Tag Archive for: Ridgefield

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:

  1. 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.
  2. 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!
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. 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.
  6. 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.
  7. West Side Story returns to the big screen to celebrate its 60thAnniversary!  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.

 

 

Karla Murtaugh Honored at Boys & Girls Club Gala

The Ethan Allen Hotel ballroom and foyer were transformed on Saturday, November 6th for the return of the annual Boys & Girls Club “Great Futures Celebration” gala. Honoring both the 2020 and 2021 recipients of the Champion for Youth awards, and highlighting speeches by Club staff, supporters, and youth, the evening went off without a hitch. Both the silent and paddle auctions were successful in raising much needed funds to support the ongoing mission of the Club. 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. After a fabulous dinner catered by Gallo, the drinks, dancing and merry making continued into the late hours of the night. Truly a gala to remember!

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.

Happy Halloween – It’s Going To Be A Spooktastic Year!

Ridgefield offers an incredible amount of fun family activities, and that is especially apparent during the holidays. Starting with Halloween this weekend – we’re so excited the annual Halloween walk is back! If you’re new to the area, check out this list of options to celebrate the holiday:

  1. On Thursday night, October 28th 7-8 pm dress up in your favorite costume, grab a flashlight, and join Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum Educator and poet laureate Barb Jennes for Virtual Halloween Storytelling: A Contemp-BOO-rary Tale! Register here.
  2. Keeler Tavern Museum & History Center’s Ghosts of Ridgefield is a series of spooky and fun ghost tours planned for three nights only: Thursday, October 28; Friday, October 29; and Saturday, October 30. Tours are selling out quickly! For more information, click here.
  3. Do you love horses? Take a stroll through Rising Starr Horse Rescue’s spooky trail in Wilton on Friday, Saturday and Sunday afternoon. Suggested donation $10. For details visit their site.
  4. The Halloween walk is back! After taking a year off during Covid, this annual tradition will return Saturday morning, October 30 when kids can trick-or-treat with Main Street merchants 10am-12pm. Be sure to stop by our office to say hello!
  5. Paranormal Park is a Halloween ghost walk fundraiser presented by the Ridgefield Fathers Club to benefit the Boys & Girls Club of Ridgefield this Friday, October 29 and Saturday, October 30 from 6 to 9pm at Richardson Park, 729 N Salem Rd, Ridgefield. Click for more information.
  6. The Norwalk Historical Society’s popular fundraiser, “A Haunting at Mill Hill” is back in person at the old graveyard at Mill Hill Historic Park for its 11th season on Saturday evening, October 30 6:30-7:30pm. Click here for more details.
  7. The Catherine Violet Hubbard Animal Sanctuary will host its second annual free SANCTUARY SPOOKTACULAR in Newtown on October 31st from 2-4pm! Explore “haunted trails” while you crunch the leaves below your feet. Collect stickers for each “spooky” find in a woodland scavenger hunt and leave some suet treats for wildlife along the way. Register today to reserve your spot.
  8. St. Stephen’s Church will show the 1922 silent film Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror, with its eerie gothic feel on Sunday, Oct. 31, at 6 p.m. on a large screen in the sanctuary at 353 Main St. And, just as in the silent movie era, an organ – the St. Stephen’s organ, played by Alcee Chriss III – will provide live accompaniment. Suggested donation $20. Register here.

Karla Murtaugh & Christine Carnicelli Honored By BGCR

The Boys & Girls Club of Ridgefield is having their Great Futures Celebration Supporting our Kids, Our Families and Our Club Community on Saturday, November 6th and I am so proud to be honored as the 2020 Champion for Youth! Together with my friend Christine Carnicelli, who is being honored as the 2021 Champion for Youth, we will join a host of community members to celebrate our wonderful local club.

BGCR rose to the occasion, met each challenge, and stayed true to the mission of helping those that need them the most throughout the past years. They truly rallied to do ‘Whatever It Takes’ for the youth and families in our community. Join us and support the Great Futures Celebration at the Ethan Allen Hotel. It wouldn’t be a celebration without all of you!

In addition to Christine and myself, the club will also be presenting Jess Murphy Podrazky with the Boys & Girls Club of America’s National Service to Youth Award recognizing a decade of service to the Club.

Of course, the BGCR also hopes to raise some much-needed funds for our Club members’ Great Futures. Our promise to youth is to continue to be a pillar of support for them, no matter the obstacles they may be facing, and with your help at the Great Futures Celebration, we know we will be able to fulfill this promise.

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.

    Our Clients In The Wall Street Journal!

    In a Wall Street Journal Special Section called Beyond NYC, we were fortunate enough to be asked to provide a commentary on the state of the market. In addition, two of our fabulous clients were featured in a two different articles about their experiences buying in the ‘suburbs’ like Ridgefield, and selling during Covid. To check out the full article, see the posts below.