September 2010 Newsletter

Here’s What’s Happening in Hearthstone

All of these are 4 bedroom, 2 1/2 bath unless stated otherwise:

ACTIVE:
4819 Green Heather Court—A Gorgeous “Creamery” with master sitting room addition, finished basement, newer hardwood flooring, granite and a great yard! Another Gutner Team Listing!! See the virtual tour at www.gutner.com! $509,900!

3853 W. Brandon Way - a Creamery, fireplace, finished basement, a SHORT SALE. Listed at $429,900 for 224 days.

4976 Melissa Ct - a Creamery, new water heater, fireplace, unfin, bsmt.. Originally $485,000 reduced to $468,000 for 244 days.

3885 W. Brandon—A creamery w/ pond views. Finished basement. Was $489,900, now $479,000 for 55 days.

SETTLED:
3936 Amberton Way - a Durham, the original Hearthstone Durham Model, fireplace, finished basement. Listed at $500,000, reduced to $489,000 for 33 days. Sold for $470,000.

3683 Seneca Ct. - a completely re-done Creamery. New high-end kitchen, full stone front, granite, stainless, finished basement w/powder room and great bar, expensive deck and fabulous lot! Was asking $569,000—Sold for $551,000 in 9 days!

4870 Green Heather Ct. - an Aquetong, great back yard, partially fin.bsmt. $425,000 and sold for $420,000 in 55 days.

3696 W Brandon Way - .83 Acres, finished basement, fireplace, deck, backs to woods. Listed at $549,900 for 184 days and sold for $510,000.

4924 Stillwater - glass cabinets, concrete patio, unfinished basement. Listed at $498,500 for 16 days. Sold for $490,000.

OFF THE MARKET:
3967 Liz Circle - extra 1/2 bath in full finished basement, granite, wet bar. Listed for $459,000. Reduced to $449,000 for 186 days.


Know someone looking for a rental in the area? We have some great homes available:

Fireside, 3 bedroom, 2 1/2 bath, large deck, backs to protected area and trees, finished basement. $2,100.

Hearthstone, 4 bedrooms, 2 1/2 bath, great patio, side entrance garage, finished basement. $2,800.

Buckingham, 1 acre, 8 year old custom built home w/4 bedrooms, 2 1/2 baths. $2,800.


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      While it’s not a great year in Real Estate
               we have sold 30 homes so far!!!

       Need results? Call Jeri and Henri Gutner

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9th Annual Keller Williams Food Drive

Last year we donated more than 1500 bags of food to the New Britain Food Larder along with $1,500 in cash. Believe it or not this only fills the Larder for 2 months. These are local needy folks people!! Please put a bag with canned goods, paper goods, toiletries, pastas—anything you find in your heart to give—put it out at your mailbox by 9:30 on Saturday, October 2nd and we’ll be by to pick it up. Thank You So Much!!! If you’d like to deliver it, bring it to our Food/Drive, Chilli contest (I’m competing!) at the New Britain Church on Route 202 between 10:00 and 1:00 on the 2nd.



What’s Wrong with My House?


Possibly nothing! But if you are married to a man who prefers to have a food blog and every kitchen utensil available instead of the latest tools, you may want to invest in a Professional Home Inspector. For somewhere between $400 and $500.00 a home inspector will climb up on your roof and let you know what’s happening up there, go into that ridiculously small access space called an attic to look for problems, test your Air and Heat and electric, check for rotted wood and a myriad of other things. In about 2 1/2 to 3 hours you’ll have a complete picture of all the projects you need to attend to. And . . . If you are planning on selling in the next few years, how impressive would it be to hand it over to a buyer with documentation of all that you’ve repaired. Need a name? Call me!



*********     Fix it Now!  **********

Nail Pops:

Let’s face it . . . We all have a nail pop here or there. They come from the nails that hold the drywall to the studs, actually popping through the face of the drywall. It’s either from our houses settling or the wood studs drying out and squeezing the nail out of the wood, pushing it through the drywall. Fixing it isn’t difficult but it is a pain in the neck to match the paint perfectly. Pound the nail through the drywall to the stud and then just above it, place a drywall screw to hold the drywall to the stud. Finish with a few coats of spackle or joint compound and paint. Places like Lowes and Home Depot sell a whole kit that makes the job easier.


Oil Stains On Your Garage Floor:

First, DUH, fix the car. Then get kitty litter to soak up the excess oil. Clear the kitty litter and make a paste of hot water and dry dish or laundry detergent. Use a stiff bristle scrub brush to scrub the area with the paste. Hose and let dry. Spray ‘n Wash on the stain for 10 minutes helps with tougher stains but apply before detergent. Last option is oven cleaner but don’t let it linger. That stuff is strong!


Squeaky Stairs:

We mostly see that the treads (the horizontal surface of the steps) comes loose which causes squeaking. Lately we’re also seeing loose spindles or balusters. If you can get underneath the staircase fixing the tread is easy. You will need to attach an L bracket from the underside of the tread to the stringer (the long piece of wood that connects the treads and runs diagonally up the wall). If you can’t get underneath the staircase, you’ll have to attack it from above. Squeaky stair kits are available that allow you to make this fix even through the carpet. Otherwise you can secure the treat to the stringer with a trim screw.

And when all else fails . . . Call your Handy Man! Don’t have one? Call me!



Real Estate Forecast

It’s going to be the winter of our discontent. All forecasts are calling for too much supply and too little demand until the end of 2011. Banks are holding off on Foreclosures because unleashing them all would cause a huge price decline to their inventory—and we are seeing more and more of them everyday—in every neighborhood in Buckingham. The good news is that with about 4 million births, 2 million deaths and 1 million newly arriving immigrants in U.S. each year, there will be a steady demand for homes . . . over time. Historically, the net number of home-owning households rises by 1 million each year. There are 2 million weddings and 1 million divorces that add to change in living arrangements and typically, home owners look for a new place every seven to 10 years. As a result, it is predicted that in the U.S. we will see 50 to 70 million home sales over the next 10 years. The take-away here is that over the next year it’s going to be tough to sell a home. It’s going to take longer and you are going to compete with a lot of homes which means your price has to be aggressive, your home has to be PERFECT and you need to have patience. Know what’s for sale around you so that when you see a dip in inventory and you think that your house and your price will be the winner for the 1 buyer who will buy in the next month, go on the market. Timing IS everything. Call us for our wisdom!



“Neighborhood Discounts”

There’s power in numbers!! Is anyone interested in working with me on getting “Neighborhood Discounts”. I can’t do this alone but with some help I am willing to help negotiate some different deals like: driveway sealing; window cleaning; interior and exterior painting; storm door installation; new garage doors; etc. The possibilities are endless! Send me your ideas and whether you are able to help! jeri@gutner.com