Archive for March, 2008
4 Ways to Live Clean and Green in Ridgefield, CT
March 31st, 2008 categories: Green Living, Ridgefield, Talking Real Estate
Live clean, live green! Ridgefield’s First Selectman Rudy Marconi sees protecting our environment as a top priority. Rudy’s many town-wide initiatives include converting 20% of our town’s energy use to “clean energy” by 2010, requiring all town departments to use available recycled products for construction, repair and maintenance and the creation of RACE. Ridgefield is quickly becoming Connecticut’s #1 town to embrace sustainability and smart living.
4 Ways to Live Green in Ridgefield
- Recycle: Did you know that curbside recycling is 3 times less effective than dropping recyclables at the Ridgefield Recycling Center? The recycling center accepts many types of materials that will not be recycled curbside. In fact, if you place just 1 “wrong item” in your blue bin, your hauler will likely just dump the entire bin in with the trash and recycle nothing. Your efforts are wasted and all your recyclables end up the landfill. Instead, many Ridgefielders choose to bring their recyclables to the town recycling center on South St. Learn more about recycling in Ridgefield at the HRRA website.
Compost: Composting at home is a great way to keep unnecessary bio-degradable garbage out of the trash stream and make terrific nutrient-rich soil for your garden at the same time. Put all of your vegetable cuttings, banana peels and more into the compost bin and make your own “black gold”. - RACE: join the folks at the Ridgefield Action Committee for the Environment. Commissioned by Rudy in 2006, RACE educates the town on environmental issues and sustainability like clean energy and anti-idling. RACE has created the Clean Energy Challenge and has forged relationships with like-minded people in neighboring town.
- Clean Energy: Ridgefielders can chose to have Clean Energy delivered right to their home. By selecting the “clean energy option”, each of us can use electricity generated from clean, renewable sources like wind and water. Click here to sign up.
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The Raw Deal! Top 5 Sushi Restaurants around Ridgefield, Redding & Wilton, CT
March 27th, 2008 categories: Cultural Resources, Eat, Drink and Be Amused, Redding, Ridgefield, Wilton
The Ridgefield, Redding and Wilton area has some great sushi restaurants! I’ve been a sushi lover since I was twelve and I’ve dined at the best and most famous Sushi joints around the world: New York, Sydney, Hong Kong and Los Angeles. Living in Connecticut, I’ve found some of the best restaurants serving sushi:
1) Ichiro Japanese Restaurant 69 Newtown Rd Danbury, CT 06810 (203) 792-8881
This is my personal favorite sushi restaurant in the area. It used to be a diner and is located near the Walmart on Newtown Road in Danbury. What a surprise! When you walk in, you forget that you walked into a former diner, and are greeted by some of friendliest folks in the restaurant business. You can either choose to eat in the Hibachi area (also very good) or at the regular restaurant with a Sushi Bar. The fish is fresh and the portions are sizable! The rolls are creative and the prices are very reasonable, which makes Ichiro this blogger’s top pick!
2) Koo Restaurant 470 Main Street, Ridgefield, CT 06877- (203) 431-8838
Either grab a seat at the bar (The bartender, John is the best in Fairfield County!) or eat at the sushi bar or at a table. This innovative, trendy, Japanese fusion restaurant serves the freshest and most interesting array of Sushi in the area! Bring a suitcase full of cash, though…it ain’t cheap!
3) Mannen Japanese Restaurant 15 Danbury Rd, Ridgefield, CT - 203-438-8727
This Ridgefield favorite serves Japanese and Chinese food that is consistently good. They also deliver within Ridgefield, which makes it very convenient. The Sushi is always fresh and the portions are ample. Just like a Old Faithful, you can always rely on Mannen.,
4) Panda House 93 Mill Plain Rd, Danbury, CT 06811 - (203) 743-6080
Just north of the Ridgebury section of Ridgefield in Danbury, this Chinese/Japanese combo serves up some good, fresh fish in a clean and convenient environment. Their Chinese food is by far the best this side of the George Washington Bridge! You just can’t go wrong at Panda House!
5) Taipei Tokyo 15 Backus Ave, Danbury,CT 06810 - 203-792-8888
If you’ve shopped till you drop at the Danbury Fair Mall and need a Sushi fix, drop into Taipei Tokyo just next store in The Christmas Tree Shops shopping center. This is a good old fashion Japanese/Chinese combo restaurant that serves consistently good food. Nothing truly special, but convenient, reasonable and friendly.
Rate and review these additional restaurants that serve Sushi in the area:
Sakura Japanese Restaurant 203-222-0802 • 680 Post Rd East, Westport,CT 06880
Kabuki Japanese Steak House 39 Lake Avenue Ext, Danbury,CT - 203-744-6885
Empire Szechuan 113 Danbury Rd, Ridgefield - (203) 431-0488
Sushi Koshi 15 River Rd, Wilton,CT 203-761-6770
Leave us a comment below and tell us what you like!
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How Some Officially Reported Data is Misleading and Why You Need to Know the Truth
March 24th, 2008 categories: Buying Your House, For Agents, Market Data & Statistics, Ridgefield, Selling Your House, Talking Real Estate
I am about to share with you one of most important, yet most elusive, real estate market statistic: Days-On-Market (DOM).
No one can miss the media hype about crashing real estate markets, the sub-prime lending mess, and foreclosures. What we’ve seen here in the current Ridgefield, CT real estate market, however, doesn’t really match any one of these headlines.
The Ridgefield real estate market has not crashed, in fact we conducted 3.7% more sales in 2007 than in 2006 with just a minor softening of prices. The sub-prime mortgage situation has only indirectly effected our business in that lenders now require more documentation from borrowers. And we’ve only seen a handful of foreclosure sales, nothing extraordinary.
So what has changed? It can’t be business as usual, can it?
The biggest change I’ve seen in the current Ridgefield real estate market is that it’s taking longer for homes to sell. How much longer? Well most agents can’t really tell you.
Anyone can share with you what’s reported in the MLS. On this measure, though, the MLS-reported DOM is misleading, absolutely useless. Let me explain.
- The MLS calculates DOM based on each particular listing.
- The MLS “resets the DOMO meter” when the seller change agents.
- Many Agents game the system by re-listing the same property multiple times thereby constantly resetting the DOM meter.
As far as I know, we are the only real estate office in Ridgefield that calculates the True DOM. It takes a lot of effort and skill but we do it because it is such an important market indicator. We want to be certain that you (buyers and sellers) have the most important, most up-to-date and most accurate market data available on which to base your real estate decisions.
True Days-On-Market
| Year | Average ACTUAL # Days on Market TRUE DOM | Average DOM per MLS |
|---|---|---|
| 2007 | 211 | 99 |
| 2006 | 157 | 84 |
| 2005 | 116 | 66 |
The real story shows a market time much longer than “officially reported”. Sellers need to use the real numbers to set expectations and adjust listing prices. Buyers must be aware of a property’s entire listing history not just the current listing and what is reported on the MLS listing sheet.
The Kimmelman-Gutman Group believes that we must be real estate market masters for our clients. Dig deep into the data, understand it, be the local real estate economist. Only then can we provide you the best service and value. Contact us if you’d like to learn more.
Related Posts:
- Grab your Pick Ax Now! Why You Need to Mine Nuggets From Ridgefield’s Mountain of MLS Data
- How Is The Ridgefield, CT Real Estate Market?
- Why 2007 Was A Great Year for Ridgefield, CT Real Estate
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8 Steps to Buying the Perfect Connecticut Home - First Time Home Buyers Listen Up!
March 19th, 2008 categories: Buying Your House, Talking Real Estate
Here’s the game plan that guarantees success. Follow these 8-steps to be assured you’ll get the best home at the best price. It’s hard work, but you’ve got a team of professionals to see you through to the goal line.
Find a REALTOR you can trust…
The First Step… There are many Real Estate Buyers Agents out there, but how do you weed through them all to find the right one to work with? Real Estate Chocolate is a good place to start. If you are reading this, you have found a team of Real Estate professionals who are dedicated to helping buyers find just the right home and have the knowledge, experience and skills to get the job done. Whether or not it is the Kimmelman-Gutman Group who assists you, choosing a qualified Buyer’s Agent who you can trust, is the first step in the home-buying process. It is your agent’s job to make sure that all of your needs are met and will represent you through the entire process of buying your new home.
Getting Pre-Approved
This is one of the most important steps in the home buying process. In order to submit an offer, you will need to meet with a lender and get a mortgage pre-approval. In fact, do this now so it’s in your file and ready to go. If you do not already have a lender that you would like to work with, we can introduce you to several mortgage professionals who can give you information about your approval and explain the financing options available to you.
Consulting Session
Before we actually go out looking at homes in your price range, we must gather the important information necessary to help us choose the homes that most closely meet your needs. In our initial consulting session, we discuss the features you most desire in your new home as well as locate the best area that suits your needs.
The Home Search Begins
Once we’ve established the type of home, and the exact features you’re searching for, it’s time to begin looking at houses….the fun part! We can be available anytime, by appointment, to help you find your dream home.
Making and Offer On Your Home
When you find your dream home, you should present a competitive offer immediately. As your Buyers Agent, we have extensive experience in price and contract negotiations; we will ensure that you get the home you want for the best price possible, at terms that work for you.
The Accepted Offer
Once the seller accepts your offer, you want to make sure that every detail is handled quickly and accurately. Time is of the essence. We can ensure that your home closes properly and on time… that’s what we do.
Inspections
The home inspection is an important part of the final negotiation process. The inspector will go over your new home paying attention to the details, looking for issues with systems, the environment, and the structure of the home. The report will include all of his findings, both positive and negative, so any item can be negotiated and agreed on BEFORE contract signing.
Signing the Loan Documents
At the closing, you will be required to sign the loan (mortgage) documents finalizing the lender’s commitment. Be prepared to bring your cashier’s check, insurance binder, and driver’s license to the closing. Once this is done…
The Home Is YOURS!
After the closing, the deed is recorded on the town land records and you’re ready to move into your new home!
Related Posts:
- 16 Home Buying Secrets You Need to Know Before You Purchase
- Why Buying a House in Today’s Real Estate Market is Like Shopping at SYMS
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Wilton, CT Real Estate - Home Sales Market Report: March 2008
March 16th, 2008 categories: Buying Your House, Market Data & Statistics, Selling Your House, Talking Real Estate, Wilton
In the Wilton real estate market, February single-family closings show a drop from Feb. 2007 (from 16 to 11) continuing the trend from last month. Brad and I did, however, notice a recent flurry of buyers out to look at properties with several coming forth with reasonable offers. Even with lousy weather the past 3 weekends (snow, snow, then rain), buyers are consistently viewing our listings.
My buyers have seen mortgage rates increase over the past few weeks so make certain that you discuss “rate locks” with your mortgage professional. Even with this rate increase, home buyers are still enjoying some of the cheapest money in history. We’ve probably seen the bottom of the mortgage rate curve for this cycle; it’s unknown how home prices will react. Buyers must keep in mind that even if prices continue to soften, rising rates will more than wipe out whatever might have been gained by waiting.
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