Written by Robert H. Ruth

According to two recent studies, one published by the National Association of Realtors, the other by Harvard University’s Joint Center for Housing, single women represent 17% of homebuyers throughout the US. That is a very significant number… it shows that single women are the second biggest demographic segment of the purchase market after married couples. By comparison, single men only account for 7% of homebuyers.

Here are a few significant findings from the studies:

  • More than one in five home buyers is a single woman
  • There are twice as many unmarried women buying homes than single men
  • Single women buyers equal more than 33% of the growth in home ownership since 1994

These statistics are even more…

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Real Estate Raw&Uncut is for: Realtors, Agents, Buyers, Sellers, Brokers, Attorneys, Lenders, or just anyone that wants it "REAL" in REAL ESTATE! No hidden lies, none of that Realtor "fluff", no TV drama, no media BS... only the cold hard truth which we deliver unscripted and unfiltered with a new episode every week.

Episode 185: Chances are very good that your seller will receive much less in the long run for an overpriced property than if the property was priced correctly from the start. Most people accept and understand this concept. What many do not recognize is that knowing your product prior to listing can prove to be instrumental in getting the deal done. It is imperative that you have the following information before placing a property on…

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This is an extremely important act that was passed by all 50 states in the 1960’s to allow farmland, forestry, or open space to be assessed at its use rather than its fair market value or highest and best use as determined by an assessor.  Without this law, many land owners would simply not be able to afford land that has been passed down from generation to generation as the taxes would be outrageous.

Each state has its own rules and regulations regarding land use assessment and valuations differ from town to town. The State Law in CT sets no minimum acreage requirements to qualify but the individual township may have guidelines. Many towns in CT require a minimum of 25 acres.  In CT you must have your land designated as “Forestry” through the…

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Seaport Real Estate Group of William Pitt Sotheby’s International Realty and two local reputable lenders will be hosting an informal open discussion regarding the current real estate market and if it is the right time to buy, sell, hold or rent. Get answers to your questions and find out if you are eligible for $1,500 towards closing costs and a 10% rebate of the agent’s commission to be paid outside of closing.  Only those individuals attending or registering for this event will be eligible for the rebate and credit.

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This event will be held at Divine Wine at 275 West Main St in Niantic. Ken Turcotte, Owner and wine educator will graciously be hosting and speaking about wines as well.  This deal will only be offered to the first 25 buyers and…

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I get it..Your Aunt Jenny, Cousin Uma or Brother Sam just received their real estate license and you feel compelled to utilize their services in order to keep the peace within your family tree which happens to be shaped like a wreath.  STOP BEING A PLEASER as it is you who will be adversely affected by the negative outcome of utilizing an agent who is not at the top of his/her game.  Next Step…

You just located a Superstar Agent or team of agents but they are located over 30 miles away from you.

15 Years ago I would have recommended that you utilize the services of a location specific agent as they really had their finger on the pulse of print advertising. Today print advertising is simply a tool for agents to market themselves in an attempt…

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Being a real estate professional may be one of the toughest careers you can choose as your initial results are not directly correlated to your hard work but rather to the choices that you make.  I liken this profession to that of a gardener who initially works alone. 

Your first goal is to find a piece of ground that is rich in nutrients and near a sustainable water source.

Your second goal is find a few healthy seeds to start your garden.  Each customer that you are blessed to come in contact with is like a seed whose species is yet to be determined.  You must take extremely good care of each and every seed to make sure that they have a chance to mature and potentially bear fruit…… Not ever knowing if any of your seeds will make it to…

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These are the words that I continuously hear from consumers in the open market in regard to the real estate profession. Instead of pushing back and getting defensive I have chosen to look at the commonality of this mindset and find shared ground and ask “Why?”

Could it be that 80% of the agents in the marketplace turn over every 4 years?

Or that 94% of the work is done by 6% of the agents?

The 94% will handle only a handful or transactions and make many mistakes due to a lack of experience at the expense of the consumer. Everyone knows someone with a real estate license and feels that the license makes them all equal. Not True. Buying and Selling Real Estate is a huge investment and should not be entrusted to a novice. Long gone are the days of…

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Public Act 11-6

I am writing in an attempt to clear up any confusion about the current conveyance taxes in the state of CT.  There has been some confusion since the laws changed.

When you sell property in the state of CT you are taxed on both the Municipal and the State Level.

On the Municipal level you will be taxed at a base rate of .25% of the sales price plus up to an additional .25% in 18 “Targeted Investment” municipalities.  Towns that are eligible for the additional .25% are Bloomfield, Bridgeport, Bristol, East Hartford, Groton, Hamden, Hartford, Meriden, Middletown, New Britain, New Haven, New London, Norwalk, Norwich, Southington, Stamford, Waterbury, and Windham.  Unfortunately all of these towns have elected to embrace the .25%…

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Over the last 6 years we saw rates on mortgages fall to a level not seen before. In 2007 the average rate for a 30 year fixed rate mortgage was 6.25%. In the Spring of 2013 that rate had fallen to an average of around 3.5%.  Let’s take a look at what that payment difference was in dollars on a $160,000 mortgage (all examples below are calculated based upon principal and interest payments only; tax and insurance escrows are not included):

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Rate                 Monthly Payment                             Payment Difference                          % Change in Dollars

                                                                                                                               

6.25%                    $ 985.15

…

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(Written by Bob Ruth) The first step in buying a home is deciding how much of a payment you can afford. This is usually done with the help of a loan officer who will try to get you pre-qualified for the necessary financing to buy a house. Getting pre-qualified before you go and look at houses is the best option in my opinion for 3 reasons :


1 -  You'll go out knowing how much you can afford which saves time.

2 – You’ll be less likely to look at houses that are beyond your ability to purchase...nothing is worse than falling in love with a house only to find out that you cannot get the financing because it is beyond your means financially.

3 -  The Realtor will be able to negotiate more effectively for you due to the fact that you can tell…

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