Friday, April 25, 2014

Taste of Findley Lake


When:
May 10, 2014 1:00 PM
Cost:
$10 per person - Must be 21 or older to participate in wine tasting.
Where
Findley Lake Downtown
Findley Lake, New York 1473
Description
"TASTE OF FINDLEY LAKE" is a one-day event that will take place on Sat, May 10th, from 1:00 - 4:00 pm. Cost of admission is $10 per person and each participant will receive a custom Findley Lake wine glass, Wine Passport program, Wine & Food pairings at each location and a chance to win a Findley Lake gift basket.

The wine & food pairings will take place in the shops of Findley Lake, located all along Findley Lake's north shore. Come early to enjoy a full day in the picturesque lakefront town while browsing the local shops. The merchants, famous for personal service and unique gifts, have stocked their shelves with new Spring merchandise as well as vintage and antique treasures. Plan a great get-away weekend, choose an overnight stay in one of our local Inns, Bed & Breakfasts or Hotels.
Plan to join us for this fun & tasty event! Tickets are limited and available locally at Findley Lake Market on Main Street (FL Market's hours: Mon - Thurs, 7am - 7pm; Fri & Sat, 7am - 9pm; Sun, 8am - 7pm). Tickets may also be purchased on-line at www.visitfindleylake.com.

For more information, please call 716.769.7852.

Findley Lake, NY is a short drive from Erie & Buffalo. It's located less than 3 hours, under one tank of gas, from Cleveland and Pittsburgh, Rochester, Niagara Falls and Toronto. Directions: I-86, Exit #4 (Findley Lake exit); take Rt 426S one mile; turn left at 4-way blinking light (Main Street); the business district begins directly across from Findley Lake & continues along the lake's north shore.

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For More Information On Chautauqua Lake Real Estate and Living Visit: www.chautauqualakehomes.com   Our Listings: www.chautauqualakehomes.postlets.com

Thursday, April 24, 2014

Peek’n Peak introducing adventure course




April 24, 2014
By Mallory Diefenbach - editorial@westfieldrepublican.com , Westfield Republican / Mayville Sentinel News
CLYMER - Peek'n Peak resort will open a summer and fall Mountain Adventure on Memorial Day weekend.
Mountain Adventure is a strategic obstacle course which consists of eight courses, according to Tiffany Cook, marketing manager for Peek'n Peak. These obstacle courses come in different challenge levels - not unlike how ski slopes have different grades of difficulty. There are courses for children as young as 5 years old.
"You kind of take on each obstacle and complete it based on how you figure it out," Cook said.

Article Photos

At left: Employees work during the construction of the Mountain Adventure obstacle course at Peek’n Peak Resort.
The obstacle courses can be found in the tree line, and can be an invigorating work out. While strapped into a harness, visitors can become Indiana Jones as they cross rope bridges, cable walkways, climb up cargo nets and ladders and navigate other elements such as zip lines.
"You are actually harnessed in, and you go from platform to platform," she said. "There is a different challenge between each platform. So, you have to figure out strategically where you are going to place your feet and get across, so you don't fall off the challenge."
Mountain Adventure is the result of two years of planning to make Peek'n Peak an all-season resort. According to Cook, there are not a lot of Mountain Adventure courses in the region, and they felt it would be something residents would be interested in doing.
"Keeps you interested and it's challenging, which is cool. It gets people to come back and try a different course once they conquered one," she said.
Peek'n Peak has other activities for visitors to enjoy this summer as well. In addition to Mountain Adventure, Peek'n Peak offers miniature golf, Segway tours, and Ultimate Bungy. Segways are two-wheeled motorized scooters. Ultimate Bungy has visitors harnessed in a bungy-and-trampoline hybrid, allowing them to fly up to 25 feet in the air.
For more information on Mountain Adventures and other activities at the resort, visit its website at www.pknpk.com or call 355-4141.











































For More Information On Chautauqua Lake Real Estate and Living Visit: www.chautauqualakehomes.com   Our Listings: www.chautauqualakehomes.postlets.com

Century House Tour planned for July 15 in Chautauqua Institution


April 24, 2014
Westfield Republican / Mayville Sentinel News
The Chautauqua Bird, Tree and Garden Club has announced the Century House Tour will be held from noon-5 p.m. on Tuesday, July 15, on the grounds of Chautauqua Institution.
Commemorating the 100th anniversary of the club, this year's walking tour features a dozen special cottages all built more than 100 years ago. They are located in some of Chautauqua's oldest areas including Miller Park - the site of the first Assembly in 1874, the historic central section near the Main Gate and the southern end of the grounds near the Hall of Philosophy.
The homes represent a range of architectural styles and interior design approaches. Each showcases the creativity of owners who have modified their cottages to suit their needs while preserving the homes' character and charm.

Article Photos

Submitted photo


27 Miller Park will be one house featured on the tour.
Refreshments will be offered at Smith Wilkes Hall, home of the BTG. Gardens that received the 2013 Chautauqua in Bloom awards will also be included on the tour map so that visitors may view them as they stroll through the grounds.
Tickets for admission to the 12 designated tour houses are $30 each and are available by mail order only. A printable ticket order form can be downloaded on the Chautauqua Institution website: www.ciweb.org/btg or by requesting an order form in writing to: Chautauqua Bird, Tree and Garden Club, P.O. Box 721, Chautauqua, NY 14722.
Tour day tickets are good for entrance and exit on the Chautauqua grounds from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Patrons are urged to order early as the number of tickets is limited. All tickets are by advance sale; no tickets will be sold on the day of the tour.


- See more at: http://www.westfieldrepublican.com/page/content.detail/id/522502/Century-House-


















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Friday, April 18, 2014

Vacation Home Sales Surge in 2013, Investment Property Declines




Media Contact: Walter Molony / 202-383-1177 / Email

WASHINGTON (April 2, 2014) – Vacation home sales rose strongly in 2013, while investment purchases fell below the elevated levels seen in the previous two years, according to the National Association of Realtors®.


NAR’s 2014 Investment and Vacation Home Buyers Survey,* covering existing- and new-home transactions in 2013, shows vacation-home sales jumped 29.7 percent to an estimated 717,000 last year from 553,000 in 2012. Investment-home sales fell 8.5 percent to an estimated 1.10 million in 2013 from 1.21 million in 2012. Owner-occupied purchases rose 13.1 percent to 3.70 million last year from 3.27 million in 2012. The sales estimates are based on responses from households and exclude institutional investment activity.


NAR Chief Economist Lawrence Yun expected an improvement in the vacation home market. “Growth in the equity markets has greatly benefited high net-worth households, thereby providing the wherewithal and confidence to purchase recreational property,” he said. “However, vacation-home sales are still about one-third below the peak activity seen in 2006.”


Vacation-home sales accounted for 13 percent of all transactions last year, their highest market share since 2006, while the portion of investment sales fell to 20 percent in 2013 from 24 percent in 2012.
Yun said the pullback in investment activity is understandable. “Investment buyers slowed their purchasing in 2013 because prices were rising quickly along with a declining availability of discounted foreclosures over the course of the year,” he said.


“In 2011 and 2012, investment property was a no-brainer because home prices had sharply over corrected during the downturn in many areas, creating great bargains that could be quickly turned into profitable rentals. With a return to more normal market conditions, investors now have to evaluate their purchases more carefully and do their homework,” Yun added.


The median investment-home price was $130,000 in 2013, up 13.0 percent from $115,000 in 2012, while the median vacation-home price was $168,700, up 12.5 percent from $150,000 in 2012.
All-cash purchases remained fairly common in the investment- and vacation-home market:  46 percent of investment buyers paid cash in 2013, as did 38 percent of vacation-home buyers.
Of buyers who financed their purchase with a mortgage, large downpayments continued to be the norm in 2013. The median downpayment for investment buyers was 26 percent, while vacation-home buyers typically put 30 percent down.


Forty-seven percent of investment homes purchased in 2013 were distressed homes, as were 42 percent of vacation homes.


Lifestyle factors remain the primary motivation for vacation-home buyers, while rental income is the main factor in investment purchases.


The typical vacation-home buyer was 43 years old, had a median household income of $85,600 and purchased a property that was a median distance of 180 miles from his or her primary residence; 46 percent of vacation homes were within 100 miles and 34 percent were more than 500 miles. Buyers plan to own their recreational property for a median of 6 years, down from 10 years in 2012.
Five percent of vacation-home buyers had already resold their property, while another 9 percent plan to sell within a year. “This reflects the 28 percent of recreational property buyers who said they purchased to diversify investments or saw a good investment opportunity,” Yun said.


Buyers listed many reasons for purchasing a vacation home:  87 percent want to use the property for vacations or as a family retreat, 31 percent plan to use it as a primary residence in the future, 28 percent wanted to diversify their investments or saw a good investment opportunity, 23 percent plan to rent to others and 22 percent intend it for use by a family member, friend or relative.


Forty-one percent of vacation homes purchased last year were in the South, 28 percent in the West, 18 percent in the Northeast and 14 percent in the Midwest.


Investment-home buyers in 2013 had a median age of 42, earned $111,400 and bought a home that was relatively close to their primary residence – a median distance of 20 miles.


Fifty percent of investment buyers said they purchased for rental income, 34 percent wanted to diversify their investments or saw a good investment opportunity, and 22 percent bought for a family member, friend or relative to use – often to house a son or daughter while attending college.
Seven percent of homes purchased by investment buyers last year have already been resold, and another 10 percent are planned to be sold within a year. Overall, investment buyers plan to hold the property for a median of 5 years, down from 8 years in 2012.


Thirty-eight percent of investment properties purchased last year were in the South, 25 percent in the West, 18 percent in the Northeast and 19 percent in the Midwest.
More than eight out of 10 second-home buyers, both for vacation and investment homes, said it was a good time to buy.


Approximately 43.4 million people in the U.S. are ages 50-59 – a group that dominated second-home sales in the middle part of the past decade and established records. An additional 42.7 million people are 40-49 years old, which is the historic prime age range for purchasing second homes, while another 40.4 million are 30-39 years of age.


NAR’s analysis of U.S. Census Bureau data shows there are 8.0 million vacation homes and 43.7 million investment units in the U.S., compared with 74.7 million owner-occupied homes.


NAR’s 2014 Investment and Vacation Home Buyers Survey, conducted in March 2014, includes answers about 2,203 homes purchased during 2013 from a representative panel of 2,008 U.S. households. The survey controlled for age and income, based on information from the larger 2013 NAR Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers, to limit any biases in the characteristics of respondents.
The 2014 Investment and Vacation Home Buyers Survey can be ordered by calling 800-874-6500, or online at www.realtor.org/prodser.nsf/Research. The report is free to NAR members and costs $149.95 for non-members.


The National Association of Realtors®, “The Voice for Real Estate,” is America’s largest trade association, representing 1 million members involved in all aspects of the residential and commercial real estate industries.
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*Vacation homes are recreational property purchased primarily for the buyer’s (or their family’s) personal use, while investment homes are residential property purchased primarily to rent to others, or to hold for other financial or investment purposes.








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Thursday, April 10, 2014

Ski and golf in the same location this weekend






holiday valley





















ELLICOTVILLE, N.Y. (WIVB) – It’s not the mix of recreation you’d expect in Western New York, skiing and golfing at the same location, but it’s happening this weekend at Holiday Valley – maybe.
The ski resort in Ellicottville will be open this weekend, April 12 and 13, with one lift operating. The Yodeler lift will be in operation from 8:30 to 4:30 both Saturday and Sunday with up to 11 slopes available.
The weather will play a big role in determining whether the resort also opens the front nine of the Double Black Diamond Golf Course on Saturday. If so, visitors will have the unusual opportunity to ski the slopes in the morning and golf the course in the afternoon.
It has happened before, but it is considered a rare occurrence in Western New York. Local ski resorts have enjoyed a particularly long season for skiing and snowboarding this year with an early start and an extended period of colder than normal weather.
If skiing and golfing aren’t enough, the resort is hosting a bluegrass and roots music festival Friday through Sunday. You’ll find details and ticket information on the Holiday Valley website: www.holidayvalley.com.


















For More Information On Chautauqua Lake Real Estate and Living Visit: www.chautauqualakehomes.com   Our Listings: www.chautauqualakehomes.postlets.com