On a January day in 2018, a pleasant house on the north shore of Fontana hit the market for $4,695,000. It wasn’t a house that was nec…
Lake Geneva Lakefront Condo 2019 Market Review
In contrast to my accurate prediction for Geneva National last year, I admit to you this morning that I was dead wrong about my prediction f…
Geneva National 2019 Market Review
Geneva National is back, and it really is better than ever. Sure, there are still homeowners residing inside these brick and cedar behemoths…
The Business of Real Estate
I don’t pretend to be a particularly savvy investor. I have friends that are. I am not. I just don’t have the knack for it, and …
Welcome, 2020
I read an article last week about how to write out checks in the new year. If you write 1/6/20 on your check, the article supposed that a th…
Merry Christmas
And Happy Hanukah, for those celebrating. In fact, we’re all celebrating something. It’s one of the very few things everyone can…
Lake Geneva Real Estate Office
There have been many moments over the past 23 years that I’ve wanted to move my real estate office from Williams Bay to Lake Geneva. I…
614 Sauk Trail
Sometimes, things just don’t work out the way I’d prefer. Such is the case of 614 Sauk Trail in Fontana. I first listed this ho…
W4484 Basswood Drive
If there is one lane that has proven it is the preferred Lake Geneva lane, it’s Basswood. You wouldn’t be wrong if you suggeste…
Happy Thanksgiving
As I spy the cut spruce trees stacked for sale outside this coffee shop, I ponder what they are, exactly. Holiday Trees, the sign says. I wo…
Lake Geneva Farms
My wife and children were to be out of town for a few days, and my job was simple. In the morning, let the chickens out and be sure they had…
Lake Geneva Videos
It’s gray again. The snow has melted, so we have that going for us, but the white has been replaced with the grays and browns of Novem…
High End
What is it that makes a house appear high end? Is it the color palette? If we gray out a house in the most modern style, will that make it h…
Pier Guys
This morning things seem ideal. I woke up, which is a nice start to any day. My house was warm, my children healthy, and when I sat on the …
Market Oddities
Once in a while, I look at something other than the Lake Geneva lakefront and lake access market. I look at the market on Other Lakes, Wisco…
Clear Sky Lodge
It’s a shame I haven’t yet sold this beautiful home. Where else can you find a private tennis court, private (heated) swimming …
Lake Geneva Water
I see the world in black and white. I see it in wrong and right. I see the people who dwell in the gray and I wonder why. Packers fans see B…
November
If I were the sort of person who was forced to spend sixth months in a more tax advantageous state, it would be a struggle for me. In order …
Lake Geneva Market Update
This morning there are just 15 lakefront homes for sale on The Lake. It’s the last week of October and our colors have peaked. The bo…
Basswood Sells
I just wrote a brilliant review of the sale at W4396 Basswood. It was amazing, if I do say so myself. Succinct, powerful, articulate. And th…
Elevated
I spent last week in the south of France. It was a nice week, although it could be successfully argued that sitting at this desk watching th…
250 Circle Parkway Sells
Last year, about this time, I sold the home at 254 Circle Parkway in Williams Bay, up on the tip of Cedar Point. The home was lovely, with n…
Out Of Towners
I blame the television for this one. I also blame the internet, but it should be argued that the bulk of this blame lies with the televisio…
Jonathan’s Fish Fry Review
In January of 2018 I started my Fish Fry Review series. It was a nice little series, full of fish and potatoes and repulsive slices of rye b…
Lake Geneva Price Per Foot
There’s a problem with our market. A long standing problem, one that has been established by people who thought, at the time, that the…
Fall Sales
I didn’t have a great summer. My superjet sat on the lift, used only by my son and perhaps twice by me. The family had a new boat thi…
Sunday
There are days in our life that matter more than the other days. The days that matter do so for various reasons. Some of those days are mom…
Lakefront Condo For Sale
This is getting out of hand. This condo at Bay Colony was completely, entirely, and remarkably renovated by Lowell Management at a cost that…
Indian Hills Sale
Sometimes, timing is everything. Except in real estate, because then it isn’t so much sometimes as all of the time. You could list you…
Geneva National Market Update
To understand Geneva National you must first understand the fundamental issue with Geneva National. Notice I didn’t call it a problem.…
Market Top
There you have it, someone said it. Someone in the real estate industry dared say it. More than likely, this will be it for me. This will b…
Lake Geneva Lakefront Market Update
Certain times, there’s nothing more to say. Like when you’ve eaten a most delicious dinner. You can say it was a delicious dinn…
Battle Royale
There’s a battle inside each of us. Every day. Each season of our lives, a battle. Sometimes, the battle is easy to understand. Easy t…
Cancel The Boat Parade
There are things here that we do exceptionally well. Things we do better than anyone, at any place, during any point in history. An evening …
The Test
It is true that not everyone is cut out for this thing. As a point of fact, this is the case for nearly every thing. For instance, I am not…
Lake Geneva Home Search
You’re not really in the market for a home if you haven’t looked for said home on Zillow. You may have also used Redfin, Realtor.com, and ot…
This Day
This day is too nice to type at this computer. I sat down to type, and I wondered what I was thinking. Who could type on a day like this? I …
250 Circle Parkway
I’m in the process of designing a new office for my business. The current location, an office that I’m quite proud of, has grow…
Frogs
In the middle of a Wisconsin summer, there are things that happen that you might not know about. I didn’t know about them, when I spen…
Lake Geneva Lakefront Market Update
I was sitting on a pier last night, just after a lakeside dinner, watching the remnants of a cloudy evening sunset. Kids jigged for bass und…
Grassway Organics Pizza Review
There are lots of pizza places in this area. There are many more places that also serve pizza. The pizza places have checkered tablecloths …
Chicago
One of the reasons I’m bad at this business is that I tend to give people too much credit. I can’t market gimmicks. I’m in…
Lake Geneva Price Reductions
Now that was a weekend. Sure, we were forced to sweat through the first few days to get to the last few days, but what sort of people are we…
Lake Geneva Fireworks 2019
During this time of considerable political tumult, there is just one thing that binds Americans together. Liberals and conservatives disag…
Just A Kid
It’s raining again, and this time it’s getting to me. The sun shines, but then it doesn’t. Here, then gone. Like a rising…
Upper Crust Pizza Review
I’m still not sure there is a “Pell Lake”. I’ve heard of it. I’ve seen signs for it. I’ve read rumors of…
Lake Geneva Lakefront Market Review
It still pains me to write all of this on this open format. The thought of new agents reading this and adopting my way of thinking is bothe…
Lake Geneva Lakefront Inventory
Sometimes, I like to dance around a topic. Actually, all of the time. Except today, because I’m in a hurry and there’s no time.…
Ugly Houses
My cousin recently had a baby. I saw this baby at a different cousin’s wedding over the weekend and my suspicions were confirmed. It&#…
Weather Malaise
Well, I have it. The malaise. But this case is so severe it should be capitalized, like Malaise. I should add something more to it. Like T…