16 minute read
Capitalizing on the Snow
The Tug Hill earned a reputation as the “snowiest place” east of the Mississippi, and that has helped communities build their winter economies around many different outdoor activities
By Norah Machia
Looking for a fun and healthy way to beat those winter blues? The Tug Hill region, covering parts of Oswego, Oneida, Jefferson and Lewis counties, could be your answer.
Located between Lake Ontario and the Adirondacks, the region is known for record-breaking snowfalls, providing the perfect setting for winter recreational enthusiasts. There is usually enough snow on the ground throughout the season to create a perfect winter playground.
The Tug Hill Plateau is the area with the highest elevation and record-breaking snowfalls. It has earned a reputation as the “snowiest place” east of the Mississippi, and that has helped rural Tug Hill communities build their winter economies around many different outdoor activities.
But as the days get shorter and the temperature drops, it’s often difficult for people to keep motivated to exercise and remain active during the winter months, especially in the outdoors.
For the first time this year, the Tug Hill Tomorrow Land Trust will offer a Winter Fun Challenge to encourage people of all ages to participate in outdoor winter activities while discovering the region’s beautiful scenery and natural resources.
In many ways, the winter time is one of the best seasons to explore the Tug Hill region, said Linda Gibbs, community programs director for the nonprofit land trust.
“It offers such a different experience than warmer seasons,” she said. “It can be so peaceful with snow lightly falling or on a sunny day with the snow sparkling. It can be magical.”
The Winter Fun Challenge officially kicks off on Dec. 1 and will run through April 15. Those interested in participating may register for the Winter Fun Challenge on the land trust’s website. The challenge event runs through midApril because in the Tug Hill region, it’s not unusual for snow covering to still be on the ground in early spring, according to Gibbs.
Between December and mid-April, those who participate in at least eight activities in the Tug Hill region will earn a special patch or decal to recognize their achievement. (Of course, people are encouraged to participate in as many activities as they wish, said Gibbs).
The Tug Hill Tomorrow Land Trust has compiled a list of places for snowshoeing, cross-country and downhill skiing, snow-tubing and other non-motorized winter activities that people can enjoy during the cold winter months. These will be posted on the agency’s website, along with the Winter Fun Challenge registration form.
In addition, numerous public parks and lands throughout the Tug Hill region remain open during the winter, and activities on those trails will also count toward the Winter Fun Challenge. A listing of public trails may be found in the official Tug Hill Recreation Guide. Those denoted with a cross-country skier icon indicate they are open during the winter months.
“All we ask is that people send us a list of the places they visited and we’ll send them a patch or decal,” Gibbs
Participants in Tug Hill Tomorrow Land Trust Snowshoe Outing in Williamstown, Oswego County.
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said. “But we would also appreciate any photos or stories that people would like to send us as well.”
There are plenty of winter photography opportunities throughout the Tug Hill region. The landscape includes a mix of dense forests, valley farmlands, gorges, large flowing rivers and scenic waterfalls, along with a diverse wildlife habitat.
Photos or stories submitted by participants in any of the four counties will be posted on the agency’s website during the Winter Fun Challenge event.
For those who are not familiar with the region, the Tug Hill Tomorrow Land Trust is planning several guided outings during the winter season. These will be publicized on the land trust’s website. Participation in those outings will also count toward the Winter Fun Challenge. “We’re trying to get people out to enjoy the winter,” said Gibbs. “There are so many discoveries to make when snow is on the ground and has transformed everything.”
For example, families with young children may enjoy looking for animal tracks in the snow and trying to identify them. This could become a fun family activity if a printed chart identifying animal tracks is brought along on the outing, she suggested.
“You see things that you never notice or were not evident in other seasons,” Gibbs added. “Then, of course, there’s the joy of bundling up in blankets with a cup of hot chocolate after an outing!”
More Information
For more information on the Winter Fun Challenge, visit www.tughilltomorrowlandtrust.org.
A comprehensive list of parks and trails, along with additional information about the Tug Hill region, is also available at www.visittughill.com.
The official Tug Hill Recreation Guide (published by the 1000 Islands Tourism Council) may be found at www. visit1000islands.com/request-a-guide. (NOTE: The Tug Hill Recreation Guide includes maps of numerous trails located on state parks and lands throughout the region. While those marked with a cross-country skier icon indicate the trails are open for use during the winter months, it’s best to check out each individual site on the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation website before venturing out to determine which areas have plowed parking lots or groomed trails).
Faye Beckwith, real estate agent and co-owner of Freedom Real Estate in Hannibal. “I think it’s still a sellers’ market, but not as strong as it has been,” she says. She is shown at her Beckwith Christmas Trees business in Hannibal.
CNY Real Estate Cools Off
By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant
For a variety of reasons, the hot real estate market has cooled from its previous selling frenzy.
Beginning in 2020, sellers typically received several offers on their home upon listing it. Buyers agreed to “as is” terms to hasten closing the deal and sellers could close quickly, with their homes spending few days on the market.
That urgency to buy began to slow in the past several months, and property prices are not climbing as quickly as they had been.
“The median sale price is on an upward trend,” said Amber Spain-Mosher, New York state licensed real estate salesperson with RE/MAX Masters in Skaneateles.
She noted that the median sales price was just below $140,000 for homes in Central New York in 2019. That has ballooned to well over $180,000 by June of 2022, not including new construction; however, the rate of growth has slowed.
A smaller inventory of available homes is partly responsible for the price hike. Spain-Mosher said that 1,343 homes were for sale in October of 2020, but that number slipped to 928 by October 2021 and 858 by October 2022; a trend which she said is significant.
On an individual sale, the average property sale price has decreased,
Amber Spain-Mosher, real estate salesperson with RE/MAX Masters in Skaneateles. “Buyers’ mindsets are changing. They are more cautious.”
partly because of fewer offers submitted by potential buyers, according to Spain-Mosher, and also because the greater number of days that homes are spending on the market.
Real estate agents “are slowly starting to see an increasing number of days on market, fewer multiple-offer situations where many people are submitting offers on one property — a bidding war.
“We’ve also started seeing price reductions, which have been almost nonexistent over the past few years,” she added.
She views sellers as the slowest party to respond to changes in a market. Of course, they want to get the most that they can for their properties — as much as neighbors who cashed in on the booming housing market months ago. But that ship may have sailed.
“Buyers’ mindsets are changing,” Spain-Mosher said. “They are more cautious, likely driven by increasing interest rates and a desire to not settle because they don’t want to have to move again soon. The buying process right now is exhausting for many buyers who are often spending months looking for a home and making several offers on properties before getting one accepted.”
In recent years, Spain-Mosher has seen buyers waiving inspections to make their offers more attractive. Those days may be over, as agents are starting to see buyers make one offer on a home lower than the list price with that inspection contingency.
“Sellers are negotiating or accepting the offers because they don’t have others,” Spain-Mosher said.
Despite the slow-down, sellers should still do well selling property this winter.
“It still is a sellers’ market,” said Thomas K. Elleman Sr., real estate agent with Howard Hanna in Manlius. “I don’t think the prices are as crazy as they were, but many houses still sell right away if priced right. It’s a sellers’ market in the winter as buyers still need housing.”
He encourages sellers to spruce up the small issues of presentation, such as minor repairs, landscaping and fresh paint. However, investing in costly home repairs and improvements may not pay off unless they are necessary such as replacing a bad roof.
Judy Winslow, licensed real estate broker for Hunt Real Estate ERA in Manlius, feels no concern about rising interest rates slowing the market further.
“Homes are still selling; it’s the American dream to buy your own home,” she said. “I bought a home in the ‘70s with 12% interest. People are always going to buy houses.”
Whether moving for a job, upsizing for a family, or downsizing at retirement, people have many unavoidable reasons to move.
Winslow thinks that the using the right networking strategies can help people sell their homes as the market slows, along with using creativity to set up deals that are fair and accessible to buyers.
From her side of the desk, she also works hard to follow up with sellers who a year or two ago mentioned to her they may consider selling their homes. Oftentimes, all it takes is the right timing and another house is available on the market.
“I think it’s still a sellers’ market, but not as strong as it has been,” said Faye Beckwith, real estate agent and co-owner of Freedom Real Estate in Hannibal. “It’s still low inventory. We’re experiencing the traditional seasonal slowdown. That happens this time of year. Most buyers understand they can’t get into a new home before the holidays. Our time from contract to closing has increased significantly.”
Typically, it takes about 60 days from sale to closing. Beckwith said that legal backlogs have held up some sales, as have whether the seller needs time to move out or if the buyer requires financing.
“Prices are stabilizing,” Beckwith said. “Seller expectations are high because of the last couple of years. We’ve seen major in fluctuation in property sales. With interest rates rising, buyers can’t afford the same amount they could even three to four months ago.”
Like Winslow, she remembers much higher interest rates decades ago — even 18% to 20%. And, that did not stop buyers from purchasing homes. But she has noticed that fewer people are making large down payments on their purchases and that many require the maximum mortgage for the purchase.
Despite this, “we’re very busy,” Beckwith said. “Inventory is still low and the good ones are getting snatched up. We’ve had a number of inquiries of people who are interested in building as we have a number of land listings but it’s becoming cost and time prohibitive. Some builders are booked for two or three years out. We also know a builder who has recently retired.”
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Micron’s to Spur CNY Real Estate Boom
Cicero, Pennellville, Phoenix and Central Square are some of the areas likely to see a spike in housing development, say experts
By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant
Micron Technology’s plans to invest in $100 billion over the next 20plus years to build a memory and storage technology production facility in Clay will affect the region in innumerable ways, including real estate.
With a continuing housing shortage, an influx of new workers to the region could further increase demand for housing.
“Micron is definitely affecting the Central New York real estate market and likely will more so in the near future as workers are needed for construction and then to work for the company,” said Amber Spain-Mosher, New York state licensed real estate salesperson with RE/MAX Masters in Skaneateles. “As for now, we’re seeing an uptick in the number of investors and businesses buying land, existing homes and commercial buildings.
“For both investors and future employees, we can think of it like an impact ripple moving out from Clay where Micron is set to build and where the impact is greatest and rippling out across our Central New York real estate market.”
Spain-Mosher thinks that Micron will affect Phoenix, Pennellville and Central Square the most. Spain-Mosher recently spoke with a local home builder who said that he, along with other home builders have discussed getting together to talk about what to do about the housing shortage, since the number of existing homes is not sufficient to meet the coming need.
“It’s pretty exciting,” said Judy Winslow, licensed real estate broker for Hunt Real Estate ERA in Manlius. “Every real estate conversation I have is about it. I have buyers who are buying investments in single family homes to rent out in anticipation of the value going up in these homes.”
She feels certain that CNY will see increases in new construction as well, both for rental units and single-family homes. Despite a potentially worsening housing crunch — at least for a while — Winslow anticipates that Micron joining the CNY business landscape “will bring more jobs and things will be better for everyone.”
Rentals will likely be more for shortterm workers constructing the site.
As for employees, “they’ll have to bring in people from other cities to work there so it’s bound to put pressure on the market,” said Thomas K. Elleman Sr., real estate agent with Howard Hanna in Manlius.
Micron has touted its future facility as one that will offer high-paying jobs. For this reason, Elleman believes that construction will likely outpace home sales. He anticipates more home construction in outlying areas such as Cicero, Lysander, Phoenix and Fulton. But for some people working at Micron, paying more for an existing home will suit them better.
“New housing will be more expensive and you have to wait,” Elleman noted.
But with higher demand, more people will be vying for any particular house, driving its price up.
With more people and the trickle-down growth of more suppliers of goods and services in the area, “we’ll see more tax dollars in the area.”
Sometimes, rapid growth in a city can cause “sprawl,” where lack of planning creates less than pleasing results.
Rob Simpson, president of CenterState CEO, views Micron’s coming as “historic” and able to “create untold opportunities for the entire region.”
Yet he also said that those from the public and private sector who have worked to bring Micron here have “focused on initiatives to prepare our workforce and create needed housing and infrastructure advancements. This includes promoting smart growth strat-
egies that prevent unnecessary sprawl, maintain affordability of housing and ensuring disadvantaged communities aren’t negatively impacted. We are fortunate to have Micron as our newest partner in these efforts.”
While it is easy to see why Micron excites area planners and real estate agents, the company’s plans involve building at the Clay site for the next 20 years. A lot can happen in two decades.
“It is a significant waiting period,” said Faye Beckwith, real estate agent and co-owner of Freedom Real Estate in Hannibal. “The entry-level people they will hire are not even in kindergarten yet. Some things will happen immediately but it’s hard to know. How could there be a bigger demand than there already is? There is big demand for rentals already. Condos and townhouses are relatively new around here. Some effects I’ve seen over 38 years in the real estate business is when there is a problem with energy or fuel prices, more specifically automobile fuel, people tend to purchase homes closer to the cities. If that’s not a major concern for buyers, they’ll venture into the countryside.”
Like Winslow, she anticipates more new construction in outlying areas if a builder and the goods are available. Because people coming to Clay will want a home right away, Beckwith thinks modular homes should increase in popularity. As Micron gains steam, more people considering downsizing will go for it.
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