About New Haven County, CT

Inspecting homes can be like looking for a person who has become lost in the woods, you have to keep a sharp eye out for a distress signal.

During a recent home inspection on a snowy morning here in Connecticut, while looking over the exterior of the guest - pool house I noticed a sign. I didn’t know at the time it was important or that what I was seeing was anything more than it appeared to be, a vent through the roof. In this instance it was a vent for the heating system.

Vents through the roofs of homes are not only common, but wholly expected. If I were to observe a home without vents through the roof, that would be a sign as well, a red flag. What this almost periscope like signal told me was that the heating system is located in the attic. Since I had glimpsed the basement, saw that it was often wet, this was a good sign to see.

After completing the outside inspection, I moved inside straight up stairs to find the attic and the “vessel” attached to that periscope. Ascending the stairway, which had a nautical motif by the way, I noticed above me the return air vent in the ceiling. This vent corresponded to about the place on the exterior where I had first observed sign of the heating system. At the top of the stairs I went left into the bedroom and to the closet at the end of the room. Opening the door I was surprised to see, nothing?

Not actually “nothing”, the something I was looking for was the hatch in the ceiling that would take me to the attic and ultimately the signaling furnace. I went out of the closet, gazing at the ceiling as I walked towards the only other room up here, the bathroom.

Again nothing, nada, zilch, zip, no attic hatch. I looked in the pint sized linen closet, I looked again in the stairway and back in the first closet. This was a problem, and a fairly significant one at that.

Having access to a heating system in an attic not only makes just plain good sense for numerous reasons, it is also required by the building codes.

Come to find out the access had been in the ceiling of the bedroom. Basically the story went, it was aesthetically unappealing and the homeowner had it seal off and finished to match the ceiling. Another instance where form trumps function and the furnace had been sending out an SOS ever since.

Finally someone came by who heard the call.

James Quarello
Connecticut Home Inspector
Former SNEC-ASHI President
NRSB #8SS0022
JRV Home Inspection Services, LLC

To find out more about our other high tech services we offer in Connecticut click on the links below:

Serving the Connecticut Counties of Fairfield, Hartford, Middlesex, New Haven, Southern Litchfield and Western New London.

14 Pinecrest Dr, Prospect CT

MLS# N315547, Listed at $155,000

It’s the best real estate value in Prospect CT, already priced well below value. A home that will provide an instant equity to the home buyer that will provide the TLC needed.

Almost ½ acre of privacy
A 7 year old roof architectural roof
One year old hot water heater
1 year old well tank
Upgraded electrics.

This is a home that has served a family for almost 50 years and awaits the new owners. A taste of rustic retreat with wood paneled walls, which give one a feeling of cozy warmth. Yes, it has a few little items that need attention, and that’s why the price is low, so the new owner can do it their way.

Ideal for an empty nester of a downsizing couple looking to add their input.

Come take a look, realize the potential and own your own little piece of Prospect CT.

Conveniently located near pharmacy, grocery, banking, post office, even the best little ice cream parlor in the area.

14 Pinecrest Dr Prospect CT

January 2012 Real Estate Sales Report for The Country Club Road Neighborhood of Waterbury CT

Currently in the Country Club Road area of Waterbury there are 15 active residential listings for sale, with 3 new listings being added in January. The homes for sale in the Country Club Road Section of Waterbury CT range from a 864 square ft, 3-bedroom tri-level in need of some work, for $139,900 to a 4,002 square ft, 5-bedroom, expanded multi-level home listed at $ 469,900. These listings are within the town zip codes of 06708.

The average list price of the homes currently available for sale in the Country Club Road area of Waterbury CT is $245,967. The average days on market for these homes is 106 days. There are no homes under contract in the Country Club Road Area of Waterbury CT.

In January, 2 homes closed in the Country Club Road neighborhood of Waterbury CT. They were a 1,200 square ft, 3-bedroom REO ranch that sold for $125,000 and a 3,198 square ft, 4-bedroom colonial that sold for $260,000. Average DOM of 255 days.

By comparison, there were no closings in the Country Club Road neighborhood of Waterbury CT for the month of January 2011.

There are currently 17 active condos for sale in the Country Club Road neighborhood of Waterbury CT. They range in price from $149,900 for a 1,100 sq ft, 3-bedroom, town house style condo to $ 92,500 for a 2-bedroom, 1,200 sq ft town home style condo, in short sale status. Average days on market for condos is 103.

One condo is currently under contract in the Country Club Road section of Waterbury CT.

One (1) condo closed in the month of January in the Country Club Road neighborhood of Waterbury CT. It was a 900 2-bedroom ranch style unit which sold for $111,000 with days on market of 106.

For sellers it is essential to have a sales price on your home consistent with the most recent activity. We offer free market evaluations to assist you in your sale.

If you would like information on homes for sale in Waterbury CT, please call me at 203-206-0754 or send me an email. I would be happy to assist you or to discuss homes on the market in Waterbury CT.

January 2012 Real Estate Sales Report for The Country Club Road Neighborhood of Waterbury CT

Wolcott CT 2011 Real Estate Market Report

In 2011, 111 homes were sold in Wolcott CT, with an average sale price of $228,828 and an average of 88 days on market. The homes that sold ranged from a 624 sq. ft. 3 bedroom cape that sold for $50,000, to a 3527 sq. ft. 4 bedroom colonial that sold for $525,000.

There is about 10 months worth of inventory remaining in Wolcott CT, with the absorption rate for 2011 at 9.25 homes sold per month and an average of 95 homes on the market at any given time.

Home prices in Wolcott CT rose 8% in 2011 from its low in 2010. Realistic sellers are still getting very close to asking price, and days on market for homes sold are now averaging under 3 months. Also, there have been fewer homes available for sale in Wolcott CT than in the previous years. Sellers, while this is good news for you, the best thing to do if you are planning to sell your home this year is to price it at market values that are reflective of its condition.

For more details about the Wolcott CT market and to determine if this is the right time to sell, call me at (203) 558-7463 to receive a free home evaluation and a list of tips that will help you prepare your home for sale.I look forward to discussing with you Wolcott CT homes for sale.

©William James Walton, Sr. Market Report data provided by CTMLS. All data reported is accurate but not guaranteed at time of publication.

Some Mortgage Relief for Connecticut Home Owners is Coming

There may be some relief for home-owners in Connecticut that were victims of the robo-signing scandal. A $25 Billion dollar settlement with the 5 largest mortgaging servicing banks will see almost $200 million dollars find its way into Connecticut.

The 5 banks identified in this settlement are Chase, Wells Fargo, Bank of America, Ally Bank formerly GMAC and JPMorgan Chase.

Of importance in this settlement is the reality that banks should be easier to deal and communicate with for borrowers. The frustrations of getting passed along form one bank employee to another with the

The settlement has the potential to help many Connecticut home owners who have mortgages with these banks to recover and get bank from the potential of foreclosure. It could also result in changes to mortgages including reductions in loan principal. The servicers have three years to meet the terms of the settlement.

There are an additional 9 loan servicers under scrutiny, which could bring relief for other borrowers.

As part of the settlement, banks are required to reach out to their borrowers, however, the contact numbers for these banks are as follows, for those people who do not want to wait:

Bank of America: 877-488-7814
Citigroup: 866-272-4749
JPMorgan Chase: 866-372-6901
Ally/GMAC: 800-766-4622
Wells Fargo: 800-288-3212.

The full text of the article from the Hartford Courant can be read here.

Some relief for Connecticut home owners is here, and hopefully more will follow.

Some Mortgage Relief for Connecticut Home Owners is Coming