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

We don't get many Catskill Farms resells - Gib McKean says the big resale point is after about 7 years of 2nd homeownership in the area, so a few of our homes are reaching that test age, remarkably. The owner of this Cottage was asking 20% more than what she bought it for, now I think it's 10% - but either way, pretty complimentary to our homes considering what has happened to the real estate market univerally over the past 2. I would think asking what you paid would aggressive, but who am I?

But most remarkably, this price appreciation is on a home that the homeowner constantly emails me (and copies the whole office as if the 'public humiliation ploy' by a few of my early homeowners wasn't so 2008) that she hopes my other buyers don't experience the level of problems she has had with this house - And yet still, it's worth more than she paid for it. Remarkable. It's only fair that if this is a house full of problems, buyers should know this, realtors should disclose all the problems, and it should be reflected in the appraisal. Otherwise, lawsuit for misrepresentation.

And now I hear she is accusing two of the best realtors in the region of conspiring with me to use her home as a model to upsell possible clients to my other cottages. I mean, how bizarro for many reasons, but oh, let me count a few of them (although it's always good when outsiders see what we are confronted with at times).

First, Bill, David and me are more ethical than that.

2nd - I don't rely or really even use realtors. We've been selling our own houses for years - and are much better at it than the local real estate companies, who we stopped using years ago when they couldn't sell more than 2 or 3 a year in a good year.

3rd - We haven't kicked as much ass in this world-changing recession and real estate crash because of black magic, sleight of hand or deviousness. We sell homes because the homes are great, and we spend $5000 a month marketing, positioning and branding our homes - probably more than most real estate companies up here spend in a year.

But, in the end, Thanks John for the great text after his family's first weekend - and I paraphrase - "Totally Unf%^&$*Kingbelieveable".

Touche.

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It's been a good couple of months (or should I say years, or should I say decade, which is fast becoming true). Here are some recent news profiles - Times Herald Record Web Cast about DIY project - And our organic spray foam insulation business we started at the height of the financial panic last February. We just received word from New York House magazine that EcoTech Spray Foam won a special mention in the region for Innovative Products. And then the Article in NY House was fun and flattering. And the Hudson Valley Biz Journal didn't hurt.

DIY's TV show we are working on is taking this boring old period ranch and trying to snaz it up a bit with a full on renovation. There are actually 6 shows being filmed at this house in Bethel NY, with 6 separate film and production crews, 6 different hosts/talent and 6 separate schedules. I'd never thought I'd say 'construction is easy compared to this', but without a doubt, construction is easy compared to this. We had 3 days to take the backyard of this ranch and make it pop. Final pics not allowed till the show airs, of course. It's funny - because of the production priorities and schedules, the master bed and bath are completely finished and furnished, and so is the back yard. Everything else is still early construction.

Then we just finished up Farmhouse 12, and the family is coming up for the first weekend. Here's Norm and the gang finishing the grade and planting the grass. He looks comfortable supervising, which is dangerous.

Then we got Cottage 25 rounding the home stretch for a mid june closing.

Floors looking good after being stained and polyed.

Cottage 28 moving right along, - the trim phase (doors, windows, crown) etc... happening next week.

And Ranch III with the radiant tubing in the slab, which was poured today.

And then sweet little Cottage 29 taking shape nicely.

Well, that's what we are up to. Great frickin' spring weather. We are able to fire on all cylinders with weather like this.

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It's been a bit crazy around Catskill Farms lately - this is the 3rd weekend I've had to double book appointments, meaning take more than one prospective customer out at a time since there just isn't enough time in a day to accomodate all the 'tour requests' - even got an email the other day from Mike wondering how to make an appointment for one of these 'famous tours'. So anyway, to make a long story short, I'm thinking about buying the above touring vehicle, and outfitting it with a speaker system - 'And here's Pablo's house on the right, and Jeanne's on the left and this old rock wall used to be the foundation of barn, and you see that deer and group of turkeys - I paid them to run across the yard just at the right moment, and that other family that is trailing behind us, well, they are paid actors to inject a sense of urgency into your homebuying process." Lisa always says I belong on the 'short bus', so why not go out a buy one? Then I bought this cool high end photo manipulation software - so hopefully I can jazz up my photos even more than presently. Below is a radical interpretion I call "Guest Bathroom and John and Wendy's New Farmhouse". Who spiked the kool-aid?

Old School black and white of Farm 12, a house idea that the new owners brought to me - and after literally months of work nailing down the shaker details, and finding the land that matched the house - here we are, literally 6 months from ground-breaking, literally the weekend I told John it would be ready, here we are, just closing the deal this past Thursday.

Farmhouses and larger homes were our bread and butter for the first 4 years - I think I designed and built 14 1800 sq ft farmhouses, barns, art and crafts homes and the like from 2003 to 2007. Now we usually have one going but our bread is buttered more with cottages (1300 sq ft), mini-cottages (980 sq ft), micro-cottages (750 sq ft) and now the Shack series at (400 sq ft). This home is on 7+ acres, has a seasonal stream, big trees and pretty picture perfect setting.

The thing about our homes is that they are not complex, grandiose, over-the-top marvels of craftsmanship. They are well-built, and they will stand the test of time both from an aesthetic and quality point of view. The genius is in the appreciation and execution of simple ideas - ie, an appreciation of good taste.

In the below photo - a simple entry way with stone flooring, a sliding barn door that segues into the powder room, laundry and double closet, a simply elegant staircase and spindle treatment, and some Jacobean stain to finish it off classically.

A little photo shop trickery below.

And the light that cascades into the dining room like the pearly gates of heaven. Actually, another photo shop effort.

Cathedral ceiling in the kitchen, a ceiling fan and recessed lighting. And the cool rad off to the left.

From the kitchen, past the stairs and peeking into the fireplace room.

Lots of heat in this room with the fireplace and white brick, and two radiators. French doors lead into the library with built in bookshelves.

Great built in with a great window seat with lifting lid for the kids to hide in.

Laundry room area, with the 5 panel doors and black hardware stealing the show.

2 upstairs landing shots - one manipulated, one not. Bead board edge and center planking make up a traditional wainscotting.

And the master bedroom, where the magic happens. The 15 light door leads out to the 2nd floor deck.

Double his and her sinks in the bathroom off the bedroom. I hate the words subdivision, development, bonus room and even master bedroom (made worse by the abbreviation 'MBR') and worst of all, Master Suite.

Great shower with bench.

A little more fun - these doors lead to the kid's rooms, the linen closet and the gst bath, respectively.

These hanging trough sinks have really become popular. I think Albert pioneered the selection.

So there you have it. So far this year we have built and sold Cottage 24, Cottage 2o, Ranch II, Barn II, Micro III, and now Farm 12. Cottage 25 will be coming in for a soft landing here in Mid-June, and Cottage 28 and Ranch III are under construction and spoken for. Cottage 29 just got started and is unspoken for and Farmhouse 14 is sitting, furnished, looking for a date to the dance. We just put some furniture in and boy does it look great.

Just read in the Times that some owners of an expensive 'green building' in lower Manhattan are suing the developer because the 'green' attributes are dubious at best, with no quantitative proof of lower energy costs or improved air quality. I think this is a great development, because if you are out saying 'this house is green', 'this house will pay for itself', 'this house will improve your health', 'this house will save you money' - then the house better be all those things. If someone buys a $400k home over a $325k home because they believe it has long term financial benefits, then that house better perform.

In terms of all the 'green washing' out there - builders and marketers are trying to gain an edge by claiming their homes are green, I'd say watch out. I see a field day for a good attorney, quantitively proving that a lot of these claims are bullshit, leed certified or not. I think a good young attorney could really make his make suing for 'misleading or outright false advertising'.

Our homes - I don't even bother yelling they are green they are so green. With the fantastic spray foam insualtion, salvaged materials, propane boilers, small footprints and efficient build process- I will put our homes head to head with any modular or stick built 'green builder' - the proof, they say, will certainly be in the pudding.

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