Basement Level Bedrooms Need "Egress" Windows For Safety

If you’re finishing your basement or are repurposing it to include bedrooms, your action plan must include egress windows—officially known as “Emergency Escape and Rescue Openings” (EEROs). These openings allow your family to get out easily in an emergency and allow emergency crews to get in.

These must-have safety features boast another benefit: They admit daylight, which instantly brightens a formerly dark and dreary basement.

Keep these considerations in mind when installing an egress window:

Code compliance. Visit your nearest code administration office to find out about local regulations for egress windows. In general, you’ll want to abide by standards set by the International Residential Code. Size requirements include:
•    Minimum width of opening: 20 in.
•    Minimum height of opening: 24 in.
•    Minimum net clear opening: 5.7 sq. ft. (5.0 sq. ft. for ground floor)
•    Maximum sill height above floor: 44 in.

Keep in mind that these are the minimum size requirements. “If you want any kind of light or air, you need to give yourself a little room,” says John Brenne, building safety expert. There are other requirements you’ll need to satisfy as well—such as windows must be operational from the inside and open without any tools, key, or special knowledge.

Window well installation. Below-ground egress windows must have a 3x3-foot (minimum) window well. Brenne recommends that windows less than 4 inches above grade have one too. Adding a below-ground well requires excavation, and if the well is any deeper than 44 inches, you’ll need to include a permanently attached ladder or steps. Consider adding a metal grate above the well so pets and people don’t fall in—just make sure it’s easily removable from the inside.

Drainage. The last thing you need is water seeping into your basement. If you have an existing foundation drain tile system in good shape, tap into it. If you have clay soil, which absorbs water and hinders drainage, backfill it with pea gravel. Also make sure your yard slopes away from the foundation, and that gutters and downspouts are clear and drain away from the house.

Reliable windows. Brenne recommends casement windows, which crank outward and take up the least amount of space. “They’re tight and well-constructed,” he adds.

Necessary skills. If you have concrete-block cutting skills, equipment, and a trusty partner who will help you excavate several feet of soil, you could install an egress window in a few days with these step-by-step tips and save some cash.

But because of the scope of the job—and because it’s important to get it right the first time—Brenne recommends hiring a professional. “You’ll have a lot of block and dirt to dispose of as well as needing several specialized and expensive tools like a partner saw, hammer drill, impact gun, and more,” Brenne says.

The information in this article was obtained from various sources. While we believe it to be reliable and accurate, we do not warrant the accuracy or reliability of the information. These suggestions are not a complete list of every loss control measure. The information is not intended to replace manuals or instructions provided by the manufacturer or the advice of a qualified professional. Nor is it intended to effect coverage under any policy. State Farm makes no guarantees of results from use of this information. We assume no liability in connection with the information nor the suggestions made.

Article submitted by Brennan Purdy of State Farm Insurance

My vision is to be an insurance professional whose actions are driven by keeping the customer's best interest as my primary goal. My staff will treat all my customers in a caring, friendly, and professional manner. My office will provide warm, efficient, and seamless services to our customers at all times. I expect my business to be comprised of knowledgeable, multiple-line customers who see my office as their first and best choice for all their insurance and financial service needs

For more information on these and other home safety tips, stop by my office or visit www.brennanpurdy.com. My office is conveniently located in downtown Bethel. 203-798-7300.                   211 Greenwood Avenue , Bethel, CT 06801

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Buying or Selling a Home in Fairfield County Connecticut? We'd love to represent you.

Feel free to email us here or visit our main  site at

www.CThomesAndRealEstate.com

If you have a question about buying or selling Real Estate  in Fairfield County, and are in need of representation, I invite you to contact me. I know the market like the back of my hand, know marketing inside and out, am a skilled negotiator- and I'd love to be on your side :) - Judy

Connecticut Town by Town 2012 Fireworks Dates and Times

Enjoy the upcoming holiday. For your convenience, here is the Independence Day Celebration Fireworks schedule for most Connecticut Towns,  courtesy of www.theCTrealtyBlog.com.

The towns that we service are highlighted in Bold.

June 29 (Friday)

• Bridgeport - Seaside Park
• Hamden -- At Town Center Park. United States Coast Guard Swing Band will perform. (Rain Date June 30) 
• Killingly - Owen Bell Park 9 p.m.
• Oxford - Great Oak High School     9:45 pm

June 30 (Saturday)

• Coventry -- Sundown, Patriots Park, Lake St. (CoventryFest events start at 3:00 p.m.)
  
• Danbury -- Candlewood Lake At Dark 
• East Haven -- Festivities begin at Noon. Fireworks at 9:00 p.m. at Town Beach. Rain date July 2
• Lakeville - Lime Rock Park 9 p.m. Rain date July 1
• Norwich -- 24th Annual July 4th Extravaganza 
• Orange - Great Oak Road 9:45 p.m.

July 2 (Sunday)

• Darien -Darien High School    9:15pm   Rain Date  7/3/12

July 2 (Monday)

• Westbrook- Water's Edge Resort  9:30 p.m. Rain date- July 3

July 3 (Tuesday)

• Bridgeport -- Fireworks after Bridgeport Bluefish game
• Derby -- Along the Housatonic River. (Rain date July 5)
• Darien  --   Woodway Country Club   9:00pm  (Rain Date 7/5/12)
• Milford -- Westfield Connecticut Post Mall
• Middletown -- (Rain date July 6th)
• Norwalk -- Calf Pasture Beach In East Norwalk. Festivities start @ 4:00 p.m. (Rain Date July 3) 
• Shelton -- Along the Housatonic River. (Rain date July 5)
• Stratford -- Short Beach Park. Fun starts at 7:00, fireworks at 9:30 p.m. (Rain Date July 5th) 
• Vernon -- In Downtown Rockville at approx 9:40 p.m. (Rain date: July 5).
• West Haven - Bradley Point Park 9 p.m.
• Westport -- Compo Beach at 9:15 p.m. (Rain date July 5th) 

July 4 (Wednesday)

• Bristol - Lake Compounce 10 p.m.
• Fairfield -- Jennings or Penfield Beach (Rain Date July 5) 
• Madison -- 9:30 p.m. The Surf Club (Rain Date July 6) 
• Middlebury -- 3D Fireworks at Quassy Amusement Park 
• Naugatuck - Naugatuck High School 9:15 p.m.
• New Britain -- Stanley Quarter Park. Fireworks approx. 9:30 p.m.
• New Canaan -- Waveny Park, 9:15 p.m. Rain date July 5 
• New Haven -- East Rock Park 9 p.m.
• Ridgefield -- Ridgefield High School at Dusk (Rain Date July 7) 
• Rowayton -- Bayley Beach (Rain Date July 5)
• Weston -- 9:20 p.m. Weston Middle School Field (Rain Date July 5) 
• Washington- Shepaug Region #12 School South St  9:15pm
• Wilton -- Wilton High School Athletic Complex 

July 5 (Thursday)

• Meriden - Hubbard Park 9 p.m.

July 6 (Friday)

• Salem - Gardner Lake 9:30 p.m.
• Windsor Locks -- Veteran's Memorial Park at 9:30 p.m. Part of Windsor Locks Fire Dept. Annual Carnival 

July 7 (Saturday)

• Beacon Falls -- Pent Road Recreation Area at dusk.
• Bozrah - Camp Odetah 9:30 p.m.
• East Hartford -- Riverfest On Connecticut River. Entertainment begins at 4:00 p.m., Fireworks at 9:00 p.m. 
• Greenwich -- Brinney Park at Dusk (Rain Date July 8)
• Groton -- 9:00 p.m. Thames River Waterfront 
• Hartford -- Riverfest On Connecticut River. Entertainment begins at 4:00 p.m., Fireworks at 9:00 p.m. 
• Lebanon - Town Green 8:30 p.m.
• Manchester -- James Dutch Fogarty Independence Day Celebration, Manchester Community College (Rain date July 8). 
• New London -- 9:00 p.m. Thames River Waterfront 
• New Milford - Fort Hill/Still Meadow 9: 30pm (rain date - July 8) 
• Orange - Orange Center Fairgrounds 8pm (rain date - July 8)
• Portland -- At the fairgrounds on Route 17A. Gates open 5:00 p.m.
• Torrington- Torrington Middle School 9pm
• Stafford-  Middle School Complex 9pm
• Wallingford- Hope Hill across from H.S. 9pm

July 8 (Sunday)

• Enfield -- 9:45 p.m. Town Green 

July 13 (Friday)

• Farmington -- Part of Tunxis Hose Co. Fireman's Carnival (Rain Date July 14) 

July 14 (Saturday)

• Guilford - Guildford Fairgrounds 8pm (rain date - July 15)

July 21 (Saturday)

• East Lyme -- Fireworks over Niantic Bay 9:00 p.m.
• Newington -- 31st Annual Extravaganza at Mill Pond Park.

July 28 (Saturday)

• Bridgeport -- Fireworks after Bridgeport Bluefish game

August 3 (Friday)

• Orange Volunteer Firemans Carnival, Orange Fairgrounds - 10:30 p.m. 

August 4 (Saturday)

• Orange Volunteer Firemans Carnival, Orange Fairgrounds - 10:45 p.m.

August 18 (Saturday)

• Bridgeport -- Fireworks after Bridgeport Bluefish game

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Buying or Selling a Home in Fairfield County Connecticut? We'd love to represent you.

Feel free to email us here or visit our main  site at

www.CThomesAndRealEstate.com

If you have a question about buying or selling Real Estate  in Fairfield County, and are in need of representation, I invite you to contact me. I know the market like the back of my hand, know marketing inside and out, am a skilled negotiator- and I'd love to be on your side :) - Judy

How NOT to Find the Best Agent to Sell Your Home.

Most homeowners are pretty savvy when it comes to interviewing agents, but sometimes, even the smart home sellers  hire an agent that is ill-equipped to handle the sale of their home, whether it be by that agent's pricing strategies, marketing skills, or their ability to effectively negotiate price and/or terms.

First- Pricing.

Face it, some agents just do not know how to effectively price properties for the market, and if you are relying on one of those agents to give you a price  for your home that suits your time frame, your home may fall victim  to being overpriced for the market. There are many articles on the effects of over-pricing, so I won't get into that right here, and right now.  We've all heard about the dangers of overpricing, but how about this one- I saw an MLS listing last week for a property in town that I had to do a double-take on. I thought the price was wrong. It was TOO LOW. Well, that was the correct price. I brought my client to the property within hours of it coming on the market, went back later that night for  a second showing, and by that time there were already two offers on the house. We came in with an offer $25,000 above asking price, and it wasn't enough to secure the property.  Sure, the home received multiple bids,  and went under deposit within a day, but at what price to the seller? Do you think that if that home was priced properly that maybe that seller could have gotten more money for it? I do. That home was tragically under-priced, and it was a smart seller who thought he had chosen the right agent. NOT.

Some agents intentionally place a high price tag on a home just to secure the listing. We call that "buying the listing" in our business. The agents that do just that have a solid reputation for it, too.  An unwitting seller just gets caught up in it. Don't let it be you.

All of the agents in the area have the same market to contend with, the same  sold properties to compare your home to,  and the same data. Try to let your mind do the thinking when it comes to the house, and not your wallet. If  you seem to like one agent better than another, and the only thing holding you back is the price,  tell them, and negotiate the listing price with that particular agent.

Next - Marketing Your Home.

A lot of agents fall short on the marketing aspect. Don't just assume what the agent will do. ASK! You want, deserve, and need much more than a basic marketing plan. If you don't inquire about it now, and the agent doesn't offer one, it's not a good sign (pardon the pun)

Check out how their listings are presented on the MLS, and that includes photographs. Check out their standard marketing materials, including brochures. The internet is HUGE when it comes to selling yoru home. Ask for and look at what types of an enhanced presence the agent is willing to give your home at no extra cost. That agent has a website, too? great! You do know that there are over 600  million active websites, and unless that site is easily found, and has a high page rank from google, no one will ever see it, and it doesn't matter.  Ask for those internet stats, too. Dare to ask what that agents social media plan is to sell your home, too  It should involve Facebook and Twitter.

Last, but just as Important. Negotiating.

There's a few smart moves you can make when you interview your agent to check out their negotiating skills, and no agent would suspect exactly what you are doing.  Negotiate the price or terms  of your listing- see how the agent responds. Believe it or not, you want that agent to hold their ground. Try and negotiate the commission rate. I will give you a hint- The more that agent negotiates their own commission, the more easily they will be swayed to negotiate the price of your home downward. In both instances, if the agent cannot properly negotiate o their own behalf, how do you think they will negotiate for you?  

A few all too common misconceptions that you should steer clear of:

There is a lot of signs in the area from one particular company- They must be the best firm in town. NOT NECESSARILY! Are those properties sold or languishing on the market?  Lots of listings doesn't mean lots of sales. Same goes with any one agent or even a team. Lots of listings that Aren't sold? Do you want to be one of that bunch?

When you call an office because of their recognizable name, you can get any one of their agents, experienced or not, that answers the phone, and you are pretty much stuck with that agent. In the eyes of the office, you are a "call in" and whoever the duty agent is gets your call, and the listing. They can be brand new to the business. Calling an office blindly is a crap shoot.

Don't leave your biggest investment to a gamble- one that you get the right agent who prices your home correctly, markets your home properly and negotiates the best deal on your behalf.

Don't gamble on your house. Trust a professional, like me :)

Buying or Selling a Home in Fairfield County Connecticut? We'd love to represent you.

Feel free to email us here or visit our main  site at

www.CThomesAndRealEstate.com

If you have a question about buying or selling Real Estate  in Fairfield County, and are in need of representation, I invite you to contact me. I know the market like the back of my hand, know marketing inside and out, am a skilled negotiator- and I'd love to be on your side :) - Judy

Wilton, Connecticut- Among the Best Places to Live in Fairfield County

Considering a move in Fairfield County, CT ? Put the town of Wilton on your list!

Wilton, Connecticut  Quick Facts: Land area is approximately 27.4 Square miles and the elevation is 250 feet. Incorporated in 1802, Wilton  currently  has about  18,079 residents in  6,155 households, 82% of which are owner occupied.  Approximately  19.5%  of the housing stock was built prior to 1950. The 2012-2013 Tax Rate is 21.05 mills.  The 2011-2012 property tax rate was 20.85

 Check out our 12 page detailed demographic report HERE. 

Wilton is another of the most affluent towns in Fairfield County, as well as in  the country, and is located in southwestern Connecticut-  bordered by Westport, Weston, New Canaan, Norwalk, and Lewisboro, New York.
In 2007,  Wilton was voted as one of CNN Money's "Best Places to Live" in the United States.

READ MORE HERE

Like Wilton on Facebook!

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Buying or Selling a Home in Wilton, or in Fairfield County Connecticut? We'd love to represent you.

Feel free to email us here or visit our main  site at

www.CThomesAndRealEstate.com

If you have a question about buying or selling Real Estate in Wilton or in Fairfield County, and are in need of representation, I invite you to contact me. I know the market like the back of my hand, know marketing inside and out, am a skilled negotiator- and I'd love to be on your side :) - Judy

2012-2013 Mill Rates in Fairfield County CT. Property Taxes Changing

Property taxes are subject to change each year as of July, 1st. 

If you came to this page looking for the new 2013-2014 mill rates, click here

All Connecticut towns prepare a budget for the year and set a new mill rate for property owners to pay for that budget. If you look at the record of your property as it exists in Town Hall, you will see that your property is appraised at one value, and assessed at another value. Your new property taxes are determined by multiplying the mill rate by the assessment, which is 70 percent of the appraised value.

We would appreciate a "like" for your favorite town or towns in Southwestern CT. Just click on the Facebook     and click on the town name for the town's history, biography, stats and demographics. There is also a place to "Like" that town on Facebook there as well, and our Facebook Town pages feature MLS access, local news, our blog posts, as well as up to the minute real estate news.

Do you love your town? So do we. Please  click on the "F" facebook logo next to your favorite town(s) and give them a "Like".

We have obtained the 2012-2013 mill rates for the following towns that we service: 

... in Fairfield County

   Darien ......................12. 68 mills
   Easton ......................29.1 mills
   Fairfield........23.37 mills
   Greenwich *No Sewers..............10.389 mills
        Greenwich  *With Sewers..............11.001 mills
  Monroe..............29.26 mills

  New Canaan............14.076 mills  (with sewers 14.699 mills)
  Newtown ..........24.37 mills
       Newtown (additional tax for Borough residents).......00.61 mills
  Norwalk Districts 1,2,3 *With Garbage.............21.331 mills
       Norwalk Districts 1,2,3 *No Garbage..........20.843 mills

       Norwalk District 4 *With Garbage......21.377 mills

       Norwalk District 4 *No Garbage...20.889 mills    

       Norwalk District 5 *Services Only......20.889 mills     

       Norwalk District 6 *Services Only.......19.483 mills

  Redding...............23.38 mills
  Shelton.........22.40 mills 

  Southport ........23.37 mills
  Stratford.........34.48 mills
  Trumbull........  30.71 mills
  Weston.........24.02 mills
  Westport.........17.91 mills

  Wilton.........21.05 mills

and New Haven County

  Ansonia.............26.25 mills
  Derby.........35.5 mills
  Milford........25.60 mills 
  Oxford..............25.6 mills
  Seymour...........32.83 mills

NOTE: Compare Last Year's Mill Rates (2011-2012) HERE

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The Featured Home of the Week is at 125 Norton Road in Easton  for $1,349,900. See the virtual tour HERE

Buying or Selling a Home in Fairfield County?  Contact us!

If you have a question about buying or selling Real Estate in  Fairfield County, and are in need of representation, I invite you to contact me. I know the market like the back of my hand, know marketing inside and out, am a skilled negotiator- and I'd love to be on your side :) - Judy

Search for properties on any of our sites, or get the very best visibility available for your home. Visit us online wherever you like:

www.CThomesAndRealEstate.com      www.TheCTrealtyBlog.com     www.TheCTRB.com    and   www.CTfeaturedHomes.com 

 Email us or  call Toll Free (855) GET-JUDY