This Labor Day weekend, I was able to take a few hours away from work and take my boys over to my aunt's lake house on Candlewood Lake here in New Fairfield, Connecticut. My aunt always wanted people in her family her enjoy the water as much as she does.  I think she finally got her wish with my three boys.  They love her pool.  They love her lake house.  They love her beach.  They love the water.  And, they love, love, love her boat. Yes, the boat rides are one of my kids' favorite things to do in the summer.  And, in the winter, they keep asking where the boat is! So, yesterday, my aunt piled us all into the boat - my kids, a few cousins and me.  We went for a ride on the lake, playfully chasing after some cousins on jet skis. "Faster...Faster..." my kids yelled.  And, of course, thei... 09/02/2007

Tonight is the final drive-in movie of the year at Squantz Pond State Park in New Fairfield, Connecticut. Tonight's movie is "Happy Feet."  I love watching this movie...actually, I love watching my kids dance while they're watching this movie! Admission is free. The park opens at 7pm, and the show begins at dark.  Food and drinks will be available, and the monies raised will benefit the Squantz Engine Company. **NOTE:  As some previous drive-in movie nights have been rained out this summer, this time there is a Plan B.After 3:00 pm, call 203.312.5633 for an update.  If it looks like weather will be a concern, then the movie will be shown in the New Fairfield High School auditorium.   Don Fabrizio-Garcia, REALTORConnecticut Real Estate & AppraisalsKeller Williams CT Realty203.746.1199Con... 08/24/2007

New Fairfield, Connecticut, will offer demonstrations of the new voting machines that will be used in all future elections, beginning this November.The demonstrations will take place at the New Fairfield Senior Center on: Monday, August 27 Tuesday, August 28 Wednesday, August 29 All demonstrations will be between the hours of 11:20am-1:30pm.Stop by to view the new voting machines and learn how they work. Don Fabrizio-Garcia, REALTORConnecticut Real Estate & AppraisalsCT Home GroupKeller Williams CT Realty203.746.1199Connecticut Real Estate and Homes for Sale 08/24/2007

New Fairfield, Connecticut Real Estate UpdateJuly, 2007 Closed home sales in New Fairfield, Connecticut: There were 11 home sales closed in New Fairfield, CT.List Prices ranged from $294,888 - $1,275,000.Closed Sales Prices ranged from $250,000 - $1,230,000. The average closed real estate sales price for New Fairfield was $515,500.The median closed real estate sales price for New Fairfield was $405,000.On average, these homes sold for 95% of their final list price.Days on Market ranged from 39 - 425 days, with the average being 141 days of market time. This compares with 19 closed sales in July, 2006, with an average sales price of $567,746 and a median sales price of $420,000.Currently available homes for sale in New Fairfield, Connecticut: Currently, there are 143 homes for sale in Ne... 08/18/2007

New Fairfield, Connecticut Real Estate UpdateJune, 2007 Closed home sales in New Fairfield, Connecticut: In June of 2007, there were 12 home sales closed in New Fairfield, CT.List Prices ranged from $299,000 - $1,275,000.Closed Sales Prices ranged from $250,000 - $1,230,000. The average closed real estate sales price for New Fairfield was $488,666.The median closed real estate sales price for New Fairfield was $403,000.On average, these homes sold for 95% of their final list price.Days on Market ranged from 39 - 397 days, with the average being 150 days of market time. This compares with 18 closed sales in June, 2006, with an average sales price of $628,194 and a median sales price of $466,250.Currently available homes for sale in New Fairfield, Connecticut: Currently, there are 139 hom... 08/03/2007

New Fairfield, Connecticut Real Estate UpdateMay, 2007 Closed home sales in New Fairfield, Connecticut: In May of 2007, there were 16 home sales closed in New Fairfield, CT.List Prices ranged from $209,000 - $1,999,000.Closed Sales Prices ranged from $207,000 - $1,800,000. The average closed real estate sales price for New Fairfield was $520,899.The median closed real estate sales price for New Fairfield was $386,450.On average, these homes sold for 94.5% of their list price.Days on Market ranged from 43 - 463 days, with the average being 247 days of market time. This compares with 12 closed sales in May, 2006, with an average sales price of $481,575 and a median sales price of $424,500.Currently available homes for sale in New Fairfield, Connecticut: Currently, there are 154 homes for ... 06/18/2007

 This afternoon, parents of New Fairfield, Connecticut school children received multiple Alert phone calls from our schools.  Apparently a bear was spotted near the entrance to the New Fairfield High School.  Later, the bear was thought to have moved on down the road to New Fairfield's Hidden Value Nature Preserve.Being that the bear was near the schools' entrance, the schools delayed releasing the buses at the end of the day, and notified us via the new Alert phone system. Once police and the Department of Environmental Protection were set up at each school entrance, the buses were allowed to leave with the school children.We received another Alert call informing us that the buses were released, but late, and children will be late arriving to their bus stops.  Of course, they neglected... 06/08/2007

Newsweek Magazine recently ranked the Top 1,200 High Schools in America. New Fairfield High School, located in New Fairfield, Connecticut, was one of eleven Connecticut high schools to make the list. Ranking as number 613 in the nation, New Fairfield High School was number 6 here in Connecticut. Connecticut's top high schools, along with their national rank, are as follows: #260:  Conard High School,  West Hartford, CT #298:  Farmington High School, Farmington, CT #444:  Ridgefield High School, Ridgefield, CT #553:  Wilton High School, Wilton, CT #608:  Greenwich High School, Greenwich, CT #613:  New Fairfield High School, New Fairfield, CT #641:  Weston High School, Weston, CT #661:  Hall High School, West Hartford, CT #973:  East Lyme High School, East Lyme, CT #1179:  Pomperaug High ... 06/08/2007

Residents of New Fairfield, Connecticut, can have their water tested on Saturday, June 2, 2007. The New Fairfield Water Pollution Control Agency and the State Department of Public Health recommend we have our well water tested regularly.  Along with Aqua Environmental Lab, they have scheduled another Water Test Day from 8am - 12noon at Shaw's Supermarket, located at the intersection of Routes 37 & 39 in New Fairfield, CT. Have your water tested in four easy steps: Pick up at water test packet at Shaw's the day of the testing Return home to collect the water sample as per the instructions Bring the sample back to Shaw's along with a check or cash for $40 Results will mailed to you in 7-10 days   Don Fabrizio-Garcia, REALTORConnecticut Real Estate & Appraisals203.746.1199Connecticut Real ... 05/26/2007

As a real estate agent and an appraiser, I spend my days looking at a lot of homes here in Connecticut.  Nice homes and ugly homes.  Clean homes and messy homes.  Large homes and small homes.  Extravagantly updated homes and homes with just the bare essentials. They all have one thing in common:  They're not just houses, but rather, they're homes.  There is a difference. When you are selling your home, it becomes a house.  You clean it, fix it, stage it and present it as a commodity:  a house for sale.  Of course, you do so in such a way that potential buyers will be able to envision it as becoming their new home. But marketing your house for sale is so very different than living in your home.  When you live in a home, there are imperfections that you let slide.  You hold off on repaint... 05/23/2007

The Senior Center of New Fairfield, Connecticut, has scheduled a host of excursions for the upcoming months: May 31, 2007:  Mystic SailVisit Mystic Seaport, its shipyard and exhibits.Sail on one of the oldest wooden, coal-fired steamboats.Enjoy Stonington Vineyards where you will learn each step of the winemaking process and taste their latest and greatest wines.Depart the New Fairfield Senior center at 8:30am, return at 7pm.  $51 per person. June 13, 2007:  Matterhorn GardensVisit the Gardens at Matterhorn and enjoy its luch gardens and many shopsEnjoy a private tour of the grounds, a buffet lunch and then shopping...shopping...shopping.Depart the New Fairfield Senior Center at 8:30 am, return at 4:45pm.  $50 per person. June 27, 2007:  CaramoorTour the Caramoor House Museum, enjoy a c... 05/19/2007

New Fairfield, Connecticut Real Estate UpdateApril, 2007 Closed home sales in New Fairfield, Connecticut: In April of 2007, there were 12 home sales closed in New Fairfield, CT.List Prices ranged from $150,000 - $1,349,000.Closed Sales Prices ranged from $130,000 - $1,087,000. The average closed real estate sales price for New Fairfield was $533,541.The median closed real estate sales price for New Fairfield was $434,750.On average, these homes sold for 92% of their list price.Days on Market ranged from 40 - 575 days, with the average being 263 days of market time. This compares with 18 closed sales in April, 2006, with an average sales price of $416,822 and a median sales price of $409,500.Currently available homes for sale in New Fairfield, Connecticut: Currently, there are 147 homes ... 05/15/2007

Town residents of New Fairfield, Connecticut, is set to vote this Saturday, May 5, 2007 on four different items. 1.  New Fairfield 2007-2008 Town Municipal Budget2.  New Fairfield School District 2007 -2008 School Budget The combined municipal and school budgets represent an increase of 2.89% over the current fiscal year's budgets.  If approved, these budgets will increase the mill (tax) rate by 1.32%.  The new mill rate will be 19.96, as compared to the current mill rate of 19.07. 3.  Senior Center Project Town voters will decide whether or not to move forward with the proposed new senior center to be built on the land at 31 and 33 Route 39 that was recently purchased by the town.  A "Yes" vote would approve the bonding of $900,000 to pay the town's cost of the senior center, which is ... 05/03/2007

New Fairfield, Connecticut First Selectman John Hodge put out a call to all town residents this afternoon asking them to report any damages to their properties caused by the recent nor-easter storms and the subsequent flooding. The town is reporting all damage information to FEMA, which has been recently touring area towns to inspect the damages. Fortunately, New Fairfield made out comparatively well in the recent storm, suffering mostly localized flooding and some erosion from the water run-off.  However, Mr. Hodge is requesting residents report any damages that occurred to their property so the information can be forwarded to FEMA.  If the town qualifies, then the town and its residents may be able to obtain federal assistance in the form of low-interest loans and/or grants to repair ... 04/26/2007

New Fairfield, Connecticut Real Estate UpdateMarch, 2007 Closed home sales in New Fairfield, Connecticut: In March of 2007, there were 6 home sales closed in New Fairfield, CT.List Prices ranged from $419,000 - $749,000.Closed Sales Prices ranged from $390,000 - $709,000. The average closed real estate sales price for New Fairfield was $519,000.The median closed real estate sales price for New Fairfield was $507,500.On average, these homes sold for 95% of their list price.Days on Market ranged from 66 - 416 days, with the average being 238 days of market time. This compares with 19 closed sales in March, 2006, with an average sales price of $506,957 and a median sales price of $435,000.Currently available homes for sale in New Fairfield, Connecticut: Currently, there are 123 homes for s... 04/14/2007

New Fairfield, Connecticut recently transformed two historic houses into mobile homes... Through the efforts of Preserve New Fairfield and town leaders, along with a generous donation of the homes from a town resident, the historic homes The Parsonage and the Hubbel House recently made their 1/4 mile trips down the road to their new home, at the site of New Fairfield's future Senior Center.   View of the Parsonage being rolled out onto Route 37.  The Hubbel House is further down the road, nearing it's new home.  I don't think either ever quite made the 45 MPH speed limit...   The houses were moved on March 4, 2007, after a brief delay caused by the homes' trailers getting stuck in the mud in their original location.  They now sit adjacent to their new foundations, awaiting the final pre... 03/22/2007

New Fairfield, Connecticut Real Estate UpdateFebruary, 2007 Closed home sales in New Fairfield, Connecticut: In February of 2007, there were 11 home sales closed in New Fairfield, CT.List Prices ranged from $250,000 - $1,270,000.Closed Sales Prices ranged from $230,000 - $1,322,000. The average closed real estate sales price for New Fairfield was $495,604.The median closed real estate sales price for New Fairfield was $392,500.On average, these homes sold for 98% of their list price.Days on Market ranged from 10 - 285 days, with the average being 124 days of market time. This compares with 7 closed sales in February, 2006, with an average sales price of $363,428 and a median sales price of $342,500.Currently available homes for sale in New Fairfield, Connecticut: Currently, there are 11... 03/21/2007

  This morning, we in New Fairfield, Connecticut, finally woke up to our first "real" snow of the winter season. Sure, we've had two other recent snow storms, but they were mostly mixed with sleet and freezing rain.  This morning we awoke to nearly 5 inches of soft, white, fluffy snow.  No sleet mixed in.  No freezing rain mixed in.  Just beautiful, white snow. The trees were covered.  The lawns were covered.  And the kids finally got to go outside and play in the snow!  Of course, schools were closed, so I just had to go out to play in the snow with them.  I couldn't let them be out there all alone...what fun would that be for my boys?   Today was grey.  The skies were grey.  Even the snow-covered trees looked grey, as you can see by these photos I took in my yard.  But it was beautifu... 02/26/2007

New Fairfield, Connecticut's First Selectman John Hodge called earlier today to inform me that due to the recent inclement weather, the date to move the historic Parsonage and Hubble Houses has been rescheduled to Sunday, March 4, 2007, at 12:00 noon.  Of course, future inclement weather may delay the move again, but Mr. Hodge believes at this time that this March 4 date should be a go. It is anticipated that Route 37 will be closed approximately 4 hours on the day of the move, starting around noon; traffic will be re-routed.  A viewing area will be set up for residents to watch the homes as they are moved 1 mile down the road to their new location next to the new senior center site on Route 37. The historic Parsonage and Hubble Houses will be retrofitted into museums of local history. ... 02/20/2007

The town of New Fairfield, Connecticut, has proposed a $44 Million budget for next year.  This includes both the town and the school budgets. The proposed town budget is $9.8 Million, or a 2.6% increase over the current budget.The proposed schools budget is $34.2 Million, or a 3.4% increase over the current budget.Combined, these proposals represent a 2.8% increase over the current combined budgets. If these budgets pass, a homeowner who's home has an assessed value of $250,000 would see a $142 increase in next year's property taxes. These proposed budgets will be presented to the Board of Finance next week, and a public hearing on the proposals is scheduled for March 3. Of course, these budget proposals, and the planned increase in property taxes, are in addition to the $109 Million bo... 02/17/2007