Missing the Mark Selling The Arugula Lifestyle

I've been selling real estate here in Sullivan County for almost 10 years now, and over that time there has been a steady trend to shape and position this area as a pastoral, even genteel, escape from the city with just enough grit around the edges to appeal to younger trendsters who are drawn to the 'real' and 'authentic'.

The icon at the center of this reshaping is the classic renovated farmhouse, or newer knockoffs that evoke evenings around the fire, or chopping fresh herbs from your own garden while looking out a window ringed with flower boxes. Farmers markets, organic vegetables and local fairs round out this picture framed with wainscotting. It's all quite lovely, and has been quite a successful narrative to attract second home buyers to Sullivan.

The success of the pastoral farmhouse narrative, and its close cousin, the "On Golden Pond" Adirondack lake getaway, during the go-go years led a number of investors and developers looking to roll out new projects in similar styles. Some of those builder/developers have been very successful, like Catskill Farms; others have been less so, sitting on subdivided but largely unsold developments targeted to the arugula and organic tomato crowd.

Those buyers are still in the market, although in smaller numbers than a couple of years ago and definitely at more moderate price points. But in the last 6 months or so, I've been noticing a very different type of second home buyer, with very different desires. And we have almost no product for them.

So who is this new buyer? Age, profession and income-wise, they're not much different than the pastoral farmhouse shoppers. But there is one big difference. They're looking for a getaway where they can "play in the dirt" with ATV's and off road motorcycles. Not to be overly sexist about it, but this buy is being driven by dads who want to spend guy time in the woods with their sons, doing stuff they can't do in the city. And here in New York State, they generally can't do it on state land either.

I get 1 to 2 calls a week from buyers looking for a vacation getaway where they can ATV or ride off road motorcycles. There are only a couple of "developments" in Sullivan County where ATV use is permitted on the shared community land, and building parcels or houses in those 2 areas aren't that readily available. And while both permit off-road use, they aren't really set up for get down and dirty in the mud ATVing. The only other option for these buyers is to buy a larger acreage parcel and cut their own trails — which can be a huge, not to mention expensive, undertaking.

In pursuing the sauvignon blanc and arugula crowd, developers have largely ignored this niche. Part of that may be a function of misplaced stereotypes harbored by the upscale-inclined. Mention ATVing, and you may conjure up a blue collar stereotype of NASCAR and Budweiser. But that's not entirely accurate. There are plenty of "non-blue-collar" guys who want to get down and dirty, too. There are a lot of men who are looking for a counterpoint to civilized gentility. Consider the popularity of "man caves" on home renovation shows. Five years ago, a fabulous bathroom with a soaking tub was de rigeur. Now it's "man caves." Lately, showing houses, I've noticed a revived appreciation for "rec rooms" with pool tables and wet bars. Not so long ago, every client I worked with wanted those ripped out.

I'm sensing an interesting shift, from the "feminine" to the "masculine." It's not the whole second home market, by any means. But there is a sub-segment that wants a little more testosterone with their second home. Simpler, 'rougher' cabins with nary a strip of wainscotting in sight. Outdoor fire pits and outdoor showers. Developments built around shared land contoured for ATVing and off-roading. I think this could be a profitable niche for someone to explore, either developing a new community along these lines or re-purposing one of the existing "late to market" developments here that haven't attracted buyers with their current positioning.

Comments

[Bix]

A fellow near me is into the whole ATV thing, and he rides his vehicle on the roads near his house, which are hilly and pretty deserted. He is definitely not a blue collar type either.

[Rod]

I think that everyone wants to ride ATVs and mini-bikes, they just don't want anyone else to, considering how loud, annoying and disruptive a group of them can be. Nothing like a Saturday afternoon with the whirl of 4 ATV's circling.

Although, David, you do paint quite the picture of some less-than-successful projects pivoting their 4 yrs of marketing the '5th Avenue of Sullivan County' to encompass the Rough Riders of NASCAR.

But the larger point is one of strategy - the subdivisions you refer to priced raw land at prices never seen before - by multiples - and figured a nice tree and good marketing would convince people to pay 4x what fair market value ever was. That's a strategy pricing error, not necessarily the inability to sell good land at fair prices to whatever crowd the business plan targeted.

[pa]

A friend bought a one acre parcel that allows him access to 14,000 acres. Not in NY State, however. (The noise should be just a wee bit of a concern wherever this lovely venture is set up.) I guess the tea rooms are passe. Three or four hundred acres isn't enough even if it's available.

Cheers,... and I do believe Rod is correct in his observations.

[Mr Hamilton]

Those ATV clients were always there. It's the absence of the Manhattanites who uses white-coverings on dining room chairs that makes the outdoorsy type stick out.

[John]

Yeah, an ATV development next door sounds great, perhaps it should be next to where you live. Obviously you don't have many of these annoying vehicles nearby, no cars would ever be allowed to make so much noise or pollute so much. If this is the salvation of the area, I guess I better sell.

A more serious question is that I recently got my property tax bill from Highland and though my assesment went down 25% (probably realsitic now), my tax bill didn't? Is that normal? Thanks for any feedback

J Muir