Current Market Conditions Report with August Data

I just posted my latest Current Market Conditions Report with the August sales data. Both sales and prices are kind of flat, with no significant drops or leaps in either. Buyer interest has picked up, but with little pressure to buy and the "super deals" buyers are looking for few and far between, actual sales remain sluggish.

Check out the latest Sullivan County Real Estate Current Market Conditions report and drop on back here to leave your comments.

Comments

[Heidi K.]

David - you make me 'hot and frenzied' with your great analysis!!

[Bix]

By the way, only slightly off topic, a sign of the times: the Monticello Quad has shut down after 40 years, according to its website.

[Mario]

Don't you fear for any lack of entertainment in Monti Mr. Bix.

Read the following...

http://www.sc-democrat.com/news/009September/15/news3.htm

VVVVRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!

Interesting battle between the neighbors who don't like the sound of engines revving up and go-karts whining - and the business interests who don't live anyway near the track but always like the coin.

What a county!

Mario

[keith]

I saw Star Wars at Monti Quad the year it opened and I was commenting on the Monti Quad over on facebook. I interpreted the theater closing as a "sign of the times" in the Catskills. In the late 70's, in Sullivan County there were, gasp, 8 movie screens (in a total of four theaters) in Monticello, at least 3 screens in Liberty, 1 in South Fallsburg, 1 in Callicoon, and in summer 1 in Loch Sheldrake and 1 in Woodbourne. There was also a drive-in theater that had 2 screens, I think that was on Rt. 52 between Liberty and Loch Sheldrake. So 15 movie screens plus at least 2 additional summer screens. There also may have still been a movie screen in Woodridge. With the passing of the Monti quad, Sullivan County will have just the 1 Callicoon screen (very weird how that one was the sole survivor being out in the middle of nowhere). I grew up in Grahamsville, people will now have to drive an hour each way to Middletown to see a movie, they'll be in the car longer than in the movie theater!!! Here's a link I shared with some others, you can scroll down and click on the local theaters to see peoples comments and most all of them have a current or vintage photo. Here are then names of local theaters to look at: Broadway, Rialto, Jerry Lewis, Rivoli (some very good comments made on this one), Liberty Tri-Cinema, Hippodrome, Center, Callicoon

http://cinematreasures.org/location/coun­try=181&state=33&show=all

[marie]

Sometimes driving up 17, somewhere around Bethel(?), it seems there's a drive-in movie theater playing something. Anyone know what that is?

[Bix]

There are two theaters out in Honesdale. Isn't that a bit closer than Middletown for those of us in the western part of the county? Not sure if the road out there is very good, never having been on it.

Also I've heard the gas is cheaper in Pennsylvania, so I thought that might make the trip more economical.

Never been to Honesdale. Thinking of putting on my pith helmet and taking an expedition out there this weekend,

[keith]

Nice of Dave to indulge us this tangent. :) I've lived in the Washington DC area since 1992. Specifically Northern Virginia, people in this part of the state always say they live in Northern Virginia rather than just Virginia, it's much different than the rest of the state. Anyway, I make the trip up for a long weekend once a month, all my vacation days are spent in the Catskills (Dad's house makes for cheap vacation time!!). I go through Honesdale on my way up and back. Honesdale is very nice and you can tell it's thriving since there are no vacant store fronts (unlike Monticello!!!). The road from Grahamsville to Honesdale is in good shape, just very rural, speed limits increase travel time, but still a good option for people on the western (especially south western) part of the county. Yahoo yellow pages show a 6 screen theater. No yellow pages listing for a drive-in in White Lake, sadly many of the drive-in theaters have disappeared. And, yes, gas is cheaper in PA.

[keith]

Oh, and when I was looking at the Yellow pages I see there is a listing or a Liberty Discount Theater, although being discount it may not show first run movies. Mea Culpa.

[Bix]

No drive in movie theater in Bethel.

Monticello Raceway?

[Bix]

OK, I completed my expedition to Honesdale last night. I think this may not be off-topic at all, as I think of it, as distance to amenities like movie theaters is something buyers certainly would take into consideration.

OK. Distance:

I live between Callicoon Center and North Branch. It takes me 30 minutes to get to Monticello. It took me approximately the same amount of time to get to Narrowsberg.

Monticello is about 25 minutes to Middletown. Narrowsberg is about 15 minutes from the Honesdale Cinema, which is on the road east of town. So the Honesdale theater is a good ten minutes closer. But here's the clincher. GAS!!!! Gas is $2.53 a gallon out there. That's a good 20 cents or more a gallon cheaper than Sullivan County.

Honesdale has Wal-Mart, Home Depot and a Weis Markets without shouting distance of the movies. Altogether a satisfactory expedition, and a much much nicer drive than hauling up and down Rt. 17 to Middletown.

P.S. I'd have posted this on the Sullivan County Message Board, http://sullivancountybbs.proboards.com/index.cgi, but nobody seems to be using that anymore. Sniff.

[Bix]

I forgot to mention the theater itself: $8.50 a head like the Monticello Quad, and six screens with first run movies. 7:15 showing of "The Informant": theater practically empty. Hope these guys don't shut down too. Oh, and I meant "within" shouting distance in the last post.

[rob t]

what do u mean by "cabin in the woods" in the "150,000".

Can you elaborate: square footage, land size, how many bedrooms/bath, outsside look, etc.

[David Knudsen]

Rob, in the Market Conditions Report, I said that demand was there for little cabins in the woods for $150,000, not that we have inventory that matches that demand. But generally folks looking for that are looking for something with 2 bedrooms and maybe a loft or sleeping porch, with 1 bath, with a rustic "cabin" look on 2 to 5 acres.