Patricia Moreggi - Realtor Greater New Haven, CT

I have been selling Real Estate since 1984 and have seen many up and downs, trends, buyers markets, sellers markets but never have I seen a buyers market and the lowest interest rates combined! The phenomenon is amazing and still sellers are not sure if they want to list their homes "right now" and buyers quite frankly have very little inventory to see in the Greater New Haven Area.

I work as both a "Selling" agent and a "Buyers" agent as it keeps my skills honed as to what is available for listings in the market and negotiating skills. In all frankness I really like to help people achieve their dreams as to whether they want or need to move or if they want or need to purchase a home. If it were up to me there would be more quality listings on the market that were well maintained and have been updated as the current homeowners have lived and enjoyed their home and the homes would be priced to sell. Or if the property is not keep up to date, or has not been properly maintaind the price should be reflective of this fact.

There are too many unrealistic sellers out there that are putting their homes on the local Multiple Listing Service and they and/or their agents are comparing it to homes that have been sold later than three (3) months, have been upgraded in the bathrooms, kitchen, furnace, hot water heaters, etc. and actually - prior to listing the home. Some agents don't know the inventory and are glad to take a listing that is overpriced. It is a waste of time if it is grossly overpriced, the sellers have too high an expectation, the agent has time invested, and the buyers agents took time to make the appointment, talk to the buyers about it, obtain an appointment, drive there, the sellers have (hopefully) cleaned and straightened the home, and the agents show up and the appointment happens...to be disappointed or if everything is right then the opposite happens: multiple showings, lots of hits on the Internet sites, the sellers are amazed at all of the activity and an offer perhaps multiple offers.

Sellers if you are on the fence regarding listing your home obtain a market analysis on your home from a full-time experienced agent that works your local area up to a 12-15 mile radius. Find out what their track record is, do they have any current listings, sales? Are they in touch with all of the new mortgage restrictions (and there are many from HUD and Federal Guidelines), are they aware that federal guidelines restrict appraisers from using sales in your 3 mile radius over 3 months? Do they have contractors they can recommend to you for small repairs, attorneys, etc.? Are you willing to pay a reasonable or more commission? Now is not the time to shortchange and give less, the more experience and the more committed your Realtor is to their profession as a Realtor will be invaluable.

Buyers if you are looking for a home, now is a perfect time to negotiate and find it. Especially on homes that have been on the market for longer than two months, they sellers may be more apt to listen to a reasonalbe offer from a qualified buyer.

Please contact me if you would like to discuss your home or if you would like to purchase a home at 203-215-6957 or at patriciamoreggi@prudentialct.com

My father used to say "Never Count Your Chickens Before They Hatch", it is great advise for a realtor or never count your hours as you work for your clients.

I do try to improve my skills and work quality hours with clients but some clients and deals it takes what it takes especially in this market with bank owned properties, short sales, divorces, etc. I do love what I do and I always sit with buyer clients at my office for their first hour or so, therefore, we can get all of the housekeeping out of the way and I can inquire as to what their goal and motivation is before I go out the door with them.

For sellers I go prepared with a comprehensive Market Analysis with pricing and in todays market place competivie sales in the last 3 months...not years. I am always prepared to list their home; measureing tape, charged digital camera, paperwork and the proper amount of time to give them.

I am listing a home tomorrow that I went out on last month, (a referral by the way) that is the sellers schedule...works for me! Don't count hours, money or miles. I encourage all realtors, especially new ones to hone your skills, put your best foot forward, treat your clients as you would like to be treated especially when things are not going your way. Calm down, excercise patience and be a professional to the end.

Often times the end is truly my beginning of a relationship and if I really did it right...referrals.

All the best to all who put their Best Foot Forward in this profession.

I have a great buyer under deposit for a high end bank property, slated to close on 4/16/10. The listing agent who represents the bank called and asked if we would close by 4/09/10 and they would give my buyer an incentive of $6,000. My clients said they would do everything possible and worst comes to worse they would pay the $150/day rate for every day they didn't close.

Today...the listing agent calls and e-mails me that if we don't close by the 9th of April, THIS FRIDAY, there will be no deal. The bank is SAXON Bank and they have made a deal with another bank to take over their properties in bulk by this deadline.

Agents please be warned if you are dealing with them that this may happen to all of your hard work this week. I immediately called the loan officer who is terrific, she cancelled all meetings to work on this today and pulled all favors to have the Clear To Close, still no news yet, but promising. I called the buyers attorney to get on the case, they are still working on it at this hour and we are now back on board with the origianl sales contract price as that would extend our time with all the new mortgage guidelines.

What I keep thinking about is my clients who are purchasing in CT, one has to fly in from CA, PA and one is here are not allowed to use a Power of Attorney, have to pay and make flights in for the closing, have spent money and time on a Home Inspection, Termite Inspection, Radon Inspection, Septic Inspection and cleaning, and an appraisal, $$$$...then this?

Talk about Disclosure, what about disclosure to me, the loan officer, the attorney and the buyers who are about to be duped by the SAXON Bank...agents beware.

I am a new Active Rain participant, a newbee as we say in the real estate business and wanted to express my sentiments about all of this Social Media if you are on the fence about it. My adult children (early 20's) nearly died when I informed them they could Facebook me, you could feel the pain. I also informed them that I have a Linkedin page, they stated they didn't need it, of course not...not yet...and then I received an invitation to Rain Camp in New York City this past January and I decided I needed to attend and see what this was all about.

When I arrived at Rain Camp w/notebook in hand I was blown away with the technology, technical advisement, the great communication available amoungst members across the internet and states, and the outstanding networking that was going to be available...and prior to going had set up my Active Rain account and began my profile. What a relief to have another avenue to obtain clients.

Once you write a blog post it just adds to your inventory of items out in Cyber Space. Whenever you are googled by potential clients your name comes up as current as long as you are an active member of your real estate community....it is amazing.

I now have a sale under contract, and two more buyers who have "found" me on the interent as I come up when they are cruising for a realtor in my area of expertise. I also have my own Fan Page on my Facebook called "Patricias World" that my fans will see whenever I post anything to my Facebook account that I want to keep at a professional level. My personal Facebook Page I do have to tell you I keep professional too, no Farming or Mafia Wars for me.

Give yourself a chance and try it, I truly believe that is not an upcoming wave of the future but it has already arrived...the sooner you get blogging the sooner you will suceed.

The Haven's as some call it offers quite a variety of homes to purchase. You can own a home for as little as $150,000 to over $3,000,000 or rent from $$800 to over $3,000/month. The "Havens" are made up of the major city New Haven, Connecticut where such pulls are Yale University, Yale New Haven Hospital and St. Raphael's Hospital. Which brings on the academic professionals, students, research, and doctors and residents. The suburbs consist of East Haven and West Haven both along the shore and North Haven which is just that North of New Haven. There are other collages and university's, University of New Haven located in West Haven, Quinnipiac University now spread out in Hamden and North Haven, which draw people from all over the world, Gateway Community Collage, Albertus Magnus, Southern Connecticut Collage all located in New Haven.

What I love about living here is the diverse activities that are provided living in such a place. There is the theater which consists of the Shubert, Long Wharf Theater and Yale Repretory Theatre where yale students are the actors, located in New Haven, the Chevrolet Theater in Wallingford, CT which draws top performers, museums such as the Peabody Museum, the British Art Museum and the Knights of Columbus Museum and may I also add the restaurants which expose us to authentic cuisine from people and cultures around the world. There are so many restaurants it is hard to eat at them all and some offer location like on the water, on top of a hotel, down home food and some have ambiance and presentation and some you have to wait in line for an hour...but oh so worth it.

Then there are sports, Quinnipiac University is now boosting the all new TD BankNorth Center which has its own hockey ring and basketball court. They also open it up to many of the local Chamber of Commerces to host their after hour events which is always a great way to get together then see a game. Yale offers the public to come out to their games at their newly renovated hockey ring and they also boost Yale Football, always a favorite in this community at the Yale Bowl in the fall with their new head coach Tom Williams.

We are under 2 hours to New York City by train and Providence, RI, with the train station located in New Haven, we have I-91 beginning in New Haven and traveling to Canada for vacationing along Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine; we have I-95 which ventures to New York going south and going East to Rhode Island and Cape Cod; there are ferries to Long Island and Block Island; and we also have the Merrit Parkway for a scenic ride into New York.

I love helping people when they are relocating into this area because there are so many nice places to live in every price range and so many things to do that I like to inform them about. I have been lucky to have helped and meet so many that have enriched me by meeting them and their families from all around the world and I look forward to continuing in this part of the world.