New York Times Features Our Tudor Estate

A few weeks ago we were contacted by a wonderful reporter from the New York Times who wanted to feature our fabulous listing at 23 Pin Pack Road. A 1920’s Tudor style Colonial, the home was originally a carriage house for a larger estate. Taken with the unique design and features of the home, Lisa Prevost invited her photographer to capture the style and elegance of the estate for the “On The Market” section of the highly popular Sunday Real Estate section of the paper.

Having incarnated itself many times over the years, the current property is listed for sale for $1,895,000 and features three bedrooms, four full and two half baths, a wisteria-covereda Tuscan inspired courtyard, gorgeous Chef’s kitchen, sensational butlers pantry, impressive family room and a unique indoor saltwater pool with a vaulted glass and beadboard ceiling, spectacular Thassos marble deck, and rows of French Doors opening to the stone terrace and private yard.

To see the slideshow where our special listing is featured click here or you can pick up a copy of the paper dated Decemeber 20th. For more information about the listing, go to the virtual tour, call/text me at 203-856-5534 or email karla@karlamurtaugh.com. I’d love to take you on a tour!

Zillow Admits Their “Zestimates” Aren’t Correct

As realtors, we come up against the Zillow “Zestimate” every day. It’s nice to see that in a recent interview the CEO of Zillow, Spencer Rascoff, concedes that the Zestimate uses an algorithm that doesn’t work across the board. He admits that the Zestimate should only be used as a starting point for buyers and sellers to consider when evaluating a price for their home. In fact, he answered that the nationwide Zestimates have a “median error rate” of about 8%.

Eight percent is a huge number in some markets, including Ridgefield and the rest of Fairfield County. In fact, for a median priced home of $650,000 in Ridgefield – that translates to a difference of $52,000! You can see why buyers and sellers bring the Zestimate to our attention when it’s incorrect.

Given that real estate markets are local in nature, the Zestimate is not a replacement for consulting a licensed real estate professional. Realtors take into account many things when placing a value on a home. Location, condition, size, finishes, acreage, current market fluctuations, and many other factors go into the “formula” for correctly pricing a home to sell. Just some food for thought.

Read the whole article published in the LA Times here.

Ridgefield Market Report For November 2015

November brought good results for Ridgefield’s real estate market. The number of new properties for sale, number of properties that went under contract, number of properties sold and the median sales price all increased over the same time last year. This puts us on track to exceed 2014’s total real estate sales and indicates a market that is stable or even growing slightly.

MEDIAN SALES PRICE and CLOSED SALES
The median sales price for November 2015 was $640,000, which exceeds the median sales price of $538,500 seen in November 2014 by 18.8%. Year to date was slightly lower at $660,000 compared to $666,000 during the same time period in 2014 – a decrease of 0.9%. There were also 26 closed sales in November 2015 compared to 14 during the same time last year. In the year to date there is only a 0.3% decrease in the number homes sold from 296 in 2014 to 295 so far this year.

PROPERTIES UNDER CONTRACT
In continued good news, 42 properties went under contract in November 2015, as compared to only 27 during November 2014 representing an increase of 55.6%. Overall, 323 properties have gone under contract in 2015 as compared to 317 during the same time period last year.

DAYS ON MARKET and INVENTORY
The average number of days on market increased by 2.0% from 152 days in November 2014 compared to 155 days this year. Months of inventory decreased by 29.7% from 11.8 months last year as compared to 8.3 months in 2015.

NEW PROPERTIES FOR SALE
There was an increase in the number of homes listed for sale this month, jumping from 16 in October 2014 to 41 during the same time period this year. This represents an increase of 156.3%. Year to date, there was also an increase in the number of new properties for sale from 610 in 2014 to 689 in 2015.

For a full graphical analysis of Ridgefield’s October 2015 real estate market, click here. You can also take advantage of my complimentary Comparative Market Analysis to find out what your home’s worth.

November price snapshot

http://108.179.243.173/~d5o7l0g4/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/KMMReport-Nov-2015.pdf

Ridgefield Has One Of The Best Main Streets In America

According to Top Value Reviews, Ridgefield Connecticut has one of the Best Small Town Main Streets in the USA. Anyone who lives or has visited us here knows this is absolutely true – from the Holiday Stroll coming up this Friday, December 4th to our Halloween trick-or-treating and our Memorial Day celebrations, Main Street is a place where we all gather to celebrate our fabulous town.

Top Value Reviews ranked Ridgefield #21 out of the top 50 small town Main Streets in America. Noting that there is something characteristically American about the idea of Main Street, the website says that whether a place for the locals to hang out, or the go-to destination of visitors to town, Main Street is oftentimes the heart and soul of a city or town.

Each town on the list has fewer than 60,000 residents (according to the 2010 census) and at least one notable attraction. The towns were chosen and ranked based upon the following.

~ Inclusion on a major register, such as the National Register of Historic Places, National Parks, National Historic Landmarks, etc. (1 point per list)
~ Category of downtown attractions (restaurants, wineries, antique stores, art galleries, etc.). (1 point per notable category)
~ Notable and historic places (1 point each)
~ A national ranking of some kind (1 point each)

We already know our Main Street is the place to be. It’s nice to see that others will now see our world-class town for what it is – a vibrant community of philanthropic individuals who value historical significance, yet embrace change and development. You only have to look at the Keeler Tavern, The Prospector Movie Theatre, the new library, The Aldrich Museum of Contemporary Art, the small business owners and the 5-star restaurants, to see how unique our little piece of home is.

Congratulations, Ridgefield – let’s celebrate! I’ll see you at The Holiday Stroll!

http://108.179.243.173/~d5o7l0g4/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/downtown-rfd-2015-FINAL1.pdf

Congrats to the 2015 Turkey Trot Participants!

On a beautiful Thanksgiving Day morning, 1243 runners participated in the 34th Annual Boys & Girls Club Turkey Trot. Ranging in ages from 7 to 88 years, the spirit and enthusiasm of all was palpable as they made their way around the course to finish in front of our wonderful Ridgefield Boys & Girls Club. I once again felt privileged to be a part of such a fabulous organization, both as a lead sponsor of the event and as a Board Member.

The mission of the Boys & Girls Club of America is a simple one: to enable all young people, especially those who need us most, to reach their full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens. Boys & Girls Clubs across the country provide:
~ A safe place to learn and grow
~ Ongoing relationships with caring, adult professionals
~ Life-enhancing programs and character development experiences
~ Hope and opportunity

With multiple after school programs for children of all ages, including leadership development and vacation camps, the Boys & Girls Club of Ridgefield provides a much-needed service in our community. To find out more about what our award-winning Club offers, visit the website. Or make a donation to help keep the club vibrant! If you need more information, please contact executive director, Mike Flynn or myself.

Thank you to all who participated in the Turkey Trot or simply came out to cheer on their friends and loved ones.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone, and have a great Holiday Season!