We Love Fairfield County Giving Day!

One of our favorite things about Ridgefield is the philanthropic nature of this community. There are so many outstanding organizations working tirelessly every day to make this world a better place, and it’s our honor to support them. In honor of Fairfield County Giving Day, a 24-hour challenge and our region’s biggest philanthropic event coming up on February 24, it’s our pleasure to outline just a few of the wonderful charities based here in Ridgefield. Most of them are participating in Fairfield County Giving Day so be sure to check them out on social media for details:

The Prospector Theater is a 501(c)(3) non-profit dedicated to providing competitive and integrated employment to people with disabilities through the operation of a premium, first-run movie theater. Almost 85% of Americans with disabilities are unemployed. Open every day of the year, the Prospector Theater was built as a solution to this problem. Meaningful employment is vital to a person’s mental, social, financial, and emotional health. For more information please visit http://www.prospectortheater.org/.
The Ridgefield Boys & Girls Club has long been a cause very close to my heart. The Boys & Girls Club of Ridgefield is a youth activity center designed to offer programs for school-aged children after school and during vacations in five core areas: The Arts, Character & Leadership, Education, Health & Life Skills, and Sports, Fitness & Recreation.
Club programs and services promote and enhance the development of boys & girls by instilling a sense of competence, usefulness, belonging and influence. Together with my friend Christine Carnicelli, I was lucky enough to be honored as the 2020 Champion For Youth, while Christine received the 2021 honor at their most recent gala. To learn more please visit http://www.bgcridgefield.org/.
The Ridgefield Symphony Orchestra (RSO) is a regional professional orchestra founded in 1964 with the mission to enrich the cultural life of the citizens of Ridgefield and surrounding communities by presenting professional live orchestral concerts. The RSO also strives to increase the appreciation for music through community involvement and educational programs for people of all ages and abilities. We have enjoyed many of their wonderful performances at the Ridgefield Playhouse and the Ridgefield High School auditorium! For more information please visit http://www.ridgefieldsymphony.org/.
RVNAhealth (formerly RVNA or Ridgefield Visiting Nurse Association) is a private, non-profit, mission-driven organization founded and focused on care. RVNAhealth provides healthcare where patients want it most – in their own homes, while striving to prevent further illness through many health and wellness programs. Their experienced team of caregivers provides home health care services in the comfort of your ‘home’ whether it is a private residence, assisted living or skilled nursing facility, or hospital, and also in their ‘home’ at the Center for Exceptional Care in Ridgefield, and across the 36 surrounding towns they serve. RVNAhealth is always planning an enjoyable fundraiser and we’ve enjoyed several of their events including the upcoming annual Spring Breakfast! To learn more please visit http://www.RVNAhealth.org/.
The Iris Fund was founded several years ago by a Ridgefield resident and is dedicated to research that will determine what triggers full-term labor to end pre-term birth. The Iris Fund exclusively supports the research being conducted by a Mechanical Engineer and OBGYN (Drs. Myers and Vink) at Columbia’s Preterm Birth Prevention Center. They believe all women deserve to know how their bodies work during labor and are inspired that those same answers will save and improve outcomes for our most vulnerable babies. The Iris Fund also recently partnered with The Tiny Miracles Foundation and local florist Three Roots Education to deliver fifty beautiful floral bouquets to moms spending Valentine’s Day in local NICUs. For details please visit https://www.theirisfund.org/.
Lyme Connection provides education, prevention, support and advocacy related to the increasing problem of tick-borne diseases in our community. Lyme Disease is a huge issue in our area, and Lyme Connection is a unique community-based organization, founded by families impacted by tickborne disease. They offer prevention programming as well as patient support services and educational events. Lyme patients and their families benefit from free monthly support groups, seminars, annual conference and health fairs. Medical and mental health providers take part in the professional programs Lyme Connection offers to improve patient care. To learn more please visit https://lymeconnection.org/.
The Ridgefield Theater Barn was founded in 1965 when a handful of Ridgefield residents banded together to form a small theater group dedicated to providing community theater. Housed in a rustic converted dairy barn leased from the town of Ridgefield, the Workshop continues to produce an ongoing series of comedies, dramas, and musicals. The cast and crew of every show run the gamut from raw amateurs to seasoned professionals. All participants, whether on stage or off, are volunteers, including actors, dancers, musicians, seamstresses, carpenters, singers, electricians, and individuals who just offer willing pairs of hands to do anything from painting scenery to taking tickets at the door. With cabaret seating at candlelit tables, they offer superior entertainment, so BYO refreshments and join us!

Show Your House a Little Love

Valentine’s Day is coming and offers a fabulous opportunity to show your home a little love! Whether you’re thinking of selling or planning on staying put, have been in your home for years or just moved, there’s always a way to spruce things up. Here are a few of our favorite suggestions depending on your goals and budget:

The Quick Reboot: Swap in some pillows, new curtains, new drawer pulls, and/or a new rug. Changing it up quickly and easily for a new feel can be so rewarding. Ridgefield has plenty of terrific places to shop local for fun new accessories, like Bella Home, Olley Court and Interiors by Ursula.
The Edit: Go through your home with different garbage bags for donation centers and the dump. Tag furniture you no longer need or like, then schedule a pickup with ReStore Danbury. As we’ve posted before, we love that they provide an environmentally and socially responsible way to keep good, reusable articles out of the waste stream, while providing funding for Habitat for Humanity’s community improvement work. You’ll be amazed how much cleaner and more spacious your home feels when you simply remove some things!
The Pick-Me-Up: For a more intense update, paint! New paint in a fresh palette will change the mood of any home. Paint walls or even cabinetry to create a clean updated look. Ridgefield Hardware right on Main Street has hundreds of swatches to bring home and will mix paint samples for you to try. Plus, wallpaper is back in full force with bold patterns and clean lines. And it’s not your grandmother’s wallpaper! Easily removable wallpaper is a huge trend for 2022, and it’s available at retailers from Amazon to Target. Check out these recommendations in Architectural Digest for inspiration
The Complete Overhaul: Go furniture shopping, hire a decorator, or create new spaces. Out with the old, in with the new! Jill Rae, Molly Hirsch and The Tweaked Home are a few of our favorite local designers and can work with you to create a space you’ll truly love to live in.
Add Some Sparkle: Create an accent wall or whitewash a fireplace for a new modern look. Ridgefield Supply has plenty of materials to choose from. Check out this fun roundup from BuzzFeed for more suggestions.
The Simple Life: When in doubt, buy flowers! The classic Valentine’s gift for the person you love is also a lovely way to freshen up your home. Our area has plenty of florists to choose from including Rodier Flowers, right up Main Street from our new Compass office location.

Wishing all of our clients and friends a very happy Valentine’s Day!

Winter Break Staycation

Winter Break is right around the corner, and it’s more than a whole week off for some schools including Ridgefield Public Schools. If you’re opting for a staycation this year, there’s plenty to do in our area.

The Prospector Theater always has family-friendly movies playing, and we love their snacks and drinks! Such a great place to visit all year round, especially considering their mission is to provide competitive and integrated employment to people with disabilities through the operation of a premium, first-run movie theater.

Head to the Ridgefield Library to free family events like All-Age Family Storytime, Scrabble Club, Animal Explorers Storytime, Children’s Electricity Workshop, STEAM Corner Crafts and their February Take & Make: Basquiat Inspired Expressionism. The vacation week ends on a fun note on Friday, February 25 with in-person PJ Storytime & Stuffed Animal Sleepover 6:00-6:45pm and a Magic Show with Ed Pop on Saturday, February 26 at 1:00-1:45pm.

Deborah Anne’s Sweet Shoppe on Main Street will be open and is always an easy, fun way to get out of the house no matter how old your kiddos are! If you don’t feel like cooking, some of our favorite family-friendly restaurants are 850 Degrees Wood Fired Pizza, Wooster Hollow Café, Dmitri’s Diner, Prime Burger, and BareBurger.

Several ski areas are close enough for a day trip, including Butternut in Massachusetts, Mount Southington in Plantsville, CT and Thunder Ridge in New York. For winter activities right here in town, check out daily open ice times at Winter Garden Ice Arena.

The Ridgefield Parks and Rec is hosting a Winter Break Multi Sports Camp February 22-25 for ages 5-11. Campers will have the opportunity to experience a variety of sports throughout the program including soccer, basketball, flag football, cricket, handball, volleyball, and more.

And, of course, there are our favorite parks, museums and playgrounds that you can check out year-round.

Ambler Farm in Wilton is holding a free Maple Syrup Open House on Saturday, February 26 1-2pm! Kids will have the chance to tap a tree, take the maple syrup taste test and learn about Native American, Colonial and modern methods of making syrup. Plus enjoy Ambler Farm’s very own maple syrup over vanilla ice cream!
Woodcock Nature Center in Wilton offers terrific hiking trails and camps. Plus, they’re holding an Evening Owl Walk on Saturday, February 26 5:30-7pm with bird enthusiast Tommy McCarthy.
Ballard Park’s playground is fabulous no matter the weather and the gazebo looks beautiful even covered in snow.
Stepping Stones Children’s Museum and The Maritime Aquarium are both located in Norwalk with plenty of programs for kids of all ages.
Sledding at Veterans Park field is always a fun option if there’s snow on the ground!

Check out the Ridgefield Hamlet Hub calendar for many more events happening on our area every week. Wishing everyone a fun and restful vacation no matter how you choose to spend it!

You just moved to Ridgefield with toddlers! Now what?

Ridgefield is an absolutely fabulous place to raise a family! Excellent schools, plenty of activities, the first Cultural District in the state of Connecticut, close proximity to NYC and it’s consistently one of the safest towns in America.

So you just moved here and have toddlers. Welcome! Now what? Our first recommendation is to get connected to the Ridgefield Newcomers, Ridgefield Moms Club, Mothers of Preschoolers, or another group where you can meet other families who are new to town.

Our area is home to plenty of parks, museums and playgrounds that you can check out with your little ones. Here are a few of our favorites:
Ballard Park in downtown Ridgefield has a fabulous new playground, beautiful gazebo and lovely gardens plus fabulous free CHIRP concerts in the summer.
Ambler Farm in Wilton celebrates our community’s agrarian roots through active learning programs, sustainable agriculture, responsible land stewardship, and historic preservation. They hold plenty of programs year round and are home to many animals you can visit every day.
Woodcock Nature Center in Wilton offers terrific hiking trails and camps.
Stepping Stones Children’s Museum and The Maritime Aquarium are both located in Norwalk with plenty of programs for kids of all ages.
Silverman’s Farm in Easton is home to a petting zoo and plenty of pick-your-own fruit orchards.

Head to the Ridgefield Library and learn more about their many free programs for children, including storytime and music classes that take place in Ballard Park in the summer. They also have plenty of programs and book clubs for parents, and their daily newsletter contains a lot of valuable community resources.

Don’t miss The Prospector Theater, a 501(c)(3) non-profit dedicated to providing competitive and integrated employment to people with disabilities through the operation of a premium, first-run movie theater located right here in Ridgefield. In addition to their incredible mission, they show family-friendly movies and serve gourmet treats. Plus, it’s a fabulous date night destination!

We highly recommend you subscribe to newsletters like Hamlet Hub for more information on what’s happening here in town. We are proud to welcome you to our community and hope you love it as much as we do!

Getting Ready To Sell? Consider Donating to ReStore

It’s a fabulous time to think about listing your home for sale, and many of our clients have started cleaning out their homes to prepare. Most people need to get rid of some furniture before listing to make space for staging. Particularly if you’ll be downsizing, you may not need all of your furniture once you move to a new home, and we wanted to be sure you knew about the ReStore benefitting Habitat for Humanity.

With several locations in Connecticut, ReStore is a home and hardware retail thrift store open to the public selling new and gently used furniture, appliances, and building materials. The ReStore provides an environmentally and socially responsible way to keep good, reusable articles out of the waste stream while providing funding for Habitat’s community improvement work. Sales from the ReStore benefit Habitat for Humanity’s housing programs and their mission to provide decent, affordable homes!

Here is a list of items they accept and sell at the store:
• Appliances (for example: refrigerators, stoves/ovens, washers/dryers, small household appliances)
• Kitchen and Bathroom Cabinets
• Furniture (for example: sofas, dining sets, dressers, mirrors, bedroom sets)
• Lighting & Plumbing Fixtures
• Building Materials (for example: windows and doors, lumber and trim, tiles, flooring)
• Home Décor Items

ReStore picks up donations throughout Fairfield County. To schedule a pickup, email donate@restorecfc.org with your name, address, phone number and items to be donated. Or you can call (203) 383-4358 and leave a message. Keep in mind there is generally a two-week lead time from when you make the request. You can also follow the Danbury Store on Instagram at danburyrestore.

Ridgefield 2021 Year End Market Report

The 2021 Real Estate Market maintained momentum but felt less panicked than in 2020. The number of sales decreased slightly from 556 to 482 mostly due to a lack of inventory, which remains challenging. Buyers are still out in force and homes are selling in 60 days on average, as opposed to 70 days in 2020. The overall sales volume only differed by $38,000 from 2020 on a total sales volume of $451,645,946. Homes also generally sold at or above asking.

Looking ahead, while it continues to be a seller’s market, the frenzied pace of 2020 has subsided to a dull roar. There are still plenty of buyer’s looking for homes, and with mortgage rates expected to rise slightly – although still remaining historically low – there is a sense of urgency to find the perfect property. Inventory remains the biggest challenge, but we are encouraged already this year with many sellers’ reaching out to begin the process of listing their home. Ridgefield has benefited from continued remote work options and the quality of life and vibrancy of our town is clearly getting noticed. We also continue to see Ridgefield residents trading up and down in this market, which speaks volumes for our community.

SEE THE FULL REPORT HERE

Ridgefield Highlights

• There was a 13% decrease in the number of homes sold in 2021 compared to 2020
• There was a 15% increase in the median sales price year over year
• There was a 15% increase in the average sales price year over year
• Homes priced in the $1.0 to $1.25 million range saw an increase from 47 to 70 sales this year
• The higher end of the Ridgefield luxury market – over $2 million – saw huge gains with 19 sales in 2021 compared to 11 in 2020
• The highest value home sold in Ridgefield in 2021 was $6.6 million

Fairfield County

2021 continued to boast favorable market conditions for towns throughout Fairfield County. While many places saw double digit growth in median sales value, the number of sales decreased year over year in most areas. Greenwich, New Canaan, Norwalk and Stamford were exceptions to this rule and experienced large gains in both the number and value of their single-family home sales. Weston experienced an unprecedented growth in median sales price (35%) over 2020. As is being felt everywhere, if inventory stays fluid, we expect to continue to see price and the number of sales hold steady

Things To Do During The Holidays!

From our home to yours, we’re wishing all of our clients, community, team members, friends and family a very happy holiday season!

Ridgefield offers an incredible amount of fun family activities, and there are plenty of events scheduled this month if you’re looking for something to do with your family and guests who are in town for the holiday.

1. Karla Murtaugh Homes is proud to be the Presenting Sponsor for the ‘Home for the Holidays’ event at Lounsbury House, which will feature select decorated trees for display in the first floor windows. Festive Holiday music will play on the veranda throughout the day and into the evening. Visitors are invited to walk the grounds and view the beautiful window tree displays. For details please visit lounsburyhouse.org/event/home-for-the-holidays-fundraiser.

2. “Dancing with the Stars” pros Keo Motsepe and Anna Trebunskaya along with other celebrity dancers from “American Idol” and “So You Think You Can Dance” bring the only area performance of Dance to the Holidays to The Ridgefield Playhouse on Sunday, December 19, 2021 at 4pm. For details please visit https://news.hamlethub.com/ridgefield/events/71180-celebrate-the-holiday-season-at-the-ridgefield-playhouse-with-dazzling-dances-holiday-classics-and-stars-from-your-favorite-tv-shows-live-on-stage.

3. The Ridgefield Theater Barn is thrilled to bring The Traveling Lantern Theatre Company to the Barn for a Theater for Young Audiences (TYA) production of Ebeneezer Scrooge based on the Dickens’ classic for two performances on Sunday, December 19! This show is geared for young audiences and their families. There is a talkback with the cast after each show. For details and tickets please visit https://ridgefieldtheaterbarn.org/

4. Take the kids to the Noon Year’s Eve Party at the Ridgefield Library on December 31 11:15am- 12pm! All ages are invited to join us as we count down to 2022 and say goodbye to 2021! Play some games, take photos in front of the photo booth, and dance until the balloon drop at noon! All registrants will receive a take-home bag with some activities and an apple juice box to toast at home! Registration required for the take-home; drop-ins welcome, but goodie bags will be while supplies last. For details please visit https://ridgefieldlibrary.librarymarket.com/events/person-noon-years-eve-party.

Stay warm, stay healthy, and enjoy the festivities!

We’ve Joined Compass!

We pride ourselves on providing the best market knowledge, the best client care, and the most comprehensive marketing to our clients. Integrity, authenticity and knowledge are our pillars of service. As such, we are thrilled to be joining Compass Ridgefield as the Founding Team, becoming part of the fastest growing, independent brokerage in the nation. Renowned for focusing innovative technology and support towards agents and clients, Compass further enhances Karla Murtaugh Homes’ commitment to an outstanding Real Estate experience. We’d love for you to reach each out to us to discover more about Compass and how we can help you with your Real Estate needs!

Happy Thanksgiving!

From our home to yours, we’re wishing all of our clients, community, team members, friends and family a very happy Thanksgiving! We’re very grateful each of you and the work we do with you every day.

Ridgefield offers an incredible amount of fun family activities, and there are plenty of events scheduled this weekend if you’re looking for something to do with guests who are in town for the holiday:

We are proud to once again sponsor the Thanksgiving Day 5K Turkey Trot benefitting the Ridgefield Boys & Girls Club. Visit https://register.chronotrack.com/r/53995 to register.
The Ridgefield Theater Barn is thrilled to bring The Traveling Lantern Theatre Company to the Barn for a Theater for Young Audiences (TYA) production based on the Dickens’ classic for two performances on Saturday! This show is geared for young audiences and their families. There is a talkback with the cast after each show. Visit https://ridgefieldtheaterbarn.org/ for details and tickets!
Head to Main Street on Friday at 6pm to see downtown all lit up for the annual Holiday Tree Lighting, with a visit from Santa and Mrs. Claus at Lounsbury House.
The Great Trains Holiday Show opens Friday at the Wilton Historical Society. Historic 18th and 19th century buildings are charmingly decorated and transformed into a train-lovers delight with many different model train layouts winding through tiny towns with a variety of buildings, tunnels and all sorts of delightful animals showing up in unexpected places! Visit https://calendar.hamlethub.com/c/wilton-ct-us/events/614853-great-trains-holiday-show for details and tickets.
Head to the Winter Garden Theater on Friday starting at 2:30pm for The Erik F Hoag alumni game, an awesome tradition that raises funds to support a scholarship for one graduating senior. Register here to play, or purchase tickets at the door: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf7OFrHP47WTBuDUNpha_axtZmXUdDyt8ErbaS9KQ1krkhJBQ/viewform.
Support the Ridgefield Library by shopping at Books on the Common Friday through Sunday. Show your Ridgefield Library card at the cash register, and 15% of the proceeds of the purchase will be donated by the bookstore to the Library.
West Side Story returns to the big screen to celebrate its 60^thAnniversary! Bonus content includes exclusive insights from Turner Classic Movies primetime hosts! Watch it Sunday at 3pm or 7pm at the Ridgefield Playhouse. Visit https://ridgefieldplayhouse.org/event/west-side-story-60th-anniversary/ for tickets.