2012 Brownie Delivery Has Begun !!

As Thanksgiving ends my baking begins! 2012 brownie deliveries have commenced. I always enjoy your comments, so as I do each year, I post your comments on this blog. I am so glad to hear that your families relish these messy gooey treats. If you are not receiving them each year, then you have probably not purchased or sold a home from me, or referred someone who did. Don't forget , you can still receive a yearly delivery for your referral!!!

Thank you so much for the incredible brownies.You know how the smell of cinnamon and nutmeg reminds you if the is season? Well now it wouldn't be the holidays without the smell and taste if your brownies!

Running!!! Xoxo That is to the mailbox!!

Linda, the best batch ever. I am the luckiest girl. Your tin arrived & no one is home. I ate 4 and I will dream about the rest. They will be gone by tomorrow. Thank you, thank you, thank you, and then some. Xxxxoooo

Do not mention them in front of my husband and kids – I told them that you don’t deliver them anymore. I don’t want to share!!

thank you so much, delicious as ever!

They are safe and secure in my house! Thank you so, so much -- I look forward to these. I hope you have a great holiday season, and that I see you soon!

You're the best!! Thank you sooooo much. Love them! Best wishes for a happy and healthy new year,

THE BEST!

Kids went crazy when they saw them.

Thank you, Linda!

Wow, I think you set a new record this year! Simply scrumptious!

Yum! Thank you very very much!

Your brownies are the highlight of my week. So yummy. Mark and the kids went crazy for them. Glad I took mine first. P.S. If we buy another house, do we get two tins?

this is such a wonderful tradition, thank you

Omg Linda! Fabulous as always and totally worth breaking the no carb diet! You are rock star in this house tonight. Thank you. Have a wonderful holiday.

How do you get them to taste so good? Ridiculous!! We all thank you very much!! Xo

Thank you so much. I am hiding them from the kids.

got them, thanks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thank you, sweet lady!!

Once again, I BARELY got to the brownies before they were eaten by my hungry family! Thank you so much, Linda, for remembering us yet again.

Yummy!

We always look forward to your holiday treats.

such happiness!! yummy, yummy, yummy!! thank you, linda!!!

Thanks Linda !!! Yum.

yummmmmmm! thank u!!!!!!!!!

thanks so much for the brownies!!! always such a big hit in my house

thank you Linda - delice

Yay..... Thank you Linda!!!!!!!

We always look forward to your holiday treats.

Wow are those yummy! Thanks again and Happy Holidays!

First thing this morning - I treated myself to 2 Linda Skolnick holiday treats.

I think you should be added to the Maidenform payroll. You keep baking your brownies and everyone will need to wear Maidenform / Flexees Shapewear.

Westport Has Plenty to Brag About

While driving around Westport with a new client this weekend, I found myself spewing off all the great accolades Westport and our schools have received over the years. I suddenly had a desire to write them down in one place and share my findings! Of course our schools are the best in the state, we already know that, but did you know our community was considered tops for health too? I don’t have a child in the YMCA Gymnastics program, so I was exceptionally pleased to see their success rate as well.

• #1 Best Overall Academic Performance in CT – Staples High School– Bloomberg/BusinessWeek

• Rating 10 out of 10 – Staples High School – Great Schools Ratings

• 2012 America’s Best High School list #234 (Staples) from list of top 1000 picked from 24,000 secondary public and private schools in the US – Newsweek

• #1 Staples High School - Connecticut Coalition for Achievement Now

• Top 5 High School in state including public and private – US News and World Report

• #1 High School in state – Connecticut Magazine

• Staples High School ranked as an ‘elite” school amongst public and private schools in the nation – Wall Street Journal

• Staples High School – 5 out of 5 ranking – School Digger

• AAA rating for the town based on a stable outlook – Moody’s May 2012

• 3rd Healthiest state in the US Health Ranking - State of Connecticut – United Health Federation

• #1 Town in the state – cited for Westport Schools, leisure activity. Relatively low tax rate, low crime rate – even though it noted that its high cost of living was a negative – Rate our towns edition of Connecticut Magazine

• #1 Best Crime Rate and#1 for Best Cities for Teleworking – Best Places to live in Connecticut

• #15 Most Secure places to live in the US – Farmer’s Insurance

• Best School Newspaper in the State – Inklings - Staples High School Paper – Hartford Courant

• #3 in the Nation – Westport/Weston YMCA Gymnastic Program – competed in the US Gymnastics Federation all Champion Challenge and in 2011 competed in the World Gymnaestrata in Switzerland representing the US – noted as the only YMCA in the nation invited to take part in the World Games.

I know that Westport can boast so many more top rankings. If you know of any that should be included, we would all like to know! Post them on my blog and I will update the list in a future column.

Skolnick's Scoop on Westport's Market Oct.1, 2012

What’s really happening in Westport’s Real Estate market so far this year? Buyers seem to believe that prices are finally steady 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 2011 to 2012 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 321* houses on the market in Westport, with an average list price of $1,829,552. The most expensive home listed for sale is priced at $27,500,000., located on Beachside Avenue, owned by two of Westport’s most famous residents, offering 6.56 acres, a 8716 square foot main house plus a free standing gym on over 2 acres and 420 feet of direct waterfront access. The least expensive home on the market in Westport is listed for $309,000. on Crescent Park Road with 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, and a fireplace in 1152 square feet on .12 acre .

In 2012, 277 homes have closed (sold) year to date, with a median list price of $1,485,000., and a median sales price of $1,225,000. The most expensive home sold in 2012 in Westport closed for $5,250,000. It is new construction located on Minute Man Hill on 1.23 acre, offering 7600 square feet, an in-ground pool and walking distance to the beach. The least expensive sale was $390,000., located on Frescenius Road.

In 2011, during the same time period, 286 homes also sold in Westport. With a median list price of $1,399,000, and median sales price of $1,085,625 . The most expensive home sold last year during the same time period closed for $6,300,000 on Bluewater Hill Road. The home featured sweeping views of the sound, a pool, 7500 square foot house on 1 acre with tennis courts as part of the Bluewater Hill association.

Typically, the most closings happen in May, June, July and August , and in 2012 it was no different. During May 32 homes closed, June 54, July 49, August 39 and last month, in September 22 homes closed. These stats are similar to 2011, when in May 42 homes closed, June 54, July 36, August 43 and September 26 homes closed. Although we are on par with last year, we do still have quite a bit of inventory. As of October 1, there are 369 homes on the market with a total market volume of $788,304,205. Currently we have 17 months of inventory available for sale compared to the same time period in 2011 when we had 15 months of inventory available to sell.

The bottom line, the Westport Market is alive! Properties 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 median dollar listing amount of active homes compared to the median 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 October 1, 2012.

The Age Old Question Rent vs. Buy

For as long as I have been covering Real Estate, and even decades before that, the question has been pondered, whether it was a better time to rent or buy a home. You would imagine that most Realtors would always say it is better to buy – but truth be told, 6 years ago, it really was a better time to rent. Oh, but how the tides have changed since!

According to CNN Money, “There are several reasons. Home prices are falling. Mortgage interest rates are at historically low levels and rents are on the rise. Of course, many renters are not in a position to buy. For one, it's hard to get a mortgage these days, despite low rates. And paying rent can push them further away from being able to afford to buy.” Overall, cost is down for home purchases while rental prices are continuing to rise – if you can even manage to find a property to rent. It’s partly as simple as supply and demand. More homes available to sell – prices are lower, while fewer rentals available to rent- prices are up.

“Rising rents make it harder for people to save for a down payment, which is the biggest barrier to buying a home that aspiring homeowners face,” Jed Kolko, Trulia’s chief economists says.

While supply and demand are indeed a large part of the equation, low interest rates and tax benefits cannot be ignored. Although we have heard many times over the last few years that mortgages are being offered at historically low rates, there really hasn’t been a time in recent history where they have been offered at these current low rates. Most lenders agree that there is no further room for them to decrease.

In addition, with tax day fast approaching, tax deductions have never been more important. A homeowner can gain tax benefits for their property taxes and interest paid on the first one million dollars of a first mortgage and interest paid on an additional $1,000,000 of a second mortgage. When you rent your home, you will not have access to these write offs. On top of that, you will not build equity in your property since you don’t own it.

Ken H Johnson, a professor of real estate at Florida International, who has extensively studies the “rent vs buy” quandary believes home prices nationally have bottomed out. “The ship has turned,” he says. “Markets should slowly start to recover. Housing will return to its traditional role of a safety investment.”

There are so many great incentives to buy a home right now. Whether for a tax benefit, low borrowing rates of the ability to build equity through ownership, buying a home continues to be a wonderful investment in your family’s future.

Is it Time for an Appraiser ?

One of the most important jobs for your real estate agent is to determine the value of your home by developing a Comparable Market Analysis, which will be used to price your home correctly.

If your property isn’t attracting serious shoppers, your agent may recommend that you invest in an appraiser to get a second pricing opinion, as the appraiser will come in with an independent, unbiased opinion to help ensure your price will hold its value with a bank “An appraisal is important in today’s market especially, because it’s an objective and unbiased source of information,” says Matt Ernest, president of Ernest Appraisal Service Inc. “The appraiser is an independent professional who performs a service for a fee rather than for a commission and is therefore not as invested as others are who are making pricing decisions.”

Appraisals allow for homeowners and buyers to establish “fair market value.” In addition, an appraisal allows a lender to know how much they can safely lend. “Credible opinions of value can help to stabilize the real estate market,” says Joseph C. Magdziarz, president of Chicago-based Appraisal Institute, a global membership association of professional real estate appraisers. “Appraisers today are doing the same thorough, fact-based research and analysis they have always done.”

A home appraiser will compare the condition of your house in relation to the comparable properties in the neighborhood and will give you a reasonably good idea where your house fits in relation to recent sales.

According to Ernest, a home appraisal can range in length from two pages to more than 100. It will include details about the house, a description of the neighborhood and side-by-side comparisons of similar properties. It will also contain an evaluation of the area’s real estate market, notations of major problems with the property that will affect its value and an estimate of the expected time it will take to sell the property.

In addition, earlier this year, the Appraisal Institute released several tips for consumers and guidance for homeowners and buyers seeking to ensure their sales are completed in a timely manner. These will be important when selling your home.

• Make sure the lender hires a qualified appraiser (such as a designated SRA, SRPA or MAI member of the Appraisal Institute). The lowest-priced appraiser does not necessarily equate with the most qualified. This is a time to get the numbers right.

• Accompany the appraiser during the inspection of the property if possible. The more active of a participant you are in the process, the more you will understand it, and be able to catch any errors.

• Request a copy of the appraisal report from the lender. Federal law requires that you receive a copy of the appraisal within 30 days.

• Appeal the appraisal if appropriate. Market conditions do change, especially in these economic times. If you feel that new information may change the appraisal, be sure to speak up.

• Have your agent ask the lender to order a second appraisal by a qualified and designated appraiser.

• File legitimate complaints with appropriate state board or professional appraisal organizations.

Remember, you don’t need to agree with the outcome of an appraisal. You and your agent can work with the figures and determine if you should change the sale price or not. A home appraisal, no matter how scientific, still ends up being the opinion of the appraiser and to some degree is a judgment call.

4 Michele Lane, Westport, CT: 4 MIchele Lane Photo Video

4 Michele Lane, Westport, CT: 4 MIchele Lane Photo Video: Click Here to view the video for this home

Westport's Newest Additions

Over the last year, Westport has been the happy recipient of many new businesses. As the New Year commences, I asked Westporters to reflect on some of their favorite “new” finds – even if they weren’t’ new to Westport – just new to them personally.

Linda Skolnick – Zumba at Intensity with Marcello (he moves like Jagger) and Pane Bene Resturant co-owned by the charming Angelo Devin Skolnick – working at JL Rocks for the sweetest boss ever John Crane- JL Rocks Jewelry – I love that I can call the owner Jamie, and she knows exactly what my wife wants Jamie Camche- Chocolate Brownies by Linda Skolnick is not a "new" thing but a Westport tradition at holiday time. Jeremy Stein – Albe Furs – Leon, one of the owners saved me a bundle by reconditioning my wife’s fur instead of having to buy a brand new one. Leslie Green- Nails by Mila – Mila gives the best manicure in town Mike and Tori Freidman – HB Home – its great to see such great style outside of the city Ashley Hartman - lunch at Le Farm - the best in Fairfield County.. Nancy Landauer – Clam pizza at Tarry Lodge Jeff Jensen- I enjoy the quality of the clients who are targeting Westport as their next place to live. They are normally well-informed, bright and positive. That makes working for them a pleasure rather than a job. Jennifer Seidman - I love the complimentary yoga classes at lululemon on Sundays at 10am. Great way to do some yoga, open up, stretch out and meet new interesting people. LOVE the new cosmetic store, BENEFIT, on Main Street.. Heather gives a great eyebrow shaping there. I only discovered TABBOULLI GRILL a couple of months ago and love it! Fantastic Middle Eastern food. Try the Falafal Platter when you go! Pane Bene is my new Fave Italian restaurant in town. Joyce Backman- A great “new” find is GoWaiter.com. They deliver from some really good restaurants (and some not so fancy restaurants that the kids like) when you are just too lazy to go out. Doug Hendel – Tarry Lodge Liz Kaner- Pane E Bene restaurant has been one of my favorite stomping grounds this year. I love the cozy ambience-for either yummy meals or catching up with friends at the bar. Cristy Schnauffer -Art's Deli, like the old days Andi Frimet - downtown has been rejuvenated. for a while it was disheartening to go down main street and see all the empty storefronts. now the area is bustling and vibrant again. Jacquie Tolkin - my new favorite is the West Elm pop up store on Main Street. Great style, prices and service. We're the first Connecticut store! How amazing are we? Rob Lehrman- the new and improved Greens Farms train station Carolyn Cohen - Saugatuck Craft Butchery Laurie Platte - "Mixology boutique on the Post Road east....chic clothes....fabulous prices...get into the Mix!!!" Nancy Friedlander -I would say I was most happy with the way Westport/Weston residents came out during these difficult weather related times, floods, snowstorms, power outages, etc. I saw many people really being kinder to each other and getting out of their own daily routines to help a fellow man. I have lived in this community for over 20 years and it was the first time in a long time that I saw us as a community helping each other...WELL DONE Westport/Weston.

Thanks to all the new businesses opening here, I am looking forward to more openings in 2012!

Current Mortgage Lending Rates January 5, 2012

According to Jeff Jensen of Connecticut Home Mortgage, current mortgage lending rates for 1/5/12 are as follows

Conforming 30- Year fixed rate is 3.875%/4.375% New Hi balance Limit = $601,450

Jumbo 30 year Fixed rate is 4.625%

5/1 ARM @ 2.75%

5/1 Adjustable I/O rate is 3.25%

Jumbo 15Year Fixed rate is 3.50%