Hartford is the BEST market in the nation to invest in homes according to a CNBC report, citing five metrics used by Zillow.com to identify the best investment markets : Price to income ratio is low Areas where buying is a better value than renting Declines in home values are slowing Foreclosure rates are declining Foreclosure re-sales represent a higher percentage of the market Hartford has something for everyone; first-time home buyers, historic/antique home buyers, move-up or right-size buyers, new construction, and, investors, too! There are 126 single family homes on the market in Hartford. List prices for single family homes range from $49,300 for an 850 sq. ft., 2-bedroom row house to $1,194,876 for a 7,536, 6-bedroom, 5.5 bath mansion in the City's West End. There are 85 condomi... 12/27/2010

First Night in Hartford CT Celebrate New Year's Eve at Hartford's First Night!  First Night is an alcohol-free celebration of the New Year, with many venues and locations in Hartford.  Some of the events include carousel rides, ice-skating, fireworks, art exhibits, horse-drawn wagon rides, music, and many interactive activities for people of all ages.  Here is a complete list of the events. Today's Groupon is 40% off tickets to First Night.  The tickets are usually $10 per person ($2 for ages 15 and under), but if you sign up for Groupon, you can get two adult tickets for $12.  If you decide to just purchase tickets, here is list of locations that sell the wristbands for First Night. In its 22nd year, First Night in Hartford CT is the place to ring in the New Year!    Happy New Year! 12/24/2010

It was the year 1730 when a furniture merchant advertised that his furniture could be paid off weekly. This introduced the idea of the installment plan, which was then used by "tallymen". These accountant-types kept a tally of clothes that were bought with small weekly payments. A wooden stick provided the means of keeping track - with one side notched to represent the amount of debt and the other side to record payments. As the British middle class grew, clever bankers introduced the idea of overdraft protection. A type of loan that kicked in automatically if an account didn't have enough money to cover the checks written against it, (probably keeping many out of debtor's prison).  In 1914, Western Union decided to recognize their best customers with a metal card that allowed them to ... 12/12/2010

  Have you ever thought about what Christmas was like during the Victorian period (late 1800′s)? Travel back in time and get a glimpse of a Victorian Christmas on Sunday, December 12 between 5pm and 8pm on Farmington Avenue in Hartford's West End. The Harriet Beecher Stowe and Mark Twain homes will be authentically decorated and the halls will echo the sounds of the season. Take a carriage ride around Nooks Farm. Enjoy hot cocoa, sweets, carolers, and music as you experience an 1880′s Christmas celebration in two of Hartford's most famous historic homes. Admission is $20 for Adults an $10 for children. Maria HaganHartford CT Real Estate AgentEast Hartford CT Real Estate AgentWethersfield CT Real Estate AgentRocky Hill CT Real Estate AgentHomes for Sale in Greater Hartford CT Follow Mari... 12/10/2010

2010 Hartford Festival of Light Continues My last stop this evening was at Bushnell Towers, a condominium complex across from Bushnell Park. Since I was so close to the park I decided to drive by on my way home. To my delight they were rehearsing the artistic light show for tomorrow's Festival of Light celebration, "Lights, Skating, Santa Winter Festivities" at Bushnell Park. Tomorrow's program features theatrical light projections by Marc Herring Group. The artistic light show will include projections of historic Hartford scenes on the buildings and trees surrounding the park. And I drove by just in time to capture a preview of the light show. I quickly grabbed my camera and photographed the above images as they decorated the buildings across from Bushnell Park. The light show will on... 12/10/2010

  The Festival of Light Continues in Downtown Hartford     On Friday, December 10, 2010, the Festival of Light celebration continues at Bushnell Park. The "Lights, Skating, Santa Winter Festivities" will include the grand opening of the new ice rink, musical performances by The Hartford Public High School Show Choir, encore appearances by Pucky the Whale and Santa, and an artistic light show by Herring Media Group! At 4PM, Hartford Mayor Pedro Segarra will host the ribbon cutting ceremony for the new ice skating rink at Bushnell Park. Admission and skate rental are free until January 6, 2011. The skating rink will be open to the public after the opening ceremonies until 9PM. There will be a one hour performance by International skaters between 6PM and 7PM. The skating rink will be open ... 12/10/2010

A prominent industrialist, George C. F. Williams, built the Georgian Revival style residence in 1909 at 990 Prospect Avenue in Hartford CT's West-End. In 1943 the State of Connecticut decided that the Governor should have a "special" house, much like the President has the White House. The State acquired the home in 1943, renovated it, and the first Governor occupied the home sometime in 1945.   During the early 1990′s, the first lady of then Gov. Lowell Wiecher, started an annual tradition - a holiday open house. The Governor invites the public to tour the festively decorated first floor of the residence each year in early December. Local merchants and organizations donate the decorations in each room. The decorations change every year making each open house a new experience. Each visi... 12/05/2010

With businesses failing all the time in this economic climate, we are helping more taxpayers than ever deal with their company payroll tax liabilities and the assessment of the IRS Trust Fund Recovery Penalty in Hartford, CT. There are two aspects to payroll tax liabilities: the portion withheld from the employee's pay (referred to as "Trust Funds") and the employer's match for the FICA taxes (Social Security and Medicare).  If the company fails Internal Revenue Code Section 6672, referred to as the Trust Fund Recovery Penalty allows the IRS to pursue individual officers and outside companies who are responsible for the company's failure to pay over the payroll taxes. What this means for many business owners is that the failure of their business may not be the end of the story.  In fact... 11/28/2010

Credit Repair in Connecticut National Credit Fixers: 330 Roberts Street Suite 402 East Hartford CT 06108 phone: 860-282-6181. National Credit Fixers boasts of 14 years experience repairing low FICO scores. Whether your credit has been damaged by a foreclosure, bankruptcy, slow credit, collections, judgments, repossessions, etc. we can help. We are the experts in credit restoration and credit repair. We have helped numerous residents of Connecticut and are experts in Connecticut credit repair. If you live in Connecticut you are in luck.  We are a top national company for credit repair and just happen  to be located right here in East Hartford CT.  I know my competition and there are some other good companies out there but I can not find anyone else in CT who does anything close to what w... 10/31/2010

First Night Hartford New Year's Eve Party.  First Night Hartford is an alcohol free, public celebration with activities, and performances for all age groups.  This year there will be 2 fireworks displays, one at 6pm and one at midnight in Bushnell Park. Events happen throughout the city at venues like the Public Library, City Hall, The Old State House, State House Square, Wadsworth Atheneum, Center Church and Charter Oak Cultural Center, The Bushnell Carousel and more will participate in the fun as they welcome the public on First Night Hartford. First Night celebrations are world wide in over 100 communities.  This year (2010) is the 22nd annual. To get in to all of the First Night Hartford events you will need tickets.  They will go on sale online and at advance locations on November ... 10/20/2010

Bank of America has announced they are STOPPING foreclosures in 23 states effective immediately.  BOA has been foreclosing rapidly and one employee stated she signed off on 7-8000 foreclosures in 1 month!  How can anyone be able to conduct accurate foreclosures at that rapid pace? The foreclosures which have been conducted may NOT have had the correct documents.  This opens up the possibility of many lawsuits. Complete article: http://www.azcentral.com/business/realestate/articles/2010/10/02/20101002bofa-delays-foreclosures.html   What the article does NOT say is "if the foreclosing bank does NOT have the original signed note" the lender does NOT have the legal right to foreclose. Mortgages are sold and many are sold often enough that the original documents do NOT follow the mortgage. M... 10/02/2010

  The Hartford Marathon will be held on October 9, 2010 starting at 8:00 a.m.  In addition to the full 26.2 mile marathon, participants can choose to run a half-marathon, a 5K race, a team relay, or a kids' run.  The marathon, half-marathon, and team relay begin on Capitol Avenue in front of the state Capitol. The 5-K starts at 8:00 on Washington Street at Buckingham Street.  The kids' race starts at 9:30 on Jewell Street just east of the Memorial Arch.    Registration is still open.  You can register online until 8:00 a.m. on October 1, 2010, but you can register in person on October 7 and 8 at the XL Center.  There is NO registration on race day. The Hartford Marathon has plenty of opportunities to raise money for official charities or your favorite charity.  The ING Hartford Maratho... 09/16/2010

There are four primary components to any credit score; the scorecards, the characteristics, the variables and the weights. Scorecards - The scorecards are actually scoring models but cannot stand alone as a freestanding credit scoring system.  All properly designed scorecards are built to evaluate the risk of a homogenous population.  Bankrupt consumers is one example.  "Consumers with thin credit reports" is another example.  There are many more examples of scorecards but FICO and other model developers don't generally disclose the exact definitions. The purpose of having multiple scorecards in a model is to optimize it's performance for all different consumer credit file types.  If your credit score just had one scorecard then it would likely do well for one group of consumers and per... 08/29/2010

The Taste of Hartford has been an annual event in Hartford for years, allowing us to sample the great restaurants in Hartford.  The Taste of Hartford 2010 is no exception.  While for years the Taste of Hartford was held on Constitution Plaza and people walked the Plaza sampling the great treats, it changed a few years ago to an event that gives restaurants a greater opportunity to shine in their own kitchens. The 2010 Taste of Hartford features three-course dinners for $20.10 at a variety of city restaurants, begins Monday July 26th and continues through Sunday August 8th.  This gives the restaurants an opportunity to bring dinners out to see their restaurants, not just grab a bite from a tent on the Plaza.  An opportunity to really get to see what the restaurant is like.  The different... 07/20/2010

Fireworks will be at 9:00 on July 10th as a part of Riverfest.  Looking to view the fireworks, check them out from from Mortensen Riverfront Plaza and Charter Oak Landing in Hartford, Great River Park and Founders Plaza in East Hartford, and from along the river in many areas in Hartford and East Hartford. The Hartford fireworks will be part of Riverfest.  This year is the 30th Riverfest and the activities will make this years as great as past years.  Check out live music, traditional children’s games and activities, and tons and tons of food at this true American festival. And last but not least, don’t miss the best fireworks show in New England! Riverfest is so much more than just fireworks.  Check out the Riverfest website for complete information.  The fun stats at 4:00.  You find i... 07/04/2010

With the economy as shaky as it is, you may want to make great financial move now by using a Qualified Personal Residence Trust in Hartford, CT. Among the many estate planning moves we assist clients with, one is to transfer away a principal residence or second home to a Qualified Personal Residence Trust, also known as a QPRT. So what is a QPRT? A QPRT is a trust into which the individual transfers their residence.  The grantor of the trust (meaning the person making the transfer of the property to the QPRT) retains use of the property for a set number of years.  This retained use of the home in the QPRT creates a reduction in the value of the gift, or discount.  That means an individual can gift away their property, obtain a discount, and avoid any future appreciation on the property ... 07/02/2010

Free kitten with every credit repair! One of our three kittens has been adopted!  We have two left.  If you or someone you know is in need of a kitten please let us know.  We are fostering them until we can find good homes for them.  Here is a photo of the two cuties we have left.  ☺ MattToll Free: 888-NCFIXER (623-4937)Toll Free Fax: 888-FAX-4020 (329-4020)Local: 860-282-6181330 Roberts Street 4th FloorEast Hartford, CT 06108 credit repair company  06/17/2010

What is the Maximum FHA Mortgage Loan in Hartford, CT The maximum FHA Mortgage Loans is different for each county and also for a 1, 2, 3 or 4 family/unit house.  So here are the current maximum FHA Mortgage Loan limits for Hartford, CT:  Single Family Home $440,000 Two Unit Home $563,250 Three Unit Home $680,850 4 Unit Home $846,150   The loan limits are similar in Middlesex and Tolland County.  They are lower in Litchfield, New London, New Haven and Windham Counties.  The loan limits are higher in Fairfield County.     What is an FHA Mortgage? An FHA Mortgage loan is a loan that is insured by the Federal Housing Administration (FHA). FHA does not actually provide the loan; it insures the mortgage for the lender. Should the borrower on an FHA mortgage default the lender may receive paym... 05/17/2010

I am celebrating another ActiveRain Milestone! 250,000 points !!! A big thank you to ActiveRain  and all of you who make ActiveRain special!   ☺ MattToll Free: 888-NCFIXER (623-4937)Toll Free Fax: 888-FAX-4020 (329-4020)Local: 860-282-6181330 Roberts Street 4th FloorEast Hartford, CT 06108 credit repair company  05/15/2010

A blond southern man had a flat tire, pulled off on the side of the road, and proceeded to put a bouquet of flowers in front of the car and one behind it.  Then he got back in the car to wait.  A passerby studied the scene as he drove by and was so curious he turned around and went back. He asked the fellow what the problem was. The man replied, "I have a flat tire." The passerby asked, "But what's with the flowers?" The blond southern man responded, "When you break down they tell you to put flares in the front and flares in the back. I never did understand it neither." ☺ MattToll Free: 888-NCFIXER (623-4937)Toll Free Fax: 888-FAX-4020 (329-4020)Local: 860-282-6181330 Roberts Street 4th FloorEast Hartford, CT 06108 credit repair company  04/25/2010