Tag Archive for: Luxury Homes

Inventory Is Increasing, But It’s Still A Seller’s Market

Spring is here, and it’s a fabulous time to list your home! If you’ve been on the fence about selling, we understand. It’s been a tumultuous two years. But the real estate market shows that inventory is starting to rise, and if you’d like to capitalize on this exciting spring market to earn a fabulous price for your home, Karla Murtaugh Homes at Compass would love to help. And if you’re looking to buy, inventory is climbing and you may have more options in the coming weeks, so definitely don’t give up!

“Thankfully, the market isn’t as frenzied now as it has been in past months, and more people are feeling comfortable about selling. Inventory is still relatively low at this point, so it’s a great time to take advantage of a seller’s market,” said Karla Murtaugh.

According to Connecticut Magazine, at the start of 2022, statewide inventory sat at less than a two-month supply, more than four months less than the typical market, so inventory will be the most important thing to watch in 2022. The Multiple Listing Service’s year-end report for 2021 showed the months supply of inventory down nearly 38 percent from 2020, to 1½ months statewide. Months supply describes the amount of time it would take to sell all the homes on the market, given current market conditions. Historically, moderate price appreciation comes with about six months’ supply, according to the National Association of Realtors.

“One thing to keep in mind if you’re thinking of selling is that research shows a staged home generally sells faster and for more money. The real estate market is highly competitive and staging will give you a leg up on the competition”, said Karla.

“When a potential buyer enters your home, you want to provide a backdrop for them to experience the home—a place where they can see how rooms function and how the home ‘feels’. You want them to say WOW!”, she continued.

One of Karla’s favorite things about having joined Compass is the Compass Concierge program, which is designed to prepare your home for the market. From deep cleaning to cosmetic improvements, Compass Concierge assesses opportunities to elevate your home’s value. The program will provide a tailored plan for updating and staging your home, and the means to execute it. Compass fronts the costs associated with home-selling improvements and only collects payment for the services rendered at the time of the property’s closing.

In addition, Karla’s own staging programs are designed to work within your budget and comfort level, and can either use your existing furniture and accessories, or bring in additional items. Most importantly, staging lets you get an objective opinion as seen through a “buyer’s eyes” – it’s not a reflection on your personal style or taste, but about getting you the most bang for your buck and top dollar on your sale.

For everything you need to know about selling your home, check out the Karla Murtaugh Homes Seller’s Guide. Be sure to connect to the team at karla.murtaugh@compass.com for your complimentary consultation.

Wilton Q1 2022 Market Report

The Wilton real estate market continues to take advantage of the current surge. While inventory and the number of sales are typically lower in Wilton than in Ridgefield, the town has enjoyed an earlier resurgence of inventory particularly in the over $1 million range. This has led to higher median and average sales prices than in Q1 2021. For example, 52% of all property sales in Wilton in Q1 2022 have been for homes priced in the $1 million and over range compared to only 26% in Q1 2021. In addition, there have been twice the number of luxury properties (homes selling for more than $1.5 million) in 2022 compared to 2021, with 20% of all sales being in this price point. This noticeable surge in luxury sales has definitely influenced the median and average sales prices in the town. The number of sales in Wilton has also decreased as in Ridgefield, but is still slightly higher than the pre-pandemic numbers. As we move into the typically fast-paced spring market, it will be interesting to see if supply can keep up with demand.

Ridgefield Q1 2022 Market Report

Overall, the Ridgefield real estate market for single family homes was healthy in the first quarter of 2022. While the main issue affecting the number of sales was low inventory, we have started to see an uptick in homes coming on the market, particularly in late March. There are still many buyers searching for homes, and sellers are getting creative with rent backs and other tools while they sell and make their next move. It is also important to note that while values seemed to show a decrease from last year, that is almost entirely due to the breakdown of homes that are selling. For example, in Q1 2021, homes in the over $1 million category made up 33% of all sales, while in 2022 they were only 29% of total market share. In addition, the luxury market (homes selling for greater than $1.5 million) accounted for 12% of all sales in Q1 2021, compared to only 6% this year. The drop in the share of homes selling in these price points has an overall negative effect on both median and average sales prices as reflected in these statistics. This is nothing to be concerned about as the number of sales equals or exceeds our more normal markets of 2018-2020, and the median sales values are up compared to those years as well.

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:

  1. 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.
  2. 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!
  3. 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
  4. 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.
  5. 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.
  6. 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!

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

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!

Ridgefield October Market Report – A More Normal Market Returns

October 2021 Prices Remain High Even As Number of Sales Fall
In a turnaround from 2020s frenzied fall market, 2021 presents with sales figures more similar to the seasonal nature of 2019. With the majority of homes closing in October being purchased after the start of school, it is no surprise that the number of sales decreased as it does in a more normal market. As a comparison, October 2020 saw 131 homes sold, while only 32 closed in 2021 and 42 in 2019. Overall sales figures also showed a similar pattern for October 2021 with a 71% decrease from October 2020, but only a 2% decrease when compared to 2019. The overall sales volume in October 2021 was $32,004,400. On the flip side, both the median and average sales prices remain high when comparing past years. The October 2021 median sales price sits at $794,500 which is 9% higher than $730,000 in 2020, and 30% higher than $611,250 in 2019. The average sale price was $1,000,153 in October 2021; 17% higher than $850,161 in 2020, and 28% higher than $779,349 in 2019.


Year To Date Sales Compare Favorably To 2020
While the monthly sales show a return to seasonality, overall the year to date sales and values show an increase over 2020. From January to October 2021 a total of 424 homes sold, which is comparable to the 435 homes changing hands by this time last year. The overall sales volume was actually up 15% during the same time as last year coming in at $397,473,336 in 2021. Median and average values also showed steady increases. The median value to date sits at $822,500 compared to $690,500 in 2020; an increase of 19%. The average value is up 18% from 2020 at $937,437 compared to $795,420.

What Lies Ahead?
While it’s impossible to predict the real estate market, we are seeing sales steady out at more normal levels across all price points. Inventory is still unnervingly low going into the holiday season, but we’re hoping that the increased values and more certainty about Covid-19 leads to increasing consumer confidence. Real estate has become a solid investment throughout the pandemic, and it will be interesting to see if the trend of urban to suburban moves continues or reverses itself in the coming year.

What to Consider When Upsizing or Downsizing

As we discussed in our recent Q3 Market Report, the market is still very busy although we are seeing the “panic” situation of late 2020 receding a little. Homes that are in good condition and priced correctly are still seeing lots of interest, but it is not as frenzied as in previous months.

Our days on market and months of inventory continue at record lows and are a matter of concern given the number of buyers still looking to make the move to the suburbs. With in- office work returning, high crime in many urban areas, and stubbornly low interest rates, it behooves sellers looking to move to jump into the market.

Taking all of this into consideration, many people are currently thinking about upsizing or downsizing. Many families’ needs have changed and their current homes no longer serve their lifestyle appropriately. But figuring out the perfect size home for your family can be difficult. Often, we don’t know exactly how we’ll use a space until we’re in it (and then it could be too late!).

If you’re considering either upsizing or downsizing, we recommend you contemplate the following:

  • Think about your current home. Are there rooms you never use? Are there rooms that are packed to bursting? Do you have enough storage space? Are you bumping into family members when trying to get out the door at night or make dinner at night?
  • Think about the future. Do you have young kids who will only occupy more space as they grow? Or do you have kids who are about to leave the nest and free up a certain amount of square footage?
  • Think about your lifestyle. Do you wish you had more space to entertain and have overnight guests? You might want to upsize. Are you spending more time away from home and don’t want the maintenance that goes along with a larger home? You might be ready to downsize.
  • Think about your budget. Is a smaller mortgage payment one reason you’d like to downsize? Or has your financial outlook improved enough to take on more of a mortgage in exchange for the lifestyle that will go along with it?

As we move into the traditionally slower holiday season, prices are still up but we hope for a more balanced market as we head into 2022. So, if you have been reevaluating your lifestyle and think that making a move would be good for you, now is the time! We offer a complimentary market analysis and would be happy to provide you with a concrete analysis of what your home is worth. For buyers, our expertise in negotiating in a strong seller’s market means you will get unparalleled representation in a competitive marketplace. Contact us today at 203-856-5534 or karla@karlamurtaugh.com.

Antique Homes Are Amazing, But Do Your Homework

There are some beautiful antique homes in our area, and these can be some of our favorites to help clients buy and sell. The unique charm of older homes can be just the character your family is looking for, and there is nothing cookie-cutter about these properties! They are often located in well-established neighborhoods with mature landscaping.

Older homes can have amazing character traits and historical features that most new homes simply do not have, like huge wood-burning fireplaces, beautiful wood trim and moldings, and ceilings with rustic wood beams that can be harder to find in newer, more modern homes.

There can be some challenges however, and we created this list to help prepare you if you’re thinking of purchasing an antique home. Be sure to consider the following:

  • Enlist the help of a top realtor like us who has decades of experience in this area. We know what red flags to look for, and how to negotiate on your behalf to get the best deal especially when it comes to replacement expenses.
  • Most older homes contain items that eventually need to be replaced. Some examples with considerable price tags may include roofing, furnace, water heater, decks, windows and fencing. It is important to find out the age of each of these items when you’re considering an older property. Structural issues, older plumbing and outdated electrical may also need to be addressed depending on the age of the home.
  • Antique homes in the northeast especially can require updated weatherstripping and insulation to ensure you’re not wasting money on an unnecessarily high energy bill. Speaking of bills, it can be more costly to insure an older home than a modern home so you may want to check with your homeowners insurance company.
  • Depending on the needs of your family, the floor plan in an older home might require some renovation and remodeling. Smaller rooms might need to be opened up to create a more open floor plan and additional bathrooms might be needed if you have a larger family or frequent houseguests.
  • You may want to find out if there are any historical societies or neighborhood restrictions on remodeling. Some older homes and neighborhoods have restrictions in terms of the type and style of remodeling that can be done.
  • Fortunately, our team loves antique homes and would be honored to help you find yours, even if it means resolving some of these issues! Reach out to us today.