The dollar volume of sales for the month ($7,215,000) is up 85.954% as compared to January 2011($3,880,000).

As of February 19th, 2012, there are 33 active listings in Rowayton with a median list price of $ 1,095,000.

For up-to-the-minute information about properties currently listed for sale in Rowayton, view our Rowayton, CT Real Estate Listings page.

Statistics courtesy of the Darien Multiple List System
DOM = Days on Market

As of February 13th, there are 20 active rental listings in Darien with a median list price of $ 5,025. For up-to-the-minute information about properties currently listed for rent in Darien, view our Darien CT Rentals page.

Statistics courtesy of the Darien MLS
DOM = Days on Market

As of February 13th, there are 37 active listings in Rowayton with a median list price of $ 1,075,000. While this may seem like a lot of inventory, there are 3 fewer listings than last month’s 40.

For up-to-the-minute information about properties currently listed for sale in Rowayton, view our Rowayton, CT Real Estate Listings page.

Statistics courtesy of the Darien Multiple List System
DOM = Days on Market

What winter activities do you enjoy?

What does your home look like in the wintertime?

What makes the winter season special for you?

RealtyQuest invites you to join us in an ongoing celebration of Fairfield County’s lifestyle, unique communities and beautiful scenery through your participation in our “Photo of Week” challenges. Each month, we will choose a winner from the previous month, and announce the theme for the month ahead. Next month’s challenge is “Winter Fun”. Winning entries will be posted on our website and facebook page and featured in an annual photography exhibition sponsored by RealtyQuest.

There are two ways to post your entries:

• Visit the RealtyQuest facebook page and post your photo(s) on our wall, or
• Email your photos to annie@realtyquest.com

A local story stands out in my mind. A homeowner hired a construction company to fix a leaky roof and build an addition. The contractor collected over $50K from the homeowner, started the job and did not complete it.

The local officials deemed the addition structurally unsound and since it was left open to the elements, mold formed and spread into the house. The house became uninhabitable, and the family had to vacate their house.

The contractor was pursued and sued, the work eventually corrected and mold remediated, but it took almost two years for the family to get back into the house.  A nightmare for that family for sure.

While this is an extreme story, it does happen.  How can something like this have been prevented?

Homeowners considering making improvements to their homes need to do due diligence.  Just getting a recommendation from a friend should not be where it ends.

Here are 10 tips to use as a guideline for hiring a home improvement contractor.

1. Get at least three written estimates.  One is not enough.
2. Check references. Call the references and/or view jobs the contractor has completed.
3. Be sure that the contractor has the necessary licenses and insurance.   In CT the Department of Consumer Protection License Services Division allows the consumer to confirm licenses of home improvement contractors. 
4. Ensure the contract states exactly what is to be done, including getting any required building permits, and how any changes to the original order will be handled.  The contract should state when the work will be started and completed and what recourse you have if it isn’t.  Ask if they will begin the work and STAY until completion …. or will they start, move to another job, and then return when they want.
5. Make as small of a down payment as possible.  A typical requirement might be 1/3 up front, 1/3 in progress, and 1/3 at completion.  You can negotiate. 
6. Ask WHO will be doing the work — the contractor’s workers OR will subcontractors be involved as well.  Are the subs licensed?
7. Be sure that the contract specifies the contractor will clean up after the job and be responsible for any damage.
8. Guarantee that the materials used meet your specifications. If you want Andersen windows, it must be in the contract.  NO substitutions.
9. Don’t make the final payment until you are satisfied with the work.
10. Check with the local Chamber of Commerce, Better Business Bureau, and/or Angie’s List before signing the contract.

There are plenty of good, hard working, honest contractors around.  However, it’s those few, just like any other profession, who can give it an occasional black eye.  

As a homeowner looking to improve your home, keep YOUR  eyes open when selecting a home improvement contractor to guarantee a positive experience.

10 Tips for Hiring a Home Improvement Contractor

Weed Beach Renovation

While the sales statistics for December show an increase in sales since last month, inventory is still high. Buyers in the current real estate climate have lots to choose from, and while mortgage requirements are stricter than they were a few years ago, the rates are still very low.
In December 2011, 16 single family homes were sold; 3 more sales than last month and 5 less sales than December of last year. The dollar volume of sales is down 27% as compared to December 2010.

As of February 3rd,2012, there are 138 active listings in Darien with a median list price of $1,589,500. This is an increase of 20 listings since mid-December 2011. For up-to-the-minute information about properties currently listed for sale in Darien, please visit our Darien CT Real Estate Information page.

Statistics courtesy of the Darien Multiple List System.
DOM = Days on Market

As 2012 approaches, the environment for mortgage rates and qualifying for a loan looks bright. We are finishing out the year with mortgage rates back down to the historic lows available earlier this fall. According to experts and those who track the markets, there is not a lot on the horizon to indicate an upward trend in rates for the near future. In fact, the Federal Reserve has stated it is part of their policy objective to keep borrowing rates low at least until 2013 in order to aid recovery. It is anticipated that once the recovery begins to gain real momentum, rates will begin to rise again.

If you are thinking about buying a home and financing it over the next few years, it is unlikely borrowing costs will be as low as they are today. For folks who are currently renting, it is not uncommon for the cost of a mortgage to be lower than rent when rates are in the 3’s and 4’s. We all lose sight of the fact that that 30 year fixed mortgage rates were in the 8’s not even 10 years ago.

Greg Reichman

The other bright spot for 2012 is that as long as a borrower meets the basic criteria of decent (not perfect) credit, has a source of income and a little cash for a down payment and closing, it is not and will not be difficult to obtain a mortgage. The perception out there which has been enhanced by the media is that in today’s world (post financial crisis of 2008 / 2009), obtaining a mortgage has become very difficult and unobtainable for a lot of people. It is true that the reckless mortgage product of sub prime credit and no documentation loans are gone. It goes without saying, and I am sure most would agree, that is a good thing. Those programs were largely responsible for the economic climate we find ourselves in today. A lot of what you hear about mortgages being hard to obtain stems from people who have tried to refinance their homes but have had a hard time due to a decline in equity and home values, not from those looking to buy.

Applying for a mortgage today certainly involves more scrutiny than five years ago but again, if you have verifiable income, credit scores in the mid to upper 600’s or higher, and have a little cash, there is a mortgage product that will allow you to buy a home. With the added bonus of home prices at much more affordable levels than three or four years ago, 2012 will be an opportune time to buy a new home and obtain the mortgage to purchase it.

Greg Reichman is a Mortgage Account Officer with People’s United Bank. For more information, please visit Greg’s web page or contact Greg by telephone at (203) 644-4095.

According to a recent International Business Times article, “The Dragon is larger than life and its appearance means that big things are to come. The Year of the Dragon is a flowing river, not a stagnant lake, so things happen quickly earlier in the year. The Dragon marks progression, perseverance and auspiciousness. It may also bring about unpredictable events.”As real estate agents, we are certainly familiar with the concept of perseverance!

Of all 12 signs in the zodiac, the dragon is thought to be the most auspicious and powerful of them all – and typically associated with prosperty. The real estate market has certainly shown signs of life thus far in 2012, and our office has been busy with phones jingling and agents coming and going. RealtyQuest has listed 6 homes for sale and 2 rentals already this month, and we are very optimistic for 2012, the Year of the Dragon!

“Our new home is a big step up for us in terms of quality and convenience”, states RealtyQuest owner David Epprecht.  “The 30 OKHS office, only a few hundred yards from the old location, affords even greater convenience to our clients and visitors. It’s a 1 minute drive from exit 11 on I-95 in downtown Darien and just a quick walk from the Darien Railroad Station”.

“Our company’s move is driven by our mission to offer the most valuable and attentive real estate services to buyers and sellers of Connecticut real estate”, states Epprecht.  “Going into 2012 our company continues to grow and move forward despite the condition of the real estate market.  Our move, along with our newly designed logo and refreshed RealtyQuest.com website, is evidence of our ongoing innovative approach to customer service.”

Over the last few years, the Internet has transformed the customer experience in residential real estate.  Epprecht says, “Our agents’ comprehensive market knowledge is vital to helping our customers make good decisions in this environment.”  RealtyQuest’s 30 licensed real estate salespeople service all of Fairfield County from our offices in Darien and Shelton.”

For additional information please contact David Epprecht at 203-656-4993

There were only a very few standouts – cars that were a different, brighter color, clean, shiny and sleek. Those few caught my eye.

So, it can be the same when buyers are looking at houses. They see house after house and after a while don’t they tell their agent that they’re all starting to look alike?

If they’re shopping online, do the pictures stand out? Or do they just look like any other run-of-the-mill listing. Does the price stand out in a good way – priced correctly and NOT overpriced? Is the description detailed and does it highlight the property’s best features.

If buyers are driving around looking at houses, does the house stand out with its exceptional curb appeal? Or do they just keep on going?

If they’re getting inside houses for showings, does the interior stand out in their minds as being clean, uncluttered, welcoming, and pleasantly decorated? Do they even remember anything about it the next day?

Does your listing stand out among the crowd? Is it getting looked at online and in reality? Are the pictures of the highest quality and are the best features accented and presented professionally?

Don’t be one of the neutrals in the bunch. Present the property you have listed in the BEST possible light – both online and in reality. Make it stand out and get noticed and not blend in with the rest of the pack.

You MAY only have ONE chance to do so.