Open House 146 Eastern Avenue Waterbury CT 06708 11-20-11

Open House 146 Eastern Avenue Waterbury CT 06708 – Sunday, November 20, 2011 2-4 p.m. 

Come and join William James Walton, Sr. of Weichert, Realtors® – Briotti Group  on November 20, 2011 from 2 to 4 p.m. for a personal tour of this beautiful colonial style home on 146 Eastern Avenue.

Features of this home, being offered for $197,500, include

• Hardwood flooring and fireplace in living room
• Large eat-in Kitchen with stainless steel appliances
• 3bedrooms, two full bathrooms, one half bathroom
• Master Bedroom suite
• Finished lower level
• 2 car attached garage

 

Call William James Walton, Sr. at (203) 558-7463 to arrange a private showing, or visit him Sunday at the Open House.

 

Directions: Watertown to Eastern or Bunker Hill to Oakville to Eastern

Open House – 89 Beecher Avenue Waterbury CT 06705 – Sunday 9-11-11

Open House 89 Beecher Avenue Waterbury CT 06705 – Sunday, September 11, 2011 2-4 p.m.

 

Come and join William James Walton, Sr. of Weichert, Realtors® – Briotti Group  on September 11, 2011 from 2 to 4 p.m. for a personal tour of this beautiful colonial style home on 89 Beecher Avenue.

Features of this home, being offered for $144,500, include

• Spacious yard
• Kitchen with stainless steel appliances and granite countertops
• 4 bedrooms, two full bathrooms
• Finished lower level
• 2 car detached garage

 

Call William James Walton, Sr. at (203) 558-7463 to arrange a private showing, or visit him Sunday at the Open House.

 

Directions: East Main to Beecher or Meriden to Beecher

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Open House – 89 Beecher Avenue Waterbury CT 06705 – Sunday 9-11-11

Open House 89 Beecher Avenue Waterbury CT 06705 – Sunday, September 11, 2011 2-4 p.m.

 

Come and join William James Walton, Sr. of Weichert, Realtors® – Briotti Group  on September 11, 2011 from 2 to 4 p.m. for a personal tour of this beautiful colonial style home on 89 Beecher Avenue.

Features of this home, being offered for $144,500, include

• Spacious yard
• Kitchen with stainless steel appliances and granite countertops
• 4 bedrooms, two full bathrooms
• Finished lower level
• 2 car detached garage

 

Call William James Walton, Sr. at (203) 558-7463 to arrange a private showing, or visit him Sunday at the Open House.

 

Directions: East Main to Beecher or Meriden to Beecher

The Day My Grams Died…

It was August 25, 2011 at 9:50 a.m. I was the first one to receive the news.

I had received the call from my Aunt Eunice, my grandmother’s older and remaining sister, around 9:30 that morning. She had been notified by the hospital that Grams had a heart attack. I rushed from where I was, grateful that my cousin Nona was around. She drove me to the hospital and I got to the ICU as quickly as I could.

When the doctors told me the news, my eyes widened, and I almost thought that I would collapse right there on the spot, but God enabled me to hold it together. The doctor explained everything they had tried to do to keep my Grams alive, but the combination of medications, along with the shocks, just couldn’t do the job.

You see, my grandmother had COPD, and she had reached the final stages of the disease two months ago, when she was admitted to the emergency room because her blood pressure had dropped dangerously low. Her pastor’s wife sang “How Great Is Our God” in her ear, and her pressure began to rise, inexplicably. So God gave her a little more time, that day, to be with us.

We had brought her back to the hospital at least 5 times between that episode and August 23, and when she was brought to the hospital that day, she had developed pneumonia.

It was her time to leave me, to leave us.

I am grateful for the 37 years that she was in my life. In spite of the issues that we had regarding my father, I still loved her very much, and did everything that I could to make her life sweet in those final months. From running errands, to spending the night, I am glad that I had the time to spend with her.

We buried her Wednesday, August 31. The funeral was a beautiful service, with plenty of beautiful purple flowers, and purple accents throughout the church (purple was her
favorite color).

As the days have gone by, I allow the memories to wash over me. The sound of her voice, her sometimes colorful phrases, her giving spirit, her sweet disposition. I remember with fondness her penchant for cake. Even as a little boy, I remember her always going to
this one bakery on East Main Street after church every Sunday and picking up cake. When she got sick and couldn’t go out any more, any occasion at which cake was served, we would always bring her some cake. Wednesday was my daughter’s birthday, and Grams would have been calling us, “Did you save me a piece of cake?”

I also remember all of the things she introduced me to. Gummy bears. Portuguese rolls. Truffles. Church.Cooking collard greens, spinach, mustard greens and cabbage with peppered jowls.

I treasure the fact that she taught me how to cook better than what I had already learned before I went to college. I am thankful that she taught me the secret to a great sweet-potato pie. Now, I’ll be getting the calls…

Goodbye, Grams. I love you, I miss you, and I will never forget you….

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Open House – 54 Kendall Circle Waterbury CT 06708 – Sunday August 21 2011

Open House – 54 Kendall Circle Waterbury CT 06708 – Sunday, August 21, 2011 1-3 p.m.

Come and join Dot Dorso, of Weichert, Realtors® – Briotti Group on August 21, 2011 from 1 to 3 p.m. for a personal tour of this beautiful raised ranch on 54 Kendall Circle Road.

 

Features of this home, being offered for $175,000, include

·         Spacious yard with three-tiered deck with swimming pool

·         Eat-In Kitchen

·         3 bedrooms, two full bathrooms, one half bathroom

·         Hardwood floors

·         Fireplaces in living room and lower level family room

·         Finished lower level with in-law potential

 

Call Dot Dorso at (203) 558-3441 to arrange a private showing, or visit her Sunday at the Open House.

 

Directions: Bunker Hill Road to Juniper Ridge Dr. to Sabal Dr. to Kendall Circle

via ScribeFire

It Is Up to You, Mr. Seller

It Is Up To You, Mr. Seller

So, Mr. Seller, you’ve made a decision that you want to sell your home. Scratch that. You’ve decided that you need to sell your home.

That’s great. You start looking at what other homes in your neighborhood are selling for. You research market statistics on homes that have sold. You peruse some websites that allow you to obtain a market analysis of your home. You go to Zillow to get some more information about the prices of similar homes in your area. You read the local newspaper, looking for tips on how to sell your home.

You’ve been gathering information for some time now, and you are weighing your options – do I use a realtor, or do I try to sell my home on my own? You evaluate all of the pros and cons of each avenue and you ultimately decide against selling it on your own and you decide to reach out to a few realtors – those whose sites you used to get a free evaluation from, and one who was recommended to you by a co-worker who recently sold his own home.

After speaking with all of the agents and listening to their presentations, you’ve settled on one agent. You just…clicked. He explained to you in detail his marketing strategy, established how he would communicate with you during the process, and provided his rather extensive resume of closed
transactions over the last several years.

So you ask the usual questions as you prepare to sign the listing agreement:

• At what price should I list my home?
• How long do you think it will take for
  the home to sell?
• What should I do to make the home more
  appealing to buyers?
• Will the house actually sell in this
  market?

My response to those questions? It is up to you, Mr. Seller.

The whole process of selling your home is dependent first and foremost on the attitude that you bring to the table. You established that you wanted and needed to sell your home, so your actions should be consistent with that motivation.

But you’re the Realtor. You’re the professional, so you should know the answers to my questions.

That is true, I am the professional. But consider this:

·        I performed a comparative market analysis of your home and came up with a suggested listing price range of $150,000-$160,000. Did you concur with my professional opinion supported by the market statistics, or did you insist that you needed $195,000 in order to place your home on the market?

·        I toured the home prior to our listing appointment and took some pictures. I made several suggestions that would improve the curb appeal of your home, and even provided you a list of vendors who could perform the needed repairs at a minimal cost to you, if you were unable to complete the repairs yourself. Did you follow through with my suggestions, or did you refuse to even trim the hedges and mow the lawn, let alone make any repairs?

·        I suggested de-cluttering several rooms and making some minor rearrangements of
furniture so that buyers could visualize the amount of space available. Did you take my advice, or ignore it altogether?

·        I informed you that the majority of buyers would be uncomfortable touring a home with
either one of us present, and that your schedule needed to be flexible in order to accommodate potential buyers who want to see your home. Did you make arrangements to vacate the premises during a showing, or did you insist on being present to meet each buyer, as well as unreasonably limiting the times in which your home could be shown?

Sellers, if you are serious about selling your home, only
you, based on the actions that you take, can determine whether your home sells
or not. Your actions during the selling process must be consistent with your
need to sell or your want to sell, and especially if you both need and want to
sell your home.

In the final analysis, Mr. Seller, whether your home sells
or not is entirely up to you.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                                                                                                               

It Is Up To You, Mr Seller

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It Is Up To You, Mr. Seller

So, Mr. Seller, you’ve made a decision that you want to sell your home. Scratch that. You’ve decided that you need to sell your home.

That’s great. You start looking at what other homes in your neighborhood are selling for. You research market statistics on homes that have sold. You peruse some websites that allow you to obtain a market analysis of your home. You go to Zillow to get some more information about the prices of similar homes in your area. You read the local newspaper, looking for tips on how to sell your home.

You’ve been gathering information for some time now, and you are weighing your options – do I use a realtor, or do I try to sell my home on my own? You evaluate all of the pros and cons of each avenue and you ultimately decide against selling it on your own and you decide to reach out to a few realtors – those whose sites you used to get a free evaluation from, and one who was recommended to you by a co-worker who recently sold his own home.

After speaking with all of the agents and listening to their presentations, you’ve settled on one agent. You just…clicked. He explained to you in detail his marketing strategy, established how he would communicate with you during the process, and provided his rather extensive resume of closed transactions over the last several years.

So you ask the usual questions as you prepare to sign the listing agreement:

• At what price should I list my home?
• How long do you think it will take for the home to sell?
• What should I do to make the home more appealing to buyers?
• Will the house actually sell in this market?
  

My response to those questions? It is up to you, Mr. Seller.

The whole process of selling your home is dependent first and foremost on the attitude that you bring to the table. You established that you wanted and needed to sell your home, so your actions should be consistent with that motivation.

But you’re the Realtor. You’re the professional, so you should know the answers to my questions.

That is true, I am the professional. But consider this:

·        I performed a comparative market analysis of your home and came up with a suggested listing price range of $150,000-$160,000. Did you concur with my professional opinion supported by the market statistics, or did you insist that you needed $195,000 in order to place your home on the market?

·        I toured the home prior to our listing appointment and took some pictures. I made several suggestions that would improve the curb appeal of your home, and even provided you a list of vendors who could perform the needed repairs at a minimal cost to you, if you were unable to complete the repairs yourself. Did you follow through with my suggestions, or did you refuse to even trim the hedges and mow the lawn, let alone make any repairs?

·        I suggested de-cluttering several rooms and making some minor rearrangements of furniture so that buyers could visualize the amount of space available. Did you take my advice, or ignore it altogether?

·        I informed you that the majority of buyers would be uncomfortable touring a home with either one of us present, and that your schedule needed to be flexible in order to accommodate potential buyers who want to see your home. Did you make arrangements to vacate the premises during a showing, or did you insist on being present to meet each buyer, as well as unreasonably limiting the times in which your home could be shown?

 

Sellers, if you are serious about selling your home, only you, based on the actions that you take, can determine whether your home sells or not. Your actions during the selling process must be consistent with your need to sell or your want to sell, and especially if you both need and want to sell your home.

 

In the final analysis, Mr. Seller, whether your home sells or not is entirely up to you.

If I Had an Extra $220 In Savings from Buying Ink Cartridges, I Would…

Waterbury, CT Taxes – What To Do About It?

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Waterbury, CT Taxes – What To Do About It?

 

Waterbury, CT taxes – what to do about it? On Friday, June 11, 2010, the Waterbury, CT Board of Aldermen, by a 9 to 6 vote, elected to raise the mill rate in Waterbury, CT by 1.9 mills, from 39.92 mills to 41.82 mills, thus increasing taxes for Waterbury, CT residents. The tax increase for Waterbury, CT goes into effect on July 1, 2010.

 

Below is a summary chart which reflects the tax increase a Waterbury, CT residential homeowner (including condo and multi-family owners) would see in their upcoming tax bill based on the assessed value of their property. Waterbury, CT real estate taxes are assessed at 70% of the homes’ fair market value as determined by the Waterbury, CT Assessor’s Office.

 

Assessment	Current Taxes	Tax on 7/1/10	Increase	Assessment	Current Taxes	Tax on 7/1/10	Increase
50,000	1996	2091	95	210,000	8383	8782	399
60,000	2395	2509	114	220,000	8782	9200	418
70,000	2794	2927	133	230,000	9182	9619	437
80,000	3194	3346	152	240,000	9581	10037	456
90,000	3593	3764	171	250,000	9980	10455	475
100,000	3992	4182	190	260,000	10379	10873	494
110,000	4391	4600	209	270,000	10778	11291	513
120,000	4790	5018	228	280,000	11178	11738	560
130,000	5190	5437	247	290,000	11577	12157	580
140,000	5589	5855	266	300,000	11976	12546	570
150,000	5988	6273	285	310,000	12375	12964	589
160,000	6387	6691	304	320,000	12774	13382	608
170,000	6786	7109	323	330,000	13174	13801	627
180,000	7186	7528	342	340,000	13573	14219	646
190,000	7585	7946	361	350,000	13972	14637	665
200,000	7984	8364	380	360,000	14371	15055	684

 

If you are a Waterbury, CT resident and you want to know what your Waterbury, CT real estate assessment is, you can find the information at the Waterbury, CT Assessor’s Office, located at 26 Kendrick Street.

 

So, what can we as Waterbury, CT residents do about this tax increase?

 

·        Contact the Waterbury, CT Board of Aldermen to register your complaint about the unfair tax burden that this tax increase poses to you.

·        Attend upcoming Waterbury, CT Board of Aldermen meetings to voice your concerns about the impact of this tax increase.

·        File an appeal of your Waterbury, CT real estate assessment with the Waterbury, CT Assessor Board of Appeals. There is a time limit by which you must file your appeal, so visit the Waterbury, CT Assessor’s Office for more information.

 

An item of interest that Waterbury, CT residents should be aware of: revaluation, the process by which the Waterbury, CT Assessor’s Office is to determine the fair market value for all real property in the city, is, according to state statute, due every five years. Waterbury, CT last underwent the revaluation process in 2007, right at the time when real estate values had reached their zenith and were beginning to plummet. The next revaluation for Waterbury, CT is due to occur in 2012.

Waterbury, CT Relay For Life Event June 5-6, 2010

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Starting Saturday, June 5, 2010 at 8 a.m., and ending on Sunday, June 6, 2010 at 8 a.m., the American Cancer Society will be having its annual Relay for Life at Crosby High School, located at 300 Pierpont Road in the city’s East End. Many teams from schools across the city, as well as volunteer organizations will be paricipating in the Relay for Life event to raise money to support cancer research and those who have fought the disease and won, as well as to remember those who lost their battle with cancer. You can visit the Relay for Life website for more information.