Easton's Best Deal of the Week- 125 Mile Common Road for $599,500

If you have been looking for a home in Easton, CT, look no further- This home is:

• the best priced home in an exclusive enclave near the Westport line - and close to the Merritt

• Over 2800 square feet

• on 3 level acres

• 4-5 bedrooms and  has 3 full baths (one bedroom on main level can be den or office)

• an entertainers dream with a 1300 square foot TREX deck

• Fully applianced  with an updated kitchen with granite and beautifully updated baths.

• in Move in condition.


• $599,500

• Click here for more details

Call Judy today for your private showing. (203) 257-5892 or
email Judy here

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Buying or Selling a Home in Fairfield County? 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

AND.... If you have an idea for a topic that you would like to see on The CT Realty Blog, please include it in the "Post a Comment" section link below this post. We appreciate the feedback and look forward to providing you with the best real estate content, advice and service in Fairfield County, Connecticut.

Which is Better? Buying a Short Sale vs. Foreclosure

Looking for a great deal?  There are a number of wonderful opportunities in the real estate market nowadays, and if you are willing to put in some work, consider buying a distressed property. That is, either a  short sale or foreclosed home.

But which type is best for you?

First, a "short sale" is when the homeowner owes more than the home is  worth, and the listing price is set based on the comparable sales in the neighborhood. 

The offer to purchase is made to the owner, although the final decision to accept a purchase contract must be made by the bank (or banks) that hold the mortgage(s).  

The short sale process can be  somewhat unpredictable because it depends on the responsiveness of the mortgage holder.  It is difficult to predict how long it will be before the short sale is either approved or rejected, and as a note, these homes are usually sold "as-is".

If you have flexibility about when you need to move and are willing to wait out the process a short sale may be a great option.  However, if you need to move quickly a foreclosure may be a better choice.

Different from a Foreclosed Home.

The bank already owns a foreclosed home.  The listing price has been set by the bannk's asset manager. The acceptance of an offer on a foreclosed home is usually a much shorter process than on a short sale, and most foreclosures are as-is sales as well.

First of all, if title insurance is available on the foreclosed home, then most financial experts agree that it is safe to buy. (Check with your attorney)  That way, you are protected from the former owner coming back to seize the home back, it is was wrongfully foreclosed.  

Bank foreclosures are also called REO properties (real-estate owned by a bank).  Finding an REO property follows the simple common sense rule as everything else in life – buyer beware. Many of these homes fell into foreclosure months before they come on to the market, and many of them have fallen into further disrepair. Another caveat- Once a home has been empty for months, it can fall into such a bad condition that it no longer qualifies for a mortgage. Cash would be king, if this were the case.

Either a short sale or a foreclosed home can be an amazing deal for the right purchaser.  When looking at either short sales or foreclosure properties, make sure you do your homework first, and hire the right agent to represent you in your quest... and that would be me!

Buying or Selling a Home in Fairfield County? 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

AND.... If you have an idea for a topic that you would like to see on The CT Realty Blog, please include it in the "Post a Comment" section link below this post. We appreciate the feedback and look forward to providing you with the best real estate content, advice and service in Fairfield County, Connecticut.

Homeseller Tips from Realtor Judy Szablak on Martha Stewart Living Radio

For all you fans of Martha Stewart anything, I am honored to tell you that I will be a guest on Martha Stewart Radio this Monday morning June 11th on "Morning Living" with co-hosts Betsy Karetnick and Brian Kelsey, of KelseyOnTheHouse .

I am scheduled to be on the air during the morning drive- that's between 8 AM and 8:30 AM, and will be giving some tips on preparing your home for sale.

So make sure you tune in! It's Channel 110 on Sirius XM Satellite radio!

Buying or Selling a Home in Fairfield County? 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

AND.... If you have an idea for a topic that you would like to see on The CT Realty Blog, please include it in the "Post a Comment" section link below this post. We appreciate the feedback and look forward to providing you with the best real estate content, advice and service in Fairfield County, Connecticut.

Marketing Your Home to Sell on Facebook

There are many ways to market a home to attract buyers, however, there is one very useful "tool" that is currently under-utilized by many agents.  That, is Facebook. Currently, Facebook has over 900 million users, and it is expected to grow to over one billion by 2013.

One Billion! With those kinds of numbers, why wouldn't you want your home advertised on Facebook? And advertised in a BIG way, to local buyers?

We would like to thank all of our fans, and are proud to announce that we have just received our 1,000th fan on our 24 geographically targeted Facebook pages for Fairfield County Connecticut.

Facebook statistics show that on average, each Facebook user has approximately 130 friends. Any post shared by any ONE of our 1,000+ fans  just eight times would result in an additional ONE THOUSAND  views. That's a thousand MORE potential buyers. That's the power of viral marketing, and the power of Facebook.

What can you find on our Facebook Fan Pages?

Each of our pages feature our blog posts, interesting real estate news, weekly finance and mortgage updates, local news and events, as well as FREE access to the MLS. We also feature our  own listings, and the best real estate deals. There is not one other agent in Fairfield County that can do the same, or even come close.


Want to learn more? Visit and like any one (or all) of our pages, receive our timely updates on the market, and be the first to know about the best real estate deals out there! If you are selling your home, contact us to get that exponential exposure.

Click HERE to View Our pages

Buying or Selling a Home in  Fairfield County?

We'd love to Represent You!    

     

Feel free to email us here, Contact us on Facebook 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

AND.... If you have an idea for a topic that you would like to see on The CT Realty Blog, please include it in the "Post a Comment" section link below this post. We appreciate the feedback and look forward to providing you with the best real estate content, advice and service in Fairfield County, Connecticut.

All About Carpenter Ants, Preventative Measures, and Your Connecticut Home

Ants are among the most prevalent pests in households, restaurants, hospitals, offices, warehouses, and virtually all buildings where food and water can be found. While mostly harmless to humans, ants (especially carpenter ants) can cause considerable building damage.

Ant Behavior

 

Ants are social insects that live in colonies divided into three castes: queens, males and workers. Most of the ants you may observe, which are responsible for gathering food, are sterile female workers. Winged males and females will leave the nest to mate, and to find suitable locations for new colonies. After mating, the males die and the impregnated females (queens) shed their wings and lay eggs that will hatch into the legless, grub-like larvae. The queen takes care of these larvae as they develop until they finally become pupae. Within a few weeks, adult worker ants emerge from these pupae and take over the job of tending the young.

 

Distinguishing Ants from Termites

Winged ants are often mistaken for winged termites, which also leave their nests to mate. These insects can be distinguished from one another by three main characteristics:

• The ant’s body is constricted, giving it the appearance of having a thin waist, while the termite’s body is not constricted.
• The ant’s hind wings are smaller than its front wings, while the termite’s front and hind wings are about the same size. Wings might not always be present, however, as both species eventually lose them.
• Winged female and worker ants have elbowed antennae, while the termite’s antennae are not elbowed.

Termites and ants both construct nests in moist wood, but ant nests are typically smoother and lack mud structures commonly found in termite nests. Also, termites actually subsist on wood, so the structural damage they leave it their wake is generally more severe than that caused by ants, which merely tunnel through wood.

Nests

Carpenter ants nest in both moist and dry wood, but they prefer moist wood. Accordingly, nests are more likely to be found in wood dampened by water leaks, such as wood around bathtubs and sinks, poorly sealed windows and door frames, roof leaks and poorly flashed chimneys. Nests are especially common in moist, hollow spaces, such as the wall void behind a dishwasher and in a hollow deck column. As there will often be no external signs of damage, probing the wood with a screwdriver helps reveal the excavated "galleries." Another technique for locating hidden nests is to tap along baseboards and other wood surfaces with the blunt end of a screwdriver while listening for the hollow sound of tunneled wood. If a nest is nearby, carpenter ants often will respond by making a rustling sound within the nest.

Inspection

The following clues are evidence that a building is host to an ant infestation:

• long trails of ants, perhaps numbering in the hundreds or thousands. Ants assemble in long trails along structural elements, such as wires and pipes, and frequently use them to enter and travel within a structure to their destination. Follow the trail to locate their nest or their entry point, such as an electrical outlet, or gap along a baseboard or around a water pipe;
• a few straggler ants. These are scouts in search of food and nesting sites. They, too, may be followed back to the nest to betray their family;
• holes or cracks in walls or foundations, especially where pipes enter the building, and around windows and doors. These can provide entry points for ants and other insects. Kitchens are other food storage and preparation areas are particular problem areas;
• frass deposits. Frass is the fine sawdust produced after galleries are carved out of the wood. If you suspect that a piece of woodwork hosts a gallery, you can tap on it with a screwdriver tip and see if any dust falls away;
• a distinctive rustling sound similar to the crinkling of cellophane. Ants are small, but nests are large enough to produce perceptible noise; and
• outside, inspect for nests in mulch and vegetation next to the foundation. Check under potted plants, patio blocks, stepping stones, in piles of rocks, lumber and firewood.

Exclusion Practices

 

A number of steps can be taken by homeowners to reduce the potential for future ant problems, such as:

• Store food items that attract ants, such as sugar, syrup, honey, and pet food in closed containers. Wash them to remove residues from outer surfaces.
• Rinse out empty soft drink containers or remove them from the building.
• Thoroughly clean up grease and spills.
• Remove garbage from buildings daily and change liners frequently.
• Correct roof and plumbing leaks and other moisture problems that will attract ants.
• Eliminate wood-to-ground contact, such as where landscaping has pushed soil or mulch up against the wood siding of a home.
• Clip back tree limbs and vegetation touching the roof or siding of the house. Limbs and branches serve as bridges between tree limb nests and the structure.
• Seal cracks and openings in the foundation, especially where utility pipes and wires enter from the outside.
• Stack firewood away from the foundation, and elevate it off the ground. Never store firewood in the garage or other areas of the home, as firewood is a major ant nesting area.

In summary, ants are complex creatures that create structural defects in buildings. Inspection and exclusion techniques should be practiced.

by Nick Gromicko and Rob London

Nick Gromicko, FOUNDER. http://www.nachi.org
International Association of Certified Home Inspectors (InterNACHI) is the world's most elite, non-profit inspection association.
President, ComInspect, www.cominspect.com
Director, Master Inspector Certification Board, www.certifiedmasterinspector.org
Author, 15 books and Co-Host of  http://www.NACHI.TV

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And a note From Judy: If you have a question about buying or selling a home in Fairfield County, and are in need of an Realtor to represent you, I invite you to contact me, and if you have an idea for a topic that you would like to see on The CT Realty Blog, please include it in the "Post a Comment" section link below this post. We appreciate the feedback and look forward to providing you with the best real estate content, advice and service in Fairfield County, Connecticut.