Ever wish there was one place to go and find out about all the open houses for the upcoming weekend? Look no further!
Just click the image to go to raveis.com for the best open house search tool around, and find out what’s open in every town in all these states:
Connecticut Massachusetts Rhode Island Vermont New Hampshire New York
You can also set filters for your choice of neighborhood, property type and price range to get to the results you are looking for quickly. So check out the open house search tool, send it to your family and friends, and let me know how you like it in the feedback form below! Feel free to use the same form for questions or to request a private showing.
Remember, I’m here to help you with your next move, near or far. Whether your move is out of town, out of state or overseas, I can work with you directly or place you with another excellent agent almost anywhere in the world.
Here’s a previously featured open house:
286 Old Stratfield Road in Fairfield, CT listed for $369,900.
Cool Cape with private fenced yard, two driveways and many updates
Word on the Street: Fairfield, Westport & Weston 2013 vs. 2014
Just checking in with a quick report on the real estate markets in July before joining the masses and taking a little vacation-
We would expect the housing market to be seasonally slower in the months of July and August as people are in full summer mode and focused on enjoying the warm weather. However, this July appeared to be slower than last July in Westport and Fairfield. Weston was singing a different tune though-
In Fairfield, unit sales were down almost 43% from 122 to 70 last month. The median (midpoint) sale price was also down 9% to $577,500. The average time on market was up 9% to 97 days. All this is good news for the buyers out there though since it affords them more bargaining power. One measure that favored sellers was a 5% increase in the price per square foot from $290 to $305 of homes that sold.
Sales were also slower in Westport with a 6% reduction and 44 July closings. The median sale price was $1,225,000, down almost 2% from last year. Market time increased 37% to 101 days. Yet the price per square foot increased 11% to $436.
Sellers take note: Weston rallied last month with numbers in your favor! Unit sales were 24% higher this July with 31 compared to 25 last year. The median sale price was up 6% to $820,000. Giving some leverage to buyers was market time up 40% to an average of 137 days and price per square foot down 3% to $257.
So that’s the quick scoop for now. Check out the charts with more numbers and print this report following the link below. I assume there will not be much change in pace next month, but I’m anticipating a rally in September and October when everyone works on making their moves before the holidays and cold weather take over.
The journey was long for Eric, Roberta and their young son and a new puppy. Of course, it would be a big lifestyle change from an apartment in Manhattan to a house in the suburbs. First of all, when you could routinely have any nationality of cuisine delivered to your doorstep within 20 minutes, anything less seemed quite inconvenient. Add to this the perspective of coming from a classic doorman building on the Upper West Side near parks and subways with magnificent pre-war details and 11-foot ceilings, and you were starting with high expectations… as you should! There was no pressure to move, but it was time for a new experience, a home to spread out in with a yard, an active town, and excellent public schools.
Roberta was drawn to the open space and pastoral scenery in upper Westchester County, New York. Eric wanted a town with direct train service to Grand Central to make the commute to his Park Avenue office as painless as possible. The family began their search in Westchester, but after evaluating the homes, amenities and property taxes there decided that Fairfield County Connecticut would be a better fit.
So they set their focus on Westport and rented a summer house there to get to know the town. Their wish list included a neighborhood with a country feeling and a location on a quiet street, but not too far from the train. The home needed to be something special- an older house with charm and good bones, or maybe a new construction with timeless style. There needed to be at least an acre of property with bucolic surroundings. The ceilings had to be high, and the flow had to be practical as well as aesthetically pleasing. The architecture had to be true to its form and consistent throughout. High-quality details such as wide plank wood floors and large windows for ample natural light and pretty views were key. A front porch was a plus, and so was a pool. Last but not least, the chemistry had to be there.
So we looked. And we looked. Over time, we found that the Greens Farms and Old Hill neighborhoods had the location and feeling that Eric and Roberta were looking for. We saw many, many homes that had many great features. But finding the perfect blend was not easy- as a typical suburban home would not do. See what Eric, as well as other clients, thought about the process.
Finally, after two an a half years, the winning home was found! It was gorgeous. It was custom built and designed by talented architect, John Fifield. It had the special combination of flow, uniqueness, proportions, elegance and setting. It had a romantic wrap around porch and a pool. It had the chemistry!
And that’s how the story begins. A family’s quest leads to their new castle in Old Hill.
What is a castle? In its most basic form, it’s a place that gives us security and privacy.
Home Sweet Home. It’s the place we cherish, where we feel safe and sound, sometimes happy, other times sad; where we celebrate, gather together, share, work, create, cook, decorate; where we can love and be loved; where we live, grow, rest, dream, and at times sort through the chaos that life often throws at us! After all, there’s no place like home !
Home is a most important place and a most significant asset. This is why I love to join my clients in the chapter of their lives when it’s time for their next castle. It is a critical business transaction and a complex process, but most important, it’s an emotional, exciting and monumental time! I am honored to share this time with my clients, buffer the anxiety, guide the course and share the joy!
Featured property for sale in Fairfield, CT: $379,000. Click image for more info!
Let’s see how the towns did in June this year as we were having fun in the sun…
It helps to look at the rate that homes are selling, known as the “absorption rate”. It’s calculated by dividing the sales per month by the number of homes on the market at the end of that month. The higher the percentage, the faster homes are selling and the stronger the market.
At the end of June in Fairfield, there were 90 sales with 622 homes on the market. So 90/622 is an absorption rate of 14%. Last June, there were 79 sales with 556 homes for sale equating to the same absorption rate of 14% indicating little change in the pace of the market in Fairfield.
In Westport however, 39 homes sold with 405 on the market and an absorption rate of 39/405 = 10%. Last June there were 49 sales and 346 active listings, or a rate of (49/346) 14%, showing a weaker market so far this summer.
In Weston 19 homes sold in June with 191 for sale, and a ratio of 19/191, or 10%. Last June, Weston saw 29 sales and 183 homes for sale, an absorption rate of 29/183 =16%. So the Weston market has slowed as well.
An absorption rate below 15% is considered to be a good market for buyers with greater months of supply and slower sales, whereas a rate above 20% is typically a faster-selling market favoring sellers.
The second half of 2014 is expected to be stronger than the first half according to researchers at Redfin brokerage as reported by RealtorMag. Click here for the article and to find out why, and let’s get ready for the pace to pick up as we enjoy the breezes of the remaining summer!
Featured home for sale in Fairfield, CT $1,395,000. Click image for more info!
For more answers…or more questions, feel free to submit a request below.
Ever wonder about the market chain of events prior to your new neighbors moving in? Well here’s a quick view of the current flow in Westport and Fairfield.
Twenty-six Westport home owners just put their houses on the market within the past 14 days. Three hundred and thirty three (333) homes are for sale in total. Of these homes, 28 have been on the market for awhile but have a brand new price. Eighty-five (85) properties have an accepted offer or are under contract for sale and will result in new neighbors very soon!
In Fairfield, there are 51 new listings and 501 total homes for sale. Sixty-eight (68) listings have been on for awhile but have new prices. There will be 157 new neighbors in town soon, based on the total accepted offers and homes under contract.
Cool Cape with central AC, private fenced yard, two driveways and many updates
As this week of perfect beach weather continues, it seems like a great time for an update on shoreline housing in Fairfield and Westport.
Direct beachfront property! Click for more pics.
Today, there are 80 single-family homes for sale in Westport in the coastal neighborhoods of Compo Beach, Saugatuck Shores and Hillspoint. Twenty-seven of these properties are on direct waterfront. Asking prices range from $525,000 to $12,985,000. One listing has an accepted offer.
In Fairfield, there are 121 active listings in the Beach area and Sasco. Thirty-three of the homes are directly on the water or beachfront. Asking prices run the gamut from $260,000 to $62,000,000! Sixteen of these listings have accepted offers.
For additional housing information or to request a showing, please inquire below.
Pricing your house is not an exact science, but there are plenty of things you can do to help snag your buyer sooner rather than later. Here are 10 of my strategies:
1. Get the Market Scoop – Have your agent show you recent sales of similar homes nearby. Note the sale prices, how long they took to sell and how close to asking they sold for. Next discuss your competition and get a feel for what choices the buyers have and how your house stacks up. 2. Note Improvements – Show your agent all the great things you’ve done to your house since you bought it that may increase its value. Review maintenance and repair work as well. This may help set you apart from your competition. 3. ID Pros & Cons – Talk to your agent about what the key selling points and challenges are for your property and how this information can impact your price. 4. Embrace Staging – Ask your agent how the marketing tool of staging to attract buyers can sell your house faster and for the most money. 5. Don’t Do This – Avoid the mistake of pricing your home based on your personal finances. The number you want or need may have nothing to do with the market value. Only the market and the buyers determine your selling price. Remember that if your house is worth more to you than it is to all the buyers, you will remain the lucky owner! 6. Don’t Do This Either! – Avoid accepting inflated price quotes from friends, poker buddies, colleagues, bridge ladies, the mail man and family members instead of your agent’s- unless of course they’re ready, willing and able to purchase your property on the spot! 7. Try Buyer’sEyes – Pretend you are a buyer choosing between your house and several others. Which one would you choose and why? If your house offers more value than the others, maybe you can ask a higher price than your competition. 8. Don’t Go it Alone – Unless you’re sure your house will fly off the shelf and you know how to navigate the complexities and potential pitfalls of a real estate transaction, be sure you hire a good Realtor. Remember that if you try to price and sell on your own,
you will be missing much of the information needed to guide realistic pricing,
buyers will see that you have not invested in a broker and deduct that money from their offer price,
without a Realtor’s marketing plan, your house will not get the exposure needed to draw a strong buyer pool regardless of your price, and
if an offer comes in, you will be challenged to evaluate its terms and the quality of the buyer.
9. Go Live! – Now your agent can launch the marketing plan with a price you feel makes the most logical sense after weighing all the considerations above. 10. Track Course & Close! – Your agent will track showing activity and feedback as well as market changes. If you have ample showings the first week, your price is likely right on the money! If you don’t have offers after a couple of months (depending on the pace of the market) but you are still getting showings, a slight price adjustment will likely do the trick. I am happy to discuss your plans and how I can help. Happy Selling!
1284 Fairfield Woods Rd, Fairfield CT Sold for $445,000 on September 17, 2013
It’s safe to say that our local single family housing markets have been doing well this year compared to September 2012! Sales and prices are up, and inventory is down.
In Westport, the number of homes for sale through September decreased 11% from 364 last year to 324 this year. Sales jumped 29.4% from 279 to 361homes sold this year. The median sale price increased 3.5% from $1,225,000 to $1,268,000 at the same time this year.
In Fairfield, we also saw inventory down from 501 last year to 482 this fall, a reduction of 3.8%. Unit sales were up 18.4% from 479 to 567 homes sold. And the median sale price was also up 4.7% from $549,000 to $575,000. Take a look at the chartfor more detail.
Please contact me with questions, comments or new business opportunities!
Fairfield and Westport CT Real Estate Guide 