Setting up for the newly added fundraising event by Near and Far Aid, Soiree of Summer! Near and Far Aid is changing lives and giving everyone in Fairfield County a fair shot by supporting programs that support successful households!
If you would like to volunteer to support successful homeownership and existing households in Fairfield County, reach out below.
🌸 ☀️💕
Thank you to @nearandfaraid for a lovely luncheon at La Plage in Westport to thank the fundraising volunteers! Near and Far Aid is here to help change lives and give everyone in Fairfield County a fair shot by supporting programs that support Fairfield County families.
The newest fundraising event kicked off the summer at Fairfield beach’s Penfield Pavilion: Soirée of Summer with music, dancing, food and drinks!
If you would love life at Fairfield Beach or nearby, reach out, and let’s have a conversation.
Looking for the best mortgage rates, options, and service?
Big News!! William Raveis Mortgage is once again named among Top 100 Mortgage Companies in America by Mortgage Executive Magazine!
What does this mean for you? There’s a reason why we are a top mortgage company nationwide, and it’s because we deliver the best rates, options, efficiency and service for you. If you want to make a move and are concerned about rates, the market, and how to navigate the process, reach out to me at the contact info below. I am here to help!
Thank you to all of our Bankers, staff, clients, and agent community, we are proud to be your home finance advocates!
#GoTeam#RaveisMortgage#MortgageExecutiveMagazine#WilliamRaveis
#lindaraymondrealtor
#yourcastlemymission
As we remember and honor those who served us and our country, let’s get ready to celebrate!
CLICK HERE FOR FAIRFIELD MEMORIAL DAY TIMING!
CLICK HERE FOR WESTPORT MEMORIAL DAY INFO AND TIMING!
Click the Events image below for a calendar of weekend and upcoming events nearby.
Click here for a list of Fairfield and Westport open houses this weekend.
Click here to download the free What Sold Report for last month!
In this intensely competitive buyer’s market, you need to be truly ready to buy and have the competitive edge of a committed agent on your side. If you’re like most, buying a home is a huge endeavor for you. You owe it to yourself to be fully committed and have a cohesive plan and expert advocate on your side. This is especially true if you are coordinating your purchase and your sale.
Consider these eight factors for successful home-buying in the current real estate market.
You are now on the best path to your exciting new home!
If your 2022 New Year’s resolution Includes more pickle ball, you’ll be glad to know that “pickle ball for all” was the most popular vote at this town meeting.
The Fairfield Parks and Recreation department hosted a town meeting at Fairfield Ludlowe High School at the end of November to ask residents for their input regarding what they would like to see regarding park facilities, recreation, ⚽️🏀🥎 and events. This input was part of the process of building a longterm plan.
There was a Strong Turnout and Professionally Facilitated Discussion
The meeting, facilitated by a professional team, had participants break into small groups to discuss and tally responses. Each small group discussion was led by a facilitating team member, and each small group shared their input with the full participation at the end of the meeting.
Many Great Ideas Were Discussed
There was discussion about adding cement walkways at the beaches, more bike lanes, more functioning restrooms in the winter, more dog parks, a large field house (possibly in the vacant lot along Grasmere Avenue, adding more basketball and pickle ball courts, and of course, my request for a clearer process for implementing flash mobs 💥 💃🕺🏻around town to further integrate the arts into the community 🙂 ! …So flash mobs didn’t get the most votes, but pickle ball courts did! 🤷♀️
This process contributed to the creation of a comprehensive Parks and Recreation Master Plan to develop a vision reflecting the needs and priorities of the community and a roadmap for implementing that vision over the next ten years..
It’s Not Too Late for Your Input!
To learn more about the project and how you can participate, visit the project website at Fairfieldparksandrecplan.com or go straight to the Community Survey here!
Questions or Comments? Feel free to get in touch below.
It can be fun to shop for gifts during the holidays and closing gifts for clients. But the experience is taken to a whole new level when shopping at Terrain in Westport, Connecticut.
The vibe is warm, festive, beautiful, and calming all at the same time. Enjoy the images below from my recent visit in search of the perfect gifts.
If your shopping spree works up an appetite, the garden cafe has you covered. Winter or summer, it is always a joy to stop in and browse. Maybe I will see you there soon!
Questions? Send me a note below. 🙂
Where did the market go in November? The Westport and Fairfield town-wide sales pace in November, though below that of last November 2020 coming off the Covid spike, was still above that of 2019. Inventory dipped below two-months of supply in Fairfield and stayed at three months of supply in Westport. Low inventory continued to be the most significant limiting factor, and multiple-offers were still happening with many listings. The median sale price in Fairfield was 12% below November 2020 numbers and was up 25% in Westport. Days on market averaged 49 days in Fairfield and 63 in Westport.
Alert: Rates are still amazingly low right now!
Check rates here
Move Now, or Wait ‘Till Spring?
Purchasing a home now can award instant equity in addition to exponential savings over the life of a mortgage if home values continue to appreciate and rates begin to creep up as projected by economic experts. Waiting until next year to buy a home could result in a more expensive purchase. Homeowners that sell now can benefit from a larger buyer pool than next year when homes will be more costly for buyers if interest rates increase. Sellers have much less competition in the winter months than during the spring market, and buyers in the winter are very serious.
If you are like many others who want to sell but are still on the fence, this winter still offers an excellent opportunity to make your move. Interest rates and inventory are still low, and buyer demand is still extremely strong. You are right to seek an expert guide to help you put your strategy in place to reach your goal! Call me today to discuss your plans ==> (203) 912-4440.
What Happened in November in these two hot spots, downtown Fairfield and Greens Farms Westport?
Check out the following lists of the homes that sold and where homeowners accepted offers. The big charts also show the town-wide stats.
FAIRFIELD DOWNTOWN – Within a one-mile radius of the downtown train.
Below are the 12 single-family closings and seven new accepted offers in downtown Fairfield in November.
SOLD:
NEWLY ACCEPTED OFFERS:
Take a look at the Fairfield town-wide stats from the William Raveis Local Housing Data. Send me a note below if you would like the link to add the LHD shortcut to your phone!
WESTPORT GREENS FARMS
There were three single-family sales and one accepted offer in November in Greens Farms.
SOLD:
NEWLY ACCEPTED OFFERS:
Take a look at the Westport town-wide stats from the William Raveis Local Housing Data. Send me a note below if you would like the link to add the LHD shortcut to your phone!
Call me if you are thinking of making a move in the next 12 months, and we will have a 15 minute consultation to discuss your goals, the market, and whether I can help ===> (203) 912-4440.
Looking at how the market did in October… The Westport and Fairfield town-wide sales pace in October slowed a bit from the previous month, consistent with the seasonal trend, and was also down significantly compared to the Covid spike in October 2020, but the sales pace was still above the same time of year in 2019. Inventory remained at two-months of supply in Fairfield and three months in Westport. Low inventory continued to be the most significant limiting factor in these markets. The median sale price was within 2-3 percent of October 2020 numbers and remained significantly higher than in 2019. Market time was still brisk ensuring a constant refresh of available homes for sale.
Industry experts predict continued appreciation of property values and rising interest rates next year.
Purchasing a new home now can award instant equity in addition to exponential savings over the life of a mortgage. Waiting until next year to make a purchase can result in a more expensive purchase. Homeowners that sell now benefit from a larger buyer pool than next year when homes will be more costly for buyers if interest rates go up.
If you are like many others who want to sell but are still on the fence, this fall continues to offer an excellent window to make your move. Interest rates and inventory are still low, and buyer demand is still strong. You are right to arm yourself with an expert guide to help you put your strategy in place to reach your goal! Call me today to discuss your plans ==> (203) 912-4440.
What has sold in these two hot spots?
Where are the accepted offers in October and the beginning of November? Check out the scoop below and take a look at the charts showing the town-wide data.
FAIRFIELD DOWNTOWN – Within a one-mile radius of the downtown train.
Looking at single-family sales, there were 14 closings in October. Market activity showed 16 new accepted offers, including three condominiums and one commercial building in October through November 8th in Fairfield’s downtown and beach area.
SOLD:
NEWLY ACCEPTED OFFERS:
Take a look at the Fairfield town-wide stats from the William Raveis Local Housing Data. Send me a note below if you would like the link to add the LHD shortcut to your phone!
WESTPORT GREENS FARMS
There was one single-family sale October in Greens Farms. There were four new accepted offers, all single-family homes between $1-4 million, in Westport’s Greens Farms neighborhood through November 8th.
SOLD:
NEWLY ACCEPTED OFFERS:
Take a look at the Westport town-wide stats from the William Raveis Local Housing Data. Send me a note below if you would like the link to add the LHD shortcut to your phone!
Call me if you are thinking of making a move in the next 12 months, and we will have a 15 minute consultation to discuss your goals, the market, and whether I can help ===> (203) 912-4440.
They Grew Up There and Raised Their Kids There
For 17 years, our next door neighbors along with their two young daughters and their big dog were a steady presence on the street. We had seen Kelly’s parents come and visit fairly often and become familiar faces. We didn’t know until some time later, that this had been her parent’s house, and Kelly had grown up there.
They had made many improvements to the house over time- new kitchen, windows and doors, new siding, new covered front porch, new stone patio, etc. It never occurred to us that they might move some day. They never talked about the house not suiting their needs anymore.
We joined the neighborhood in 2004 just before I had become a Realtor after experiencing first-hand how emotionally charged making a move and buying a home could be- especially in a hot seller’s market! Steve and Kelly knew I was a Realtor.
But it seemed to come out of the blue the day Kelly called me and told me she had “never planned to stay in that little house so long” and that they wanted to make a move right away! Even more surprisingly though was that their oldest daughter was in college and the younger one was a senior in high school, and yet she said they wanted a bigger and newer home with a pool.
They “hit a wall” with the home they’d been in, and they couldn’t stand it another minute!
It was time to move on and get into that dream home that Kelly had planned to be in years ago but never got around to! They said that even though the girls wouldn’t be there all the time, they loved to have family visit, and they have a very big family.
Once she and Steve made that decision, it seemed like nothing about their current house worked for them any more. The four of them all shared one full bath, the only office they had was tiny, there was just the living room for company to hang out in, there was no AC, no garage, and the interior needed updating because most of the improvements they had done were on the outside.
With their timeline tight, I quickly crafted a plan to get them into their dream home within the shortest timeframe possible.
It was the end of March 2020, and the pandemic was just beginning to ramp up. Steve and Kelly wanted to purchase a home (with a mortgage) before selling their current home. The plan was to find their dream home and move in, so they wouldn’t have to worry about timing or dealing with showing their old house.
If they had needed to get the equity out of their home first, they could have used the new CashBid program offered by William Raveis.
We got the pre-approval in place, and I set up a search to match the very specific criteria they were looking for: more space, more property, updated or new condition, a pool or room for a pool, in the same town, and possibly in the same neighborhood. We reviewed the options.
We looked at two top contenders, and they loved the second one, so we submitted a competitive offer right away. However, it had not been disclosed to us that the house had been tied up with seller issues, so the search continued. Very soon afterward, we looked at a gorgeous home that checked all the boxes and was even closer to the beach! That was the one, and the purchase went very smoothly.
Now happily settled into their exciting new home it was time to get the old one sold!
We did some minor staging, had the photos taken, and hit the market. Immediately there was interest from 10 prospects. Some were not local and couldn’t get there right away, some still had to sell their home before they could buy.
But one family had been looking for a long time, loved the neighborhood, and had a May deadline to move. They came to see the house but were unsure about it because they would need to add a master bath and finish the basement. They took a day to think it over and then made an offer. The negotiations went well, and we arrived at a deal. It turned out that this was the first buyer to see the house the first day it came on market!
Of course it couldn’t have gone that smoothly, right? Sure enough, all went well until the inspection. The inspector found an old pipe repair in the basement and decided to investigate further. He fed a camera through the pipe and discovered an underground sewer line repair that was not up to code.
This issue was unexpected, but in real estate, that’s what happens sometimes. It’s important to go in knowing that roadblocks occur. Nonetheless, I worked closely with the buyer’s agent to solve the unexpected issue so that we could reach the end goal for our clients. Steve and Kelly had the pipe repaired and the process was back on track. We sailed through a smooth final walk-through and closing.
One and Done! We sold their house in one day for 97% of asking.
They grew up there 
and then raised their own kids 
there. Generations of fond memories were there. And yet, one day, there was a driving force 
to move on. Stronger than the ties that kept them there was the urge for the excitement 
of a new chapter, a new space, new memories, a new castle 
, a new home.
Do you have a story you can share in the comments? Are you ready for your next chapter 
? Let’s have a conversation, 203-912-4440.
How did I get Steve and Kelly out of their childhood home and into their dream home in record time?
With great care and understanding, a clear plan and strategy, creativity, technology, and abundant cutting-edge resources and solutions on hand, I guided them through the plan. I have managed many home sales for my clients in the last 16 years and was happy to include Steve and Kelly among them.
Selling a house is a big deal. It can feel daunting when you’re ready to let go of the family property and move to a home that’s more suitable for your current lifestyle. There are so many moving parts and potential roadblocks you can face on this journey, and you want to be prepared.
That’s why you deserve the guidance of a professional that can help you maximize your equity and sell in the least amount of time. A professional who can help you make informed decisions and avoid the common pitfalls of buying and selling. It’s my job to make this happen.
Thinking of selling in the next 12 months?
Call today to get started ==> 203-912-4440
We’ll discuss your goals and timeline, briefly cover how I work with clients, and if we seem like a match, we’ll discuss next steps from there.
Fairfield and Westport CT Real Estate Guide 