The Gold Coast Standard and Darien Real Estate

Market Trends Category

Darien, CT Homes,How to Buy or Sell A Home in 2011

The beat goes on in Darien,CT and Fairfield County real estate.The market is robust and the market numbers for the month of April when they are tallied will bear me out.At the risk of sounding like a broken record, the spring market has arrived and as regards sheer volume of homes being sold,is doing quite nicely.The only issue whether you are a buyer or a seller, is one of pricing. The homes that are selling are the ones where there is perceived value and...Continue Reading!

Darien,Ct Real Estate,Good News and Bad News…

This is a good news/ bad news kind of post. The attached report showing the state of the Darien real estate market is completely depressing. It indicates across the board loses in listings, sales and average price. Only "days on market" numbers are moving in the right direction. The numbers can be explained by an extremely late spring (I'm not even sure it's here now) that kept buyers hunkered down. Now the good news.Since April 1, the entire market has turned around. Homes, if...Continue Reading!

State of the Market, Darien Homes for Sale

I usually post the new listings and closed prices each week for Darien real estate but lists and charts can only go so far.What those weekly reports lack (and I'm just as guilty of putting them out there as anyone) is context. The spring Darien real estate market has gotten off to a belated start but has finally begun. In my mind, there is good news and bad news. The good news is that there 22 accepted offers in the past month, with some...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!

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 Downsizers, Where to Go?

If you're a downsizer in Darien,don't get all excited.I don't have a reasonable answer to the question.Lots of my contemporaries, with kids out of the nest,wish to  move to smaller digs yet,stay in the town of Darien. However,Darien has a  real lack of  alternatives for those wishing to rid themselves of  lawn maintenance and snow plowing. There are of course condominiums in Darien such as Middlsex Common,Villager Pond,Sedgewick Village and Darien Close.Few if any of these offer one floor living or...Continue Reading!

Year End 2010 Real Estate Market Report, Darien and Fairfield County.

Every quarter and and year end,William Pitt Sotheby's International Realty publishes a recap of the real estate markets in Fairfield and Litchfield,Ct counties.Unlike other reports that just provide statistics, this report is well worth reading.It provides context for the various marketplaces in Connecticut and offers excellent insights into,what's selling,why and who is, in fact buying.Its a must read primer for anyone entering the Darien real estate market in 2011. http://viewer.zmags.com/publication/ddb5fafd#/ddb5fafd/1Continue Reading!