Fairfield and Westport CT Real Estate Guide

Local insights on buying, selling, and living in Fairfield County


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Renovation vs. New Construction – What to consider

Thinking about a home renovation or possibly building a new house?  Along with some key resources to help with this dilemma, here’s a story about a homeowner in the beach area of Fairfield Connecticut that changed their initial plans after weighing all their options.

Jen and Chris came to Fairfield in 2006 and settled into their new home, a cozy Cape in the beach area on Pratt Street.  From day-one, they loved the location and the street.   They figured down the road they would have a baby and then renovate, expand or even add another floor.

New Construction

Fairfield Beach Area New Construction

Fast forward to 2009 when their little boy wasn’t so small anymore, but their house still was, and it was time to expand.  However, when they went to town hall and reviewed the beach area Zoning Regulations, they ran into an unanticipated glitch.  They hadn’t realized that if the cost of their renovations exceeded fifty percent of the market value of their house structure, they would be required to fill in their basement, or stretch their project costs out over several years.

Their other major consideration was the cost of flood insurance in the beach area, especially for houses not compliant with Federal Emergency Management Agency FEMA regulations, (FEMA FAQs).  After reviewing all the variables and costs, they changed course.  Instead of renovating, Chris and Jen determined that it would be more cost effective to tear down their house and rebuild.  This way their home would be FEMA-compliant and brand new with the added space they needed plus an attached garage.

If you are having a similar dilemma, there are some additional factors you may also want to consider as well as ways to finance renovations, key new home benefits, and tax incentives.

Beach Area New Construction

Jen and Chris’ New Home

Upon solidifying their decision and hiring a builder, Chris and Jen enlisted my help to find a nearby rental to live in during the construction.  They were not alone since many other families in the neighborhood were also raising their houses, renovating or rebuilding after superstorm Sandy.  We began looking and found some good prospects. Eventually, we secured a great place a few blocks away that was perfect for keeping a handle on construction oversight.

Home Sweet Home!

Jen and Chris in front of their new home!

The process of tearing down and rebuilding began.  And one year later, the new home stood welcoming its owners back to the beloved place where their old Cape once sat.

There’s nothing like home sweet home!

 

 

 

Send me a note if you would like to build new, renovate, and find a rental to help with the plan!

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Consider a custom-built or new construction home in Fairfield or Westport.

6 Hillandale Lane, Greens Farms Westport CT

6 Hillandale Lane, Greens Farms Westport CT

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Get to the First Beachfront Open Houses in 2016!

Well, the winter weather was balmy for awhile, but we’re off to a brisk start for the New Year.  It’s a perfect time to dream about summer, so mark your calendars for some great beachfront open house events you can look forward to!

Birdhouse by Russian Beach, Lordship

Birdhouse by Russian Beach, Lordship

Lordship Lifestyle at Russian Beach
OPEN HOUSE: Sunday, January 24,  1-3 PM

Visit this better-than-new colonial with a new price of $859,000 and water views from every room!  Enjoy an open flow, high ceilings, ample light and a private fenced yard for relaxing and entertaining.

See the Listing
Take a Quick Tour


Kensie Point on the Sound
OPEN HOUSE: Sunday, February 28,
 1-3 PM

Come to the beach in Fairfield to see this turnkey beachfront condo priced at $845,000 and enjoy the fabulous water views!

Sunset at Pine Creek Beach, Fairfield

Sunset at Pine Creek Beach, Fairfield

See the Listing
Take a Quick Tour


Come to the beach and make an offer that can change your life!

Contact us with any questions or to request more info-

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Moving is So Bittersweet

You might say the phenomenon is like a rollercoaster ride when a house changes hands. It goes from someone’s beloved home to being the commodity of ‘a house’ and then back to a dear home again when the new owners move in.

And during this process, the lives of those connected to the transfer undergo such a monumental, emotional and bittersweet transition.

Cathy & Sal

Cathy & Sal

Cathy and Sal passionately enjoyed two decades of raising a family on Charles Street in the Fairfield Beach area. They always celebrated holidays to the hilt. Their elaborate lawn displays each Halloween included their camouflaged kids as spirited spooks who actively taunted trick-or-treaters before handing out candy. And their Christmas displays included every conceivable festive (inflatable and not!) item they had in their attic during the off season! Top these 20 Halloweens and 20 Christmases with a beautiful wedding ceremony for their eldest daughter this past summer, and you have just a few exceptional memories in your chest.

But now that the last of two girls and a boy have grown up and found a place of their own, it was time to move on. They didn’t expect it all to happen so quickly, but they priced their house to sell , staged it to look great and had it under contract for above their asking price in just 23 days!

Cathy and Sal found another fantastic home near the shore in New York and will be much closer to their family. This was an exciting change and the start of a new chapter, yet I know Cathy was fighting back the tears as she waved goodbye to her old house and smiled for the picture before making the full transition to her new home.

Today Charles Street welcomes a new family with two little boys, and like Cathy and Sal, they’re ready for lots of new good times to be had!

For questions and about your own transition, just send me a note below, and I’m happy to help. -Linda

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5 Things I Bet You Didn’t Know about Lordship, CT!

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Here are five cool facts about Lordship Connecticut, that you probably didn’t know before. Read on and enjoy!

ONE – Two movies were filmed in Lordship: “Butterfield Eight” with Elizabeth Taylor in 1960, and “Hell Island” between 1981 and 1983.

Lordship

TWO –  The gigantic German dirigible, The Hindenberg was seen by residents flying about 1,000 feet over Lordship on Thursday, May 7, 1937 at about 2:30pm during the flight that would be her last.

THREE – The Dixie Doodle Diner was one of the first of Lordship’s drive-in eateries in the 1940s.

Dixie Doodle Diner
Photo courtesy of Stratford Historical Society

FOUR – In the 1890s, the Lordship Casino was both the commercial and cultural center in addition to housing the first firehouse on its first floor and the first school on its second floor.

FIVE – I can help you find a lovely home in Lordship!  Send me a note below and tell me what you’re looking for or ask any real estate questions.  I’m here to help you make you make your move!

 

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Annie and Andrew’s Story

 

Annie & Andrew

A seasoned recruiter for a financial firm on Merritt 7 in Norwalk Connecticut, Annie knew a good candidate when she saw one.   The perfect asset for the current position was one she had already recruited once before, and that would be her husband!  Given their relationship, Annie’s boss had to step in and seal the deal, but Andrew was on board in no time.

The next step was to move from their home in Avon to a town closer to Norwalk that was affordable and had good schools.  Annie’s boss lived in Fairfield and was a strong advocate.  She convinced Annie and Andrew that this town would fit the bill.

So Annie and Andrew’s agent in Avon called me to help them find a new home in Fairfield.  We spoke on the phone, and I set up their online search.   Immediately Annie saw something she liked and came to see it the next day.  Andrew couldn’t get free until the weekend, and by then the house was gone.  Three more times, the timing was too late or multiple bids got in the way, and three more homes were lost. Homes in their price range in the Fairfield university area were in extremely high demand and flying off the shelf!

New Home in Fairfield

Although Andrew liked the homes he had seen, he was still having a little trouble understanding the value for the prices in Fairfield compared to Avon.  Annie and I gushed about the treasured amenities in Fairfield such as the gorgeous beaches, convenient train stations, chic eateries, vicinity to Manhattan and the fantastic vibrant community. I wish I had this video tour of Fairfield at the time! Still, Andrew just shrugged his shoulders and went with the flow, primarily motivated by a quick commute.  

Finally, a lovely pricier home had a price reduction.  We immediately went to see it and this time lucked out.  Annie and Andrew landed a beautiful expanded Cape on a pretty university area street.  They lost no time starting to make memories with their little son George, their new neighbors and all the block parties scheduled for the year.

A short time later, Annie sent me a note that said, “Hi Linda, we love the house, and we have fallen in love with Fairfield.  We have only been in the house a little over a month, but it truly feels like home, and I would say George agrees!  We cannot thank you enough for all of your help. You were terrific to work with, patient and helped us every step of the way. Relocating to a new area is overwhelming, and you really made us feel at ease throughout the whole process.  Thanks again for everything.  We hope to see you around town!”

So we welcome Annie and Andrew to Fairfield and the university area along with some of our other recent new neighbors, Ping and Danian and Rich and Chris.  Annie and Andrew’s story is all about taking that leap toward the next chapter of exciting new beginnings- A new love. A new job. A new town. A new home.  Follow your dreams, and the rest is history in the making!

For questions about your next move, contact me any time!

If you're thinking of moving in the next 12 months, call now for your free consultation -> 203-912-4440

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Realtor Helps with All New “CKC” Salon in Fairfield: Cut. Keratin. Color!

Remember the fun and adorable couple, Michael and Ella from HGTV?  If you missed the original airing of their eposide, it’s airing again September 19th at 9:00 AM on HGTV’s House Hunters Renovation, “An Old House Gets a New Master Plan”.  Click here for a description and show times.

Michael on HGTV's House Hunter's Renovations

Michael on HGTV’s House Hunter’s Renovations

Well Michael and Ella have been back in action with a new endeavor!  About a month ago, Michael called me and said they wanted a new space for Ella’s hair salon.  They wanted to create an all new CKC salon in Fairfield where their clientele could better enjoy a cut, keratin and colour.  Their current CKC was outgrowing its space, and business was booming!

So I ran a search, and the perfect opportunity surfaced.  The owner of a struggling salon business wanted to call it quits and move to Florida making her space available for lease!  It was an ideal property- in a nice busy plaza on the Post Road in Fairfield with plenty of visibility and parking.  The space was a step up in size and amenties but not too big.  It had all the necessary mechanicals and just needed a face lift.

CKC salon & Keratin bar

CKC salon & Keratin bar

We set to work on negotiations, and within a couple of weeks CKC salon & Keratin bar opened its doors in a glamorous new home!

First where they live, then where they work, Michael and Ella have done complete make-overs in their new spaces. For their new salon, they opened-up walls, infused a fresh chic style and brought in all new furnishings!

Now clients enjoy a bright, airy and elegant atomosphere where they are treated like honored guests.  When they come, they can get a specialized Brazilian Keratin treatment for an unbelievable smooth shiny finish as well a precision cut and colour.

I’m lucky enough to have been one of the first customers at the NEW CKC salon, and they were lining up behind me!  Be sure to visit online and in person for your appointment.

CKC salon & Keratin bar
254 Post Road

Fairfield, Connecticut  06824
ckcsalon.com
ckcsalon@gmail.com
(203) 292-5835

CKC salon & Keratin bar

CKC salon & Keratin bar

Photo Aug 13, 3 49 05 PM

CKC salon & Keratin bar

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As always, contact me any time for your real estate needs, or even if you just want to hear more about CKC salon & Keratin bar!

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How’s the Summer Real Estate Market 2015 in Fairfield and Westport CT

So how’s the summer real estate market in Fairfield and Westport Connecticut? Are sellers listing their homes?  Are buyers making offers?  Here’s the summer 2015 scoop in Fairfield and Westport with a spotlight on the Fairfield beach and Greens Farms areas.

As of last week, there were a lot of single family homes on the market in Fairfield, 633 to be exact, compared to 542 at the end of July last year!  Fourteen percent (14%) of these houses had accepted offers. This is great compared to only 9% with binders last July.

The beach area market was not quite as strong as the town-wide market, with 12% of listings securing offers.  However, this ratio was more positive than last summer when the beach area’s home sellers accepting offers matched the town-wide tally of 9%. Of the 15 beach area homes with offers, seven were priced over $1 million, four were between $600,000 and $1 million and four were under $600,000. So there was a good range of prices.

Re-incarnation in the Fairfield Beach Area

Click Image for Flipogram!

845 Fairfield Beach Rd

Click Image for Full Listing!

Beach area new construction was exceeding the town’s ratio, with five accepted offers out of 30 listings, or 17%.  Click the image above for a representative view of the construction going on all over the beach area right now.  Direct waterfront in the beach area demonstrated more sluggish activity than the rest of the beach area and town with a 10% ratio of offers to active listings, that’s 4 out of 39.

Westport inventory was also high with 402 houses for sale compared to about 350 in July last year.  This season’s market was slightly more positive than in July 2014 with 7% of listings taking offers compared to 6%.

Greens Farms was a hot subset of the Westport market, with 12% of the 49 listings securing acceptable offers.  Half of the six offers were listed above $1 million and half below.

2 Hedley Farms Rd

New construction listings in Greens Farms weren’t moving as fast as the rest of the neighborhood with one binder out of 12 listings, or 8%.

So yes, sellers are listing their homes, and buyers are bidding on them.  The ratio of accepted offers to active listings is a leading indicator of what’s to come, and this summer it’s shown variablility based on town, neighborhood, and property type.
As always, pricing your home competitively and staging it for maximum appeal will attract buyers to your listing.  There’s still time before August vacations to get your price right if you’re selling and get your bid in if you’re buying.  Be sure to check out the featured homes for sale below!

Buy one this summer!

Buy one this summer!

New Construction on the Beach, Fairfield – $2,545,000 New price!
Summer Beach Cottage, Fairfield – $1,245,000 New price!
Carefree Beachfront Condo, Fairfield – $915,000 See Quick-Film!
Like-New Home at the Beach, Lordship – $879,000 New Price!
Bright Beach Area Colonial, Fairfield – $625,000 Off the market, sale pending!
Charming Cape, Convenient Location, Fairfield –  Off the market to be rented starting October 1st.

Feel free to contact me any time with questions, showing requests or for a complimentary market analysis of your home.

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Open House Dates and Property News!

Hi All,

I wanted to alert you to a couple of Open House and property updates. Click the images for more info.

There will be an Open House Sunday, January 24th, 2016,  from 1 to 3 pm at 25 York Street in Lordship / Stratford. This home sits across from Russian Beach with water views from every room and is minutes to Short Beach with the gorgeous golf course, as well as Long Beach. Asking price is $859,000.

SUNDAY OPEN HOUSES!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For turnkey and carefree living at the beach, consider 10 Pine Creek Avenue 401W at Kensie Point.  The next open house will be February 28, 2016, from 1 to 3 pm. This is beachfront living at it’s best with water views from every room and four balconies, elevator access right to your foyer, two bedrooms two full baths, an office space, central air and a furnished private beach garden- all for $845,000.

10 Pine Creek Ave 401W at Kensie Point

 

 

 

 

 

 

Contact me anytime with questions or to request a showing!

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How Could the “Wrong Direction” Seem So Right?

That’s what my relocation client asked me as we went to visit five drop-dead gorgeous homes in Fairfield Connecticut.

Ping and her family were moving from South Carolina to pricey Fairfield County.  Although the home sizes were not quite as grand here as what they were used to, I could sense a growing excitement about Fairfield as I shared some impressive numbers including our 11 elementary, three middle and two high schools, five beaches and three train stations.

The Chelsea Restaurant, Fairfield CT

The Chelsea Restaurant, Fairfield CT

A few added highlights like our huge Fourth of July celebration at Penfield Beach, the superb beet salad at The Chelsea and the crazy dog beach at Lake Mohegan didn’t hurt either.   The visual tour was the icing on the cake!

Ping and her husband Danian both worked for the same company in South Carolina.  She took a new job nearby, and he was able to stay with his company and transfer here. Their son and daughter would be going to elementary school.

New home in Fairfield CT

New home in Fairfield CT

The location of the home they chose in the university area was perfect.  Their kids could walk to school.  And when Danian’s parents came to visit, they could walk there with them. They were situated on a wonderful cul-de-sac and already had an elaborate play set in the back yard.  The house was stunning inside and out.  It was beautifully finished on four levels and came complete with a beautiful in-law suite.  And if all that wasn’t enough, the garage was fully equipped with cabinetry and a high-end custom flooring that looked like you could eat off it!

How can something so wrong seem so right?   Welcome to Fairfield!

Congratulations

Congratulations!

Feel free to comment on this post and reach out to me with your questions and real estate needs. – Linda

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Homeowner Use of Social Media: Lifeline or Liability?

Most of us use social media networks like Facebook as a convenient go-to tool for fun, entertainment, communication, sharing, advice and recommendations.  And it’s a great way to get some instant gratification for all of these things.    Buyers Browse Facebook

But most of us also know there can be a dark side to these perks. We’ve all heard about the folks who’ve shared embarassing moments and pictures online that they’ve since regretted.  Once it’s out there on the web, it’s likely to always be out there on the web… somewhere.

Well, if you are a homeowner seeking advice or recommendations for repairs to your home, remember the point above.  If you illustrate a leak in your dining room ceiling in a photograph on the world wide web, remember that it will still be out there when you ultimately decide to sell your home.  Not that there is any harm done here.  However, if you present an important issue with your house online such as a leak, or a mold problem, etc., be sure to disclose it when you sell.   In Connecticut the Department of Consumer Protection requires sellers to complete a residential property disclosure report for potential buyers or pay a penalty of $500 at closing.

Buyers are excited, curious, nervous and saavy people… as well as frequent users of the internet. They might just be browsing your social networks.  If your leaky ceiling issue is disclosed on Facebook, but not on the required property disclosure when you sell, you could heading for trouble.  If you try to conceal an existing issue with your house, there is risk for liability.

So think about what you post online when it comes to your home repairs, and remember what you posted when it’s time to sell your house.  If the problem has been repaired, that’s great, your buyers will be happy to know about it!

Feel free to contact me any time with questions about buying or selling a home!   -Linda

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