National Real Estate Data

People generally understand that real estate is local. The markets are driven by regional economies, which ultimately depend on the number and type of jobs in the area. Therefore local data is more relevant than national data in most real estate decisions. Local data is gathered, analyzed and published by diverse groups and individuals that range from specialty firms to local bloggers. Because every home is unique and towns have wide ranges of home types,

West Hartford Flying Fish

So how well do you know your community? Do you know where you can find this flying fish in West Hartford? I took its picture earlier in the week, before the summer weather arrived, so we don’t have the brilliant blue sky background. And now it’s too nice to go take a replacement shot – enjoy the weekend!

West Hartford Sales Contracts

Real estate activity in West Hartford feels like it has really picked up over the past few weeks. Agents are buzzing around like busy bees, and houses are going under contract. We’re seeing some homes sell very quickly after they are offered for sale, and we’re seeing multiple buyers compete for properties. There is clearly still broad interest in living in West Hartford. I was curious to see if the data supported our “feel” for

A Close Look at Glastonbury Data

Of all the real estate market data that Amy reported last week, the decline in median home prices in Glastonbury really grabbed my attention. To quickly recap, the first quarter of 2009 saw 33% fewer transaction (43 vs 64), and a 19% decrease in median home price ($310,000 vs $382,500). Only 4.7% of the transactions were distressed properties (the lowest of all the towns). Glastonbury had held up quite well relative to other towns in

Solar Power for Connecticut

Last evening I attended a seminar on residential solar systems presented by Alteris Renewables, a firm that specializes in integration and installation of renewable energy systems. This particular talk was focused on photovoltaic solar systems and the associated Connecticut state assistance program. The earth receives huge amounts of energy every year in the form of sunlight. Photovoltaic solar systems are able to capture some of that energy and convert it directly into electricity. Homeowners can