Archive for November, 2008
Thankful for the animals…and for those who save them
November 26th, 2008 categories: Pets & People
I heard this article read on a radio show today but it originally appeared in USAToday. It is an opinion piece called “Thankful for the animals…and for those who save them.”
Animal rescue organizations are going to be facing some tough times with the economy - not only will they struggle to raise money but more pets will be abandoned and killed at shelters.
I don’t like to preach but if you’re considering getting a pet this year or next, please consider adopting a homeless pet or donating (or donating more) to your local rescue organization and/or no-kill shelter.
There are so many wonderful, faithful pets who will appreciate the second chance you’re giving them - pets like Nigel (see Take Me Home on right).
| Discussion: No Comments »
Is Real Estate Ever Worth Nothing?
November 25th, 2008 categories: Central Connecticut News & Information, Real Estate Market
I was watching Morning Joe today. Fill-in co-host, Chuck Todd, said something I’ve heard before - that some homes are worth nothing.
I can think of few instances where a home could be worth nothing.
Nuclear waste spill. Located on earthquake fault line. Maybe.
Even this instance, where a woman paid $1.75 for an abandoned home in Saginaw Michigan. That seems ridiculous to people in CT where our median home price is around $240,000 but in Saginaw, the median sales price is about $76,000, according to Zillow. Given the state of the economy in Michigan. $1.75 seems about right (the buyer also has to pay some back taxes).
People will always need a place to live. There is a finite supply of land. The population keeps growing.
Sure, real estate can go down in value because of the economy, too many homes on the market, not enough buyers, mortgages harder to obtain, catastrophic events like 9/11, etc. But it’s hardly ever worth nothing.
| Discussion: No Comments »
Some Short Sellers Are Real Turkeys
November 24th, 2008 categories: Home Sellers
It hit me as I pulled into the driveway of a home that was listed as a short sale.
Parked in that driveway were 4 cars - two of them nicer than my own. This is the home of a seller who is strapped for cash? Who can’t pay the bank what is owed?
Then I see the house - filled with gadgets like a flat screen TV, the box for an iPhone, a computer, and almost 100 brand new pairs of Nike Air Jordans stacked in a bedroom in their original boxes and wrapped in plastic - probably worth more than what the owners will owe the bank.
Busy shopping, the owners have left the house in serious need of repair. Just who is supposed to pick up after their financial mess? Am I actually supposed to feel sorry for someone who treats their sneakers better than their biggest asset?
Misplaced priorities. Poor decisions. Lack of respect for money and homeownership. These are the real problems facing the real estate market.
I can’t help but compare this house with many others I’ve seen owned by senior citizens. On fixed incomes and with few luxuries, the typical senior citizen treats their home with the care and respect a home deserves.
When working with a new client, I often say that they would be lucky to find a home lived in and cared for by a senior citizen because you can bet everything is in great condition - although maybe out-of-style.
Then I think of my grandmother who bought everything she owned from a second hand store and was too poor to buy her own home but treated her tiny rental apartment like it was the Taj Mahal.
We must regain our respect for the privilege of owning a piece of a real estate (because it can only be obtained through saving, hard work or birthright) and that by owning real estate, we make a promise to ourselves, the bank and our community that we are going to take care of it - better than we care for a lousy pair of sneakers.
Gobble. Gobble.
| Discussion: No Comments »
Are We Headed for a Recession Crime Wave?
November 20th, 2008 categories: Central Connecticut News & Information, Home Owners
Back in October, the New York Times had an article called “Keeping Wary Eye on Crime as Economy Sinks.” For anyone who remembers New York City in the 80s and early 90s (I almost went to NYU in 1992 - almost), the idea that we could return to a time of higher crime rates is unsettling.
Is it any coincidence that Hoffman Guns, just a few doors down from my office on the Berlin Turnpike in Newington just opened a newer and larger store and that the lot is always full? Gun sales are up and while some may attribute that to the Obama’s election and possibly tighter gun laws, I think it has just as much to do with the downturn in the economy.
From the New York Times article,
“Every recession since the late ’50s has been associated with an increase in crime and, in particular, property crime and robbery, which would be most responsive to changes in economic conditions,” said Richard Rosenfeld, a sociologist at the University of Missouri-St. Louis. Typically, he said, “there is a year lag between the economic change and crime rates.”
In addition, Ken Gronbach, a Connecticut ad man turn demographer, predicted this crime wave years ago in his book, Common Census. In 2007, Gronbach posted his predictions on his blog and one of them was a crime wave due to the huge numbers of Generation Y young men coming of age with nothing to do.
From his blog,
“…a crime wave, owing to the repopulating of a segment of unemployed high risk young men in the crime committing age of fifteen to thirty. We are seeing increasing evidence of this now. This is not an anomaly. This is a trend. Generation Y, now twenty-two years old and under, will be the largest generation in the history of the United States. The peak of this generation is currently seventeen years old. It will fill the prime crime committing age of fifteen to thirty with more idle high risk young men than this nation has ever seen. It will become very difficult to live safely in the Nation’s cities. “
Burglaries are likely to be on the rise - whether you attribute it to the economy or the changing demographics. Buying a gun doesn’t suit everyone but there are several things you can do to deter burglars at your home, for example getting a dog (or just getting some dog supplies to make it seem like you have a dog), adding exterior lighting, and trimming back bushes.
Click here to receive the full free report on improving your home’s security - just type “Security” in the message.
| Discussion: 3 Comments »
Median Sales Price and Days on Market By Town in Connecticut
November 18th, 2008 categories: Central Connecticut News & Information, Real Estate Market
Median Sales Price, Number of Sales and Average Days on Market by Town for Hartford County Connecticut.
How does October compare to the first, second and third quarters?
| Discussion: No Comments »
