kaulat

Over the past 9 days or so, we had no snow and New York City got it all - as well as Boston and Philadelphia and points in-between. Alex and Rachel came and went uneventfully and we had a marvelous Christmas. The cookies aren't all eaten, but they will be by midnight tonight. Our presents are still scattered around the livingroom, the sweaters I bought for the men taken back and exchanged, and Bob is settled in to read by a just-cleaned hearth while I write. The update: no new listings - none! - in the Skaneateles area of the multiple listing service. One waterfront was marked "under contract, do not show" (at this time of year, no less!) There simply are no properties marked contingent, either. Two homes closed - one large place recently listed in the mid-$400,000 range and another well under $100,000. That brings us to 74 for the year - but probably not all closings have been entered...the final tally will be next week. But New Year's Eve is upon us - and s...

How lovely to end on a high note! Christmas is coming and the world outside looks very Christmasy...certainly we may be the snowiest area in the country, but also the prettiest. There are currently ONLY 119 active listings in the Skaneateles area of the multiple listing service. One lovely village 5-bedroom home came on this past week and the agent bravely scheduled a broker's open. It's listed in the mid-$300,000 if you are interested in a last minute gift. The total number of homes waiting to close is down to 10, and nothing new was marked contingent this week. But because there are so few waiting, that means that three closed just in time for the new year, bring us to 73 sold and closed for the year...so far! A lake rights property closed around the $200,000 mark, down about 20% from its original price. A pretty village home sold and closed rather rapidly and came in within 10%. The third encompassed a single family home, commercial and as currently used multi-family ...

Sold on 12/17/2010 - $200,900 Wow. What a ride for this welted chunk of excrement. More than 1,000 days on the market and the bank finally approved a short sale at the price it should have been at all along. Just look at this lesson in incompetence: Dec 17, 2010 Sold (MLS) (Closed) $200,900 -- Inactive CARETS #P701097 Jul 31, 2010 Pending (Backup Offers Accepted) -- -- Inactive CARETS #P701097 Jul 19, 2010 Price Changed $199,900 -- Inactive CARETS #P701097 Jun 23, 2010 Price Changed $219,900 -- Inactive CARETS #P701097 May 19, 2010 Price Changed $225,000 -- Inactive CARETS #P701097 Mar 03, 2010 Price Changed $250,000 -- Inactive CARETS #P701097 Dec 30, 2009 Price Changed $289,000 -- Inactive CARETS #P701097 Dec 30, 2009 Relisted (Active) -- -- Inactive CARETS #P701097 Dec 03, 2009 Pending -- -- Inactive CARETS #P701097 Nov 12, 2009 Price Changed $239,000 -- Inactive CARETS #P701097 Oct 30, 2009 Relisted (Active) -- -- Inactive CARETS #P701097 Sep 23, 2009 Pending (Pending Sale) -- -- ...

I've moved from one bubble to another - currently sitting at Vancouver airport, wondering how much debt each of these Vancouverites walking by me has. Probably rude to start canvassing this time of year, so I'll get to my info. Spoke to a senior banking executive before I left and was given some interesting things to chew on throughout my flights - considering my lack of sleep I'll try and put it together in a coherent manner before I totally wig out and people mistake me for a crack-head, or being it's Vancouver - a guy who's just bought a crack-shack with mansion money. The most interesting point, Commonwealth Bank and Westpac are looking to buy money 'hand over fist' at the moment to fund their existing loan books and both have slammed the brakes on lending - basically it's any excuse to turn down loans. This ties in with another source who told me the banks 'have to roll over a large amount of debt next year.' There's been a some Mexican ...

The dearth of Long Beach inventory has made it really difficult to find properties worth featuring, but then I saw this outrageously overpriced pile of shit and just had to put it on the blog. WISHING PRICE: $499,000 ADDRESS: 6150 East BAY SHORE Walk #10, 90803 BEDS: 1 BATHS: 1 SQ. FT.: 815 $/SQ. FT.: $612 YEAR BUILT: 1965 COMMUNITY: Belmont Shore/Park/Naples/Marina Pacific/Bay Harbor MLS#: S640717 ON REDFIN: 15 days HOA: $298 DOWN PAYMENT: $99,800 INCOME REQUIREMENT: $114,000/year MONTHLY NUT: $2,800 DESCRIPTION: Beautiful sought after Alamitos Bay Shore Condo in the exclusive community of Bay Shore Yacht Club. This Bay front condominium features 1 master suite with upgraded kitchen and bath. Only 15 units in this secured building. Underground parking with storage unit. Elevator to the 3rd floor. Laundry facility onsite. Can watch the Naples Boat parade right from your Bay view balcony and front room. Low association. Rarely on the market. .. .so get you offers in fast! $499,...

  A satirical look into the future for entertainment purposes only... JOINT STANDING COMMITTEE ON UN-AUSTRALIAN ACTIVITIES (Effect of Negative Views on Real Estate) SYDNEY Monday, 5 December 2012 Committee met at 11.21 am JAMES, Mr Craig, Former Chief Economist, CommSec  CHAIR - I welcome the Former Chief Economist for Commsec to give evidence. I now remind witnesses that, although the committee does not require you to give evidence under oath, this hearing is a legal proceeding of parliament and warrants the same respect as proceedings of the House or Senate. The giving of false or misleading evidence is a serious matter and may be regarded as contempt of parliament. The evidence given today will be recorded by Hansard and will attract parliamentary privilege. Are there any corrections or amendments you would like to make to your submission? Mr James - No. CHAIR - Do you wish to make a statement in relation to the submission, or would you ca...

I learned something new today - that I've always known but every once in a while I need a little refresher. I went to my dentist on Onondaga Hill, Dr. Randal P. Swartwood, and he worked on my root canal tooth that remarkably was the same tooth I had just broken - hey, that's good news! While I was waiting (I got there early, usually there's no waiting!) I told Gail the receptionist about all; the snow we had. She stopped me cold - "I live in Lafayette," she said. "Oh." She then told me Syracuse had made the big time being featured on Good Morning America - actually the parking lot at the Fairmount Wegman's. You can still see it online through www.abcnews.com . Anyway, Gail said she couldn't wait to go out her back door and go cross country skiing. It sounded heavenly, and she was determined to do it even if she had four feet on the ground, which she might. So I went home after going to the office and went out skiing with Boo. (Bob was exh...

I am sitting at my so-called desk watching my dirty white cat Oscar watch the birds at the feeder. Occasionally he makes a sound as if in comment. "Like that junco!" "See the wings on that cardinal?" "I'll remember to stay away from the woodpecker's beak..." Then he winds his way back to me, curls his tail around his body, and waits for me to use the mouse. He likes to pounce, grab my hand and hang on...always a challenge, blogging. Yes, it is snowing, and as Rachel so aptly put it "You guys are getting KILLED!" Manhattan has had not a lick of snow, she tells me. Well, we have... The weather channel guaranteed us a white Christmas this year. Really. I wrote the short blog about the bird in December, got 4 of the lines correct but in the wrong order, and forgot to attribute it to Oliver Herford. But then, my version came from my mother. I said when I started this blog I would write about my life as a Realtor in Skaneateles. I've been s...

The more I stick my nose into the real estate industry, the more I wonder how people can operate within it completely oblivious economic indicators. And I'm not talking about real estate agents here, their job is to ignore economic indicators, or even better - don't understand them to begin with. You can't be accused of lying if you don't even know what you're talking about I'm talking about the people who've seen real estate as a honey pot, no matter the time, stuck their nose in and now resemble Winnie the Pooh - unable to get out until they slim down their price. Here's some good times ahead for a flipper in Launceston. Purchased back in March (of this year) for $175,000, this 3x2 has been touched up throughout. It came back onto the market 20 days ago for $329,000. Four days ago, the flipper, showing the impatience of a horny teenager with the new copy of Playboy stashed underneath his mattress (I just missed the boat on internet p@rn), dropped the a...

A Christmas Party last night provides brevity and clarity today.

I heard a bird sing in the dark of December, We are nearer to Spring than we were in September.

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow! We are buried here under about 40 inches of snow and I've been enjoying it from afar. Bob has been out skiing, Boo runs because if he stops it will be over his head, and Koko finds places on the deck to pee. I've heard from my cousin in Guam when she saw Brian Williams extolling the woes of Syracuse, and learned that our beautiful landscape reminds people of Denver. Lisa in the office describes it as being in a snow globe and has learned the joys of shoveling. And houses have sold and closed in the past week! There are currently 119 active listings in the Skaneateles area of the multiple listing service, of which 34 are in the village. Only two "new" ones came on, both re-lists with substantial reductions in price (around 10%). We are getting into that time of year when people do not want to hold onto homes, so what seemed so promising in July is now discounted in December. There are no new houses marked contingent or unde...

The latest ABS housing finance statistics caused some consternation amongst some of us. I say some of us because there was no confusing uptick in the grab for debt in Tasmania - ok, I concede - in the unfiddled figures one more person got themselves a loan in October than did in September. Unfortunately for the bears, the Tasmanian figures have remained static for the past three months. Unfortunately for the bulls, that current flat spot is still reminiscent of a time when the Backstreet Boys weren't middle aged, Bill Clinton was denying 'sexual relations' with a tubby intern, and Frank Sinatra crooned his last number. For the first time since 1998, Tasmania is facing a calendar year where every month coughed out less than 1000 housing finance commitments. To put that further in perspective, there were 17 sub 1000 months from the start of 2001 to the end of 2009 and in 2010 we already have 10 sub 1000 months. The first home buyers have dropped by over 50% from their pumped ...

Hobart generally escapes the wrath of this blog, not for any positive reasons, but because in such a small state the presence of a lurching bureaucracy helps to insulate the Hobart economy. Sales falling by 16% doesn't look scary, when others around the state have been base jumping without a chute. When you're pissing everyone else's money up the wall it stands to reason you'll eventually become a spendthrift yourself; even luckier - you're rarely subject to market forces - while all those other poor saps around the state lose their jobs, your hardest task will be thinking up silver lining communication strategies. As the state moves from balls up to balls up, not one advisor, or communications douche, will get their marching orders in an effort to tighten the purse strings. In times of crisis, the skills of the bull dust artist are needed more than ever - someone has to pull the wool. It's why you'd suspect the sale of this house has come about because its ...