General

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

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

My father does not know how to fish. He pretended to be interested one time during a family vacation in Minnesota, and promptly cast the lure, line, and pole into … Read more

2009 was a forgettable year for the Geneva lakefront condo market. In 2006, we had 10 lakefront condominium sales. In 2009, only 4 lakefront units changed hands. The volume decline … Read more

I was planning on getting out this week and asking some nice ice boater for permission to mount my camera to his ice boat. I was planning on showing you … Read more

Geneva National was neglected in 2009, and it’s unfortunate. The story behind the short life of this massive development just north of Geneva Lake, and west of Lake Geneva (some … Read more

In a year full of market turmoil, foreclosures, and dwindling hopes of a volume recovery, anyone who stumbled upon Abbey Springs was in for a rude awakening. After suffering a … 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

I have a special place in my large heart for the entry level lake access market at Lake Geneva. I define this market as every single family home with private … Read more

…we’ll see increased volume from 2008, and I think pricing will stabilize in all segments of this market. Foreclosures will rise in a few select developments, but foreclosures as a … Read more

(Sunday regurgitation time…) You’re stressed out. Don’t lie about it, don’t ignore it, just embrace it. We’re all stressed out. Heck, I’m so stressed out that I wake up and … Read more

And so it ends. 2009, you were a bit odd. You gave us some serious scares, and yet, you didn’t seem that bad. Maybe it was all that depression talk … 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

I was bombarded with averages on Sunday. First the Tribune. Then the January Realtor magazine. A new year must make us itch for numbers to compare and contrast, and these … Read more

Merry Christmas. No verbose commentary today (or tomorrow for that matter), just a sincere Merry Christmas to everyone. Try to remember the real reason for the season.

Gingerbread houses, like vacation home locations, are not created equal. What Michigan is to an 8″ tall gingerbread-in-a-box-kit, surely Lake Geneva is to my 2009 ginger and molasses creation. First, … 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

First off, a sincere thank you to all you who took the time to wager a guess or five on the water contest from yesterday. I have to admit, for … Read more

As Abbey Springs nears the 2009 finish line, there is little doubt that this great community on the south shore of Geneva Lake has bucked the trend of the overall … Read more

Madison sells hillside mansions in Malibu. Chad sells $5MM penthouse units at the W. Josh sells his grandmothers dead friend’s Beverly Hills estates. David sells simplistic cottages in need of … Read more

I had read an article in the Wall Street Journal last week, and it troubled me. I figured it was something that I’d have to write about this week, but … Read more

(I just tested my fragile back by making an igloo in the front yard. With my kids, of course, because if I was making an igloo in the front yard … 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

Lake Geneva has been in the news lately, and it’s not because people just recently figured out that crystal clear water is soothing to look at and fun to swim … Read more

Cedar Point Park may very well be one of the most well known lake access associations on all of Geneva Lake. Why that is, I’m not really sure. It may … 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

The lakefront condo market on Geneva must feel like 2009 is never going to end. It’s been a horrible year for the lakefront condo, and much of the malaise has … 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

When Keanu Reeves famously jumped an imaginary train to Williams Bay in the disastrous film Chain Reaction, Williams Bay was this close to becoming an international film star. When the … 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

Glenwood Springs is kind of a big deal. It was a favorite spot of the Potawatomi Indians more than likely because of the springs that the area is named after, … 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

Well, well, well. Well. It looks like the old lakefront market at Lake Geneva isn’t quite finished for the year yet. This is going to be difficult for me 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

Still not much happening with the lakefront condo market on Geneva. When searching the MLS, you’ll find 14 active condos on the lakefront right now, not including any harbor front … 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

You’re never going to believe this. In a major departure from my themed writing, I wanted to let you know that this weekend is going to be a perfect weekend … Read more

I really don’t like talking about my own listings on this blog. I think it looks cheap, and I think such listing promotion is really what’s wrong with our business. … Read more

I’ve said before that the lake access market is the meat and potato portion of our greater Lake Geneva real estate market, but you certainly wouldn’t know it given the … Read more

I’ve got a few ideas for your weekend. Richard Driehaus might want you to come to the Lake Geneva lakefront and look at old circus wagons. I get that it … 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

I’ve written often this year about the sad state of the lakefront condo market on Geneva. It’s been a tough year for sure, but things appear to be looking up … Read more

While I review the entire lake access market often, it’s important to take a look at individual associations to determine their desirability or lack thereof in the marketplace. Country Club … 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

While I love to break down the individual segments of our market, and deliver that information direct to this blog for your reading pleasure, sometimes a broader approach is necessary. … Read more

There’s another vacation market in Lake Geneva where tiny white cottages on narrow lots are far out of sight. Where the whiny sounds of waverunners and throaty Streblows are replaced … Read more

Attention my foreclosure loving friends. Hundreds of you have arrived at my site via google searches involving the phrase “abbey springs foreclosures”, and now I finally have some good news … Read more