Archive for the 'Talking Real Estate' Category
What Everybody Ought to Know About Their Credit and FICO Score
July 1st, 2008 categories: Buying Your House, For Agents, Talking Real Estate
We’ve all been reading the headlines shouting about the mortgage crisis, sub-prime loans and that home buyers can’t get loans to buy their dream home. I can’t say for Nevada or Florida, but in Fairfield County, those headlines are a load of bunk! I’m still selling real estate in Ridgefield and other towns where buyers are financing 95% of their purchase!
How?… you wonder… it’s their credit score. A good credit score is the key that unlocks the door to low down payments. opening that door becomes much easier when you understand exactly what determines your FICO score.
The company that created FICO, Fair Isaac, has a FREE eBook you must read so you can really understand what a 785 means or how opening a Macy’s charge will affect your score. Download and read Understanding Your FICO Score to learn all you need to know about your credit score.
Then, check out AnnualCreditReport.com to get you free credit report from the big 3 reporting agencies.
Brad and I keep relationships with the best mortgage providers in Connecticut. We’ll help get you the financing you need to buy your perfect home. We are always available to help in any way we can. Contact us anytime.
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How You Can Profit From Getting Rid of Your Junk
June 24th, 2008 categories: Green Living, Redding, Ridgefield, Selling Your House, Talking Real Estate, Wilton
You’ve decided to sell, you’re moving or you just need to clear some junk out of your house. Living in Ridgefield, I can tell you how to do it quickly, easily and profitably. I help all of my real estate clients clean-out their homes and ready them for sale. Here’s 4 ways to make it easy and profitable. I love this stuff so CALL ME to help you with any of this! 203-313-0414
Craigslist - I use craigslist to sell mostly oversized or bulky items that are tough to ship. Price items to sell quickly, not to make a huge profit and they’ll be gone in a day or 2. Remember, your primary goal is to rid your house of all the stuff you no longer need or use. When moving last year, I sold a sleeper sofa, several old dressers, bikes and more on Craigslist. And the best part is, people show up, pay you and take your stuff away…. easy money!
Freecycle - Free/Recycle… “Freecycle”. It’s a national network of freecyclers with a growing local presence. I’ve been hearing more about Freecycle lately but haven’t yet tried it myself. The idea is if you’ve got something that’s still within it’s useful life but you need to get rid of it, say an old Laz-y-Boy, a washer/dryer or garden tools, there’s someone out there that will take it for their own use. This gets it out of your house and keeps it out of the landfill; very environmentally friendly. Although you get no cash for your stuff, you get it removed for free.
eBay - I use eBay mostly for things of relatively high value that are easy to ship. I’ve sold used mp3 players, cell phones, cameras and more on eBay with little effort and much success. You can set your own price or run an auction. Either way it helps you clear out your attic or basement of old video cameras, telescopes, toys, shoes, clothes and more.
Goodwill - Donate items at Goodwill. Goodwill Industries has convenient drop-off locations throughout the area and can even be called on to pick up furniture and other large items. Here’s a reliable way to donate items and they’ll also give you a receipt for your taxes.
The Dump - When all else fails, take it to the local transfer station. For a fee, you can drop most anything. The trouble is you do all the work and then pay for the privilege of filling a landfill with your old couch. This is usually my last option but they are always ready to take whatever I’m getting rid of.
Remember, I am always available to help you use any of these websites. Together we can get your house de-cluttered and put some cash in your pocket!
Related Posts on Real Estate Chocolate:
- Now You Can Have Local Organic Food and Live Healthier in Ridgefield
- 4 Ways to Live Clean and Green in Ridgefield, CT
- Home Sellers: Don’t Make This Mistake!
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Ridgefield’s Eco-B&B Green Rocks Inn: It Rocks!
June 16th, 2008 categories: Eat, Drink and Be Amused, Green Living, Ridgefield, Talking Real Estate
An ever growing number of people have transformed parts of their lifestyle to be more conscious of sustainability and our environment. So when you travel to the region, there’s no need to leave these good habits at home. In fact, now when you visit family and friends in Fairfield (CT) and Westchester (NY) Counties, you can bring all these important habits with you and even pick up some new ones while staying at Ridgefield’s own Green Rocks Inn.
Green Rocks Inn in Ridgefield, CT
As explained in yesterday’s New York Times article, House Won’t Sell? Turn It Into a B&B, homeowners Kim and Barbara became proprietors of their B&B after Brad (my partner on Real Estate Chocolate) floated the idea. What an ingenious way to benefit from a somewhat shifted Ridgefield real estate market and take a home that was slow in selling and turn it into a lifestyle dream come true.
The region’s best B&B is known as much for its hospitality as it is for it’s eco-friendly approach. On her blog, Kim maintains a list of more that 35 ways she keeps her inn green including composting, buying wind-generated electricity, and paperless billing. They also hosted last month’s Green Drinks and have sponsored the Ridgefield Farmers Market.
When traveling to Ridgefield or if you live here and need a place for family and friends to stay, count on the Green Rocks Inn for hospitality, service and an environmentally friendly approach to doing business.
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Ridgefield, CT Real Estate Market Report: Home Sales June 2008
June 10th, 2008 categories: Market Data & Statistics, Ridgefield, Talking Real Estate
Ridgefield Real Estate Market Commentary
May brought us into Ridgefield’s Spring real estate selling season. We continue to see a decline in the number of closed transactions from the previous year, down by almost half compared to May, 2007 and down about 35% year-to-date. After a few months of decline, one measure of price levels, price-per-square-foot, has rebounded to $287 on average - back in line with historical levels of the past couple of years. . Buyers are still in control but they are generally taking a long time to make decisions and are most nervous about a market decline. Although sales are down, luckily Ridgefield has not experienced a huge erosion in property values mostly due to how desirable people find the town. Great schools, proximity to New York City, many employers and corporations within a manageable drive and overall property values (AND TAXES) that remain extremely attractive compared to Westchester County and lower Fairfield County towns like Darien and New Canaan.
The savvy buyers are taking advantage of current market conditions (lower prices, GREAT SELECTION) to “trade up” to a more expensive house for themselves and their families. They are realize that they might have to “give a little” on the sale side but “make it up in spades” on their purchase. Read this Time Magazine article: Ignore the Headlines.
The question most often heard from buyers is about their new house maintaining value in the short term. My view on this is that you can’t “day trade” houses like you can try to do with stocks. Prices will fluctuate up and down in the short term but history has totally proven that in the medium to long term (say 3-4 years plus), real estate will reliably return above average investment gains. And while your asset appreciates, you can also LIVE IN IT! You can’t live in a stock certificate, can you?
Related Posts
- Home Sales Roundup - Ridgefield, Redding and Wilton CT Real Estate - May 2008
- How Some Officially Reported Data is Misleading and Why You Need to Know the Truth
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Real Estate Profile: Ridgefield’s West Mountain Estates Neighborhood
May 28th, 2008 categories: Market Data & Statistics, Recent Transactions, Ridgefield, Talking Real Estate
West Mountain Estates is another of Ridgefield’s most sought-after neighborhoods. The original 160 acre estate was purchased by well-known Ridgefield homebuilder Jerry Tuccio in 1959. Tuccio subdivided the property and the home building began in the mid 70’s and continued into the mid 80’s. Most West Mountain homes are traditional New England colonials with some ranch style homes mixed in. A few luxury homes have been added over the years including one just being finished on Calvary Court. One of the homes dating back from the original estate houses the Stone Ridge Manor bed and breakfast.
Sometimes called Eleven Levels (for the main road running through the sub-division), West Mountain Estates is very conveniently located on the west side of Ridgefield, close to town and near the New York border. This westside location makes it very desirable for those commuting to Westchester (Pepsi, IBM, and more).
One of the most popular amenities of the West Mountain neighborhood is the community Recreation Center. This outdoor facility springs to life each year on Memorial Day. The beautifully maintained facility sports an olympic-size outdoor pool, tennis courts, basketball courts, baseball diamond and soccer field. See the pictures below.
West Mountain Estates Neighborhood Schools:
Here’s what’s currently on the market in West Mountain Estates:
Click Here to View Listings
West Mountain Estates Homes Sold Since 2005
| Year | Avg. Sold Price | Avg. Number of Acres | Avg. Square Feet | Avg. $/SqFt | # of Transactions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | $1,517,775 | 1.89 | 4731 | $313 | 6 |
| 2006 | $987,750 | 1.60 | 3346 | $299 | 4 |
| 2007 | $1,089,000 | 1.15 | 4084 | $265 | 5 |
| 2008 | $820,000 | 1.21 | 3155 | $259 | 1 |
West Mountain
| Closed Date | Address | Sold Price | Style | Number of Acres | Square Feet | $/SqFt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5/4/2005 | 75 ARMAND RD | $1,209,000 | Colonial | 2.04 | 3562 | $339.42 |
| 7/12/2005 | 23 SHARP HILL LN | $1,015,150 | Colonial | 2.09 | 3470 | $292.55 |
| 8/17/2005 | 7 ELEVEN LEVELS RD | $1,680,000 | Colonial | 1 | 5307 | $316.56 |
| 10/8/2005 | 5 SHARP HILL LN | $937,500 | Colonial | 2.07 | 3300 | $284.09 |
| 10/31/2005 | 12 WILD TURKEY CT | $2,950,000 | Colonial | 2 | 8000 | $368.75 |
| 11/1/2005 | 21 ARMAND RD | $1,315,000 | Colonial | 2.16 | 4748 | $276.96 |
| 6/30/2006 | 63 ELEVEN LEVELS RD | $929,000 | Contemporary | 1.24 | 3769 | $246.48 |
| 7/28/2006 | 99 ARMAND RD | $1,185,000 | Colonial | 2.02 | 3141 | $377.27 |
| 9/7/2006 | 8 TRAILS END LN | $985,000 | Colonial | 2.08 | 3054 | $322.53 |
| 12/1/2006 | 19 ELEVEN LEVELS RD | $852,000 | Contemporary | 1.06 | 3421 | $249.05 |
| 3/2/2007 | 7 ELEVEN LEVELS RD | $1,600,000 | Colonial | 1 | 5300 | $301.89 |
| 6/22/2007 | 29 OLD WAGON RD | $930,000 | Colonial | 1.21 | 3383 | $274.90 |
| 7/31/2007 | 105 ELEVEN LEVELS RD | $965,000 | Colonial | 1.15 | 3358 | $287.37 |
| 9/17/2007 | 68 ELEVEN LEVELS RD | $1,100,000 | Colonial | 1.24 | 4246 | $259.07 |
| 10/1/2007 | 3 OLD WAGON RD | $850,000 | Ranch | 1.17 | 4132 | $205.71 |
| 2/29/2008 | 90 ELEVEN LEVELS RD | $820,000 | Contemporary | 1.21 | 3155 | $259.90 |
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Related Posts:
- Real Estate Profile: Ridgefield’s Twin Ridge Neighborhood
- Getting To Know The Ridgebury Community of Ridgefield
- 6 Reasons Why South Ridgefield Is Such A Popular Place To Live
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