Fairfield and Westport CT Real Estate Guide

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

Tag Archives: home buying


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Home Sale Finish Line: 40 Negotiations Buyers & Sellers Must Pass to Close the Deal

In the intricate dance of real estate transactions, negotiation is the heartbeat that drives a successful home purchase. As a seasoned realtor dedicated to my clients’ satisfaction, I employ a comprehensive approach to negotiation, ensuring my clients have every advantage to secure the property they desire and navigate smoothly to the finish line of closing. From initial showings to final walkthroughs, every step presents an opportunity to leverage key points, overcome obstacles, and move the process forward.

Let’s delve into the 40 critical negotiation points at a glance that I meticulously manage to turn dreams into reality.

  1. Showing appointments
  2. Competition for the house
  3. Multiple offers, escalation clause
  4. Hubbard clause
  5. Buyer/seller priorities
  6. Offer presentation
  7. Price
  8. Payment method
  9. Downpayment
  10. Timeline
  11. Inclusions/exclusions
  12. Solar, assessments, rented items
  13. Wetlands
  14. Permits
  15. Fences, trees, property lines
  16. Easements, right-of-ways
  17. Insurance
  18. In-ground oil tanks
  19. Flood restrictions
  20. Historic restrictions
  21. Zoning restrictions; improvement potential
  22. Offer contingencies: inspection, dates, appraisal, mortgage, HUBBARD
  23. Inspection terms: info only? health/safety/environmental
  24. Inspection items: building, pest, lead, mold, septic, well, pool, in-ground fuel tank
  25. Inspection requests: further testing, repair/remediation, timing, credit, as-is
  26. Contractors
  27. Lender
  28. Attorneys
  29. Family members
  30. Receipts for repairs, new appliances, work done
  31. Condos: HOA, bylaws, showing restrictions, parking, resale package, landscaping, repairs, responsibilities
  32. New construction: detailed specs, survey, floor plans, timeline
  33. Home warranty
  34. Seller rent back
  35. Date extensions
  36. Buyer visits before closing
  37. Walkthrough
  38. Walkthrough follow-up
  39. Keys, clickers, codes, manuals
  40. Closing time, sign removal

Navigating the complexities of a real estate transaction requires skillful negotiation at every turn. By addressing the 40 negotiation points outlined above, your realtor must ensure you are empowered to make informed decisions to complete your home sale and secure the home of your dreams.

From purchase price to closing time, no detail is overlooked in my commitment to achieving their goals. With a trusted realtor by your side, you can confidently navigate the journey from offer presentation to sign removal, knowing you have an advocate dedicated to your success.

Reach out to me today to discuss how we can work together to turn your real estate aspirations into a reality.

Check out your quick online home estimate!

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New Home! 4 Tips on How to Get There!

Click to view Instagram Reel! Linda & happy client who sold two condos in NY & bought a house in CT!

A new home would be great, but how do you get there?

Curious what your home is worth? If you’ve been thinking about the huge decision of making a move right now, you’re not alone, and I can relate to the challenges you and so many others are facing. You’re wondering how you can coordinate the timing between buying and selling, how you will find your new home, how you will be able to get your house ready for the market. And what about the shifting market trends and interest rates? Should you be waiting for a housing market crash?

It’s completely understandable to have concerns

Most people who decided to make a move had many of these worries when they started too. I went though a challenging home purchase myself before I was a Realtor. Believe me, I’ve been there! If you’re curious, you can see the story of my first home purchase as shared with the Fairfield Coastal Neighbors Magazine. The truth is that uncertainty is always going to be a reality, and we need to embrace that in order to move forward. It is impossible to time the market, but you can control your plans and goals. Here are four tips on how to get to your new home.

1: Focus on your why

If you’re thinking about selling your current home and buying a new one, you undoubtably have significant reasons that go far deeper just having a new house. Do you need more space and privacy to give yourself peace, focus, and privacy? Do you still work from home, or need to accommodate an extended family? Have your “little ones” gone off to college and now you want to scale down and invest your proceeds into other assets, or invest in the lifestyle your dreams? Maybe you’ve been dreaming about exciting travel plans! Do you need to be closer to your family? Closer to your job?

2. Commit to your quality of life

Once you are clear on your important reasons for making a change and that this is the ideal time for you to make this change, it is time to commit. It’s time to pursue this lifestyle that you yearn for and deserve. Once you commit in your heart and your mind that you want these changes for yourself and you want them now, everything else will fall into place!

3. Trust the process

When you talk through your dreams with your agent and explain your important why’s, they will have the resources and experience to guide you toward your destination. As I had mentioned during my interview with the Fairfield HamletHub, William Raveis has developed new tools to eliminate many of the roadblocks to being able to sell and move quickly in the current market. Here are some of my client’s stories. Kelly and Steve made the move from their childhood home after dreaming about it for years. Dave and Suzanne sold their home, then found their dream home, obtaining temporary housing and storage in the interim. Wolf and Marianna did some soul searching and then made the commitment to themselves to pursue their new lifestyle. They listed their house and got a contract on it while they shopped for their new one. They were able to coordinate their closings and step right into their new home and new beginning!

4. There’s no such thing as perfect, here’s how you don’t miss out!

People who have made a successful move have found the home that meets their top priority needs and wants. Once you’ve decided to move forward, the key is to find the new home that provides about eight out of 10 of your key wishlist items. These wishlist items should be tied to your most important reasons for moving, the ones that impact your quality of life. Be careful not to rule out homes due to things that can easily be changed over time, especially in a low-inventory market. Remember the real reasons you are pursuing this huge transition. If price is one of the items that extends beyond your wishlist, this would be the time to consult with your lender to see if extending your budget is realistic for you. Remember that home appreciation is forecast to continue for another five years at least, so you can gain equity right away. There is no such thing as a 100% perfect home. Believe it or not, even people who pay for a custom designed and built home find a list of things they would have done differently in retrospect. So use the 80% rule to zoom in on your key impact priorities so that you don’t miss out for the wrong reasons.

The rest is history

In my case, my husband and I had lost a few before landing what was ultimately our first choice. And, yep, we bought at the height of the market in 2004. But we never labored about the decision because it was a lifestyle choice, not a stock market trade or casino move. We have absolutely loved life here over the past 18 years! And as it turns out, our home has continued to grow in value. Our interest rate was higher, but we since refinanced. I then became a Realtor, and the rest is history…until we decide to move again to our next new home!

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Matchmaker Mystery: Do You Have What I’m Looking For? 🏡❤️

Let’s work on this matchmaker mystery together!

One of the challenges buyers are facing, along with would-be sellers, is that they can’t find what they are looking for on the market.

Many agents are sharing the criteria their buyers are looking for with the hope that someone who is thinking of selling may have a match to add to the market.

Here is my urgent buyer wish list,

  1. Westport – New or contemporary style, ~4,000 square feet, 4+ bedrooms, $1,500,000-$1,800,000, (Need two of these!)
  2. Westport – Renovation project or tear-down, 1+ acres, preferably with no wetlands, price flexible.
  3. Westport – Renovation project or tear-down, any property size, preferably with no wetlands, price flexible.
  4. Fairfield – Beach, town, Southport, or University areas, new or like-new home, 4,000 square feet, up to $1,700,000.
  5. Fairfield – Home with charm and character, preferably in the beach area, but open to anywhere in town, 3+ bedrooms, at least 1,400 square feet or room to expand, $700,000-$850,000.
  6. Fairfield – Home with charm and character, high ceilings, preferably in the beach area, center of town or Stratfield areas, 3+ bedrooms, at least 1,400 square feet or room to expand, finishable basement and/or attic, office space, level yard of .16 acres or more, $500,000-$640,000.
  7. Fairfield – Beach area, near Penfield, .23+ acres on which to renovate or build new, under $700,000.
  8. Fairfield – Town center, new or move-in ready 2-bedroom condo for rent, or sale up to $350,000.
  9. New Canaan – Walk-to-train location, 3 bedrooms, preferably new or move-in ready, high ceilings, up to $1,500,000.

If a matching property is found for the buyer needs above, the following new listings will in turn be added to the market,

  1. Westport – Gorgeous new construction home, likely with 4,000+ square feet and 5 bedrooms.
  2. Westport – ANOTHER gorgeous new construction home, likely with 4,000+ square feet and 5 bedrooms.
  3. Westport – Lovely 4-bedroom, move-in-ready home with lovely property in the Greens Farms area.
  4. Fairfield – Charming cape in the beach area.

The lack of inventory is limiting the market despite the opportunity of very low interest rates and an excellent time to sell for all interested home owners.

So if you have something, say something! 😃 If you know of something, say something! 😃 Want to talk options? Say something. I’m here to help, 203.912.4440.

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Should I Sell My House?

Your home has been just perfect with plenty of space for you and all your needs…until now.

But since the pandemic you may be finding that you, and possibly your family members, have very different needs. This challenging time has certainly given you opportunity to test and evaluate how well your home is serving your changing demands. If you have transitioned to working from home, and may even be alongside your students doing the same, your need for extra space may have become increasingly obvious.

Now you may be wishing you had extra rooms for his and her offices, a homework space, and room for a home gym. If you’re coming from the Manhattan or Brooklyn areas, you are likely craving not just interior rooms, but outdoor space, beauty, privacy and peacefulness. The vicinity to downtown centers and train stations may not be as important as it once was now that the need for frequent commuting is likely a thing of the past.

On the flip side, perhaps your family has college students who have been off to school or will soon be graduating and leaving extra un-wanted space. This would be a prime time to make a move to a better-fitting home. Selling your too-much-space house would also free up your larger home for the many of you who in dire need of more space.

Whether you are feeling too close for comfort or a need to scale back, the current housing market with ultra-low inventory and high demand is beyond prime for sellers, and the current low interest rates also offer a huge opportunity to make a purchase. Feel free to set up your own search here if you would like to peek at market activity near you. Reach out to me anytime if would like to know your options for making a move and want to know what your home is worth in the current market.

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Happy and Hopeful 2021!

Happy and hopeful 2021 from the Raymond Family. May this New Year bring health, harmony, joy, prosperity, love, peace, and togetherness for all! ❤️❤️

#2021 #HappyNewYear #NewYear2021 #Peace #Joy #Love

If a move is on your horizon this year, you can set up your own search here to browse the market. Reach out to me anytime with questions or to discuss your plans. Call 203.912.4440, visit my website, or send a note in the form below.

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What are the Hot Technology Trends in Real Estate?

Six Hot Trends that are Super Cool for Consumers!

Real Estate Technology Trends

Consumer-Friendly Tech Trends in Real Estate

  1. Virtual Experiences – The trend is to showcase properties while delivering consumers

Raveis 3Dan engaging experience that also saves them time. In addition to creative videos, this includes 3D touring, virtual reality, drone photography, virtual staging and even hologram projection of furniture into rooms.  3D tours enable viewers to virtually walk through a property while using their computer mouse to “go” anywhere in the home.  The tool also creates a virtual doll house that lets buyers float through the floors and get an overall feel for the layout, orientation, and flow. Inman News recently talked about virtual reality tours that use special goggles to create an experience close to being there in person as well as gear that projects holograms of furniture into a space to visualize it “for real”.  Last, but not least, busy or far-away consumers can benefit from a live virtual tour via Skype.

  1. Social Media Exuberance – Okay you might have guessed this one, but it shouldn’t be underestimated. Social media can provide a much richer perspective and bring added value beyond what a typical website can offer when evaluating a potential Realtor.  Does the agent share useful information and resources? Do they have a strong presence on multiple platforms including a blog? Do they leverage this presence to promote client listings for maximum internet exposure? Are they creative, resourceful, knowledgeable, personable?  Do they share insights from past customers?  What do they do in their spare time? Many consumers are looking into these types of questions with a simple online search or searches within social media platforms.
  1. Mobile Optimization – Everyone’s on the go! The trend is for people to consume web content on their mobile devices.  Statista.com predicts a 57% increase in global mobile web traffic per year through 2019.  The most recent click reports I received from my e-newsletter show that readers opening the email on a mobile device versus a computer range between 50-70%. Mobile Optimization So more and more real estate websites and blogs are becoming mobile friendly and optimizing for the best mobile experience. Mobile apps are also on the rise.  William Raveis provides a comprehensive Real Estate App. The company has also released a Mortgage App that enables home buyers to start their pre-approval process right from their phone! And hot off the press is the Raveis Open House App that lets guests type in their name, phone, and email and then request a complimentary home value report, mortgage pre-approval and Local Housing e-Newsletter for the town of their choice!
  1. Mortgage Magic – Instead of misery. The complex process is now streamlined with new technology that gives consumers the efficiency and transparency they need and deserve. William Raveis Mortgage addresses the first critical step by providing buyers with a certified loan pre-approval followed by electronic milestone tracking of their loan process that also keeps all the players on track. Borrowers view a bold graphic showing a clear progression of the steps and status across their screen.  The icing on the cake? Sign documents electronically from wherever you are!Real Estate Value Forecasting
  1. Accurate Value Estimates – We’ve all heard of the Zestimate, and most of us are well aware of the frustrations with inconsistent results, incorrect data and inability to correct errors.  “What is my home worth?” is the question people are always asking. Savvy consumers want a quality tool to help them estimate the market value of their property.  William Raveis recently launched the RAVestimate. The interactive technology lets consumers  input specific home improvements and then work with comparable sales data that they select.  The company tested the tool and documented extraordinary accuracy.
  1. Predictive Marketing – Advanced intelligence and predictive modeling to help buyers before they ask are up and coming. Consumer data and predictive analytics will be used to anticipate home buying goals, preferences, and timing.  So in the not-too-distant future, Realtors, lenders, and perhaps the perfect home may be finding the buyer before they even know they are going to buy!
    Real Estate Technology, Predictive Analytics

 

Which trends to you think have the most promise?  What other trends are you seeing that are consumer driven?  From a consumer perspective, what new technology services would you like to see?

CT Post - Real Estate Tech Trends Dec 2015

For more information or questions about your moving plans, contact me using the form below.

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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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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!


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What Makes Your Home Showroom Ready?

dream-home-concept-25140859

Buyers’ first impressions happen within seconds of seeing a home.  After one glance from the street, a buyer may decide not to even go in!   So staging starts at the curb and continues throughout the house.  Staging is a marketing tool focused on the buyer.   Its goal is to attract the most buyers online and create an emotional connection for them once they are inside. Think about how you would have your car washed and detailed so that it looks showroom ready before trying to sell it.  Staging is a similar approach, but the goal is to appear better than new!   The house not only sparkles and shines, its assets are highlighted, its best use of space is demonstrated, disadvantages are downplayed and then the senses are tapped to maximize the home’s allure. Key elements of staging:

  • Eliminate clutter to create clean visual lines and show off the space.
  • Frame and showcase the home’s assets such as a fireplace or great view.
  • Downplay shortcomings of a home such as an undesirable view, tight space or low light.
  • Enable buyers to envision themselves living in the home by removing all distractions. The buyer should not know anything about the seller’s personal preferences in extreme color, art, decorating, religion, race, sexual and political orientation, hobbies, etc.   These factors are very distracting to a buyer, irrelevant to the sale and should not be seen.
  • Every inch is cleaned to sparkle and smell like new.  Strong odors from cooking, pets, smoking, mildew and general lack of cleanliness will instantly turn buyers away.
  • Appeal to the emotional power in our sense of smell, and simmer spiced cider on the stove, burn a scented candle or brew fresh coffee.
  • Play soft pleasant music in the background to further suggest an inviting home.
  • Let the sun shine in all the windows and the lights glow for the brightest space.
  • Overall, create a neutral but charming and welcoming space.

Your Realtor may recommend a professional staging company or just a few staging tips that he or she can help you with depending on the size of your home and how much work is needed to achieve your desired outcome.   Either way, launching a staging strategy for your buyers and pricing your house to sell will get you the edge on your competition, reduce the cost of a potential price reduction and extra months on the market and get you the best possible outcome from your sale. I’m happy to talk with you about staging resources and tips and your moving plans!

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How’s the Winter 2014 Real Estate Market Fairfield in County CT?

We sure have been hit hard with winter extremes since the New Year with everything from sub-zero temperatures to multiple blizzards and some freezing rain mixed in for good measure! No doubt the weather has been keeping our spring real estate market at bay, but how did sales look in our neighborhood markets in January after the holidays?
Let’s take a look at a few measures across three towns, and see how they relate to last year. Comparing the number of homes on the market, total sales and the average market time in January, we see some promising numbers.  View or print charts here.
 
In Weston, Westport and Fairfield inventory of homes for sale was up between nine and twenty-two percent suggesting stronger seller confidence in the market this year.   Sales in fact, were way up in Weston (50%) and Fairfield (42%) compared to January 2013. Westport sales were down twenty-two percent, but there had been a big spike in the December sales.  The average days on market was way down (-40%) in Westport, though up a bit in Weston and Fairfield (5% and 12% respectively).
 
Overall, the increased inventory and sales in addition to average market time as low as 80 days in Westport, suggest to me that there is pent up demand on both the buy and sell sides of the market.   It would be great to see the market jump up to the pace noted in my post from last June.   I expect to see a flurry of activity in the housing market instead of snow as soon as Mother Nature decides to get the weather under control!
 
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