Central New Yorkers marched through the doors of properties in the Jamesville Grove Estates to experience this year’s Parade of Homesevent.
Eight houses, eight styles, eight different experiences. It’s an opportunity the Home Builders and Remodelers of Central New York provides through showing its Parade homes.
"It seems that we’re coming out of tough time. When I talk to my remodeler members and my suppliers, people are paying more attention to their homes and putting investments in them again.”
And with a better economy and people more willing to put money toward their homes, Executive Director Mary Thompson says that the event allows the public do see some of everything.
“It’s the latest floor plans, it’s the latest faucets and tile work, wood work, insulation, roofing, everything in the residential construction industry and layered on top of that is the reason most people come, and that’s decorating and landscaping – the fun stuff. What colors are hot and new, and furnishings and things like that.”
PARADE ATTENDEES HAD DIFFERENT GOALS
And that’s certainly the case for Lafayette resident and first-time Parade-goer Sherri Beardsles.
“We’re going to remodel our kitchen and we wanted to get some ideas and see who’s building what. Each style is different and you see different wood paired with different granite, different light fixtures so you really get a sense of a lot of things that are out there and maybe you wouldn’t have thought of putting the together.”
But some people, like potential home buyer mike Mooney, go to the event with a focus on more than a kitchen.
“Modern design, green technology, things that aren’t going to be super expensive to maintain and just clean, simple lines. This one’s just totally different, out of the box modern sand you don’t see a lot of these houses in the Syracuse area. This particular house is a little more than I would want to spend but I think you pay for a different type of house with different materials, different aesthetics. So I don’t think it’s outrageous, but it’s just a little bit over my budget right now.”
That special house constructed by Konrad Builders is the only parade home still available for sale and comes with a price tag of more than $500,000. President Kurt Honis says pricing has trended upwards in the last 12 months and the unique design of that home reflects what it costs to accomplish such a different look.
“It’s almost like you feel like you’re in the hills of California or sometimes I look around and I think I’m in a loft in New York City. Just something that people have not seen. Pretty much every market around Syracuse has trended up. I think year-over-year the market here in Central New York is probably up 3 to 5%.”
The Parade of Homes runs through September 22nd and proceeds from ticket sales will benefit 10 charities this year.
