Today’s activity was door frames and moldings. The doors all needed new frames since they were either larger than they used to be or in new locations. The windows had moldings, but they didn’t really match with the rest of the house. One of the decisions made early on in the process was to replace the rather plain backband of the moldings with something a little more beefy. We snuck into the work site after everyone had left to check it out, and definitely noticed the difference.

All of this progress actually has Amy nervous. She’s very excited to get the kitchen back, but is concerned that we don’t have a kitchen table yet. Our initial idea was to have a built-in bench and table that had lots of storage and shelving. Unfortunately our budget didn’t match our imagination and the bench seating was the first feature cut. Instead, we’re going to be leaving that space for a free-standing table and chairs.

Amy knows that we’re not going to have a table by the time the project is done (how will we know what to get without seeing the space?). And she also knows that I’ll make us use some temporary (and wholly unacceptable) table until the real deal is selected. Her concern is that the “temporary” table solution will be there for quite a while.

And she’s probably right. After all, my timelines for home improvement/decoration projects are not nearly as reliable or efficient as Mr. Winkley’s.

Here are the previous posts about our adventure:
Remodeling Our Kitchen
Budgeting for a Kitchen Remodel
Designing a Kitchen
Our Before Kitchen
Our Temporary Kitchen
A Remodeling Surprise
Our Kitchen Remodel – A Progress Update

Then we start looking at houses in their price range, whatever that may be. We look at house after house and they determine that they can’t get one or two of the major things that they want in their price range. A family room. Or a larger yard. Or two and a half bathrooms. Or an updated kitchen. Or a 2-car garage. Or air conditioning. They start to feel like they can’t get what they want for the money they can spend. What to do? Typically they ratchet down their house expectations or give up on West Hartford and try to find a similar town where they can get more for their money.

And the town I find that competes the most with West Hartford when folks are in this situation? Glastonbury. Over the past few years I’ve seen this occur time and time again. My buyers pound their fists on the table that they’re so excited to buy in West Hartford. They eventually get depressed when they can’t find a house that meets their expectations and their budget. A colleague tells them that they live in Glastonbury and they should look there. So we do. And they end up buying in Glastonbury.

Glastonbury is similar to West Hartford in many respects; good road access for commuting, shopping and restaurants in town, walkable neighborhoods, nice parks. It is geographically larger than West Hartford (51 square miles versus 22 square miles) so more driving here and there is usually necessary. But typically it seems you can get more house (and a larger lot) for the money in Glastonbury. The average price per square foot for 2009 in Glastonbury was $163, compared to $167 in West Hartford. Property taxes are generally lower for houses of a similar size with similar amenities.

I’ve found this interesting over the years and am still seeing it today. Has anyone out there had similar experiences during their search?

How do I find out about open houses?

There are a few places to check to find out about the open houses in the Greater Hartford area. The Hartford Courant’s Sunday real estate section is usually a good place to start. It’s easy, however, not everyone gets the Courant.

Online resources are the other main option. Agents should be updating the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) listing for their properties to note the open house. This pushes the data out to websites far and wide. As an example, the Raveis website has a section that lists all the known open houses for the coming weekend (no matter which broker is the listing agent). The Raveis houses actually show the listing agent’s name, while the competitor’s listings are more generic. Since not all agents know to update their MLS listings with information about the open house, you may be able to find out about more opportunities by searching each of the local broker’s websites individually.

Can I have multiple agents?

You officially “have an agent” when you sign a buyer contract. The contract specifies the time period and geographical area that you have hired them to help you with. If you have not signed a contract, then you do not legally have an agent.

With that disclaimer out of the way, can you have two agents at the same time? Yes, you can legally have two agents as long as there is no overlap in the geographical region. However, there are certain times when this makes sense and others when it really doesn’t.

If you are looking in two dramatically different areas, then you should have different agents. The specific question during the seminar was from a buyer looking in Simsbury and Clinton. Although I suppose it’s possible, it’s unlikely that you are going to find a single agent that is truly knowledgeable about two towns so far apart. It would be in your best interest to pick a Simsbury agent and a separate Clinton agent that are each active in the individual town markets. And you should make sure both agents understand your plan.

What doesn’t make sense to me is having two agents help you in a single town, even though it’s possible through careful structuring of the contracts. Buyers sometimes think that getting two agents to compete against each other will get them better service. But the incentives for the agents are to send you as many properties as possible (even if they doesn’t exactly meet your criteria) and then give you the hard sell so that you actually buy one of them. In effect, they’re working for the various sellers since they just want to get a deal done. If they don’t get you to buy with them, then they don’t get paid for all their effort, so they’re more likely pay attention to you sporadically when they are not working with their “real” clients.

That may be your idea of “better service,” but the idea behind hiring a buyer’s agent is to have someone in your corner, looking out for your best interests. Working with a single agent allows them to learn about your preferences and help you find a home that you will truly enjoy. They’ll be more likely to identify concerns with the properties you tour, making sure you have a good sense of both the positives and negatives of the home itself and how it compares to others on the market. And when you get to the negotiations, they’ll be far more comfortable negotiating aggressively because they’ll know that if you can’t reach an agreement on this home that you’re still serious about buying and will continue working with them to find other opportunities. A good buyer’s agent will work just as hard for you, but on a more consistent basis.

If you have things that you’re curious about, please feel free to send questions along via email. We’re always happy to help and there’s a good chance that someone else is wondering the same thing.

An enclosed porch across the front of the house welcomes you to 3 Regent Street with its rich architectural details. Inside, a foyer with stained glass and marble tile leads you into the oversized living room complete with fireplace and original moldings. The large dining room is perfect for entertaining and features a built-in cabinet, stained glass window, and sliders to the outdoor entertaining area on the rear deck. Completing the first floor is an updated kitchen and half bath. Upstairs, the second floor offers a large master with two closets and stained glass, two additional bedrooms, a remodeled full bath with Jacuzzi tub, and a separate walk-in closet. The third floor has been completely finished into a single large room that could be the master bedroom, family room, or take on numerous other uses.

Outside, the grounds have been meticulously landscaped with Belgian block lined gardens, slate walkways, and full fencing. The main seating area on the rear deck can be covered with a retractable awning. Finally, the oversized garage has additional space in the back.

Most of the home’s mechanical systems have been recently updated, including a new furnace, central air, roof, windows, and 200 amp electrical system. It is a unique opportunity to step into a fully updated historic home in Hartford’s West End.

3 Regent Street is offered at $339,900. If you’d like to see this home, please have your agent set up a showing, or call me at 860-655-2125 to schedule a visit. Both floor plan and photos are available.

We seem to be right on schedule, which is nice. The electrical and plumbing were laid out in their new locations and we passed our City permit inspections. Drywalling started shortly thereafter. That should be finished early this week. From there, we’ll paint the walls and ceilings.

Sadly the hardwood floors we discovered and were so excited about were not able to be salvaged. Years of wear and previous refinishing made them marginal for another refinishing. Given the information that they would not be able to be refinished any additional times, we made the long range decision to go with new floors. Some of the boards were salvageable though and our contractor will use them as patch pieces for future jobs he has that need them.

Our temporary kitchen is working out okay. By okay I mean that we are getting take out or eating cereal for dinner. Work has also been extremely busy lately, so cooking is near the bottom of our priority list. It actually seems like we planned the timing perfectly for the remodel. No time to cook now, so we might as well destroy the kitchen. We look forward to spending lots of time using it this summer during the slow real estate season.

Here are the previous posts about our adventure:
Remodeling Our Kitchen
Budgeting for a Kitchen Remodel
Designing a Kitchen
Our Before Kitchen
Our Temporary Kitchen
A Remodeling Surprise

This Saturday, March 6th, from 1:00 – 3:00, we’re leading a home buying workshop (which includes a mortgage broker) to help get buyers started and to answer questions. The event will be held in conjunction with the Connecticut Home & Remodeling Show at the Convention Center.

It will be an interactive session, with topics on the agenda like:
- Wants versus Needs
- The Home Purchase Process
- Who is Involved in the Purchase?
- Irrational Things Some Buyers Do
- Mortgage Programs
- The Mortgage Application Process
- The Home Buyer Tax Credit
- Five Things You Need to Get Right
- And more!

The workshop is sponsored by the MetroHartford Alliance’s Hartford Young Professionals & Entrepreneurs group. Registration is $5 for HYPE members and $15 for non-members, everyone is welcome. All attendees will receive a ticket to attend the Connecticut Home & Remodeling Show, which will be open on Saturday from 10:00 – 9:00 and Sunday from 10:00 – 5:00.

Join us to talk about the purchase process, the current mortgage environment, and then check out the Home Show to see all the exhibits. It should make for an interesting afternoon – hope to see you there!

PS- There are two home shows in town this weekend, which is confusing. This event will be held at the new Convention Center on Columbus Boulevard in Downtown Hartford.

6 Farnham Road is offered at $275,000. 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 March 7 between 1:00pm-3:00pm.

641 Broadview Terrace is offered at $220,000. 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 March 7 between 1:00pm-3:00pm.

Oh baby protective gear, how I hate you with an unrelenting passion. You consistently foil and harm me on showings and inspections.

Baby gates- why are you always closed and locked at the top of stairs and so hard to figure out how to open? I always have to hoist myself over you, smack my shins, and risk toppling down the stairs.

Door knob locks- on every single door! Why can’t I open you? You spin around and around and I can never grip you tightly enough to turn the knob. And why did you lock me in the basement that one time? I shake my fist at you!

Electrical outlet shock shields- why are you on Every. Single. Outlet. For inspections! Gah. Stop breaking my fingernails.

Babies, you’re good little people. I just hate your protective gear.

Over time I’ve learned that not all garages are created equal. Many people drive SUVs and when houses were built in the earlier decades of the 20th century, they just weren’t equipped for the behemoths that some drive today. Hence the buyer’s car will never fit in the garage, rendering it not-a-garage-but-a-big-storage-room to them. Other tell tale signs there will be trouble is when you see the wall of the garage lined with foam padding. That’s so the driver of the car doesn’t smash their door when they’re squeezing out because there isn’t adequate space to maneuver. So we continue searching for houses with a more sizeable garage.

I also scratch my head at garages that are advertised as 2-car, but are really only 2-car if you have 2 Mini Coopers. This is not a 2-car garage. Please don’t advertise it as one. You’re not tricking anyone.

A lovely garage, if there is such a thing, is one where you can comfortably open your car doors and also have some space for a storage area. I find that these are few and far between in most of the towns that I work in, but they are out there. Now, if sellers could just keep from completely filling them with junk so that they show well when they’re trying to sell their homes…