Tips on Choosing the Right Size Home For You in Fairfield County CT

One person's idea of small is someone else's idea of just right, and yet someone else's idea of large.  The right size is quite a subjective question.

There are a few great ways to be able to tell what size home is right for you, and bigger isn't necessarily better, just as smaller isn't necessarily easier to maintain.  Here are a few easy ways  to figure out the square footage range that will make you most happy for your next home.

Your first step is to ascertain the size home that you are living in right now, and whether you feel it's just a tad too small, way too small, or on the flip side- a tad too big, or just way too much for you to want to continue to handle.

If you don't know the size home that you are living in right now, your real estate agent (me!) can easily find that out through town records- that also holds true for rentals, by the way.

After having a conversation with you, your Realtor should be able to tell  just how much bigger or smaller your next home's square footage should be, in order to optimize your home search.

For example, let's say that your current home is just under 2,000 square feet, but you want another bedroom and a family room. That may very well mean that you should look in the 2500+ square footage category.

Maybe your 2,000 square foot home just does not have enough storage for your liking- so let's make sure we have some unfinished areas for storage that can at least double what you have.  The actual living area may not need to change, so if we need to stay within a particular budget, we may still be able to look at 2,000 square foot homes with different configuration, or even a different style.

Or maybe that 2,000 square foot home is just too big, or too much to reasonably maintain. We can look at smaller homes that offer you the same, or reasonably similar interior features that you have grown accustomed to, while, downsizing unnecessary rooms.

Square footage is a number to start with, but not the be-all and end-all. An experienced real estate agent (like me) can guide you the process of what's right for you.

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 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: Find out more about Judy here

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

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

The Newest National Housing Stats- What You Probably Didn't See

Monthly housing reports always trigger headlines.  And today’s National Association of Realtors Existing-Home Sales Report for November is no exception.  Here are three nuggets of information that might get lost in the media coverage:

1. Median existing home prices are going up: The November national median existing-home price for all housing types is $196,300.  This is $15,700 more than this time last year, and $32,100 more than November, 2011.
2. Homes are selling fast: The median time on the market for all homes was 56 days in November, which is approximately 8 weeks. Last year at this time, the average time on the market was 70 days, approximately 10 weeks.
3. And faster!: Maybe the most important stat was buried in the seventh paragraph.  Get this, 35% of all homes sold within 30 days.  Wow! 

There is clearly demand for homes, but that demand is not being met by supply, since we also learned that inventory, the amount of homes available for sale, is at a 5.1 month supply.  While that might sound like a lot, it is a full month below a traditional balanced market of 6 months.  Therefore, in most locations around the U.S., supply is not meeting demand and therefore sellers are in the driver’s seat equating to higher prices.

One other interesting thing I find fascinating in each NAR report is the use of the term “median.”  Quick!  Are you smarter than a 5^th grader?  What’s the difference between median and average home price?

Median is the exact middle point of all homes sold while the average is the cumulative sales number, divided by the number of sales recorded.

But what does a median home look like?  I thought it would be fun to see and found five Coldwell Banker listings from around the nation that matched the nation’s current median price of $196,000:

• Beautiful ranch style home on three acres in Wakefield, NH
• 4-bedroom 2.5 bath family home in Lake Jackson, TX
• Home with two units – one to live and one to rent – in Prineville, OR
• 4-bedroom 2 bath home in Pooler, GA
• Home with a scenic lake view in Winter Haven, FL

The preceding was an excerpt from a Guest post from Dianne Falaguerra with our partner agency CooperKatz on "Coldwell Banker Blue Matter"

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

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: Find out more about Judy here

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

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

This Week's Edition of National Real Estate News 8/19/2013 (Video)

This week's national real estate news update -Foreclosures down for the year,   buy small- pay less,  keeping calm when selling your home, buying time is here!  Click here for more- about moving, selling and  buying strategies and interest rates.

Click here for this months newsletter and our video news channel.

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: Find out more about Judy here

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

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

Weston CT Ranks as Number 2 in Top Earning Towns from CNN-Money

Population: 10,388
Median family income: $275,154
Median home price: $755,000

In picturesque Weston, you can see your neighbors if you're feeling sociable, but you don't necessarily have to. Well-heeled locals enjoy the privacy of sprawling estates, thanks to zoning that makes the minimum lot size here a roomy two acres.

Residents often compare Weston to nearby Westport but find they can get more house for the money here. Meanwhile, an outstanding small school system gives students the feel of private education at a public school price.  Read the entire article from CNNmoney here.

Do you like Weston? So do we! Please like our facebook page dedicated JUST for this beautiful town.

Looking for more information on Weston? Click here!

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

If you have a question about buying or selling Real Estate in Weston or 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:  Find out more about Judy here

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

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

This Week's Edition of National Real Estate News 7/29/2013 (Video)

This week's national real estate news update -New construction sales up 29% since 2012, five signs it's time to buy a home, and home prices up nearly 20% in some areas.  Click here for more- about moving, home buying strategies and interest rates.

Click here for this months newsletter and our video news channel.

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: Find out more about Judy here

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

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