A SAMPLING OF CURRENT HOMES ON THE MARKET

49 S. Water Street #2L Condo $349,000
149 Byram Road Single Family $565,000
190 Henry Street Single Family $615,000
18 Arther Street #A Condo $659,000
14 Comly Terrace Single Family $700,000
228 Pemberwick Road Single Family $974,500
104 Ritch Avenue Condo $1,195,000
225 W. Lyon Farm Condo $1,200,000
420 W. Lyon Farm Condo $1,595,000
83 Duncan Drive Single Family $1,685,000
31 Harkim Road Single Family $2,400,000

Top 5 Home Improvement Projects based on cost & ROI

According to the HomeGain survey, the top five home improvements that Realtors recommend to home sellers based on cost and return on investment (from highest to lowest ROI) are:

1. Cleaning and de-cluttering ($200 cost / $1,700 price increase / 872% ROI)
2. Home staging ($300 cost / $1,780 price increase / 586% ROI)
3. Lightening and brightening ($230 cost / $1,300 price increase / 572% ROI)
4. Landscaping ($320 cost / $1,500 price increase / 473% ROI)
5. Repairing plumbing ($385 cost / $1,250 price increase / 327% ROI)

Greenwich Real Estate News - Winterizing for a Sale

With snow in the forecast, it’s time to face the facts—it’s almost winter here in CNY.

If you haven’t started winterizing your home, this might be a good weekend to do it. December is full of one holiday event after another (is anyone else looking forward to Lights on the Lake?), and you probably won’t think about it again until early January.

If you’re preparing to sell your home, wintering does more than just keep your heating bills a little lower, it can help with the sale. When a potential buyer sees that your home keeps out the cold (and keeps in the warmth), they’re going to appreciate it, especially if they are viewing the home on a very blustery and cold winter day.

Start by sealing the windows. The plastic coverings work great, but aren’t very attractive, so try to avoid using them. Sealing caulk works well, though. Replace any broken or cracked window panes, or, if you can, update windows with something more energy efficient.

Have your heater inspected and cleaned. Don’t forget to change the filter. The buyer’s inspector will look at the furnace, and if it looks recently cleaned and is in good shape, the home will look more attractive. While you are in the basement already, don’t forget to check for any drafts coming through any windows or openings down there. It’s easy to forget the basement, especially if it hasn’t been remade into living space. Also, if you have a fireplace, have the chimney cleaned out.

Replace draft guards or weather stripping on the doors. Make sure that the doors all close firmly, and that no cold air can seep through. Replace any screen doors with storm doors, and make sure that there is a mat outside for stomping snow off on, and one inside for setting wet shoes on while they dry. You don’t want to be doing last-minute mopping before an open house to get rid of muddy boot prints. Also, make sure that you have buckets of rock salt near each entrance, and remember to use it before showing the home.

Clean out your duct. Heating ducts are home to all kinds of nasty bacteria, mold and dust. You should be having them cleaned at least once a year anyhow, but it is especially important when you are trying to sell your home. It shows that you have taken care of the home while it has been in your possession, and that will give the buyer confidence about the rest of the home.

Winterizing your home is a good idea, whether you are selling or not. Cold Greenwich nights, combined with the almost constant winds, can suck the heat right out of a home if you are not prepared. Winterizing also gives potential buyers a reason to choose your home over a similar home they may have been considering; especially if the other seller has not taken all of these steps. Spend the weekend, get it taken care of, and your buyer will thank you.

A SAMPLING OF CURRENT HOMES ON THE MARKET

45 Moshier Street Condo 470,000
15 Pemberwick Road Multi Family 599,000
14 Dale Drive Multi Family 639,500
351 Pemberwick Road #204 Condo 690,000
128 Henry Street Single Family 750,000
35 Grey Rock Drive Single Family 818,000
75 Richland Road Condo 895,000
39 Glenville Street Single Family 979,500
68 North Water Street Multi Family 1,100,000
85 North Bowman Drive Single Family 1,500,000
9 Game Cock Road Single Family 1,595,000
17 Stillman Lane #35 Single Family 5,395,000

Country Estates And Manors - Career Opportunities

Country Estates And Manors, a premier independent real estate boutique in Greenwich, Connecticut recruits highly-motivated, hard-working agents for our distinguished firm.

We pride ourselves on our friendly, dynamic, state-of-the-art work environment and hands-on training. Members of our firm operate as an interactive team, offering the highest level of integrity and personal service to our clients.

Country Estates And Manors would welcome qualified new additions to our company.

Please mail your resume to our office for consideration.

MAIL TO:
Country Estates And Manors
32 Field Point Road
Greenwich, CT 06830

Phone: 203-340-9777
Fax: 203-340-9778
E-mail: Click here

A SAMPLING OF CURRENT HOMES ON THE MARKET

7 Wellington Pl Single Family 499,000
55 Glenville Street Single Family 749,000
58 Moshier Street Single Family 759,000
123 W. Lyon Farm Dr Condo 895,000
520 W. Lyon Farm Dr Condo 1,395,000
45 Upland Drive Single Family 1,595,000
48 Glenville Road Single Family 1,800,000
26 Meadow Lane Single Family 2,250,000
121 Valley Drive Single Family 2,680,000
20 Oak Street Single Family 3,350,000

Greenwich Real Estate Market Explained

Rental Income Can Pay For Retirement Home

By PATRICK BARTA

Question: My husband and I have purchased a new home. We plan to retire in approximately five or six years to New Hampshire. Would it be wise to purchase a small home in New Hampshire now as a second home in a small college town, while the rates are low?
—Terri Ann

Terri Ann: By all means buy your retirement home now -- if you think you can keep it rented until you move in.

It's hard to predict which way interest rates and home prices are headed in five years. What's certain is that at their current level -- about 6.25% for a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage -- interest rates are near their lowest levels in decades. If you buy a $200,000 home, you'd be paying $1,230 a month, compared to $1,480 a month if you bought a home at the average interest rate of the 1990s (about 8.1%).

The trick is making sure your cash flow from the second home doesn't turn negative. In other words, you'll want to be reasonably confident you can rent out the house for at least $1,230 a month. (Actually, you'll probably need to fetch a bit more than that, once you factor in the maintenance costs and taxes you'll be paying to own the home.) Assuming you can get that kind of rent, consider the upside: You'll essentially have someone else paying off your mortgage for the first five years, meaning you'll inherit a home with at least a part of the mortgage already paid, and a relatively low interest rate locked in, to boot.

It's a no-brainer.

Buying a second home now will help you hedge against further home-price appreciation. Say home prices keep rising at their historical average of about 4%. In that scenario, the $200,000 home you might buy today will cost about $243,000 in five years. Even though your income likely will have risen by then, giving you added purchasing power, you'll still be saving yourself some money if you buy now, and that's before factoring in any potential added costs from higher interest rates. Plus, if you ultimately decide you don't want the house, you can always sell it in five years and buy another home, with some extra home equity in your pocket to help make the deal.

Here's the downside: If home prices fall, you might wind up paying more for your house than you needed to. But it's far from certain that prices will fall, and even if they do, they could easily run up again by the time you're ready to buy. Also, a lower price could be offset by a higher interest rate.

Of course, much of this is moot if you don't think you can snag a tenant to cover the monthly mortgage payment until you move in. If you fail to get a tenant, or locate one who pays only half the rent, you'll be out a big chunk of money each month just to lock in a low interest rate today. For most people without deep savings accounts, that's an important risk factor to keep in mind.

But if you're fairly certain you can keep the house occupied -- or you're not afraid to dip into savings to make the mortgage payments -- hop on a plane to New Hampshire. Interest rates aren't likely to go much lower.

Greenwich Real Estate Market Explained

Spruce Up Your Home To Earn Offers Quickly

By PATRICK BARTA

The housing market has cooled. If you're trying to sell, how can you make your house stand out?

Spruce it up. Big repairs aren't smart. Sellers rarely recoup all their money on big remodeling projects. But minor changes like fresh paint, new plants or better outdoor lighting, can pay off.

Fix little problems that no longer bother you but are glaring to potential buyers, like doors that stick, or stains on the wall. You'd be amazed at how often people show homes with a broken toilet.

Consider a decorator. Some real-estate agents refer sellers to decorators who provide tips on how to make homes look better with a tiny investment. Some decorators can even lend you new furniture.

Market aggressively. Pick an agent who uses technology to your advantage. Get one with a good Web site, to show virtual house tours or video clips. It's best if agents use professional photographers. Many agents take pictures themselves, with mixed results.

Try incentives if the house isn't moving -- prizes like a new television or cash for agents who bring in buyers, or concessions to the buyer such as extra repairs or closing costs.

Slash the price as a final option. A "good, reasonably priced house in a good neighborhood is always going to draw.