From Corporate Wellness to Home Sweet Home: Navigating the Fairfield County Real Estate Journey

Linda Raymond’s Journey to Becoming a CT Realtor: From Westport to Worcester and Back

I came to Fairfield County when moving to Westport, Connecticut from New Jersey just before entering the eighth grade.

After attending Staples High School in Westport, I went to Clark University in Worcester, Massachusetts and graduated as a biology major before returning to the area for my first job as a research assistant at Yale.  I continued school part time and earned a Masters degree in exercise science from Southern Connecticut State University in New Haven.  My career then moved to corporate health and fitness in Stamford, Connecticut where I worked for corporate consulting firms that served companies seeking to improve the health of their employees. I worked closely with the employees of our corporate clients.

From there, I evolved into program design and management for employee health and productivity in large companies like IBM with dispersed national populations. I worked with my team to develop and deliver innovative programming with a range of delivery strategies to engage employees through their benefits and occupational health departments.  After 13 years of facilitating programming and data management on a population-scale basis, I began to feel the need to re-connect with people on an individual basis.

At the same time, my husband, young daughter and I decided to pursue our first home purchase in the Fairfield and Westport Connecticut areas where the schools are excellent.

This changed everything, my home, my career, and my lifestyle!

What Does the Journey to Your New Home Look Like?

Navigating the competitive Fairfield County home buying market in 2004 just before the housing bubble burst, I learned first-hand that the strategy of home buyers and home sellers had to adapt to the existing market conditions.

The Emotional Rollercoaster of Home Buying

As a first-time home buyer looking in Fairfield and Westport Connecticut, I was amazed by how intense, emotional, and complicated buying a home and making a move really was. 

Your Castle, Your Asset: Understanding the Home as an Investment

Your home is one of your largest assets. It requires a huge financial commitment. Your homeownership, is a critical investment in your future. You invest in it to gain equity, and you want it grow. Unlike most other investments, your home also holds tremendous emotional value. Your home is your castle. It’s where you live, love, grow, work, and play. It’s where go to be safe and sound, to feel peace and joy.

Making Informed Decisions: My Approach to Real Estate Assistance

So it’s not surprising that making a move is a monumental endeavor. Add to this the challenges of housing market conditions and the complex process, and the stress can be over the top! When you’re preparing to move to a home that better suits your current needs, you need an expert guide to navigate both the challenges and the opportunities, and to help set your mind at ease. You need to feel you are best positioned and on the right track to your new home!

Your Castle. My Mission: How I Can Help You Move with Confidence

So my current passion is to guide you as my client through the process of moving from one home to another while focusing on achieving the best terms and outcomes to meet your priorities and help you enjoy the process with peace of mind at the same time.

The focus on science in my education drives my reliance on data and facts to inform sound decisions. Decades in the business sector serving results-focused corporate clients drives my focus on strategy, planning, and accountability in the customer service I provide to my clients. And most of all, my genuine passion for understanding you and your priorities and my end-goal of making you a very happy client, are the forces that drive me!

Since May of 2005, I have been back to working one-on-one with home buyers and home sellers here in Fairfield, Southport, Westport, and surrounding areas to guide them through the huge decision to transition to the home sweet home.

Providing Input, Insights, and Resources

Putting my business skills and experience to work for each client, my focus is to provide the insights, information, and resources my clients need to feel confident in making informed decisions and to ensure they are thrilled with their end result. 

My strategic approach to helping my clients reach their goals integrates the key elements of listening, understanding, strong communication skills, facilitating collaborative relationships, a customer service focus, effective negotiations, market intelligence, leveraging technology and creativity, creative and strategic marketing, and business collaborations.

I specialize in helping people pursue their plans for downsizing, resale, first-time home buying, home sale and home buying.

What Is Your Ideal Lifestyle?

Some of my passions include dogs (we have a Havanese from a breeder, and a Terrier mix from Pet Finders!) dance, swimming, skiing, travel, family, and crafts. I love the ease of making these things a part of my life in my home. Are you in the right home to support your current lifestyle passions?

The Perfect Next Step!

If you are thinking of making a move now or in the future, I encourage you to start with a conversation now, and you will be well on your way. Give me a call today or send a note below and tell me what your ideal Castle looks like!

My blog is here to provide informative insights into the home buying and selling process and fun information about the local community.  Comments, questions, and suggestions are always welcome!

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#FairfieldCountyHomes #HomeBuyingJourney #RealEstateDreams #WestportLiving #StamfordHomes #HomeSweetHome #CastleForSale #FairfieldBeachLiving #HomeownershipJoy #MoveWithConfidence #YourCastleMyMission

SOLD & ACCEPTED OFFERS- Fairfield Market Bulletin March 2022

The numbers are in for January and February, and we are heading into the spring market!

The March bulletin will be hitting the mailboxes soon for everyone on my select mailing list. If you would like to receive future reports in the mail, send me a request in the form below with your mailing address. In the meantime, browse the e-bulletin to find out what’s up, what’s down, and where things are likely heading.

For the details of sold and accepted offers in the neighborhood of interest to you, send a message in the form below with your area of interest, and I will ensure you get the scoop!

CLICK THE COVER BELOW TO OPEN THE BULLETIN:

If you are wondering where people are going after selling their homes now during this time of low inventory levels, take a look at some of their plans.

Submit your neighborhood(s) of interest and email address below for the details on sold and accepted offers. Include your mailing address if you would also like to receive a large hard copy of future bulletins in your mailbox.

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Grateful for Our Positive Work Culture at William Raveis Real Estate!

Pictured below are scenes from a fabulous elegant lunch hosted by Bill Raveis and his wife Candy at their Fairfield Connecticut home to celebrate 🎊 the careful selection of our new Southport office manager, Tammy Fenelstein (after Amy Arnheim retired), and getting back to “normal” after the pandemic!  The festivities began earlier in the day at the weekly morning sales meeting in our Southport office where Tammy was introduced to us. The meeting adjourned with a group photo outside the building.

At Willliam Raveis the company’s mission is to be laser-focused on supporting the agents as their customers. So everything they do is driven by the goal of ensuring our success in serving you. This means providing the best cutting-edge technology, a family of companies to support seamless transactions, key solutions to solving the challenges you face when moving to a new home, the best agent training, and the best local, national, and global marketing resources. So we work hard, play hard, and celebrate our happy clients as we go.

You are right to want to work with the agent who’s company has a supportive, joyful, family culture which we are so grateful to have at William Raveis Real Estate, because this positive force 🌅 supports everything we do, and I bring that great energy along with all our resources to work for you! ❤️

If you are thinking of selling in the next 12 months, now is the time to start planning. Call me at 203.912.4440 or reach out using the form below.

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Save Money, Have Fun, Do a 1031!

If you own an investment property and are thinking of selling it to buy a different one (or two), you can do a 1031 Exchange and enjoy great benefits!  What’s so great about it, and how do you do it?

Here’s how it works-

1. With IRS code 1031, owners can defer paying all capital gains on investment
   property. This means that if you own property used for business or investment, you can sell it and use the proceeds from the sale to reinvest in another investment property of greater or equal value to defer paying taxes on your profit.
2. You have to declare that you are doing a 1031 Exchange before you close on the sale.
3. You have to meet the 180-day rule: Investors have 180 calendar days to complete the exchange and close on all intended purchases.
4. You have to meet the 45-day rule:  Identify up to three possible replacement properties within the first 45 days of the 180 day period. You can also sell multiple properties and buy one big property.   If you identify more than three properties, the total cost of the identified properties can’t be more than twice the value of what you are selling.  If you identify more than three properties and they end up totaling more than 200 percent of what you are selling, then you have to buy 95 percent- worth of the properties you identified in order to complete the exchange. Your replacement property must cost more than the net sale price of your existing investment property for full tax deferral. 
5. You Must use a Qualified Intermediary (QI) to facilitate the 1031 exchange.  The QI takes care of everything for you including preparing the exchange agreement, handling escrow, and coordinating with the closing agents.  The QI must be a third party to the transaction.  He or she can’t just be an attorney or a Realtor® in the transaction that puts the sale proceeds and funds in an escrow account, nor can the QI be a relative. These are IRS regulations. 
6. You cannot have access to the proceeds from your sale. It must be held by a qualified third party until it can go directly toward your purchase(s).

And here are six amazing benefits of doing 1031 Exchanges-

1. You enjoy huge savings on taxes.
2. You can shelter your earnings in real estate, legally!
3. You can diversify or consolidate your investment property.
4. You can gain buying power by reinvesting.
5. You can create more income to build your wealth.
6. There’s no limit to the frequency or quantity of 1031 exchanges you can do.
7. You can have the property(ies) you want to have.

Consider an “equity build strategy” suggested by the Midland company (referenced below) that looks like this:

• Defer paying up to 25 percent in taxes on your gains.
• Sell a moderately producing property to buy a higher income-producing property and increase your monthly income.
• Pay no federal, state, capital gain, or income taxes on the sale of the property.
• Do 1031 exchanges over and over for a lifetime, and the tax liability will never be passed on to your heirs.
• Base your strategy on cash flow, and you will have success in any market. The key is to get the highest percentage income on your purchase.  Even if the dollar amount is small, it will grow over time.  For example, if you can sell a property making seven percent cash-on-cash and buy a property that makes 23 percent cash-on-cash, you are well on your way to implementing an excellent equity build strategy!  

It’s a good idea to use a QI that is local or that works in many states and is familiar with the varying regulations and taxes in different states. You want a QI that has experience and is bonded and insured. You also want to look for one that is a member of the National Federation of Exchange Accommodators and that is a Certified Exchange Specialist (CEC).

Here are some resources to get you started:

IPX1031

1031 Exchange Made Simple

Midland Self-Directed IRAs & 1031s

For help selling and locating properties, please reach out to yours truly!

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What are the Hot Technology Trends in Real Estate?

Six Hot Trends that are Super Cool for Consumers!

Consumer-Friendly Tech Trends in Real Estate

1. Virtual Experiences – The trend is to showcase properties while delivering consumers

an engaging experience that also saves them time. In addition to creative videos, this includes 3D touring, virtual reality, drone photography, virtual staging and even hologram projection of furniture into rooms.  3D tours enable viewers to virtually walk through a property while using their computer mouse to “go” anywhere in the home.  The tool also creates a virtual doll house that lets buyers float through the floors and get an overall feel for the layout, orientation, and flow. Inman News recently talked about virtual reality tours that use special goggles to create an experience close to being there in person as well as gear that projects holograms of furniture into a space to visualize it “for real”.  Last, but not least, busy or far-away consumers can benefit from a live virtual tour via Skype.

2. Social Media Exuberance – Okay you might have guessed this one, but it shouldn’t be underestimated. Social media can provide a much richer perspective and bring added value beyond what a typical website can offer when evaluating a potential Realtor.  Does the agent share useful information and resources? Do they have a strong presence on multiple platforms including a blog? Do they leverage this presence to promote client listings for maximum internet exposure? Are they creative, resourceful, knowledgeable, personable?  Do they share insights from past customers?  What do they do in their spare time? Many consumers are looking into these types of questions with a simple online search or searches within social media platforms.

3. Mobile Optimization – Everyone’s on the go! The trend is for people to consume web content on their mobile devices.  Statista.com predicts a 57% increase in global mobile web traffic per year through 2019.  The most recent click reports I received from my e-newsletter show that readers opening the email on a mobile device versus a computer range between 50-70%.  So more and more real estate websites and blogs are becoming mobile friendly and optimizing for the best mobile experience. Mobile apps are also on the rise.  William Raveis provides a comprehensive Real Estate App. The company has also released a Mortgage App that enables home buyers to start their pre-approval process right from their phone! And hot off the press is the Raveis Open House App that lets guests type in their name, phone, and email and then request a complimentary home value report, mortgage pre-approval and Local Housing e-Newsletter for the town of their choice!

4. Mortgage Magic – Instead of misery. The complex process is now streamlined with new technology that gives consumers the efficiency and transparency they need and deserve. William Raveis Mortgage addresses the first critical step by providing buyers with a certified loan pre-approval followed by electronic milestone tracking of their loan process that also keeps all the players on track. Borrowers view a bold graphic showing a clear progression of the steps and status across their screen.  The icing on the cake? Sign documents electronically from wherever you are!

5. Accurate Value Estimates – We’ve all heard of the Zestimate, and most of us are well aware of the frustrations with inconsistent results, incorrect data and inability to correct errors.  “What is my home worth?” is the question people are always asking. Savvy consumers want a quality tool to help them estimate the market value of their property.  William Raveis recently launched the RAVestimate. The interactive technology lets consumers  input specific home improvements and then work with comparable sales data that they select.  The company tested the tool and documented extraordinary accuracy.

6. Predictive Marketing – Advanced intelligence and predictive modeling to help buyers before they ask are up and coming. Consumer data and predictive analytics will be used to anticipate home buying goals, preferences, and timing.  So in the not-too-distant future, Realtors, lenders, and perhaps the perfect home may be finding the buyer before they even know they are going to buy!
   

 

Which trends to you think have the most promise?  What other trends are you seeing that are consumer driven?  From a consumer perspective, what new technology services would you like to see?

For more information or questions about your moving plans, contact me using the form below.

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Happy Seller Heads South!

Not a big fan of freezing winters, Joe had a dream that he thought was simple:  sell his condo on Madison Avenue in Bridgeport and move to Florida where life is sunny and warm year-round.

Joe after his closing!

It sounded reasonable enough until he put his condo on the market and didn’t get the quick sale he was hoping for.  After trying to sell with four different agents over the course of three years with one deal falling through at the last minute, Joe was feeling quite discouraged and wondered if his plan would ever come to fruition.

Finally, the following summer, he summoned his spirits again and had his son come up from Florida to help him de-clutter.  Then he called me to come and see his place, and I gave him a list of staging tips that he put into play.  We went on the market and received a good amount of activity but were plagued by low-ball offers by investors and a distressed unit that posted for sale at a rock bottom price by a bank.

As the holidays approached, Joe agreed to withdraw from the market long enough to re-do his kitchen.  I referred a great contractor to him that was skilled and well priced.  Joe shopped around for some good deals on appliances, and viola!
      

 

 

 

 

 

With a refreshed look, new kitchen and the New Year, Joe closed on his condo within three months and was off to his dream home in Florida with the weather to match!  Here’s what Joe had to say about it, “I will always be happy to give you the highest recommendation for your excellent customer service and professionalism. I definitely couldn’t have sold my condo without you.  The recommendation to upgrade my kitchen was a big factor.  There were so many condos on the market in Bridgeport, I thought I would never get out of there. But you sold my condo in such a short time frame.  You are a Realtor who cares and gives the best possible customer service one could expect, especially if the seller listens to you and takes your suggestions.  I couldn’t be happier now that I am in Florida.”

Take a look at the video to see Joe’s kitchen transition in action.

Feel free to comment below or request help preparing your home for the market.

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