Ditch It or Double Up? What You Need and Don’t on Moving Day
Moving day will soon be here for this year’s spring real estate market participants. Whether you are moving down the street or across the country, these moving tips will help make the process easier. Brought to you by Darien real estate broker and resident, Al Filippone and Van Guard Moving Company of Danbury, CT. Read More →
Sold Your Home? Here Are Tips For a Smooth Move
Moving can be a stressful event. Al Filippone shares tips from Van Guard Moving in Danbury, CT to help destress the process. Read More →
To Buy New or Build New… In Darien, CT?
that is the question… Whether contemplating the purchase of a completed new construction home in Darien or hiring a builder to build your “dream home”, the decision on what to do and how to do it can be overwhelming to say the least. Often times, people think that building a custom home may be out of their reach. That said getting professionals involved early in the process will save you time and, hopefully, dollars. Purchasing a Spec Home: There... [Read More...]
Investing In Real Estate? 5 Tips to Help Choose the Right Property
Favorable home prices and low interest rates have led many Fairfield County residents to contemplate buying residential real estate as an investment. Now is a great time to take advantage of the early spring market and find an investment property that suites your needs. To help get the ball rolling, here are a few helpful tips to help you maximize your future real estate earnings: 1. Whether you decide to rent or live in your investment – the most... [Read More...]
First Time Home Buyers, Start With Open Houses
Buying your first home is an emotional and financial commitment. It is a long road from “Let’s buy a house” to “I want to make an offer.” Why not start out down that road with a few weekends going to open houses. Open houses are just that – open to all. To get started going to open houses: Check the Internet (William Raveis, Al Filippone Associates , Openhouse.com) and local newspapers’ real estate sections for all open houses... [Read More...]
Overcoming a Low Real Estate Appraisal
In recent months, we have seen low home appraisals play a large role in the outcome of a real estate transaction. According to the National Association of Realtors, 20% of real estate agents have lost a sale due to a low appraisal. So you ask, what is going on?!? There are multiple factors for this change but the main causes are the following. First off, dropping home values, widespread short sales and foreclosures have made the job of an appraiser... [Read More...]
First Time Home Buyer Credit- The Clock is Ticking!
As many of you are aware, November 30th is the deadline for the $8,000 first-time home buyer credit. You may be thinking “well that gives me plenty of time to find a home and collect my free money!” Not exactly… There are many factors that you need to keep in mind if you are hoping to find a house in time to collect the credit. Most importantly you need to CLOSE on your property by November 30th. This means closing papers signed, title transferred... [Read More...]
Renting vs Buying – Are you still sitting on the fence?
The Darien housing market has been gaining momentum over the past few months as consumer confidence has started to improve. While real estate sales are picking up, the housing market doom and gloom of the first quarter has many renters still sitting on the fence. The decision to purchase a home is definitely not one to take lightly and it is extremely important to conduct a thorough analysis of your income, savings, monthly expenses and long term... [Read More...]
What To Look For In A Real Estate Agent
I understand the process of either selling or purchasing a home can be quite daunting. This will be one of the most significant events that will be made throughout your life so having the right person guiding you through it is paramount. So, I have compiled a few tips to consider when you are at the point when a real estate agent may come into play. Does the agent work part-time or full-time? Right off the bat, it’s evident that you... [Read More...]
Read the Fine Print on the 8K First Time Homebuyer Tax Credit
Being of the “transition” age where friends are getting married and looking to move out of the city and to the ‘burbs, the real estate topic of conversation lately is focused on buying a first home. These would-be first time homebuyers have a unique opportunity, not only due to low interest rates and more affordable home prices, but also because of the first time homebuyer’s tax credit . While these incentives are all very... [Read More...]
