Things would be looking up if you bought this house.
Hello, up there. There. There. There.
I could imagine the echo.
Yes, my mind sometimes got away from me a bit as my dear wife Karen and I walked through the dozen houses opened up this year during the annual Syracuse Parade of Homes.
It was the best one ever.
What a gorgeous neighborhood. Come on, Powerball. Visit me in my dreams, Megamillion numbers. There may be a house or two of the great 12 not bought yet if we hit this weekend …
Seriously, though. This a street in the northern suburbs of Syracuse that is quite spectacularly adorned with houses that belong together, even though each was put up by a different builder.
And the view from above.
Some of the houses were much too large for us to ever even want to settle into in our wildest dreams.
Some, though, the one-stories with just three bedrooms that surrounded an open concept kitchen/living room/dining room, those houses have been popping up in my thoughts since we walked through the houses on the first day of summer.
Now this is a great room.
As always, the rooms were filled with fine furniture, designers names displayed and manufacturers noted along with the builders and realtors, all in the hopes that business would be drummed up during the three weekends in a row that the doors of these houses were open to the public.
Karen and I liked some of the tastes displayed and shook our heads at others.
A dozen houses, we decided, might be a lot to view in one afternoon. The styles and plans were sort of bleeding into each other in our minds.
And that was a lot of stairs.
I like this view.
Some of the upstairs bedrooms had window sights that made the climb quite worth it.
When we were driving home, I asked Karen what ideas she might carry back to our Little Bitty this year.
She said she’d be shopping for new matching bathroom mat and throw rug.
If you’d like to read my weekly community blog about the event on Syracuse Public Media site waer.org, click the link below.
http://waer.org/post/plenty-people-love-parade-homes-take-ideas-back-their-house
What ideas would you like to come away with for your house this year? Is the economy good enough for you to be considering a new place to live any time soon? What’s the house in your dreams like?
Mark Bialczak 
A dollar and a dream. Sigh. I’ve been playing the new came Cash for Life. First prize is a $1,000 a day second is a $1,000 a week either would be good. 🙂
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Yes, either would take the little lines out from my forehead, Kim. I agree. 🙂
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These are beautiful homes! You always open up such a much more vivid view of Syracuse than the fairground and some downtown bar which are the only two places I knew from there. 🙂
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Those aren’t bad, the fairgrounds and bar, but we have a little bit more, Rachel, and I’m glad to be your blog escort!
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LOL! Well, the next time I’m up there, I hope you and your lovely wife will be my in person escort. Or will at least draw me a map with a list of your recommendations of “must-sees” there. 🙂 How did your daughter like Florida?
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Yes, we will be your escorts, Rachel!
My daughter had a great time in Florida. Orlando treated them very well indeed.
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Sweet! I’m so glad she and her BF didn’t melt while they were here. I was out at 3:45 AM this morning and it was already 85 degrees and humid!
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Wow. Stay inside the AC, Rachel!
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Yeah, I know, right? 🙂
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That’s a good work out! Who knew you could enjoy the beautiful homes and get your exercise in at the same time. 🙂 After the depression lifts from visiting such homes I always go back with new ideas. Lucky for you that Mrs. B only wants to do minor changes. 🙂
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Yes, very minor, Mrs. B! It was a very good workout. Puff, huff, puff!
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Love home tours to get decorating ideas.
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There are a batch right there in front of your eyes, Dora!
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Sounds fun, Mark. I always enjoy a walk through a stranger’s house. Giggle. I am a tough critic.
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Aud: That couch is one inch too far to the left …
Something like that?
It is a fun time, Aud, but it’s more like new houses than strangers’ houses.
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Yes, something like that…the result of being married to an architect far too long. I come by a lot of it naturally.
Here in Houston, the model homes and fun to tour, but we also have a tour of homes which are occupied.
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That would be quite interesting, Aud, the occupied homes.
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Yes, a way to see how the other side lives.
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Great pictures Mark. It’s interesting how hollow and cold the new houses seem. They’re visually attractive although there’s the lack of the lived-in feeling but somehow, that doesn’t quite ring true as a complete answer. At best it’s only a part answer. They “feel” like show pieces, constructed to impress, not necessarily for living comfort or efficiency.Like the high ceilings. We all like a certain amount of room but anything beyond that is just ostentatiousness. We call them “McMansions” here – built for mass consumption – little or no individuality. Even the so called “custom” additions -i.e. granite counter-tops, hardwood floors, trim, etc (pickles, onions, ketchup?)- are all mass-produced attempts to satisfy the need to feel “special”. It’s as if we are seeking fulfillment by possessions – externals. I love the comment by Sandra about her “Itty Bitty’ – so perfect. And when her needs changed (with the addition of a child) she choose another home based on those needs, not on how it appeared to others.
Karen’s reaction is so sane – there are always ideas that others have that can be incorporated into personal tastes.There’s always take-aways. No doubt the high ceilinged mansions would be effective in a southern climate where the temperature is always high and the heat rises above the floor. In this climate they are a waste of energy and only a source of show.
I could go on about this, but you get the drift – I’m not a fan of the new McMansions.
Thanks for a great post Mark and your pictures are awesome.
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Even you would like the pool table and home theater in the manageable one-story, Paul. Perhaps.
I get your drift about overkill.
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Hi Mark, just checking to see if this will get to you from a different website. Hoping. After the renovation, which starts in November, I’m going to see if I can get back on WP with the updated phone system and actually keep the blog going for a change. Weebley is okay, but not as user-friendly as WP, so as soon as I get in a renovated apartment, I’ll be back. In the meantime, I’m keeping my skills updated and what’s left of my brain in somewhat working condition.
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It did get to me, Angie. Let me know if the reply gets back to Weebley.
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It didn’t get thru Mark, but I’m still in the process of getting it set up, so the only places I can find the comments right now are possibly on Facebook and Twitter. Sometimes not even there. Weebley is hard to navigate, and until I can figure out all the ins and outs and get them all saved, I’m still in the learning stage, and still trying to decide exactly how I want it to look. I think I have the background I’ll stick with, but then again, I am still trying others out every few days. Just can’t wait for the updated phone service so I can see if that has been my problem with staying on WP. One way or another though, I’ll get back on WP where I don’t have to be a genius to navigate it.
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I only see the one view of the outside, but that’s some sterile landscaping. Give me bushes and ferns and giant, messy trees!
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Oh, you want the mature landscaping package, Ross.
You are correct. New neighborhood, small, neat trees. Nice bushes and sodded lawns, though.
Another tradeoff for new.
As a whole, the area is lived-in. This street has to grow into that feel.
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Ah, new. I get it. I’m a run-down old kind of guy myself.
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Erik and I bought our home when we first got married and were going through our, “why would we want kids” phase. Here we are nearly 10 years later in our cozy Itty Bitty house built in 1938, original electrical, original plumbing, original closet space (ie: 0 closet space). We’ve outgrown the nest. Escrow closes in 10 short days and our home will belong to another family. And yes, I’m blogging instead of packing because I’m blue and procrastination is kinda my thing. I love this dear home but it’s time to move along. Going a bit further northeast just outside of town. Newer neighborhood. Where the plumbing, electrical, roof, and closets haven’t outlived their life expectancy. But the Itty Bitty will always be in my heart. Our neighborhood is so old I feel like we are moving out of the forest and into the meadow. But the new neighborhood is walking distance to one of the best elementary schools rather than the city zoo. Better to walk to school and drive to the zoo, don’t you think?
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Oh, Sandra, what an exciting time in your life! I see the happy and the sad all shaken like a big old martini.
You and Erik obviously had a great decade in your Itty Bitty, memories that can never be taken away. He built you your pond and gave you your sweet Oliva, that wonderful man of yours. You have to leave the plants and water behind, but the child is portable!
I agree, sis, better to walk to school and drive to the zoo. I anticipate many great pictures and stories to come from the meadow. ❤
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Thanks sweet pal. I really needed a lift. I appreciate the perspective. I need to be thankful that we are in a position where we can put her needs at the top of the list and relocate. Muchas gracias hermano mio! xo
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I have done the house walking as well, and have been amazed by the heights of some of the ceilings. Like, who needs all that space and especially where we live, that space will grab all the heat in the winter (heat rises) leaving the actual living space COLD. No thank you. I’ll take my 8 foot ceilings any day. Have a great day, Mark. xx Amy
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One-story living for us, Amy. I like cathedrals in a church. 🙂
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SMILING Me too! LOL xx
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Mark, I worked in real estate sales and marketing for 25 years so you can imagine, I’ve been in a LOT of houses over the years. And I ended up in a 1915 farmhouse in the country. Go figure.
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I can see it from reading your stories, Barbara. I don’t have to go figure at all. 🙂
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I love looking at homes. I am intrigued by the way, the diffetences, of how we all live. I love the eclectic tasyes and visions we have. I’m really enjoying the tiny house movement and have for some time now. But seeing the bigger homes is fun and recreational… because I don’t have to work to clean them. 😉
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Some of these new homes would be a real chore to keep tidy, Colleen. I mean, it would take Karen all of her non-job time to … just joshing. It would take both of us three days of cleaning to live in style the other four days! But it is fun to look and learn. I am happy with our little one. 🙂
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I’m with you and the Dear Wife….I’m not spending three days cleaning! Little house big life.
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I always love seeing how others decorate their houses even if they are way out of my price range. I always try and come up with an affordable version of the decor. If I won the lottery I would buy an old Victorian and spend the rest of my life restoring it! No new house for me! Ahh note to self keep playing the lottery!
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Reading and viewing your uypcycle projects, I know your Victorian will be beautiful! I’m rooting for you to hit the lottery the very week after I do!
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Lovely homes, but I think I prefer the charm of an older home…
Diana xo
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I am currently living in the charm of an older home, Diana, and appreciate it very much. I have never, ever, in my almost 57 years, lived in a brand new home. A tiny piece of me wonders what that would be like. Not for you?
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Mark, I have to admit I do like the sleek lines of modern homes, but part of me questions how well they are made, how long they will last. I’m skeptical about the workmanship.
I have a stove that is 60 years old – it needs fuses for Pete’s sake. Do you think a stove you buy brand new today will last that long? I think people are replacing these items every 7-10 years now. New things don’t seem to be built to last.
What’ are your experiences with this line of thought?
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Sadly, oh, so, sadly, I must agree, Diana.
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wow, it seems like a lot to take in, but it would be fun to walk through and imagine….. just as you describe, i’m sure some houses were very tempting and others, way too much and over the top. great pics that give a good feel for what it was like inside of those big spaces. i love karen’s summary of the changes she’d be making at the end of all of this. priceless.
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Sometimes inside the houses I get a bit carried away with my reaction to the cavernous-ness and earn a little glance from my dear wife Karen, I must confess, Beth.
And there is the chance of getting too comfortable in a media room, too. The best of those this year was playing an Elton John concert and I started singing along to “Sixty Years On” while sitting in the most comfortable leather home chair ever made. I had to be told by somebody next to me it was time to see some other rooms.
And, yes, Karen came away with the perfect decorating idea this year for our house and budget size.
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oh, i totally understand all of that, and so funny. so lucky you and karen have each other for balance )
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We’ve walked through a Parade of Homes in our area too – and some were drool-worthy, while others were so amped up on decor you couldn’t imagine how anyone could ever live there. I enjoyed your post and the pictures a lot..
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If I were the builder, I’d work hard to find the right stager to bring in furniture that allows the house to be the star, Mimi. Except for one room. In the media room, the equipment can’t ever be too inauspicious! And with our tastes (OK, Karen’s tastes) it is not the audacious decor that catches our attention, either. Thanks, friend!
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Nice photos, looks great but a very room to warm up in the winter, I think.
I live now in a rural house and it is really rural. I would like to have a house with water in my pipes always and electricity by kabels and a garden, but maybe not this year. Let us see, what the future may bring.
In old houses there are always something to do and exchange but they also have their own charme.
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Yes, Irene, old houses do hold their own charm. I agree with that. And I agree, every time I look up at the high ceilings of some of these two-story new homes, I wonder about how much energy it takes to heat them in the winter. On the other hand, I know they all have the latest in high-tech windows and insulation, so it may balance out. Thanks for your comment. I hope it works out for you over there in Europe!
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Thanks Mark. I think that you are right with the new windows and isolation.
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Hmmm…I’d like to whittle the shoe collection in the entryway to 6 pairs, replace the busted lampshade in the living room, and fumigate my college daughter’s room. I keep my expectations low. Grateful every day that I even have a home, though.
I’m with you, Mark, the cavernous ones don’t appeal to me, but the one-story homes do. Maybe I should visit the display. Thanks for the report! 🙂
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I totally love the fumigation idea for the college daughter’s room, Ermi. Do you want me to come over and wear one of those mask things? I’m in!
Seriously, I, too, am thankful to have our one-story in Eastwood. Thank you for commenting, neighbor.
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