I have been listening to several podcast from Brene Brown while out walking. We are all at a point of collective exhaustion due to the anxiety we are feeling because of the pandemic. She gives a lot of good advice and perspective on how to deal with the anxiety and stress that we are feeling. Based on programmed conditioning throughout our lives, we respond to these situations either by OVERFUNCTIONING or UNDERFUNCTIONING.

OVERFUCTIONING IS PERCEIVED as bossy, micromanaging, giving advice, always in motion, taking charge.
UNDERFUNCTIONING IS PERCEIVED as less competent, fragile, needy, unreliable, flakey.

It is not who we are. Neither response is right, wrong, good or bad. It is important that we see where we are on the spectrum and know that we can manage this response. Both are forms of armor to get out from under fear and uncertainty.

                         Anxiety is more contagious than this virus. You can infect others or be the cure

When we are under stress we produce adrenaline which is appropriate in the short term but can be harmful to us and those around us in the long term. We need to get past stress and practice calm. Brene uses the analogy of young children playing soccer. When a ball is kicked to them, whether on the ground or above their shoulders, there response is to immediately kick it forward without looking to see where it is going. They run up and down the field pretty much as a herd without direction. By SETTLING THE BALL the experienced player, stops the inertia to give time to read the field, position the ball and then be strategic as to where they want the ball to go. It is more effective and less exhausting. That is what we need to do. We need to go from stress and anxiety to the practice of calm. We all need to settle the ball.Continue Reading

Hello to my Friends, Colleagues and Clients,

I know there is a lot of anxiety out there about health, the economy and the housing market. I am not an expert on the pandemic or the stock market so I will leave that to others. I DO know housing having been through 3 recessions since I got my license. Oh, you have probably forgotten 1986 or 2001 in addition to 2006. This crisis is more like 9/11. It event driven. Just like the macro burst of 2 years ago, it has postponed, not killed our market. Home values are still rising at a normal, uninflated rate. There are some huge factors that will drive our market come June..or maybe July.

1- AFFORDABILITY– Interest rates in 2006 were 8%-today they are 3.5%. Even though incomes have risen only slightly it means that homes are more affordable today than any time in history. In 2006 to buy a MEDIAN priced home with a MEDIAN income Buyers were using 25.4% of income on housing. Today it is 14.8%. This an AFFORDABILITY OPPORTUNITY FOR BUYERS.Continue Reading

Are you trying to buy a home but haven’t been able to save a down payment or closing costs? If you qualify, there may be a solution for you? Nineteen local banks contribute money to the HOUSING DEVELOPMENT FUND (HDF). If your combined family income, which includes any family member in residence 18 or over, is under the income threshold you would qualify to participate in 3 exciting programs. The income limits are $119,000 (Fairfield County), $100,900 (Litchfield County), $90,700 (New Haven County). The borrower still needs good credit of 660 or above and reportable income. These programs are for first time buyers only, but a first time buyer is defined as anyone not owning a property for the last 3 years.Continue Reading

I challenged a Chamber Gathering to define their goals for the year in one word. Having reviewed dozens of business plans over the years as a business owner and as a team leader I have found that the more elaborate the plan the more likely it is doomed to failure. In today’s rapidly changing environment it is those who can change course in midplan if necessary while keeping their eye on the ultimate target. It is not a matter of chasing the next shiny object or get rich quick scheme but about really zeroing in on that one thing and making sure every decision brings you a half step closer. The simpler you make it, the easier it is to make sure that that one next thing conforms to that vision.

That one word should be the vision for every aspect of your year: business, finance, spiritual, health, relationships.Continue Reading

Whether you are buying or selling a home it is really important that it is explained to you the different forms of Agency Relationships and what they mean to you.

Years ago, in the dark ages when I became an agent in 1986, all Agents worked for the Seller. We were paid by the Seller and our job was to get the Seller the highest price…even if we were working with a Buyer. Our “Fiduciary Duty” was to the Seller. Of course, in practice, this wasn’t always the case and it was a real gray area in client representation. In the mid 1990’s BUYER AGENCY came into effect. At that point, by law, we had Buyers sign Exclusive Right to Represent Contracts just like we have Listing Agreements signed by our Sellers. It was a confusing time because what if you were showing your Buyer one of your own listings? Who did you represent? Remember that ALL contracts are owned by the Company NOT by the Agent. We evolved and now along with Seller Representation and Buyer Representation we have Dual Agency and Designated Agency to define these situations.Continue Reading

It is that time of year when we are under a lot of pressure to clarify our goals and to make resolutions. Then by mid-January, or February if you are really good, you are back to the same old bad habits. Why is that? First I am the ultimate goal setter as if you didn’t already know that. However, I have found a couple of truths with this exercise that help to move me forward.Continue Reading

I get a lot of Buyers who base their decision on what price to offer on a house based on cost per square foot. This is faulty for a couple of reasons. Size is a very minor predictor of value.

1- FIXED COSTS- There are fixed costs whether the home is 2000 sft or 5000 sft. The well, septic, bringing in utilities from the road and lot cost and clearing are pretty much the same between the 2 Continue Reading

So you have finally gotten that last home fixup to get your home ready for the market but it is October. Do you wait for the “Spring” Market? My simple response is absolutely not. The fourth quarter is absolutely the best time to sell your home!

1- Inventory is at its lowest so Buyers have fewer choices. I often “PUSH” the price point at this time of year because of this. Homes sell faster now for the same reason.

2- We still have a good number of frustrated Buyers who have not yet found their new home. Especially in 2019, inventory levels have been at historically low levels. The number of available homes for sale in the Greater Danbury Area has been DOWN 40% compared to 2 years ago. The number of sales, however, has remained about the same.Continue Reading

One of the biggest mistakes that a potential Home Seller makes is calling a Realtor when they “think” they are ready to put their home on the market. Actually the best time to call your Realtor is at least 6 months before your list date. Starting the beginning of August I begin to get calls from Homeowners who want to sell their homes next spring. These are the smart Sellers and eventually the ones who will get the highest prices for their homes.

There is a “buzz” among Realtors that it is no longer location or amenities that drive price, but condition. The current Homebuyers, the Millennials, do not want to lift a finger when they move in. Gone are the days when the past generation were fine with changing carpets, painting and remodeling to make the house feel like their own. This crop of Buyers does not want to invest the time, which is their greatest perceived asset. Personally, I remember buying my first home locally in 1981 without a working boiler and black and orange flocked butterfly wallpaper in the kitchen.Continue Reading