Rick Schwartz: Looking to the Future of Real Estate

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Serving Fairfield County, CT.

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Welcome!

There are dozens - maybe even hundreds - of websites that will help you find pictures and details of homes that meet your search criteria. Even on this site, you'll find 3 different methods of searching for home listings.

I hope though, that you'll find more than that here.  I've tried to provide a resource which will help you not only find houses that have the right number of bedrooms and bathrooms,  but also give you some assistance in choosing the one that's right for you and your family.

The home buying and selling process has a lot of wrinkles - especially in today's economic climate. Sometimes it can seem a bit overwhelming.  I believe that within these pages you'll find some information that will help guide you through the journey with as few scars as possible.

My mission as a Realtor is a simple one. It's something my Grandfather taught me 40 years ago. Something he had learned through his many years as a small businessman.  If you always do what is right for the client, success will come on its own.

So my pledge to you is this:  Whether you're buying or selling (or both) I'll do my best to help you get settled in your new home in the shortest amount of time, making the best financial transaction you can, with the least amount of hassle.

Rick Schwartz

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Read the most recent BLOG article below.   To see all articles or to comment - click here.

 

Bargain-hunting is the name of the game in free market capitalism. 
SHORT SALES and FORECLOSURES

We hear so much today about the number of short sales and foreclosures that it’s natural to wonder if this is where the bargains are.  Are these areas that we should be pursuing?  Will we get a “great deal”?

First, let’s go over the difference between a short-sale and a foreclosure.

A short-sale simply means that a seller is offering his home for sale - and that he owes an amount greater than the current value.  So if the value of a home is currently $100 and the seller owes $105 - he will, upon the closing of the sale, come up five dollars short - hence the term short sale.

Contrary to what you read, being in a short sale position does not always mean that the seller is in danger of having the bank take his home away.  It could simply mean that the owner wants to sell his home for a new job, or because of a growing family or other reasons. He may indeed have the five dollars he needs to make up his shortage and thereby can pay all that is owed at the time of the sale - even though he will be taking  a loss.

The short-sales that we hear most about in the news are the homes where the owner owes more than the value of the house and is being forced to choose between selling and having the bank take the house away because he is behind on his payments with no resolution in sight.

These sales are very cumbersome and time consuming.  If you need to purchase a house because you have a need to move into it quickly, you should probably not consider this option.  The sale price must first be negotiated with the seller - and then, if the price is less than the mortgage amount, it must also then sit subject the approval of the lending institution....  ENTIRE ARTICLE

 
   
   

Current Mortgage Rates from BankRate
These are national average rates - consult your local lender for accurate quotes for your area.

For some neat Rate Calculators and general information/discussion on how mortgages work - CLICK HERE

   

AREA HOMES CURRENTLY FOR SALE

 

Single Family

Condo  Townhouse

Multi   Family

Danbury

268

218

60

Bethel

93

41

7

Newtown

208

18

1

New Fairfield

97

0

1

Brookfield

103

34

0

New Milford

236

53

15

All data pulled from Consolidated MLS.
Updated 1/05/2009

Rick Schwartz,  Realtor®
William Raveis Real Estate
48 Mill Plain Road
Danbury,  CT 06810