Stratford, CT

Stratford CT Single Family Market Report and Real Estate- December 2011

Stratford CT December 2011 single family home sales ended up the year 12% higher than the previous month and overall fairly steady the last four months.

A year-to-year comparison shows list and sales prices decreased 6% and 5% respectively. The median was down 18% and days on the market stayed flat at 2%. Nice to see the supply of homes is statistically creeping into a SELLER'S market.

However, keep in mind that some sellers have postponed listing their homes around the holidays and are waiting until spring to list or relist. Those doing so should rethink that strategy as inventory will be lower now than in the spring thus reducing competition if the home is listed NOW.

Which houses sold in Stratford CT in December 2011 and where was the highest concentration?

Stratford CT December 2011 Property Transfers
(as recorded in the Greater Fairfield County MLS as of 1/20/12)

92% of sales in Stratford for December 2011 were below $300K, with the hot spot being in the $100K-200K range. Stratford remains a very desirable area for first time buyers and downsizers. Add on those historically low interest rates and you have a magical combination for buyers.

The absorption trend, which shows the number of months it would take to sell the entire inventory at the same pace, came in at 6.42 for the last three months.

Keep in mind that this rate is for ALL houses. If you are selling your home, your agent should calculate the absorption rate trend for your price point to get a more accurate analysis. Some price points favor sellers; others favor buyers.

Moving forward, there are 23 houses under deposit and a healthy 54 homes under contract. Homes are SELLING!

SEARCH for Your New Home in Stratford, CT

The success in selling your house in Stratford CT or any other community is dependent upon accurate pricing, effective preparation, calculating the absorption rate for your particular price point, and having a strong online marketing presence. A house will sell if there is a synergy among all four.

CONTACT ME for advice on how to LIST, MARKET, and SELL your home effectively in today's market. All agents do not provide the same marketing services.

If you would like a FREE professional market analysis done for your property in Stratford CT, please contact me.

Date Source: Greater Fairfield County Multiple Listing Service -- January 20, 2012. No representation or warranty is made to the accuracy of this information.

Stratford CT Single Family Market Report - December 2011 - Stratford CT Real Estate

Senior Move Management: Celebrating Atria Stratford's 12th Anniversary


On Thursday, May 12, Atria Stratford celebrated its twelfth anniversary with music and a buffet that included serving stations in several rooms. This beautiful senior residence has an amazing staff of people who are unfailingly courteous, friendly, and knowledgeable.

During the event, tours were lead by Suzanne Malerba, the Community Sales Director, who showed us both public and private spaces. There is a theater, a craft room, and several places to eat, read and relax on the ground floor. The decor and furnishings are like those in a beautiful hotel, but the feeling is warmer and more inclusive, because the staff greet residents by name and ask questions that clearly show a relationship with each person.

In addition to rooms in the assisted living floors, there are two floors designated as the Atria's Life Guidance Neighborhood for residents with memory impairments. The rooms on these floors are built around a beautiful outdoor atrium, which allows residents to sit in the sun and move about with freedom, while providing the enclosure required for safety. The floor plan is thoughtfully laid out in a circular pattern, which allows those residents with memory impairment who need to move about to continue walking without ever coming to the end of a hallway.

The Atria in Stratford is a welcoming place, with residents who clearly are happy and well cared for. Movies, exercise, delicious meals, trips - all are available for those who live here. The staff is happy to give you any information you require if you are currently looking at options for living - for either yourself or a loved one.

Transition Stage can Help

If you are thinking of moving into an assisted living residence, or have a loved one for whom this would be a good choice, we at Transition Stage can provide senior move management services. To contact us, call 203-889-8556 or visit the Transition Stage website more information on the types of services we can provide.

Senior Move Management: Celebrating Atria Stratford's 12th Anniversary

$575,000

Stunning and Spacious Colonial   354 Herbert St., Milford, CT 06461 14 Photos 4 Bed, 4.0 Bath 3161 SF Tour # 2387385   Your perfect home awaits you. This home offers 4 bedrooms, 2/2 baths, gorgeous hardwood flrs, living rm, family rm, fml d/r, huge kitchen, and fin LL with winecellar. Entertain with ease in this home and private yard. For more information, please contact: Stacy Pfannkuch William Raveis Real Estate, Mortgage & Insurance Stratford, CT 203-378-8200 203-386-0937 Fax Information supplied by sellers. Deemed reliable, but not guaranteed.

With all the crazy weather happening across the north east, I read this and have heard some terrible stories about dangerous walkways and driveways. Worst off, I have heard about some serious water damage to homes currently on the market.

Freezing Rain. 4 Feet of Snow. Hail the size of golf balls. With this trifecta of winter weather conditions, I have been driving slowly, dodging 4 foot icicles when showing houses and aappreciating the sand that the sellers have left out for me to use on their slippery walk ways. However, one thing that I didn't think so much of, but have heard alot about this year is ruined sheetrock inside the house...how can that be? I thought that this was the best description of the problem and some solutions..

Did You Know...? Ice Dams Happen! (But they don't have to) An ice dam is a layer of ice that forms at the edge of your homes roof and prevents melting snow from properly draining. The melting snow creates conditions where water backs up behind the dam and leaks into a home causing damage to walls, ceilings, insulation, and potentially other systems within the home. The causes of ice dams are complex; conditions have to be just right for this phenomenon to occur: heat loss from the house, snow cover on the roof, and outside temperatures must be in concert for the dam to form. The dam grows during the daytime by the melting snow from above it. This melted snow (water) finds openings in the exterior roof covering, flows into the attic, and eventually into the spaces below. The services of a Weatherization Contractor should be sought out to diagnose and correct deficiencies related to ice dam formation. These are professionals who can deal with the heat transfer problem that creates ice dams. A study done by the University of Minnesota where ice dams are common, suggests the following:

Immediate action:

• Remove snow from the roof. This eliminates one of the ingredients necessary for the formation of an ice dam. A "roof rake" and push broom can be used to remove snow, but may damage the roofing materials.

• In an emergency situation where water is flowing into the house structure, making channels through the ice dam allows the water behind the dam to drain off the roof. Hosing with tap water on a warm day will do this job. Work upward from the lower edge of the dam. The channel will become ineffective within days and is only a temporary solution to ice dam damage.

Long-term action:

• First, make the ceiling air tight so no warm, moist air can flow from the house into the attic space.

• After sealing air leakage paths between the house and attic space, consider increasing the ceiling/roof insulation to cut down on heat loss by conduction.

*Source: Tigerinspection.com

By: Karin Stocknoff January 20, 2011

"While many buyers have taken advantage of low down payment FHA- backed loans, REALTORS in Regions such as, Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island & Connecticut, reported that a majority of buyers, roughly 49%, put down more then 6% for their purchase". *

* This information is from The National Association Of Realtors-It is good to see in Connecticut, about half of the buyers put down more than 6%!!

By: Karin Stocknoff December 21, 2010