Hundreds of Westporters and out-of-town visitors took advantage of the glorious weekend weather toattend the Westport Library’s Annual Summer Book Sale.  The sale featured more than 80,000 books, arranged in 40 categories  and displayed throughout large tents, set up on Jesup Green, in front of the library. A special collection of  books were on display inside the library, including a signed Andy Warhol edition, which sold early Saturday morning, for $1,000. Also for sale were DVD's,CD’s, videos and music cassettes.   According to one book sale volunteer, attendance was up this year, likely due to the wonderful weather. When asked if the popularity of ebooks had an effect on sales, she said the only possible impact was in the hardcover, fiction category.   Just a short distance from the... 07/24/2012

  WESTPORT Market Trends Report June 2012     Westport, Connecticut had a great Spring market with rising prices and decreasing inventory.  In fact, prices have been rising over the past 12 months, so this is not just a Spring market artifact.  The amount of inventory that the market can absorb has not improved, however.   We look at the absorption rate over a 12 month period (see chart above), which means that it would take 14 months to sell every home currently on the market in Westport. Although it is still a Buyer's Market in Westport, it is in line with many other Fairfield County towns. It is one of the few towns with sale prices significantly higher than a year ago. If you are thinking of buying or selling in Westport, please call Gail Robinson, REALTOR, at 203-521-0768 for a co... 07/21/2012

Easy to Use the New “How2Recycle” Label. The easy to read recycle label for consumer use is now out on packages from large and small retailers alike. The How2Recycle label is under a soft launch period from the beginning of 2012 till first quarter 2013. How2Recycle is looking for feedback during the soft launch and to have a permanent implementation after the soft launch. The label is designed to be flexible to accommodate the ever evolving recycling practices and innovations.  You can find the How2Recycle label at the following stores, click here for link. The How2Recycle label is made up of five pieces of information for each unique packaging component:- Packaging Material Packaging Component Recyclability Icon Special Instructions Program Website Along with that there is a special ve... 07/16/2012

    Homes For Sale-Market Report Westport CT 06880 May, 2012 Market Time Days on market of 115 in May was down modestly from 125 in April but way up from 80 in May of 2011. Months of supply of 15.5 in May was up a bit from 14.1 in April and up substantially from 12.4 in May of 2011. Prices Median price for Homes for sale in Westport CT of $1,250,000 in May was up 3.3% from $1,210,000 in April and up 5.3% from $1,187,500 in May of 2011. 3-month average sale price of $1,571,131 in May was up modestly from $1,524,841 in April and up somewhat from $1,339,376 in May of 2011. Sales Homes for sales in Westport CT in May were 31. This is down 26.2% from 42 in May of 2011. Sales/list price ratio in May moved up to 92.4% from 92.2% in April. Homes For Sale-Market Report Fairfield CT 06824, May, 2... 06/26/2012

  The year started on a high note, with Westport single-family home sales surging 44% in January, compared with January 2011. While February and March unit sales held even with 2011, March statistics showed improved activity in the upper end of the market. One-third of the homes sold, closed above $2 million. However, the promise of a strong spring market quickly disappeared, as each successive month posted disappointing sales results. Year-to-date (6/20/12,) single-family homes sales were down 11.5% vs. the corresponding period, a year ago.   At the same time, inventory at the high end of the market continued to grow. This resulted in the current price distribution of homes available for sale, appearing to be out of synch with what the market will support.     Through the first half of... 06/21/2012

  WESTPORT Market Trends Report May 2012     The Westport, Connecticut real estate market is improving. The 3 month comparison shows that  both the number of sales and market prices have increased.  The amount of inventory that the market can absorb has only improved slightly.   We look at the absorption rate over a 12 month period (see chart above), which means that it would take12 months to sell every home currently on the market in Westport. Although it is still a Buyers Market in Westport, it is in line with many other Fairfield County towns. It is one of the few towns with both 3 and 6 month trend indicators showing rising prices. If you are thinking of buying or selling in Westport, please call Gail Robinson, REALTOR, at 203-521-0768 for a consultation. 06/14/2012

  WESTPORT Market Trends April 2012   Westport is is the only town to show increases in Average List Price and Sales Price for the past six months.  However, it would take 13.6 months to sell off all the inventory in Westport (the 12 month rate is used), so it is still a strong Buyer’s Market in Westport. (A balanced market is 6 months of inventory and less than 6 months is a Seller’s Market.)  The Average Homes Sold Per Month figure shows fewer homes are selling and spending more Days on Market before selling, so we have mixed indicators for this market.  When all the indicators in the 3 month column are green, we will have consistent, positive market trend indicators for this market.   05/30/2012

At 9 A.M., Saturday, a steady stream of cars began arriving at the Westport/Weston Health District to participate in Westport's 4th annual Community Shred Day.  After showing     proof of residency, drivers were assisted by volunteers from                    Staples High School's irreverently named SLOBs (Service League of Boys) to unload up to eight bags or 3 boxes of personal, confidential and  sensitive papers, to be shredded. Each car was charged $5, to help defray the cost of the SECURE Eco Shred truck. As the noon closing time approached, approximately 130 residents had taken advantage of the town's shredding service, according to Pat Scully, Manager of the Selectman's Office. Also on hand, Town Clerk, Patty Strauss said Shred Day continued to be a popular, annual event and this y... 05/13/2012

On Friday, Wesporters flocked to the much anticipated opening, of Terrain, a super-sized home-decor and garden center. Following a final few weeks of intense activity, the center opened, as promised, in time for Mother's Day Weekend.                                      In addition to the large outdoor nursery                   and greenhouse, the store features a                  potpourri of indoor plants, decorative                   containers, hand-made furniture, kitchen                  and home accessories, beauty lotions,                   jewelry, and edibles. Terrain also                   offers landscape design services.                                                            Also featured, inside the store, is a coffee     bar, offering a wide choice of beverages and ba... 05/11/2012

Connecticut Green Building Council Spring 2012 Newsletter FREE Download. The Connecticut Green Building Council, CTGBC spring newsletter 2012 is out and ready for download. The newsletter is full of sustainable green information relating to the state of Connecticut and nationwide. This issue covers upcoming events, LEED workshops, recommended movies and books, member and sponsor spotlight, pass events such as the Metro Green tour in Stamford and much more. Few of the key news items are: Nominations for the CTGBC 2012 Green Building Awards, anyone can submit an entry. GPRO ~ Green Building Skills Training for the Trades is coming to Connecticut. Energy Star Leader ~ Steven Winters with offices in Norwalk, Ct. Many more articles and links to useful information in this free newsletter, cli... 05/11/2012

  On Monday, May 7, the Representative Town Meeting (RTM) will vote on whether to override a $60,000 cut in funds, in order to fully restore Westport’s Transit District budget. A 70 percent vote is needed in order to override the Board of Finance cuts. What’s at stake is the future of the commuter shuttle routes serving Westport’s Greens Farms and Saugatuck train stations. The Board of Finance initially slashed $113,753,     or nearly half of next year’s transit budget, allowing just one commuter route to remain, running between the Imperial Avenue parking lot and the  Saugatuck (Westport Metro-North) train station. On April 11, the board voted to restore $53,753 on the condition that ways to make the system more efficient are instituted over the next six months. Westport is a popular t... 05/04/2012

What a difference a year makes. In March 2011, 20 single-family homes sold in Westport, CT. The same number sold in March 2012. While monthly unit sales remained the same, median and average sale price soared, up 31% and 32%, respectively. In March 2011, the median sold price was $955,500. This March, the median sold price rose over $400,000 to $1,388,750. Before we get too excited, and jump to precipitous conclusions, lets examine the statistics closer.  Looking at the actual sales data, it is apparent that the rise in sale price is not an indication of increasing home values, but rather a change in the segment of the market that is selling. In March 2011, half of the homes sold for less than $1,000,000 and only two sold above $2,000,000. Contrast that with March 2012, with 6 selling u... 04/25/2012

Are Home Prices Really Rising in Westport?    Are prices really on the rise in Fairfield County?  Let's just take a look at Westport CT.   If we look at the Average Sales Prices of homes for sale from 2002-2012 we definitely see that the market seems to be recovering in Westport despite a slight dip this quarter.  But is looking just at the Average Sales Price deceptive?   In the first quarter of 2012 there have been 64 homes sold in Westport. The average sold price is $1,343,144. However if you look closely you will see that 34 of those homes that were sold were over $1M. How much does that skew the average sales price? As it turns out - quite a bit!   The average sales price of homes UNDER $1M in Westport is $691,980. That's nearly a 50% drop in average sales prices! Take a look at th... 04/24/2012

  WESTPORT Market Trends Report March 2012 The Westport, Connecticut real estate market is improving and much more rapidly than most other towns in Fairfield County. Both the number of sales and market prices have risen over the past six months. The amount of inventory that the market can absorb is down as well. We look at the absorption rate over a 12 month period (see chart above), which means that it would take about 12-13 months to sell every home currently on the market in Westport. Although it is still a Buyers Market in Westport, thegreen areas on the chart show that the Westport real estate market is strengthening faster than many other Fairfield County towns. If you are thinking of buying or selling in Westport, please call Gail Robinson, REALTOR, at 203-521-0768 for a consult... 04/22/2012

  GREENS FARMS Market Trends Report March 2012     The Greens Farms Connecticut real estate market consists of 2-3 sales per month, so we cannot draw any stable conclusions from the data, however the increase in Average List Price, Average Sales Price, and fewer Average Days on Market are hopeful indicators for Sellers that the market begins to shift to a more balanced market. There is currently 12.4 months supply of single family homes in Greens Farms. Six month’s supply or less indicates a Seller’s market so Greens Farms is still firmly in a Buyer’s Market at present. Thinking of buying or selling in Greens Farms, Connecticut, call Gail Robinson, REALTOR, at 203-521-0768 for a consultation. 04/21/2012

How GREEN Are You Really? Find Out At PracticallyGreen.com   How green are you with your home and lifestyle? Take the Practically Green  Quiz and get your Score on this free website. This website is not just about getting a score but is here to educate you on more ways to become sustainable responsible. Each Green Action comes with three parts: Learn How ~ provides information on how to achieve the green action Learn Why ~ explains the benefits of the green action Products ~ provides links to help achieve green action Practically Green is also interactive where you can: Suggest a green Action ~ the other great part of this website is it is always growing, if you see something missing “Suggest an Action”.  There are hundreds of green actions at Practically Green but with your participati... 04/06/2012

NEGOTIATING OFFERS ON YOUR WESTPORT CONNECTICUT HOME Getting an offer is not the end of the sales process, it's really the beginning.  Up until this point everything has simply been paving the way for the right buyer to make an offer on your home.  An offer includes more than the price, it includes the terms of the sale, which can sometimes be more important than the price.  For example, if someone offers full list price, but makes the sale contingent upon the sale of their own home, this offer is less desirable than a slightly lower offer with no contingencies.  You need to look at the offer as a whole, not just at one or two aspects.  Sometimes getting the right price causes sellers to overlook problems that could arise from the close dates or mortgage contingency dates.  They are so ... 03/31/2012

NEGOTIATING OFFERS ON YOUR GREENS FARMS CONNECTICUT HOME Getting an offer is not the end of the sales process, it's really the beginning.  Up until this point everything has simply been paving the way for the right buyer to make an offer on your home.  An offer includes more than the price, it includes the terms of the sale, which can sometimes be more important than the price.  For example, if someone offers full list price, but makes the sale contingent upon the sale of their own home, this offer is less desirable than a slightly lower offer with no contingencies.  You need to look at the offer as a whole, not just at one or two aspects.  Sometimes getting the right price causes sellers to overlook problems that could arise from the close dates or mortgage contingency dates.  They are... 03/31/2012

SHOWING YOUR GREENS FARMS CONNECTICUT HOME After you have set the price, staged your Greens Farms Connecticut home, and agreed upon a marketing plan with your listing agent, the next step is to make your home easy to see and to show off your home in its best possible light.  EASY TO SHOW These are important words to busy buyer agents.  When your home is "easy to show" buyer agents may include your home in their schedule even if it isn't quite what their buyers say they want.  This is good because buyers sometimes fall in love with a home outside their stated criteria.  "Easy to show" means that the sellers are very accomodating in terms of showing times and are forgiving if the agent runs a bit ahead or behind in their schedule.  The more restrictions you put on showings in terms of tim... 03/18/2012

SHOWING YOUR GREENS FARMS CONNECTICUT HOME After you have set the price, staged your Greens Farms Connecticut home, and agreed upon a marketing plan with your listing agent, the next step is to make your home easy to see and to show off your home in its best possible light.  EASY TO SHOW These are important words to busy buyer agents.  When your home is "easy to show" buyer agents may include your home in their schedule even if it isn't quite what their buyers say they want.  This is good because buyers sometimes fall in love with a home outside their stated criteria.  "Easy to show" means that the sellers are very accomodating in terms of showing times and are forgiving if the agent runs a bit ahead or behind in their schedule.  The more restrictions you put on showings in terms of tim... 03/18/2012