We Need Your Home!

We Need Your Home!

Today I wanted to direct this video towards to potential sellers in New Haven County and Wallingford. The Wallingford inventory of “good” or desirable houses is ver y low and in fact, the current market action index is 31.0; which is excellent and still trending upward towards sellers. The market action index actually tells how the market is doing by measuring what’s for sale and what is actually selling. If a market action index score is lower than 30, it is considered a buyer’s market and if it is above 30, then it’s considered a seller’s market.

If you’ve got a house to sell and you want to put it on the market and upgrade or downsize, now is the time to do it. The buyers are out and are looking to take advantage of interest rates before the New Year. There is no reason to wait!

If you’re thinking about selling your home and you want me or one of my expert real estate advisors to come out and give you an honest, realistic estimate of what your home will sell for, please call me at (203) 980-6886. Thanks and have a great day!

3 Tips for Buying a Home During the Holidays

3 Tips for Buying a Home During the Holidays

Today I wanted to talk about holiday home buying tips if you are looking for a home. Number one, the market doesn’t stop during the holidays. We sell a lot of homes through Thanksgiving, Christmas and the New Year. Last December was one of the busiest home-selling seasons we’ve had. If you are looking for a home, understand we still sell homes through December.

Second, December is when you will get a good deal as a buyer because sellers tend to be more negotiable during the holidays. This can because they home may be on the market for two or three months already and will be very open to any reasonable offers. Finally, I want to make sure you are working for a real estate team that does not check out during the holidays. Many part time agencies shut down for the holidays. Here at the Carbutti Company Real Estate, we are a full time real estate team. Not only will be working with me, you will work with my entire team who will be available 24/7. We will make sure we show you properties, get you preapproved for a mortgage, negotiate on your behalf or do whatever needs to be done to get you into a home.

If you are looking for a home and would to set up showings, call me at (203) 980-6886 or email me at jonathan@carbutti.com. Thanks and have a great day!

I Want to Wish You a Happy Thanksgiving!

I Want to Wish You a Happy Thanksgiving!

The season of giving is upon us and I wanted to give thanks to you and everyone else that has touched our lives this year. I hope you also take this time to offer thanks to the people who have helped you through this past year. I wish you a safe and Happy Thanksgiving and you can watch my latest video to hear my holiday message!

How Can You Increase Your Home’s Value for Less?

How Can You Increase Your Home’s Value for Less?

I was just reading the 2013 Cost vs. Value Report from Realtor Magazine and it brought me to a question that sellers are always asking me; what ways can they add value to their houses and what quick fixes/improvements will give them the best return when they go to sell their house. The magazine’s consensus was curb appeal because focusing on the outside of the house is going to bring you the most value.

The article stated the top three mid-range fixes would be replacing the front door, followed by adding a deck and thirdly, replacing the garage door. For upscale fixes, the top three are siding replacement (cement, stucco or stone facade), vinyl siding replacement and window replacement.

If you want to view the rest of the article, follow this link. Now is the time to start on these projects if you are looking to enter the market. If you would like, I can also go through your home and give you a realistic estimate of what your home would sell for. Thanks for watching!

Government Shutdown Risks Hurting The Housing Recovery

Government Shutdown Risks Hurting The Housing Recovery

From: http://www.forbes.com/sites/morganbrennan/2013/10/01/heres-how-the-government-shutdown-will-affect-housing/

By:  Morgan Brennan, Forbes Staff

The government shutdown is here. Whether it’s not being able to get a new Social Security card or visit a national park, Americans will immediately feel the effects. But there’s one bright spot of the economy that stands to be affected as well: housing.

One of the biggest questions regarding the shutdown and how it will affect housing has revolved around the mortgage market, specifically prospective buyers’ access to new home loans. After all, more than 90% of all loan activity is underwritten, insured, or owned by the government and its affiliated entities.

Initially at least, the mortgage market is likely to be only minimally impacted. New loans will continue to push through most government agency pipelines. What will change is how long the process takes, as many agencies expect to experience delays.

Mortgages purchased and securitized by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will be unaffected because their operations are paid for by fees charged to lenders. And the Department of Veterans Affairs will continue to guarantee mortgages for Americans that have served in the military since these loans are funded by user fees as well.

But if the government shutdown of 1995-1996 is any indicator, the process will take longer than usual. “Loan Guaranty certificates of eligibility and certificates of reasonable value were delayed,” the VA warned in its September 25th contingency plan.

Where there has been mounting concern is the Federal Housing Administration, which currently endorses about 15% of the entire single-family mortgage market. Several media outlets recently reported that the FHA would be unable to endorse any single-family loans and that no staff would be available underwrite and approve new loans.

That prospect would be somewhat worrisome – if it were actually true. The FHA’s Office of Single Family Housing will indeed remain open for business, albeit with a smaller staff. “FHA will be able to endorse single family loans during the shutdown. A limited number of FHA staff will be available to underwrite and approve new loans,” the report now states. In other words, other lenders’ loans will continue to be insured and some in-house lending will continue to take place at a reduced rate.

The reason for that mix-up: the initial draft of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s contingency plan mistakenly stated that single-family loan operations would cease. The report was amended over the weekend.

The FHA’s single-family loan operations are funded through multi-year appropriations, meaning their budget is not tied to the government’s standoff over funding for the new fiscal year that starts in October. On the other hand, what will be more affected is the agency’s Multifamily Housing Office, which is funded through yearly appropriations.

“Because we are able to endorse loans, we don’t expect the impact on the housing market to be significant, as long as the shutdown is brief,” continues the HUD report. “If the shutdown lasts and our commitment authority runs out, we do expect that potential homeowners will be impacted, as well as home sellers and the entire housing market.”

One government lender that will indeed suspend its home loan activity, however, is the Department of Agriculture. The USDA says that no new housing loans or guarantees will be issued through its Rural Development programs in a shutdown. The department also warns that such a scenario could cause “a setback in construction start-up,” and if the shutdown lasts for an extended period, “a substantial reduction in housing available in rural areas relative to population.”

“The government doesn’t generally approve loans, they basically just insure them,” says Don Frommeyer, president of the National Association of Mortgage Brokers and a vice president at Amtrust Mortgage Funding. “For the most part you aren’t going to see much of a hit in the mortgage market unless it goes for a long period of time.”

If it does stretch on, he adds, the worry will be what mortgage rates do in a market shrouded in fiscal uncertainty and how that will affect the home buying, especially in light of recent rate spikes.

Home lending aside, many economists and real estate experts are keeping a close watch on how Americans will react to this shutdown. “Administratively everything should keep moving along, but it’s more about the confidence of consumers and whether they perceive that the government shutdown could lead to a recession,” says Lawrence Yun, chief economist at the National Association of Realtors.

Moody’s Analytics chief economist Mark Zandi recently told the Senate Budget Committee that a partial shutdown could shave as much as 1.4 percentage points off of fourth quarter economic growth if it drags on for several weeks.

Americans’ confidence in their ability to buy and sell homes hit a record high in May, according to a Fannie Mae survey. Since then, as mortgage rates jumped more than a percentage point, that confidence level has plateaued.  If prospective homebuyers fear that the country’s economic recovery will stall, or worse slip back into recession, they will pull back on purchases, worries Yun.

“Home sales is always the first housing variable that changes so one would see sales declining and that would naturally lead to more inventory on the market and eventually put pressure on prices,” he says. But that would be a worst-case scenario based on a long-term shutdown.

Jed Kolko, chief economist at Trulia TRLA +6.43%, notes that if the shutdown lasts longer than a few days, the first places to feel the impact will be local economies with large concentrations of federal government workers. Metro areas like Washington, D.C. and Bethesda, Md., where 19% and 13% respectively of total local wages go to federal employees, would be the feel the negative effects of unpaid furloughs and with them, tightened consumer spending and weakening local economic growth. Though not all will be equally affected, other metro areas like Virginia Beach, Va., Honolulu, Hawaii, and Dayton, Ohio are areas that Kolko is keeping an eye on: “Whether there is a big effect depends on how long the shutdown lasts, how long people think the shutdown lasts, and whether people get back-pay. All those things matter for the impact.”

Still others are worrying even more about the next fiscal standoff, in  mid-October, surrounding the debt ceiling debate and its accompanying threat of debt default by the U.S.  ”With the threat of an impending partial government shutdown and yet another battle over the nation’s debt ceiling, in particular, we are really messing with fire right now—even if it doesn’t seem to bother some legislators,” says Stan Humphries, chief economist at Zillow.

“But the effects of a government default associated with the impending debt-ceiling deadline would be more pronounced because of its greater impact on domestic and international markets. This will rattle consumers and investors alike, slow down the overall economic recovery and further slow the housing recovery, which is already undergoing a moderation in the pace of home value gains due to rising mortgage rates,” he warns.

Middletown, CT Home Tour

Middletown, CT Home Tour

Hey, guys. Thanks for visiting my blog. Today, I am so excited to show you around Middletown. This beautiful town is just 15 miles south of Hartford on Route 9.

Middletown is really a one-of-a-kind place. Its combination of diverse culture, historic architecture and modern vibe makes it inviting to all people.

Main Street is lined with outdoor seating and cafes. College students often grab a cup of coffee and study. Families enjoy one of the many restaurants.

When Sharon Hunt was looking for a place to raise her three children as a single parent, she wanted a community with diversity and culture. Not only did she find that in Middletown, but the schools system went above and beyond to welcome her children and make them feel comfortable.

There are plenty of activities for families. The YMCA has different programs for children of all ages. Another great place is the Kid’s City Museum; there are arts and crafts, science and so many other wonderful things to enjoy as a family.

Middletown is also home to the beautiful 200 acre Wesleyan University campus. Beautiful historic buildings adorn the campus.

The town isn’t just for families, though. Whether your single, a professional or retired Middletown has something for you. The chamber of commerce is very pro business and strongly supports revitalization of the community.

One of the best things about this incredible town, though, is its real estate. Homes are affordable and inventory is abundant. There is plenty of new construction. So, give me a call. Let’s see if a home in Middletown is right for you.

Thanks for watching!

Fannie Mae Homepath Properties

Fannie Mae Homepath Properties

Hey, guys! Welcome back to my video blog!

A lot of you are searching online for the perfect home. Have you found it yet?

Through The Federal National Mortgage Association, more commonly known as Fannie Mae, I know about some great homes before they are even listed. In fact, there are four homes coming on our market just this month!

So what is Fannie Mae? It’s a government-sponsored enterprise that was designed to promote first time home ownership.  What’s great about this program is they are available to owner-occupants first.

Some of these properties need a lot of work; others just need a fresh coat of paint. We have access to these homes first and can help you. That’s why you should contact a realtor first; let them know what you’re needs are! We can help you find that perfect home.

Are you pricing your house to SIT or SELL?

Are you pricing your house to SIT or SELL?

Hey, everyone. Pricing properly is one of the most critical elements of selling a home. There are two approaches to pricing a property: you price it to sell or price it to sit.

Buyers today are more educated than ever. They want an up-to-date home in good condition with a reasonable price tag.

A couple of weeks ago we had a client whom had her home appraised. The appraisal value came in at above $300,000 and that is what she wanted to price the property at.

Now, the appraiser hadn’t taken into account all the work the home needed for it to be up-to-date in comparison with competing homes. We wanted to price the home lower. Because the client's independent appraisal came in above $300,000, against our better judgment, we agreed to list the home at that price.

The home had eight showings. We got feed back from six of the buyers and their agents. All the feedback affirmed what we had thought. The home needed too much work done and the price needed to be lower.

It’s important to listen to your real estate professional. They know the market; we work in a retail business. We want top dollar just as you do. There is a fine line, though, between overpricing your home and getting the most money out of your sale.

Thank you for watching. If you have any questions, please give me a call!

Is 2013 the Right Time to Buy a House?

Hi everyone. Welcome back to our video blog where we are bringing you relevant information to make informed decisions in the marketplace.

I’ve been getting asked a lot lately if now is the time to buy a home. First, let me start off by saying that question is a personal decision. Do you have a steady job that will cover all your living expenses? Do you have 3-6 months of cash reserves in the bank if I were to lose my job and cover housing payments, car payments, student loans, etc.

If the answer to that is yes, then, let’s move on to the next deciding factors when determining whether to buy a home now.

One of the other common themes you have been hearing about lately are interest rates. We are experiencing incredibly low rates. If you received a $300,000 loan at 30 year fixed rate of 3.5%, over the entire life of the loan, you would pay $484,968.

Now, if rates increase to just 4.25% that same loan will end up costing you $531,292. That’s a $46,327 price difference for that same $300,000 home.

Another common question I keep hearing is ‘are home prices the lowest now and are they starting to trend upwards?’

I can’t speak nationally, but here in Connecticut prices are starting to steadily increase. It is turning into a sellers’ market. Right now, with the lowest interest rates and all of the inventory, you are getting a lot of bang for your buck.

So, to answer your question about whether 2013 is the year to buy, in my professional now is the best time. You are getting the biggest bang for you buck and the lowest interest rate.

If you have any questions please give me a call or shoot me a quick email! Thanks for watching!

The Closing Costs of Real Estate

Hi everyone. Welcome back to our video blog where we are bringing you relevant information to make informed decisions in the marketplace.

Today, I wanted to speak more toward first time home buyers. I know a lot of you are excited to go out and look for homes and look online, but it’s really easy to find a home and fall in love with it. What some of you are forgetting, though, is about the financial aspect. The worst thing you can do is fall in love with a home and then be able to pay for it!

Most first time home buyers use FHA to purchase their home and only put 3.5% down. So, if you purchase a $200,000 home, you are only paying $7,000 out of pocket.

But what about the closing costs?

I wrote down a list of the typical fees during a closing. My numbers are a little on the high side, but it can give you an accurate view of how much things may cost.

·         Attorney fees: $650

·         Title Search: $225

·         Home Inspection (Which I highly recommend): $550

·         Appraisal/Credit App: $450

·         Tax Escrow: $3,600

·         Prepaid Interest: $400

·         Home Insurance (You will have to pay the first year upfront): $960

·         Bank Fees: $600

Now as I said, many of these numbers are only the higher side, but they total to be about $7,500. So when you are making your down payment you need not only the $7,000 for the 3.5% down but to also include those closing costs.

FHA does allow you to add closing costs to the loan through a credit from the seller. We’ve seen this many times before.

If you have any questions about closing costs or want to know more about what closing on a specific property will cost give me a call at 203.980.6886 and I’d be more than happy to help!

Video Tour of Milford, Connecticut

Hi everyone, welcome to our video tour of Milford, Connecticut!

Milford is located in the southwestern corner of New Haven County and it's and hour and a half away from New York City. This makes it a great commuter town!

Milford is known to be a small city with a big heart. There is so much going on and so many things in the downtown area whether it’s eating at one of the great restaurants, grabbing a cup of coffee or just reading a book at one of the beautiful parks.

We spoke with Darlene and Sue, owners of a local business. They said Milford is a warm and welcoming city with so much to do. There are young families and great family events on the weekends.

Sally, a student at one of the two public schools in Milford, says she loves being able to walk to school. She also enjoys all the music festivals and restaurants in the area.

Milford has an older established area known as Woodmont. Woodmont is a very popular vacation spot.

Besides all the events going on, Milford is also great for its affordable real estate. Whether you are looking for your first home, a beachfront property or a retirement community, Milford has it all!

I wanted to thank everyone for joining us in our tour today and if you have any questions about the real estate market in Milford, please give me a call at 203.980.6866 or shoot me a quick email at jonathan@carbutti.com

The Home Buyers Guide

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A lot of first time home buyers are jumping into the buying process too quickly.  Many are attending open houses without representation, talking with agents who have the seller’s interests at heart, and not understanding how the home buying process works.

We invite first time home buyers or any buyers to come in and talk to one of our real estate expert advisors and we’ll go over the Home Buyers Guide.  We’ll explain what is expected of you and what is expected of your real estate professional.  The guide also covers buyers’ brokerage in the state of Connecticut.

The guide has a flow chart which helps you step-by-step from beginning to close in the home buying process.

At Carbutti Real Estate, we work our hardest from contract to close, negotiating with the seller, getting inspections, meeting deadlines, etc.  It’s our job to negotiate on your behalf, to get you everything you want out of the contract.

Whether you’re a first time home buyer or just have some questions, give us a call at 203.980.6886 and we’ll help you through the home buying process.

Wallingford Market Update

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The Wallingford market has changed in the past 60 days.  Today, the median price of a home is $319,000, while just two months ago it was $286,000.  The market has shifted toward a sellers’ market.

While there are 173 homes currently on the market, those home are not necessarily the kind the buyer wants.

The fastest and most popular selling home is the 4 bedroom, 2.5 bath and master bedroom suite.  These kinds of homes are the quickest selling and receive multiple bids.

If you are looking to sell, now is the time. Do not wait. There are buyers and decision makers who will buy your home fast.

So if you want to sell and want an honest opinion on what your home could sell for, call me at 203.980.6886 or email me at jonathan@carbutti.com

Carbutti & Co. Plans to Restore Historic Victorian Home for New Offices

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As we continue to grow, evolve and thrive – we are fast finding it necessary to expand our physical boundaries to support our ever expanding and growing business. So when we set out to find the perfect future home for Carbutti & Co. Realtors we thought “what better way than to directly support our local community?” And that’s exactly how we feel as we take on the project of restoring to its original glory, the gorgeous Victorian estate that overlooks our Wallingford Town Hall.

With over 6,000 square feet we will comfortably settle in and gladly revel in the gorgeous facility’s grandeur. It reflects perfectly the New England charm of our region and more importantly, the personality and character of our community.

Come visit us today! We will happily give you a tour of the new future home of Carbutti & Co. Realtors. We look forward to seeing you!

HUD Homes Offer Some Homeowners Once-In-A-Lifetime Deals

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As we move further and further away from the buyers’ market that so many buyers have come to know and love over the past several years, there is still some promise to finding great deals out there. The answer lies in HUD homes. Believe it or not, you can find a fantastic home that, with just a little bit of TLC, can be almost instantly converted into your dream home.

Now, I’m sure most homebuyers probably shy away from the sound of needing to do any work on a new home, but that “little bit of TLC” is simply cosmetic things like changing the floors or installing new carpet and putting on a fresh coat of paint. With the distressed property market still prevalent in some areas and with some (unfortunate, sadly) situations, we are still seeing some really nice, quality homes where the homeowners simply couldn’t keep up.

What are some of the benefits of getting a HUD home?

For starters, it will cost you a LOT less to buy a HUD home than it would, had it been listed at fair market value.

Second, you can expect to increase the value of your new HUD home very quickly once you make the updates needed.

Finally, as our market continues to change and the economy gets stronger – the chance of finding great homes at such discounted prices may not be as widely available as it is right now. Combined with today’s still very low interest rates, it’s a win-win situation.

A Few Tips to Keep In Mind When Considering a HUD Home

Be sure to have the home properly inspected. Look for structural issues, major plumbing problems or anything else that might take away from being a solid investment.

Request your Realtor® to study the neighborhood and provide reasonable comparable properties to gauge what you might expect in terms of value after you’ve fixed up the place.

Read all rules, restrictions and requirements before placing a bid online and if you need, run it by a real estate professional to be sure you’re not missing anything.
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If you’d like to sit down to discuss HUD homes, how you can find a great one and what next steps to take once you have found a great home – call, text or email me and I’d be glad to sit down to discuss it with you! Get started today at www.HudHomeStore.com.

Now’s the Time to Sell

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A shift has happened and it actually took place in January. The market has turned into a sellers’ market. In particular, there’s extreme demand for a 4-bedroom home with 2½ baths, a master bedroom suite and a walk-in closet. It’s the hottest commodity on the market.

Here’s an example of what’s going in this sellers’ market. I was working with a buyer in January who quickly sold their home. We had a challenging time finding a 4-bedroom home, which the buyer wanted, so we ended up in multiple bid situations on two houses, which we did not get, even though we had offered to pay full price! Keep in mind it’s a sellers’ market. We won the contract on the third house because we obtained a heads up on the home. We were able to bring in our buyers before the seller even put the house on the market. Ultimately, the buyers got what they wanted, and the sellers didn’t have to worry about people tracking dirt in the house because of multiple showings. A win-win!

This example is just one of many. It illustrates the importance of using an agent who can bring buyers and sellers together. As real estate agents, we’re in the know of buyers and sellers and that’s why you hire us. To get started in this new market, speak with a local expert who understands the market, knows home values from street to street and neighborhood to neighborhood. Your agent will be your best advocate. After all, investing in a home is the biggest purchase you’ll make so it’s important to have a professional by your side.  
What does this market mean for sellers?  If you’ve thought of selling your home, the time is now. Since there are fewer homes on the market, there are lots of buyers for available homes. Low inventory often translates into multiple bids, high list-to-sale price ratios and being able to negotiate better terms. It’s a great time for sellers.

If you want to get top dollar for your property, take advantage of the low inventory. Here’s the thing: supply and demand affect what you’ll get for your home. When everyone who has been thinking about selling their home puts their home on the market is not the time to dive in—if you want to get the most out of your home. At the end of the day, you have a better chance at success if you decide to sell now, instead of waiting until all the Joneses get into the market.

To learn how to be positioned in this sellers’ market, please call us at (203) 980-6886 or jonathan@carbutti.com.

The Spring Market is Here – But There’s No Reason to Rush

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You probably didn’t think you’d see this advice coming from a real estate professional but the truth is no matter how crazy it may seem out there, and trust me – it IS crazy out there – that does not mean you need to rush.

In fact, when I sat down to record this message for you today, I hadn’t really planned what I was going to say. I just knew that I had to share with you that within all the craziness that is our marketplace today, it’s important that you step back and carefully go through the process. Sure there will be homes jumping off the market. Sure you might fall in love with one, only to find that someone else snatched it up. But the important thing is to go into the process with your eyes wide open.

Realtors® Don’t Find Your Dream Home For You – They Make Sure You GET It
For most  homebuyers, this is the single largest financial transaction of their lives. So it’s critical that you are working with a Realtor® that knows and understands the industry. As I mentioned in my video, it’s not about finding you the right home – we all know that only you will truly know when you set foot inside your perfect home. But when it does become time to make an offer, you need someone that is there for you to provide all the relevant information needed to make a solid, strong decision.

So Much Information – Too Much Sometimes – Is Available Online
With the Internet as vast as it is, it’s no wonder to me how sometimes buyers walk in and they are armed with what they think is “all they need to know” about buying a home. There is so much more to it than just what you might read online. In fact, I caution you to be careful with what you absorb on the Internet.

Find a Broker With YOUR Best Interests In Mind
What you’ll find when you do a search for new homes in our area – is that Carbutti & Co. Realtors is the first name to pop up on Google (or whatever other search engine you choose). There’s a reason for that. Time and again, we have been voted “Best Realtor®” or “Best in the Industry” or numerous other accolades.

Here’s why: we take our clients’ goal of finding the perfect home, very seriously. We go to great lengths to make sure our buyers are fully informed about all that is at stake in the buying process. In fact, we’ve developed comprehensive guides, in multiple media formats to help you gain the maximum amount of information possible.
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As you’ll see in this video message I recorded for you, there are some things to be wary of. I caution you to be careful of being approached by real estate agents that represent the seller’s interest in an open house, for instance. Or when you obtain your financing offer from mortgage lenders, are you fully aware of what you’re really paying?

As your trusted  real estate professionals that are right here with the common goal to represent your best interests, Carbutti & Co. Realtors takes great pride in that special relationship we have with our clients.

Come see us today – we’d love to meet you in our office, at Starbucks down the road or anywhere else where you’d be comfortable. We look forward to making your dreams of owing the perfect home – come true!

Introducing the Carbutti & Co. Realtors Love It or Leave It® Guarantee!

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I’ve always said that if a company can’t stand by its product or service, there is no use working with them. So naturally when it comes to providing the invaluable services that we pride ourselves in giving our clients, we stand by what we offer to each person.

That’s why we developed the Carbutti & Company Realtors Love It or Leave It® Guarantee. It sounds like it’s designed to protect our buyers’ best interests and that is exactly what this program does. In fact, with the inception of this new guarantee, we are further attesting our pledge of finding you the perfect home for you.

The Love It or Leave It® Guarantee applies to each and every one of our buyers that purchases a home through Carbutti & Company Realtors and it provides buyers the peace of mind that if they are unhappy with their home – for whatever reason – in the first 12 months of their purchase, we will sell it for free. We will not charge a single cent for selling your home if you are not happy with the purchase.

Now, that’s a pretty hefty guarantee – and the reason we are able to provide this added reassurance to all of our buyers is because of our sheer confidence in our abilities. We know that our team will do what it takes and take as much time as needed to find you the home that you will love for years to come.

Worried about fine print? Trust us – there isn’t any. To see just how sure we are of ourselves, visit our website www.Carbutti.com, click on the “Buyers” tab and along with a host of useful resources you will see our Love It or Leave It® Guarantee.

Of course, if it’s easier to just pick up the phone or shoot over a quick email, we’re right here to explain our services and this fantastic guarantee – in a way that is convenient for you.

Call us today so you can comfortably enjoy your new home tomorrow!

Wallingford’s Real Estate Outlook in the New Year

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One of the most active areas in our real estate market these days is the single-family marketplace and today, there are fewer homes available than buyers are willing to buy. This poses a significant challenge, of course, for the myriad buyers looking to lock in the still historically low interest rates and great prices, while sellers continue to enjoy an edge.

Wallingford Real Estate Market Needs More Single-Family Homes

Right now, we have approximately 156 single-family homes available for sale whereas just a few weeks go that number was significantly higher at 190. This clearly indicates the constant activity going on in our area despite some of the recent setbacks that Mother Nature caused us to endure collectively as a region.

List Price and List-to-Sale Ratios Are Strengthening

Our average list price is right around $289,000 in the Wallingford real estate environment with the average number of Days on Market hovering at about 278 days. Interesting to note is that in terms of price decrease from the time a home was listed to the time it was sold, has gone down for the most part – to the tune of 24% as opposed to 34% in 2012.

Wallingford Continues to Trend Upward Toward a Seller’s Market

With this New Year, other changes also seem to continue appearing on the horizon; our Market Action Index is trending upward, indicating movement toward a stronger seller-centric marketplace. With 30 being the mean, anything above that level points to a seller’s market and anything below begins to indicate a buyer-controlled environment. Right now we are at 15.4 with the MAI trending upward.

The Time to Sell Is Now

For homeowners and homebuyers, this means that the market is ripe for activity – particularly for new listings. If you have been waiting and watching before deciding to put your home up for sale, now is the time to do it. With a significant advantage over buyers since there are fewer and fewer desirable homes available to them, there is a lot of room for negotiation. In fact, well-priced homes in great locations that are in good condition are typically selling in fewer than 30 days. That’s well below the average DOM for our area.
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For an honest estimate of what buyers in today’s real estate environment can be expected to offer on your home – we invite you to contact us. Our strong team will share expert opinions, based on years of experience, extensive research and of course our straightforward and no-nonsense approach to doing business.

We look forward to helping make your goals become a reality today!

One Local Real Estate Web Resource for All Your Buying and Selling Needs

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We know that when you’re buying or selling a home there is a lot to think about. And these days, time is money so before you decide to proceed with your real estate goals it’s only natural you want to be armed with as much information as possible. Before you get in touch with a real estate broker.

That’s why we focused on developing a simple, easy to use and high-impact website packed with valuable information, tools and market insight that you would expect to receive from your local real estate expert.

Visit the site to see how easy it is to use. From videos of past clients to market snapshot reports that evaluate home values and more, we have shared what we know from past clients to be the most benefit information to you in your endeavors. You will find links to mobile apps and our fantastic town tour series, giving you an inside look at each of our coveted areas of service. And if you want to do some in-depth research into your own property, just click on the homepage link “What is my home worth?” for a customizable view of properties sold in the area.

If you need to know it, chances are it’s on our website.

Now, it goes without saying that the moment you want to speak to a live person, we’ll be right there waiting to help you in any way you need. But in the interim, if you just want to “lurk” the market for a while and get a feel for things, we’re confident you’ll feel right at home on www.Carbutti.com.

And as always, the moment you’re ready – feel free to shoot us a quick email or call us for the one-on-one attention that you deserve.

A Toast to a Fantastic 2013 and a Great Beginning in Your New Home!

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Here it is, the year 2-0-1-3. And it is such a fantastic time for all of us! If you have been waiting and watching the market to find the perfect home, trust me this is the best time ever to get into it.

Sellers Eager to Close After the Holiday Season
Now that the Christmas lights are down, schools are about to re-open and business is back to usual – sellers are eager more than ever before to get their homes sold. When you have an eager seller, you have much more room to negotiate. If you have been sitting back while the holidays came and went by – now is definitely the time to jump back on the bandwagon and start up your home search again.

Interest Rates Holding Strong at Below 4%
With all this talk about the Fiscal Cliff, no one really knew where we were headed in the coming months or years. But now that we know a deal has been reached and consensus found, we can focus on enjoying the super low interest rates the Fed has elected to hold still for now. These are still historic low rates that one day, we’ll likely never see again. So it’s just smart to buy now, lock in these amazing rates and enjoy more house for the same monthly payment.

Pre-Spring Season Prices Still Low
One phenomenon we tend to see as more and more buyers appear on the market is the artificial inflation of prices.  What happens is that as multiple buyers express interest in one home, multiple offers and price wars become an issue. This artificial inflation of prices will temporarily impact the marketplace, so much so that you may not be able to get as good a deal as you would if buying now. As we move into the spring season, more buyers will be out wanting to lock in these rates.
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We invite you to get in touch with us; send a quick email, or call us to get started. One of our expert real estate advisors will be happy to help you find the perfect home of your dreams! And in the interim, here’s to another great year!