Congratulations to the Youth Of The Year at Boys & Girls Club Ridgefield

On March 25, 2021 in a hybrid event, the Boys & Girls Club of Ridgefield broadcast the 2021 BGCR Youth Leadership Celebration. It was a night to celebrate the Club and the kids that make it the special place that it is.

The 16 Youth of the Year candidates, along with the Keystone Award winners and the leadership team, gathered at the Club for an in-person celebration – which was streamed LIVE for the BGCR Community to view at home. I’m continually impressed and proud to be a sponsor and executive board member of this very special organization.

The 2021 Youth of the Year winner was Eli Keeler! Eli has been coming to the Club since he started second grade – and the first staff member he met was Triston “Big Paw” Philip. They have been attached at the hip since; so much so, that Eli has earned the nickname “Little Paw!” Just like Triston, Eli has done so much for the Club, participating in all of our programs and always volunteering at every Club event. He is an amazing role model and a leader amongst his peers.

Also, for the first time in BGCR history, the Club announced the winner of the 2021 Junior Youth of the Year, Sydney Rossi! Sydney has been coming to the Club for the past 5 years, and truly has emerged as a leader at the Barn Teen Center and in Keystone Club. She was an active participant in the Club’s Teen Take The Lead program last summer. She says “The Boys & Girls Club has helped me become a better person, through gaining friendships, confidence, and leadership skills.”

Congratulations to all Youth of the Year and Junior Youth of the Year candidates – we are so proud of you all.

Run Like A Mother Will Be Virtual For 2021

Every year since it’s inception, Karla Murtaugh Homes has been a proud sponsor of Ridgefield’s Run Like a Mother® national 5K race series.  This year, Run Like  Mother is teaming up with the ZOOMA Women’s Race Series to host a virtual event on Mother’s Day Weekend.  The Run Like A Mother series focuses on celebrating mothers across the nation and now in its 14th year, has hosted races in Washington, California, Arizona, Texas, North Carolina, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Ohio and its original race Ridgefield. During this time, founder Searfoss opened Ridgefield Running Company and Darien Running Company and authored, See Mom Run-Every Mother’s Guide to Getting Fit and Running Her First 5K.

“I am incredibly excited to see Run Like a Mother join forces with ZOOMA,” said Megan Searfoss, founder of Run Like a Mother. “It is a natural step forward for ZOOMA and Run Like a Mother to join forces. Both series offer inspiration and content for women from beginner runners to experienced.”

Sarah Ratzlaff, owner of ZOOMA Women’s Races and Skirts Sports added, “While the races are virtual this year, we hope the celebration of Run Like a Mother continues to be part of everyone’s Mother’s Day weekend.”

As part of the Run Like a Mother 5K package, ZOOMA will offer virtual training programs, an online run community, and race day gifts including a shirt, a finisher’s medal and an inspirational bracelet from Momentum Jewelry.

Race registration opens today at www.runlikeamother.com.

In Real Estate Timing is Everything!

Christie’s auction house broke another world record this week by auctioning off the world’s first purely digital artwork where bidding started just two weeks ago at $100, sold for a record $69M.

Not all of us can afford the world of alternative investments, but navigating the tides of the recent real estate market can be just as intimidating. With the exodus of buyers from NYC in 2020, Ridgefield and other Fairfield County towns have been experiencing an uptick in sales and demand not previously experienced. Recently however, NYC is starting to see interest return and Christie’s International Real Estate NYC Brokerage has been fielding questions from NYC die-hards with upsizing and downsizing questions, investors looking to buy up assets, and first-time homebuyers looking to get in while prices remain relatively low.

With this being said, the suburbs continue to be attractive to many urban buyers. As you have been reading, inventory is low and bidding wars are still occurring on properly priced homes. People are reflecting on their new work-life balance and what that means in terms of housing. Buyers – keep the faith! We are in constant contact with sellers getting their homes ready for spring market. With the vaccine providing a light at the end of the tunnel, the market is starting to open up.

Whether you’re looking for your dream home or wanting to list your current home for sale, our up to minute knowledge will help you navigate this new normal and set you up for success. Reach out at 203-856-5534 or karla@karlamurtaugh.com to see how we can help.

Ridgefield’s February Market Sees An Uptick In Sales, But A Downturn In Inventory

Home sales continue to exceed all market expectations as 2021 moves towards a reopening of the economy in the late spring and beyond. While this seems to be excellent news, we are seeing a downturn in inventory with many well-qualified buyers still in need of homes.  With mortgage rates remaining at historic lows, the real estate market will definitely remain strong if we approach the spring selling season with people willing to list their homes.

Prices & Volume
To date, in 2021 Ridgefield single-family homes sales have totaled $58,947,250 with 64 closed transactions as compared to $31,252,400 in sales and 41 transactions by this time in 2020.  Most of these sales reflect homes that went under deposit towards the end of last year, but nevertheless have resulted in a record-breaking first two months. In February alone, we saw 29 homes close with a volume of $28,355,750. The median sales price rose from $561,700 in February, 2020 to $850,000 this year, and the average sales price also climbed from $644,133 to $945,192.  Homes are selling at 98.4% of their listed price in about 90 days.

Inventory
There are currently 44 homes with accepted offers set to close in Q2 2021 and a further 59 homes already in contract to close in the next two months. As mentioned previously, inventory remains dangerously low with only 3 months of available inventory on the market.  In 2020, there was 12 months of inventory available at this time of year. For a breakdown by price point of recent sales, see the chart below or DOWNLOAD it.

Karla Murtaugh Homes Leads The Way

We regularly review the entire Ridgefield market to assess how we are serving our clients, and were pleased to discover that our sales represent 26% of the total inventory sold year to date in more than double the number of transactions of any other Ridgefield agent. We also have 17 properties in contract and set to close in the next couple of months. Our forward-thinking approach to this ever-changing market, along with adaptive marketing and unparalleled client service at all price points is why we are Ridgefield’s number one agent. Our commitment to understanding the market cannot be overlooked, and we encourage you to check out our 2020 “Interpreting The Market” Ridgefield Market Report included with this month’s Ridgefield Magazine for further insights.

Looking Ahead
We are optimistic as we look towards a spring and summer with eased Covid restrictions and a return to a more normal life. Buyers are still excited to purchase their dream home. For seller’s, as working-from-home scenarios and in-person school arrangements become solidified, we may also find that their needs are once again up for examination and change. We expect that the must-haves and wants of privacy, multiple offices, home gyms, pools and separate spaces will remain. As some situations change, we also expect an increase in inventory as consumer confidence returns and people once again look to make moves to better their current lifestyle.

To find out what your home is worth or for a complimentary consultation, please reach out to us at karla@karlamurtaugh.com or call 203-856-5534. We’d love to discuss our outstanding marketing campaigns and platinum level of service with you, and advise on how to best sell your home in this unprecedented market.