Showing posts with label neighborhood. Show all posts
Showing posts with label neighborhood. Show all posts

Wednesday, February 19, 2014

Celebrate Victory


That's exactly what you should do when you land a home in a great spot.  Located on Victory Street, this north end Cape features 1366 square feet, 4 bedrooms, 1.5 bathrooms, living room, eat-in kitchen, full basement, 1 car garage, off-street parking and a fenced-in yard.  

Just steps from the Lake Forest area, this property offers a quiet neighborhood setting, yet is still convenient to major highways, restaurants, entertainment and shopping galore. $1,950/month





To schedule a viewing, contact:

Compass Real Estate Group, LLC
354 Pequot Avenue
Southport, CT  06890

(203) 255-7410
www.compassreg.com



Wednesday, February 5, 2014

You're Snowed In. Here's Some Reading Material...

Let Color Sell Your Home

While perusing through the Benjamin Moore website on my way to find the perfect paint color for my own home, I came across this article.  These days, mostly everyone stages or at least makes an effort to make their home presentable before putting it on the market.

It makes me laugh because I bought my home with a kitchen that featured navy blue countertops and kelly green paint on the walls (an interesting color choice), but 10 years ago there were phrases like "use your imagination", "it's only cosmetic", and "be open minded before we go in".  I guess that kind of thinking just doesn't exist anymore.  Nevertheless, here are a few tips to help make your home look its best before selling... (c/o www.benjaminmoore.com)



How to Stage Your Home with Color

Experts say that staged homes sell faster and for higher prices than those that are not, and paint color is a low-cost but effective way of showcasing your home. The following home staging tips and ideas will help in guiding your paint color choices. 

Neutralize
The colors potential buyers see when they enter your home should be neutral so that the buyers will not be distracted by someone else's style. They should see the walls of your home as a blank canvas on which to project their own preferences and style. But "neutral" doesn't necessarily mean white. Using subtle color can actually enhance the buyer's experience, so repaint walls that have strong colors with rich neutral hues.
Stage your home with Benjamin Moore's neutral paint colors: barley, 199; stone house 1039; and providence olive, HC-98.
Update and Refresh
If your wallpaper has a distracting design or is outdated, remove it and add a fresh coat of paint for a more current, updated look. A low-sheen product will help reduce the imperfections on walls and ceilings. You can also use color to highlight the architectural details and features of your home.
Refresh your home with paint colors from Benjamin Moore: carrington beige, HC-93; shaker beige, HC-45; and nantucket gray, HC-111.
Maximize Your Space
Light, clean, organized spaces appear larger. So clean and declutter, and give your walls a fresh coat of paint in a light neutral color to bring the room to life and make it seem more expansive. One home staging idea that can help expand your space visually: paint the moldings the same color as the wall, which gives an illusion of higher walls.
Stage your home with Benjamin Moore's paint colors that will maximize your space: manchester tan, HC-81; monroe bisque, HC-26; camouflage, 2143-40.
Refresh Outside Spaces
First impressions are everything, so besides trimming your hedges and grass, be sure your front door and any fencing or mailbox posts are freshly painted. And because buyers love decks, porches, and patios, also make sure they're freshly painted or stained.

Happy Painting!


Compass Real Estate Group, LLC
354 Pequot Avenue
Southport, CT  06890
(203) 255-7410


www.compass-reg.com

Tuesday, January 21, 2014

Standing Out In The Crowd

The real estate market, especially in Fairfield County, CT, is exceptionally competitive.  With so many traditional "big box" companies, it's hard for the smaller independent firms to stand out in the crowd.  So how do you know if you should choose a big box agency or small real estate firm to help you buy or sell your home?


The majority of the time, a real estate union happens like this...


  • You make the decision to buy a home.  
  • You start scouring the real estate section of the paper or spend hours scrolling through countless real estate websites.  
  • You finally find your dream home and dial up the agent who's representing it, only to find that the home you spent hours searching for is now pending a sale.  
  • However, by making that connection, you now have a real estate agency who has found a potential buyer. 
  • A relationship is formed and a contract is signed.


Let's face it, most of the time, the home you see in the newspaper is not the one you end up buying. So the most important thing to do before venturing out in the real estate market is to select the right agency.




Call me partial, but I've seen what goes on behind the scenes of a smaller agency, and I know many of our clients enjoy the individual experience they get from working with a boutique firm.  

Our agents are natives of the area; they know the ins and outs of each neighborhood and have connections galore.  They know that word of mouth and reputation count, so they're conscientious to give each person the attention they require, which is why the majority of our business comes from referrals of satisfied clients.


But to be fair, I've listed the pros and cons of both Big Box and Small Firms (c/o Colin Ryan for the Placester Real Estate Marketing Academy)...









"Independent real estate firms come in all shapes and sizes. Some have only a couple agents, while others have multiple offices. Nevertheless, because they don’t have to answer to tyrannical corporate policy, independent brokers are often more adaptable and give agents more direct input on policies and programs. Since they’re founded locally, independent companies also have a local authority, with a reputation for offering a more personal touch and deep knowledge of the area."




Compass Real Estate Group, LLC
354 Pequot Avenue
Southport, CT  06890
(203) 255-7410

www.compass-reg.com

Wednesday, January 8, 2014

Celebrate the New Year Here...

Talk about a fresh start for the new year... This beautiful ranch style home in Easton has recently been the lucky recipient of a complete renovation.  Located in a quiet neighborhood and just minutes from the Merritt Parkway, this home is packed with many desirable features.  $707,000














As the new owner of this home, you'll appreciate that all the exterior features have been completely updated, including a new roof, new siding, new windows, new stone walkway, and a recently paved driveway.  The exterior also features a 2 car attached garage and a deck overlooking 1 acre of level yard and trees.


On the interior, you'll enjoy an open floor plan with approximately 2,800 square feet, 3 bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms, a living room with fireplace, dining room, a large gourmet eat-in-kitchen with stainless steel appliances, granite counter tops and viking range, hardwood floors throughout and a full basement.  






The newest additions to the home are a family room with vaulted ceilings and fireplace, bedrooms that showcase the design expertise of California Closets, and a new central air system.





 To find out more about this amazing property, contact:

Chris Constand
203.545.8242

Compass Real Estate Group, LLC
203.255.7410

www.compass-reg.com



Wednesday, December 18, 2013

See Our Top 3 Homes From These Christmas Movie Classics...

If part of your Christmas ritual is enjoying the movies that are centered around the holiday, then you're sure to recognize the residences of these Christmas classics.  Here are our top 3...

1.  Holiday Inn

This home gets the top spot in my book.  Maybe it's because it's set in CT (Midville, which doesn't exist actually - but you get the point), or maybe it's because I appreciate the enormous front porch, or maybe it's simply because I'm a huge Bing Crosby fan.  Whatever the reason, this home, complete with a dance floor, floor to ceiling windows, and log cabin inspired feeling is perfect to put anyone in the holiday mood.



 


2. National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation

Who can forget the Griswold's beautiful home in the suburbs of Chicago?  Or how it looked after Ellen was able to figure out how to keep the lights on.  The home, which in reality was located on the Warner Bros lot in Burbank, California, showcased the style of the late 80s with its mauve, aqua and pale yellow color palette.  Wallpaper was still very much on trend, along with the use of plaid and an overabundance of decor.  In the 80s, people didn't stage their homes as they do now, so it was perfectly acceptable to have a home that appeared "lived in".










3. A Christmas Story

Filmed in Cleveland, Ohio, the Parker's home reflected that of 1940s Midwest living.  Everything from the appliances in the kitchen, to the separate faucets for hot and cold in the bathroom replicates that style and era.  And nothing says "good night's sleep" like twin beds in the parent's room!  This home comes with none of the features we're all used to today.  It has one bathroom, the boys shared a bedroom, and the only technology in the house was a radio, but it encompasses all that is family and the holidays.  In 2005, the home was bought by a California native and fan of the movie who completely restored it to its original filming condition and transformed it into "A Christmas Story House & Museum".   









We hope you've enjoyed our top picks for Christmas movie homes.  Have a safe and happy holiday!

Compass Real Estate Group, LLC
354 Pequot Avenue
Southport, CT  06890

(203) 255-7410

www.compass-reg.com






Wednesday, December 11, 2013

Good Things Come In Small Packages

If you're familiar with Norwalk, CT, than you're familiar with SoNo.  Overlooking the Norwalk River, SoNo offers so much to do all within walking distance.  An urban atmosphere nestled among tons of diverse shops and restaurants make this part of Norwalk quite desirable.  So you can imagine scoring a residence in this part of town can be challenging.  With such a great location, nothing stays on the market for long.


Located in the heart of SONO, this 1 bed/1 bath End Unit apartment for $184,900 offers many features including a very bright and open floor plan, freshly painted and recently updated bath with marble and granite, modern kitchen with stainless steel appliances, washer and dryer, hardwood floors throughout, and French doors leading to a very spacious deck. A most desired location in Norwalk, it offers everything within walking distance... steps to the train, shopping, restaurants, parks, nightlife, movie theaters, museums, and the water. Call Compass to ask about the rental option on this great apartment. (203) 255-7410






Of course, at Compass Real Estate, all of our agents are natives of the Fairfield County areas.  So we recommend checking out these awesome places to visit in the SoNo district...

FOR A PUB STYLE LUNCH: The Brewhouse Restaurant, http://sonobrewhouse.com/

FOR A WATERFRONT DINNER: SoNo Seaport Seafood, http://www.sonoseaportseafood.com/

FOR A DECADENT DESSERT: Chocopologie, http://chocopologie.com/

FOR FUN: Maritime Aquarium, http://www.maritimeaquarium.org/


To find out more about the SoNo neighborhood, check out:    http://www.visitsono.com/



Compass Real Estate Group, LLC
354 Pequot Avenue
Southport, CT  06890

(203) 255-7410

www.compass-reg.com



Tuesday, December 3, 2013

Spread Some Holiday Cheer

Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, Cyber Monday and now today is known as "Giving Tuesday".

Do you know someone who is looking to be in a new space before the holidays?  

Give them the gift of a new home!  Well... maybe just the information on it. 



Here are two of our featured properties...


Marion Road
Westport, CT

Located in the Old Hill neighborhood of Westport, CT, this attractive colonial boasts an impressive floor plan with 4,300 square feet, 5 bedrooms, 4 1/2 baths, living room with fireplace, formal dining room, family room, large bonus room and master bedroom suite with a renovated bath.

On the exterior, this home features a screened porch, patio, private level yard with an in-ground pool and pool house. Located on a quiet cul-de-sac yet conveniently close to shopping, restaurants, the beach and public transportation makes this home quite desirable. $6100/month






Chatfield Street
Stamford, CT

Only a short walk to the Springdale train station.  This home features an updated kitchen and bath, newer appliances, 3 bedrooms, 2 full baths, living room with fireplace, dining room, hardwood floors throughout, deck overlooking a fenced-in yard, basement with theater and off-street parking.  Close to all that Springdale has to offer.  $2600/month






Compass Real Estate Group, LLC
354 Pequot Avenue
Southport, CT  06890

(203) 255-7410

www.compass-reg.com