Archive for April, 2009
2 Bedroom Homes Not Always Harder to Sell in Central CT
April 29th, 2009 categories: Central Connecticut News & Information, Home Buyers, Home Sellers
Have you ever heard someone say that 2 bedroom homes are harder to sell than 3 bedroom homes? While it can be true, like everything else in real estate the answer really is “it depends.”
Take a look at the following chart, comparing # of bedrooms in homes that have sold in the last year in West Hartford, Glastonbury and Newington.
2 bedroom homes in Newington and Glastonbury took less time to sell than homes with more bedrooms. And in all towns, 2 bedroom homes sold for more per square foot than homes with more bedrooms.
The average sales price is lower for 2 bedroom homes but so is the average square footage. The lower average price probably helps homes to sell faster, given that first time buyers are the market right now.
Another reason 2 bedroom homes may not be so hard to sell after all is that they make up such a small percentage of the market. 3 and 4 bedroom homes are the norm. So, less competition.
2 bedroom homes also are a viable entry into a very desirable town when condominiums are hard to find or not what the buyer is looking for.
What can make a 2 bedroom home harder to sell is number of bedrooms relative to size and price. If you’re selling a 2 bedroom home in West Hartford for what 3 bedroom homes are selling for just because the square footage is there, you can expect to sell it for less. Location and condition will also play a major part.
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Need a Realtor? Ask Another Realtor.
April 24th, 2009 categories: Home Buyers, Home Sellers
I’m a Realtor. I know stuff about real estate. I also know stuff about Realtors and what it takes to be a good Realtor. I can read through Realtor b.s. faster than a hot knife cutting through butter.
Since I can’t be everywhere all the time, I make it my business to know other Realtors who know as much as I do and who are also good Realtors. And because I don’t know Realtors in every corner of the world, I know how to go about looking for a good Realtor. I know what questions to ask, what are good answers and what type of client they’d work with best.
Why? Because sometimes friends/friends of friends, cousins of friends, next door neighbors to cousins friends call and ask me if I know a good Realtor outside of area of expertise. Sometimes I have dealt with a person professionally, have met them at an event or know them virtually. Other times, I have to do a little research and interview them over the phone.
If you’re looking for a Realtor and someone you trust worked with a Realtor they liked but who is not in the area you want to buy or sell in, don’t hesitate to call them. If they’re any good, they’ll value the relationship they have with the person who referred them to you and will help you find a person just as good as they are.
Not only does it save you time and effort, you’re likely to get superior service. Realtors hold each other accountable and know what good service looks like. When I refer someone to another agent, I check in to make sure the client is happy. If they’re not, heads roll.
Next time you’re looking to hire an agent, try asking another Realtor for their help.
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Is the Real Estate Market Rebounding? Or is the Bottom Still Out There?
April 22nd, 2009 categories: Home Buyers, Real Estate Market
The real estate market is rebounding and recovery is near! The real estate market is dead and won’t rebound until 2020! What’s the truth? It depends who you ask…
Here are some of the articles behind those headlines:
Why a 50% Drop in Housing is Not the Bottom
Why Houses Look Better and Better
Spring Has Sprung, But Will CT Home Sellers Feel the Warmth
I still think median sales prices in Connecticut will continue to slide over the next year, perhaps longer, before settling into a steady groove where they’ll stay for a few more years. But mortgage rates are incredibly low, incentives are abundant and there are houses to choose from, home buyers still think it makes sense to own their own home.
And for many people it does…if you’d rather own than rent, if you can afford it and you want to live in a better house or neighborhood. The point is, make the decision on your own. You’re the one paying the mortgage.
You may also enjoy reading:
Hartford County Median Sales Price Continues Slide in March
How Can It Always Be a Good Time to Buy Real Estate?
How Soon is Now? by Morrissey
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Hartford County Median Home Sales Price Continues Slide in March - Pending Sales Up
April 16th, 2009 categories: Central Connecticut News & Information, Real Estate Market
The current real estate market in Hartford County continues to be filled with mixed signals.
The median single family home price in Hartford County dropped to $200,000. But compared to January and February of 2009, both the number of closed and pending sales are up.
Compared to the previous 5 years, overall market activity is way down but first time homebuyers are out there looking. I’m talking to a lot of first time home buyers so if your house would likely appeal to them, now is a great time to sell and trade up into a larger 2nd home.
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Faith Kilburn and Her 18 Dogs Lose Most Recent Battle With West Hartford
April 14th, 2009 categories: Central Connecticut News & Information, Pets & People
Faith Kilburn is the owner of 18 (formerly 22) shih tzu dogs and she lives in West Hartford, CT. The problem is West Hartford has an ordinance restricting the number of dogs in a residence to no more than two. More than two dogs? You need a special permit to have a kennel.
Ms. Kilburn applied to West Hartford to get a variance but was denied. West Hartford was prepared to begin fining Ms. Kilburn at $42/day until she either moved or got rid of the dogs. Clearly attached to her dogs and capable of caring for them, Ms. Kilburn put up a fight.
She took her case to Superior Court and lost. She took her case to the state Appellate Court who upheld the previous decision. According to the Hartford Courant’s article, Ms. Kilburn is considering her options.
I clearly have an opinion about this. Actually, I have several.
Let me preface my thoughts by saying that I lived in West Hartford for many years and have worked with many clients who have bought and sold homes in town. West Hartford has many positive attributes.
However, if you’ve ever lived in West Hartford, you know that you need a permit to do anything except eat and sleep. West Hartford loves rules. And in particular, West Hartford loves zoning regulations. In defense of the town elders, you can’t have a town that is so diverse and populous without having rules.
However, some rules need an exception. And some laws are ridiculous.
I understand that the town doesn’t want to have hoarders or dog breeding facilities in the tightly packed neighborhoods of West Hartford. Ms. Kilburn seems to be neither. Her house is larger than the average house in town. She lives there alone with her 18 ten-pound dogs in what is by all accounts, an immaculate home. Her dogs aren’t left outside to bark incessantly.
So, Ms. Kilburn’s only crime is that she has too many dogs. How many of you out there have too many children? Too many cars? Too many televisions? Who says what’s too many?
I have three dogs and choose to take really great care of them, rather than spend my money on other things. If I want to have three dogs and as long as I take care of them and they’re not a menace to the neighborhood, then why can’t I?
I’m sure everyone can agree that if Ms. Kilburn were mistreating the dogs, running a commercial breeding operation out of her home or if the neighbors were complaining, then Ms. Kilburn would be in the wrong.
But just the opposite is true - the dogs are well taken care of, she is not breeding them and from what I could find, just one neighbor did complain but only because she was breaking the law, not because the dogs were a nuisance.
Now that the case has gone on for so long, I doubt West Hartford will back down. Ms. Kilburn will either have to keep fighting (long enough for her dogs to pass away), move, pay the fines or give up/euthanize her dogs. All of these options are unfair to Faith and her dogs.
West Hartford could possibly be the least dog friendly town in Connecticut.
For other articles/opinion on this:
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