GemOfTheWeek.com

Not sure how “Gem-like” this post is since I typically don’t do the “celebrity house” thing.  But, since this particular celebrity house is located in Westport (and my typical Sunday Gladys Kravitz Property Transfers post isn’t ready because my sources have not updated the transfers yet), I figured what the hey…

Phil Donahue & Marlo Thomas’ house on Beachside Avenue is for sale.

For the record, I LOVED That Girl as a kid. I thought Ann Marie lived a terribly exciting life and her clothes were fabulous. I wonder if they’ll have a tag sale to empty out before they move

Next weekend is Memorial Day and it’s the official start to the summer beach season. Around here, if you don’t get a beach sticker, then you are out of luck going to the beach! Don’t wait until it’s too late, click on the links below for your town and register (towns are in alphabetical order).

Don’t forget your sunblock!

Norwalk:

Stickers    Beach Hours & Rules

Fairfield:

Stickers    Beach Hours & Rules

Easton:

No info available, check with Fairfield for eligibility there.

Weston:

Stickers    Beach Hours & Rules

Westport:

Stickers    Beach Hours & Rules

Wilton:

No info available, check with surrounding towns for eligibility there.

Here’s a fun quiz to determine your “Architectural Personality”. I was a ranch style house and I happen to live in one…hmmmm maybe there’s more to this than meets the eye!

After you take the quiz, post a comment in the comments section about what type of house you are vs. the type of house you currently live in. Let’s see if this quiz works!

Take the quiz here.

Here are the stats from last week for comparison to this week.

Active listings are up 1.5% vs last week, meaning we have some new inventory. Anecdotally, I feel like I am seeing “better/fresher” listings on the Realtor “hotsheets” in the past week which hopefully will pull some buyers off the proverbial fence.  Houses having an accepted offer are down 8% vs last week, perhaps we can attribute that to Mother’s Day which is traditionally a very slow week in real estate. Listings with contracts pending are up 6%, but that just indicates deals are moving through the system. Solds are up 20% (off a low base) vs. last week and taken-off-the-market listings are down vs. the prior week.

I am happy to see inventory moving through the system.

(please click on chart to make it larger if needed)

The other day I was reading a popular Westport blog, 06880, and there was a wonderful post about the genesis of Westport’s Staples High School and the local businessman, Horace Staples, who insisted upon the town’s need for such an institution.

Believe it or not, there were those who did not see the need for the high school at the time. After a long stretch of “town apathy”, the project finally took hold and a building was erected for the purpose. The Governor at the time, Thomas Waller, arrived in town for the school’s dedication festivities. The Westporter, the local newspaper, made note of the Governors speech by simply saying, “A good high school will increase the value of property, and raise the price of onions.”

As I posted not long ago, a recent study asserts there is a direct correlation between property values and the ratings of a town’s school system. Property values in towns with well rated schools are, on average, $205,000 higher.

Oh how farsighted our forefathers were.

The one thing I find so interesting about real estate is just how all-encompassing it is. Real estate affects so many different sectors of the economy it is crazy.

Here’s a video that discusses how the real estate slump affected carpet sales and how those sales are starting to come back which, using the same thinking in reverse, is very predictive of a turning point in the real estate market.

I ran across an article on CNNMoney that lists different tactics for getting the best deal on a mortgage. For example, I never realized that if you are self-employed it might be more beneficial to use a mortgage broker vs. going directly to a bank. As they say, you learn something new every day.

See if there’s anything here to help you.

…and Moms are the heart of the home.

Happy Mother’s Day to all!

I am unexpectedly interrupting this blog to let you know that I am doing an impromptu open house this afternoon at a FABULOUS house in Greenfield Hill in Fairfield.

Here’s the M-O:

What a gorgeous day to look at blooming Dogwoods and stunning houses!

The Annual Dogwood Festival celebration takes place this weekend in Greenfield Hill from 10a to 5p.

After you’re done at the festival, stop by to take a look at this newly listed and fabulous house at 763 Eleven O’Clock Road.

This house, built in 2009, is better than new! A gracious Colonial with 4 ensuite bedrooms and a newly finished 3rd level.

The house is full of custom details such as tray and coffered ceilings, custom kitchen cabinets, crown moldings and transom windows everywhere.

Just as stunning as the house is the property. The private, flat back yard abuts a nature preserve. The houses sits at then end of a quiet cul-de-sac.

This home is a fabulous AND a good value.

Check out what people recently paid for property in your town.

Westport

Fairfield

Easton

Weston

Ridgefield

Wilton