Ridgefield’s Tower Cottage Featured In Christie’s ‘Luxury Defined’

In a blog and newsletter circulated to over 10,000 high net worth subscribers, Ridgefield’s own history-filled ‘Tower Cottage’ at 48 East Ridge Road took top honors representing beautiful Victorian Revival architecture.

Joining noteworthy properties from around the world, Tower Cottage is currently listed for sale by Karla Murtaugh at Neumann Real Estate for $2,395,000 and pays homage to a time gone by, while maintaining relevance to a modern world through exquisite renovations and updates.

Click here to see the full Christie’s International Real Estate article about Tower Cottage and it’s fellow Victorian Revivals. To learn more, or to see a video or peruse photographs of Tower Cottage itself, visit the feature page or call us at 203-856-5534 for an exclusive showing.

Luxury Defined is celebrating the eclectic Victorian Revival movement by featuring six homes inspired by the reign of Queen Victoria, sovereign of Great Britain, Empress of India from 1837 to 1876. Caught in the tension between the old and the new, the Victorian architect reworked classical antecedents with “contemporary” upgrades and a multiplicity of new styles emerged: the medieval and Roman elements of Gothic Revival and Richardson Romanesque; the mansard roofs of Second Empire; the turrets and gables of Queen Anne; and, the Craftsman precursors of Stick-Eastlake style. New engineering technology embraced structural steel as well as the luxury of indoor plumbing. The Victorians reveled in ornamentation, classical proportions, craftsmanship and materials, yet their designs anticipated modernism. Their 19th-century cottages, grand country estates, and elegant townhouses brought in a new age of light, air, warmth, and comfort for homes which are still vibrant, exciting living spaces for the 21st century.

Tower Cottage itself is beautifully sited on a ridge and sits just a stone’s throw to all Ridgefield has to offer. It includes an impressive wrap-around porch, exquisite new gourmet kitchen, fabulous mudroom, 6 bedrooms & 3 floors of turreted rooms – a library, master suite & office. A gunite pool joins beautiful gardens & sweeping lawns creating an exceptional retreat.

 

 

Tiger Hollow Holiday House Tour is December 6th!

As a sponsor of the biennial Holiday House Tour, I want to remind you to BUY YOUR TICKETS for the event taking place on Friday, December 6th. Tickets are $65 and are available for purchase at www.tigerhollow.com

Kicking off at the Lounsbury House at 9am with a continental breakfast, the tour showcases five downtown area homes decked out for the Holidays. You can spend as much or as little time at each home as you would like.  All proceeds support Tiger Hollow Stadium capital projects.  Tiger Hollow at Ridgefield High School hosts over 400 games and practices a year, as well as Ridgefield’s annual fireworks display.

So get in the Spirit Of The Season and spend the day with 500-600 of your closest friends touring these show-stopping Holiday Homes!

Neighbors, Neighbors, Neighbors…

According to Realtor.com, neighbors matter. More than half—52%–of Americans say they’ve lived next door to what they consider a “nightmare neighbor.” And because of that, more than three-quarters say the potential neighbors would be a factor into their decision when choosing a new home to buy, according to a new survey from Ally Financial of more than 2,000 consumers.

Distance may be key to feeling the most neighborly. More than half—54%–say they prefer to live in neighborhoods where neighbors are far apart. Only one-quarter of respondents say they prefer close proximity to their neighbors, the survey shows.

The top qualities consumers say their favorite neighbors have are taking good care of their home (71%) and being willing to help other neighbors out (66%). Homeowners also say they value neighbors who take good care of the neighborhood (49%) and those who are friendly with other neighbors (47%).

Their least favorite qualities: those who are loud (46%) and those who partake in “questionable lifestyles,” such as running an illegal business out of their home or drug dealing (44%). Other bad neighborly traits included those who don’t keep up their house (34%) and nosy neighbors (32%).

Past neighbor experiences can haunt homeowners, the survey finds. Sixty-seven percent of respondents say that prior unhappy neighbor experiences make them realize the importance of good neighbors.

Younger generations say they’ve had more bad experiences with neighbors than older homeowners (63% for millennials versus 38% for baby boomers). Also, parents with kids report having more unpleasant experiences with their neighbors than those without kids. As such, parents with kids say they’re more likely to avoid their neighbors.

 

**First published on Realtor.com 12/04/19

Karla Murtaugh Named To Christie’s ‘Masters Circle’

I was honored to be named to the inaugural Christie’s International Real Estate Masters Circle at last week’s 2019 Christie’s International Real Estate Luxury Agent Conference in Houston, Texas. The Masters Circle is a group of top-performing agents within the Christie’s International Real Estate global invitation-only network.

Masters Circle members are chosen based on their success and expertise at the high end of the market, as well as their specialization in different property types. The agent’s ability to deliver the highest level of service to sophisticated clients around the world sets them apart in the industry and makes them a perfect fit for the specialist universe that is unique to Christie’s. Together, the membership represents over 4,700 combined luxury home listings with areas of market expertise ranging from waterfront, equestrian, mountain, and ski, to vineyards, development, urban, suburban, and private islands among others.

“We are incredibly proud of Karla on her recognition as a Masters Circle member,” said Russ Neumann, broker/partner at Neumann Real Estate. “Karla exemplifies top-notch customer service, an incredible networking ability, and an unsurpassed knowledge of the local market. To have her be recognized internationally for these attributes is truly an honor she deserves. ”

Dan Conn, Christie’s International Real Estate Chief Operating Officer, said: “We are excited to have established this group of luxury real estate specialists operating at the top level in their respective regions. Members gain access to an invaluable network to discuss industry trends and establish leadership in their particular areas of specialty, and promote their listings to other Masters Circle luxury real estate specialists. This elite group will further enhance the ability for the Christie’s International Real Estate network to serve buyers and sellers of fine properties worldwide.”