2011 Brownies Arrive !!!

As many of you already know - the 2011 Brownie Deliveries have commenced! Remember to grab them from your mailbox as soon as I email you that they have arrived. Just ask Carolyn if she ever got hers back from her mailman!

I always love your comments back to me after a delivery. Here is what I have heard from all of you so far!

I can't tell you the sheer deight that we shared when we found your unbelievable brownies at our front door. We immediately came in and tore into them. Yes the same big smile and ummmm sound from both of us at the same time. Can't believe it was 14 years ago that you found us our first house and now our second. Lucky us for that and thank you for your beyond amazing brownies.

you're the best! thanks for remembering me and best wishes for a happy and healthy new year!

We have them and have already indulged. Thank you so much for our yearly treat.

I just got home from a doctor's appointment and what awaited me but the most heavenly gift! Thank you!

Just got the mail -- no treat. Any chance the mailman could mistake it for a package to be mailed? So much for his tip!

u can open a business selling ur brownies! --which we just finished! :-(

As always Linda - delicious - thank you so much for thinking of me - all the very best to you and your family for the holiday season – xx

Yes, hiding them from the kids. Shhhhhh ! Thank you. :)

Yay!

Unfortunately for you, getting these brownies never gets old!!! Hahaha!!!

Your brownies were INSANE! You wouldn't believe how quickly they disappeared. Thank you and have a great holiday season.

Linda - just got home and picked up the mail. Thank you so much!! They look amazing!

A giant thank you for a delicious treat we look forward to every year. We finally beat the kids to the mailbox and got the first round!

You are a doll. A thousand kisses

Looking forward to it! I hope there's some left when I finally get home tonight!

Once again, we thank you HUGELY for the delicious brownies. They're always a treat and we appreciate it!

Ooooo! So excited!

Better than ever!! Thank you!!

XO

They were amazing! I even was nice this year and left a few for my husband (but I did eat most of them). Happy holidays to the Skolnick crew.

Thank you for the scrumtious brownies. Happy Holidays to you all.

okay i am beside myself, my husband just ate 2 entire brownies. i asked him if he was sure he wanted another he said yes they are delicious. i put them away before he thought he was going for number 3.

thank you so much!!! very excting

We always look forward to your treats. Thanks again for including us on your list of brownie fans.

Ahh..times like this I am happy that my wife has celiac. Thanks again Linda.

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the brownies!!! Thank you so much! And Happy Hanukkah dear friend.

THANK YOU!!!!!!! I must tell you that I was away for the weekend at a conference and I just got home, saw the tin and they are....GONE! The vultures in my family didn't even leave any for me :) I know everyone loved them however, so thank you from the bottom of our hearts. Hope you have a wonderful Hanukkah and a peaceful New Year...

The kids came running in..."The Brownies are here" Trully we look forward to them every year!

Love my mailbox treat!! Look forward to it every year!!! Thank u!!! ..

Yummy. Need I say more....Thank you.

Color Psychology

Agents frequently suggest that homeowners paint before placing their homes on the market. Don’t be offended! Agents understand “color psychology,” which focuses on color’s effect on human behavior and emotion. Since people’s reaction to color is immediate, color has a tremendous influence on the choices they make every day. “Color choices are very personal and when selling your home, it’s critical to appeal to the greatest number of potential buyers,” according to Allegra Dioguardi, president of Styled and Sold Home Staging in New York. “With so many people beginning their search for a home on the Internet today, your home and listing photos must stand out from your competition. Color is one very simple way to do this.” Added Eric Brown, one of the authors of House Selling for Dummies: “Painting your house’s exterior before you put it on the market will give the biggest bang for your fix-up buck, as long as you are using colors that conform to the neighborhood’s decorating norm.” Colors affect us in many ways, and by using the principles of color psychology, you can make your home stand out from the competition, sell more quickly, and at a higher price. In short, the stimulus and effect of colors normally cross cultures. Blues will feel cool, reds and oranges feel warm. Deeper shades of color imply intimacy and serenity. Your home’s exterior color is the first thing most potential homebuyers see when they drive up or inspect the property on the Web. The correct color may be the most powerful and cost effective design tool at your disposal. What is “correct” these days? Brown’s research shows that homes painted in pale yellows with cream or beige accents have sold fastest during the past few years. In general, lighter colors are favored for exterior as they make the property seem larger. Conversely, painting your sideboards with a darker color will make the house seem smaller, though dark colors can draw more attention to home’s details. For those painting an older home, you may want to consider historical accuracy, as this could be a big selling point as well. When choosing interior colors for the home, consider the purpose of each room. Kitchen and dining areas painted in “food colors” such as coffee browns, celery greens and scrambled-egg yellows will make the rooms feel more natural. Hallways are a great place to bring in the exterior colors for overall harmony. According to Jeanette Fisher’s book Joy to the Home: Secrets of Interior Design Psychology, since, deeper shades of color imply intimacy and serenity, she recommends painting master bedrooms a medium shade of green or blue for warm selling seasons, and rouge red for cooler weather. Other bedrooms can be painted in creamy tones of green, blue, or a pale shell pink. For your bedroom and bathroom, cool colors can form a relaxing atmosphere with paint. Consider shades of blue, green or even lavender. Of course, common sense should help you with any color choices. Your colors should meld with your possessions while giving your home a fresh and comfortable sensation.

My Scoop on the Market - November 2011

What’s really happening in Westport’s Real Estate market so far this year? Buyers seem to believe that prices are still going down while sellers are sure prices are on their way up. Of course, without a crystal ball, no one can truly tell the future, however, based on a comparison of 2010 to 2011 sales, the market is certainly stable, with great values for buyers. Current values are estimated to be close to those in 2003. Anyone who purchased a home after 2003 who is selling now should expect to lose money on the sale side, but hopefully recoup the loss when they buy another home. Interest lending rates continue to be historically low, but the time period to receive a mortgage commitment from a bank is considerably longer than in the past, often taking a few months instead of a few weeks. Presently there are 310* houses on the market in Westport, with an average list price of $2,114,976, and an average market time of 145 days (which doesn’t mean everything, since homes could have be re-listed and the market time then restarts at 0). The most expensive home listed for sale is priced at $24,950,000., located on Beachside Avenue, offering 4 acres, a 10,000 square foot house, included are a 2 bedroom guest house and a 2 bedroom gate house, garage space for 9 cars and 215 feet of direct waterfront access. The least expensive home on the market in Westport is listed for $399,000. on Oakview Circle with 3 bedrooms, 2 full baths in 1104 square feet on .1 acre . In 2011, 316 homes have closed (sold) year to date, with an average market time of 104 days, an average list price of $1,449,930., and an average sales price of $1,360,326. The most expensive home sold in 2011 in Westport closed for $6,300,000. It is located on Bluewater Hill on 1 acre, offering 7500 square feet and water views. The least expensive sale was $215,000., located on Crescent Park Road. In 2010, during the same time period, 316 homes also sold in Westport. Average market time was 100 days with an average list price of $1,540,212., and an average sales price of $1,435,443. The most expensive home sold last year during the same time period closed for $20,000,000 on 6 acres of waterfront property with 7 bedrooms and 9 full and 4 half baths. The most active price range is the $1,000,000-$1,499,999 range with 69 homes sold this year. There are 6 homes with accepted offers in the range and 65 active listings. The second busiest price range is the $1,500,000 - $1,999,999 with 52 homes sold year to date, 56 active and 0 bindered. Nine homes are active at the $6,000,000 and up range with 2 sold year date. The bottom line, the Westport Market is alive! Properties at all price points are selling when priced correctly. Our buyers in Westport are well educated. They know the market, and are not willing to overpay. Based on the average dollar listing amount of active homes compared to the average of actual sold listings this year, it appears that we have a large quantity of overpriced listings. The market will not allow you to under price your home (the price will be bid up by savvy buyers), but the market will allow you to hold on to your overpriced listing for years! Price it right and be ready to negotiate. *These statistics are based on the homes listed for sale through the Greater-Fairfield County Multiple Listing Service as of November 14, 2011.

Current Mortgage Lending Rate September 29 2011

According to Jeff Jensen of Connecticut Home Mortgage, current mortgage lending rates for 9/29/11 are as follows Conforming 30- Year fixed rate is 3.99%/4.25% New Hi balance Limit = $575,000 Jumbo 30 year Fixed rate is 4.50% 5/1 ARM @ 2.75% 5/1 Adjustable I/O rate is 3.25% Jumbo 15Year Fixed rate is 3.50%

My Scoop on The Westport Market

What’s really happening in Westport’s Real Estate market so far this year? Buyers seem to believe that prices are still going down while sellers are sure prices are on their way up. Of course, without a crystal ball, no one can truly tell the future, however, based on a comparison of 2010 to 2011 sales, the market is certainly stable, with great values for buyers. Current values are estimated to be close to those in 2003. Anyone who purchased a home after 2003 who is selling now should expect to lose money on the sale side, but hopefully recoup the loss when they buy another home. Interest lending rates continue to be historically low and sellers have become more negotiable.

Presently there are 345* houses on the market in Westport, with an average list price of $2,141,534, and an average market time of 113 days (which doesn’t mean everything, since homes could have be re-listed and the market time then restarts at 0). The most expensive home listed for sale is priced at $24,950,000., located on Beachside Avenue, offering 4 acres, a 10,000 square foot house, included are a 2 bedroom guest house and a 2 bedroom gate house, garage space for 9 cars and 215 feet of direct waterfront access. The least expensive home on the market in Westport is a1920’s home priced at $294,900. on Saugatuck Avenue with 3 bedrooms, 1 full and 1 half baths in 1449 square feet.

The average list price for a 3 bedroom home is $1,036,351 (72 on the market), a 4 bedroom home is $1,738,494 (98 on market) and a 5 bedrooms or more home is $2,943,745 (166 on market). Interestingly though, over the last 6 months, the list and sold prices of those homes that actually sold in that period are dramatically lower. The average list/sold price of a 3 bedroom home was $816,535/$777,718 (48 sold), a 4 bedroom home was $1,338,033/$1,221,850 968 sold) and for a 5 bedroom or more home $2,063,119/$1,924,370 (72 sold). These figures suggest that many overpriced homes that are not negotiating prices and are remaining on the market unsold.

In 2011, 221 homes have closed (sold) year to date, with an average market time of 108 days, an average list price of $1,480,735., and an average sales price of $1,382,860. The most expensive home sold in 2011 in Westport closed for $6,300,000. It is located on Bluewater Hill on 1 acre, offering 7500 square feet and water views. The least expensive sale was $215,000., located on Crescent Park Road. There are currently an additional 51 homes that are considered “pending”, which means contracts are executed and they are awaiting closure.

In 2010, during the same time period, 207 homes sold in Westport. Average market time was 100 days with an average list price of $1,476,716., and an average sales price of $1,381,378. The most expensive home sold last year during the same time period closed for $8,167,500 on North Avenue and the least expensive home sold on Oakview Circle for $358,500.

The bottom line, the Westport Market is alive! Properties at all price points are selling when priced correctly. Our buyers in Westport are well educated. They know the market, and are not willing to overpay. The market will not allow you to under price your home (the price will be bid up by savvy buyers), but the market will allow you to hold on to your overpriced listing for years! Price it right and be ready to negotiate.

*These statistics are based on the homes listed for sale through the Greater-Fairfield County Multiple Listing Service as of August 2, 2011.

116 Harbor Road

Thought You'd be Interested

Do You Really Need a Realtor?

So, you are starting to look for a new home, and wondering if a Real Estate Agent is really necessary. If you ask me, the answer is absolutely “yes”! But don’t let me sway you. Truly, there is no law that prevents you, as an individual, from buying property without professional Real Estate assistance. You can search for homes, arrange showings, and even negotiate on your own. But, the real question is, “do you want to do it on your own?”

Firstly, there is a broad misconception among many first time home buyers that by using a Real Estate Agent, they will be subject to paying a commission. In virtually all situations, this is not the case. The commission for the sale of a home is paid by the seller, not the buyer. If you went to a car dealership and purchased a new car, you wouldn’t expect to pay a commission to the salesperson. The same applies when you buy a home – it is the seller of the item (in this case the house) that is responsible for paying to have it sold.

If you decide to “go it on your own”, your choices will obviously be very limited. The only homes that you can buy without any Agent assistance are those that are “For Sale By Owner” (FSBO), which is generally a very small percentage of the market. These are home owners who, for whatever reason (I can’t imagine what they could be!!!), have decided not to use an agent in the sale of their house. It may be because they think they can get more return by not paying a commission or it may be because no agent was willing to list it at the price that they demanded. A problem arises when, as a “do-it yourself” home buyer you need to make a determination whether or not the house is worth the asking price. There is too much money involved to make an “uneducated” decision.

The second mistake that potential buyers make, when they find their choices are limited when dealing with homes for sale by owners, is to jump into the “listed” market on their own by checking advertisements and calling Listing Agents direct, or simply visiting Open Houses. There is not a dime to be saved with this strategy, since the seller has already contracted with their broker to pay the full commission.

When you do find the right house, things happen fast. You’ll need to a hire building inspector, an inspector for the septic (if sewers are not present) and a wood destroying insect inspector, for starters. Then, if necessary, renegotiate the deal, if problems are found. Realtors, who do this as a career, usually have good contacts with inspectors, mortgage loan brokers and attorneys to help you be best protected. They have been able to weed out less professional specialist, and can point you in the right direction. When I recommend a specialist, I know they are a direct reflection of me, so I only want to refer you to the best!

The bottom line, a good Realtor is well trained and keeps their pulse to the market. They know value, can oversee all the paperwork, and keep negotiations on the right track. In the long run, you will probably save money, time and avoid unnecessary frustrations. If you need additional information, please feel free to contact me

Current Mortgage Lending Rates 2/24/11

According to Jeff Jensen of Connecticut Home Mortgage, current mortgage lending rates for 2/24/11 are as follows:

30 year fixed rate - 5.0-5.`25%
Jumbo 30 year fixed rate - 5.125%
5/1 ARM- 3.5%
5/1 Interest Only - 3.85%
Jumbo 15 year fixed rate - 4.50%

Current Mortgage Lending Rates

According to Jeff Jensen of Connecticut Home Mortgage, current mortgage lending rates for 2/10/11 are as follows:

30 year fixed rate - 5.125-5.25%
Jumbo 30 year fixed rate - 5.25%
5/1 ARM- 3.75%
5/1 Interest Only - 4.0%
Jumbo 15 year fixed rate - 4.50%

2010 Scoop on the Market

What really happened in Westport’s Real Estate market in 2010? Buyers seem to believe that prices are still going down while sellers are sure prices are on their way up. Of course, without a crystal ball, no one can truly tell the future, however, based on a comparison of 2009 to 2010 sales, the market is certainly stable, with great values for buyers. Current values are estimated to be close to those in 2003. Anyone who purchased a home after 2003 who is selling now should expect to lose money on the sale side, but hopefully recoup the loss when they buy another home. Interest lending rates continue to be historically low and sellers have become more negotiable.

Presently there are 224* houses on the market in Westport, with an average list price of $2,235,282, and an average market time of 144 days (which doesn’t mean much, since homes could have be re-listed and the market time than restarts at 0). The most expensive home listed for sale is priced at $24,950,000., and located on Beachside Avenue, offering 4 acres, a 10,000 square foot house, included are a 2 bedroom guest house and a 2 bedroom gate house, garage space for 9 cars and 215 feet of direct waterfront access. The least expensive home on the market in Westport is priced at $274,900. on Crescent Park Road with 3 bedrooms, 2 baths in 1156 square feet.

The average list price for a 3 bedroom home is $976,271, a 4 bedroom home is $1,693,448 and a 5 bedrooms or more home is $3,157,237. Interestingly though, over the last 6 months, the list and sold prices of those homes that actually sold in that period are dramatically lower. The average list/sold price of a 3 bedroom home was $732,779/$697,267, a 4 bedroom home was $1,336,718/$1,235,857 and for a 5 bedroom or more home $2,506,363/$2,282,737. These figures suggest that many overpriced homes that are not negotiating prices and are remaining on the market unsold.

In 2010, 350 homes have closed (sold) with an average market time of 102 days, an average list price of $1,552,295., and an average swales price of $1,446,565. The most expensive home sold in 2010 in Westport closed for $20,000,000. It is located on Beachside Avenue on 6.62 acres, offering 3 building lots and 600 feet of direct waterfront property. The least expensive sale was $365,000., located on Richmondville Avenue.
There are currently an additional 39 homes that are considered “pending”, which means contracts are executed and they are awaiting closure.

In 2009, 250 homes sold in Westport. Average market time was 128 days with an average list price of $1,547,465., and an average sales price of $1,419,436. The most expensive home sold last year closed for $6,500,000 on Sasco Creek Road and the least expensive home sold on Newtown Turnpike for $277,000.

The bottom line, the Westport Market is alive! Properties at all price points are selling when priced correctly. Our buyers in Westport are well educated. They know the market, and are not willing to overpay. The market will not allow you to under price your home (the price will be bid up by savvy buyers), but the market will allow you to hold on to your overpriced listing for years! Price it right and be ready to negotiate.

*These statistics are based on the homes listed for sale through the Greater-Fairfield County Multiple Listing Service as of January 5, 2011.