2011-2012 Cost vs. Value Report.   Remodeling Magazine recently released the 2011-2010 edition of its annual Cost vs. Value Report.  Great news for homeowners because cost of remodeling have dropped 10% to 15% in the past five years even though the cost of materials have gone up about 17%. The survey has found that on average the return of remodeling projects has been going down since 2005 hitting a low of 57.7% this year. Remember remodeling projects should take into account your personal choice in comfort, heath and lifestyle. Just like buying a new car enjoy the use and do not expect a 100% return. Here are Remodeling's top 10 projects. You'll notice that the top 10 Remodeling projects are not ambitious, vanity jobs but are projects that replace worn or aged home components, bring p... 11/26/2011

Condominiums For Sale Darien, Connecticut. In Darien, Connecticut the majority of condominiums are located walking distance to town, shopping and Metro-North for an easy commute to NYC. Currently there are ten units for sale in the price range of $429,000 up to $779,000 ranging from 1 to 2 bedrooms. Year to Date for Darien three condos have sold: 1 bedroom for $432,500 in the Middlesex Common Complex. 2 bedrooms for $550,000 in the Pine Brook Complex. 3 bedrooms for $677,000 in the Villager Pond Complex. In 2010 a total of 3 condominiums sold between the price ranges of $455,000 to $575,000. Year to date average sales price of a single family home in Darien is $1,682,629 that averages out to $489 price per square foot.     David Popoff is a license Realtor in Connecticut with William Ra... 11/17/2011

 Are you looking for your local “GREEN” professional on homes, real estate, lifestyles and more? When you want to find out what is in your community and who are your local experts here are some suggestions and websites to help you. Local sustainable ‘green’ blogs & websites. For example in Fairfield County, Connecticut, we have the regional blogs at SnappyGreen.com, Auggie V’s and Connecticut GreenBoard Co-op for local regional news, activities, business’s, events and lifestyle tips. http://www.greentowns.com/ ~ a national website that goes right to your town, green initiatives and sustainable contacts. Real Estate and Sustainability. For knowledgeable help in sustainable real estate in your state and town go to the National Association of Realtors and look for a local Realtor~Green des... 11/17/2011

Green Community Built In Darien, Connecticut. Noroton Green is a new residential development consisting of eight smart-sized ‘green’ sustainable custom single family homes in Darien, Connecticut. Designed by LaVigna Associates and being built by the developer Hertz Construction, it will be the first development in Darien to be Green Certified using the National Association of Home Builders Green Standards. Some of the highlights are: Walking distance to shopping, schools and public transportation including Metro North. 30% of community land specified open space. Energy Saving appliances. Energy Saving Windows. High efficiency super insulation with spray in foam. Gas heating and A/C. Each home will be approximately 2,800 square feet offering layout of two or three bedrooms, two to three ... 11/16/2011

Are you looking for flooring for your home in Darien CT 06820? We know there are many choices..and sometimes the process can feel overwhelming. Whether you're looking for hardwood floors, tile, carpet, laminate flooring, or if you just want to refinish your hardwood floors, Floor Coverings International can help make the process fun and simple. We are a shop at home service. Our tagline is "We bring the store your door." This is important because first, you can see the colors in your lighting and color coordinate with paint color, cabinets and furniture. Second, it allows us to provide a true estimate for you. And, third, of course it is more convenient this way. We provide guidance - Which is the best type of flooring for your environment and your budget? We'll help explain the pros an... 11/06/2011

Mortgage Rates At 2nd Lowest Reading. November 4th, 2011. The 30 year mortgage fixed at 4 percent marks the second lowest reading since it hit a record low of 3.94 percent on October 6, 2011, the lowest in history by the Primary Mortgage Market Survey (PMMS). "Market concerns over the European debt market drew investors to U.S. Treasury securities, lowering bond yields and mortgage rates,” says Frank Nothaft, chief economist at Freddie Mac. Mortgage rates results for the week: 30-year fixed-rate mortgages: averaged 4 percent, with an average 0.7 point, down from last week’s 4.10 percent average. The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage is the second lowest on record, just behind the 3.94 percent record reached on Oct. 6. A year ago at this time, 30-year rates averaged 4.24 percent.  15-year fixe... 11/05/2011

Bee Friendly Plants for the Garden. Plant a diversified array to attract bees and other wild life to your garden, be it flowers, herbs, fruit and vegetables. Native plants are best because they will need less watering, pesticides and fertilizer than non native plants. Consult with your local nursery; local gardeners to find what will thrive in your neighborhood. Honey Bee’s Like These Plants & More. Herbs. Rosemary Mint Sage Chives Lavender Oregano   Flowers. Bee Balm Sunflowers Black eyed Susan Yarrow Rhododendron Echinacea   Others. Lamb’s ear Fennel Catnip         For more detailed list of garden plants go to Berkeley Nature Website and/or TheDailyGreen Blog .   If you are in the North East and would like a Honey Bee Hive along with the Bee Keeper click here.                 For more... 11/03/2011

Conservation of Water, It is a Limited Nature Resource. It is hard to think that water is a limited natural resource with about 70% of the earth’s surface covered in water. But out of all the earths water about 2.59% is freshwater and only 1% of the water supply on earth can be used as drinking water. Conservation of water at home is very easy to do. There are two ways to save on your usage of water at the home, the first being to conserve your use; the second is to stop leaks.  Leaks can easily double your water usage and bill. For example a single dripping faucet can waste more than 60,000 gallons a year, which is equal to 3,000 five minute showers. Become your own leak detective. Turn off all the faucets and water using appliances. Then check your water meter and write down the readi... 11/01/2011

Yes it is October and it is snowing in Connecticut. So it is time to get the large crock pot out and to make Dave's famous Connecticut cold weather Chili.         David Popoff is a license Realtor in Connecticut with William Raveis office in Darien.   A life time resident of Fairfield County he has worked throughout lower Fairfield County for over 30 years and now resides in Darien, Ct since 2004.  Member of the Darien, Greenwich and Greater Fairfield County MLS. Member of the Connecticut Association of Realtors, CAR. Member of the National Association of Realtors, NAR. Green Affiliations. Realtor GREEN designation by the National Association of Realtors. David Popoff is an accredited LEED Accredited Professional (LEED AP) Homes and USGBC member of the Connecticut chapter (CTGBC).   Ass... 10/29/2011

Darien Ranks In Top 5 Places To Live In Connecticut.   Darien is among the top five of rated towns in Connecticut to live in by Connecticut Magazine with population of 15,000 to 25,000. The November 2011 issue of Connecticut Magazine has just published “Rating the Towns 2011” for the state.  The ratings are on five criteria:   Education ~ based on five elements such as test scores, SAT’s and high school graduates who continued education. Economy ~ took into factor local economy factors such as unemployment rate & per capita income. Cost of Living ~ most weight was on median price of a single family home. Crime ~ based on major crimes figures from the states Department of Public Safety. Leisure & Culture ~ includes Library expenditures, number of theaters, museums, festivals, concerts ve... 10/27/2011

On Thursday, October 27 at 7 p.m., in an event co-sponsored by Choose to Reuse in Darien,The Darien Library will be screening the documentary film Bag It. Choose to Reuse in Darien seeks to eliminate single use plastic retail checkout bags in Darien. BAG IT – Documentary feature; Not rated; 78 minutes Americans use 60,000 plastic bags every five minutes, disposable bags that they throw away without much thought. But where is “away?” Where do the bags and other plastics end up, and at what cost to the environment, marine life and human health? Bag It follows “everyman” Jeb Berrier as he navigates our plastic world. Jeb is not a radical environmentalist, but an average American who decides to take a closer look at our cultural love affair with plastics. Jeb’s journey in this documentary f... 10/24/2011

4 Bedroom Homes In Darien, Ct Under $1 Million.   Just got back from open house today and saw a surprising well maintained four bedroom home for under $850,000 on 0.90+ acres. Checking the Darien MLS there are currently 154 single family homes listed for sale with 9 four bedrooms homes being offered at under $1,000,000 and starting at $585,000. Currently there are a total of 56 four bedroom homes for sale with 53 ranging from $585,000 up to $2.99 million. The 3 additional four bedroom homes are listed at $3.9+ million, $6.9 and $9.9+ million. And 32 three bedroom homes for sale starting at $549,000 and going up to $1,425,000 with the 33rd three bedrooms listed at $2.6+ million. If you are interested in Darien homes call David Popoff at William Raveis.  David Popoff is a license Realtor ... 10/18/2011

  National FOOD DAY, October 24, 2011 Comes to Darien, CT. Food Day on October 24, 2011 brings awareness to what we eat and where it comes from by promoting healthy, affordable food produced in a sustainable and humane way.  The goals of Food Day are: To reduce diet related diseases Promote safe and healthy foods Support sustainable farms Expand access to food and alleviate hunger Protect environment & animals by reforms Curb junk food marketing to kids Support fair conditions for food and farm workers   There are many organizations here in Connecticut that are part of Food Day 2011. Here in Darien, Connecticut the Whole Foods Market is sponsoring a drive called “Double the Good” where they will match the donations that will be free of artificial sweeteners, additives and preservatives.... 10/18/2011

  National Housing Inventory Down But Connecticut Inventory Holding.   Today’s Wall Street Journal reports "Slim Pickings Are Latest Headache for Home Sales" today. Nationally single family homes listed for sale are at lowest levels since 2007 reports Realtor.com. Down 20% from last year for the end of September at more than 2.19 million homes listed for sale.  But when buying or selling you need to look at the LOCAL Housing Market Reports. Here in Connecticut our data is showing a little different picture from the National average. For September 2011 Connecticut’s Inventory is up 4.9% compared to a year ago at 25,904 but with medium sale price down 3.8% See Chart below. For Fairfield County, Connecticut we see the same trend as the state of Connecticut with inventory up 1.2% for the mo... 10/17/2011

  3 Family Fun Events @ Darien, Ct. Saturday Oct. 15th, 2011.   Touch a Fire Truck at all Ring’s End Lumber Locations from 10 am to 2 pm. Free Fire Hats for the kids only, but apple cider & donuts for all. For full details click here to go to Ring’s End website and link to “Hey Kids ~ Meet the Firefighters!” Tokeneke’s Pumpkin Carnival from 10 am to 4 pm at the Tokeneke Elementary School on Old Farm Road. A 40+ annual tradition for local families, come and join the celebration. Click here for the Facebook link and the Twitter Link. Darien Post 6933 VFW ~ OKTOBERFEST from 5 pm to 7 pm with live music afterwards.  For more information click here.   David Popoff is a license Realtor in Connecticut with William Raveis office in Darien.   A life time resident of Fairfield County he has worke... 10/13/2011

Housing Market Report For Darien, Connecticut, 3rd Qt 2011. October 10, 2011. For the month of September 16 single family homes have sold in Darien Connecticut compared to 13 homes from September of 2010 with current inventory at 185 homes for sale. Over all for the third quarter of 2011 71 single family homes sold compared to 88 last year with the median sale price 1.1% lower than 2010 at $1,295,000. Year to date there have been 189 unit sales in Darien compared to 2010 (ytd) of 211 with a median sale price of $1,400,000 up 5.7% from 2010.     To view your local up to date HOUSING DATA CLICK HERE. Darien has an area of 14.9 square miles and a population of about 19,710 (2007) with an estimated median household income of $176,442 (2009). Darien has six parks, two town beaches, athletic ... 10/10/2011

  Improved Energy Star Version 3 for Your Home, 2012 With many states upgrading their building and energy codes the EPA’s Energy Star for New Construction Homes program (ESv3) will be upgraded to version 3 starting January 1st, 2012. Energy Star homes are 20-30% more efficient than standard homes with emphasis on being able to verify that the proper installation and building practices have been met in: Thermal Enclosure Insulation system Envelope of building High performance windows HVAC system, including ducts Energy Star qualified lighting and appliances Water Management system and/or Indoor Air Quality   The majority of the program and the included checklist are to document that your contractor/builder has built to the 2009 IECC energy code and has followed proper manufacture directi... 10/03/2011

    Connecticut Residential Building Codes Going Green.   On the books for Connecticut is to this fall of 2011 is to adapt the 2009 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) into the State Building Code. The 2009 IECC contains several major improvements in energy efficiency over the current 2006 IECC state code.   The most notable changes will improve the duct sealing of HVAC systems and efficient lighting requirements. The code will apply to single family housing and multi-family housing three stories or less for new construction, additions, alterations, renovations and repairs.       The primary zone 5 building envelope requirements for all Connecticut residential buildings in the 2009 IECC are:   R-38 Ceilings U-0.35 Windows and Doors R-20 Walls R-30 Floors R-10 Foundations    No... 09/06/2011

Open House, 20 Great Hill Darien, Ct TODAY 1 to 4, 8/21/2011.   Open House today in Darien, Connecticut, I will be at 20 Great Hill Road from 1 to 4. This charming vintage cape is at the right location with large property on a hilltop setting. You can walk to Tokeneke Elementary school, town, train and is just minutes from the sailing village of Rowayton. Newer stainless steel appliances, retro kitchen w/eat-in area. Bedroom 1 on main floor, 2 bedrooms upstairs w/full bath.Hardwood floors main level and upstairs, finished media room w/tile floor and wetbar downstairs. LL laundry/storage room outdoor access. Two additional sheds, one for garden supplies, other w/electricity and workshop area.           David Popoff is a license Realtor in Connecticut with William Raveis office in Darien.... 08/21/2011

  Top 100 Best Places To Live Leads Way To Real Estate Recovery. CNN Money has put together a list of America’s best small towns to live in. These communities have the high qualities that American families are looking for in jobs, quality schools, safe neighborhoods, economically strong, pleasant weather, plenty of things to do and more.  Communities like these will attract buyer who want to live a better quality of life and will help real estate sales and property values to increase.  Along with that these communities will provide models to help other towns to develop master plans to improve their own quality of life thus starting an upswing in real estate and quality of life for all American family.  To see how towns were judged click here. There is also a sub-section to the article o... 08/18/2011