The RE/MAX Hot Air Balloon will be in Fairfield CT on May 28, 2012 to Benefit Habitat For Humanity!

RE/MAX is sending its famous hot air balloon to Fairfield,  Connecticut on Memorial Day to benefit Habitat for Humanity and  the First Church outreach partners. The RE/MAX Hot Air Balloon is one of the nation’s most widely recognized corporate symbols.

The balloon will be at First Church Congregational  United Church of Christ located at 148 Beach Road in Fairfield, CT  from  approximately 8:30 AM  through 11 AM on Monday, May 28, 2012.

Weather permitting, tethered rides will be available prior to the beginning of the Memorial Day Parade.

The balloon is QUITE an amazing  sight, and it's  going to be RIGHT in our backyard! Don't miss it!

We hope to see you there!

Buying or Selling a Home in Fairfield County? We'd love to represent you.

Please visit our main  site at

www.CThomesAndRealEstate.com

If you have a question about buying or selling Real Estate in  Fairfield County, and are in need of representation, I invite you to contact me. I know the market like the back of my hand, know marketing inside and out, am a skilled negotiator- and I'd love to be on your side :) - Judy

AND.... If you have an idea for a topic that you would like to see on The CT Realty Blog, please include it in the "Post a Comment" section link below this post. We appreciate the feedback and look forward to providing you with the best real estate content, advice and service in Fairfield County, Connecticut.

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RE/MAX was founded in 1973 by Dave and Gail Liniger, real estate industry visionaries who still lead the Denver-based global franchisor today. RE/MAX is recognized as a leading real estate franchisor with the most productive sales force in the industry and a global reach of more than 80 countries. With a passion for the communities in which its agents live and work, RE/MAX isproud to have raised more than $120 million for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals, Susan G. Komen for the Cure® and other charities. Nobody in the world sells more real estate than RE/MAX.

Should You Hire an Out-of-Town Realtor to Sell Your Home?

So you've made the decision to sell  your home. You may have interviewed a few agents, and you seem to feel that one agent stands above the rest.  Only thing is, their office is not located in your town. Is it a good or bad idea to list with an agent that does not specialize in your town?

Years ago, that would have been a bad idea. I mean MANY years ago, before the internet was such a driving force in home sales.

There are many more reasons today why you should  list with an agent who you truly feel will get your home sold, rather than just  settle for  one who is local. The talent pool is much larger  with a  bigger radius, and so is the buyer pool.  For example,  if your home is in upper Fairfield County, you may be aware that buyers come north from New York or Stamford looking for the home of their dreams. So the question becomes, "why limit yourself?"

That's not to say that all listing agents in your town are not professional, or good at what they do- they  just will not have the same buyer pool as an agent from another, more expensive town- it is inevitably much larger.

The type of home you can get  for a particular price in Westport, for example is unattainable in Greenwich for the same money.  Two similar homes in Fairfield and Shelton will have also have a  great disparity in value.

So who do you list your home with?

Let's say that you  hired an agent from out of town. I have had homeowners tell me that very few, if any local agents showed  the home.  That doesn't mean your home has a "local boycott" because you listed with someone from another town.  The local agents will show your home if they have a buyer - they work on commission. If they think their buyer will like your home, they will show it- so take that thought out of the equation. If your town is  not a large one, remember the buyer pool coming to that in-town  agency won't be as big, either.

There may also be local agent perception of your street,  neighborhood, or lack thereof, where these agents put your home on the bottom of the list to show. I know that sounds harsh, and I am sorry for that.   In some instances, that particular perception becomes reality.

On the flip side, there are certain instances where I would suggest listing with an agency based in town. They are few and far between, though. Take for example, a highly exclusive enclave in a very tight knit community. That may be a consideration. Also take, as an example, whether or not the agent you choose  to work with is associated with a small in-town agency from another town.  The power of name recognition cannot be stressed enough, as  it widely understood that out-of-town and out-of-state buyers  have a heightened level of trust in a company that they have heard of before- even if it's just a lcoal franchise.

If your home is especially unique in some way, it is important to expose it in its best light to as many potential buyers as possible, without crossing the fine line of sacrificing  enhanced marketability, especially in today's market.  The most important task at hand is finding an agent that knows that they should market properties effectively to the masses, and is skilled at it.

And a note From Judy: If you have a question about buying or selling Real Estate in Fairfield County, and are in need of an Realtor to represent you, I invite you to contact me, and if you have an idea for a topic that you would like to see on The CT Realty Blog, please include it in the "Post a Comment" section link below this post. We appreciate the feedback and look forward to providing you with the best real estate content, advice and service in Fairfield County, Connecticut.

THE BEST DEAL IN WESTPORT is $438,900 -AND Open 1-3:30 on 5/20/12

Public Open House at 12 Warnock Drive in Westport CT

 on Sunday May 20, 2012 from 1-3:30 PM- JUST $438,900

Best deal in Westport BY FAR! - as cliche as it sounds, bring your checkbook. We're not kidding. This home has just been reduced for a quick sale.

 $438,900

Here are the quick details:

Westport* 1,817 SF*  3 BR, 2 baths *1.03 acres

Time is 1-3:30.  SEE YOU THERE!

Want more info about the house? Click here

Call us at 203-257-5892 for any questions or email us. Either way, make it there!

And a note From Judy: If you have a question about buying or selling Real Estate in Fairfield County, and are in need of an Realtor to represent you, I invite you to contact me, and if you have an idea for a topic that you would like to see on The CT Realty Blog, please include it in the "Post a Comment" section link below this post. We appreciate the feedback and look forward to providing you with the best real estate content, advice and service in Fairfield County, Connecticut.

Connecticut Financing Update and Today's Mortgage Rates 5/18/12

For only the 3rd time since early February, the Conventional 30 yr Fixed Best-Execution Rate is arguably straddling 3.75% and 3.875%.  Some lenders' rate sheets are structured such that 3.75% is clearly Best-Execution.  More have moved down into that territory, though many remain at 3.875%.  

Mortgage Rates are steady to slightly improved today following as Europe's fiscal woes continue providing downward pressure on US interest rates.  The forces at work keeping rates low were joined today by "minutes" from the most recent FOMC meeting.  All told, several notable lenders are offering their all-time lowest interest rates while others remain close.  

Markets actually got off to a shaky start as far as rates were concerned.  Had it not been for the European headlines and the FOMC Minutes, we'd likely be looking at slightly higher rates today.  Mortgage-backed-securities (aka "MBS," the most direct influence on mortgage rates) and US Treasuries began the day in weaker territory until news that the European Central Bank had ceased it's normal interactions with several Greek banks, and the ECB President essentially wasn't willing to bend over backwards to make sure Greece stays in the Euro-zone.  

Until and unless mortgage rates actually break into NEW all-time lows (which they are very close to doing), we'll likely keep reiterating that which has already been said:

We see two diametrically opposed forces pushing and pulling on mortgage rates here at these key levels.  The European component is the obvious force pushing rates down, but less obvious is the underlying structure of the Secondary Mortgage Market providing resistance to moving lower.  The latter is what has prevented rates from getting any lower now and in the past.

That said, if the economic outlook remains fairly dim and if European concerns continue to fuel that "flight-to-safety" demand for long enough, the Secondary Mortgage Market CAN slowly evolve to accommodate lower rates.  It remains to be seen whether or not it will actually happen.  Global economic panic is not our favorite justification for thinking rates will move predictably lower.

Investors in the secondary mortgage market have demonstrated that they tend to feel the same way, having clearly avoided a quick move down into uncharted territory with respect to the "buckets" on the secondary mortgage market.  Without a more stable motivation for low interest rates, we'd expect ongoing progress in creating a market for even lower rates to continue to be slow and small.  

Today's BEST-EXECUTION Rates

30-year fixed 3.875% APR-3.924% 0 points
20 year fixed-3.625% APR-3.692% 0 points
15 year fixed-3.250% APR-3.333% 0 points
10 year fixed-3.000% APR-3.123% 0 points
5/1 ARM-2.625% APR-3.091% 0 points
7/1 ARM-2.875% APR-3.127% 0 points
 
FHA
30 year fixed-3.750% APR-4.659% 0 points
15 year fixed-2.875% APR-3.319% 0 points

Jumbo- over $602,000 (Fairfield County)
30 year fixed-4.000% APR 4.117% 0 points
15 year fixed-3.500% APR 3.574% 0 points
5/1 ARM-3.125% APR 3.419% 0 points
7/1 ARM-3.500% APR 3.818% 0 points

Pat Leary

NMLS #99279
Atlantic Home Loans
830 Post Road East

Westport CT 06880
203-645-1037 cell
203-691-9788 ext 226
1-203-413-5647 fax

And a note From Judy: If you have a question about buying or selling Real Estate in Fairfield County, and are in need of an Realtor to represent you, I invite you to contact me, and if you have an idea for a topic that you would like to see on The CT Realty Blog, please include it in the "Post a Comment" section link below this post. We appreciate the feedback and look forward to providing you with the best real estate content, advice and service in Fairfield County, Connecticut.

Open House Sunday May 20 on 12 Warnock Drive in Westport ONLY $438,900

Mark Your Calendar!

Public Open House at 12 Warnock Drive in Westport CT

 on Sunday May 20, 2012 from 1-3:30 PM- JUST $438,900

- as cliche as it sounds, bring your checkbook. We're not kidding. This home has just been reduced for a quick sale.

 $438,900

Here are the quick details:

Westport* 1,817 SF*  3 BR, 2 baths *1.03 acres

Time is 1-3:30.  SEE YOU THERE!

Want more info about the house? Click here

Call us at 203-257-5892 for any questions or email us. Either way, make it there!

And a note From Judy: If you have a question about buying or selling Real Estate in Fairfield County, and are in need of an Realtor to represent you, I invite you to contact me, and if you have an idea for a topic that you would like to see on The CT Realty Blog, please include it in the "Post a Comment" section link below this post. We appreciate the feedback and look forward to providing you with the best real estate content, advice and service in Fairfield County, Connecticut.