2013 Brownie Delivery

I always enjoy your notes back to me when I email you to notify you of your annual brownie delivery. Here are some of your responses so far. Don't worry, the deliveries have just commenced, so if you have not received them yet...they are still coming!

Thank you so much. Just checking if there are nuts in them. Please let me know. No nuts but always worry for someone with allergies because the chips are made in same factory with nuts. I guess I'll have to have Jenna's then. Lol

They are as usual unbelievable.  Thank you!!

If you see my husband and kids around town, don’t tell them…I told them you don’t deliver brownies anymore. Then I don’t have to share!

Thank you!! Oh no!!   We're in FL until Sunday.  If the house sitters eat them before I get home, I'll kill them!!

Just walked in. I have been in the city. I am fainting. We are stuffed, exhausted and shoveling in your brownies. I left all of the mail in the garage. That can wait. The brownies could not!

I do not know why you do not stop selling houses and start baking brownies. Honey, you could retire in a few years off of your riches.

Please be sure to tell David that we got a very good batch!

Thank you from the bottom of my very large upper arms!

Xxxooo

“Brownie time of the year” is the best time of the year!!!

Oh god, are those phenomenal. I've waited since the day I met you to be able to try those and they didn't disappoint! ;) 

Thank you for a HUGE surprise , earlier today we were invited to dinner tonight at the home of very dear friends, we said yes, however, since the invitation was casual, spur of the moment, we accepted the invitation yet said we would be coming empty handed.  "Bing" your name came across my "inbox"  WOW what perfect timing, we decided we would bring your brownies for dessert.  I happened to be "chatting" with a mutual friend of ours (yours and mine), I told her I was bringing your brownies for dessert.  The below is her response to my decision to share your brownies!!    We brought your brownies, and our friends and their kids just kept moaning after every bite, you are the brownie buddha!  Thank you so much for keeping us on the list.

"Honey, I would rather go empty handed than give up a tin of those brownies.  They are like chocolate Gold !!! "

Omg. Even better than last year. Ate a  whole row. So yummy. 

"AMAZING" brownies "reminds me of my Mom's", said Mike Thank you !

Thank you so much! Your the best!!  When you decide to retire from real estate, let me know and we'll go into business selling your brownies!

Best wishes for a happy holiday and new year.

I am definitely giving you a real estate recommendation on Trulia or Zillow if it means you will refill the can!!

God Bless Linda Skolnick...are the words that Alex said as I handed him the tin..

As always, we thank you!  

And ha ha - Alex asked if we were to sell our house would we use you...of course :)

Best to you and your family!

Oh my... The day Linda's brownies arrive is a holiday in itself!

Half gone already!

Max sends many thank you's!!! He and his friend had the best post thanksgiving day breakfast. Poor Jeff.......but then he doesn't even know they were here and gone.

As always, thanks for your brownies!

Thank you! Just got out if mailbox. Bests wishes for the new year.

Omg!!! Yay!!

Got em! And they are already almost gone. Thanks!

With the arrival of your brownies it is now officially the holiday season. As always, big thanks.

 Hi Linda. You made my day today. Thank you. I came home after working about 9 hours straight with spreadsheets and not really eating lunch. I was so happy to find delicious brownies in my mailbox. Thank you thank you.

Woo hoo!!! Can't wait! Xo

Thank you so much, sweetie!!  Brendan's absolute FAVORITE!!!

Linda...your brownies are so yummy...I only get to eat one piece and Terence one piece. The rest are Leonard's . He rationed it and eats two pieces a day, we can't touch them!

Matt got the mail and ran into the car saying "Linda's brownies!!!" with the biggest smile on his face !

You’re the best!

Already got it and I texted all the kids.  Daniel is NOT happy that he is away in college and all the brownies will be long gone :)

Thank you for the brownies- unbelievably good! Did you make them? I'm totally recommending you!!

Yum- thanks so much!!! We will certainly enjoy them!!!

6 Tips to Secure Your Dream House

Westport has enjoyed a stellar Real Estate market in 2013. Sellers are looking forward to a continued uptrend. Competition amongst buyers is getting fiercer, so be prepared to put your best foot forward to obtain your dream home. Consider using these 6 methods when negotiating on your potential purchase.

Meet before you hit the street – Before you step foot in a single foyer, speak with a bank or Mortgage Broker to get pre approved or pre qualified.  Have your credit pulled and make sure it’s accurate. It is now more imperative then ever to stay on time with bill paying. Recent late payments hurt your report more than older ones.  Insure there are no mistakes, giving yourself enough time to correct any uncovered errors. Collect your tax returns and any statements the bank or Broker may need.  It is much easier to prepare in advance. A seemingly unending list of requirements is about to be requested and it is time consuming to collect all the paperwork.  If you are self-employed, give yourself extra time, since many business owners may show their income more creatively than banks prefer.  Your broker will be helpful in determining what you can be approved for, afford and potential monthly payments.

          Start too Low and Blow it – There are many tire kickers out there, and homeowners are more frustrated than ever with them. As agents, we are obliged to present all offers, and explain “it’s just business, don’t take it personally”.  But, how do you not take it personally when we are talking about someone’s family home of 20 years. It’s a competitive market, and if you start too low, you may waste precious time and lose the house. The owner may not trust your negotiations if they feel you are trying to “steal” their homestead.

3      Put your money where your mouth is – It is fairly standard to submit 10% of the purchase price when the contract is executed. A buyer who offers more than 10% can be pretty appealing to the seller. The buyer proves his commitment and ability to afford the home.L

      Less is more – Keep your contingencies to a minimum while still protecting your interests. Sellers worry about all the roadblocks ahead. If the buyer makes a clean and short list of requirements to meet until the deal is clean, the seller is more likely to accept the deal.

      Take it personally – Let the seller know how much you love their home. Write them a heartfelt letter recounting why you want to buy it. Of course, a seller isn’t going to sell their home for less than someone else is willing to pay just because you wrote them a note, but when things are equal or close, the personal touch will usually win out. 

      Time is of the essence – Work with the seller’s timetable to close when it’s best for them. If the seller feels like they are not being rushed out, or that the closing can be on their planned timetable, they are more likely to work with you.  The ability on the buyer’s part to move either fast or slow, based on the seller’s needs can make the difference between winning the house and losing it.

When purchasing a home, the right price is of course important, but it is not the only determining factor. Confidence, ease and timing may prove to be just as important to a motivated seller.  Work with your agent to get prequalified, and know real value when you see it. Then, make an offer that a seller can’t refuse. It doesn’t have to cost you more!

The Westport Market is Hot Hot Hot!

Westport’s Housing Market is as bright as a warm summer day at Compo Beach. Interest rates remain steady and low while housing supply is falling short of demand. Our market surge can be attributed to many factors, including pent up demand, rising home prices, a healthy stock market, and consumer confidence in the real estate market overall. Most active Real Estate agents have not enjoyed a day off in awhile. After 2011 and 2012 proving to be less than stellar – there are not many complainers amongst us! So how hot is the market? Sizzling!

Presently there are 282* houses on the market in Westport, with an average list price of $1,792,389. The most expensive homeon the marekt for sale is listed for $12 million, located on Bluewater Lane, a 4 bedroom 4720 square foot home on 1 acre with 180 degree view of Compo Beach’s Long Island Sound. The least expensive home on the market in Westport is listed for $309,000. on Crescent Park Road with 2 bedrooms, 2 baths, and a fireplace in 1152 square feet on .12 acre .

In 2013, 170 homes have closed (sold) year to date, with a total sales volume of $269,519,000. The most expensive home sold in 2013 in Westport closed for $20,000,000. on Beachside Avenue offering 5 bedrooms, 8700 SF on 2 acres with 420’ of direct waterfront property. The least expensive sale was $295,000. , located on Crescent Park.  

In 2012, during the same time period, 134 homes also sold in Westport with a total sales volume of 169,847,000. The most expensive home sold last year during the same time period closed for $5,250,000. , a 7600 SF new construction home on Minute Man Hill near Compo Beach. It was relisted again this year for a few months for the same price, but is currently withdrawn from the market.

The bottom line, the Westport Housing Market is alive and well. It has officially evolved back to a seller’s market. Paying asking price and bidding wars are becoming more common for buyers. Homes are selling the first week or even day that they hit the market. Luckily appraisers have followed suit and there have not been many problems with appraisals falling short. If a homeowner is realistic and a homebuyer is aggressive, they should both get what the want from the transaction. If you have a home currently listed for sale and you are not getting offers, take a long hard look at your pricing. You have probably out priced your market. Price your home appropriately …and they will come!

*These statistics are based on the homes listed for sale through the Greater-Fairfield County Multiple Listing Service as of June 4, 2013.

Mortgage Lending Rates 6/6/13

According to Jeff Jensen of Connecticut Home Mortgage, current mortgage lending rates for 6/6/13
are as follows

Conforming 30- Year fixed rate is 4.125%/4.25% New Hi balance Limit = $601,450

Jumbo 30 year Fixed rate is 4.125%

5/1 ARM is 2.625%

5/1 Adjustable I/O rate is 2.875%

Jumbo 15 Year Fixed rate is 3.125%

Low Supply and High Demand in Westport

The year 2013 has come in like a lion for those in the Real Estate Market. Bidding wars are happening again. Multiple offers have become commonplace. Homes are selling as soon as they hit the market, at times higher than asking price. Even the largest blizzard to hit the Northeast in over 30 years couldn’t put a damper on the enthusiasm.  To be honest, 2012 already had an enjoyed an increase over 2011, and the 2013 market is still far from normal, but its energy is contagious! So what’s contributing to the liveliness in the housing market?

A simple case of supply and demand plays an important role in Westport’s real estate market. There is a decline in inventory, forcing prices to at the least stabilize while also creating a need for new construction.  November 2012 offered a 9 month supply of inventory compared to a year earlier when there was an 18 month supply. December 2012 had 7 months of inventory compared to the prior year’s 15 month supply and January 2013 remained consistent with 11 months of supply, as in January of 2012.

During the last 2 years, I continually heard buyers say, “ I am not going to buy now, because prices are still dropping.”  While prices are not necessarily up, you will be hard pressed to find a knowledgeable investor who claims prices are down. With that said, buyers believe they are buying at the bottom of the market. There is pent up demand waiting to be released.

While mortgage lending can still be a labor intensive practice at the onset, a good mortgage broker can help you through the process. Mortgages seem to be getting approved faster than a year ago with credit restrictions easing. Appraisers have a greater number of comparables to work with, since more properties have sold, making a fair and accurate appraisal easier to obtain. Interest rates, while creeping up slightly, are still historically low.

In addition, the rental market has been tremendously strong. Vacancy rates have plunged while rental rates have increased. With monthly rental prices rising, homeownership is often becoming a more viable option.

There are still terrific deals for qualified buyers in the marketplace. Sellers should not mistake a strong market with a rising market. Prices are stable. They are still not up enough for sellers to start raising their asking price. Our buyers are educated and ready to react, but they will not over pay.

Have your Real Estate Agent provide a Comparable Market Analysis (CMA) to properly price your home, and be ready to reap the benefits of a strong and active market.

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.