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Welcome to The CT Home Blog

All about Connecticut Real Estate and Homes For Sale. Whether you are buying or selling real estate,  you have come to the right place. The CT Home Blog offers real estate tips. home buying and home selling advice,  other useful information, and we update current mortgage rates for Connecticut every Friday. There is plenty of local town demographics on our site and market statistics, too. Bookmark us, tell your friends, and come back often. We're here at TheCTrealtyBlog.com  to service your needs whenever you are ready. -Judy

 

Sunday
Dec292013

Now in the USA's Top 1% of Real Estate Blogs-Our Own TheCTrealtyBlog

Thank you! We made it to the top 1 percent of all real estate related blogs in the entire country!  We are honored and humbled that our very own real estate site TheCTrealtyBlog.com  has climbed up the ranks within the Top 100 Business/Real Estate Blogs  to achieve this honor.

Technorati currently indexes over 150 million blogs and ranks them according to authority, relevancy, and clout within its industry sector.  The name Technorati is a blend of the words technology and literati, which invokes the notion of technological intelligence or intellectualism.

For all the millions of blogs on this premier ranking site, we also rank tops under the following searches:

Here's our local standings, based on geography alone, according to Technorati.

#1 Fairfield County CT
#1 Easton CT
#1 Fairfield CT
#1 Trumbull CT
#1 Westport CT

...........and that's with many thanks to you, our loyal readers.

We remain the only real estate blog in Connecticut to make this Category's Top 100, and  by reading our Blog, you are certainly in good company. Other blogs in the Business/Real Estate Top 100 list includes such notable real estate and finance blogs as and WSJ.com Developments,  Mortgage101, and The Realtor.com blog .

To get the most from theCTrealtyBlog, sign up for the RSS Feed to get updates on new posts, the latest news and hottest listings. You can also  follow us on Facebook or Twitter for updates as well. Visit any of our local town blogs for up to the minute real estate market statistics and forecasts for Easton, Fairfield, Norwalk, Trumbull and Westport.

The CT Realty Blog was founded by Broker Judy Szablak, a successful Fairfield County Connecticut Realtor with Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage, who specializes in representing sellers and buyers in Fairfield County, Connecticut.

Get the visibility that only one agent can give you- That's Judy, the agent with "Authority".

 

"When You Deserve the Best, You Deserve Judy"

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

 The Featured Home of the Week is a 3 bedroom, 2 bath ranch home at 20 Hickory Drive, Westport  for just $549,900. See the virtual tour HERE 

 .....or better yet, call Judy to schedule an appointment to see it!


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 Buying or Selling a Home in Fairfield County?  Contact us!

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

Search for properties on any of our sites, or get the very best visibility available for your home. Visit us online wherever you like: Find out more about Judy here

www.CThomesAndRealEstate.com      www.TheCTrealtyBlog.com     www.TheCTRB.com    and   www.CTfeaturedHomes.com 

 Email us or  call Toll Free (855) GET-JUDY

Friday
Dec272013

The Only Four Words Buyers Should Ever Say to Sellers

It can be quite uncomfortable if the seller is present during a showing of their home. It's an unnecessarily awkward situation for the buyers, who tend to say too much if not advised appropriately and properly in advance for a situation that is almost inevitable.



It's SIMPLE. The only words a buyer should say to a seller are Hello, thank you, and goodbye.  NOTHING ELSE!

Buyers- You can COST yourself a lot of money by talking to the seller. Every nice thing you say has the seller seeing dollar signs, and makes them less negotiable.

Go on and on about how nice the home is to the seller, and put in an offer? NOT A GOOD IDEA! Smart sellers are more inclined to stick to their price, because they know they won't have to negotiate with you.... because you gushed at their home, and then submitted in an offer shortly thereafter.

We were all taught that it's the polite thing to do and to give a compliment when deserved, and I am a firm believer you in fact, should in almost every instance- EXCEPT when you are buying your  home. If you want to tell the seller how much you love their home AFTER we've negotiated, that's fine :)
It doesn't cost you any money at that point.

I always advise my buyer clients to not even ask questions of the seller during the showing. Tell me what you want to know, and I will ask. The fine art of obtaining basic information from a seller in a conversational way is best. So leave the questions to your real estate agent, (That's me!)  and you will most likely be  saving yourself thousands of dollars!

If you are interested in buying, call me. You 'll get top notch representation, years of negotiation skills, and an agent who wants to save YOU money.

 

"When You Deserve the Best, You Deserve Judy"

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

 The Featured Home of the Week is a 3 bedroom, 2 bath ranch home at 20 Hickory Drive, Westport  for just $549,900. See the virtual tour HERE 

 .....or better yet, call Judy to schedule an appointment to see it!


* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

 Buying or Selling a Home in Fairfield County?  Contact us!

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

Search for properties on any of our sites, or get the very best visibility available for your home. Visit us online wherever you like: Find out more about Judy here

www.CThomesAndRealEstate.com      www.TheCTrealtyBlog.com     www.TheCTRB.com    and   www.CTfeaturedHomes.com 

 Email us or  call Toll Free (855) GET-JUDY

 

Tuesday
Dec242013

Wishing you a Safe and Happy Holiday- from CTrealtorJudy

Warmest of wishes to my family, friends, clients, fans, and followers :)

 

 

Monday
Dec232013

Interested in That House? Resist the Urge to Call the Listing Agent

That may seem contrary to reason, but there are a few very important reasons why you should have someone OTHER than the listing agent represent you.

So stop right now, before you call.  It can cost you a LOT of money unnecessarily. Here's the how and why:

The agent has entered into an exclusive agreement to represent that seller, and owes his/her fiduciary responsibility TO THAT seller. In layman's terms, that agent is contracted to obtain the highest possible price for that property. Don't you want to pay the LOWEST possible price for that property?

Let's take it a step further- Besides having the legal fiduciary responsibility, that agent knows the seller  better than they know you. What would make you think that even as a dual agent (where the agent represents both parties, as agreed and acknowledged by both parties) that they could in fact treat you fairly when they have known that seller client longer, and have had more communication with the other party?

Also contrary to what you might think, an agent cannot reduce the commission in order to consummate the transaction without the owner of the company agreeing to it. By the way, the majority of the firms out there are franchises, and even the managing brokers really don't want to cut a commission- they don't have to. The property could be purchased  by a buyer represented by another firm,  you could purchase a different property from the agent,  and the firm would be out ZERO dollars.

If you are interested in buying, call me. You 'll get top notch representation, years of negotiation skills, and an agent who wants to save YOU money- not  make the deal happen for their own wallet.

 

"When You Deserve the Best, You Deserve Judy"

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

 The Featured Home of the Week is a 3 bedroom, 2 bath ranch home at 20 Hickory Drive, Westport  for just $549,900. See the virtual tour HERE 

 .....or better yet, call Judy to schedule an appointment to see it!


* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

 Buying or Selling a Home in Fairfield County?  Contact us!

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

Search for properties on any of our sites, or get the very best visibility available for your home. Visit us online wherever you like: Find out more about Judy here

www.CThomesAndRealEstate.com      www.TheCTrealtyBlog.com     www.TheCTRB.com    and   www.CTfeaturedHomes.com 

 Email us or  call Toll Free (855) GET-JUDY

Saturday
Dec212013

Is That Agent Telling You the Truth? Here Are a Few Red Flags

Sometimes, what a real estate agent tells you just doesn't seem like it's truthful.

You are probably right, hate to say it, but your instincts may very well be correct.

Okay, timing is everything in real estate, but did you ever wonder why....



** The second you decide you are considering a home, everyone comes out of the woodwork and is supposedly interested in buying it, too?

** You put in an offer on a home, and then another offer comes in immediately thereafter, when the home has been sitting on the market for months?

** Your listing is about to expire, has had no recent activity, and all of a sudden, there are buyers interested, and the agent requests a listing extension?

All I have to say is, hmmmmm.


Unfortunately, there are a few agents out there that look at their clients like "money in their pocket", and will do or say whatever they can to get a buyer or seller to act, which is entirely unprofessional, in my opinion.

As an experienced agent,  I can generally  figure out whether or not I am being told an untruth by another agent.  As a homeowner or homebuyer, it may not be so easy.

So what are the red flags to look for?

A change in the way you are spoken to- That's a broad statement, so I will try to break it down for you. When someone is not telling the truth, they either speak slower, speak quicker, speak higher, or speak lower.

If you are face to face with someone, they may look up to the right, touch their face, or fidget with their hands.

There are  lots of subtle nuances, too.  Remember, body language and speech variances are key.

If you are looking for a Realtor to tell you the truth, to be your advocate, and to provide you with the best representation, call me. I would be honored to represent you.

 

"When You Deserve the Best, You Deserve Judy"

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

 The Featured Home of the Week is a 3 bedroom, 2 bath ranch home at 20 Hickory Drive, Westport  for just $549,900. See the virtual tour HERE 

 .....or better yet, call Judy to schedule an appointment to see it!


* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

 Buying or Selling a Home in Fairfield County?  Contact us!

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

Search for properties on any of our sites, or get the very best visibility available for your home. Visit us online wherever you like: Find out more about Judy here

www.CThomesAndRealEstate.com      www.TheCTrealtyBlog.com     www.TheCTRB.com    and   www.CTfeaturedHomes.com 

 Email us or  call Toll Free (855) GET-JUDY