About Brookfield's Candlewood Shores

The Five Reasons Your Brookfield, CT Home Didn't Sell

The Five Reasons Your Brookfield, CT Home Didn't Sell---It's never a good feeling when your house has been listed for 90 to 180 days and it expires without being sold. You wonder where you went wrong. The problem is that most of the time there is nobody to turn to who will give you honest answers. UNTIL NOW THAT IS...............................

Basically there are only FIVE REASONS WHY YOUR HOME DIDN'T SELL.......

LOCATION---We can't change the location but we certainly discuss how this will affect the marketability of your home. We will come up with a marketing strategy that will MAXIMIZE YOUR LOCATION.

CONDITION---YOU NEVER GET A SECOND CHANCE TO MAKE A FIRST IMPRESSION. The Beninson Associates offer all of our clients a complementary home staging consultation to make sure that your home is fit to sell.

PRICE---We offer an absorption rate analysis for your home. How many homes are currently for sale in YOUR SPECIFIC PRICE RANGE? How many homes have sold each month in your specific price range on the average? How do these factors affect YOUR SPECIFIC PRICING STRATEGY?

COMMISSION---What is the commission that your competition is CURRENTLY OFFERING? Do you have a COMMISSION STRATEGY that is competitive?

MARKETING---Since over 80% of buyers today begin their home search on the Internet how extensive is your MARKETING STRATEGY? Is there a virtual tour of your home? Do you have a minimum of 16 pictures on Realtor.com? Can your home be found on more than 350 web-sites and search engines?\

I'm sorry that your Brookfield, CT home didn't sell but, my team, The Beninson Associates, can answer all of your questions and............

WE WILL GET IT SOLD THIS TIME!!!

Beware Active Rain Adiction Day 12- I'll take a Mulligan

Today is my birthday and I am off to spend some time with my wife and daughters. My neice also just had a baby so there seems to be a hour and a half ride (both ways) in the making too. I will attempt to write a proper blog later tonight if I can.

Funny how the world doesn't stop just because it is your birthday. I have to give a client an opinion of value on two rental properties.. one is a Rental Property in New Milford and on is a Rental Property in Brookfield. The Rental Property in New Milford is a three bedroom two floor apartment in a Two Family home. The Rental Property in Brookfield is a three bedroom two bath with a two car garage near Candlewood Lake. It is being totally redone and will look like new when it is finished. I also have to call a few clients to set up appointments for tomorrow. Typical Realtor's Birthday I guess. Happy Birthday to Me! Happy Birthday to Me! Happy Birthday to Me!

God Bless and Happy Selling!!!

Beware: Active Rain Addiction Day 10 A Crazy little thing called Mega Agent Camp

I am going to Mega Agent Camp next week and I wanted to take a few minutes to reflect on the first Mega Camp that I went to two years ago. I had been with the same company for over ten years and was sure that this was the only company for me. I had been recognized ten years in a row, by this company, as a top producer. I had owned my own franchise for five years and I had just sold it and joined the company that I sold it to as an agent. I was only there for six months when a good friend of mine asked me if I'd like to go to Mega Camp. Of course, I had no idea what Mega Camp was but my friend was raving about it. Of course, you must realize that we had been trying to recruit each other to our respective offices for the past five years. However, the company that I had now joined was extremely quiet(read--dead) and I had some bad tastes in my mouth for the way the regional office had treated us when they found out that we would not be renewing our franchise for another five years.

So what is this Mega Camp anyway and why would I want to go? My good friend explained that it was two days in Austin, Texas of networking, motivation, trade show and the best training that I would ever experience. My friend's office was so sure that I would be impressed that they would be willing to pay my way there if I would promise to keep an open mind about joining their office. I assured them that I had no intention of switching offices but I would go for the training and, yes I would promise to keep an open mind.

I have to tell you that these were two of the most unusual days that I have ever spent. I felt like I was in the "Twilight Zone". Everyone was so up and friendly and positive that I thought I must be at some sort of lovefest and not a Real Estate conference. There were agents up on stage giving you step by step instructions on some vital part of their business that was so successful. They were willing to give out web-sites and phone numbers and the promise to help any agent who needed it. There were motivational speakers that had you on the edge of your seats. How hard is a challenging market compared to someone who fought his way back from being paralyzed to being in the para olympics. How about the man who's whole school was massacred and he survived to become an olympic runner. Then you have the CEO on stage and he is talking about his vision and asks the audience"How many of you wish that two years were passed and we had a busy market again?" He then goes on to explain that your kids would be two years older and what you would miss. Your elderly parent might not have two more years on this earth either. The bottom line is that I left this conference with a new attitude not only toward the market but to my fellow Realtors in my office compared to these "love children" who were willing to do anything to help you to be successful. Of course I decided to join this Keller Williams office not long after I got back.

Fast forward to this year. My sister, a top Realtor in Clermont, Fl. has just joined Keller Williams and is going to meet me at Mega Camp. I am not sure if I'm more excited for myself or for her. I know that we will come back renewed and refreshed but also ready to share and give back to other agents in our offices and the community as well. Mega Camp is an unusual event that every agent should experience in their careers. I am fortunate that this will be my second one. To get an idea...http://events.mapscoaching.com/mega-camp-2010

Beware: Active Rain Addiction Day 9 "Mamma's don't let your kids grow up to be Realtors!?"

I have been a Realtor for the past 27 years and have enjoyed the highs and the lows. My wife has been my Real Estate partner for the bulk of these years. We go on listing presentations together but we usually work with buyers separately. We have been blessed with two daughters who have helped out in the business from time to time by stamping envelopes, puttting out Open House signs and answering phones etc...They have both taking their Real Estate Principles and Practices courses but neither one has yet to get their license. I have to say that my wife and I have mixed emotions about this. The Real Estate business has enabled us to go to most of the school plays, field trips, school ski trips and even be a kindergarten homeroom Dad. It has also caused us to cancel vacations, lay off staff when times got slow and spend many a sleepless night when it seemed that no amount of effort could bring out out of one sort of slump or another. My sister is a Realtor in Florida and my brother is licensed and has worked as her assistant on two different occasions that ended on sour notes.

I'd like to hear some family in Real Estate stories that have happy endings. I know that there are many of them out there. Then maybe we'll be more encouraging to our daughters when they tell us they want to take the Real Estate test and join us in the business. We don't want to end up singing that old song "Mamma's don't let your kids grow up to be cow....er.....Realtors.

If you are looking for a home in a lake community, the Candlewood Shores development in Brookfield should be on your list. The community is very accessible, right off of Candlewood Lake road and is only 5 minutes from I-84 and Route 7.

With almost all lake communities, there is a variety of home styles, sizes & price ranges. Many of the homes in Candlewood Shores sit on around a 7000 square foot lot. Some have a garage, others don’t. Some of the original 1950s ranches & raised ranches have been added on to over the years, while others remain modest homes. There has been some construction of new homes on some of the remaining lots. Even some of the small homes sitting directly on Candlewood Lake have been torn down to make way for much larger homes.

Because there are large variances in sizes, styles & waterfront vs. non waterfront homes, prices are all over the map. There are currently 18 homes on the market in Candlewood Shores (per CMLS 10/5/09), with prices ranging from $209,900 to $1,875,000. The average listing price is $705,800, which is weighed heavily because there are 5 waterfront homes listed over $1 million. The median listing price is $385,000.

Candlewood Shores offers what many consider to be the best beach on Candlewood Lake. There is a playground and sport field facilities within the community. There are limited boat moorings, on top of a boat ramp. Throughout the year, community events are held.

Click here to visit the Candlewood Shores Homeowner’s Association Website.

For more information for real estate in the Candlewood Shores community of Brookfield, call Jonathan Hall at 203-417-0523 or email to jonathan.hall@sothebysrealty.com