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Video: Why January and February are Important to Fairfield County Home Sellers in 2010

January 29th, 2010 categories: Buying Your House, First Time Home Buyers, Selling Your House, Talking Real Estate

Hear what Jay Papasan and Bryon Ellington have to say about the usually slow winter months and why they are so important to home sellers in 2010. Economic conditions this year and the home buyers’ tax credit mean home sellers need to get their properties on the market earlier than usual. This real estate advice applies to the cities like Danbury, Stamford and Norwalk as well as the smaller Fairfield County towns like Ridgefield, Redding, Newtown and Wilton. Watch the video.

Spoken by Rob Gutman | Discussion: No Comments »

Fairfield County Foreclosures: 6 Ways to Snag a Great Deal in Real Estate!

January 27th, 2010 categories: Buying Your House, First Time Home Buyers, Foreclosures and Distressed Properties

I’ve been listing and selling bank-owned foreclosure properties for several years and I’ve helped many buyers get great deals as banks liquidate their assets. Here are 6 things to keep in mind:

Foreclosure sales are found in cities and the towns alike including Stamford, Danbury, Norwalk, Ridgefield, Wilton, Redding, Westport, Weston and more.
Not all foreclosure are “great deals”… yet. Some bank asset managers are eager to sell quickly, some prefer to wait to try to extract a higher price. Sooner or later everything sells for a discount to market value.
As sellers, the banks are not emotional. For them it’s all business. They typically want to close within 45 days and by the 3rd week in any given month (so theY can book the sale and clear the asset off of their balance sheet).
Foreclosure sales are “as-is”. In most cases the bank has never seen the house so they can make no representation. Be sure to complete a thorough property inspection.
All prices are negotiable, terms are not. I write up foreclosure deals on a standard real estate contract with the bank’s specific contract addendum. These documents are usually non-negotiable. You’ll have your attorney review all the documents.
Foreclosures come in all shapes and sizes from multi-families to luxury single-family homes. They can range from poor condition to unfinished to good condition. End users will want something completely different than investors.

Contact me directly if you have any questions about bank-owned foreclosure properties or if you would like me to find you a great deal. I have the experience necessary to get you the absolute best possible price and to guide you to a smooth closing. KEep checking back with Real Estate Chocolate as I will be posting more articles on buying foreclosure properties in Fairfield County.

Spoken by Rob Gutman | Discussion: No Comments »

I’ve been Tagged… Now it’s My Turn to Tell All!

January 21st, 2010 categories: Buying Your House, First Time Home Buyers, Selling Your House, Talking Real Estate

I love games and thanks to Talk of Our Town, I’m now engaged in a virtual round of “blog tag” (see their original post here). “The Talk” has challenged me to disclose 10 things about myself and my blog and then tag 5 of my favorite blogs and have them do the same. So, here goes:

Real estate is my full-time profession and I LOVE IT. I have an MBA from the Stern Business School (NYU) and I take my clients’ business of buying and selling residential property very seriously. I have been negotiating deals for over 20 years and work very hard to get the absolute best deal possible for each of my clients.
My real estate business includes traditional buying and selling as well as bank-owned foreclosures and distress sales. My clients rave about my work!
I actively cover all of Fairfield County including Ridgefield, Danbury, Newtown, Stamford, Wilton, Norwalk, Redding, Bethel, Weston, Westport and more.
My favorite recreational activities are road-biking, mountain-biking, hiking and snowshoeing. I always bring my dog (except on the road).
I started Real Estate Chocolate because I have so much to offer and I see a need to help active and passive participants in real estate. I want to share information and insights that will enable people to make the best buying and selling decisions in this dynamic real estate market. I also thought my blog would be good for business. It is.
I am an active citizen in my community and participate and volunteer in several ways: ROAR (Ridgefield Operation for Animal Rescue), RACE (Ridgefield Action Committee for the Environment), Ridgefield Affordable Housing Committee and Norwalk River Valley Trail Planning Committee .
Why “Real Estate Chocolate”? Well, the blog is mostly centered around smart and honest real estate advice and everyone loves chocolate. So I came up with a name that captures the imagination and makes the blog very inviting: Real Estate Chocolate.
Interesting fact: when I first started Real Estate Chocolate, I used a logo that was a take-off on the ubiquitous Hershey Bar. Not long after I launched, I received a cease and desist letter from Hershey’s attorneys demanding that I stop using a likeness of their trademarked candy bar. I really caught the attention of the big guys!
I enjoy biking and hiking in many of the woods, forests and open spaces throughout Fairfield County (see this post and this post). My favorites include Huntington State Park in Redding, Tarrywile Park in Danbury, Trout Brook Valley Preserve in Easton and Bennetts Ponds State Park in Ridgefield.
My readership has been steadily growing since I started blogging. It is amazing how valuable my readers find my work and how far my readership reaches.

Here’s my 5 fave local blogs:

CTWatchdog – After 40+ faithful years at The Hartford Courant, George Gombossy got canned for DOING HIS JOB! Well, George don’t need no stickin’ Courant! He started CT Watchdog to help keep an eye on things.

CT Green Scene – From air quality and activism to watersheds and volunteer opps, this blog and associated network is devoted to sustainability within our state and beyond.

Fairfield County Business Journal – This blog complements the weekly print edition. Simply stated: everything business in Fairfield County.

CT Bites – Foodies delight! This online foodfest for Fairfield County will make your mouth water.

The Last Great Glass – Ancona’s take on fine wine and craft beer. Great insights on what to drink. Personally, I’m partial to the beer.

Spoken by Rob Gutman | Discussion: 3 Comments »

Here’s an $8,000 Bonus, but it Expires Soon. Act Now, FREE eBook!

January 16th, 2010 categories: Buying Your House, First Time Home Buyers, Talking Real Estate

Fairfield County Real Estate eBook

Some Fairfield County home buyers might not fully understand how to grab that $8,000 that Uncle Sam if offering. Hey, it’s yours to take, SO TAKE IT!

Here’s a FREE eBook from Real Estate Chocolate that’ll get you understanding exactly what you need to do and when in order to take advantage of this unbelievable program.

EIGHT THOUSAND DOLLARS! What could you do with that. Let’s see…. buy furniture for you new house, paint and decorate, reduce your monthly payments, by a car.

Check out the eBook now!

$8,000 Closer to Home

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Spoken by Rob Gutman | Discussion: No Comments »