lakefront03

The first thing we must do is agree that private lakefront is the goal. If the means are present and the motivation is high, then lakefront on Geneva is the most obvious goal. But if the means are not present, as for most they are not, or the motivation is not that high, which is shameful but it does occur, then what is the next best thing? This is the question that plagues would be vacation home buyers here and everywhere. If I can't have exactly what I want, what can I have? For some the... Read Full Story

In 1983, Mrs. Anderson had a wooden alligator in her classroom. It was green, as it should have been, with wooden wheels and a width across the shoulders that made for a perfect perch for a Kindergartner. I remember that alligator well, it's worn top, the scratches on its sides, the wheels. I was so fond of that alligator that upon arrival each day I'd scan the room looking for it. Was it free? Or was someone already on it? Why was I always late for Kindergarten when my dad taught the fifth... Read Full Story

If you suffered through the State Of The Union address last week, and combined that sentiment with the "surprisingly" lower unemployment statistic on Friday, you might be under the impression that things are getting better. Like much, much better. While it is true that stability has returned to some degree to most real estate markets, it is also true that foreclosures continue to be a lingering presence. Then again, foreclosure isn't so much lingering as it is hovering, over pretty much every... Read Full Story

It is no secret that the South Shore Club is an exclusive development. Anything numbering just 40 in total would be viewed as exclusive. While this is known, what isn't so well known is that exclusivity does exist here on a higher level. The homes are each unique- each impressive. The slate, the stone, the imported this and hand hammered that, it's all very intoxicating. Whether the home is on Forest Hill near the tennis court, or right on the semi-circle that rings the lake like a modern day... Read Full Story

In Lake Geneva today the forecast high is 44 degrees. With sunshine. It's delightful, really. I walked from my car to my office this morning and those five paces were dry and they were not slippery. I rather enjoyed it. Tomorrow, the forecast high is 43, with sun. It's more of the same for Friday, 44 for that day under a generous sun. Saturday finds the temperatures moderating in the 40s again, and Sunday calls for a rain/snow mix, but with a high of 39 I'm guessing the mix will just be rain... Read Full Story

When I think of Geneva National, the next thought is usually about Abbey Springs. If you need help differentiating between the two developments, just think of Abbey Springs as a much smaller, much browner, Geneva National. Abbey Springs has just one golf course, but Abbey Springs has one thing that Geneva National will never, ever have. Geneva Lake. If a resort setting is to your liking, and you require the ability to captain a golf cart not just to a golf course but also to a sandy beach on... Read Full Story

I think the Pursuit is the finest center console boat made today. The Boston Whaler gets a larger share of the spotlight, but the beam of a Whaler Outrage is a bit too narrow for my tastes. Grady White makes a seaworthy boat, but the rise of the bow is a tad too aggressive, to say nothing of the fact that their overall design hasn't changed since the Truman administration. A Yellowfin is impressive and obviously built for speed, but the profile is a bit short, if I am being forced to find a... Read Full Story

It's dark now, but light enough to see that the sky and the ice and the horizon are the same dull gray. I think he's in there. He has to be in there, even though he shouldn't be. Who would be? Not me. Not you. We are not him, in fact, we are nothing like him. It is dark still, but he's in there. He's either sitting on a white paint bucket tipped upside down, or he's sitting on a folding chair, the kind that stows in a small nylon bag in the trunk of your car or the hall closet, not the kind... Read Full Story

It doesn't really matter if you're a liberal or a conservative, odds are you still care about the value of your real estate owned. No matter what planet Joe Biden originated from, or how much time Jon Boehner spends crying in the tanning salon, both men were sitting on that stage last night wondering less about what drivel was going to be uttered next and more about their neighbor who just listed his house for $100k below where it "should be". I mean, who would list their house that cheap? Do... Read Full Story

Dear Friends, Clients and Future Clients, Lake Geneva Lovers, and Honored Guests who have arrived solely by the amazing grace of the Google Algorithms, which we'll assume you used because Bing is only really good at maps and not searches, At first glance, there appears to be no constitutional precedent that would mandate that I give this speech to you today. There is no decree, and no higher authority that has directly dictated that I stand here, sporting my finest, if tight, jeans and the... Read Full Story