New Milford CT Real Estate Happenings

Wanted: New Milford CT Buyer to renovate, enjoy and love! Come meet this home in New Milford, CT and make it yours!

They do say there is an owner for every house, and this poor house is desperately looking for its new owner! I just listed a house in New Milford, CT, and for the first time I can say this house is sad and desperately looking for a new owner. The house is sitting and (im)patiently waiting to be finished and possibly improved on. For instance, there is a new roof, the cedar siding on the house is also newer. The owner built a wonderful storage shed on the property, all that is missing is the siding to make it look great. The wiring has been upgraded and the homeowner was starting a few more projects before having to move out of town due to unforeseeable circumstances. Now this house is greatly in need of someone to make it shine, make it home and enjoy it well. You have access to "Emerald Lake", aka Green Pond when you live in this house.

The house has also wanted you all to know that this may indeed be a short sale, and we are working on this to make any transaction a smooth one for the buyer, the seller and the house!

Slide, swing and run around in the SUN in New Milford, CT. New Milford Town Parks ROCK!

It was so warm yesterday, my oldest daughter and I packed her new baby and my other 2 year old grandson in the strollers and walked around the town green. I can hardly wait until the trees are budding and the flowers are blooming! From the town green in New Milford, CT we walked down to Young's Field, which was bustling with activity today. So many little ones out on the playground, sliding, swinging, running around. Everyone was enjoying the sunshine and wonderful weather! We met lots of people, saw some pretty impressive dogs and just had a fantastic day all the way around.

Just a stones throw away from the playground at Young's Field in New Milford, CT is the skateboard park, which was also full of kids showing off their skills. Unfortunately for me I wasn't able to watch much of their antics as I had my hands full with a 2 year old determined to slide down the HIGHEST and BIGGEST slide in the park, over and over again! There were a few people playing basketball and soon the tennis courts will be full and the ball fields will be packed with athletes and adoring fans.

New Milford, CT has wonderful recreational areas for everyone to enjoy! From the beaches and boat slips at Lynn Deming Park on Candlewood Lake to the scenic 100 acres at Clatter Valley, wonderful for hiking, picnicking, horseback riding and many other activities, there is something for everyone to enjoy.

For more information on the wonderful recreational areas available in New Milford, CT check out the Town of New Milford's website. And then get out and enjoy all that New Milford, CT has to offer in the beautiful Litchfield Hills.

New Milford, CT, the gateway to Litchfield County. A wonderful place to live, work and play.

Home sales in Washington, CT, Real Estate Market Watch for February 2010 in Washington, Washington Depot and New Preston, CT.

Currently in Washington, Washington Depot and New Preston, CT there are 83 single family homes on the market.

The average list price is $1,410,696

The average market time is 225 days.

The highest price home is $8,900,000, this estate is considered to be one of Litchfield County's finest estates.

The lowest price home is $220,000. This is a small home with direct waterfront on Mount Tom pond.  

Of the 83 single family homes active on the market in Washington, Washington Depot and New Preston, CT, 2 are under deposit. The average list price of these homes is $1,272,500, and the average market time is 215 days.

Currently there are 3 homes that are in the pending sale status. The average list price of these homes is $1,930,000. The average market time for these homes is 81 days.

We are seeing an increase in activity in Washington, Washington Depot and New Preston, CT. I am cautiously optimistic about activity in this area for both the lower end of the scale and the second home market. There are some wonderful homes for sale in Washington, Washington Depot and New Preston, CT, prices have come down and it looks like a very good time to buy!

(Statistical information obtained from Greater Fairfield County "CMLS". This information is deemed reliable but not necessarily accurate. The statistics obtained are only as good as the agents who input the information, clerical errors and omissions may be present that I am unaware of.)

Home sales in New Milford, CT, Real Estate Market Watch for February 2010 in New Milford, CT.

Currently in New Milford, CT there are 228 single family homes on the market. 4 of these are foreclosures.

The average list price is $490,061.

The average market time is 140 days.

Highest price home is $5,900,000, this estate belongs to a famous TV celebrity and spans New Milford and New Preston, CT.

The lowest price is $65,000. It is an antique on a very odd shaped piece of property. The home has deteriorated and might best be served if it were demolished.

Of the 228 single family homes active on the market in New Milford, CT, 19 are under deposit. The average list price of these homes is $390,665, and the average market time is 111 days. None of the homes that are under deposit are foreclosures.

Currently there are 22 homes that are in the pending sale status. The average list price of these homes is $298,116. The average market time for these homes is 131 days. 4 of these homes are foreclosures. (I would like to say that tracking foreclosures only works if the agents list the homes as foreclosures. At this time there is really no reliable way to track short sales, which I am disappointed about.)

Is the market better in New Milford, CT? I think so. Although the number of sales were down from year to year in February, the average sale price is better than January 2010, and certainly better than it was all last year! I know I am busier than I have been, as with others I speak to. I think we will see an increase in the amount of sales for March based on what I see going on.

(Statistical information obtained from Greater Fairfield County "CMLS". This information is deemed reliable but not necessarily accurate. The statistics obtained are only as good as the agents who input the information, clerical errors and omissions may be present that I am unaware of.)

Center chimney Colonials, a New England treasure! I saw the most amazing chimney in the basement of a home today, I actually went back to my car, got my camera and had to take pictures of this. This is an old New England center chimney Colonial, built in 1786. It is a very impressive size at over 2,500 square feet, although when you see the size of the chimney in the basement you can understand that the house would have to be big to house this monster! Center chimney Colonials were the first really distinctive style homes in New England.

I love antiques, and this one is certainly a home that someone could sink their teeth into. The house has 4 fireplaces that I can see. 3 downstairs and one smaller one upstairs. (I didn't get a picture of the upstairs one though.) I was wondering if there were more upstairs that have been walled over, I can't tell. The largest fireplace still has the beehive oven, I couldn't resist sticking my head inside and getting a shot off! The real treat? In the attic (which is amazing, I am going back to shoot more photos, the beams are awesome!) there is a smokehouse attached to the chimney! Plus another attic above the attic.

Of course, like any self respecting New England antique center chimney Colonial there are beautiful hand hewn beams all over and wonderful chestnut floors. I was drooling even though the house needs quite a bit of work.

As this was a working farm for years there are all sorts of old barns and buildings which gave me many photo opps. I will be going back when spring is here to get more photos for myself. There was an buggy parked out back, all I needed was a horse and I would have been all set! Across the street was the spring house which feeds water to the house. The water was crystal clear, it really is amazing.

I did a bit of research on the old center chimney Colonials, the funky staircases were very typical as they wrapped tightly around the chimneys. This one is no different. I was told that the banister and newel posts are believed to be original. I don't know about that, but it is pretty cool. The windows and doors were known as "bays", and you could tell if someone was prosperous by the amount of bays. As time went on it became the norm to have 5 "bays", 2 windows on each side and a front door.  Center chimney Colonials are very symmetrical, the rooms up and down mirrored each other, called 2 over 2.

There really is something quite special about a New England antique, I hope that this one finds someone who understands and appreciates its beauty and brings it back to the gem it must have been at one time. This one is on the market in Roxbury, CT for 1.3 million dollars, sits on 19 acres of pasture and wooded area. A real Connecticut beauty. I was pleasantly surprised by the lure of this wonderful center chimney Colonial I visited today!

The Realtor® and the closing. What does this Realtor® do to get a house to close?

This has been a hectic week for sure, starting with rocket launches and squirrels, throw in a collapsed septic system at a rental, and a target at the end of the week for a closing. With all sorts of things in between.

I have a closing set for Friday morning, how wonderful. The buyers are so excited, this is her "dream home". The sellers are closing the book on a very long chapter of their lives, they have owned the house since the mid sixties. Children grew up, a spouse died, many happy, sad, bittersweet memories are tied up in their home. There is no one here anymore so the clean out was not an easy one, but it is almost done.

Yesterday (and later today) I spent cleaning floors, dusting, making sure everything sparkles for the new owners. Sure, I could have insisted the sellers hire someone after the guys took all the leftover "stuff" out of the house. But it was a few hours out of my week, and we Realtors® just do what we have to do. (Cleaning a few rooms is way easier than having to find a home at the last minute for 6 llamas I have to admit!)

I have 2 more rooms to go, I will be there this afternoon after touring some properties and having a great lunch at one of them today. I may feel like Cinderella while I am sweeping and mopping, but that will pass!

I do have to have a mailbox installed, someone hit it and broke it from stem to stern, pillar to post. The ground may be a bit too frozen to manipulate the post, but we will try over the weekend. And I have to pick the photo I want to frame as a gift for the buyers. But otherwise, we are all in the home stretch!

So, when you think that your Realtor® puts the house on the multiple listing service and then simply comes and picks up the check at closing, I have to disagree. Many times we are down in the trenches, doing what it takes to get the house sold. (Yesterday one of my associates moved a cord of wood just in time for the open house today. And she is not a he!)

Low fat milk and overpriced homes. What on earth do they have in common?

I pulled into a gas station this morning and saw this sign. The more I looked at it the more confusing it appeared to be. The math just doesn't add up, 1% milk has 69% less fat than whole milk? So why not call it what it really is? (If you really want to be confused, google low fat milk.)

So what does the price of milk have to with it anything anyway? Bear with me here, poetic license and I can't pass up using milk for anything!

Yesterday a listing came on the market. I admit I laughed when I saw it. I had visited the home a few months back with another agent who wanted my price opinion. The home owners had done a tremendous amount of work but there was no way I could come up with a price that could recoup their funds. Surprise, surprise, the listing came on with a different agent at more than $100,000 over what I am sure it is worth.

So how did this happen? Someone made the home owner think that he was sitting on something he was not. They were astute, picked up on the fact that the owner wanted and needed more money than the house was worth. Now it is being marketed as whole milk, when it is not that at all. (Not only is the price wrong, but the house has grown in size too!) If a potential buyer can be enticed to look at it, they, like me sitting in front of the milk sign, will be scratching their heads and moving on. And the home owner will be disgruntled in the end. Then there is always the appraisal issue, but I am not even talking about that reality here.

Reality is, believe it or not, that some companies promote the philosophy to take the listing at any price, then tell the home owner some sob story about the market tanking ... excuse me?

So you see, low fat milk and overpriced homes DO have something in common! I for one like my milk raw and unadulterated, and that is exactly the way I do my market analysis too!

butcher, a baker, a candlestick maker. Who am I? Today I was thinking about all the things we are as Realtors®. We are a collection of things, jack of all trades and we had better be master of most! And in no particular order, this is some of what we are!

great negotiator, good listener, skilled conversationalist, good driver, neighborhood expert, GPS system, town historian, local folklore expert, technology wiz, marketing guru, great photographer, skilled writer, home stager/interior decorator, good driver, babysitter, pet minder, dog walker, cat whisperer, master at multi-tasking, gardening genius, a visionist, new housing trends specialist, whiz at reading maps and deeds,  zoning expert, statistician and mathematician, problem solvers extraordinaire, social media expert.

e are politicians and diplomats, we have great eye for potential issues after just a quick run through, a fair understanding septic systems and wells. We have our pulse on good contractors/handy type of people. We understands the inner workings of the town hall including but not limited to; tax assessor, tax collector, town/city clerk's office, building department, sanitation department, health department, zoning department, and for MORE than one town/city most of the time.

e have a great memory for people, places, names and faces. We have a good sense of humor, we are mind readers, we are marriage counselors and therapists, we can change directions at the drop of a hat!

e are REALTORS®!

"Reval" and Mill Rates in New Milford, CT. The tax man commeth 2010!

Everywhere you go these days in New Milford, CT you hear people talking about the revaluation and the budget. We are in the middle of our revaluation in New Milford, CT. (The state mandates towns in CT must go through revaluations every 5 years) The tax man commeth, well, not the tax man but indeed there are people out there knocking on your door to look at your house for the reval. New Milford, CT revaluation is done by Vision Appraisal. They all should have identification, if you are in doubt if the person knocking on your door is who they say they are, call the Tax Assessor's Office or the New Milford Police Department. After they visit you, you will be asked to sign a paper that says the inspection actually took place. Here is the thing, if you don't let them in, they have to try again, and again and again. They have to prove to the town an attempt was made. And then, they will have to GUESS what you have. Will they guess you have more than you have? Could be.

What are they looking for? Style, size, (bedrooms, bathrooms, physical size) improvements, utilities (type of heat, etc.) condition of your home, they will check for any zoning restrictions etc. After this portion of the revaluation takes place the appraiser will be looking at recent sales and market trends in the town. The comes the dreaded valuation. Check out the information the town of New Milford, CT has put on their website for more information on the process itself.

Remember the assessed rate that you pay taxes on is 70% of the assessed value. So if your home was appraised at $400,000 it will show up on the field card as $280,000. This is the base you pay taxes on!

What is a mill rate anyway?

A mill rate is the amount of tax dollar on assessed value of a property. One "mill" is one/tenth of a cent.

I know everyone is worried that the revaluation will increase their property taxes. Actually what increases your property taxes are the mill rates set by the town. Paying attention to the town budget in New Milford, CT is key. Our mill rate is directly affected by the town budget.

How does the town come up with the mill rate? Simple math actually. The towns Grand List divided by the budget equals the mill rate. Currently the mill rate in New Milford, CT is 22.52 or, for every $1,000 in assessed property value you pay $22.52 in property tax.

If you want to check out what the town currently has on your home try visiting www.visionappraisal.com. New Milford, CT requires registration, but there is no charge for this. You can also visit the New Milford Town Hall, go to the Tax Assessors office on the first floor and ask to see the "field card" for your home. It is public information and it is your right! Of course right now you will be looking at the current information the town has from the last reval, but it is a starting point.

A beloved old vehicle or the low rent district? New Milford CT real estate talk.

To you it is your old beloved friend, so many wonderful memories tied up inside. To you Realtor® it is a potential stumbling block to reaching that all important "curb appeal" status that is so greatly desired. To the town, if there are more than one it is a fine waiting to happen. (Depending on where you live, the amount of unregistered vehicles allowed can vary) To your insurance company it is a potential insurance hazard. To a potential buyer it looks like the low rent district for mice and raccoons.

And where there are one, there are usually two or more. Old, unregistered vehicles tend to attract more, it is law. There is always the relative or friend who saw the old car in your yard and asked could they just leave their old, beloved car with yours? Trust me, these old cars travel in packs. And they usually travel with no titles!

There is nothing worse than your agent having to contact your attorney and telling them there is a problem two days before the closing. The ground is too soft to move the vehicles, it is going to cost an arm and a leg to have them moved and you ran out of funds, the guy who promised to take them never showed up, the person who really owns the car never came, you can't find the title to junk the car. Yes, money can be put in escrow, the problem is still looming over your head and now you have angry buyers waiting for you to come and remove the eyesore(s) without tearing up their new yard.

Another option is call the fire department, sometimes you can donate vehicles to be used in "Jaws of Life" demonstrations, or they set them on fire to practice putting car fires out. You beloved friend will die a good death (again) and possibly save the lives of others. A totally worthy cause! Whatever you decide to do with it (them) don't delay! You won't sell your home in New Milford, CT with these old cars junking up the yard!