What are Those Test and Reset Buttons on my Outlet? I would like to explain what exactly is a GFI. A GFI, or GFCI, as it is known, stands for Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter. It looks like a regular outlet, but it has two little buttons in the middle. There’s a test button and a reset button, and they are designed to turn off when they detect moisture. They are required in various places in the home, including bathrooms, on the kitchen counter, garages, basements, as well as your swimming pools and any outdoor outlets. There are a few locations in the home in which they should never be installed and that is if in the event that this GFI trips, that it can cause substantial damage. For instance, you should never plug in life-sustaining equipment or a sump pump into a GFI. It happens all... 01/07/2014

List To Be Pro-Active or Reactive ~ Annual Home Property Check. Recently I had the pleasure of working with a homeowner who wanted a property manager to be on call when things broke. Their philosophy was to react to emergencies instead of prevent emergencies. There were a number of minor items that I pointed out that should be addressed such as:- improper furnace operation… the fire door needed to be open otherwise the furnace would stop working storm doors off hinges unsecured gates smoke & CO alarms plus extinguishers inspected and maintained. Their response was that they did not need these services and that I need not mention such issues again. To quote Ben Franklin "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure". Needless to say we are not servicing their residence anymore. Below ... 12/15/2013

Darien Real Estate Market Up October 2013. 11/12/13 Year-Over-Year, Year-To-Date October real estate market in Darien, Connecticut has seen an increase. Year to date 2013 compared to 2012 an increase of sold homes of 2.1% and increase of average sales price of 9.5%. In the month of October compared to last year new listings are up 33.3% along with pending sales up 13.6% as well as average sales price. Currently on the Darien MLS there are 114 single family homes listed for sale starting at $479,000 and going all the way up to a record setting $30 million for a waterfront estate.         Darien, Connecticut is a residential community of approximately 20,000 residents that spans approximately 14.9 square miles along Long Island Sound. Darien is only 38 miles from New York City, making for... 11/11/2013

Responsibilities of Landlords and Tenants in Connecticut. Be it in Connecticut or any other part of the country Landlord ~ Tenant relationship is a two way street. Every state has their own specific laws for rental property and here in Connecticut the Judicial Branch has put together a PDF to help landlords and tenants understand the current laws. “Rights and Responsibilities of Landlords and Tenants in Connecticut” is a 36 page on-line pamphlet that addresses a number of issues and responsibilities that can come up between a Landlord and Tenant such as:- The purpose of a lease and what should be in it. Responsibilities of the Tenant. Responsibilities of the Landlord. Apartment walk through and checklist. Discrimination and Fair Housing Law. Security Deposits how much can be charged and... 10/21/2013

 Average Home Sale Price UP 7.63% for Darien, Ct. October 2nd, 2013. The average sold home price compared to same time last year is UP $113,315 in Darien, Connecticut. Year To Date 230 homes have sold in Darien at an average price of $1,597,992. To view current homes for sale or rent in Darien and other Connecticut municipalities click here.           David Popoff is a certified “Green Homes Specialist” Realtor with William Pitt Sotheby’s in lower Fairfield County, Connecticut.   DMK Property Management llc a locally owned company serving lower Fairfield County, Connecticut. Specializing in Residential Property Management that can custom tailor a program to fit the homeowners needs be it short term or long term from rental management to full estate management. cell 203-228-0646 E-mail D... 10/02/2013

What is a color plan?   Moving into a new home can be intimidating.  How will your existing furnishings fit in?  Will each room be used as you intended?  Will it require a lot of additional expense to make it "yours," and give it a personal touch?   Take a bit of time to get acquainted with your new home before you do ANYTHING!  Give yourself some planning time.   Statistics indicate that construction-wise what we don't fix in the first couple of years will not be completed for at least five years, so the basic "bones" of your new home need to fit your needs.   COLOR IS A GOOD WAY TO REVISE THE MOOD AND DEFINE THE USE OF EACH ROOM!  Colro can pull together very disparate ideas, short of doing a very expensive redecorating project.   First - look at the big picture.  Let's do a mental "w... 09/27/2013

Guide to Creating a Rain Garden, Connecticut. The purpose of a rain garden is to collect water runoff from roof and other impervious surfaces so not to overload our public drain system. The rain garden will collect the rain water and provide a natural filter/pollutant filter of plants before return the water to the ground water system. Rain garden are shallow depressions about 6 inches deep in the landscaping that are typically planted with local area shrubs, perennials and mulch. Rain gardens are designed to infiltrate the water quickly, usually around 4-6 hours. Residential rain gardens are usually sized to hold one inch of water runoff. Some of the plants that you can find in Connecticut rain gardens are; Red Maple trees, Dogwood and Blueberry shrubs, Ferns and other flowering Perenn... 09/16/2013

Oil vs. Propane for the Homes. For heating and hot water what is preferred and what is more economical can vary from region to region. Here in the northeast you will find in many area’s homes that have been heated by oil for decades. While some of the larger municipalities have an infrastructure of natural gas, many homes need to have fuel delivered to run the heating system which means your options generally are oil or propane, both requiring tank storage. Propane has becoming popular and prices seem to have been coming down a bit since the majority comes directly from the United States. Another reason for its popularity is that the new heating systems that use gas are becoming more efficient compared to oil systems. Measuring heating systems is expressed in percentage and is called th... 08/27/2013

2012 Energy Code = Super Energy Efficient Homes.   The 2012 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) will improve a home’s energy efficiency 30% more than that of current homes being built following the 2006 IECC. Currently six states have adopted the IECC 2012 codes or an equivalent energy code, with it being law in Illinois and Maryland and currently being adopted in California, Washington, Massachusetts and Rhode Island. 30 states have are using the IECC 2009 code that is approximately 12 to 15% more efficient than the 2006 code. By 2015 at least ten more states are planning to adopt the 2012 IECC code by the end of 2015. What does this mean to new home builders and owners? Some of the requirements for the new changes in the Residential 2012 IECC codes are: Mandatory whole house... 08/21/2013

Darien Real Estate Market Prices Up, Supply Down ~ July 2013. August 14th, 2013 Year to Date the real estate market in Darien, Connecticut has seen a rise in average sales price of 8.25% along with new listings down 13.2% from 334 YTD in 2012 to 290 YTD in 2013. Currently on the Darien MLS there are 112 single family homes listed for sale starting at $375,000 and going all the way up to a record setting $30 million for a waterfront estate.       Darien, Connecticut is a residential community of approximately 20,000 residents that spans approximately 14.9 square miles along Long Island Sound. Darien is only 38 miles from New York City, making for an efficient commute by car or Metro North Commuter Railway of 55 minutes to Grand Central Station, Manhattan.   For all your real estate needs... 08/14/2013

Fairfield County, Ct. Property Tax Mill Rates  2013. In Connecticut the property tax rate is expressed in mills or thousandths of a dollar. A tax rate (mill rate) of 11.74 mills is equivalent to $11.74 of taxes per $1,000 of assessed value. The property assessment by each municipality is equal to 70% of the fair market value of the property as established by the municipal Assessor. Each town sets its own mill rate; some municipalities have different mill rates for different districts within that town. Assessment dates for property on the Grand List must be assessed by October 1st of the preceding year. So for property taxes due July 1st, 2013 and January 1, 2014 are determined from assessments computed by the town assessor prior to October 1, 2012. Typically the majority of Connecticut ... 08/03/2013

Tips to Finding Local Doggie Day-Care & Boarding. Our dogs are part of the family yet sometimes when we go on vacation we need to leave them at home. As a property manager at DMK Property Management here in lower Fairfield County, Ct I get asked on a regular basis if I offer such a service. Dealing with tenants, maintenance issues along with rentals and sales keep my days full. But I have found a few good websites that can help pet owner find doggie daycare services be it at their home, another home or boarding house/kennel. It is amazing the services some of these places have such as swim time, private yard, and kennel quarter to private suites with TV’s….. Sometime I wonder who is getting the better vacation. DogVacay is a website that list local dog sitters who can come to your house... 07/30/2013

                             Fairfield County, Connecticut Property Tax Mill Rates.                        July 2010. click on this link for --> Connecticut Property Tax Mill Rates ~ 2013.Connecticut Property Tax Mill Rates ~ 2014UPDATE ~ 2015 Property Tax Mill Rates for Connecticut & Fairfield County. The property tax rate is expressed in mills or thousandths of a dollar. A tax rate (mill rate) of 11.74 mills is equivalent to $11.74 of taxes per $1,000 of assessed value. In Connecticut the property assessment is equal to 70% of the fair market value of the property as established by the municipal Assessor. Each town sets its own mill rate; some municipalities have different mill rates for different districts within that town. Assessment dates for property on the Grand List must be asse... 07/26/2013

Connecticut Property Tax Mill Rates ~ 2013.July 25, 2013.UPDATE ~ 2015 Property Tax Mill Rates for Connecticut & Fairfield County.In Connecticut the property assessment is equal to 70% of the fair market value of the property as established by the municipal Assessor. The property tax rate is expressed in mills or thousandths of a dollar. A tax rate (mill rate) of 11.74 mills is equivalent to $11.74 of taxes per $1,000 of assessed value.Each town sets its own mill rate; some municipalities have different mill rates for different districts within that town. Assessment dates for property on the Grand List must be assessed by October 1st of the preceding year. So for property taxes due July 1st, 2013 and January 1, 2014 are determined from assessments computed by the town assessor prior to ... 07/26/2013

Mid-Year Darien Real Estate Market Report ~ 2013. July 23, 2013. The real estate market in Darien, Connecticut has seen a steady rise in prices for this year with the Average Sold Price Year to Date up 7.9% compared to same time last year. Homes sold year to date   compared to last year are down 11.94% but along with that new listing supply are down 12.07% for the same time period. Currently on the Darien MLS there are 133 single family homes listed for sale starting at $375,000 and going all the way up to a record setting $30 million for a waterfront estate. There are 19 homes listed for under a million dollars with 48 listed from $1 to $2 million on the Darien MLS.     Darien, Connecticut is a residential community of approximately 20,000 residents that spans approximately 14.9 square... 07/23/2013

Residential Property Management for Darien, Ct. DMK Property Management offering estate and property management services in Darien, Connecticut.  DMK property management services are tailored to the owners needs and to what the property requires. We specialize in residential property management where the property is well maintained, the tenants receive prompt response and the owner has less worries.  Services are offered for short term and long term situations: Weekend Homes. Weekly Rentals. Seasonal Rentals. Long Term Rental. Investment Properties. Full Property Management. DMK Property Management’s team is a combination of local knowledgeable managers who each have over twenty five years of hands on experience in property maintenance. Sample of Services. Key holder service. Review ten... 07/22/2013

Darien, Conn. Waterfront Home Lists for Record $30 Million. July 19, 2013 WSJ reports record high listing for Darien, Connecticut of a 17 room waterfront French Country Manor for sale at $30,000,000. The 17,000 square foot home sits on 3.7 acres with views on the Manhattan skyline on clear days. Among the many features the home sports are 8 en-suite bedrooms, 7 fireplaces, library, and formal dining room all with water views. With 380 feet of shoreline the property overlooks Long Island Sound along with a half-moon shaped infinity pool, pool house and a stone pier and floating dock. Interested in buying or selling in Darien please call licensed real estate agent and property manager David Popoff affiliated with William Pitt Sotheby’s International Realty, 203-228-0647.         David Pop... 07/20/2013

Single Stream Recycling @ Darien, Ct. Darien, Connecticut like many of the municipalities in Connecticut are switching to single stream recycling because it saves money, more items are accepted and easier for consumers to use. Remember items should be only lightly soiled which means a quick rinse. Also items not accepted are: Hazardous waste Liquids Paints Asbestos Pathological or medical waste Barrels, cylinders, fire extinguishers, propane tanks and seal containers.           David Popoff is a certified “Green Homes Specialist” Realtor with William Pitt Sotheby’s in lower Fairfield County, Connecticut.   DMK Property Management llc a locally owned company serving lower Fairfield County, Connecticut. Specializing in Residential Property Management that can custom tailor a program to fi... 06/27/2013

Darien, Ct Make Forbes Top 25 List Best Place To Retire. Forbes magazine has put together a list of the best places to retire in the United States if you are looking for a high-end retirement lifestyle. Darien, Connecticut is one of two locations in the New England states that made the list. Darien is about an hour train ride from NYC on the Long Island Sound “Gold Coast” of Connecticut and boasts nine private clubs for yachting, swimming, tennis and golf.       To look for homes for rent and sale in Darien, Ct please click here for an easy to use search.     David Popoff is a certified “Green Homes Specialist” Realtor with William Pitt Sotheby’s in lower Fairfield County, Connecticut.   DMK Property Management llc a locally owned company serving lower Fairfield County, Connecticut. Spe... 06/17/2013

 InforGraph ~ What Renovations Have Best Returns.  Here is an easy to read Inforgraph on what renovations have the best resale value. Another great source is the Remodeling Magazine 2013 Cost vs. Value report that shows the national average of cost-value ratio of different projects in different regions of the USA.   The national data of the Cost vs. Value report compares the average cost of 35 popular remodeling projects with the value of those projects retain at sale. You can view national data for the projects or go to regional data for a more detailed look as well as mid-range vs. high-range remodel values.     Source: eLocal.com   David Popoff is a certified “Green” Realtor in lower Fairfield County, Connecticut. cell 203-228-0646 email DavidPopoffCT@hotmail.com     DMK Property Man... 06/12/2013