January 05, 2010

Making "Cents" of Prices for Lakefront Homes in Walworth County

Posted to Geneva Lake Area , Janis Hartley

As a realtor, I sometimes feel like the proverbial parent saying, “Are you listening?” With an extremely challenging real estate market in 2009, and subtle movement in the last quarter of the year, it’s clear to me that the sellers who take my advice will have a highly likelihood of having “Sold” signs on their front lawns come late spring. Take the case of two lakefront sellers to whom I recently spoke. One couple has a lovely, solidly built and beautifully finished lakefront on Booth Lake in Walworth County. The other is a much larger lakefront on Lake Beulah. Both are determined sellers; neither “has to sell.” Here’s the difference: the sellers on Booth Lake took my advice and staged their home, appreciably raising the wow factor and increasing their “sales opportunities”. They were disappointed in my price suggestion, but are determined to sell this year. Thus, when their home hits the market it will be hard to resist both in terms of price and presentation. The Lake Beulah sellers spent quite a bit of time telling me how “special” their house is and how it outshines the competition. Their price expectations are unreasonable; in addition, as lovely as their property is, there is still much room for improvement and staging would help tremendously. If I were to bet money on which home would sell before summer (and as a listing agent I am definitely betting my marketing dollars on exactly this) it would be the Booth Lake house. In this market you have to win the price war and the beauty contest and that’s exactly what these owners have committed to doing. So sellers, if you “don’t have to sell” but are committed to selling give me a call. Together we’ll examine the market and prepare your property for this year’s Beauty Pageant! And for those buyers out there, don’t settle for the runner-up. In this market you have every right to expect a property to be priced competitively and to outshine the competition in terms of presentation. For more seller and buyer tips, visit my website!

Posted by:Janis Hartley



January 04, 2010

Flipping for Flapjacks in Walworth County

Posted to Janis Hartley

Okay. I admit it. I don’t like pancakes, but the rest of my family more than makes up for my disinclination. Since pancakes are the order du jour at breakfast time whether we’re eating out or in, I thought I’d share some of our favorite flapjack haunts in and around Walworth County. First prize goes to Daddy Maxwell’s in Williams Bay. Their French batter pancakes with strawberries and mounds of whipped cream are incredibly rich and decadent. Last week I mentioned the pumpkin pancakes whipped up by Egg Harbor Café in Lake Geneva, but for those of you who love blueberry pancakes, Egg Harbor serves up a terrific plateful. The best part is the little, personal jar of hot blueberry compote that’s served on the side. Perfect. Fiddlesticks, located in a small strip mall across the road from Evergreen Golf Course off Hwy 67 in Elkhorn, is another outstanding place for a steaming plate of flapjacks and, nobody does pancakes like Millie’s in Delavan. The absolute best pancakes served anywhere in the county are probably those served at the Knights of Columbus and Lions Pancake breakfasts served at church halls and schools throughout the area. Hot, cheap and plentiful, these pancakes remind me of being a kid again. So keep your eyes peeled for the road signs advertising these venues. Pass the syrup, please…and let me know which restaurants serve your favorite stack. After all, the next best thing to eating at your favorite restaurant…is discovering a new favorite!

Posted by:Janis Hartley