Homebuyer Tax Credit Update

The Senate has overwhelmingly passed an extension to the hotly debated homebuyer tax credit. The updated version of the program has larger scope and is more generous than its predecessors. Note that the extension is not official until it is also passed by the House and signed by President Obama. The new program offers people that have lived in their home for 5 years or more (move-up buyers) a $6,500 credit. It also increases the

Greater Hartford October 2009 Real Estate Market Statistics

October is closed out, so here’s the latest data from the CT Multiple Listing Service for single family homes, deemed reliable, but not guaranteed… My Observations… 1. Overall, the number of Closed Sales are up again, 2.6% this month, when comparing to October 2008. It will be interesting to see the results of November, as I feel they will also show an increase over last year as people try to jam in their closing by

Fall Yard Clean-Up

One of the joys of home ownership is the privilege of cleaning up the yard for the winter. Raking the leaves, collecting fallen branches, and cleaning the gutters are favorite activities here at the Bergquist house. This year we’ve been so busy with other things that nearly all the leaves are already down, so unfortunately we may only be able to go through this process once. We will be sure to savor every moment. Other

A Halloween Tradition on Four Mile Road, West Hartford

For the past 16 years, Lisa Campo has been putting on a Halloween show in her front yard. She spends much of the month of October decorating, with her impressive collection of horrible creatures and terrible scenes. Each year there is something new added to the mix. The whole production comes to life on Halloween as live actors join the props for an evening of scares. Kyle and I joined the cast last year and

Renewing the Home Buyer Credit

We’ve received a lot of questions recently about the soon-to-expire First Time Home Buyer’s Credit. Since the time has basically passed to be able to take advantage of it in a home purchase, the discussion has shifted to the future of the program. Analysts and commentators around the country are weighing in on the subject, dividing into two camps. Camp 1: Extend the credit, and perhaps even expand it to all buyers and with larger