Catskills - Sullivan County - Ulster County Real Estate -- Catskill Farms Journal

Well, we got a big insulation truck, a couple of pickups, a dumptruck/sander/plow truck and we got ourselves a tractor- so what better way to keep them safe and warm than to build them a little shelter. This picture down below is the frost walls and footings that will serve as the foundation of this 2500 sq ft barn.

Here is the plumbing and heating team placing the radiant heat in the slab to keep the chill off everything.

And here's the steel structure frame going up - I think it would probably be lot easier on the builders if it wasn't so damn cold and windy.

And here you can start to see the outline of the 5 garage doors. I own 2.8 acres at my offices here in Eldred NY. We have our main offices (1 room, 3 people, a dog and lots of people stopping by all the time) in the building that used to be the Eldred School Bus repair garage.

So, besides building 8 homes, we have this project going on. And on Monday we meet with the TV people again.

Catskill Farms attempts to give back to the community when it can and a little donation can go a long way up here. Here are our publicly supported favorites - Yulan Fire Department - (845) 557-6335 Sunshine Hall Public Library - Eldred NACL Theater in Highland Lake.

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Like I mentioned a few days ago, we had a really great weekend of weather, with small really great snowball and snowman snow. I mean the stuff just hung together. You didn't even have to know how to professional roll a snow ball or snow man - this stuff just made you look good. I also discovered my son Lucas is not a big fan of my new full face ski mask - really freaks him out, which makes for an interesting question of why I continue to do it to him. Toughen him up I guess. The no-flash pic above and flashed pic below are pretty appealing, in my opinion.

Courtney and Bronson from Cottage 22 over on Tuthill Road -the first buyers over there when they signed up last early summer - came over for some eggnog, snacks that Lisa made. Real good snacks actually (I'd write hor doerves but I don't know how to spell it and don't feel like figuring it out) - it's enlivening to see Lisa still pulling culinary tricks out of sleeve after 7 years. We all headed down to Barryville for the tree lighting and bonfire.

Here's Lisa, Lucas and our neigbor Theresa. Lisa is happy to be back from here 2 months in Russia, where all she got was that crummy hat.

My diverse talents demonstrated with some cool pics and exposure here.

OMG - that's right. Gavin's in the house - from Bella Drive fame.

And here is the picture of the Christmas tree lighting - avant garde like.

And, this photo, taken the next day is to memorialize this heavy plant on wobbly stand situation that I have proposed on several occasions was dangerous - only to be met with derision and insults.

So, when Lucas gets crushed by a potted plant falling wildly - I will definitely say 'I told you so' as well as post pictures of Lucas in the hospital with his leg in traction and white head bandages.

It's not often we have a house for sale, and it's definitely unusual for it to be this far along. But at the speed we are racing these days - firing on all cylinders - the houses are nearly finished by the time they get started. Cottage 24 is cool. It's on 8 acres, outside of Narrowsburg, up above Lucky Lake - 1250 sq ft of fine country living. We just got an offer on it over the weekend - but since we don't discount our homes, and since we don't have anything else for sale, we wished them good luck and continued designing this pretty fab house. Over the weekend I decided on the paint and tile, and tomorrow the kitchen. My opportunity to design solo is pretty limited these days since mostly the homes are spoken for early on. So it's been fun - it's what I used to do all the time when no one wanted our homes and I would develop the land, design the house, build the house, decorate the house, furnish the house and miserably wait for a buyer. But those days seem to be pretty much over, and with all the good reasons to buy at the moment, we should see a pretty consistent trickling of customers over 2010.

Sage green beveled siding with a wrap around porch, simple front entry with standing seam metal roof.

Big stone chimney chase. That door and window are looking out from the living room.

Here the guys are installing our plank ceilings over the foam insulation.

And here's a snap of our salvaged siding and beam work which we bought down the road from a reclaimer of like materials. This house took on a manly barny feel with these materials, and our challenge as it went in that direction was to keep it restrained - we didn't want some testosterone log and beam, Chapin Estate-like, heavy, "I take design so serious" direction.

There's Randolpho, racing around, installing his stonework - locally harvested bluestone.

Yes, that's a chalkboard door in the back. So we got 5 houses under contract, and this house not spoken for and we are just breaking ground tomorrow on the next house not spoken for. And, a very successful closing on Friday at Cottage 23, to be posted about later. For anyone up over the weekend - wow - pretty impressive. A perfect snow day on Saturday, and a clear clear sky on Sunday, with snow hanging heavily off of the limbs. The snow was probably the best snow ball and snow man snow I've ever seen.