Looking for a New Home, and Need What Seems to Be the Impossible?

The excitement of searching for a new home  is all- consuming, but what if what you desire in your next home seems next to impossible? You don't necessarily have to lower your standards.

I repeat, you don't necessarily have to lower your standards.

A great real estate agent will help you to begin the process by asking lots of questions, and LISTENING. Questions like, what are your must haves, what are your "absolutely nots", and what are the nice to haves, and what are the "it doesn't matter one way or the others".

The initial conversations about your home search criteria, and subsequent discussions with your agent will help you determine if your expectations are reasonable or not. And guess what? Your expectations may not be unreasonable. It may just be a matter of your agent working hard for you to get you that home.

As a buyer client, you don't ever need to  apologize for putting an agent "into a box". A good agent should never feel like you did, and would welcome the challenge to get you that perfect home. (I know I do.) While we are on the subject, don't ever feel the need to apologize   to your agent because you want what you want, or  because you don't like the home they just showed you, if that's the case.

There are plenty of agents that will be happy to find you your next home, as long as it doesn't take too much time or effort. Weed those agents out, and find an agent who is diligent on your behalf. The rest is easy.

Check out some of my own customer reviews- My prior clients were happy to write them, and I am happy to share them.

Your next Realtor,

Judy

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

Living in Fairfield County CT- Otherwise Known as Beverly Hills East

All you have to do is mention that you live in Fairfield County Connecticut to most anyone in the country, and they have probably heard of it- they may even recognize a few towns here, too- and that kind of notoriety can only come with what all Fairfield County residents know, but may not be able to explain very quickly. It's just that certain "je ne sais quoi" that maybe comes from having a consistently fine reputation for its wealth, property values, the public school systems, and its close proximity to New York City.

While you can do some searching online and find out information about the individual towns in the county, it's not that easy to get an  overview of the County itself, which we have found quite interesting, and have put together some information for you  in order to fill that void.

A little demographics and history:

Fairfield County is located at the southwestern part of the state of Connecticut,  and one of eight counties with a land area of approximately 626 square miles, Although it is the most populous county in Connecticut, it is fourth in the size of its land mass. (Litchfield is the largest county, and Middlesex is the smallest)   There is roughly about 211 square miles of water area within the county which does not include Long Island Sound. Cost of living index is at 142.8 as of January 2011.

One of the original four counties settled  during colonial times in 1666, Fairfield County is the wealthiest county in Connecticut and sometimes referred to as "Beverly Hills East" or "The Gold Coast". While Connecticut still refers to counties, there is no countywide government. Each municipality manages itself. In 1960, the state abolished county government, and  it is used mostly now for geographical reasons, with the exception of the organization of its judicial and state marshal systems.

This southwestern portion of Connecticut is comprised of  twenty three towns, which include Bethel, Bridgeport, Brookfield, Danbury, Easton, Fairfield, Greenwich, Monroe, New Canaan, New Fairfield, Newtown, Norwalk, Redding, Ridgefield, Shelton, Sherman, Stratford, Trumbull, Weston, Westport and Wilton. Check out each town's Facebook Fan Pages, too. We have a dedicated page  For our Facebook Town connections with links to all the towns that we service.

There are so many great places to explore in Fairfield County, they would be too numerous to list. A few highlights include the Norwalk Maritime Aquarium and IMAX Theater, The PT Barnum Museum. The Beardsley Zoo and The Arena at Harbor Yard located- the latter all located in Bridgeport,  The Audubon Centers in Greenwich and Fairfield are popular, and there area as many historical sites as you could possibly imagine. VisitFairfieldCountyCT.com has a comprehensive list of attractions broken down by Art & Antiques, Points of Interest, Recreation & Activities,  Shopping, Touring by Car, Foot, Boat & Bike, Vineyards and Farms.

So where to buy your next home?  Get a feel for the majority of  Fairfield County towns right here on our website. Just click the town of your choice that is listed above to get interesting history, facts and demographics about each town, and even search the MLS for your dream home- right on the town's respective page. When you are ready to buy or sell your home in Fairfield County Connecticut, just contact us and we'll get you the very best deal possible!  It's what we do best.

Buying or Selling a Home in Fairfield County? We'd be honored 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

BUYER TIP: Ways to Tell If There Is, (Or Was) Any Water in The Basement.

One of the biggest concerns that most buyers have is whether or not the basement has gotten, or continues to get water seepage, and if so, how much?

Sometimes, you do not want to rely on the seller statements- after all, they ARE trying to sell their home, and may ...ahem...- conveniently forget that the basement has had seepage,  they may downplay the amount, or much worse- try to hide it entirely.

So, it's Caveat  Emptor (Let the Buyer beware in Latin)

There are some ways to ascertain whether the basement  (or cellar) does get water. You just have to know where to look.  These are  some hidden clues, that I look for when showing a home.

First, are the sellers storing anything in the basement?
Why? They live there. If they are not concerned about water damage, they will store items of importance in the basement.
HINT: If the main level of the house is spotless, and everything has its own place, lack of storing anything in the basement  may not necessarily mean that the basement is wet, or gets any dampness.

Next,  are the items that are stored on a  raised platform?

Why? The owners are either 1) concerned about dampness on the item being stored, or 2) the owners have always placed their items on a platform.
HINT: Check for signs of dampness  or old stains on whatever was used to raise stored item from the floor.

Was the basement floor obviously recently painted?
This can be a red flag. In other words, what is the seller trying to hide?

Does the owner use the garage for storage, but not the basement?
Another red flag. The garage is at grade level, and will very  rarely get water.
HINT: Some sellers just do not want to go down a flight of stairs. This clue is not always a red flag.

Check the basement walls, and perimeter.
Look  for signs of efflorescence, (white chalky substance on concrete walls) and  if the lower level is finished, look closely at the  wood molding on the floor, and the sheetrock or paneling .  Is anything buckled, or does it have signs of staining from water damage?

Look for rust on any metal in the lower level.
That includes lally columns, a boiler or furnace, or anything built in.  Unscrupulous sellers that try to hide dampness will most likely forget to " hide" this .

Look in the rear of any enclosed storage areas, (such as under the stairs).

Sellers forget about hiding any evidence here, too.

One other thought:

Is there a wet vac downstairs? Hmmm.

NOTE: A dehumidifier does not necessarily mean that the hosue gets any water. Also, the presence of a sump pump should not deter you from purchasing a home.  It is a device to ensure that no water does get in.

Lastly, I am not a building inspector.   Do not rely on these clues SOLELY when buying  a home. When you purchase a home, it should be contingent upon your favorable review of a building inspection. The inspector that you hire should be  very skilled in  deciphering the clues that a wet or damp basement leaves behind.

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

Buying or Selling A Home in Fairfield County with Facebook is Easy!

Our town-based Facebook Pages are THE place to go in your social media travels for all things real estate! We've improved our Facebook presence and upgraded every one of our  twenty Town-based  pages. We service home buyers and sellers in most of Southwestern Connecticut, including most of Fairfield County and parts of New Haven County. 

 Enhanced Facebook Town Pages !

Each town page already features free MLS access, local news specific to the town, a town bio, relevant real estate articles, and our blog posts, besides the latest listings. We JUST added new tabs for school and education information, the town  website,  and Judy's professional bio, if you haven't seen it already.

We invite you to stop by any one of our town pages. Just click on the little "F" next to the town (or towns) below to stay current  on the real estate market in that town, or for your favorite town related websites all in one place.....and please tell your friends - we would truly appreciate a "Like' .

When you need to buy or sell a home in any one of our towns, please give us a call, and get  "The Facebook Advantage" to work for you. 

.. in Fairfield County

   Darien
   Easton
   Fairfield
   Greenwich
  Monroe

  New Canaan
  Newtown
  Norwalk 

  Redding
  Shelton

  Southport
  Stratford
  Trumbull
  Weston
  Westport

  Wilton

and New Haven County

  Ansonia
  Derby
  Milford
  Oxford
  Seymour

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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

$599,500 Easton- REDUCED OVER 50K for Quick Sale- Open 6/24/12

OPEN HOUSE Sunday June 24, 2012  from 1-3:30PM at 125 Mile Common Road in Easton, CT

WOW! PRICED WELL BELOW MARKET VALUE. Don't miss this completely remodeled 2800 SF+ home! There's 4-5 bedrooms,  3 full baths, a 1350 SF deck, and this home is  on 3+ acres in the sought after Aspetuck area of Easton.

For more information, visit this home's website
125 Mile Common Road, Easton CT 06612

If you would like a private showing, or more information, please call or text Exclusive Listing Agent Judy Szablak at (203)257-5892 or just send us an email

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Buying or Selling a Home in Easton? We'd love to represent you.

Please visit our main  site at

www.CThomesAndRealEstate.com

If you have a question about buying or selling Real Estate in  Easton, 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