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Across all areas and price ranges in our real estate market, we’re experiencing multiple-bid situations. There is a mass exodus out of urban areas in and around NYC, and people are coming here to get more space at a great value. In fact, we’re up nearly 8% in home value year over year. We haven’t seen a climb like that in decades, and we’re not sure how long it will last. If you’ve given any thought to selling your home in the next 12 to 18 months, now’s the time to talk to us. To learn more, watch this short video.

If you have questions about our market or real estate in general, reach out via phone or email. We would love to help you.

Selling your home? Get a home value report here

Looking to buy a home? Search all local homes for sale here

Today I’m sharing a recent interview with Dorrie Carolan, who is the executive director and founder of Newtown Parent Connection, an organization determined to educate local parents and rally community support to prevent youth substance abuse. Back in the late 1990s, when Dorrie’s son fell into the wrong crowd and became an addict, she sought to gather data, leverage community resources, and empower other parents. What started as two concerned moms has become known as a respected organization where families in crisis can turn.

Cited below for your convenience are timestamps that will direct you to various points in the video. Feel free to watch the full message or use these timestamps to skip to topics that interest you most:

1:07 — The origins of Newtown Parent Connection: Filling a void in the community

5:20 — Data from rehab clinics in Newton and surrounding areas bears ugly truth

7:00 — What topics are covered in Newtown Parent Connection forums?

9:30 — Gaining the support and commitment of the school administrators and police chief

11:45 — A victory over vaping, and evolving challenges

15:00 — Success rates for kids on a six-month program are quite high

18:00 — Newtown Parent Connection’s plans for rallying more support

19:55 — Wrapping up our conversation

I hope you found Dorrie as moving as I did. If you or anyone you know could benefit from a caring network of local parents committed to helping kids live their best lives, check out Newtown Parent Connection’s website. As always, give me a call or send me an email if you have real estate-related needs I can help you with.

Selling your home? Get a home value report here

Looking to buy a home? Search all local homes for sale here

Everybody knows that the real estate market is absolutely insane right now. Homes are selling in less than 24 hours with multiple offers at or above asking price. We haven't seen this kind of market since 2002 through 2005, and for the first time, I’m sitting with home sellers and telling them to list for more money. It’s a pretty cool feeling, and we have a lot of happy sellers.

However, I think there is something else contributing to the uptick in the market. We’re getting a lot of people coming here from Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Westchester County, all of whom are tired of their little apartments. On a national level, people are getting married later, having kids later, and buying their first home later. A home purchase is typically preceded by a major life event, whether that be a wedding, a baby, a retirement, some other change in employment status, or a divorce. All of these drive home purchases and sales. 

A lot of our first-time homebuyers are older than they used to be. When I first started my career about 15 years ago, we were more in the 28 to 35 age range. Now we’re seeing 35- to 40-year-old first-time homebuyers. That market is colliding with the New York metropolitan area market and flooding our area with buyers.

If you’ve given any thought at all to selling your home, now is absolutely the time. Your home might be worth up to $50,000 more than it was just eight months ago. 

If you have any questions for me about buying a home, selling a home, or real estate in general, don’t hesitate to reach out via phone or email. I look forward to hearing from you. 

Selling your home? Get a home value report here

Looking to buy a home? Search all local homes for sale here

Did you know that the Around Town Team was just ranked as the No. 1 team across the state in terms of homes sold and dollar volume sold? This ranking spans all brands for medium-sized teams. Most of these teams have around 15 agents, but we only have eight. Even more exciting is the fact that we’ve been ranked No. 4 across all brands and team sizes in terms of dollar volume sold and No. 5 in terms of homes sold.

What does this mean? With just eight agents, we’re servicing more people per capita per agent. We have systems that work, so if you’ve given any thought to buying or selling a home, the choice is obvious. We’re dedicated, full-time, and passionate, and we look forward to working with you soon.

If you have questions or there’s anything we can assist you with, don’t hesitate to reach out to us. We’re here to help.

Selling your home? Get a home value report here

Looking to buy a home? Search all local homes for sale here

Today I want to talk about a trend we’ve been noticing since the beginning of the winter market. Before the coronavirus hit, we were experiencing a shortage of supply, but now that shortage has been amplified. With more and more buyers coming out of New York, we have a need for supply. Homes that are priced well and in good condition are attracting multiple bids and generally last less than 72 hours on the market.

In my 15-year career, I’ve never seen this happen and I don’t know how long it will last, but it’s worth knowing whether you’re a buyer or seller. If you’d like to talk more about this topic or have any other real estate needs, don’t hesitate to reach out to me. I’m here to help.

Selling your home? Get a home value report here

Looking to buy a home? Search all local homes for sale here

The impact of COVID-19 has been profound on so many levels. A byproduct of that impact is that more and more Manhattanites are calling us looking for second homes to escape the city. Many are thinking about making Connecticut their primary residence as they continue to work remotely for the foreseeable future. This could be a knee-jerk reaction, but nevertheless our phones haven’t stopped ringing. To learn more about the situation, watch this short video above.

Selling your home? Get a home value report here

Looking to buy a home? Search all local homes for sale here

Today I’m sharing my predictions about where the real estate market is headed. I believe there is going to be a nine- to 12-month recession in the real estate market, starting from when we begin to come out of lockdown. Social distancing could conceivably continue for a long time— until we have a vaccine or better testing is available. I think we’ll see an impact comparable to what happened after 9/11. As the pandemic began, interest rates and supply were low, and demand was high— just like in August and early September 2001. To hear all my predictions, watch the short video above.

Selling your home? Get a home value report here

Looking to buy a home? Search all local homes for sale here

Today I’m talking about how quickly we’ve changed the way we do business. Crazy times call for crazy measures, and we’ve been holding virtual listing appointments, virtual home showings, and more. Business has certainly slowed down, but it hasn’t stopped. We’re continuing to do our jobs because people continue to need places to live. Even though we’re stuck at home, it doesn’t mean we can’t help people find theirs.

Selling your home? Get a home value report here

Looking to buy a home? Search all local homes for sale here

I first started in this business back in 2006 just before the Great Recession, and now, as we enter uncharted waters yet again with the coronavirus pandemic, it’s become clear that experience matters more than ever. No matter if you’re buying or selling, my team and I look forward to serving your real estate needs. Give us a call or send us an email, and we’d be happy to guide you toward success. We’re here to be your resource. In the meantime, keep yourself and your loved ones safe and healthy. Together, we can make it through these challenging times.

Today, let’s talk about the coronavirus pandemic and how it has impacted the market. Selling your home? Get a home value report here Looking to buy a home? Search all local homes for sale here In the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, it appears that a bear market recession has taken hold. How is that going to affect the real estate market? I believe that this recession has been a long time coming and that it’s an overall healthy move—I also think that it was brought about prematurely by the coronavirus and the fear the pandemic has caused. I started in this business when the market crashed nearly 15 years ago during the Great Recession, and our team thrived every single year after that—we never processed a gain of less than 20% in terms of homes sold since. We learned that the service we offer, the marketing, and our investment in our clients matter. Sellers: don’t get caught chasing the market down. This time around, those will matter to you too. I don’t think this is another Great Recession by any means. I predict that a year from now, things will have pulled back and begun to correct themselves. Sellers, keep this in mind during a recessionary real estate market: pricing is critical. If we do start to experience depreciation, don’t get caught chasing the market down because you were lured into a false sense of security by the beginning of this year’s success. Things may not continue on an upward trajectory. Pay attention to the market and listen to your Realtor. In these hard times, experience matters, and I personally believe that you couldn’t find a better team than ours. If you'd like to speak more about the market and how these volatile times might affect your real estate goals for 2020, don’t hesitate to reach out to us. In the meantime, stay safe and healthy out there! We look forward to hearing from you soon.