Remember back in January of 2010, when I declared the lakefront real estate market would only have a good year if our inventory built to proper levels? I said we’d … Read more

I’ve written at length about the trouble that I see looming for the upper end lake access associations. The price point of $800k to $1.5MM, as it pertains to off-water … Read more

It’s funny how simple sayings, no matter how incorrect they may be, can dig into our subconscious and become a recognized staple in our written and spoken word. In case … Read more

It’s no secret that Lake Geneva vacation home owners have developed a sincere disdain for price reductions. Just yesterday I was going over some listings with a customer, and as … Read more

Ah, the lazy days of summer. Typically, I’d assign that moniker to the days of August. Days when the heat is no longer a surprise, and high humidity is expected … Read more

People, so I hear, like country clubs. As social and blabber mouthed as I am, I actually do not like country clubs. It’s not that I don’t like them, I … Read more

View Larger Map I can remember the scene very well, but I cannot remember the frequency of the occurrence. This is a true statement for many of my childhood memories, … Read more

When I was in fifth grade, I won a “scholarship” to a camp for “writing” an “essay” about the environment. I think I wrote about salamanders, but I might not … Read more

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

A Sunday rerun about boathouses. You’ve seen them. Perhaps in person, probably in pictures, and certainly at other lakes around the country. Ranging from primitive lakeside storage sheds to utilitarian … 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

There are times, like this week, where I fear my upbeat posts will lead to some market confusion. That’s not to say that I think I can sway the market … Read more

There’s an emotion present in real estate that is very difficult to describe. It’s a feeling that I’d like to think is unique to being a Realtor, but I know … 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

With another Lake Geneva summer already underway, I thought a nice refresher on piers would be nice. Enjoy your Sunday, which is an impossibility if you’re not at Lake Geneva … 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 subscribe to the real estate belief that maintains that smaller associations are, at least generally, better associations. If I was given the choice between owning a vacation home in … 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

The DNC propaganda machine known as Yahoo! News has provided me with a bit of a lift this morning. An article titled “From Hamptons to Tahoe, Summer Home Sales Edge … 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

There are moments that occur on an alarming number of days where I feel like I’ve run out of things to write. I was going to write “say”, but I … 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

For all their idyllic bobbing, buoys get a bad rap. A harbor filled with moored sailboats has captivated many a photographer and more than a few artists, but the little … 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

As a function of my job, I talk to lots and lots of Realtors. Some of the talk is business related, and much of that talk is focused on what … Read more

The Sunday rerun this week is a post I wrote last year about what I see as the death of the real estate business. The article appeared here first and … Read more

I don’t know Neil Ulman. My first introduction to him wasn’t an introduction at all, as I just read an article he wrote in the Wall Street Journal. My first … 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

To the most seasoned lake lover, the municipal boundaries that surround Geneva Lake are of little consequence. To others, the skinny lines that divide Fontana from Linn Township mean much … Read more

A few completely unrelated items prior to the post today… First off, remember when I said I was going on a diet like a month ago? I lied. I meant … Read more

If HGTV’s goal is to destroy the real estate profession, they’re hosting yet another show that will help them easily reach that goal. Selling New York is the newest incarnation … Read more

Horse racing is pompously called the “sport of kings”. Bunk. The Masters claims to be a “tradition unlike any other”. Hogwash. I grew up playing a sport that is truly … Read more

A couple weeks ago, a new lake access listing in Oakwood Estates hit the market. I had a couple of buyers who I thought might be interested in it, and … Read more

For all of the analysis that modern day buyers put into their vacation home search here, you’d think most buyers boast a double major in mathematics and real estate. Most … 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

I bought my first car when I was 15. It was a truck actually, and I was still 6 months shy of my 16th birthday when I became the proud … 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 reviewed the past 30 days of lis pendens for Walworth County, and while there are some new possible foreclosures in the works, the scene looks very much like it … Read more

When George Costanza famously disrobed to pose in his boxers for Kramer’s camera, the image was coined by Jerry as “the timeless art of seduction”. The scene is nothing short … 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

An Early weekend re-post about a beautiful hammock that I rescued from a hammock shelter last summer. I like hammocks. If you really think about it, it’s probably a near … 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

The Olympics have been pretty tough on me. Well, not so much on me, but they’ve been tough on members of my family. You see, my in-laws reside in Canada. … Read more

Lake Geneva certainly has a preponderance of clubs. The Harvard Club. The Loch Vista Club. The Congress Club. Country Club Estates. The 700 Club. We love our clubs up here, … Read more

Saturday night was a bit of a bore for me, until I found Jaws playing on HBO. I remember watching Jaws as a kid, and even then I thought the … Read more

A week from today it will be March. March is a month that I grew up loving, but it’s a month that as an adult I’ve learned to really hate. … 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

I’m seeing a new real estate marketing trend, and the ignorant nature of it is alarming to me. To clarify, there is no such thing as “priced below fair market … 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