Who knew? Right after we advertised my pretty and unique 1153 Old Seneca Turnpike for rent as well as for sale, the calls started coming in fast and furious. All but one person talked about renting to own. It was amazing.
We are leased now for two years, the signs are down and the lockbox is off the door, and yes, there is talk about buying it after the lease is up. I met a lot of wonderful people, and hopefully will get them settled elsewhere. The majority were simply not ready to buy, had bought and lost a home in the past, or were waiting for more confidence in their positions and life situations.
Was it the house? As sweet as it was, I don't think that was it. The price? $218,000 - not a lot by Skaneateles standards, but people came from all over.
I must conclude that there are a lot of people out there looking for rentals. We have some rentals in Skaneateles, but not a great number. However, I would say that we have more than most communities. There are always several that rent for the season - the school season that is. People want to keep a foothold in Skaneateles and not give it up in the summer, but they go south for the winter. Many return in the early spring, but renting for the school year is also done quite a lot.
When we were in Saratoga we rented a lovely cottage on a large estate. We left and lived in our camp on the lake for the summer while the owners of the "big house" lived in our cottage. They rented out the main house and grounds for enough to carry them through the year. Or at least that was the plan. For seven years we moved in and moved out (kept the clutter down!) but they used it only once as a summer home for them.
So investors - take note! There are plenty of small houses that people would like to rent that are already on the market. Lease them - with all the potential hazards that involves - but maybe make a sale at the same time.
And I want to thank the owners of Old Seneca for the opportunity to enjoy their home through an open house and a few showings. It was a treat!
