Whoa! What a fun ride we had on this transaction! The property was listed by 2 previous real estate agents from other companies in Glastonbury, CT.  The unit had only 2 bedrooms that were both upstairs in a complex that senior citizens love.  The owner wanted to beat the sales price in that complex for a 2 bedroom unit - at least for the past 7 years.  The colors of most of the rooms are probably not on the palette of most desirable colors of most people these days and the owners were not going to re-paint the rooms.  The owner had a niece who is a real estate superstar in MD and wanted to know about the transaction every step of the way, give her input and she wanted to get a sizable referral fee.  So I wondered...did I want this listing?  Could I help them?  Would they be happy at the... 01/27/2017

Ralphie MayHas appeard on “The Late Late Show”, “Jimmy Kimmel Live”,  “The Dog Whiperer“, “Ron White’s Vegas Salute to the Troops”, “The Burn with Jeff Ross”, “Comics Unleashed”, "Extreme Makeover – Home Edition” , “Chelsea Lately” and  “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.” Ralphie May At The Pond House Grille & Banquets TreeHouse Comedy Club.  Ralphie May who is a very well know Comedian as you can see from the list above, will be performing at the Pond House Grille & Banquets on February 16th.  This is a rare opportunity to see Ralphie May on a small local Connecticut stage as apart of the TreeHouse Comedy Club.  For those who are not familiar with the Treehouse Comedy Club, it is Connecticut‘s original and first full time comedy club. The Treehouse first opened in Westport, Connecticut ... 02/04/2014

I just had a closing where in the seller canceled the utilities for the July 8th contract date.  A week prior, all parties learned the closing was scheduled for the 9th. The seller never canceled the shut off order – their Realtor never reminded them to do so either…we almost didn’t close; we couldn’t perform a proper walk thru with no power. My clients would not close in escrow and there may have been banks fees involved or other delays if we didn't close on time.  I had asked my clients (in email) 2 weeks prior to be sure to change utilities in their name.  On July 8th morning, I sent another email confirming they had done so already and learned they had not – they had forgotten.  So, they called CL&P and learned power was shut off on that day!  We asked for a rush to get it back on. ... 07/12/2013

Board of Education Budget—The Town Council has voted to send to Public Hearing a school budget representing an $800,000 cut to the Board of Education approved budget for next year (2013-2014). The Public Hearing and subsequent Town Council vote to adopt the final school budget will be held on March 26th at 7 pm in the Glastonbury High School Auditorium. For more information about the school budget, please visit the BOE Budget page on the web portal. 03/19/2013

Bait and Switch?   What should have started off as a perfect transaction ended up with me questioning the buyer, the buyer agent and everything else …..   I listed a lovely “starter” home last summer, an offer came in pretty quickly with a good price and the buyer was pre-qualified for a conventional loan.  I sat with seller and we went over: price terms and conditions and she countered the buyer with a new price only since the terms and conditions were acceptable.  The buyer agreed to the counter and we entered into a contract.   Inspections were held pretty quickly. We had some items the buyer was looking to be repaired.  My seller was thoughtful about the repairs being asked of her and even though money was very tight, she agreed to some of the repairs which included replacing one wi... 03/19/2013

Glastonbury CT residents, its that time of year again when we have to start thinking about what to do with the kids once school is over!   Our town’s parks and rec program is ready online and brochures have been mailed out.   Registrations will be accepted on-line beginning March 19, 2013 starting at 8am. There a few exceptions such as Camp Sunrise and pool passes; please consult the brochure for further exceptions.   Mail in registrations are processed daily at random but will not be processed before March 19. 03/16/2013

Accorinding to William Raveis Housing Market Newsletter, in February 2013, as compared to February 2012, the housing market in New England and New York generally continued to see increases in unit sales, average sales prices and price per square foot, with few exceptions. All of these indicators point toward a growing and strengthening housing market. With interest rates still low now is a great time to buy.   03/16/2013

Routine roof maintenance can save money in the long run A small, undetected roof leak can lead to major issues inside a home. One way to prevent this from happening is to perform routine maintenance. It’s a good idea to talk with an experienced contractor about routine roof maintenance. The National Roofing Contractors Association recommends a home’s roof should be inspected in the spring and fall to help spot potential problems early. The NRCA’s guidelines include: ·         Cleaning gutters. ·         Checking shingles for damage. ·         Inspecting around chimneys, pipes and skylights. ·         Examine interior walls and ceilings for water damage. Many reputable roofing companies offer free repair estimates. Routine maintenance can save homeowners a lot of money in the long run. S... 03/12/2013

That's right!  Homes in Glastonbury are selling at 97.7% of asking price in the month of January. Sales were up 88.9% as compared to January of last year. Sales to list price ratio in January moved up to 97.7% from 95.4% in December. Glastonbury CT market remains strong and in several points is very competitive. Buyers looking to purchase in Glastonbury CT should be aware they may be entering into a competitive market and should be armed with al the sales data when making offers.   Last but not least, they should hire a Glastonbury CT top agent to help them successfully purchase their next home. Call me to help you achieve your home buying success!  03/05/2013

Stay tuned – I will be listing a lovely 4 bedroom ranch style home in Glastonbury CT soon!   Set in a neighborhood with public sewer and gas heat.  This lovely 2500+ sf Ranch home has 4 bedrooms and storage galore.   Like sidewalks? This listing has it and more. Convenient to shopping and highway access too.   The price point to be determined but I can tell you it will be in one of the HOT markets in Glastonbury CT. 03/03/2013

While i feel like it should be a memorable post and that I should blog about something epically important to real estate: the fact of the matter is that i am sitting on the couch of my daughter and son-in-laws new house aching from painting dark wood trim, white.   If you know circa 1970's raised ranches, them you know the task I have taken on and how utterly time consuming it is!   We decided to lightly sand then apply a product called Gripper..it's basically a stain blocker and can handle the task of "first coat".  But that is it.  We still neef to apply 3 even 4 more coats of semi- gloss white to all trim. We are on our 3rd coat in some places and 2nd in others.  At this point, we will let it dry then apply painters caulk to any area with gaps.  This will ensure a neat finish after w... 03/02/2013

Yes, as a buyer activity looking to purchase a home you should have a Mortgage Pre-Qualification letter ready before you enter that first address in your GPS to see. I put together a few key points to consider why it is important to obtain your mortgage pre-qualification FIRST. Point #1: Both you and your Realtor will have a clear understanding of your goal price range for a home purchase and will be confident that you will be able to obtain mortgage commitment (or mortgage approval) once you find that home. Point #2: Your Realtor will show you properties in the price range you were qualified to purchase.  You won’t be shown homes that you won’t be able to afford and thus won’t go through a “grieving” process when you realize you won’t be able to afford paying for an-over-your-budget ho... 02/28/2013

William Raveis, Chairman and CEO of William Raveis Real Estate, Mortgage & Insurance announced the affiliation of Linda Edelwich to the Glastonbury office. We are pleased to welcome Linda to our Glastonbury team, stated Mr. Raveis. “Linda’s commitment to her community and her clients is exceptional. We are confident that her background and experience will greatly enhance the value they bring to customer relationships,” Mr. Raveis also stated. Since becoming a Realtor® in 1998, Linda has embarked on a stellar career as a multi-million dollar top-producing Realtor. This is a testament to her skill in real estate along with her passion for helping people. Linda is a Certified Relocation Specialist as well as an Innovative Marketing Specialist. “From our first meeting until you turn the key... 02/28/2013

Had to share this! So delish! I found this recipe originally on Donna Hay - but found it again to share ...yummy!   brownie cookies with peanut butter frosting   350g dark chocolate, chopped 40g butter 2 eggs ⅔ cup (150g) caster (superfine) sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract ¼ cup (35g) plain (all-purpose) flour, sifted ¼ teaspoon baking powder, sifted peanut butter frosting 1 cup (160g) icing (confectioner’s) sugar mixture 1 cup (280g) smooth peanut butter 80g butter 1 teaspoon vanilla extract ⅓ cup (80ml) single (pouring) cream Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F). Place 200g of the chocolate and the butter in a small saucepan over low heat and stir until melted and smooth. Set aside. Place the eggs, sugar and vanilla in the bowl of an electric mixer and whisk for 15 minutes or until pale and ... 02/26/2013

Visit www.161ManchesterRoad.com for more pictures and details about this home! This  Glastonbury CT home is move-in ready! Just minutes from fine shopping, grocery and highway access. Glastonbury is Located 10 miles southeast of Hartford, 102 miles to New York City and 90 miles to Boston.   Features huge backyard, 3 ample sized bedrooms - hardwood floors throughout (under carpet upstairs). Open floor plan - huge family room with fireplace. Deck overlooking pretty yard. Whole house fan to assist with cooling.  Remodeled bathrooms. Den has built in and pretty moldings.   Windows are newer too.    Hopewell School District.   Huge living room and open floor plan - you will love to call this home.   Impeccable!!   For more info about this lovely home, be sure to call me.  For more info about... 02/26/2013

Glastonbury resident and William Raveis Real Estate Agent, Linda Edelwich has been recognized with the 2013 Five Star Professional Real Estate Agent Award for the third consecutive year. Presented by Connecticut Magazine , this award is designed to measure overall satisfaction and is based on a survey sent to Connecticut area residents who purchased a home over $150,000. The award process is conducted annually and less than 7% of the real estate agents qualify for the Five Star award. Linda was rated on her real estate experience based on the following criteria: customer service, integrity, market knowledge, communication and negotiation skills, closing preparation, helping customers find the right home, marketing the home being sold and overall satisfact... 02/26/2013

From my mortgage broker Jennifer Baron William Raveis - Core Inflation Remains Low   It was a quiet week for mortgage rates. Most of the economic data came in close to expectations and the Fed Minutes contained no major surprises. As a result, mortgage rates ended the week just slightly higher.   The primary message that investors received from the highly anticipated Minutes from the January 30 Fed meeting was that Fed officials remain divided on the outlook for the Fed's MBS and Treasury purchase program. The Fed's current position is that the program will continue until substantial improvement in the labor market takes place, specifically until the Unemployment Rate declines to 6.5%, as long as inflation remains below 2.5%. According to the Minutes, concern about the costs and the ris... 02/24/2013

I just read this..Crain’s New York Business: Spending on new residential construction jumped 54% in 2012 from the prior year and has more than doubled since 2010. That led to an overall expansion of 5% for the design and construction industry in 2012 – In my market, we have a housing shortage – yes there are homes on the market but the inventory is so low and buyers are out there in droves! Do you see signs of a housing recovery too?   02/13/2013

How Was I Selected? Consumers in Connecticut were asked if they had experience working with a real estate agent. Consumers who agreed, participated in the survey by providing the name of the real estate agent and rated that individual according to key criteria such as integrity, negotiation and closing preparation. I have been told by reps, that surveys were sent to Connecticut area residents who recently purchased a home over $150,000 (more than 30,500 households) within a 12-month period (April 2011 to April 2012) and 1,000 subscribers of Connecticut Magazine and additionally there were 250 surveys sent to mortgage companies and title companies in my area. The survey data was collected and scored, resulting in the list of 2013 Connecticut Five Star Real Estate Agents. Their research m... 02/12/2013

Celebrating 10 years! This month, January 2013, marks 10 years as a full-time real estate agent assisting families meet their real estate needs. I'm so exciting to be celebrating this milestone in my career and look forward to celebrating many more. See it was a little over 11 years ago when I was working in the corporate sector that I realized I needed a new career where I could help others, work independently, and still use my marketing and problem solving skills. I found just that and more as Your Central CT Realtor. Thank you to all my past, present and futures clients for giving me the opportunity to work with them to find their wonderful new homes. And thank you to my fellow Realtors for sharing their experiences and helping to make me a better a Realtor! I want to continue to giv... 01/06/2013