Since America was first colonized in the 1600's and 1700's, the style of homes, especially in the Northeast have changed for several reasons, the economy, new immigration from other countries (i.e. new styles came, but also bigger people), and based on changing laws in local towns a cities (i.e. local zoning laws). Today, depending on where you go in the United States, you will find that real estate professionals label a home on the market differently based on your location. So in the Midwest, a cape might not even exist, and they might have something called Southern Style (who knows what that means?). 

When I work with buyers, sometimes they already know the type of home they want, or more realistically, what they don't want. As you start your home search, this guide should help clear up the differences, intended for Fairfield County buyers. I might note, that some alterations or enhancements to the styles won't be covered, for example, 'European' or 'Modern', because you can have a Modern Colonial AND a Modern Ranch. We will stick to the main styles as you see them, and discuss only some variations.

This chart says it all, and is specific to Norwalk, CT real estate, under $500,000 for single family homes. However, if you live in Fairfield, Stamford, or other nearby towns/cities, there is a similar correlation across the board. That is, if you own a home in a price point at or below the median, it's likely you are in a good position to sell.

As you can see, in Norwalk, inventory has fallen 18% from the same time last year in these price points. This is not something to baulk at - with clearly consistent downward trends, the flip side, i.e. sales prices, should be going the opposite way (median sales price of $347,500 in December 2015, compared to $361,250 in December of 2016 for the same criteria; OR a 4% increase).

Let's talk more about this, and why it is happening. But first, an important definition:

 ​Why Inventory? This metric is important because if you are looking strictly at supply and demand, having less supply with equal or less demand means prices will rise (again, as they have been doing). For you, this means that we can sell your home at a higher price, and possibly save you thousands on commission (happy to explain how).

Why is this happening? Over the past few years, the trends have continued consistently in the spring market ----> February/March arrives, and new inventory floods the market, and the market is HOT until the end of the summer (August/September). This year was different, as can be seen by the above graph - though the market was equally hot in these spring and summer months, the amazing thing was that this trend continued through the Holiday season, where buyers continued to buy in these lower price points. 

My expert opinion is that the combination of location/desirability of this area, plus the proximity to NYC, made it most affordable and desired. I believe that Norwalk is the most inexpensive suburb of NYC within 1 hour train/drive. Fairfield and Stamford, are a bit more expensive, but also seemingly HOT market. Combine that with loosening regulation on mortgages, more cash and money in the market, and it is price time to sell.

How does this benefit you? If you own a home in the price points indicated, then you have a great opportunity to capitalize on the new leverage you have. This might translate to a price point that is above my general assumptions, but it all depends on location, size and lay of the yard/land, and other factors that affect sales prices in general. In other words, even if you think your home is worth more than $500,000, it's still worth a conversation (case in point - anything in Cranbury under $650,000 might be a perfect candidate).

My Plug: As always, if you fit into this criteria, and have a home you might sell soon, let me know. I can give a free consultation, a free market evaluation on the price of your home, and continue to educate you about the market. This would be appropriate even a year from now, as the more educated you are, the better decisions that you can make later. Just send me a message, or give me a call!

For the past several years, I have been passing on two documents, my Buyer's Plan of Action, and my Seller's Plan of Action. These documents had multiple purposes:

Today, I think it would be useful to take those process steps and put them into a post, so both buyers and sellers have a place to see the process explained, before getting into it. Today, we will focus on the selling process, as if I were your listing agent for the sale of your property.

Let's jump right into it: