January 30, 2009

The COVE – A Condotel in Lake Geneva

Posted to Geneva Lake Area

“Condotel”: A condotel is a hybrid of a condominium & a hotel suite. The units are individually owned & sold, yet operated as a commercial hotel, with in-house management, reservation desks, daily maid service & common amenities. If the owner chooses to rent their suite (many require participation in a rental program) a rental agent will receive a percentage of the income.

Located across from Geneva Lake in Downtown Lake Geneva, THE COVE has it all. Offering 4 seasons of enjoyment with indoor & outdoor pools & hot tubs, tennis courts, game room, exercise facilities & direct, indoor access to Houlihan’s Restaurant. The all-suite accommodations are fully furnished down to kitchen utensils and wireless internet. Walk to the Lake whether it’s to swim or snowmobile. There’s always something fun for the family, October Fest, Snow Sculpting (coming soon), Art Fairs and more.

For more details visit: The Cove of Lake Geneva

Take a Virtual Tour of an Anchor Suite or Belle Suite

If you would like to view a Belle Suite for sale, give me a call at 262-949-6910 or send an email to Mhammett@KeefeRealEstate.com.

Posted By: Marcy Hammett



January 26, 2009

What can I purchase for 200-250K around Lake Geneva?

Posted to Geneva Lake Area

That is a common question when Buyer’s start to look in the Lake Geneva area and there are three opportunities to consider. Let’s start with a condo in Abbey Springs for $200,000. This cute condo is what is called a Weekender unit. First floor entrance off a charming path to your private front door. Open that door and your view expands through the great room onto the green space of the 8th tee. Great room, full kitchen, 1 bedroom and bath along with southern exposure, patio onto green space and all the amenities that this resort community can offer. Lake access, lake front beach and park area along with an extensive renovation of the Recreation Center and Abbey Springs Restaurant and other common areas make this condo an investment!

Moving out of Abbey Springs and into another Association is 809 Odsila in Indian Hills Association of Fontana. Indian Hills gives you access to the great Fontana Beach and the ability to head down to the Lake and access the Lake path or walk home from Gordy’s or Chucks! This 4 bedroom, 2 bath, A frame has a large wrap-around deck that overlooks a wooded back yard. Nice privacy for grilling and sunbathing. This home also has a fully finished lower level with a walk-out brick paver patio. Hut tub and grill included. Lots of easy living for $239,000!

If we move around the Lake and head towards Lake Como Beach Association there is a third option at 3315 Queen Road, Lake Geneva. Great home on a corner lot tucked in by a white picket fence. Four bedrooms, two baths, living room with vaulted ceiling, lower level family room with attached garage. New appliances along with new kitchen counters. Freshly painted throughout. Immaculate. The private backyard has a large patio, terraced landscaping and the sliding glass doors off your kitchen bring nature right into your home. Move in ready and low maintenance exterior. Well priced at $219,900 with lake rights to Lake Como and the beach front.

Three prices, three different communities and three wonderful ways to be at the Lake. If these homes don’t meet your match then make a visit to www.MargaretCanfield.com and conduct your own search through my MLS link. There is something for you!

Posted By: Margaret Canfield



January 16, 2009

Buying a Home in Lake Geneva...or Anywhere

Posted to Geneva Lake Area

It's been said that this is the year you'll wish you had purchased real estate.  With mortgage rates at levels unseen in decades, increasing inventory, and a weak stock market, real estate appears to be an easy choice.  Whether it's a primary or secondary home that's in the stars for you in 2009, the same advice applies:  be prepared…and be prepared to make an offer.  While the Geneva Lake area is not experiencing the same level of foreclosures and short sales other communities and states are seeing, there are still excellent values.  For Sellers this means you must be at the top of your game.  Luck truly means preparation meeting opportunity!  For Buyers, nothing can compare to doing your homework, choosing the right realtor, and making a reasonable offer when you find the right property.  Here are some guidelines for Buyers that will help make your home-buying process efficient and successful:

  1. Location. Location. Location.  It's crucial. If you are looking for a primary home, consider what is important to you and do your research. Schools?  Shopping? Proximity to the lake, shopping, transportation, major highways?  You can change many features of a house, but you cannot change the location.  Compromising the location of your home could be a mistake in the long run.


  2. Make a list of your priorities and review it until you are sure it reflects your needs and wants.  Differentiate between needs and wants.  You want a boat slip…do you really need it?  Now? Could you rent one? You need three bedrooms…would two do?  Would four be too many?
    3. Your mother always told you, “Do your homework.”  It was important then and it's important now. As a buyer you have access to incredible amounts of information on the internet.  Do your preliminary “home viewing” on a website such as mine, www.SellingLakeGeneva.com, or www.relohomesearch.com or www.realtor.com.  Visit the sites of local school districts for information about schools (for example, www.lakegenevaschools.com) and look for local trends in real estate sales during the past 12 months.  Information=education=results.

  3. Need a mortgage? Get pre approved with a local lender. In the current market it's more important than ever to work locally.  If you need recommendations email me at jhartley@keeferealestate.com – I'll send you a list of my top 5 favorites.


  4. Use a “Home Features Checklist”.  Don't have one? Email me and request my “Home Finders CheckList” at jhartley@SellingLakeGeneva.com


  5. Take a digital camera or video camera with you when you go to view homes.  You'll be glad you did.


  6. Prepare for your home search by meeting with your agent before you go to view properties. Review your needs/wants list, discuss agency law in Wisconsin (it's different than in Illinois), consider whether or not you wish to enter into a Buyer Agency Agreement with the agent, review your financial plans for purchasing a home, ask questions…then ask some more.


  7. Dress comfortably and be prepared for a long day (or morning, or afternoon).

  8. Remember:  marketing, negotiating and selling real estate is what your agent does as a profession. Many of us love our communities, love sharing them, and enjoy what we do.  It is our career and we take it seriously.  So be honest and straightforward with your realtor and you will find your home-buying experience rewarding and satisfying. When you engage an agent to research and show your properties, be prepared to make an offer – it's what we do.


  9. Relax.  Although the purchase of real estate is generally the largest single investment many people make, when you work with a realtor who is experienced, knowledgeable and who “clicks” with you, you are in good hands.
With so much on the market throughout Walworth County why not visit my website today.  There you'll find all the current listings county-wide, 24/7. Remember, www.SellingLakeGeneva.com – you've built the life you love, now what about the legacy?

Posted By: Janis Hartley



January 12, 2009

Snow Sculpting Coming to Lake Geneva

Posted to Area Attractions & Events, Geneva Lake Area

The 14th annual Winterfest and National Snow Sculpting Championships will be held in Lake Geneva on February 4th through the 8th at the Riviera Park in downtown Lake Geneva.

The snow sculpting teams come from all around the US including Alaska, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa and New York. They arrive on Wednesday and work on their entries until Saturday when they are judged. The public is encouraged to participate and vote for their favorite sculpture with a People’s Choice Award presented to the most popular one.

The sculptures are carved from a cylinder of snow that is 8 feet in width and 9 feet in height. The cylinders are made by the use of forms with snow packed into the center and then the forms pulled away from the sides. If the weather turns too warm and the snow does not remain frozen, an ice carving competition is held instead.

Other family activities held at the Riviera Park next to Lake Geneva include horse rides, music, children’s’ carving contest, and helicopter rides.

Posted by: Nancy Lehman Lael Vandenburgh



January 09, 2009

The Wisconsin Home Inspection

Posted to Geneva Lake Area

Thinking about buying a home? Don’t forget to include a Home Inspection Contingency in your Offer to Purchase. In Wisconsin, this contingency is found in lines 298-315. The contingency provides for “…a Wisconsin registered home inspector” to perform “a home inspection of the Property.” Thus, if Uncle Ed is a contractor and you want him to take a look at your future home, that’s all well and good – but unless he’s a “Wisconsin registered home inspector…” anything he finds will be for your personal information and will not offer you the standard protection of this contingency. On lines 299-300, you may also include language that would allow “any additional structural, mechanical, electrical or system inspections as recommended”. Thus, if the home inspector suggests that you have additional inspections, there is language already in the Offer to Purchase to that effect. Buyers should know what is – and is not – covered in a home inspection. The purpose of a home inspection is to confirm the condition of the major components and systems in a building. In the words of the home inspection contingency: “For the purposes of this contingency, a defect is defined as a structural, mechanical, or other condition that would have a significant adverse effect on the value of the Property; that would significantly impair the health or safety of future occupants of the Property; or that if not repaired, removed or replaced would significantly shorten or have a significant adverse effect on the expected normal life of the Property.”

Together with the Real Estate Property Condition Report, the Home Inspection report should give you a fairly complete assessment of the property you are purchasing. While the Real Estate Property Condition Report discloses defects and conditions the Seller “has actual knowledge of” the Home Inspection Report may reveal additional conditions and/or defects. Remember to keep things in perspective and to obtain as much information as possible before addressing the report. Every home has its own set of circumstances and a condition that may be unacceptable to one buyer may be a “non-issue” for the next. A perfectly wonderful 100 year-old home on Delavan or Geneva Lake may have a damp basement and while that may spell trouble for a buyer who has bailed rain water; another buyer may simply acknowledge its existence and see it as a condition that can be addressed. Don’t lose out on your dream home because you can’t see the bigger picture. When you’re ready to look for your new home, visit my website, www.SellingLakeGeneva.com or email me at Janis@SellingLakeGeneva.com. I’ll guide you through the buying process!

Posted By: Janis Hartley



January 09, 2009

Keefe Real Estate Outsells the Competition Again for 2008

Posted to Geneva Lake Area

The real estate business was down in 2008 for many real estate companies, but Keefe Real Estate, Inc. outsold all of the competition in Walworth County again last year.  Even though the total amount of business was less than previous years, the chart below shows that Keefe Real Estate once again maintained its dominant position as the leader in Walworth County, including the Lake Geneva Area.


Click here for a larger view.

If you have any questions about Lake Geneva Real Estate, Email Bob Webster or go to www.LakeGenevaProperty.com for an easy way to search for all types of properties including Lake Geneva lakefront homes and condominiums.  You can call Bob at 262-348-3233 or 800-364-7579.

Posted By: Bob Webster



January 05, 2009

Putting yourself first with Buyer Agency

Posted to Geneva Lake Area

You’re out with a real estate agent looking at beautiful Lake Geneva area properties. You and the agent have put together a list of homes to see, and they have printed a nice brochure and a detail sheet for each of them. You ask questions as you walk around the properties. The agent has answers to some of them, and promises to get back to you on a few others. You ask them “why are they selling?” Did you ever stop to wonder who the person you’re dealing with is really representing? Logically, since you called them to show you homes, you would think they are your representative. In the state of Wisconsin, this would not be the case! The agent is working for both of you, but the rules require an additional step on your part to have them represent you above the seller.

Licensed Wisconsin Realtors are required to treat all buyers and sellers with fairness & honesty. They must share information about major defects, provide you with accurate market data, and can negotiate on your behalf. You can successfully go all the way through the buying process without doing anything different. But, if you want your agent to be able to offer a professional opinion on that data, or be able to answer questions with your interests put first, you need to ask them to be your “Buyers Agent”. Click here to view a chart that helps show the differences in the types of representation.It’s simple enough to arrange, all you have to do is request it. There is a state provided agreement that puts you in the position of being the agent’s client. They will now be able to act as your advocate. In return, the agent will ask you for your loyalty as a customer. The state has produced a pamphlet on this subject. Follow this link to see it or contact me and I’ll send you one. For more information, why not give me a call at 262-348-3248?

Posted By: Mike Pfammatter



January 04, 2009

What Does 2009 Look Like for Lake Geneva Real Estate?

Posted to Geneva Lake Area

What does the New Year look like for Lake Geneva real estate? What’s going on in the market right now? Is this a good time to buy? Are there any really good deals out there? All great questions. I wish my crystal ball was a little clearer than it is right now. I think some of the answers are a function of what the stock market and financial markets will do as we head into the first few weeks of January. If there is optimism about the future and what the new President and new administration will be able to do with some of the tough issues ahead of us, that will definitely help. The direction of interest rates will also be a very important factor. The second home market can be kind of fickle whenever there are uncertain times, be it related to the stock market, jobs, bailouts or global issues. It is not uncommon for many potential Buyers to be lulled into a “wait and see” mode, even if they are not directly negatively affected by what’s going on. It’s just human nature. Good or bad markets can sometimes be a self fulfilling prophecy, depending on what is being said and what people hear with regard to predictions of the future. But the savvy Buyers know there are some outstanding values available in the market right now and if past history is any indication of the future, we should see a marked increase in the calls and Emails in the next few weeks. That should translate into more showings and some offers being written and coming together. All of which is just the momentum we need to get things moving again after what is traditionally the commonly occurring, end of the year Holiday lull in the market. It appears there will be a continued push to lower interest rates as a way to stimulate and “prime the pump” for the real estate market. We continue to hear lots of doom and gloom from the media but in these days of 24/7 news, it’s really hard for anyone to explain in a 30 second sound bite, the intricacies of the various markets, how they got there and how they differ from each other. We did not experience in our market the bizarre run up in prices that some markets did over the last few years. Ours has always been more of a gradual rate of appreciation and consequently we have not seen some of the dramatic downturns in values that you hear so much about in places like California and Florida. Understanding that markets are different and will respond in different ways in these uncertain times is one of the biggest jobs we have today. We are fortunate to be within 2 hours of much of Chicago and the suburbs where there is a high concentration of folks who have the financial means and desire to find that second home get-a-way. And 2 hours seems to be the magic number that most of them want to stay within for the drive to get there. The idea of driving 5 or 6 hours to northern Wisconsin is just not realistic for active families today with busy schedules. Many do not want to head toward Michigan and deal with the traffic and congestion and there just aren’t a lot of other alternatives for a place to go. That has been the draw to the Lake Geneva area for the last 100 years and will be a major reason why our real estate market will be able to “weather the storm” and will outperform many of the areas around the country that are struggling right now. At least that’s what my crystal ball tells me right now. Stay tuned and we’ll keep you posted as we progress into the New Year. Feel free to Email Bob Webster at Keefe Real Estate with any questions about the local real estate market in Lake Geneva. You can go to www.LakeGenevaProperty.com for an easy way to search for a home or condominium in the Lake Geneva Area. Or call Bob Webster at 262-348-3233 or 800-364-7579 toll free.

Posted By: Bob Webster