West Main Street

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I’ll live my entire life without buying Waterworks tile. I have dabbled with buying a Waterworks faucet or two, but even in that I’ve backed off in the later innings of those financial games. Waterworks tile is beautiful, and it isn’t that I don’t wish to someday have some of it under my feet and on the walls of my someday shower, it’s just that I know myself rather well. I will never, ever, be able or willing to pay the price that this tile commands.

There’s also very little chance that I ever install a pool at my house. I have plenty of room, and several visitors have asked, mostly in jest, where I plan to plant the pool. If I did put in a pool, I’d probably put in some sort of knock-off pool, a rigid plastic form that hides under the water, so as not to reveal its true composition. I’d probably never pay the sort of fees necessary to install a really beautiful pool. Less the pool itself, and more the landscaping and surround work that must accompany such a pool. I’d maybe swing the pool itself, and then put old plastic lawn chairs on top of my gravel surround. These are the reasons you don’t really want to buy a house that I own.

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For the same reasons that I am not a great home seller, this property you see today is owned by a couple who is, indeed, a fantastic home seller. In the world of real estate, it’s often left unconsidered the sort of person a buyer is buying from. We look at the real estate, and we surmise value and we either move forward to acquire it or we move on to the next one, rarely considering who owns the home in question. It goes like this: Would you like to buy a home from a cheapskate who puts tape over the broken things, or would you prefer to buy from the sort of owner who spends much time contemplating which shade of Waterworks tile should be installed on the shower wall of the guest bath? Exactly.

I don’t really need to write all of the ways that this remarkable Lake Geneva vacation home surpasses most every other off-water home in this market. The pictures do a fine job telling this story. I want to call this house a cottage, because it feels sort of like one, but it lacks cottagey deficiencies, which elevates it from pure cottage form to some greater level of home, one with cottage elements and charm, yes, but it has all of that and so much more sophistication that might need to be seen to be understood. The property is part of Lake Geneva Manor, and it’s a very short walk from downtown Lake Geneva. There’s a large stone wall that separates this home from the rest of the world, and once inside that gate you’re treated to a setting that’s more resort like than summer cottage-ish.

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Inside, the home has three bedrooms, three finished living areas, a fireplace, a poolside sunroom, and two kitchens- perfect for preparing poolside fare. The bathrooms have been, as I mentioned, lavishly upgraded. The home itself feels like a finely polished jewel box, with nothing left undone. But the true magic of this home is in the lush landscape, the way that the terraced gardens create a decidedly luxurious oasis. The saltwater pool is accented by a massive outdoor fireplace, and as someone who has sat near that fireplace during an evening party, I can attest to its transformative qualities.

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The home is listed at $1.095MM, and it offers value far below actual cost. If you like the idea of lake access through Geneva Manor, combined with an overwhelmingly charming home, wrapped inside a impeccably landscaped shell, this is for you. If, however, you hate the finer things in life, and you hate pretty things, and you definitely can’t stand high end fit and finish, then I hear Paw Paw lake calling your name.

About the Author

I'm David Curry. I write this blog to educate and entertain those who subscribe to the theory that Lake Geneva, Wisconsin is indeed the center of the real estate universe. When I started selling real estate 27 years ago I did so of a desire to one day dominate the activity in the Lake Geneva vacation home market. With over $800,000,000 in sales since January of 2010, that goal is within reach. If I can help you with your Lake Geneva real estate needs, please consider me at your service. Thanks for reading.

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