MONROE Market Trends Report June 2012   Monroe, Connecticut is still in a Buyer's Market despite a Spring market that brought buyers and higher sale prices.  The most recent indicators are all positive and the Average List to Sales Price Ratio is quite good at 96%.  Thinking of buying or selling in Monroe, Connecticut, call Gail Robinson, REALTOR, at 203-521-0768 for a consultation. 07/21/2012

  Great Oak Farm Colonial Homes in Monroe CT     Great Oak Farm is a charming planned cluster community of 150 colonial homes in Monroe CT in Fairfield County.    As you drive into the entrance you get an immediate feeling of being in a quaint New England village of attractive and well-maintained homes.     The community is located in a peaceful, out-in-the country location in Monroe, yet  is close to parks, shopping, and easily accessible to major thoroughfares.       Some common features of the homes are: ·         Colonial styling ·      Approximately 1700 to 3500 square feet ·         Gourmet kitchens ·         Luxurious baths ·         Open floor plans ·         2 Car garage ·         Vinyl Siding ·         Built 1995 to 2001 ·         3BR and 4BR homes ·         1/4 to 1/3 acre av... 06/28/2012

 Northbrook Condos in Monroe CT - Country Condominium Living  Northbrook Condominiums, located on 150 treed acres between Main Street (Route 25) and Pepper Street, Monroe CT houses 319 units in 84 buildings completely surrounded by woodland.  There’s no doubt you will have that out-in-the-country feeling at Northbrook; but ironically, it is just minutes to shopping areas, banks, merchants, and restaurants and is a convenient drive to the Merritt Parkway, Route 8, I-84, I-95 and Metro North into Manhattan. The complex, which was built throughout the 1980s, offers both one- and two-bedroom units with garage, basement, gas heat, central air, city water and septic.  Individual units may feature vaulted ceilings, fireplace, skylights, screened porch, loft, and appealing kitchen and bath upda... 06/28/2012

    Whitney Farms Homes and Golf Course Monroe CT 06468     The Whitney Farms golf course and community of homes in Monroe CT was originally established as a dairy and horse breeding farm.   It was purchased in the mid 1970’s and redesigned to feature an 18-hole championship golf course surrounded by over 250 predominantly colonial homes.   I can remember driving up to what was just dirt and part of the original stone barn back in 1978.  Only Hillside Lane and Spinning Wheel Road were cut through.          At that time I was in search of a home site and the developer offered land purchases to the general public with some building restrictions on size and style. I ended up purchasing a .75 acre lot and eventually built a 3 bedroom colonial. Only 3 bedrooms homes were allowed due to town ... 06/27/2012

 Monroe CT Strawberry Festival -- A Very Berry Blast! Mark your calendar!  One of the best strawberry festivals in Fairfield County,  the Monroe Congregational Church’s 41st annual Strawberry Festival,  will be held Saturday and Sunday, June 16 and 17, on the Monroe Green on Route 111.   It’s a must-attend event. The festival, “an old-fashioned church festival,” includes a juried craft and fine arts show with more than 100 crafters and artists plus children's games and live entertainment. Strolling through the arts and crafts will get you hungry to try some fresh picked strawberries in Strawberry shortcake Whole berry pies Strawberry smoothies ….and…of course Chocolate dipped strawberries…. Yum…!   You will also find strawberry jams and strawberry souvenir items as well as hamburgers an... 06/14/2012

  MONROE Market Trends Report May 2012   The Monroe, Connecticut real estate market is showing mixed trends.  On the one hand, Average Number of Homes Sold per Month has increased, there is less Supply on the Market, and homes are spending fewer Days on Market.  Unfortunately, for Sellers average prices are still declining. Thinking of buying or selling in Monroe, Connecticut, call Gail Robinson, REALTOR, at 203-521-0768 for a consultation. 06/12/2012

  Monroe CT Real Estate Market Report May 2012 May 2012 was a GREAT month in the Monroe CT real estate market.  Closed sales for May 2012 WENT UP 36% compared to May 2011 sales.  List and sales prices INCREASED 20% and 22% from May 2011 averages, and average days on the market went down 4%.    Want to get in on the action?  CLICK HERE TO SEARCH for Your New Home in Monroe, CT                                                  Moving forward into June , there are 13 houses under deposit and 24 homes under contract, the highest number of pending sales in the last year.   Which houses sold in Monroe CT in May 2012?   Monroe CT May 2012 Property Transfers(as recorded in the Greater Fairfield County MLS as of 6/11/12)   The absorption trend, which shows the number of months it would take to se... 06/11/2012

  MONROE Market Trends April 2012     Monroe is still a strong Buyer’s Market, but the trend analysis above several positive indicators in the past three months including more Homes Sold Per Month, fewer Months Supply on Market, and a higher List to Sales Price ratio.  The decreasing Sales Price  and longer Days on Market suggests that the Buyer’s Market has gotten stronger over the past year and this trend continues.  The Months Supply on Market is in line with many other Fairfield County towns.   05/30/2012

  A Day At the Beach and Fishing Derby in Monroe CTMark your calendars for Saturday, May 19, if you’re looking for things to do in Monroe CT.Kick off the day at the 9th annual Children’s Fishing Derby at Wolfe Park’s Great Hollow Lake. Get up early because the event runs from 6-9 a.m., rain or shine. It is open to children 3-15 years old. Co-sponsors of the event are Monroe Police Union, Monroe Police Department, Monroe Parks and Recreation Department, and North Atlantic Sportsman.Then hang around Great Hollow Lake at Wolfe Park for Monroe Newcomers and Neighbors 2nd annual event A Day at the Beach, which runs from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. What’s happening there? There will be children’s arts and crafts, live entertainment, face painting, bounce houses, touch-a-truck, character appearances, and ra... 05/16/2012

  Monroe CT Real Estate Market Report April 2012 Monroe CT real estate sales for April 2012 WENT UP 50% compared to April 2011 sales and were up 15% from last month. List and sales prices decreased 22% and 21% from April 2011, but homes were selling a bit more quickly with a 34% decrease in market time.                                                      Moving forward into May , there are 19 houses under deposit and 17 homes under contract.   Which houses sold in Monroe CT in April 2012?   Monroe CT April 2012 Property Transfers(as recorded in the Greater Fairfield County MLS as of 5/15/12)   The absorption trend, which shows the number of months it would take to sell the entire inventory at the same pace, came in at 11.38 for the last three months, down 3 whole months since last mont... 05/15/2012

  MONROE Market Trends Report January 2012   Monroe is still a strong Buyer’s Market and the trend analysis above shows that the only positive indicator is an increase in the List to Sales Price ratio. The number of homes sold is slowing down, which is not unusual for this time of year as the Spring sales have not closed, but the decreasing Sales Price and longer Days on Market suggest that the Buyer’s Market has gotten stronger over the past six months. Thinking of buying or selling in Monroe, Connectiut, call Gail Robinson, REALTOR, at 203-521-0768 for a consultation. 04/21/2012

  Monroe CT Real Estate Market Report March 2012 Monroe CT real estate sales for March 2012 MORE THAN DOUBLED -- UP 117% -- compared to March 2011 sales. Additionally, BOTH list and sales prices INCREASED 10% and 11% respectively with the median also rising 9%. The only negative this month was the increase in days on the market attributed to a few of the sold properties being on the market in excess of 200 days.                                                     Moving forward into April , there are 12 houses under deposit and 27 homes under contract.  That is the highest number of pending sales in the last year!  Which houses sold in Monroe CT in March 2012?   Monroe CT March 2012 Property Transfers(as recorded in the Greater Fairfield County MLS as of 4/09/12)   The absorption trend,... 04/09/2012

NEGOTIATING OFFERS ON YOUR MONROE CONNECTICUT HOME Getting an offer is not the end of the sales process, it's really the beginning.  Up until this point everything has simply been paving the way for the right buyer to make an offer on your home.  An offer includes more than the price, it includes the terms of the sale, which can sometimes be more important than the price.  For example, if someone offers full list price, but makes the sale contingent upon the sale of their own home, this offer is less desirable than a slightly lower offer with no contingencies.  You need to look at the offer as a whole, not just at one or two aspects.  Sometimes getting the right price causes sellers to overlook problems that could arise from the close dates or mortgage contingency dates.  They are so ov... 03/31/2012

SHOWING YOUR MONROE CONNECTICUT HOME After you have set the price, staged your Monroe Connecticut home, and agreed upon a marketing plan with your listing agent, the next step is to make your home easy to see and to show off your home in its best possible light.  EASY TO SHOW These are important words to busy buyer agents.  When your home is "easy to show" buyer agents may include your home in their schedule even if it isn't quite what their buyers say they want.  This is good because buyers sometimes fall in love with a home outside their stated criteria.  "Easy to show" means that the sellers are very accomodating in terms of showing times and are forgiving if the agent runs a bit ahead or behind in their schedule.  The more restrictions you put on showings in terms of times, days, or... 03/18/2012

MARKETING YOUR MONROE CONNECTICUT HOME Print advertising is dead.  Well, almost!  Newspaper circulation is down and newspapers are shutting their doors across the U.S.  In tracking my Return on Investment (ROI) in advertising, I have seen print advertising decrease in effectiveness and Internet marketing increase.  MARKETING VS. ADVERTISING Let's talk a bit about the difference between marketing and advertising.  Advertising is when you pay the media to announce details of your product or service, such as when your agent takes an ad out in The Real Estate Book, a publication that is distributed at grocery stores, gas stations, and other public places.  Marketing involves all other methods to bring attention to your home and encourage its sale.  Open Houses are one form of marketing, pos... 03/13/2012

    Monroe CT Real Estate Market Report February 2012 Monroe CT real estate sales for February 2012 were down compared to February 2011 but up from January 2012.  As compared to February 2011, both list and sales prices decreased 15%.  Days on the market increased with three of the properties being on the market 200+ days.                        Which houses sold in Monroe CT in February 2012?   Monroe CT February 2012 Property Transfers(as recorded in the Greater Fairfield County MLS as of 3/09/12)   The absorption trend, which shows the number of months it would take to sell the entire inventory at the same pace, came in at 14.48 for the last three months. Keep in mind that this rate is for ALL houses.  If you are selling your home, your agent should calculate the absorption rate tren... 03/09/2012

The Discovery Zone at Webb Mountain in Monroe CT is offering a five-week ‘Discovering Spring’ preschool program to 4- and 5-year olds along with their parents or sitters. The one-hour long sessions will begin on March 27 and March 29, Tuesday or Thursday at 2 p.m., and the cost is $25 per child for five weeks. Each weekly session will feature a story and a craft at the outdoor classroom, followed by a walk along the trails highlighting the theme for the day. The Discovery Zone is a public nature preserve featuring four miles of easy walking trails across 171 acres of land.  There are learning stations and a self-directed scavenger hunt which is like an I-Spy game for the outdoors.     It’s not just for kids!   Anyone can enjoy exercising, walking the dog, or just taking a leisurely stro... 03/08/2012

STAGING YOUR MONROE HOME You've seen HGTV. You know that staged homes sell faster and for more money, staging works, but it requires an outlay of money that you may not have. If you can't afford a stager, you can still apply some of the basic principles of staging to help your home sell faster. First thing you'll want to do is to walk through your house room by room with your listing agent. Your agent may not be able to give you the design advice of a stager, but he/she can give you advice about which room colors might cause a problem (e.g., a bright purple dining room) or furniture pieces that should be moved or rearranged. Don't make the mistake of painting the entire interior off-white on the premise that buyers can choose their own colors. Well-chosen wall and trim colors can make t... 03/04/2012

PRICING YOUR MONROE CT HOME TO SELL This is the second article in a six-part series about Selling Your Monroe CT Home in a Buyer's Market.  In the first article we described the characteristics of a buyer's market.  We will now talk about pricing your home to sell in today's buyer's market. IT'S NOT ABOUT YOU The most important thing to understand about pricing a home to sell is that the market determines the price.  The market doesn't care how much you paid for the home or how much money you put into upgrades or repairs.  Your home will sell for the price that buyers will pay for comparable homes.  If you price your home too high, even if a buyer comes along who is willing to pay above market value for your home, the mortgage company will whittle the offer down to the market value duri... 02/28/2012

1. INTRODUCTION   This is the first installment of a six-part series on Selling Your Monroe Connecticut Home in a Buyer's Market.   What is a Buyer's Market?   A buyer's market is one in which there are more sellers than buyers. Nationwide we are in a real estate buyer's market, which means according to the National Association of REALTORS (NAR) that there is more than six month's worth of inventory (homes for sale). However, if you look at different locations, neighborhoods, price ranges, and even home styles, some niche markets are doing better than others. Low interest rates and FHA low down payment mortgages have encouraged sales at the low end, downsizers are spurring sales in the mid-range, and at the high end, there are buying niches, such as luxury, waterfront and water view hom... 02/22/2012