Along the Banks of the Naugatuck River - Anyone familiar with Waterbury and its history knows that many of the old factories that powered Waterbury's dominance of the region were located near the Naugatuck River, which somewhat divides the city almost in half. Waterbury's more affluent neighborhoods (Bunker Hill, Town Plot, Robinwood, West Side and Country Club) all lie west of the Naugatuck River. Route 8 neatly runs parallel to the Naugatuck River through town on the same side, crossing it once in the South End. Most of the railroad tracks lay in shambles and piles of rubbish lie along the middle and northern stretches of the Naugatuck River by Thomaston Avenue. However, as the Naugatucl River flows through the center of Waterbury and approaches Naugatuck, a rather startling transform... 05/21/2009

In this day and age, one can always look up information about a place on the Internet. Looking up interesting facts about local demographics, school data, crime rates, etc. can be pretty tedious, and oftentimes one can make a decision about moving to a place based upon that data alone. Of course, negative publicity about an area will always have an impact on it. That's a given. Whoa! Hold on a second, will ya? I know, I know - Waterbury has indeed gotten its share of bad press, but that's no reason to run screaming from it. Indeed, there are many wonderful things about the city of Waterbury that I can't begin to describe. Who can better give you a sense of what it's like to live here but someone who actually does, and has most of their life? Seriously, a first-hand perspective from a r... 05/20/2009

There's a Dr. Seuss children's book titled ‘Oh the Places You'll Go!" It has humorous and motivational stories encouraging kids to do something positive with their life. One of the places that Dr. Seuss describes as ‘useless' is ‘the waiting place..."  Waiting for a train to goor a bus to come, or a plane to go or the mail to come, or the rain to go or the phone to ring, or the snow to snowor waiting around for a Yes or Noor waiting for their hair to grow.Everyone is just waiting."  Dr. Seuss exhorts his young readers to escape to the ‘bright places where Boom Bands are playing."   There are many people in the real estate market stuck in the waiting place. People are waiting for the prices to go even lower and the market to finally bottom out, etc. This is a useless place indeed. After ... 05/15/2009

We've had about 3 inches of rain within the past week and we have a promise of more. Not the best of times for outdoor activities, but I like showing houses in the rain. This, for me, is when all the little secrets get discovered. you can't hide the bad window seals, because the windows fog; the water around the chimney and skylights can't be disguised; the stains in the basements are easier to trace and discover just what "only a little seepage with heavy rains" actually means. Of course seeing the wet vacs out in the open is usually a good clue. I find that with the rains come the results, and the buyers get a chance to make a better evaluation of the home. They can always come back when it's sunny for the second showing so that they feel good about writing the offer. Of course sendin... 05/07/2009

Well, things have certainly been a little less busy here in the Brass City over the last month. Let's see what happened last month in terms of the active listings: Active Listings 485 New Listings 30 Average List Price $166,527 Median List Price $159,900 Average Sq. Ft. 1591 Median Sq. Ft. 1460 And here's the breakdown of the prices in Waterbury for the last month: List Price Houses % < 100,000 74 15.2 100,001-150,000 146 30.1 150,001-200,000 152 31.3 200,001-250,000 78 16.1 250,001-300,000 19 4 >301,000 16 3.3   There are more houses to choose from than before this time last month, and less closings. Here's a look at what's recently sold in Waterbury: Closed Listings - 32 Average Median Days on Market 99 74 List Price $122,310 $122,900 Sale Price $117,240 $118,000 Sq. Ft. 1392 1288 LP/... 05/05/2009

Re-blogged by 0 agents Here's the latest statistics on what's transpiring in real estate in the Meriden-Woodtick section of Waterbury's East End: Active Listings 30 New Listings 5 Average List Price $153,410 Median List Price $150,500 Average Sq. Ft. 1337 Median Sq. Ft. 1278 Here's the breakdown of prices: List Price Houses % < 100,000 3 10 100,001-150,000 12 40 150,001-200,000 11 37 >200,001 4 13 The majority of prices in the Meriden-Woodtick area fell between 100-200k in this neighborhood, with sizes and prices still running slightly below the city average. These are the new active listings in the Meriden-Woodtick area: Address L/Price ADOM 138 BETH LN 104900 2 574 FROST ROAD 90000 3 257 MILL PLAIN AVE 174900   52 MUNSON AVE 159900   137 OLDHAM 198500 2 Now, for a look at the houses ... 05/05/2009

Here's the latest look at what's been happening in the Bunker Hill section of Waterbury's real estate market: Active Listings 67 New Listings 3 Average List Price $194,894 Median List Price $183,000 Average Sq. Ft. 1697 Median Sq. Ft. 1580 List Price Houses % < 150,000 12 18 150,001-200,000 30 45 200,001-250,000 17 25 >250,001 8 12 There are 67 active listings in the Bunker Hill area, with only 3 new listings in the last 30 days. If size matters, then some of your largest homes will be found in the Bunker Hill section of Waterbury with an average of almost 1700 sq.ft. Most of the homes listed have fallen between $150 and $200K. Here's a list of the new actives, which you can get more information on by visiting William's Places. Bunker Hill - New Actives  Address L/Price ADOM 56 JOYCROFT... 05/05/2009

Bucks Hill Waterbury CT Market Report - May 2009 Last month, there was no activity in Bucks Hill Waterbury CT, as far as sales were concerned - but things have picked up a bit since. Here's the latest look at what's been happening in the Bucks Hill section of Waterbury's real estate market: Active Listings 25 New Listings 0 Average List Price $199,368 Median List Price $189,900 Average Sq. Ft. 1628 Median Sq. Ft. 1600   There are 25 active listings, with no new listings in the last 30 days. The average size of homes in this neighborhood tend to be pretty decent - spacious. This is what the prices look like in the area: List Price Houses % < 100,000 5 20 100,001-150,000 12 48 150,001-200,000 5 20 >200,001 3 12       Although these houses are no longer new to the market, they are the ones... 05/05/2009

Here's a peek at what's happening in the East Mountain real estate market: Active Listings 24 New Listings 2 Average List Price $202,929 Median List Price $199,900 Average Sq. Ft. 1566 Median Sq. Ft. 1389    There are 24 active listings, with 2 new ones in the last 30 days. The average size of the homes for sale has caught up somewhat with similar neighborhoods relative to the prices being asked for them. Here's a breakdown of the prices in the neighborhood:  List Price #Houses % < 150,000 4 17 150,001-200,000 9 37.5 200,001-250,000 9 37.5 >250,000 2 8                       These are the new listings available.  Address L/Price ADOM 145 DINATALI DR 239500 4 61 PURDY RD 139900 6 Now, for a look at what has sold in the area:   Closed Listings - 3 Average Median Days on Market 189 215 Lis... 05/05/2009

  I didn't talk to anybody about buying or selling a home today, because today we baptized our 9-week old grandson, Raphael Michael Antonacci. Sometimes you have to step back and smell the roses, (unless it's a full diaper).  It creates all kinds of warm feelings inside, and it's amazing how you can start to feel emotions so stronger than any you have ever felt before. It was his day, we hope he lives the life that represents the love we feel for him. Life is good! 05/03/2009

Sitting atop Pine Hill in Waterbury, CT, visible from I84 and Route 8 as you approach the center of the city, is a large metal cross that is the most prominent remnant of what was once a thriving tourist attraction. Holy Land, USA was a Christian theme park, complete with miniature replicas of Bethlehem and Jerusalem, with scenes from the life of Jesus, most notably a minature Golgotha/Calvary, with three wooden crosses, the center one with an image of Christ nailed to it. What was most visible, however, was a large fiberglass cross, 56 feet tall and illuminated from within at night, with alternating colors - red for Christmas, and blue for Easter. Built in the late 1950's by John Baptist Greco, over 40,000 visitors came to the site annually during the 1960's and 70's. The park was clos... 05/02/2009

Visible from almost any vantage point in the city at least a mile away and as you approach the city from the main arteries (I84 or Route 8), the Clock Tower is one of Waterbury's oldest and most famous landmarks. The Clock Tower was built as part of the city's Union Station back in 1909 at the height of Waterbury's dominance of the region as an industrial and transportaion center, and to represent visibly the most famous product of the area - Waterbury was the birthplace of the Waterbury Clock and Watch Manufacturing Company, which we know today as Timex. It was added at the behest of a railroad executive who had travelled to Italy, and is modelled after the Torre del Magnia in Siena, Italy. The tower houses the largest clock in the New England region, and a bell which can be heard fro... 05/02/2009

Mortgage bond prices fell last week applying upward pressure on mortgage interest rates. Trading remained extremely volatile with daily swings of 3/8's in discount points a common occurrence. The economic data released was mixed with no clear indication of the direction of the US economy. The Federal Reserve met last week and the governing body indicated the pace of economic deterioration is slowing. For the week, interest rates rose by about 5/8's in discount points. The employment report to be released Friday will be the most significant data this week. Productivity data will be important also. Additional debt supply hits the market this week with the Fed auctioning $71 billion of 3, 10, and 30 year Treasuries. It will be interesting to see if the market can continue to absorb the add... 05/02/2009

Shakespierence Productions presents A Pint and A Play for Peanuts at the Howland Hughes Center on Bank Street from May 1-2 at 6:00 p.m. For more information, click here. Book signing with local author John Alston at the United Methodist Church of Christ on Country Club Road, May 1st. Click here for details. For those interested in improving their communication skills, Chamber Toastmasters meets every 1st and 3rd Friday of the month. Click on the link above for more details and contact information. The Waterbury Symphony Orchestra presents Fortune: World-Premiere Concert at the Naugatuck Valley Community College on May 9th. For more information, click here. Waterbury Youth Services sponsors the 8th Annual Hotter than Heck Fest Hot 'n Spicy Food Expo  at the Crossroads Cantina on May 8th... 04/29/2009

As kids we all had the set of dominos that we would set up all over the place just to see the trail when we started the action. Hours were expended trying to get just the right configuration so that when we were ready we would make the grand pronouncement and wait for the audience, usually our parents or friends, so that the first strike could be made. If we had the right number of dominoes, the chain reaction would commence and depending on our imagination the trail would snake it's way around the room, up over obstacles, through a hoop, and then at last the final peg would fall. Sounds a lot like our real estate business. I get email responses to my blogs from the readers in my database wanting to know why I talk so much about the opportunities in the larger towns and don't expend as ... 04/20/2009

It can be a pretty sobering and depressing experience to speak with some folks who now face the simple fact that their homes are worth less than they owe on then. This term is called being "underwater".  For the people that have not experienced the joys of home ownership yet, it equates to the same thing as your car being "upside down" where you actually owe more that its worth.  Homeowners are facing more and more of this situation across the country, especially in cities and towns that underwent re-evaluations during the boom years of 2004 thru 2006. The worst situation would be for new homeowners that built during that same period of time. They have the highest evaluations, because everything is new, and in most instances, the house cannot be sold for anything near to the appraisal d... 04/19/2009

Do you want to buy a Home or Investment property in the City of Waterbury? Waterbury Development Corporation (WDC) is administering the City of Waterbury's Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP). The program is designed to stabilize neighborhoods by facilitating the purchase and rehabilitation of foreclosed & vacant (still owned by the foreclosing entity) properties in targeted areas of Waterbury. This program is available to investors and prospective homebuyers who meet certain income requirements. NSP funds are granted as deferred second mortgage loans that do not have to be repaid if the terms of the program are met. WDC has partnered with Webster Bank for owner occupied purchase financing and the Waterbury Housing Fund (WHF) for investor purchase financing. WDC directly handles th... 04/15/2009

I feel today like a big fat hippie. As in hypocrite. Phony. Sellout. I wrote a post at the beginning of my activity on Active Rain about getting rid of speculators in my hometown. I was thinking about the fact that many of the dilapidated buildings in Waterbury were owned by people with absolutely no ties to the community, who were only in Waterbury to make a quick buck and move on. Fast forward to April 2009, and I currently have two buyers who are out-of-towners, from a neighboring state. One good thing about one of them is that they actually plan on moving into the nearby suburbs within the next year. I didn't get the sense from either one of them that they were the type of people to buy, fix and sell. They both want to hold the properties, fix them up, and collect the rent. So what ... 04/13/2009

Here's the latest statistics on what's transpiring in real estate in the Meriden-Woodtick section of Waterbury's East End: Active Listings 25 New Listings 5 Average List Price $159,976 Median List Price $153,500 Average Sq. Ft. 1321 Median Sq. Ft. 1200    Here's the breakdown of prices: List Price Houses % < 100,000 3 12 101,000-150,000 9 36 151,000-200,000 9 36 >201,000 4 16     The majority of prices fell between 100-200k in this neighborhood, with sizes running slightly below the city average.             Now, for a look at the houses that sold this past month:  Closed Listings - 5 Average Median Days on Market 42 30 List Price $106,380 $105,000 Sale Price $100,504 $105,000 Sq. Ft. 1223 1192 LP/Sq. Ft. $87.20 $78.70 SP/Sq. Ft. $82.07 $72.97 SP/LP Ratio 93% 97%   Tip for buyers: Make ... 04/01/2009

Here's a peek at what's happening in the East Mountain real estate market: Active Listings 19 New Listings 4 Average List Price $179,768 Median List Price $184,900 Average Sq. Ft. 1430 Median Sq. Ft. 1276    There are 19 active listings, with 4 new ones in the last 30 days. Homes in this neighborhood tend to be, on average, smaller than similar upscale neighborhoods, but the prices remain relatively high, considering the sizes. Here's a breakdown of the prices in the neighborhood:  List Price Houses % < 150,000 4 21 151,000-200,000 10 53 >201,000 5 26                        These are the new listings available.  Address L/Price ADOM 62 QUARRY HILL RD 184900 7 1031 PEARL LAKE RD 199900 7 149 HARWOOD ROAD 211000 5 1001 PEARL LAKE RD 219000 7 For more details, visit William's Places.    N... 04/01/2009