Courtesy Northern Living
By Christine Graf
Northern Living and Lake George Design have relocated offices to 1849 Route 9 in Lake George. The vacation rental, property management and interior design businesses are owned by Katelyn Moskos and her husband, John.
In 2016, the couple depleted their savings in order to purchase and renovate their first short-term rental property on Lake George. At the time, Moskos was working in hospitality management, and her husband was a medical sales rep.
“Because I had been working in hospitality management for quite some time, I saw the potential and demand for vacation rentals,” said CEO Moskos. “It was risky. Very risky. This was before Airbnb’s and VRBO’s became what they are today. I jumped in head first and it was sink or swim. I had no choice but to swim.”
Today, they own seven lakefront rental properties and manages 36 additional properties. Northern Living offers high-end rentals and markets its property management services to people who own second homes in the Lake George region.
Moskos started out with one employee and worked out of her Queensbury home. Today, she has a staff of more than 25 year-round employees. That number exceeds 50 during the busy summer months. Her husband joined the company full time in 2018 and serves as head of maintenance.
In addition to Northern Living, the rental and property management arm of the business, Moskos also owns Lake George Design, an interior design company. She works with customers who want to purchase second homes in the area to use as short-term rental properties.
“After they narrow it down to one or two homes, I meet up with them and their realtor and look at the home and give them the projected rental income that we can generate for them,” she said. “I give them the ideas of what to do to make that home their home. I also give them advice on where to put each dollar in order to get a better return on their investment. I can advise them on things like what size beds to put in and what type of amenities the renters are looking for.”
Many of her clients renovate the properties that they purchase, and Moskos is involved every step of the way. In addition to reviewing blueprints and working with contractors, she accompanies clients to retail showrooms to assist with the selection of fixtures and furniture. For those who don’t want to shop themselves, she offers them several options to choose from.
In October, Lake George Design and Northern Living relocated from a small leased space, a former bait and tackle shop, to a 4,000-square-foot building that was previously a dental office.
The property was completely gutted and remodeled to accommodate the growing operation. It is also home to Adirondack Kayak Co., a business that the Moskos’ added to their portfolio two years ago. The company rents kayaks, canoes, and paddleboards.
“We started out just renting to our guests and had them delivered to the home prior to arrival and picked up after departure,” she said. “Recently, we opened it up to the public as well.”
In addition to renting water sports equipment at the new location, the office is open to the public. Customers can stop in to review vacation rental inventory and book vacations.
As Moskos looks to the future, she is focused on managing the company’s growth. She takes pride in the fact that sixty-five percent of their rental clients have rented properties multiple times.
“I don’t want to get too big. We are growing so rapidly, but I want to keep the same quality,” she said. “I don’t have a game plan. I’m letting the industry tell me what it needs, and I see that there are many areas in the company that have potential to grow—things we can offer than don’t exist in the area.”
The company websites can be found at www.northernlivingny.com and www.lakegeorgedesign.com.