Connecticut Real Estate Blog - Real Real Estate in CT

This year, I stayed away from Walmart after Thanksgiving - until yesterday.  I needed to pick up gift bags and rock salt.  What better place to go?  Despite going early in the morning, I couldn’t find a shopping cart.  Not a good sign of things to come.

I entered and the cheery greeter was yelling “Welcome to Walmart!” over the blasts of hot air by the doors.  I started my search for rock salt in the home area, then moved to the automotive, then the holiday area and then to the garden section outside.  No rock salt.  I stopped and asked the one Walmart associate, “Could you tell me where I could find rock salt or ice melt?”  She said, “It should be outside.” I told her that I already looked there and she shrugged her shoulders and said she didn’t think they had it then.

OK.  So, I start walking around again to find another associate.  Other than the guy sweeping the entry to the home and garden and the cashiers, I walked around for 10 minutes and couldn’t find anyone.  So, I don’t need rock salt that badly.  I go back to the holiday section, dig through the mound of gift bags to find the ones I want and head over to the cashiers.

I get into line and the woman immediately in front of me is yelling on her cellphone at a person I can only guess is her husband/boyfriend/ex.  The conversation is so enthralling, I pull a bag of M&Ms off the shelf and begin to eat them while watching her on the phone.  Who needs the movies when I have Walmart?

The woman in front of her literally has 500 items she’s buying.  I was in line for 20 minutes - thank god I grabbed some nourishment for the wait.

The moral of the story - I saved about 10 cents on each of the gift bags I bought but I wasted an hour trying to find the rock salt and standing in line to buy the gift bags.  I could have just gone to CVS and been done in 5 minutes and not wasted the gas.

Discount real estate brokerages are the Walmart version of real estate.  You may spend less. You may sell your house. You may get market value.  What are you getting for your money?

Discount Brokerage for Sellers

(Note:  I am only getting into the types of discount brokerages I have come across in Connecticut.  Redfin & Buyside, two discount brokers making headlines, do not operate in Connecticut.)

The number one reason people choose to sell their home with a discount broker is to save money so their main appeal is that they “list” (not all companies list homes in the MLS) homes for sale for less.  Just what is less?  Since there is no typical real estate commission, the amount varies.  The cost can be a flat-fee, a reduced commission or a rebate. I know of several that list homes for around $500.00 but it can also be 1-2% of the sales price to the seller’s brokerage.  But that does not include the commission to the buyer’s agent, around 2-3% nor may it include advertising, signage or a lockbox.  (more…)

I received a comment on this blog responding to a post comparing real estate brokerages to retail stores.  The post, titled “What Type of Real Estate Experience Do You Want?  Part 1 - Nordstrom,“ argued that there are two major types of retail shopping experiences - Walmart & Nordstrom - as there are real estate buying experiences.  The high end service costs more but you get more service, expertise and a better experience.  The low end is less expensive but you receive little in the way of service or quality.

Here’s the unedited comment:

 ”more attempts by realtors to make people think the service they provide
is worth the 6% commission they make when one of the homes in their
inventory actually sells with some sort of ludicris analogy of discount
vs upscale retail stores.  All real estate commissions should be
eliminated and the agents forced to take real jobs … sorry to spoil your
Xmas cheer, but the days of the real estate agents are slowly coming to an
end.  The middle class needs to wake up to the gouging they’ve
received from the realtor crowd.  Perhaps anyone that goes into foreclosure -
the realtor should be forced to return the sales commission they
“earned” to help defray the court costs for the consumer that gets their
house taken from them in a bankruptcy proceeding.”

I deleted it- it’s obnoxious and it doesn’t address anything other than this individual’s personal problem with realtors.  To suggest that realtors should be personally responsible for a homeowner’s foreclosure is just ridiculous.  Do I blame and sue Sears for selling me a dishwasher that I can’t afford when my credit card company calls a collection company on me? 

After some thought, I changed my mind and couldn’t retrieve the message.  I would have commented on it on the blog but I decided to personally e-mail the person who commented.

Guess what?  The e-mail address is invalid.  Afraid that I might add him/her to a mailing list?  Or that someone may recognize his/her name and know what dumb things he/she says in private?  Or that someone may see what a bad speller he/she is?

Here I am, putting myself out to the world, with my address, picture, etc.  And then, this person posts an obnoxious comment and doesn’t have the nerve to use a valid e-mail address.  You know who I am - but who are you? 

In Connecticut, our Real Estate Purchase and Sales Contract gives buyers the option of choosing to have a home inspection performed. The form used in most of Connecticut (Hartford, Middlesex, New Haven, Windham, Litchfield & New London counties) not only gives the option of a general home inspection, but also allows the buyers to perform several other inspections. 

These tests are not normally performed with the home inspection; they are considered additional and also have an additional cost.  As a buyer, you need to determine which of these tests are worth the expense for you.  Here are some things you should consider.

Termite/wood destroying insect-This test is performed by a licensed pest inspector and the fee is approximately $125-$150.  The inspection covers carpenter ants and bees, termites and wood booring beetles. In my experience, 75% of houses I’ve sold have had active or evidence of prior infestation of termites, carpenter ants or bees.

Lead - We’re hearing a lot about lead in toys but there are other sources of lead that may already be in your home. Lead was used in water pipes in homes until the mid 1980s. If a home was built before 1978, it likely has lead paint in it.  The problem with lead paint is when it begins to deteriorate, creating chips or dust. The other issue is when people are renovating, possibly sanding and distributing lead dust throughout home and into soil. 

The concern is greatest for children under 6.  For more information, visit the EPA’s website.  As a buyer, you are required to acknowledge that you received a booklet advising you about your risk for lead.  Testing is pricey, around $350 - $500.  Remediation is very expensive, costing about $10/square foot. 

Radon - Radon is a naturally occurring gas that can enter homes through air and through water and is known to cause lung cancer.  There is no known “safe” level of radon but the levels of radon can be reduced. Radon occurs throughout Connecticut.  f you have public water, your water supplier can tell you what the levels of radon are in the water. If you are on a well, it is generally recommended you test. And, it is strongly recommended you test for radon in air in every home prior to purchase.  Many inspectors will do a radon test in addition to the general home inspection for an additional fee.

It is recommended you mitigate if your radon in air results are higher than 4.0 pCi/L and a radon mitigation system can be installed for about $1,000 - $1,500.  Here is the EPA’s guide for home buyers and sellers.

UFFI (Urea Formaldehyde Foam Insulation) - This is a type of insulation that was used in the 1980s in CT.  Because of issues with installation, CT banned its use, although it is permitted in most of the country.  If it was not installed correctly, it emitted a gas for about 6 weeks that could cause a bad allergic reaction.  After 6 weeks, the gas would go away and there would be no lingering danger. 

Asbestos - Asbestos is a natural mineral that was used as an insulator and can be found in homes in roofing, pipe wrapping, floor tiles, popcorn ceilings, ceiling tiles and shingles. Asbestos can be found in homes built prior to 1977. You cannot tell if a material is asbestos without actually testing, unless it is labeled.  The hazard in asbestos is if it is disturbed and the material is airborne.  It is also dangerous if it is not removed properly by a licensed company. A home inspector can suggest for you to have additional testing if you suspect asbestos and that should also be done by a licensed company. Remediation is very costly so many choose to encapsulate instead.

For more information on asbestos, visit the EPA.

Mold - Mold is in every home but can be unhealthy for many people with allergies or if it’s in large enough amounts.  Plus, the thought of it is disgusting. If you suspect a home has mold or possible mold was identified during a home inspection, you can choose to have additional testing done. There are three types of tests, which vary in scope and expense: limited, screening and survey. Your level of concern or suspicion of the size of the problem should drive your decision to test and how far to go. 

For more on mold, visit the EPA site.

Two important things to remember when considering one or several of these tests:

• Have them performed by a licensed company or individual. Don’t rely on do-it-yourself kits which are unreliable.
• Do not allow the seller to remedy any of these issues without using a licensed contractor, i.e. don’t permit a homeowner to remove the asbestos or clean mold themselves.  These well-meaning homeowners will only exacerbate the problem.

If you or your family are thinking about adding a four-legged friend to your family this holiday season, what better way to express the sentiment of the holidays than give a home to a homeless pet. 

Dozens of wonderful companion animals will be available for you to meet at several area PETCOs this Saturday, 12/8, from 10 AM-2 PM.  Stop by and bring home a best friend.

There will also be a Santa sitting for photos with your pets from 11 AM-4 PM.

For more details, click on this link.

Opportunity To Show You a Picture of My Dog?

I’ve rescued THREE awesome dogs, one from Our Companions directly.  This is Obie - he’s a bad dog (ask me what just happened to a piece of banana bread I left on the counter) but what a handsome boy!  You can’t have great looks and good behavior - just ask Paris Hilton.

Here a link to is my most popular post - Rental Scammers Using Craigslist to Target Landlords.

I’ve received over 70 posts in response to my initial piece, many listing names of people or e-mail addresses of people who had e-mailed posters to Craigslist and are suspected to be scams. I firmly believe that, collectively, we helped many people across the country identify rental scammers on-line and avoid being duped.

Unfortunately, I have decided to delete most of these posts for legal reasons.  There are more and more stories circulating about bloggers being sued for not only what they post, but what is in their comments.  In particular, I was concerned about people posting names and that coming back to haunt me. 

If you suspect you are being targeted by a rental scammer, as I think I was in the e-mail in my original post, contact Craigslist.  Use common sense and read my original post for signs that the e-mail is a scam.  One more tip - Google the name and e-mail given.

And, please, no more names.  You can post copies of the e-mail only if you delete all identifiable information such as names, addresses and e-mails.  I’ll delete everything else.

This holiday shopping season, I challenge you to think about real estate while deciding where you are going to do your shopping.  What type of real estate experience do you want when buying or selling a house - the Walmart kind or the Nordstrom kind?

You’ve been to both Nordstrom and Walmart (or, you’ve at least heard about them).  There is a difference, right?  It’s not only the products you buy and the prices you pay but you FEEL different shopping at Nordstrom than you do at Walmart.

At Walmart, you pay lower prices and buy lower quality items in exchange for little or no personal service, an annoying smiley face on every rack (look into the face - it lulls you into a mindless oblivion so you shut out the screaming children)and the feeling that you are cattle, rushed through small aisles to a quick checkout where a girl with nails too long to type on the register doesn’t even acknowledge you exist.  It’s not pleasant, especially at this time of year. 

See Black Friday footage from Walmart.

At Nordstrom, you pay more for higher quality items in exchange for superb customer service and an elegant shopping environment leaves you feeling that you are special - the guy in a tux playing the piano, helpful salespeople, a covered parking garage (at least in West Hartford).  Shopping at Nordstrom is a pleasurable, unhurried experience.

Allow me to share this personal experience at Nordstrom…

Two years ago, I dragged my husband to Nordstrom to buy him clothes for a new job.  Not in touch with his metrosexual side, he doesn’t enjoy shopping.  I trusted the salespeople at Nordstrom to treat him well.

The salesman did not disappoint, spending over an hour with my husband, matching shirts to suits and ties.  At the counter, the salesman wrung up our purchases and announced the final bill.  My husband’s face turned red and he started to sweat - no kidding.  I pushed him away from the counter and told him to go look around.  The bill was over $1,000, even though everything we purchased was on sale.

I kept telling my husband that the purchase was worth it.  He was doubtful, probably imagining all the power tools he could have purchased instead.

Six months later, the pants to one of the suits began to tear in the back pocket.  I went with my husband back to Nordstrom.  The salesman offered us two options: do you want another pair of pants or do you want us to repair these?  We decided to go with another pair of pants. 

I thought he was going to order another pair of pants to go with the jacket.  Nope -  the salesman walked us over to the rack and picked out several suits in a similar color.  None of those suits were on sale, though.  They were at least 3x the price we paid originally. 

Sensing my panic, the salesman told me, “we’ll do an exchange.”  He didn’t run over to his manager to ask if he could give us the suit; he just handed us a ticket to pick up the suit after tailoring and wished us a good day.

Wow.  Even my cynical husband is impressed, to this very day.

Now back to real estate…

You have a choice in retail - pay less and get less or pay more and get more.  There are some options in between but let’s not muddy the waters. 

In real estate, you also have options.  You have the Nordstrom experience - full service representation.  And then, you have the Walmart experience - discount service or unrepresented.  Which do you want?  Over the next few weeks, I’ll explore the differences so you can choose for yourself.