with excellent storage in the locker style cubbies and large bench for sitting on.  Wish I had a picture, but since I don't, maybe you'll stop by to see it yourself!

Situated on over two acres, this home really is a great find in Marcellus schools.

Directions:  From Route 5 to 321, turn left onto Limeledge.  Go around the curve and the house will be on your left.  Just look for the Prudential signs!  Try to get there early, as I will have to leave early to race over to Vinegar Hill for the next open house!

Nice Listing on Newbridge Street in Annesgrove

This is truly a lovely home that I was so impressed with, I actually asked the listing agent if I could blog about it for him!  Currently listed for $204,900, the home is a two bedroom bungalow with two full baths.

I have to admit, I'm a sucker for a front porch, and this one I really like!  There are two images that come to mind so readily for me - wicker chairs and iced tea in the summer, and handing out candy to kids piled on the porch Halloween night.

A view of the kitchen from the living room area.  The main portion of the house is very bright and open, so you can still visit with guests relaxing in the living room while you put the final touches on dinner.  There's also two bar stools under the counter.

Formal dining area, also open to the living room and kitchen.  The doorway pictured on the left leads to the bedrooms, bathrooms and stairs leading down to the basement.

There's just something about Annesgrove that I've always found appealing.  Yes, there are front porches, cherry kitchens and sidewalks, but it's more than that.  I like the closeness of the neighborhood, the different styles of houses, and the way it feels old even though it's new.  Maybe it's something so simple I can't put my finger on it, but I know I like Annesgrove!

Changes are Coming in the Town of Camillus - Hinsdale Rd. and More

Bill Davern, Camillus 3rd Ward Councilor, sent out an update to area residents.  I first met Bill almost 9 years ago after we moved into our present home, when he walked to my house to introduce himself.  I don't know if he remembers meeting me or not, but it doesn't matter.  I was impressed by his friendly nature and willingness to talk.  Over the years, I've been impressed even more by his open communication and work to keep residents informed.

On many people's mind:  what's happening with the section of land on Hinsdale Road?  I'm talking about the presently vacant land you see in front of you as exit 695 at Hinsdale.  There are 68 acres of land there that I imagine will be quite a boon for the Camillus area.  Two full service restaurants, two smaller restaurants, two coffee shops (hallelujah!), a large anchor store, two junior anchors, retail shops, office space, apartments, and eventually a Hollywood Theaters and a Hampton Inn Hotel.  (Special note to local youth sports boards of directors - if you're thinking of trying to draw in more out of town teams for tournaments, start talking to the Hampton Inn people as soon as possible.)

As I've mentioned previously, Dunn Tires will be moving to the Home Depot Plaza.  I've also heard through the grapevine, and confirmed by Bill's update letter, there's a potential tenant for the now empty Office Max Building on West Genesee.  Also interesting to hear, Fairmount Fair is looking to expand also. 

On the driving/walking side of things, the town still wants to close off where Shrineview intersects with West Genesee and extend Gillespie across West Genesee. 

Honestly, I'm not sure how I feel about this.  I suppose from a driving perspective it makes sense because Gillespie already has a traffic light there.  Walking, though, I'm torn.  While the light and crossing light are supposed to provide a safe intersection for pedestrians to cross, in many ways it really doesn't because drivers just don't look for people there.  While there may be no cross walk at Shrineview, drivers are more slightly more cautious because of both pedestrians and cars around Holy Family and Byrne Dairy.  Yeah, I know I'm only talking about a distance of a couple hundred feet.  I can't completely explain it - it just comes from years of experience walking to and from Byrne Dairy, and driving to and from the sitter's house on Shrineview.  As a walker though, I am grateful for the new sidewalks and street lights along West Genesee.  With ever rising gas prices and nice weather, I've even noticed other people using them.

Bill also gave some additional insight into new housing projects, both existing and proposed.  Personally (and professionally) I'd like to find out who the developers/builders are.  One last point made (much to my chagrin) was a reference to house numbers.  Guilty.  Mine fell off in a storm several years ago, and I haven't replaced them yet.  Maybe, if the weather holds, I'll take care of that today.

Many thanks to Bill Davern!

Multiple Offers - Jepoardy Without the Music

I hate multiple offers.  I'm sitting in my office, waiting to hear what the big decision will be, and all I can think of is the theme song to Jeopardy.  And get frustrated, because this computer doesn't have a sound card in it, so it's not even like I can go to youtube or playlist.com to hear the stupid song and get it out of my head (if only the "Get This Song Out of My Head" contest wasn't over!).

To make matters worse, I start thinking that the song is driving me crazy when what happens - wham!  I start thinking They're Coming to Take Me Away, ha ha, they're coming to take me away, ho ho hee hee... 

Woo hooo!!! and as I was sitting here typing - my offer is in!! Yes! Score!

Living in Camillus, Where Is What

When you don't know an area very well, you tend to discredit it as a place to live.  Or you frantically try to find out as much information about it as you can.  Well, I'm here to help you discover some of the ins and outs of living in Camillus.

Online map services and GPS systems can help you get from place to place, but they don't always tell you when you're driving out to Gillie Lake for the first time, you start to think you've gone wrong somewhere even if you haven't.  They also won't tell you that drving past the high school when summer school lets out is like target practice, except you're not supposed to hit the students targets.  Most importantly, they don't tell you that the easiest way to get onto 690 from Fairmount is to take Milton Ave. to Horan to 695.  Sure, you can take Genesee Street to 695, but if your timing is off you'll get stuck at every light.  By the way, Fairmount is part of the town of Camillus, but it's not a village.  It is where you'll find a fair chunk of the local businesses.

Some things are pretty easy to figure out, like grocery shopping.  There's Wegman's and P & C, plus the WalMart Supercenter, all easily accessed.  If you're a Price Chopper fan, you'll have to go to Western Lights.  I humbly admit that I lived in Syracuse for several years before I knew how to get to Western Lights, because whenever I asked someone for directions they would say things like, "Oh, you know, you go up Onondaga."  Wait.  Onondaga Road crosses Onondaga Boulevard, not to mention that there's also Onondaga Ave., Onondaga Creek Blvd., Onondaga Lake Parkway and Onondaga Street!  I was a transplantee here, folks, I needed specifics.  At any rate, I've digressed.

Back to the list of the obvious. Most of what you need on a regular basis can be found on Genesee Street: pharmacies, restaurants, fast food, gas stations, banks, dry cleaners.  But don't forget about the smaller businesses on Milton Ave., down in the village, and the recently revamped plaza at the corner of Milton and Hinsdale.  Diagonal from the plaza is the Home Depot plaza, also undergoing some changes.  I saw that Dunn's Tires, currently on Onondaga Road near Milton put up a big sign that they will be moving to Home Depot plaza soon.

A little bit trickier to get to are some of the schools.  Especially East Hill Elementary, and if you've got kids that are playground age, you're going to want to know how to get there because they have a fabulous playground.  From Genesee Street across from Orchard Village, turn onto Parsons and go to the end.  Turn right, and there's the school.  I cannot begin to tell you how many different ways people would swear to me were easier.  Getting to Stonehedge and West Genesee Middle is pretty easy, it 's just a little annoying to and from Hinsdale Road.  Vanida will get you there, and it has a light at the corner of Genesee.

What Camillus doesn't seem to have is a book store.  We have stores with books in them, but for me it's just not the same.  There is a used book store in Westvale Plaza in Westvale, and for times when I don't want to deal with Carousel Mall, it serves me well.

Now, one of the nice summer time things about Camillus has got to be the ice cream shops.  The ones my family frequents are on Milton, Genesee and Chapel Drive.  They're all pretty close to each other, and they're all close to the ever popular Fairmount Glen Miniature Golf course.

One last little thought, and that's Shove Park (pronounced with a long O), because in many ways it is the quintessential park:  grass, trees, multiple play areas, a stream with a bridge, ball fields, and up top is the ice rink.  I was glad to see that someone (the town?) put up small directional signs to it a few years ago.  But in just case, from Genesee St., just west of the fire station, take Whedon Road to Slawson and the entrance to the park will be on your left.

Touring West of Syracuse Today 7/8/08

Some good looking houses out on tour today.  I did a quick tour, following the "Pru crew" until I had to leave them for an appointment, but not before seeing some nice houses.

Our first stop was over in Lake Lawns.  I remember when the house was on a few years ago, and it's nice to see some improvements done.  Next we skipped over to Stonehedge (what a clean house!) then to Tudor (hardwoods just refinished).

From there, I followed Beth and the gang over to Snowberry (we took the scenic route to Scenic Drive for reasons unknown to me, but it was fun to tease Beth about her driving!).  Sharp house, nice deck, another property I remember from a few years ago.  My last stop was back on the other side of the village on Foxhill.  Surprise, surprise - a 15 course basement!

Wish I could've headed out to Marcellus and Skaneateles, but it wasn't meant to be again this week.  If the weather is supposed to be this nice again next Tuesday, I think I'll make a point to head out to see all the lake front properties.

I'm Looking for a Green Builder

Turning our lives around and going greener is not going to happen overnight, although at times I wish it was going along a little more quickly. I saw a great blog a few weeks ago called A Place For Our Stuff on NYCO's blog about Central New York.  Its poignant insight into how we live, where we live, and the habits we keep, inspired me to think more seriously about a topic that has been dancing around in my head for several years.  I'd like to work with a builder who's interested in building greener homes, both within the city limits and in the suburbs.

Ideally, I'd like to see these new homes incorporate the things I'd like in my own house:  solar panels, solar heaters, solar water heaters, clotheslines, rain gardens, smaller yards with less grass, walking paths and maybe even a community garden.  A general store within walking distance.  And color - bright flowers, trees, winter gardens, houses of different colors and designs, to allow the home-owner's personality to show.  Flexible floor plans, earth friendly materials whenever reasonable, and reuse items removed from older homes.  Last year I went to check on a listing, and sure enough, the copper pipes and furnace had been stolen.  All I could think of was that the thieves left the real treasures behind - mahogany wainscoting, solid cherry cabinets and stained glass windows.

I have my vision, and I'd like to make it a reality.  So I'm out looking for a builder who might be interested.  I'm also looking for potential buyers that may be interested, because I'd love to hear their ideas about what they'd like, where they'd like to live, and find out how much interest is out there in our corner of the world.

I'm also out there doing my homework.  What works and what doesn't.  What do people want in their homes?  Pondering locations, and researching the viability of each.  And hoping, with some hard work, good support, and a little luck, to make it happen, and make a small difference sooner rather than too late.

Desperate! Help Wanted - Is it a mobile home or not?

I'm supposed to be taking a listing tomorrow and am having a difficult time clarifying whether the structure is a mobile home or not.  I'm really not that stupid - I swear.  The proverbial lines are blurred, and I, apparently, am very nearsighted.  With a stigmatism.

Here's what's going on:  Before my first visit to the home, did my homework, pulled the tax reports and inventory, and prepared a CMA based on the tax records (and owners' statements) that it was a single family residential raised ranch on a full basement.  However, when I was in the basement of the house, I looked up and saw the metal floor joists and tie-ins, and asked the owners if it was mobile home.  Their answer was, "it used to be."  What do you mean by it used to be?

What I have been able to ascertain is that the original, single wide mobile home was built around 1965.  It was eventually mounted onto a full basement.  Some years later, an addition was put on, that included adding on to the basement as well.  The interior has been remodeled and opened up, the original roof was removed and replaced with a single roof to cover the original mobile home and addition.  There is presently as much square footage in the stick built addition as there is in the original mobile home.

So here are the dilemmas:  1) If it's a mobile home, we're going to have buyer financing issues; 2) Does the fact that the original structure is a 1965 mobile home de-value the overall structure as it is now?  3) Do I list it in the MLS as a ranch or a mobile home?  The current owners have a mortgage through Countrywide on the property, and the tax records list it as a single fam res.  I consulted the mortgage rep in my office.  His answer was, "If it looks like a duck, walks like a duck, and quacks...", by which he clarified that it's still a mobile home, no matter how it's been dressed up to disguise it.  He in turn called a lender he works with that will give mortgages on double wides, whose response was that it didn't matter if it had been gutted and rebuilt with 52 additions on it.  It's a single wide mobile home, and they won't give a mortgage on it.

Do I stick my neck out and call it a ranch in the MLS and do some basic CYA by having the sellers disclose on the property condition statement that it used to be a mobile home?  Or do I call it a mobile home, knowing full well that in this area it means we are unlikely to realize an offer?  I thought I'd cut to the chase, call an appraiser, and use his or her answer.  Because that's what I think it's all going to boil down to - what an appraiser calls it.  Four phone calls to appraisers today - no return phone calls as yet.  So here I sit, looking for answers before I head out 40 miles from home first thing in the morning. 

Out On Tour of the West Side Today

I cruised out on tour today with Bill Bigelow and Brian Normoyle this morning.  We had a little bit of a late start, and had to end at 12:30 to accommodate appointments, so we didn't get to see much.  We also chose to skip several listings that we've already seen, or that were too far out from our offices.

Our first stop was Skyview Terrace in Camillus. Cute.  The wall between the kitchen and dining room has been opened up, which really helps add to the openness of the floor plan.  Our second stop was into the city to Strathmore Drive.  If you're a buyer looking in Strathmore, this is a home you appreciate more once you're inside it.  It has a nice charm to it.  Had a nice lunch there, courtesy of Debb Parker of Commonfund (thanks Debb!).

Next we headed back out to Camillus to see Brice's Warners Road listing. It's right across from Reed Webster Park - a real bonus if you like to play tennis because you can easily walk to the courts.  (As a side note, be nice to Brice today because I totally rounded on him as soon as we walked in the door, looking to find out if he heard anything new about a deal of ours that should've closed a month ago). Our last stop was Stonehedge, right off West Genesee near the high school.  Always a popular neighborhood, with it's slightly wider streets and typically well kept houses.

That's it for what we saw this morning.  I wish we had time to go see Depa and Mallard.  Depa we just ran out of time, and Mallard's time frame was set to end a little early.  I know it doesn't sound like much, but we were out for two hours.  I think the most houses I've ever seen in a single tour was a year or two ago.  Somehow, I don't know how, Kate Gow and I saw 22 houses in two and half hours.  I'd like to head out to tour the east side tomorrow if I can manage the time.

The big appeals of tour today were touching base with other agents and the great conversations the three of us had in the car.  From kids to cars, gas prices, the housing market, websites, billboards, and just plain old gossip.  And lunch - Debb always provides us with great lunches :-)