Fairfield and Westport CT Real Estate Guide

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

Tag Archives: Fairfield CT real estate


by Leave a comment

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

← Back

Thank you for your response. ✨


by Leave a comment

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

← Back

Thank you for your response. ✨

 

LoPumpkin Houseoking at unit sales and the average sale price for single family homes in Westport, Weston and Fairfield, there appeared to be a similar trend across the three markets as of the end of September.    Unit sales were down, but the average sale price was up.

In Westport, there were 26 sales in September which was down from 39 from last year and 50 in the previous month.  Year to date sales were 291, down 19.6% from 362 last year at this time.  However the average sale price in September was $1,510,448 which was up 5.7% from last September.  So far this year, the average sale price was $1,566,866 which was 1.9% higher than last year.

There were 54 sales in Fairfield in September which was well below the 77 units in August but just 1.8% below the 55 sales in September 2013.  Year-to-date sales were down 7.6% with 523 vs. 566 last year.  Prices followed a very similar trend to Westport with the year over year value up 5.9% for the month of September and just a slight increase of 1.6% for the year to date average sale price of $723,563.

Weston had the most significant reduction in unit sales of the three towns in the month of September but showed a better tally for the year to date.  With seven sales in September compared to 16 the previous year and 21 in August, the good news was that for the year to date, sales were down just 11.6% (122 vs. 138).   The average price for sales in September was down slightly from August and down 12.8% from last September but followed the trend of the other two towns for the year to date average price, with a small increase over 2013 of 1.8%, resulting in $882,423.

Fall Image 2

Let’s wait and see if the activity catches up to last year.  Tell all your friends that are thinking about moving to go ahead and do it!  In the meantime, click to see a table of all the Housing Market Numbers each month from 2013 to 2014 through September.

If you would like specific market numbers on a neighborhood near you, just send a request below, and I’ll be happy to provide you with the information.

← Back

Thank you for your response. ✨

 


by Leave a comment

Great Finds on Both Sides of Town!

Whether you know someone looking for a cute cape close to Black Rock Turnpike shopping and the new Fairfield Metro Center, or a proposed new construction on the beach near Fairfield’s bustling downtown scene and train, there’s a home for the taking!

Fairfield Metro StationHere are two featured properties for sale.  Scroll down for a link to browse all listings or request to have a search set up for you.

Beautiful Updated Cape, also for rent, in a super convenient location near ample amenities and the new train station! Some of the great features include three bedrooms, two full baths, vaulted ceiling family room with sliders, renovated kitchen, covered deck, central air, fully fenced and landscaped back yard with newly expanded shed and double driveways. Opportunity knocks!

A rare moment is here for you. Introducing Beach Life. Have your custom home built by world class craftsmen on a spectacular near-third acre stretch of beach with mature trees and high dunes! Deep sandy beach and 51 feet of beach frontage at the coast’s curve offer expansive views of the entire shoreline. Dreamy vistas of changing light, tides and the iconic Penfield Light House never lose their magic. Other multi-million dollar new homes nearby add to the great value and good company. Your home will be finished on three levels with a spacious carport underneath for two cars plus extra multi-use space and plenty of expansion potential. One of the very deepest and highest sections of beach five minutes from town, restaurants and train, and an hour from Manhattan is where you will call home. Get ready for your new beach life to begin!

Photo Oct 30, 11 37 20 AM    Photo Oct 30, 11 47 19 AM

 845 FFBR - elevation- 10 - 21 - 14  Photo Oct 30, 12 55 20 PM

 

 

 

 

Search for your home here or submit a request below.   I’m here to help. 🙂

← Back

Thank you for your response. ✨


by 7 Comments

Tune in to HGTV’s House Hunters Renovation!

184 Harborview Rd, Black Rock

184 Harborview Road, Black Rock

Tune into HGTV’s House Hunters Renovation “An Old House Gets a New  Master Plan” on September 19th at 9:00 AM to follow my clients, Michael and Ella on their journey of selling their home in Black Rock and moving to Fairfield to get better schools for their blended family of three kids. Of course, yours truly helps them with this part.  I had originally helped them buy their house in Black Rock in 2010 and then got it sold for them the first day on the market which made them very strong buyers for this new home purchase.

Then the HGTV design team takes over to make their fixer-upper that’s missing one bedroom into a designer dream home that works for the whole family!

Below is a behind the scenes peak with Michael, Ella and the onsite director and camera crew at a lunch break during filming.

Photo Sep 24, 1 33 34 PM

With Michael, Ella the director and camera crew during a lunch break from filming.

The show went well, and Michael and Ella are enjoying their new digs as well as the excellent schools in Fairfield CT!


by Leave a comment

Find Your True Colors

Are you in the process of renovating, building new or just changing the colors in your home?  Maybe your room colors are still there from the first owners of your home and you would have changed them years ago if you only knew where to begin.

RUBIX CUBE

Check out these two great resources to help guide you to the perfect hue.  Start with a tour of different color schemes on HGTV’s website and how they create a range of energy levels or certain moods in various rooms.   Then visit Benjamin Moore’s site for a great downloadable guide to Color Language – Guide to Home Decorating.

You’ll find your true colors in no time, then go ahead and color your world!

COLORED PENCILS


by Leave a comment

Open H O U S E S this Sunday… Plan Your Day Right Here!

Open House Blog Graphic 9-14

Click to search open houses!

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 private fenced yard, two driveways and many updates

Cool Cape with private fenced yard, two driveways and many updates

← Back

Thank you for your response. ✨


by Leave a comment

My Home is My Castle.

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 !

Em 1st day 1st grade 8-30-07Home 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!

2012 Thanksgiving Dad Kids & CakeOur castles assume all shapes and sizes.   And in the grandest form, a castle is…. well big and grand! Enjoy this one in Darien, Connecticut.

Please share  a comment or image of a precious moment, space or place showing the essence of home for you!  I’ve posted a few of my own.

2011 The Black & White Crew

 

2011-05-31 09.28.10To see more about how I serve my clients, visit my websites at LindaRaymondRealEstate.com and Raveis.com/LindaRaymond .  Please send me a note below if I can assist you with the home of your dreams.

Sincerely,
Linda

← Back

Thank you for your response. ✨


by Leave a comment

And They’ll Live Happily Ever After!

The couple in the long distance relationship had to come together sooner or later, and they did just that in Fairfield’s university area this month!

Gary was living in his New York apartment and working in Manhattan. Jackie was working and living in her house in New Hampshire with her son. Every Friday, Gary took the train to Boston and then drove another half hour to Jackie’s house to be with her for the weekend. He didn’t mind the weekend trips, but travel and distance was still a barrier between them.

Since Jackie had a house to sell and didn’t know how long it would take, they figured they would rent in Fairfield where Gary’s parents live until they could get more settled with their plans. It turns out, I had the perfect house to show them, and they loved it. Jackie put her house on the market the next week and sold it in one day!

So they came together in Fairfield, and the rest is history!
5 Ermine Gary & Jackie at Closing
5 Ermine Gary & Jackie


by Leave a comment

Craving that Pre-Storm Beauty Again… Plus Some FAQs on Our Local Housing Markets

I’m sure I’m not alone in missing the feeling of safety and normalcy we knew before Sandy hit.  The loss of that state of calm is captured in the stark difference between the two photos.  The first picture was taken about two weeks ago on the bridge from Sasco Hill Road to Harbor Road and the second at the stop sign between Reef Road and Oldfield on Halloween.

View from Sasco Bridge Oct 2012

Photo Oct 31, 3 56 38 PM
But as they say, the show must go on.  So here are some responses to frequently asked questions about our towns’ housing markets, and I must say, the outlook appears rather sunny!

Are sales up or down?
Sales were up ten percent in Fairfield through September this year and down slightly, (-3%) in Westport compared to 2011.  There were  44 more homes sold in Fairfield, and Westport sales were off by just eight.

Are sale prices up or down?
In Fairfield, there was virtually no change (less than one percent) in the midpoint (median) sale price, and the average sale price was down slightly, at four percent less than last year.

In Westport, the average sale price was up six percent, and the median jumped 32% to $1,225,000 from $1,086,000 last year.

What are the hottest price points?
Forty percent (111) of homes sold in Westport this year closed between $1,000,000 and $2,000,000.  The next highest selling category was $500,000 to $1,000,000 with 99 homes sold, accounting for 38% of the sales this year. Fifteen homes sold for $3,000,000 or more.  The lowest sale price in Westport this year to date was $390,000 and the highest was $5,250,000.

In Fairfield, 185 homes sold between $250,000 and $500,000 contributing to 40% of the sales.  The close second-place category was $500,000 to $1,000,000 with 180 sales and 38% of the total.  The lowest sale price was $90,000 and the highest was $5,750,000.

Have buyers and sellers been in close agreement on price?
The average sale to list price ratio has been at 96% since last year in Fairfield.  The ratio in Westport was 95% at the end of September, down slightly from 96% last year.  This means that there has been fairly close agreement among buyers with the sellers’ final asking price.   In some cases, the sellers needed to adjust their prices before attracting an offer, but in many cases sellers were able to price accurately with the market and obtain one or several strong offers.  Many sellers received full price offers.

What’s the upcoming forcast?
From the listings already under contract and with accepted offers, we can expect to see at least 58 sales in Westport and 127 in Fairfield in the next few months.  This is very positive compared to last year at this time when there were only 44 anticipated sales in Westport and 87 in Fairfield.  These numbers suggest a 32% increase in anticipated sales in Westport and 46% increase in Fairfield since last year!

As always, please continue to contact me with your questions about the local housing market and your personal plans for moving forward!

Originally Posted on November 6, 2012 at 3:47 pm