These days are full and long. Today I listed a multi-family in the city (as in Syracuse), received a commitment for a new listing, enjoyed a session on open houses with Mary McNeill, showed a home in Camillus, and then ran back to the office to put in the listing (see task #1).
So forgive me if Tuesday's broker's open was not discussed!
I did my own broker's open anyway - and only one, thank goodness! It's my new old listing at 188 East Genesee Street here in Skaneateles.
I listed and sold it five years ago. The gentleman who owned it passed away while it was listed and the estate sold it at the end. My clients bought it from pictures they saw on the internet and walked into it the first time on the day of closing. (Needless to say, I'm using some of the same pictures for this listing.)
Because of the circumstances of the sale, I have a very tender place in my heart for the home. I really liked the old engineer. He reminded me of my father who passed away in 1979 - a lot of extraneous detail and some gruffness, but a good heart nonetheless. We sat and he taught me about chaos one day, and fractiles. I felt as if I were a little girl sitting at the kitchen table again, hearing my father discourse on something I sort of understood. He would have used the sale of the house to retire to Florida. An accident away from the house ended his life suddenly.
The house itself reminds me of the home I grew up in on the east side of Syracuse by Thornden Park. Both homes were built about the same time - World War One was raging. They are solid homes, well-engineered with very little extra space. Each had a formal dining room, living room, three bedrooms and smaller kitchens by today's standards. They also had an extension off the living room - ours was used as a small den and piano room, and the Skaneateles home was a computer room/sunroom. These sweet rooms have windows on three sides. Another feature they have in common are French doors. I blogged once about my mother's cat Hermes bursting through ours.
They have fireplaces, hardwood floors, good ceiling height, and archways. The chrystal doorknobs were polished by the gentleman. Our yard was larger, leading back to border on the park and seemingly miles and miles of lilacs. This one has pretty gardens but also extends to a common back yard - not owned, but presumably used by the neighborhood.
I walk in to the house and feel immediately at home here in Skaneateles. Our home was sold when my mother moved out (after 56 years!) to a young woman who also had a little girl and who appreciated the home. It sold in the low 60s. This one is offered for $244,500.
