Life in Newtown, CT

Walk the Dog is Not a Just a YoYo Trick  So your family has a dog, you live in Newtown, CT and you'd like to take your dog for a walk.  Let Riley, the Real Estate Dog tell you about his favorite places.  Riley should probably have his own blog!  He's always working hard at real estate and when he's not, he likes to go for a walk.  The good thing about a dog walk, is that it's pretty portable and you can do it just about anywhere.  Riley does have his favorite places to walk - some in Newtown and some not.

• Main Street is Newtown is always a good place to walk.  There are sidewalks on both side of the road, it's a long stretch with a hill and a giant flagpole right in the middle of the road.  Many people walk their dog along Main Street.  It's pretty social as you are likely to run into someone you know.
• Fairfield Hills is a great place to walk the dog.  Fairfield Hills is a complex of old brick buildings with a grid of streets.  There is also a new paved walkway that goes up behind the buildings and has access to a path through the woods and you can come out down on Mile Hill Rd South by the ballfields.
• There are many horse trails and hiking trails in Newtown and many people walk their dog along these. 
• Southbury Dog (0 & G) Dog Park - This is a great place for dogs.  They can go off leash, play with other dogs and even go for a swim in the water.  Clean and fenced.  Located on Route 67 (Roxbury Road) - look for the O & G sign.
• Williams Park in Brookfield is another great place to go with your dog.  This is located on Route 25 (Whisconier Road) near Long Meadow Hill Road.

We've heard that Newtown is working on creating a dog park of their own over at Fairfield Hills.  As we find out more about this, we'll let you know.

Photos above are of Riley on a walk at Fairfield Hills - up behind the Newtown Youth Academy, Newtown's premier indoor sports and fitness center.

Bob & Richelle Ward, Realtors, ABR
Prudential Connecticut Realty
www.connecticuthomesforsale.com
Cell - (203) 470-9818

There are many moving parts to purchasing a home - two of them are the purchase price of the home and the mortgage rate.  Mortgage rates change every day, but recently they went from 4.85% to 5.75% and are now back down around 5.25%.  We have had a few first time homebuyers who have only been concerned about "the bargain" price on their purchase.  When we pointed out the variation of the mortgage rate and how it affected their purchasing power, they didn't get it at first.  This got us to thinking ...

We're going to post a few tables with lots of numbers on them.  Numbers can be intimidating, so for you non-numbers people - get ready!

Here are the constants:  If you were to purchase a $400,000 home and put down 20%, you would be left with an 80% mortgage or a $320,000 mortgage. We have set the taxes and home owner's insurance at $550/month.  Debt to income ratio is low and you have a high credit score (FICO score).

This table shows how the monthly mortgage payment and the Total Payments for the Life of the Loan change as the mortage rate increases. 

Now, how much income do you need to purchase your $400,000 home?  The mortage interest rate affects the amount of income you need to qualify for a mortgage.  The next table will show you.

Some people want a monthly mortgage payment at a set amount to fit their budget.  This last table  illustrates a set payment amount with varying mortgage rates and how your purchase power changes.

We just threw out a lot of numbers and a lot of information to you.  If you have any questions, please feel free to email us!

Bob & Richelle Ward, Realtors, ABR
Prudential Connecticut Realty
www.connecticuthomesforsale.com
Cell - (203) 470-9818

Prudential Connecticut Realty's Newtown Office will be holding an informative seminar for anyone who would like to know more about foreclosure and short sale properties.  Attorney Frank Lieto of Lieto & Greenberg LLP will discuss short sales and Attorney Larry Riefberg of Reifberg, Smart, Donohue and NaJame, P.C. will talk about foreclosures.

• Date:  Tuesday, June 30, 2009
• Time:  6:00 pm
• Location:  33 Church Hill Road, Newtown

What is a short sale?  Short Sale is a term that we hear quite often these days. A short sale is when there is not enough money in the transaction to satisfy all the obligations of the seller. These obligations can include the payoff of any and all mortgages, any loans collateralized by the property, transfer taxes, legal fees, real estate commissions and any outstanding property taxes or liens against the property. A short sale is often a better alternative for the bank and the seller to avoid the foreclosure process.

What is a foreclosure?  A foreclosure is legal proceeding whereby a property that has mortgage on it is taken back by the bank or lender due to non-payment of the mortgage.  The bank or lender has taken back ownership of the property - sort of like a repossession.

Stop by for a visit and while here, you can learn about these types of distressed properties.

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We have posted on www.LifeinNewtown.com about short sales in the past.  Here are the most recent:

http://activerain.com/blogsview/1094706/newtown-ct-of-short-sales-as-of-5-31-09-

http://activerain.com/blogsview/995075/newtown-ct-of-short-sales-as-of-3-21-09-

http://activerain.com/blogsview/904961/newtown-ct-of-short-sales-as-of-1-28-09

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Bob & Richelle Ward, Realtors, ABR
Prudential Connecticut Realty
www.connecticuthomesforsale.com
Cell - (203) 470-9818

A while ago, the Realtors in our office compiled this list of 50 Things to Like About Living in Newtown, CT.  We thought it was fun and a great post for our blog, www.LifeinNewtown.com!  If we missed something, please let us know :-)

1. Newtown offers a small town atmosphere in a rural setting
2. The Newtown Bee
3. The General Store
4. The Inn at Newtown
5. Close to NYC & Boston via major roads such as I-84 and Rt. 25
6. The Annual Labor Day Parade
7. Halloween on Main Street
8. The Annual Holiday Festival
9. The walking trails
10. The trout streams
11. The Cyrenius Booth Library
12. The houses on Main Street and how welcoming the owners are
13. In-town shopping and close proximity to major shopping
14. The community spirit and closeness
15. History of the town 
16. Friendliness of the residents
17. Main Street
18. Edmond Town Hall Theater
19. Dickenson Park
20. Ram's Pasture
21. Lake Zoar
22. The Rooster 5K Run/Walk
23. The Blue Colony Diner
24. Sandy Hook Center
25. Mocha Coffee Shop
26. The Newtown Deli
27. The Flagpole
28. The friendly downtown stores
29. Walking the dogs at Fairfield Hills
30. Christmas Tree Lighting
31. Paugussett State Park
32. Swanky Franks
33. Volunteer ambulance corp.
34. Volunteer fire departments
35. My Place
36. Annual Library Book Sale
37. Carminuccio's Pizza
38. Corn Maze at Castle Hill Farm
39. Cherry Grove Farm
40. Redgate Farm
41. Annual "Lose the Trash Day"
42. 2nd Company Governor's Horse Guard
43. Park & Recreation Programs
44. Adult Education Classes
45. Boat Launch on Lake Lillinonah
46. Lathrop Dance School
47. Sal e Pepe Restaurant
48. Mona Lisa Restaurant
49. Ferris Acres Creamery
50. Treadwell Park

Bob & Richelle Ward, Realtors, ABR
Prudential Connecticut Realty
www.connecticuthomesforsale.com
Cell - (203) 470-9818

Prudential Connecticut Realty (PCR) is a very technology forward company and all the Realtors are encouraged to be "up" on technology as PCR readies itself to attract the younger generations:  Gen Y and the Millennials.  Keeping that in mind, Prudential has just released a new mobile application called, "Homes for Sale", which will let users search all local property listings from their iPhone or Blackberry.

"Homes for Sale," will enable consumers to view detailed home information at the touch of a button. The GPS technology in the mobile phone, where available, locates the user and pulls up addresses and information on property listings in their immediate area. Sales price, square footage, tax information, beds/baths, interior and exterior features, and pictures are all available through the application, according to the company.

Consumers can also search by city, ZIP code, address or community name when GPS is not available, or if they want to search for real estate in a particular area other than their current location.

A "Call to See" feature within the application will connect users to an agent if they have further questions or want to schedule a tour of the property.

Be the first to sign up - click here - there's even a video!

Bob & Richelle Ward, Realtors, ABR
Prudential Connecticut Realty
www.connecticuthomesforsale.com
Cell - (203) 470-9818

OK, so you're trying to find a home to buy and you're going out every weekend.  You search Realtor.com so much, you know the inventory better than your Realtor.  You've memorized the multiple listing service (MLS) numbers of the homes you absolutely love, you know what every home looks like - based on the photos posted on-line and when a home shows up that you are familiar with you, your heart skips a beat ... "is this the one???"

You speak with your Realtor every day - some days, you talk with to your Realtor two or five times about homes for sale.  You want to buy a home so badly, that you can focus on nothing else in your life.

You've ruled out homes because they don't meet your criteria or the photos aren't great or it's not located in the part of town where you want to live.

You are frustrated.  So what do you do?  You schedule an appointment with your Realtor - you're not really sure why, but you've scheduled the appointment.

What do we tell our buyers when they are at this point in their search for a home?  "Sometimes, you have to kiss a lot of frogs before you find a Prince."  Why would we say this?  How does it help you?  Lets take a look at what it means.

How many frogs are there in the world?  Millions.  How many Princes are there in the world?  Hundreds.

It reminds you that you have to check every home in your price range - whether it fits your criteria or not.  It means that to find the home you want, you might have to look in the next town over.  It means that you need to go to every home in your price range (whether you previously ruled out based on what you've seen on-line) and see it for yourself.  It brings into focus that it could take you longer to find the right home than you had initially thought.  It also has a touch of "be patient - you'll find it".

So buyers - start kissing those frogs!

Bob & Richelle Ward, Realtors, ABR
Prudential Connecticut Realty
www.connecticuthomesforsale.com
Cell - (203) 470-9818

Summer has finally arrived.  And summer = ice cream!

There are many places to go for ice cream in the local area.  There are Friendy's restaurants, Carvel Ice Cream, Dr. Mike's in Bethel & Monroe, Haagen-Dazs and Rich Farm Ice Cream in Oxford (which many people say is the best ice cream in the area).

In Newtown, there are 3 places you can go to for ice cream:

1. Cold Stone Creamery:   Located at 255 South Main Street (Route 25), this is the "IT" ice cream chain.  Select your ingredients and watch it being mixed together on the cold stone.



2. Ferris Acres Creamery:  Located at 144 Sugar Street (Route 302), this is located on the Ferris family's farm.  Sit outside at a table or bench & watch the cows while you eat your ice cream.  Ice cream is made on site and specials are available daily.



3. Ice Cream Shop:  Located at 51 Church Hill Road, this is the oldest ice cream shop to town.  It's located next door to the Teen Center (the Garage) and is close to town.  It has a large gravel parking lot & tables to sit out at.  Service is always good and the ice cream is made on the premises.

Arrive early - lines can get long.  Try a different flavor everytime you eat ice cream at one of these places.  Say hello to everyone from town that you see.

Bob & Richelle Ward, Realtors, ABR
Prudential Connecticut Realty
www.connecticuthomesforsale.com
Cell - (203) 470-9818

BOB & RICHELLE WARD have SOLD 10 Elizabeth Street, Newtown, CT for $380,000.

• 1,683 Square Feet
• .43 Acres
• 4 Bedrooms and 2 Full Bathrooms

Nicely maintained and updated 4 bedroom, 2 bath Cape with 2 car attached garage on level lot in Newtown's Borough. Remodeled Kitchen with white cabinets, eating area and access to expanded Trex deck overlooking level backyard and stonewalls. Mud Room with tile floor.  Flexible floor plan. Large bedrooms. Excellent commuting location - easy access to schools, shopping, library and flagpole.

Click here or go to http://www.10elizabeth.com/ for more information on this home.

Bob & Richelle Ward, Realtors, ABR
Prudential Connecticut Realty
www.connecticuthomesforsale.com
Cell - (203) 470-9818