Hartford County Takes a Breather

So it’s been a few weeks since the buyer credit expired on April 30th. How’s the market doing now? Crickets. Can you hear them? This graph shows the number of contracts written for residential properties in Hartford County. Data is grouped by week and comes from the Connecticut Multiple Listing Service, which is deemed reliable but not guaranteed. 2004 was selected as the comparison year for three reasons: 1. The days/dates match up with 2010

After the Home Buyer Tax Credit

As of the first of May, the Federal Home Buyer Tax Credit is no longer part of the American residential real estate landscape. The incentive took various forms since it first went into effect in April of 2008, offering cash to both first-time buyers and existing home owners. Looking back, two questions immediately come to mind. How did the credit impact the markets over the past few years? And how will the credit continue to

Real Estate Bargains: Getting the Best Buy Possible

Yesterday we highlighted four common myths that sometimes lead buyers to believe they’re getting a better deal than they really are. Today we’re sharing some thoughts about finding true real estate bargains. Let’s just get this first point out of the way early. If you’re looking for a ridiculous value – a complete steal – then a real estate agent probably isn’t going to find it for you. You need to start pounding the pavement

West Hartford Feeding Frenzy

The West Hartford real estate market feels like it’s moving very quickly these days. We’re especially noticing it since we have many buyer clients looking in the town and because the town is traditionally the most active real estate market in the county. It is common to see new listings sell in a couple of days if they are priced right, and we’ve been seeing multiple offer situations on a regular basis. Despite the bidding

Radon, Radon Everywhere

Radon is a naturally occurring gas, and is part of the normal mix of elements that make up the air we breathe. However, the concentration varies greatly throughout the country, within individual towns, and even within neighborhoods. If the concentration is too high, then radon can be a health hazard. We always recommend that our buyers test for radon as part of their home inspection. If elevated levels are found, then our buyers have an