New Haven & Fairfield County Real Estate Video Blog with Jonathan Carbutti

Holiday Greetings from Carbutti & Company

As the year winds down, I wanted to send you a special message. Thanks for your support this year.

I just wanted to take a moment to stop by and wish everyone happy holidays and a happy New Year.

2016 was a record-breaking year here at Carbutti & Company, and I just wanted to say thank you to everyone who supported us and tell you how grateful I am that you chose us to help you with your real estate needs.

I am looking forward to seeing each and every one of you in 2017. God bless, have a great holiday, and I look forward to talking to you next year. If you have any questions or any real estate needs in the meantime, give me a call or send me an email. We’re always here to help.

What Renovation Loans Are Available?

Home renovation loans are great for homeowners and investors alike. You can make your home look just the way you want it with any of these products.

There is a lot of confusion surrounding renovation loans. Can you really borrow money to fix up your home and make it exactly the way you want it to be?

The answer is yes. There are some really great renovation loan products in the marketplace right now. For example, the FHA 203k renovation loan is a federally insured mortgage that allows you to use just 3.5% of your own money. You can also build in the cost of the rehab right into the loan.

There are some great renovation loan products in the marketplace right now.

Another renovation loan you might not have heard of is the Fannie Mae HomeStyle Renovation Mortgage. This program is for owner-occupants who want to fix up the home and live there.

If you are an investor, there is also a great product out there for you. You can use just 15% of your own money for the whole renovation, flip the house, and then resell for a profit.

We use a great company called Prospect Mortgage, one of the largest renovation loan providers in the country. We would be happy to refer you to them.

In fact, Carbutti & Co. Realtors will be teaming up with Prospect Mortgage to provide an informative seminar for people looking to buy a home. This seminar will help potential home buyers understand some of the in's and out's of the home buying process that you might not be aware of if you have never gone through this complex process. Click here to register for that seminar on Tuesday, December 6th from 6:00pm-9:00pm.

If you want to find out more about these renovation loans, give me a call or send me an email. I would be happy to help you out!

How Do Professional Home Staging Companies Work?

We recently took a vacant home and had it professionally staged before it hit the market. Today, I wanted to introduce you to Jennifer Napolitano with Design House Interiors, the company that staged the property.

Jennifer is a certified home stager. She knows that selling a home can sometimes be very daunting. When people come into your home, they might not know where to put their furniture or how it’s going to look, which makes things very stressful for the buyers as well. Certain layouts and rooms can be difficult to stage, but home stagers are here to help you figure it out.

For example, keep in mind that scale is very important. You need the right-sized pieces in each room so that the rooms appear bigger and functional. Having the right furniture in each space also shows buyers the traffic patterns in the home.

When you work with Design House Interiors, you also get the benefit of working with professional interior designers. Jennifer and her team can help you make your home look great by choosing fresh, trendy pieces to make your home pop. Your home will be showroom-ready when it hits the real estate market.

This particular house had an island in the kitchen, and it is a nice-looking piece of furniture that stands out. When you are working with the bedrooms, it can be difficult to figure out where to put the bed because the bed is the focal point of the room. It needs to make a statement and look beautiful.

For this house, Jennifer and her team decided to put the bed a little off-center on the wall. It’s a great focal point and the buyer can still see that there is plenty of room to add a dresser and still walk around the space.

They also created an easy flow in the dining room by using a circular dining room table. As you can see in the video above, home staging is an absolute must to help buyers figure out how they can best utilize the space for their family.

Your home will be showroom-ready when it hits the market.

This home sold three days after it hit the market, so I want to say a huge thank you to Design House Interiors. If you need to stage your home or if you have any questions about interior design, visit their website at designhousect.com or visit their showroom at 6 North Main Street in Wallingford.

As always, if you have any real estate questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me. I would be happy to help you!

Debunking Common Myths of the Home Buying Process

There are many great New Haven County area homes for sale. Click here to perform a full home search, or if you're thinking of selling your home, click here for a FREE Home Price Evaluation so you know what buyers will pay for your home in today's market. You may also call me at (203) 269-4910 x 12 for a FREE home buying or selling consultation to answer any of your real estate questions.

Today, Dave Beckman of Guaranteed Rate joins us to discuss the latest from the mortgage lending side of real estate, especially as it relates to first-time home buyers.

One of the most crucial things you can do as a buyer is get pre-approved before beginning the home search process. This will allow you to set yourself apart from anyone else who might be putting in an offer on a home. A letter of pre-approval is the holy grail that shows the seller that you’ve talked to a lender, submitted all of your documents, and that you’re a willing and able buyer.

Having a pre-approval letter will set you ahead of the competition. It shows that you have spoken with a lender and that they have qualified you. A pre-approval is a letter that says that a lender has analyzed your income, assets, and job history, among other things, whereas a pre-qualification simply says you might be eligible to get a loan down the road. If you have a pre-approval and your competition only has a pre-qualification, you stand the greatest chance of getting your offer accepted.

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There are many ways to mitigate the costs of purchasing a home if you know what you’re doing.

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There are some misconceptions out there among buyers that they need to put 20% down before they can purchase a home. Luckily, that is not the case; there are many options available to people who can’t afford to save 20% of the mortgage to put down. There are also misconceptions about mortgage insurance, but there are ways to mitigate those costs as well. Mortgage insurance is not as expensive as it’s made out to be, and if you can’t afford to put 20% down, it is a very affordable way to get into a home.

There are special government programs out there with the purpose of helping the consumer to buy a home with a smaller down payment. The VA loan, for instance, which is available for past and active members of the US military, allows people to get into a home with 0% down. The scrutiny on these loans are a bit greater, but if you work with a mortgage banker, as opposed to a bank directly, you will be in the right hands.

Another issue many first-time buyers deal with is the cost of closing. A lender can give a credit, in addition to the mortgage, that can help offset the closing costs. This is a great way to keep more money in your pockets as a borrower.

If you have any questions about how Dave can help you, don’t hesitate to reach out to him at (203) 641-8287 or DBeckman@GuaranteedRate.com. Or, if you want to apply for a mortgage now, visit www.GuaranteedRate.com/DaveBeckman and fill out the application.

Of course, if you have questions about this or any other real estate topic, or if you have suggestions for a future video, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us here at Carbutti & Co. Realtors. We always love to hear from you!

Connecticut Sellers Are Finally Getting Desired Prices

I’m excited to share some numbers from our market this year compared to last year.

In Connecticut, single-family homes have increased 17.8% in value, and the median sales price in our state is $248,000. This reflects a 2.4% increase from last year in our market. This is relevant because the market is increasing, and so are sales prices. Anyone who says that the single-family home market in Connecticut is not doing well is mistaken! The home market is alive and well.

Most sellers are pleasantly surprised at the prices they are getting.

If you are looking to get your home on the market, whether that’s to upgrade, downsize, or you’re returning and just want to take advantage of current home prices that will allow you to get top dollar, now is the time to do it. If you’re going to get your price, you’re going to get it in this spring market.

One of my listing agents or myself would love to come to your home to provide you with an honest realistic estimate of what it would sell for in this optimal spring market. Give me a call or shoot me an email and we’ll take a look.

One final thought from the buyer’s perspective is while values are going up, interest rates will be going up soon as well. If you’re on the fence about buying, now’s the time to get off the fence and start looking. There’s a lot of inventory to choose from, but it’s starting to shrink in our spring market. The good houses are getting bought up quickly. Likewise for buyers, if you’re looking for a professional to guide you along the way, give us a call.

What to Look Out for When Viewing Homes

The weather is absolutely gorgeous right now, so we’re going to start seeing a ton of properties come on the market. You’re also going to see a lot of open houses, but you need to be careful when you view homes.

We have buyer brokerage here in the state of Connecticut, which means agents are allowed to represent buyers in real estate transactions. When you walk into an open house, you’re going to see a smiling real estate agent and you might assume that they’re there to help you. It’s important to understand that they do not have your best interest at heart; they represent the seller and do not owe you any fiduciary duty whatsoever.

"Our job is to advise you, negotiate on your behalf, and ensure you have a good experience."

When looking for homes, you need to take advantage of buyer brokerage and hire an agent to represent you and your interests. We have buyer agents on our team who specialize in the buying side of real estate and will walk you through the entire process. We also have a home buyer’s guide that explains in detail every single step of the buying process. We understand that it’s not our job to tell you which house is right for you; our job is to advise you, negotiate on your behalf, and make sure you have a good experience.

To learn more about how we can help you, or for real estate assistance of any kind, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us. We are always available to help and would love to hear from you!

How to find an inexpensive property

Today, I want to show you an example of a Fannie Mae HomePath property. We’re at a property in Wallingford that’s not even on the market right now.

My goal is to educate some of the home buyers out there, especially first-time home buyers, about all the options available to them in our marketplace. There are a lot of great deals out there, but the most important thing to do is work with a competent real estate broker, someone who is up on the market and knows what’s going on.

"Some HomePath homes are priced as much as 35% below market value!"

HomePath properties are the kind of homes that we can share with our buyers who have have been searching for a home for months. If you’re looking for an affordable home and you don’t mind doing a little bit of work -- like painting, flooring, and remodeling -- you’re going to be able to purchase a home that is priced as much as 35% below market value!

If you’re looking for a good deal, or if you’re a first-time buyer, I urge you not to overlook some of the HomePath properties available in our marketplace. The best part about these homes is that they are only available to owner-occupants, so you won’t have to compete with investors looking to flip them.

If you have any questions about HomePath properties, or if you need real estate assistance of any kind, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us. We’re always available to help you with your real estate needs, and we would love to hear from you!

Spring Has Sprung in Wallingford and New Haven Counties

Looking to improve your real estate career? I'm here to help you make a smart decision when it comes to growing your business, improving your bottom line, and choosing a place to work in real estate sales. If you'd like to learn more about working with Carbutti & Co. Realtors, contact me at (203) 269-4910 or Jonathan@Carbutti.com.

The spring market is finally here. We are almost into our third week in March, but it feels like this active market started months ago. Houses are moving quickly, and buyers are out in full force. Across the board, the median list price in Wallingford and New Haven County is around $299,0000. Homes that are priced between $250,000 and $299,000 are moving the quickest.

"Now is the time to be setting up your marketing strategy."

If you are thinking about selling a house right now in the spring market and you haven’t spoken to a real estate professional yet, now is the time to be setting up your marketing strategy. If you have a home and are looking to sell, now is the time for us to come out to your property, take a look around, and give you an honest and realistic estimate of what your home would sell for. Now is the time to come up with a great marketing strategy so that we’re not leaving any money on the table.

If you have any questions for us, don’t hesitate to give us a call or send us an email. We would love to hear from you!

Don’t Miss out on This Waterfront Property in Madison

We have a wonderful home available just outside of Madison, and it’s located on 2.6 acres of pristine marshland right next to the ocean. There is a hundred-foot private dock where you could park a 30-foot yacht or other boats.

The home fits in very well with the natural setting, and features a modern plan that is very open. There are lots of glass windows on the home as well, so it feels like you’re in constant contact with the elements. There is a main house that is 1,200 sq. ft. and it is compact yet cozy. It’s very similar to what you would find in a beach home.

There is also a small 1-bedroom guest house that could also be used as an office or an artist’s retreat. It could be converted into many different things.

It’s not uncommon to see deer, foxes, and other wildlife roaming around this property. This is amazing, considering that the home is only minutes from downtown Madison.

Please let us know if you would like to see 11 Salt Meadow Lane.

Other features include:

3 bedrooms, 3 baths

1,282 sq. ft.

Set on a 2.68 acre lot

Built in 1980

Private drive with waterfront access

We look forward to hearing from you, we think this property will be going fast!

There Is a Better Way to Sell

Today’s post is geared more towards sellers, specifically sellers who have been on the market with little to no activity or offers and are wondering if there is a better way to sell your home.

At the end of the day, experience and reference points matter. We just had a situation where we had a seller who was listed with another agency, and believe the best offer she could possibly get was $270,000 and was ready to accept it. We spoke to this seller and explained to her that her home wasn’t being properly marketed, and we could get her an even better offer. Within 2.5 weeks, we had sold the home for $290,000.

The way we positioned and marketed that home made the difference in the sale. If you are thinking about selling your home now, or 6 months from now, we want to speak with you. Give us a call or send us an email, and we’ll get down there and take a look at your home and give you a professional estimate of what you could expect to sell your home for. We look forward to hearing from you!

Predictions for the 2016 Connecticut Real Estate Market

Connecticut real estate expert wants to know what you're interested in learning about for this year's market.

Although 2015 was a fantastic year, today, we have a few predictions about the market this year.

2016 will be a very busy year for the home buying and selling season. Interest rates are supposed to go up this year, and that increase will really drive the volume in the real estate market, as well as home values.

Many people think that when interest rates go up, home prices come down. Actually, the opposite is true. As interest rates rise, so will home prices. If you've been thinking about buying, now is the time to get into the marketplace before rates and prices increase!

Let's consider the following question: What real estate topics are you interested in? This year, my team and I want to focus on providing valuable information to our loyal clients. Simply reply to this email with any questions you want answered -- we have your back!

Finally, I want to thank you all on behalf of my team for your referrals in 2015. It was a record-breaking year for referrals, and we are truly grateful to all of you.

As always, if you have any questions, give me a call or send me an email. I would be happy to help you.

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