21 Capitol Ave, Unit C, Hartford

21 Capitol C, Hartford

Historic charm and modern updates make this condo a fantastic option for carefree living, right in the heart of Downtown Hartford.

This townhouse-style unit is move-in ready with an open floor plan, high ceilings, exposed brick, oversized windows, hardwood floors throughout, new lighting fixtures and fresh paint.

The remodeled kitchen offers granite counters, stainless steel appliances, updated cabinetry, and a breakfast bar. The space flows into the dining area and beyond to the living room with a wood burning fireplace. Down a short hallway on the main level, you’ll find an updated full bathroom and a bedroom.

Upstairs, the master bedroom suite features double closets, a renovated en-suite bathroom, and a lofted ceiling with skylights.

The condo has central air conditioning, plenty of storage space, laundry in the unit, a reserved parking spot, and access to the green space adjacent to the rear of the building. The condo fee includes heat and hot water.

Enjoy a quick walk to the theatres, Wadsworth Atheneum, popular restaurants, Bushnell Park and more!

21 Capitol Avenue, Unit C, has 2 bedrooms, 2 baths, and 1,327 sqft. The home is offered for $249,900. If you’d like to see this home, please have your agent arrange a showing, or call Amy at 860-655-2125 to schedule a visit. More details and a photo tour are available.

550 Fern Street, West Hartford

550 Fern Street, West Hartford

550 Fern is a turnkey home with a family room addition off the back.

A landscaped front yard invites you to enter the traditional Colonial. The front-to-back living room is spacious, and includes a gas fireplace. The updated kitchen is open to the dining room, and features stainless appliances, stone counters, multiple pantry closets, and counter seating. A family room with built-in shelving connects the kitchen back around to the living room. The updated full bath on the main level allows the family room to easily be converted to in-law space.

There is a stone patio outside the kitchen that is perfect for a grill. Beyond the patio is a large, level yard with storage shed.

The three upstairs bedrooms are all a reasonable size. The full bath on the upper level was recently remodeled, and includes a Jacuzzi tub.

The home has newer vinyl siding, most of the windows have been replaced, and has many new doors. The high efficiency gas furnace also includes micro-filtration and humidification to cut down on allergies. Central air will keep you cool all summer long.

550 Fern is across the street from the Fernridge Park tennis courts, swimming pool and playground. West Hartford Center and all its dining and entertainment options are a short walk away. The convenient Fern Street bus line provides a green, and stress-free, alternative to driving to Downtown Hartford for work.

550 Fern Street is offered at $369,900. If you’d like to see this home, please have your agent arrange a showing, visit the open house on Sunday 5/21/2017 from 1:00 to 3:00, or call Kyle at 860-655-2922 to schedule a visit. More details and a photo tour are available.

28 North Quaker Lane, West Hartford

28 North Quaker

There’s lots to love about this charming Colonial, just a short walk to West Hartford Center and Blue Back Square.

A traditional full width porch welcomes you to the home. Inside, the freshly painted interior and hardwood floors set the stage. An oversized living room features a wood burning fireplace and built-in bookcases. The formal dining room has a corner hutch and connects to the kitchen. The kitchen features a large eat-in space, butler’s pantry, and direct access to the deck and backyard. A powder room completes the first floor.

Upstairs, the master bedroom has a full bathroom and walk up access to the attic. There are three additional bedrooms, another full bathroom, and a heated sleeping porch.

The home has low maintenance vinyl siding, replacement windows, and a new hot water heater. There is also a 2-car detached garage.

28 North Quaker Lane is offered at $335,000. If you’d like to see this home, please have your agent arrange a showing, visit the open house on Sunday 5/21/2017 from 1:00 to 3:00, or call me at 860-655-2125 to schedule a visit. More details and a photo tour are available.

April Contracts: It’s a Miss

2017-05-07 Hartford County Single Family Contracts in April 2017

Hartford County finished April 2017 with 967 single-family contacts. The total was a 6% decrease from April 2016, putting the County about 2% behind last year on a year-to-date basis.

April was a miss. It was a surprising decline in market activity from the March 2017 total. Deal counts are usually highest in April, May, and June. March is also generally an indicator as to how the spring will go. How did March get it so wrong?

I believe that the answer is in the supply of available homes. The number of active listings is down compared to previous years. The CTMLS includes a statistics function that reports historical monthly data on the number of active listings. The chart below shows the number of active single-family listings in Hartford County during April going back to 2007.

2017-05-07 Active Hartford County Single Family Listings in April 2017

From 2007 through 2014 there were right around 5,000 active listings in April. The total dropped to about 4,000 in 2015 and 2016. This year is even lower still, with only about 3,500.

The low supply is also visible in the inventory calculation included in the table below. At the current pace of sales, it would only take 3.3 months for buyers to put all the active listings under contract. A “seller’s market” is generally defined as being 3 months of inventory or less, so Hartford County is quite close to that threshold. Twelve individual towns have a inventory of 3.0 months or less.

We don’t have an answer to the big question … why are there so many fewer listings this spring?

One hypothesis is that owners of starter homes are content to stick with their smaller spaces rather than moving up to larger homes. Another hypothesis is that rising interest rates are trapping homeowners in their current properties since higher financing costs make their next home less affordable. A third possibility is that homeowners are being squeezed financially on other fronts (higher costs for taxes, healthcare, utilites, food, etc.), encouraging them to stick with their current housing option.

At this point we just don’t know, though we keep an eye out for articles, studies, and surveys that investigate this question.

Despite the decrease in the number of deals in April, Hartford County real estate markets are doing well. It’s possible that we will see price appreciation in the lower price bands, which have the largest mismatch between supply and demand.

2017-05-07 Hartford County Single Family Contracts in April 2017 by Town

140 Elizabeth Street, Hartford’s West End

140 Elizabeth, Hartford's West End

Welcome to a stately Tudor, adjacent to historic Elizabeth Park in Hartford’s West End.

140 Elizabeth greets you with a spacious foyer with new hardwood flooring and grand stairs. The front to back living room features a charming fireplace with an insert, and continues to a sunroom overlooking the park. The dining room is a nice size for entertaining, with a French door leading into an office with built-ins and another fireplace with stove.

The updated kitchen has an eat-in counter, stainless appliances, and silestone counters. There is a large window that connects the space to the private patio just out back, ensuring easy access to the grill. The main level is completed with a powder room, and access to the attached 1 car garage.

Upstairs, the master suite awaits with sitting area, walk-in closet, and en-suite bathroom with double vanity and jetted tub. The second level has three additional bedrooms, and a full bath. The top level includes three bedrooms, a full bath, and generous storage areas.

Pride of ownership shines through at every turn, with numerous updates and thorough maintenance. The landscaping is thoughtfully designed and lovingly maintained. There is central air conditioning on the first and second levels.

Step across the street to enjoy the benefits of Elizabeth Park, including the new playground, free movies in the summer, and the energetic community life.

140 Elizabeth Street has 7 bedrooms, 3.1 baths, and 4,114 sqft on 0.31 acres. The home is offered for $495,000. If you’d like to see this home, please have your agent arrange a showing, or call Amy at 860-655-2125 to schedule a visit. More details and a photo tour are available.