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March 21, 2019

How a Down Market Happens

I recently met with a potential client who blamed real estate professionals as the reason for his house not selling for the last 9-years, and more broadly, as the reason for the down market itself. At first, I was quick to dismiss his complete lack of respect for agents, then I started thinking about how a down market happens. In a down market, there are many contributing factors such as a buyer’s job security, the financial markets and how they’re performing, bonus structures (in my NYC...

January 9, 2019

20 Ways to Thank Your Home and Find Joy

Lately I’ve been reading a lot of articles and books about organizing and Feng Shui, and also obsessively watched the new Marie Kondo show on Netflix called Tidying up with Marie Kondo. Marie also wrote two bestselling books, The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up, and Spark Joy. Where I am today is a combination of years of experience as a Realtor, Feng Shui principles which I follow, recent lessons from Marie’s teachings, and other books and articles about life, home and organizing that I’ve...

October 4, 2018

Does a Cluttered House Create a Cluttered Mind?

My daughter, who is 7-months pregnant, is having a friendly conflict with her husband about decorating their baby’s room. He doesn’t seem to understand her need for a clutterless space or her need for organization. She wants the baby’s room to feel right. He wants the room to feel cozy. To her, feeling right = no clutter. To him, feeling right = stuff thrown together to feel cozy. I definitely blame myself for my daughter’s needs, even though it was an innocent and unintentional infliction of...

September 20, 2018

Getting A Home Ready For Sale

Getting a home ready for sale is a lot easier if you maintain the home regularly. But, let's be real - - there are very few homeowners I know that have their house in a show-ready state. Here's a [long] list of things to do to help your house shine and beat out your competition. Look at your home objectively, as if you were seeing it for the first time. If you were driving by, would you want to go in to see more?Power-wash exterior surfaces...

September 6, 2018

The Fall Market Begins This Week – Are You Ready?

Here are eight reasons now is the right time to buy. Second only to the spring market, the fall selling season can be robust. It can also be a great time and opportunity to buy a home. Since the fall market is only about 8-10 weeks long, many of the homes that are coming on the market will come on in the next week or two. Inventory is High: In lower Fairfield County, CT, there is an abundance of homes on the market. Some experts say we...

July 20, 2018

“Empty Nest Syndrome”

I always laugh when I hear the term empty nest. It’s even called a “syndrome.” Maybe it’s because I had an established career before the chickies flew from the nest, or maybe it's because I’ve never really had a day off to worry about this syndrome, or maybe it's because, seriously, they Keep Coming Home! When kids leave for college, there are also still the requisite drop-offs, pick-ups, school events, sports’ games, parents’ weekends, vacations, care packages, I forgot this or that and can you send...

July 5, 2018

The Best Time To Be A Buyer

It's the 5th of July, and today begins the best time to be a buyer. Summer real estate buyers are firmly in the driver's seat in transactions. The new, fresh spring inventory is now in for the long(er) haul and the sellers are eager to leave. Add to that a vacant house, or a builder's spec house, and you've got a highly motivated seller. While there is no formula for how much less than asking price to offer, here are a few guidelines to help you...

June 21, 2018

Summer Break

School’s out for summer! Well, school’s out tomorrow, anyway, in both Darien and New Canaan. Every year, on the last day of school, I used to take my kids to Baskin Robbins. It was a tradition we all loved, and regardless of how old they got, a tradition we happily upheld. I love summer in Fairfield County, especially with kids. While many people headed out of town, we mostly liked to stay and enjoy the quieter town and slower pace. Before my girls went away to a...

June 6, 2018

June: Summer Kick-Off

June, the first month of summer, is officially here! I love feeling the weather change and watching Fairfield County transition into this beautiful season. It's surprising to me that I live in a cold-weather climate because I love summer so much. I live for the summer and for everything it has to offer. I never run out of fun things to do. This month, I'll be posting about all things summer: how to get your home ready for the summer heat, events to enjoy, and a...

May 24, 2018

Memorial Day

Memorial Day, like Veteran's Day, has taken on a different meaning than what was intended. Now it is thought of as the kick-off weekend of summer and a 3-day weekend. But wouldn't it be great if we actually remembered what Memorial Day is really about and why it was started? Memorial Day (originally called Decoration Day), was initiated as a day of remembrance and of respect to our veterans. New York was the first state to recognize this day of observance in 1873, although the first...

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