Regionalism in CT

This Sunday’s Courant contained an excellent editorial about regionalism as a possible strategy for addressing the financial challenges our numerous local governments face. It is a very helpful piece because it not only introduces & defines the idea, but also looks at pros & cons. Finally, the article cites other US metropolitan regions that are already making strides with this strategy and articulates first steps for Greater Hartford. Town finances impact all of us (even

Financing Closing Costs

One of the most rewarding aspects of being a Realtor is being able to call a client and say, “Congratulations, your offer has been accepted – you got the house!” Amy made one of those calls just last night and, even though I was sitting a good four feet away from the phone, I could practically feel the buyer’s excitement. I couldn’t make out the words, but their volume and pitch increased significantly as they

Pricing a Home – Price per Square Foot

Pricing homes is often more art than science. Some of the factors that play into a recommended pricing range are nearly impossible to measure or quantify. For example, how do you put a price on location? Everyone knows the old adage that the three most important factors in real estate are location, location and location. But how do you systematically assign value to such a complex quality? The practical answer is that we look for

Negative Feedback Loop – Mortgages vs Investments

The financial markets are in a difficult place right now, and the Federal government is working on a plan to intervene and hopefully stop the bleeding. Rather than trying to figure out who’s to blame, or speculating on what might happen next, I’d like to try to illustrate the negative feedback loop currently in place. Some observations: 1. Mortgage-backed securities are valued using computer models with numerous assumptions. The historical data used to generate the