Greater Hartford May 2009 Real Estate Market Statistics

Yesterday I was preparing my data for the May real estate market statistics post and this morning the Courant had an article about housing prices for the state as a whole. While aggregating the state as a whole is good for a macro economic perspective, your average Joe and Jane are more likely to be concerned with what’s going on in their town or the few towns surrounding where they live, as that’s what’s affecting

Old Paint in the Basement

Most homes that I show to my buyers have a corner of the basement with cans of old paint. Amy and I probably have more than most in our own home, just in case we need to touch up any one of the rainbow of colors that adorn our walls. We also have a couple of cans containing colors that are no longer in use. While homeowners may feel comfortable stockpiling reserves, they can become

Inspector Shortage?

When a buyer purchases a home, they have the right to have certain inspections performed within a specified timeframe after the contract is signed. In our market, the window to have inspections conducted is typically anywhere from 7-14 days. Buyers want their right to understand any issues with the house and sellers want the review conducted as soon as possible so that they know the contract is continuing forward towards closing. Often my buyers look

Our Topsy Turvy Tomato Experiment

Kyle and I are both originally from Vermont. I think this means that we are supposed to have green thumbs. My theory comes from the fact that when I was in college just about every person that learned I was from Vermont asked “Did you grow up on a farm?” To set the record straight, neither Kyle nor I grew up on a farm. Perhaps as a tribute to our “heritage,” each year we try

Mortgage Rates Increasing on Inflation Fears

Mortgage rates have ticked upward over the past few days in response to market activity around the 10-year Treasury Bond. According to BankRate.com, the average interest rate for a 30-year fixed mortgage has increased from 5.00% to 5.39% in just a few days. An article in today’s Wall Street Journal goes so far as to proclaim that “Mortgage Rates Surge, Sap Hopes.” They cite similar interest rate figures from a different source and quote two