I'm not ready to drop the price....

I ran into someone at the park yesterday.  We knew each other's dogs, but not really each other. She told me that her house was on the market. The house has been on the market for over 3 weeks with NO showings. The interesting thing was she said "I HAVE TO SELL" and in the same breath, she said "I AM NOT READY TO DROP THE PRICE".  I steered the conversation to another topic, since I was not allowed to talk to another agent's client about a listing, and I make it a point to be a highly ethical agent.  But the statement reverberated in my mind: "I HAVE TO SELL BUT AM NOT READY TO DROP THE PRICE".  In a rising market like the one we enjoyed for 20 years, that strategy would ultimately work: if you wait long enough, the market will ultimately catch up to the price.  But with a flat or declining market, it means that the house is doomed from the start!  If the price is too high (as evidenced with NO showings), then you can wait until the cows come home - the house will only become stale, and the flat or declining market will never close the gap.   I bit my tongue and mentally wished that realtor good luck...

WASA Top Dog Event

Last Saturday was warm and sunny: a great day for Westport Animal Shelter's 2nd annual WASA Top Dog Event!  It was a fun-filled day a live DJ, food, silent auction, celebrity judges, and lots of activities for dogs and their owners.  Proceeds went to WASA (http://www.westportwasa.org/).  In the photo/essay contest, Nimbus and 91 year old "Grandmo" was chosen to be included in their 2011 calender. Calendars will be on sale at WASA in early December.  Nimbus the 10 year old beagle also took 2nd place in the Best Dog Trick contest, a fierce competition indeed! The inspiration for his many tricks was a juicy piece of hotdog.  Nimbus was interviewed by The CT Post, the Norwalk Hour and the Westport News.  Hopefully this won't go to his head!

"Cyndi Lopper" Speaks Out

Are you a property owner in Connecticut?  A significant portion of your property could be in grave danger, right under your very nose!!  What is in danger?  YOUR TREES?  Invasive plants and vines are taking over large swaths of our local landscape and smothering our 100 and 200 year old trees.  This photo is of a tree in Winslow Park in Westport, before the vines were cut  (now you know how I got my nickname "Cyndi Lopper"....)   Driving around the area, I have identified several invasive vines including Asiatic Bittersweet,  with yellow/orange berries - a vine that grows woody trunks that can get as thick as your thigh around the trees; or Asiatic Bittersweet with red berries, an especially nasty one because of its vicious thorns; and of course, the infamous Mile A Minute Vine, another Asian import which is taking over our native trees.  We can help a number of ways.  First and foremost, we need to WALK OUR PROPERTIES, especially the perimeter of our land and take a good look at our trees.  Not only do we stand to lose our 100 and 200 year old trees, but when they fall, we have a potential liability.  So really check your own property, even on the margins.  If you see your trees covered in vines, cut them down and keep them down, especially if your house is on the market. 

People come from all over the world to witness something we might take for granted: the glorious colors of fall foliage, spectacular reds and golds, and warm hues of orange which provide a stark contrast against a blue autumn sky.   Let's keep an eye on this precious resource while we still have time, and don't let these vines kill our valuable trees. 
Here are some helpful resources:
http://www.westportct.gov/agencies/landuse/conservation/invasiveplant.htm - Westport site
http://nbii-nin.ciesin.columbia.edu/ipane/ctcouncil/CT_Invasive_Plant_List.htm - list of invasive plants in CT

Darcy goes Global

It was a warm evening in September, and the setting sun was glinting off the boats in the Southport harbor.  I was being interviewed by a handsome Norwegian journalist and 'snapped' by another handsome Norwegian photographer. Passersby stopped to look.  I felt pretty special!  It is interesting to see that the luxury real estate market here in Fairfield County is considered a newsworthy topic to readers in Norway.  But then again, we are a global economy, and local events are certainly affected by economic forces across the globe.  This able Norwegian journalist is on assignment to cover news in the Tri-State area, and relay it to his readers at home. He will have plenty to write about!  'God kveld!'

A Realtor's Survival Kit

It occurs to me that there are things that I should always have in my car in order to be an effective realtor:
Tape measure - some clients will always want to measure rooms or windows
Flashlight - ever get a face full of cobweb when trying to find a light in the basement?
Note cards - to leave a handwritten note when you can't reach someone in person
Mints - always a good thing to have on hand. My client Hal likes them. His last name is Itosis (haha)
Spare batteries (for the flashlight, keypad, etc.)
Scotch tape - to tape those note cards in a high-visibility place
Note pad - not to take notes literally, but to remind me to always LISTEN!
Duck Tape (or what I commonly call duct tape) - why? Just because every survival kit has to have duct tape, right?

Westport Amendments to Planning and Zoning Regs

There has been a lot of talk about the proposed amendments to Westport's Planning & Zoning regulations. The proposed changes would reduce the amount of allowable coverage, and also affect the way decks, pools, and porches are calculated into the coverage. This is a thorny issue which touches many people. Some complain that Westport is losing its character and the town is evolving into a land of McMansions. Others counter that those McMansions are what buyers want, are paying top dollar for, and are therefore creating a positive effect on home values, not to mention the tax base. Another issue is that the new regulations would render currently conforming houses non-conforming, making it more difficult to sell or renovate. Make no mistake: any regulation that hinders an owner's property rights is going to meet with stiff resistance! Another issue relates to water run-off. Many homeowners who have lived here in a dry home for years, now find themselves with flooded basements. They blame it on the new construction nearby. Wet basements and lawns do render homes less likely to sell and more expensive to mitigate. Is the wet basement directly attributable to the new construction? Some would say no by virtue of drywells and other drainage systems installed in new construction. Others would say yes, due to cutting of trees, and insufficient drainage to get the job done. Will the new regulations make it more difficult to build a ranch style home - one that might be very popular with our aging demographic? It does appear so, doesn't it? So how does the town strike a balance? I don't have the answer, although I am glad that the issue is being studied, especially as it pertains to the runoff, which affects our drinking water as well as people's basements. A simple solution might be to give incentives for builders and homeowners to use materials that allow for drainage - for example, stone driveway as versus paved. Not a requirement, not a change to coverage calculations, but an incentive. We already have incentives for energy efficient appliances, windows, solar panels and other environmentally friendly improvements. For right now, the debate rages on.

Marketing a lifestyle

Hi all you sellers! Despite the press saying the market is soft, there are still people looking to buy real estate! Have you noticed lately the number of buyers coming from urban areas, especially New York? I have. One thing I think they are attracted to, is the Fairfield County lifestyle, which combines sophistication with healthy and wholesome living. What do I mean by that? Organic markets, top quality restaurants, wonderful shopping, lots of 'happening' events in the arts, and a thriving commercial base all contribute to an environment of sophistication. But we also have our simple, wholesome pleasures not found in the city: pick your own apples, hayrides, harvest festivals, pick your own halloween pumpkins, real trick or treating where neighbors meet neighbors on the street to exchange greetings and treats, nature walks, local volunteer efforts, booster club car washes, scout popcorn and cookie sales, and parades where half of the town children are participants. Westport has a Halloween afternoon parade just for the toddlers and young children. Main Street is blocked off and shopkeepers dress up and pass out free candy.Fall is the perfect season to highlight the "lifestyle" of living here: get out those fall decorations for the house, pumpkins, and candles redolent of apples and spice. Change up the minor decor using warm colors of the fall. Anything that evokes of nature, harvest, family, neighbors, thanks-giving (not just Thanksgiving) will strike a note that will resonate!