Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Skaneateles Real Estate - The Weekly Update

What a gorgeous snowy morning it was! I got up early because we had to be out and about and went to get the paper. None there. I heard a car sliding up the hill and realized it must be the paper deliverer. I waited in the driveway - he was careening all over the place in his old red van with bald tires - and appreciated our red and blue lights on the lamp playing with the snow-covered branches. The van finally came close, but not near our mailbox. I stepped back a bit - he was revving the car - and a paper was thrown out the window at me as he continued his climb. As he rode out of sight, I yelled a heart-felt "Thank you!"

There are currently 1,959 active listings in the multiple listing service under Onondaga County. Skaneateles, the town, shows 99 listings while Skaneateles, the village, shows 24 listings. There are 7 listings in the town designated as village, and some are repeated in the village listings. Just to confuse things even more, some are condos, others are multi-families. Some are even in Cayuga County! There are others that don't exist, but are "to be built" homes. The one new listing that came on is actually a years-old re-list of a two family house in the village now being attempted as a single family. And yes, in the multi-family listings a single family appeared!

There are no new contingent or pending sales - 11 are waiting to close. There are still only 2 closed properties in the Skaneateles area this year so far.

I was asked in a comment to speak more about the condo situation, specifically the Seitz Building at the corner of Jordan and Genesee Street above the new Moro Bistro that is going in where Morris's was for so many years. There are still several condos for sale, ranging in price from $450,000 to $590,000. One is marked contingent, but "continue to show" suggesting that a house has to sell or something else has to happen for it to be a done deal. This was listed at almost $600,000.

In Skaneateles according to the multiple listing service, only 13 condos are found in history to have sold. These are divided between the old Bush funeral home on Genesee, the smaller condos on the corner of State Street and Elizabeth, and the multi-levels on Jordan Street just past Byrne Dairy. Onondaga County shows 243 active condos, and over the past 6 months 162 have sold - from a low of $23,200 in Van Buren to a high of $700,000 down in Franklin Square in Syracuse.

I would think condos would be quite popular in Skaneateles - and I love the Seitz Building for its views and center village atmosphere. Sign of the times! But just wait until it turns around!