Archive for the 'Condos' Category
38 Goodwin Circle, Hartford's West End
This pristine Harrison model end-unit at The Goodwin Estate, one of Hartford’s premier condo communities, offers it all. The home has 3 bedrooms and 3.5 baths over 3,164 square feet.
The open floor plan on the first floor has wonderful flow for entertaining and everyday living. The combination living room and dining room features a gas fireplace and opens to a modern kitchen with maple cabinets, stainless steel appliances, granite countertops, a custom tile backsplash and eat-in space. The living room offers access to a deck which backs to woods, providing privacy and tranquility. A powder room, foyer and access to the 2-car attached garage complete the first floor.
Upstairs a fantastic master suite awaits. This oversized retreat has a sitting area, walk-in closet with built-in shelving and a full bath with Jacuzzi tub, separate shower and double sinks. A lofted space with skylights provides more room to relax. Two good sized bedrooms and a full bath complete the second floor.
The lower level of the home is fully finished with a three-quarter bath and large family room with slider walk out.
Mechanicals include gas heat, central air conditioning and a security system.
This community offers beautiful grounds, a clubhouse, swimming pool, exercise room and library. Welcome to carefree living!
38 Goodwin Circle is offered at $499,900. If you’d like to see this home, please have your agent arrange a showing, call me at 860-655-2125 to schedule a visit, or stop by the open house on October 24th between 1:00pm-3:00pm. Additional photos and photo tours are available.
HCPR: Muted Third Quarter Follows Tax Credit
Hartford County residential sales fell significantly in the third quarter of 2010 versus the third quarter of 2009 as buyers took a breather following the June expiration of the Federal Home Buyer Tax Credit. Median prices rose modestly over the year-previous quarter, while another measure of pricing, the median price per square foot, fell a comparable amount. Most noteworthy was the change in the mix of homes that sold as the Tax Credit phased out of the markets.
Single-Family Homes
Third quarter sales of single-family homes fell 32.5% compared to the year-earlier period. The total number of 1,314 transactions is the lowest tally for a third quarter since the CTMLS began tracking data in 2000.
The median price for single-family homes in the County increased by 4.3% from $232,000 to $242,000. Sales price per square foot moved in the opposite direction, falling 2.9% from $147/sqft to $143/sqft. Finally, the median time on market increased from 37 days to 47 days.
Condominiums
Hartford County condominiums once again trended in the same directions as the single-family homes during the quarter. The number of sales was down 39.0% over the third quarter last year, with the 368 total transactions also the lowest on record for the quarter.
The median sales price rose 2.9% during the quarter, from $170,000 to $175,000, and the median price per square foot fell from $137/sqft to $134/sqft. In contrast to Single-Families, condominiums experienced a decrease in median days on market from 57 to 53 days.
Changing Sales Mix After Credit Impacts Statistics
The Home Buyer Tax Credit pulled a disproportionate number of lower priced sales into the second quarter of the year versus higher priced sales. As a result of the changing property mix, the median sales price for the County increased at the same time that the median price per square foot suggests that home values were falling.
Buyers: Don't Forget to Have Fun
Buyer’s Week has been an exciting ride here at the Greater Hartford Real Estate Blog. We covered the current opportunity, the importance of talking to a mortgage professional, the benefits of trading up in a down market, and buying when you also have a house to sell. Fond memories…
Buying a home is a process punctuated by events. We think that buyers should understand what they are getting into at the start, and hope that they find a home that meets their needs and feels right for them. Just as important, we think that buyers should have fun along the way.
That’s right, buying a home should be fun!
It should be fun to check your email in the morning to see what’s new on the market. It should be fun to visit the different properties and debate their pros and cons. It should be fun to get a call from your agent to let you know that they found a home that looks very promising.
Sure, a home search can be difficult at times. Buyers often need to adjust their criteria and expectations as they learn about the market. And missing out on a promising house can be emotional. There are lots of things that can go against you throughout the process. You just have to keep the big picture in mind and not get too worried about every little thing.
A big part of keeping an even keel is knowing what to expect. Research the home buying process and don’t be afraid to reach out to the professionals for help. Mortgage professionals and real estate agents are the first to get involved, but you’ll also need a real estate attorney once you really get into the search. None of these people will bite. Their careers are based on providing top-notch service.
Well, I guess that’s it. That’s all the advice there is to give on the topic of buying a home. So that brings us to the end of Buyer’s Week on the Greater Hartford Real Estate Blog – thanks for joining us for this special event.
Oh, who are we kidding, it’s always Buyer’s Week and there’s always more advice to give! Now that we’ve touched on some of the major topics, what other questions do you have about the process?
Creative Use of Small Space in Hong Kong
We see real estate stories about the smallest apartment, house, or whatever all the time. This one caught my eye because it shows an inspired use of a small space.
Gary Chang, a Hong Kong designer, transformed his 360 sqft apartment into an incredibly functional space using rolling walls that appear to be inspired by the moveable stacks often seen at town records departments, and sometimes in libraries. It looks like he put everything that needed plumbing into the outside walls, and must have figured out a way to manage the electric cables, so that he could roll his TV to wherever he wants it to be. Very creative – check it out.
HCPR: Soaring Sales in Second Quarter
Sales in Hartford County soared in the second quarter of 2010 versus the second quarter of 2009 thanks to the Federal Home Buyer Tax Credit. Median prices were up modestly over the year-previous quarter. Median days on market fell meaningfully, reflecting the frenzied pace of the County’s residential real estate market as the tax credit overlapped with the traditional spring market.
Single-Family Homes
Second quarter sales of single-family homes increased 23.8% compared to the year-earlier period. Although the total number of 2,047 sales improves on the results for the quarter in both 2008 and 2009, second quarter activity still trailed all of the years between 2000 and 2007 for which the CTMLS has data.
The median price for single-family homes in the County increased by 1.3% from $227,000 to $230,000. Sales price per square foot, another valuation metric, remained virtually unchanged at $147/sqft. Finally, the median time on market decreased from 40 days to 31 days.
Condominiums
Hartford County condominiums trended in the same directions as the single-family homes during the quarter. The number of sales was up 43.8% over the second quarter last year, with the 644 total sales running ahead of 2008 — 2009 and behind 2000 — 2007.
The median sales price rose 3.0% during the quarter, from $165,000 to $169,900, and the median price per square foot held steady at $134/sqft. Condominiums also experienced a decrease in sales time, with the median days on market falling from 51 to 45 days.
Residential Real Estate is More Than the Tax Credit
Local residential real estate markets continued to function even after buyers could no longer claim the Federal Tax Credit. As expected, there was a dramatic lull in the number of contracts written in May and June, which should be visible in the number of third quarter closings. However, buyers still made offers even after the credit expired.