An Economist's View of the National Housing Market

Economists are divided as to the direction of the national housing market. Some believe that the environment is stabilizing and that prices will increase from here. Others see further price decreases once the government support fades away. Barry Ritholz is one economist we follow regularly, through his posts on The Big Picture blog. Right now, he has a strong negative view on the future of the US housing markets. One of yesterday’s posts broke down

Hello … I Heard You Are Moving

Michael Wilson, artistic director of the Hartford Stage, is going to be receiving that call quite often over the next year. Today’s Hartford Courant announced Mr. Wilson’s intent to leave the theater at the end of the upcoming season. Although news of his departure was probably enough to catch the attention of the more astute local real estate agents, the final sentence guaranteed that he will be one of the most popular people in Hartford

Who Pays the Most Taxes in Hartford County?

So who pays the most taxes in Greater Hartford? It’s not as easy to figure out as it might seem. All the talk of revaluations, budgets, and referendums got us thinking about how we could get at that question using the real estate data in the MLS. We decided to look at all the single family home sales in Hartford County that were input using the Grand List 2009 mill rates. The initial data set

487 Main Street, Hartford – Downtown Residential

Last evening Westside Property Management hosted a party to showcase their four new residential units at 487 Main Street in Downtown Hartford. The open house benefited the Hartford Preservation Alliance, was catered by Emily’s Catering Group, and featured staging by the interior designers of Chapter I. 487 Main is a mixed use building on the corner of Elm Street, across the street from the Downtown Branch of the Hartford Public Library. At street level, it

Extending the Home Buyer Credit

The National Association of Realtors (NAR) has been leading a push to get part of the Federal Home Buyer Tax Credit extended. But don’t get too excited – their proposal won’t give allow anyone new to claim the credit. Before diving into the details, here is a quick review of the current rules of the game: 1. First time buyer or existing owner (extra criteria). 2. Binding purchase contract by April 30, 2010. 3. Closing