Dagny Eason, Wilton Real Estate Fairfield County CT Real Estate

Well, this morning we boarded our flight to Bozeman, Montana to see my daughter Wendy and her husband Dave for 8 days, and, of course, everyone was so helpful that I neglected to grab my computer or book out of my carryon bag. It ended up in an overhead three rows behind us, and had to be turned sideways to fit—so now other folk’s things were piled in front. By the time I sat down, I realized I had two and a half hours with no book or computer, and both my seat mates had great books they were already deeply immersed in.

So, as I sat and tried to read “Delta,” I began to think about the direction of all of my efforts in the real estate business, and how I had neglected all of my friends from years past. Then, through the fog, I had a brainstorm!

I feel so totally out of touch, not being involved in the school system or with families anymore in my “Dagny’s Kiddie-Care” business (now that it is closed) ----- why not call 1-3 friends every week and pick their brains on all of the fun goings on around town from their perspective?

The pickings could be anything from the latest great trip, to town developments, to next week’s Pumpkin Festival, etc. This could be local information, someone’s experience, some great tidbit, etc. This way I can still stay in touch, and yet GIVE to everyone, the way I like to, through a blog. It would be anonymous or quoted, whatever each would like. This way, we could all share…..

A shop in town might like to be quoted for sure, for example. They might like to spread the word about a special item or sale, ….. It could be a great source of information for all of us in this area of Fairfield County and Wilton. If anyone had any awesome pictures, I could post them on my South Wilton localism blog along with the information/ stories …..

So, what do you think of my great excuse to catch up with you all, and then get a great chance to ramble, which I am so good at?

Please throw your comments and ideas out there for me!

Whenever I conduct an Open House for a listing, whether the home is large or small, single family or condominium, I always bring loads of balloons to it. I love to use them to attach to signs to grab folks’ attention to come in, but I also love to have the balloons in the house. That way, it looks festive and welcoming.

If families come with children, it’s a great gift for the kids, and an ice breaker for the adults, if they are uncomfortable about being approached. However, there have recently been some open houses that have not had any children come at all. Now, I HATE to pop balloons that have not been enjoyed yet.

Anyone who knows me well, knows that I am HUGE on recycling. An unused balloon for me is the kiss of death. A couple of weeks ago, I finished an open house with 8 balloons, and no kids around. On my way to the car, I passed a father and little boy starting out on a walk. Yea! One balloon given out! But, as I picked up my signs, I was picking up more balloons! Oh, no! I would glance into each car that passed me, hoping desperately to find a child in a car seat. One or two, and I passed the balloons to them….

But, at the end of the day, I still had four balloons, and no one around. Where could I find some little kids in a friendly environment to give these balloons away? Yureka! The Village Market! In the center of Wilton! So, I drove over, and walked in, carrying my four balloons. There! At the checkout was a family with two kids… I asked the mom if she minded me sharing these balloons with her kids – yes! -- yea! All were totally delighted!

Now, perhaps I would have been a little better served if I had remembered to introduce myself, so they might have had a clue that I was a real estate agent, and they might remember me sometime in the future……. I was just so ecstatic to be able to give those balloons another life after the open house, and watch the absolute delight on those kids’ faces……

What could be better??

It's really crazy out there! You just have to be really careful! There are a lot of forms and documents to create and complete in real estate, and using a ready-made format is usually a good idea. Undeniably, form purchase and sale agreements save time and complications for both the buyer and seller. But a form unread is a form that’s trouble – for both buyers and sellers. An unread legal document – or a poorly understood one – spells trouble for everyone. Witness the recent Hartford Superior Court case involving a form purchase and sale agreement with an ‘as is’ property. The trouble in this case was a ‘form’ purchase and sale agreement. This particular form managed to contain conflicting provisions. The seller thought he was selling his property ‘as is,’ and that an agreed-upon inspection was for the buyer’s informational purposes only. But the buyer read the form to say he could have the property inspected and if the results were unsatisfactory he could terminate the contract and have his deposit refunded. So what happened? You guessed it – the inspection turned up problems, the buyer wanted to terminate the contract and the seller refused to refund the deposit because it was an ‘as is’ purchase agreement. And the buyer ended up suing to get his money back. Not surprisingly, when this went to court, the contract was found to have conflicting provisions. In fact, both the buyer and the seller were right: the contract did state that the property was being sold ‘as is,’ but it also stated that the buyer could terminate the contract and get his deposit back if serious defects were identified. Who won? Well, no one, because this was a real estate deal gone sour due to a faulty form. But the court found in favor of the buyer who was granted the right to have his deposit returned. So next time you are buying or selling any real estate, read that legal document – especially if it looks like a form – incredibly carefully. - Dagny P.S. As a matter of fact, I was just filling out a Binder of Sale tonight, and telling the buyer that perhaps we should add an Addendum saying that the deposit was contingent on the results of the inspection being satisfactory. It's a foreclosure.......

I've lived in Fairfield County for most of my life, and in Wilton for over 35 years, and am able to bring real local knowledge to those looking to move into or out of the area.

One of the things I love about being a realtor is helping families meet their needs: be it selling their house or finding a home that is just right for them. Mostly, that’s what being a realtor is all about: matching people with homes.

But sometimes, as realtors, we get – or create – the opportunity to do something more. To give back. To make Real Estate really REAL.

September 1, 2008 was my day to make real estate REAL. That was the day Nicole Williams move into the new home I helped her find in Norwalk. A home big enough for her family. A home safe from the bullets that plagued her prior Washington Village house.

One of the compliments I received last year – and one that means a lot to me – was from Nicole. She told the Norwalk Hour, “Looking at homes was quite an experience. I think I must have looked at 50 to 60 homes before I finally found one that was big enough for my family. My wonderful realtor was very, very patient with me.” (We have become great friends, also)

That’s me, with Nicole and her family; if you’d like, you can read the full article published in The Hour on September 13, 2008.

And now with Nicole happy in her home, I’ve expanded my efforts. In addition to my wonderful Wilton real estate clients, I’m helping several other families like Nicole’s find homes in Norwalk.

It just feels so great to put the REAL in Real Estate.