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

Cottage 9 Interior painting - Thank you Tito.

Cottage 15 Septic installation - Thank you Pete and Casey.

Porches being built at Farmhouse 10 - Thanks Greg and Dave.

The barn at Albert's house going up quick - Thanks Mike and crew.

And the roof at Cottage 14. Thanks Edwin for this Biscayne Blue beauty.

But mostly, thanks Gavin, Emily, Gayle, Albert, Dean, Jeanne, Deb, Nick and Albert for presently building with us.

Although I guess if I am doing shout-outs, I might as well cover them all from the beginning - thanks phil, karla, Angie, Richard, Stan, Leslie, Andy, michael, dukhui, paul, frank, ellen, nancy, itzak, andrew, robin, sasha, tracy, kevin, julia, katrina, crystal, hugh, jasmine, tammy, cheri, matt, chris, david, mauricio, christine, gavin, emily, pablo, anna, leah, rob, jeanne, deb, charles, suzanne, steve, luba, sarah, dennis, shannah, erik, julia and husband, benoist, monte, todd and tracy.

I'm sure this good intentional gratitude will bite me in the ass cause I forgot someone - but it was a good college try, i think.

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It's hard to say what is true and what is not true in today's economy - whether the urgency is real, or whether it's just a way to lessen the pain of those investors and financiers who made bad bets. For all the talk about lack of credit and lack of liquidity, millions of people are buying houses each month - sure, they have great credit, they have 20% to put down and they have a solid employment history. But there is no shortage of people buying things and living up here in the sticks helps us stay grounded in one fundamental way - we aren't bombarded everywhere we go with competing news programs, newspapers and magazines. It's fear-mongering and when everyone is scared - it sells newspapers. Comparing today's economy to the great depression is pretty irresponsible, because any student of history knows this comparision is malarky, and actually diminishing how rough those times actually were. What's most interesting about the statistics is the media is comparing today's home sales to the early '90's, like when they say 'new home starts are at their lowest level since 1991'. Duh, that was the last time we had a housing correction - so that would make sense. To get some truth, following the deal action and house closings of Catskill Farms is a great way to get some real information and insight into the current housing environment. We closed 11 deals in 2008 as each day brought more disaster news on the mortgage front, and now we have a deal a month to get closed over the next 5 months. I would venture a close examination of the next several months and our ability to successfully finish the houses, and get our clients to closing will be more valuable real life perspective than any of the rags selling newspapers on the backs of the country's confidence. So, when all the heavy and exageratted economic 'statistics' get you down, check on in and see how a common business cycle is not motivating our clients to put their live's on hold indefinitely. Or, as Luther Vandross, McFadden & White and the Spice Girls have crowed - Ain't no stoppin' us now We're on the move (You said it, we've got the groove) Ain't no stoppin' us now We've got the groove (Whoo-hoo-oo-oo Whoo-hoo-oo) Tomorrow the documentary tv/film producer pops in from NYC. Friday, My staff were all discussing our wardrobe for the spot, and of course Lisa has her 2 cents on the apparrel.

Note - these pics are only a week or two older than the last progress photos - It's not that hard to fire on all cylinders occassionally, but day after day, week after week, month after month - in the middle of nowhere - is a real accomplishment. I'm not braggin - this is a true team effort to kick it like we do - a team of engineers, architects, road builders, excavators, framers, roofers, siding guys, porch guys, well drillers, septic guys, trim guys, landscaper guys, flooring guys, painting guys, sheetrock guys, suppliers of lumber, tile, kitchens, etc... It's a hell of the team, and I'm proud to be drill sargeant - it's boot camp, everyday, all day, never ending. Most people just get tired of me and move onto less profitable but more casual environments. Here's the McInnes Cottage, really taking shape with 1x 10 beveled pine siding stained Cordovan Brown. One coat in the factory, one coat in the field. I'm not sure if blogged this before, but we found some cool ass old school big iron strapped hinged doors. Today I was talking to the owner, Gavin, and I said you need a big ass fan for that big ass room and then just for the fun of it I googled 'big ass fans' and there is a company, believe it, named the Big Ass Fan Company. Frontal shot.

Rear shot. Then super beautiful Cottage #9, sitting in the woods, sitting on the dock of the bay, nestled (boy I hate that word) amidst the trees, old stone walls, big trees, and a lake down below. This house had a deal going, then the deal fell apart due to 'acts of god' but then we put humpty dumpty back together again in a few hours. A new deal in a few hours - I mean, this house is nice. 1300 square feet of perfection - maybe i've used that line before, but damn we have good taste, mixed with a lot of house placement experience, mixed with a lot of construction experience.

Here's little Cottage 15 - a sweet house selling to Gayle who said it was a 'no brainer' when she pluncked down a $10k non-refundable deposit and said 'put me on the waiting list' while standing in the middle of a forest with her friend Jamie. This house only started 8 weeks ago and now she's already struggling with the lighting and painting choices.

And Dean, who somehow through charm and savviness unloaded his florida house so he could push up the move in date for Cottage 13. This house is nicccce. Hello living large.

AAAAnd Cottage 14, Jeanne and Deb, with 2 big bedrooms, 2 full baths, a glorious kitchen with cathedral ceiling. A very unique house. but hey, that our thing - keep it real, keep it unique, keep it special. All very counterintuitive in construction where repitition makes perfect (perfectly boring if you ask me).

And Albert's house, that we are crackin on while he is in budapest following the progress of his farm on the hill. Hopefully his mag wheeled black range rover with the circular beatles tunes can make it up the driveway - if not, he can call the local snow plow truck taxi, meaning me, who lives just across the street and down the hill.

I mean, frickin right, this has been a beautiful 8 weeks of weather. Perfect Catskill weather, with night temps at 35 and daytimes at 72, with big blue skies with rebellious cumulus clouds playing raucously in the big forever skies. Pic snapped at around 6pm.

Albert's farm from afar, with big trees shading the courtship spots, the makeout maples, the horny hemlocks and pornographic pines.

And his barn - the green barn with radiant, solar, and thermal- that will be a music studio where pickin will be playin on Saturday nights, with the big woodstove cooking, and the musicians brewing a magical brew of music.

That's all for now. It's just about time for dinner. 2 martinis. 12 hours workday. 2 mile run. Now that's the way I like it.

We have a whole bear family living in the 20 acres behind my house - at first you would only see them once in a while, but now Mom and all 3 teenage cubs are fully in view everytime I go back there. Today they even had the nerve to climb into the back of my 1995 red dumptruck to steal a bag of garbage, in the middle of the day, while people were within shouting distance. I'll try and get some pics.

Here are some pics of the interior of our old farmhouse now that we are settled in.

Dining room table study -

Dining room study #2 - if you look closely you can see the speakers and motion detectors.

Dining Room study #3-

Kitchen. Splash of red lights, painted wood plank ceilings, open shelves, farm sink, plywood countertop.

Original structural wall uncovered, cleaned up and now used as a place for Lisa's old time saw and candle collection.

And Ruby, near Abe, sitting on the dutch door, watching the sun come in, probably bothering Storm in some fashion or another.

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