David Curry

I spent a portion of my weekend at the South Shore Club. Unfortunately, I wasn’t lounging poolside. Nor was I preparing lunch for friends and family at the clubhouse Viking … Read more

I’ve been thoroughly enjoying my elongated fourth of July weekend, and if you’ve been Lake Geneva based for the last three days, there’s a good chance you know exactly what … Read more

In the very small world of very small single lane lake associations surrounding Geneva, the Lake Geneva Club is surely my favorite. On a refreshingly hot Sunday during Memorial Day … Read more

There is little doubt that Lake Geneva is a town that was made for summer. In that same vein, there is little doubt that the fourth of July weekend was … Read more

It brings me immeasurable joy to watch my son Thomas fish. His skill is increasing daily, and unfortunately his appetite for fishing is only surpassed by his appetite for whining … Read more

Everything you need to know about real estate you could learn from my most recent lakefront condo sale. Not really everything, but real estate savant status is reserved for me … Read more

I’ve had a feeling over the last two weeks, or maybe three, that the mid-range of our lake access market has been coming to life. After a very long 2008, … Read more

The series of tubes that Senator Stevens and I like to call the internet is buzzing with reports of another housing slump. Bloggers and think tanks and pundits are engulfed … Read more

I awoke this morning to a rumble of thunder. I do love sleeping on dark, drizzly, rumbling mornings, but alas, I am not retired nor am I the sort that … Read more

In football, it’s best to employ a quarterback with a short memory. The same thing goes for pitchers in baseball. Unless your Ted Lilly and you deliver eight and a … Read more

Aside from one lakefront priced in the mid $2MM’s on the south shore of Geneva, I think the best values available in the Geneva lakefront market exist in the entry … Read more

Uh oh. Some Curry guy was quoted in the Tribune this morning- but that’s not “uh oh” worthy. It seems there’s a bit of a sales problem across the violent … Read more

Just as there are times when I like watching people golf more than I actually like playing golf (particularly true after one of my famous bunker-to-bunker sand shots), the reality … Read more

An article from yesterdays Wall Street Journal caught my attention, and for obvious reasons. The article “Why Relaxing Is Hard Work” shed some light on what is an eternal struggle … Read more

I sat on my parents pier for a while on Sunday, basking in the familiar sounds and scenery of an early summer afternoon. Thomas walked up and down the pier … Read more

Last night I really wished I had been a real Blackhawks fan. It’s not that I wasn’t thrilled to see the team win, it’s just that I’m not a Blackhawks … Read more

I’m hearing some Realtors deliver some classically breathless sales pitches lately. “Buy now before it’s too late!!!” Or this oldie but goodie: “Things are turning around, and you don’t want … Read more

I generally don’t like to write odds-and-ends style posts, but from time to time, they are necessary. As you might have guessed, today represents one such time. There’s a lot … Read more

I have been wrong before. I was wrong when I waited until the fall of 2006 to list my last home in Geneva National, as the market slipped through the … Read more

As I compile and organize a plethora of published articles under the category of “Stories and Ideas Dave Curry Reported First”, I now have another article to stash away in … Read more

But Dave, Memorial Day Weekend doesn’t start until Friday after work! Oh, how wrong you are. For those committed to maximizing their Lake Geneva vacation time, Memorial Day weekend starts … Read more

My son Thomas is suffering from an unfortunate episode of poison ivy poisoning. Seems strange and perhaps incorrect to write it that way, but he’s not suffering from the poison … Read more

I’m growing quite bored with the Lake Geneva foreclosure market. It’s becoming increasingly predictable and I find myself unenthusiastic as a result. The foreclosure trouble that continues to plague the … Read more

Today, for the first time this year, I had that feeling. I walked into Walmart to buy some poison ivy cream for my afflicted son, and had a very familiar, … Read more

At 9:49 am, August 30th, 2007, I sent the first email. For the next 32 months, I’d encourage visits to the lake, update them on the status of inventory and … Read more

I was ironing my shirt this morning, when a couple different things dawned on me in rapid succession. The first thing I noticed is that I really only wear white, … Read more

As an individual affected by real estate ADHD, I have a great appreciation for all different types of homes, and that appreciation is growing and becoming more widespread each year. … Read more

I made Paella yesterday. I made it for my mother, seeing as how it was her day, and all. I’ve made Paella before, many times actually, and though each time … Read more

The long time bread and butter portion of the Lake Geneva real estate market is suffering. The entry level lake access market, defined for the sake of this article as … Read more

After I fawned all over buoys earlier this week, I figured I’d show some respect for the boat slip. I do, at times, spell boat slip as boatslip, and there … Read more

I have a proclivity towards jealousy when I read about other resort towns hosting festivals. Not festivals that involve small transportable tea cup rides or miniature Ferris wheels, rather the … Read more

Just like the broader vacation home market at Lake Geneva, the lakefront market statistics are not in line with the lakefront market activity. Yet. The lakefront market as of this … Read more

The lakefront condo market on Geneva isn’t the most robust individual market in our broader vacation home market. That’s the way someone who likes to write words tells someone else … Read more

Among my many variations of undiagnosed ADD is a rare hybrid form of real estate ADD. This form of real estate ADD is, unfortunately, not contagious. If it were, I … Read more

No superfluous prose today, for a number of reasons, but most importantly because the boy with cancer who I wrote about several weeks ago died last night. It just puts … Read more

Every year, around January, I think it would be a good idea for my business to handle some rentals. January normally provides a Lake Geneva Realtor with plenty of time … Read more

Dear March, I’m sorry. There, I said it. I’m not really sure why I felt that I had to lash out at you like I did, but no matter what … Read more

I figured I’d follow up yesterdays inventory update with the sales update for the first quarter. While volume at Lake Geneva is historically low during the first quarter of the … Read more

I’ve been saying all throughout the first quarter of this year that the health of our market, at least in terms of volume, would be largely dependent upon the inventory … Read more

Among a dwindling throng of reasonable Realtors who take the opinion that the market, while in moderate health, is bumping along a bottom trough, I am the self appointed Captain. … Read more

The way I see it, we might be in for a very schizophrenic market this year. I’m seeing more and more signs that the vacation home market is picking up … Read more

I normally like to post market updates on Monday mornings. I also normally like to drink coffee with cream and sugar on Monday mornings. Most mornings really. The problem isn’t … Read more

(Weekend rerun from last spring) Lake Michigan is at it again. Lashing out with its typical destructive force against the very people who for some reason choose to live on … Read more

My parents lake house is a fairly typical lake house. A soft grassy lawn spans the 60 or so feet that separate my parents porch steps from the lakeside steps. … Read more

We’re at the tail end of the very typical seasonal lakefront lull, when hibernating buyers find their way back to the lake to look at the most fabulous lakefront property … Read more

I woke up this morning, and embraced the fog. I dare you to find anyone who relishes spring fog as much as I do. Maybe except for Old Greg. He … Read more

I was showing a property in Fontana to a client on Sunday, when the conversation turned to the South Shore Club. As I sit this morning, searching the vast expanses … Read more

Anyone driving a boat or car through Williams Bay has certainly noticed our two brick behemoths. Built in the 1970’s, the two condominiums on the west bank of Williams Bay, … Read more

Rumor has it that the Oak trees that surround Geneva Lake kept Mayor Daley and his family from vacationing at Lake Geneva. I’ve rarely heard of someone being allergic to … Read more

If you were just about to call me to buy a very expensive home in Abbey Springs, well, then, crud. I have some harsh words for Abbey Springs, and writing … Read more

Sunday lazy post time featuring a post from last year on the annoying wind of Michigan. Good for kite flyers. Bad for water lovers. Although wind might not be all … Read more

My writing continues to have a marginal impact on those who read it, but in terms of the ability of my words to influence my own behavior, I’m a ravishing … Read more

The infrequent, though steady drip of Lake Geneva foreclosure activity continues. It’s been a while since my last foreclosure review, but I had a few moments yesterday to review the … Read more

Sometime during the deflation of the housing market in 2008, I had a very disturbing epiphany. Most epiphanies are pleasant ones. When I had a sudden realization last night that … Read more

The symptoms I’m experiencing are quite troubling. They don’t yet interfere with my day to day activities, but they are increasingly interrupting my productivity and disturbing what would otherwise be … Read more

Now that Drew Brees and Tracy Porter have restored some Big Ten pride to the NFL world, we can get down to the business of another spring buying season at … Read more

I posted this picture in a post last year, and I couldn’t shake it. I stared at it for a few minutes, and have thought about it often throughout the … Read more

I’d like to think that one of the things that sets this blog apart from other real estate blogs is the fact that I purposefully try to steer clear of … Read more

If you’ve spoken to me in the last six weeks, or read this blog, you know that I believe much of the first quarter activity here will hinge on the … Read more

Call me a sap, but one of my favorite scenes in Christmas Vacation is the scene where Clark finds himself trapped in the freezing attic and decides to while away … Read more

It was there, at the end of the Oakwood Estates pier one May afternoon, when I received the greatest bit of fishing advice ever willingly bestowed upon any individual since … Read more

Lake lovers, relaxation seekers, fellow citizens, and honored Google directed guests: There have been times throughout the years, where I’ve sat here and regaled you with Lake Geneva tales. I’ve … Read more

When you really stop and think about it, “Stone Manor” is a pretty boring name. Ugly even. Youngland Manor was the name bestowed upon this monstrous manse by its original … Read more

It was the fall of 1999, and I had just finished showing a lakefront condo at Fontana Shores. My customer’s that day were a nice couple from St. Charles, and … Read more

It would be hard to find an opponent to loan modifications who is both as staunch and vocal in their opposition as I am. I’ve written at nauseating length about … Read more

My last contest that involved water was a bit infuriating. Not to me, mind you, but to those of you who were so bold as to wager a guess or … Read more

Now that my 2009 year in review posts have officially ended, it’s back to a steady mix of Lake Geneva topics, market updates, and political commentary (I’ll keep it relevant, … Read more

If one development stood alone as the most unique in our Lake Geneva vacation home market, it would be the South Shore Club. When the South Shore Club rose from … Read more

While 2008 originally picked the fight, it was 2009 who brought the foreclosure battle to the shores of Geneva Lake. Prior to 2009, foreclosures and the Lake Geneva vacation water … Read more

Perhaps the boss sang it best when he crooned “…screen door slams, Mary’s dress sways. Like a vision she dances across the porch as the radio plays”. That simple lyric, … Read more

I wish I could get Keith Jackson to proclaim Geneva Lake the “grandaddy of them all”. If he’d do that for me, then it would be obvious that if the … Read more

In what should be viewed as a good sign for buyers, the Lake Geneva vacation home market is experiencing a steady, if insignificant, flow of foreclosure filings. While much of … Read more

It appears as though the Geneva lakefront market has closed its final transaction of 2009. Last Friday, a lakefront home in Trinke’s Estates closed at $1.7MM. If we dig a … Read more

Lakefront homes on Geneva come in all shapes, sizes, and more obviously, price points. By now, you know that I’d give a kidney, several toes, a couple fingers, and at … Read more

The Holidays are great, no matter where you spend them. I say that as a sheltered midwestern kid, who has only spent the Holiday season either in Lake Geneva or … Read more

I have a painful history with this little lake access association positioned due East of the Fontana lakefront. I must have been about 16, and had just finished mowing a … Read more

Man, do we have a lot of Abbey’s around here. The Abbey Hotel. The Abbey Villas that border the hotel. Abbey Ridge that borders the Abbey Villas. Abbey Springs. And … Read more

I don’t drive through Geneva National as much as I used to. That’s obvious I guess, since I lived in the development for four years before moving out 15 months … Read more

While much of the market appears stuck in slow motion, Abbey Springs continues to defy the broader market on its way to a very solid 2009. While the Lake Geneva … Read more

No, there isn’t a big water slide at the South Shore Club, although now that I think about it, that may be a terrific idea. Given the state of the … Read more

It’s been a couple weeks since I wrote a foreclosure update, so if you’ve been frantically waiting for one, pacing up and down your hallway on sleepless nights, I apologize. … Read more

A buyer called yesterday. Actually, it’s hard to know if he was a buyer, but he talked like a buyer and asked questions like a buyer, so I talked like … Read more

Add an “s” and it becomes a painful blistering skin rash. Leave the “s” out of it, and you’re left with the most enduring symbol of cottage and lake living … Read more

I trust you enjoyed your weekend. Sorry for not jumping on the Halloween bandwagon and posting like twenty themed messages last week. The truth is, Halloween is a tedious “holiday” … Read more

I wanted to write about something else today, but the news of the morning dictates that I steer a different direction. I was driving down North Walworth Road, taking Thomas … Read more

(Sunday regurtitation time… a piece I wrote originally in February) I’m a lake guy. If I can’t be on The Lake (The Lake is Geneva of course), I want to … Read more

There’s something every coffee commercial has in common. Know what it is? You’re right. There are myriad things that coffee commercials have in common, but there’s one thing in particular … Read more

Or is it love the one you win? Either way, so many attitudes about love and relationships can be easily assigned to our relationships with houses. If you set out … Read more

The lakefront market is making steady gains of late, but barring an unexpectedly strong finish to the year, the lakefront market will fall short of the 2008 pace. So far … Read more

I really like Fontana. Like, like like Fontana. While other towns struggle with self worth issues, and spend their days staring into the mirror wondering where it all went wrong … Read more

After setting the world on fire throughout the first nine months of 2009, Abbey Springs appears to have settled down a bit. As of today, there are 26 active properties … Read more

A quick note- for those of you who have so tenderly reminded me that I was supposed to have walked around the lake last week, I assure you I have … Read more

There’s little doubt that the desire to obtain thorough relaxation is a driving motivator for those who purchase vacation homes in Lake Geneva. Heck, it’s a driving motivator for anyone … Read more

It’s like ground hog day, but the only thing I share in common with Bill Murray is an unfortunate love of the Cubs, and I too would have hated to … Read more

Activity is on the rise for lakefront real estate on Geneva Lake. There are numerous buyers active in the market right now, even as you sit on the sidelines, content … Read more

Unless you’re a real Lake Geneva lover, or a frequent traveler of South Lakeshore Drive in Fontana, you might not know much about the Harvard Club. I’m in my 14th … Read more

Welcome to September. For those of you without summer homes, the upcoming Labor Day Weekend will mark the unofficial end to the summer of 2009. Might I add that it … Read more

I’ve taken it one step further this week, and instead of only reviewing the foreclosure postings scheduled for sheriff’s sale, I took the time to review the lis pendens as … Read more