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

James and I just got back from the 2012 International Builders Show, hosted in Orlando this year. Last time we went it was in Vegas in 2009. Thats James below (on the left).

And at the Marriott, getting ready to go to the gym and pool.

We were right across the street from SeaWorld.

and a highlight of the show was this spray foam sculpture.

A lot of construction for mid-winter. We have Ranch VI, which is inspired by Ranch V, but with a build-out, walk-out basement.

Good space for sure.

The Big Barn continues apace with the siding being completed, the interior floor going in, the window trim finished up and indoor lap pool being installed tomorrow.

Porches, decks and patios define part of this home's lifestyle.

And Barn V, just entering the insulation phase of things. After that the sheetrock and the wall coverings and then before you know it, we will be painting.

And Farm 18, pretty much rounding that last bend to completion.

...with the interior walls and ceilings covered.

...and board and batten wainscotting.

...the bathroom waiting the tile guy.

...fireplace, bookshelves and lots of space.

And our newest spec house for sale - Cottage 39. Just an idea less than a month ago.

Cottage 38 in Stone Ridge has just passed it's 'rough-in inspection' and is now ready to insulate.

Not to be gross, but most of our current customers are happier than pigs in shit. And why shouldn't they be - I mean, we are really delivering a product and process that is unparalleled in quality, taste and timeliness. And then a good play I'm reserved to see in early April.

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We get a lot of customers from the 5 boros, but are still perfecting our outreach to the Westchester NY and Bergen County NJ areas. It's amazing how much exposure Catskill Farms brings to Sullivan County - With our $200k+ marketing budgets, tech savvy approach and powerhouse press agents, we probably rival the County's own tourism program in effectiveness in drawing people to the area. Bergen Record Does Catskill Farms FYI - Catskill Farms is going primetime on a TV in late Spring.

It may be warm, and the snow might have melted, and the frost might be coming out of the ground and what that means to us country (or 'rural' as someone called us the other day) folk is mud. Pretty serious mud actually. Muck boot mud, if you will. In a telling reflection on my friends, family and co-workers, no one mentioned that I had mislabeled my last post, mis-identifying the Cottage.

The real Cottage 39 is being constructed as we speak. The framing just finished, we wrapped the house in, believe this, house wrap, and are installing the fascia so the roofers can do their thing tomorrow with a shingle color named Biscayne Blue. With the cedar shakes, it should a have a 'wow' effect, certainly. In the country, we just start fires at will. this was a pretty big one. The 2 bedroom cottage comes with 1340 sq ft, 1.5 baths on 5+ acres in Eldred NY comes with this Man Shed. It also comes with a full walkout basement that we will finish off, adding another 600 sq ft and a bathroom. Lots of porch as well. The framers built this house in 5 days. 5 f*&(king days. That's good, even by my rigid standards and high expectations.

The interior is wide open...

and the second floor ceiling's are lofty and high at around 9.5 feet.

There's Kevin the architect checking out his handy work...

and Henning the carpenter (and chef) high up on his ladder, with both hands occupied, helpless from this photo.

And there's Job. Not to sell the kid down the river, but he did go to the wrong job this morning and left everyone waiting and wondering on him.

Then up to the big barn with lots of tree clearing and, yes, another fire.

And the barn from the rear...

It's a Tuesday, and I think we've done a week's work already.

lyrics from a song I like currently, 2nd verse - "For once I didn't say anything stupid-- my lover never once looked bored. And soldiers come in smeared with lipstick, like the last day of war. The band divided up the money, but the drummer could not stay. He said he's gonna meet us later, at The Dream Cafe." Got some great unexpected gifts over the weekend - happy early birthday and belated Christmas to me! Here's a handmade, hand-painted teapot fashioned into a typewriter. From England no less. From the clients of the Big Barn. Who's fancy now!?

And then a very nice A. Lincoln portrait from his pre-presidency congressional days. It's now the centerpiece of my Saugerties apartment (which didn't have any heat last night - Lucas and I cuddled up under the blankets with the temps in the mid-40's - don't tell protective services pwease.)

Picture of my office, and the Eames chair, the aeron chair, the River Gallery cow painting, the road bike, polished concrete floors, CB2 red rack, barn light electric barn fan, and shelves of typewriters. The only question with the new teapot typewriter is should it go on the typewriter shelf, or in my kitchen.

Lots of business conducted in this office for sure.

We got a lot of construction going on - helped by the warm weather, hurt by the mud - typically it would be frozen solid by now. Pete Kestler and his drilling rig. Think Paul Bunyan and his ox. Been drilling wells for decades - a hard job, not for the feint of heart, or weak. He also builds his own airplanes and flies them. he's drilled 100 wells for us at least. That's typical of our team - a lot of houses done together, which is why we can start building in faraway places - everyone knows what to do, and how to do it, so our management can be of the 'light touch' variety, not the minute to minute micro-management necessary of yesteryear.

Cottage 39 going up outside of Barryville NY. It's unspoken for and should be preeettttty sweeetttt.

Here's Barn VI with siding up and the metal roof. It's a very well-designed home. it's under contract.

and Ranch VI coming along nicely on Lake Ridge Road. It's under contract as well.

And the Big Barn coming along - with the white plank super high ceilings.

A weekend trip to the Intrepid...

with Lucas and his First Mate...

I had them convinced that the photo below was of the spy plane above, but spy planes don't show up on cameras...

Lucas is taking swimming lessons now at the local resort/spa, Woodloch Pines.

and at the Saugerties apartment, kick ass upstairs bathroom...

since we on a busy quasi-urban street, he likes to wake up early and look out the window at the school buses and other assorted trucks that go by 2 stories down...

and this picture doesn't have anything to do with anything, but I bought it anyways.

Just downloaded a Bob Dylan cover album from a lot of well-known singers - 78 songs, pretty radical interpretations with 1/2 of the proceeds going to Amnesty International no less! Don't think I will be listening to it too often. I hate when I do that - like when my first itunes download exercise was downloading every Prince tune known to man and then never listening to most again...