We've been bird-watching a lot lately. I wake up every morning to the sound of those marvelous birds, a robin has built her nest over the light on the side ramp to the apartment, Bob has hung gorgeous birdhouses throughout the property. I have a large feeder just outside the window by my desk - a rose-breasted grosbeak visits regularly these days. We also have an occasional visit from a red-bellied woodpecker who likes the hanging suet. Bob brought back photos from his walk with Boo this morning of the pair of bluebirds who apparently have settled into one of our houses. I have seen a heron many times down by our neighbor's pond, and geese are nesting there now.
Currently there are 124 active listings in the Skaneateles area of the multiple listing service. Twenty-four of these are in the village. Over the past week nine new listings appeared, three of which are true re-lists, both with reduced prices. Another two came on that were on the market not that long ago, sold, and now have returned with increased price tags to take into account the work that was put into the houses. That leaves four new ones, brand new! One is a lovely ranch that is much larger than it looks, another is a bargain under $100,000 (and J-E Schools), a third is new construction - why not? the builder just sold his last house - and the fourth is a small village home where you can watch the world go by from the porch.
For all of you number buffs, we have a treat! There are 8 homes marked contingent, continue to show and 8 marked contingent, do not show, and (surprise!) 8 pended in the computer, just waiting to close. That adds up to 24, the number of village homes on the market.....but of course that has nothing to do with anything, just fun with numbers.
The important number is 14, as in the number of homes that have closed so far this year in the Skaneateles area. Two new ones were added this week - new village construction that came in fairly well under the list price (but we don't know all the reasons for this) and waterfront that sold at the list price quickly.
The range of prices this year is $150,000 to $800,000. The median list price was $295,000. One each of waterfront, lake rights and new construction homes has sold. Five were in the village which leaves 6 strictly town.
I wondered how this stacked up to last year by this date, and once again had fun with numbers. Almost twice as many homes had closed (27), but the breakdown was the same - 2 waterfront, 2 new construction and 1 lake rights with 9 in the village. The price range was at once higher and lower - $60,000 to 1.7M with a median list price of $280,000. Maybe the numbers are so small that a trend isn't evident yet - except that waterfront in the past (2005 - 2008) has made up a larger proportion of sales, so the disparity seems to have continued into this year. Or maybe it's just early!
So go buy a house this weekend - many are going to be open on Sunday in Skaneateles, especially some of the newly listed ones. The rates are low - I saw 4.8% for a 30 year conventional come in this week - HEY! 4.8 - that's divisible by 8 - wow!
