Archive for May, 2007
Death is No Excuse for Not Paying Your Mortgage
May 16th, 2007 categories: Mortgages & Finance
I couldn’t help myself - Story about a man finding the mummified body of the owner of a home he purchased at a foreclosure auction. She’s been dead for almost 6 years…
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What is an Easement?
May 15th, 2007 categories: Home Buyers, Home Sellers
An easement is defined as:
A right to use the land of another for a specific purpose, such as a right-of-way or for utilities; a nonpossessory interest in the land. - Fundamentals of Real Estate Appraisal
Easements can be temporary or permanent, said to “run with the land.” Examples of easements include:
- –Land owner may have an easement over another property in order to gain access to his/her property, such as in the case of a rear lot.
- –A land owner may also have an easement over another property to gain access to a beach or a boat launch.
- –A developer may require an easement over a neighboring property to gain access to sewer drainage or other public utility such as power lines.
- –A developer or town may require that land be sold with conservation or wetland easements which would restrict the land owner from ever building on that part of the land.
Depending on the type, easements may have little or no effect on the value of a property.
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Newington, CT Assessor’s Property Database
May 14th, 2007 categories: Central Connecticut News & Information
Newington, CT has a searchable property records database on-line. While it’s not as detailed as some other town sites, it is nice to be able to access basic information. For other town databases, go to my post, Websites Every Home Buyer and Seller in Connecticut Should Use.
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Fetch A Friend Adoption Day - May 12, 2007
May 10th, 2007 categories: Pets & People
My three best buddies, Morgan, Obie and Willy.
Perfectly trained (I’m off to the right holding some cheese) and very handsome, all three dogs are rescues. I feel lucky every day to have brought them home and I’m sure they feel lucky to have found a family.
If you have room in your home and heart, on May 12, 2007, the towns of Bloomfield and Windsor will team up to host the first annual Fetch A Friend pet adoption extravaganza during the hours of 10AM-2PM. The event will be held, rain or shine, at the Windsor Commuter lot on Mechanic Street in Windsor (on the campus of Loomis Chaffee School).
Adoptable dogs at the event will be from the Bloomfield and Windsor Animal Shelters and other town shelters including Cromwell, Glastonbury, Manchester, Middletown and West Hartford.
“This is a great opportunity for area residents to come see their town shelter, meet available dogs, and support Animal Control” stated Bloomfield Animal Control Officer, Chris Sparks.
In addition to a cadre of committed canines, there will be entertainment for the whole family including face painting, door prizes, drawings, juggling, and live music from noon to 2PM.
This partnership adoption event will also include nonprofit organizations who will also feature adoptable pets including, Our Companions Domestic Animal Sanctuary, Animals for Life, Sunshine Golden Retriever Rescue and others.
Come out for a fun day and spend some time with dogs that will cherish every moment, lavish you with kisses and steal away your heart. For more information, please contact the Bloomfield Animal Control Department at (860) 242-5501, ext. 450 or visit, www.bloomfieldct.org
I can’t be there (my husband said “no more dogs”) but you may find a special companion of your own.
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Real Estate Reading Room - Wednesday, May 9, 2007
May 9th, 2007 categories: Central Connecticut News & Information
Here are some articles that have caught my eye recently:
Warren Buffet recently said, “The housing market is sick and it’s going to stay sick for a couple of years…” Read what else he has to say about the housing market, oil prices and CEO compensation.
I was recently invited to hear Ralph Nader speak at my former high school. Unfortunately, I couldn’t make it but I did go to his website promoting his new book, “The Seventeen Traditions.” On it, readers are encouraged to write in personal accounts of their family traditions. There are also excerpts from Mr. Nader’s childhood in Connecticut, including his recollection of growing up in Winsted, CT. I spent many summers at Highland Lake in Winsted and his writing brings back some memories. Why mention this in the real estate reading room? Mr. Nader is a well-know advocate of buyer agency and a proponent of change in the real estate industry - see the next article.
I haven’t had a chance to read the Federal Trade Commission/Department of Justice’s entire report on Competition in the Real Estate Brokerage Industry, but one thing does immediately stand out - while real estate brokerage commissions have dropped over the last ten years in percentage points (from 6.1% total in 1991 to 5.02% in 2005), the actual median commission has risen (from $9,389 in 1991 in 2006 dollars to $11,549 in 2005, again in 2006 dollars).
So this has nothing to do with real estate but it affects my business, kind of - Why Satellite Radio Will Fail. I listen to satellite radio every day - Sirius’ “The Chill”, to be precise, is played in my office and it’s just about the best thing going. It’s subtle, easy to listen to, but not in an elevator music sort of way - the music is modern and sometimes a little weird (or does that mean the same thing as modern?). But this article taps into the only issue I have with satellite radio - repetition.
The Guy Who Picks the Best Places to Live. If you ever wondered who compiles all the lists for best places to live in the U.S., the New York Times has your answer.
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