The Gold Coast Standard and Darien Real Estate

Buyers Category

Property of the Week, 8 Flintlock,Norwalk Ct. $469,000.

ATTENTION FIRST TIME  CT HOME BUYERS!  As a favor to a good friend,I conducted a public open house at this great house in Norwalk,CT and thought I'd share the information. It is the perfect starter home , great for someone with a couple of children, teenagers, or even visiting family. How can one house be all this. First of all,the house is located on a cul de sac in Norwalk, making it perfect for those with young children. There are three bedrooms on...Continue Reading!

Open Houses,Darien,CT Real Estate,March 6,2011

Here is the list of this week's open houses in Darien Ct. This is a great cross section of properties from exclusive waterfront(North Road) to starter homes(Phillips Lane).If you're looking to buy a home this spring in Darien, this selection of homes will offer a good overview of relative values in town.Match these up with "sold" properties provided by your Realtor and you'll be able to figure out the pricing structure in Darien. Don't want to bother with excel spreadsheets....call me. I'm...Continue Reading!

Darien,CT Real Estate, Year to Date report

Two months does not a trend make but for those of you who are following the numbers closely, these are all going in the right direction for what is affectionately termed a "recovery". I think of it more as physical therapy....one foot in front of the other....until we're on our feet again.Real estate markets are like people...they heal at their own rates and this one is no exception. The patient is doing well. Continue Reading!

Mortgage Fees Set to Rise this Spring

A recent article in the Wall Street Journal reports that the cost of getting a mortgage is about to get a lot more expensive. If you're thinking about buying a home here in Darien or just about anywhere ,consider the following: Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are adding new fees to borrowers with even the best credit ratings.Previously,there had been no fees assessed on those  with credit ratings of 720 or higher who put down less than a 25% deposit.Now there will...Continue Reading!

14 Broker Open Houses Tomorrow

Here we go....as promised... the Darien real estate market will begin to heat up as the weather warms.Tuesdays and Thursdays are"Broker Open House" days and tomorrow will be busy one.There are 14 homes on the tour in Darien and Rowayton alone.Some  of the homes for sale are inventory leftovers from the winter but many are new and range in price from $700K to $6million.Ladies and gentlemen.....start your engines.Continue Reading!

44th Annual Darien Antiques Show Opens This Week

The 44th Annual Darien Antiques Show open here in town with a preview party on Friday,March 4. The show itself runs through the weekend to Sunday March 6. The  show is run by the First Congregational Church of Darien and the proceeds support local charities including emergency shelters,and food banks.The weekend of events will kick off with a preview party ,"An Evening Out" on Friday March 4 from 7-9PM. The preview party will specifically benefit St.Lukes LifeWorks, a non profit organization...Continue Reading!

Why You Still Need a Realtor,CT Real Estate

I was chatting with a colleague last night and we were discussing the current state of the real estate market in Darien,CT and how it has been transformed by the Internet.It has, by and large, been a great thing for buyers and sellers alike and offers information in ways no one dreamed of just a few years ago. Pictures,videos,town statistics- all at the click of a button. But there are some things the Internet can't supply.At the end of the day, there...Continue Reading!

Property Transfers, Darien Ct, February 1-10.

Only five property transfers were recorded so far this month.Most notable is 58 Mansfield Ave, which when originally listed  three years ago was listed for over $3.5 million. You can see where it has ended. RIP. Midbrook Lane was a wonderful colonial with great bones and great potential.Morehouse Lane was one of the last great building lots in town. Congratulations to the lucky buyer. Continue Reading!

Why is The Darien Real Estate Market Like The Weather?

Why is the Darien real estate market like the weather? Well think about it. This has been one of the worst winters in recent history for most of the country and particularly in the Northeast. The snow has piled up, literally holding us hostage in our homes as we wait for the next storm. The real estate maket has behaved similarly. We've been hit by one punch after another for the past couple of years. While some volume has returned to...Continue Reading!

Darien Ct, School Budget 2011….It’s that time of year again

I have written in the past about the excellence of the Darien, Ct school system. The town of Darien boasts one of the highest average SAT scores and percentages of grads going to 4 year colleges. in the state.Those numbers are the result of  an annual rite known as "school budget season". For as long as I've lived here the issues have been the same. Half day kindergarten or whole day. (right now its whole day).  Then there is enrollment projections and facilities.(we've...Continue Reading!