Have you ever had to dispute something on your credit report and done it online? Were you successful, or did it come back to haunt you? Here's some great info from Ron Cooks on why you should take that dispute off-line and submit the old fashioned way, in writing and by certified mail!

Paula McGovern Joins Harriman Real Estate

Good gosh, we’re growing again! Pat and I are happy to announce the addition of Paula McGovern to our real estate family. Paula is a veteran of 10 years in real estate and comes to us after having spent the last 6 years at her previous brokerage.

A lady of many talents, Paula also holds a broker’s license in New Hampshire and has over 25 years experience as an educator. In fact, she is currently the field coordinator for the Special Olympics Unified Sports program in the New Haven public school system, the coach of the unified sports program at Hamden’s Wilbur Cross High School, and the proud recipient of the 2012 Connecticut High School Coaches Association Coach of the Year Award for Unified Sports! Now that’s impressive!

In addition to her real estate training, Paula also has both a Bachelor’s degree and a Masters degree in Physical Education. She currently lives in Hamden with her husband Daniel and three children: sons Bryant, 16 and Shawn, 13 and daughter Daniela, 7. When asked why she wanted to join Harriman Real Estate, she said, “I felt my career had stagnated and needed a jumpstart, and after interviewing many companies I felt strongly that Harriman Real Estate was the best match for me. Their business model gives me the feel and support of a big corporate firm within a smaller, more casual and comfortable atmosphere. I’m also amazed and impressed at the level of technology they utilize, as well as their web site development. I feel Harriman Real Estate will revitalize my career”.

Paula loves to help people navigate the ins and outs of the home search process, especially first time buyers. She will be focusing her considerable talents in the greater New Haven County area, and can be reached by phone at (203) 314-6918 or email her at pmcgovern@harrimanre.com.

Welcome aboard Paula, we’re sure you’re gonna fit right in!

Wallingford and Meriden CT 2011 Market Report Wrap-up

The real estate market for 2011 is history now, and what a ride it was! State-wide, there was a slight upward trend in monthly sales as evidenced by the trend line in the chart below:

Total sales of single family homes and condos for the year totaled 20,483 units, down 9.3%  from 22,573 in 2010. In addition, average days on market saw a distinct upward trend throughout the year, while selling prices continued a slow decline. Here are some other pertinent points of interest:

• The median price of existing single-family homes decreased to $198,500, down -5.4% vs November 2011.
• Existing single-family home sales increased 5.9% from November 2011 for a December 2011 total of 1,290 sold units.
• Condos decreased in price to $137,750 down -7.6% vs November 2011.
• Existing condo sales decreased -1.0% in December 2011 over November 2011 for a total of 286 sold units.

Meriden

Meriden fared even better than Wallingford in statewide sales, ending 2011 at #6 in sold properties with 482, of which 84% were single family homes and condos. The annual trend in Meriden was very similar to Wallingford, improving slightly as the year went on, but there was more consistency in performance throughout the year. The worst numbers were in the first quarter, and then things got better starting in April and stayed consistent for the rest of the year. While Wallingford's market saw modest changes over the past couple of years, Meriden's were more pronounced. Total sales were 404, but that was down 18% from 2010 (492) and more than 30% below 2009's numbers (580). The outlook for 2012 looks good, however, as January sales outperformed January 2011 by 45%. In addition, days on market and housing inventory both trended lower in 2011, giving more hope for a resurgent 2012 housing market.

Summary

While the housing markets in Wallingford and Meriden both saw varying degrees of decline in 2011, initial sales figures in 2012 point to the possibility of significant improvement for the coming year, or at the very least a bottoming out of the market. Many experts are predicting it will take until 2013 for the market to show true improvement, but that is a statement regarding the overall US housing market, and not of the local markets. Indeed, markets in many areas across the country have already begun to recover while others in the same geographical area remain depressed, proving once again that real estate is truly local, often times right down to street level. Since one month's worth of data is not enough to declare the housing bust to be over - especially since it's January, a notoriously slow month for real estate - it remains to be seen if we're on the road to recovery, but the prognosis is good. Keep an eye out for our monthly market reports to get the 411 on the Wallingford and Meriden markets as it becomes available.

 If you need information on your local market or need help in buying or selling a home, contact Harriman Real Estate LLC today, by phone at (203) 672-4499, on the web at www.harrimanre.com, or email us at info@harrimanre.com!

We also have unit #102 listed in this complex. For more details or to set up an appointment, please call listing agent Andrea Atkins at (203) 671-2223 today!

Schedule a Showing/Request Info Meriden Homes For Sale Search All Homes For Sale What is your home worth? Avoid Foreclosure Harriman Real Estate LLC   203-672-4499 pharriman@harrimanre.com   Licensed In: CT Information valid for the date of this posting only. Please contact us for the most current information and status of this property.

58 LEONARD STREET Meriden, CT Scan with your smartphone & take me with you. Description Features Photos Maps & Local Schools Interesting facts: 1/10 mile from Meriden $ Click for current price 3 BEDROOMS 3 BATHROOMS (2 full, 1 half) 1726 Square Feet Unbelievable value! You can own this brand new 3 bedroom, 2.1 bath townhouse with garage for only $220,000. It has a spacious living room - if you want a warm and cozy feel, you can add a fireplace and surround as an upgrade. The living room and dining room offer great space for entertaining. You'll love the kitchen with plenty of counter and cabinet space for the cook in the home. There is also a maintenance free, trex deck off of the dining room – a great place to kick back after a long day. Upstairs offers three bedrooms - the master bedroom has a full bath with double sinks, plus a walk in closet. To complete this townhome, there is a two car garage under with a laundry and mechanical room in the back. Spring Village is a small community of 38 condos with extremely low condo fees. It is located approximately 1/10 mile from the Westfield Shopping Mall and Midstate Medical Center, 4/10 mile from 691, 1/2 mile from Target with full grocery store. This complex is FHA approved! We have many upgrade options to choose from - contact us for more details! L2L Property Websites AR

Attention Buyers: This is an AS-IS sale, subject to probate court approval! For more information, please call listing agent Pat Harriman at (203) 605-3873 today!

Schedule a Showing/Request Info Meriden Homes For Sale Search All Homes For Sale What is your home worth? Avoid Foreclosure Harriman Real Estate LLC   203-672-4499 pharriman@harrimanre.com   Licensed In: CT Information valid for the date of this posting only. Please contact us for the most current information and status of this property.

380 Swain Ave Meriden, CT Scan with your smartphone & take me with you. Description Features Photos Maps & Local Schools Virtual Tour Needs Work, But Worth the Effort! Probate sale $ Click for current price 3 BEDROOMS 1 BATHROOMS (1 full) 1158 Square Feet This home is being sold as is and subject to Probate Court approval. Town says its a 3 bedroom but there are no closets in the second floor bedrooms. Fireplace, first floor laundry, oversized 2 car garage with walk-up attic. Large lot. L2L Property Websites AR

How's the Market? Wallingford and Meriden CT December 2011

The activity in the Wallingford and Meriden market was uncharacteristically high in December. Usually buyers and sellers take this time to pull back a bit and enjoy family and friends and get ready for Christmas. Some sellers even withdraw their homes from the market, thinking that no one would be out looking for a house at this time of year. But this year, not many sellers took their home off the market and that was a good thing, as the buyers were back out right after the holiday with a vengeance, continuing their home search and taking advantage of interest rates right out of the Twilight Zone.

Wallingford

The number of available homes in Wallingford remained almost exactly at November's levels, losing only 3 units overall. Sales of Wallingford single family homes were up by 17% in December, but the condo market stayed even with November sales. The bad news was that the average selling price for condos fell by over $14,000 last month, while single family homes were selling for about $23,000 less than the prior month. This would seem to be at odds with the numbers that say Wallingford is in a balanced market, where depreciation of homes is usually relatively flat. Sales stats indicated that several homes sold for considerably less than list price, and overall homes sold at only 91.5% of list price, an unusually low figure. Interest rates remain at historically low rates, at or below 4% for conventional loans, while rates for first time home buyers hit a yearly low at 3.250 percent. Rental properties remained in high demand, especially for those who accept Section 8 funds. We do not anticipate that the market will keep up this fast pace and sales for January will most likely fall back to between 25-30 units.

Meriden

The number of available homes for sale in Meriden dropped by 5% in December, falling to 318 units. Like Wallingford, sales rose slightly in December, up 15% to 39 units sold.  Unlike Wallingford however, the average sale prices jumped for both single family homes and condos: houses were up about 4%, while condos rose around 3 percent. Coupled with the reduced inventory, this was enough to place Meriden firmly in a balanced market for the month, the first time all year that both markets held that status at the same time. And like Wallingford, rentals are also becoming more sought after in Meriden as cost-conscious consumers look for alternatives to buying until the economy improves. Those buyers who are in a position to buy have been out in force since right after Christmas, and they are still in great shape to take advantage of low interest rates. The CHFA rate for first time buyers is now at an all-time low 3.25% and shows no sign of rising any time soon, despite speculation in some quarters that they will start to rise after the first of the year. Even with all this good news, it appears that january sales will not be able to match December's sales, and will probably end up around 20-25 units sold.

 Summary

Inventory in both Wallingford and Meriden continued to drop in December, while sales in both towns rose. Total sales for both communities in December were 75 units, a 15% increase over November, and a 14% increase over December 2010. Overall, both single family homes and condos are selling for slightly less than in November but selling quicker. Wallingford's market remained a balanced one, with just under 7 months of available inventory, and Meriden's market also improved to a balanced market with just over 8 months of inventory, the first time in 2011 that both markets have been in the same status. If you're selling a home in Wallingford, properties priced at $180,000 or less or between $250,000 and $300,000 are now selling the best, while everything else is moving slowly. In Meriden it's the homes priced in the $120,000 and under range that are selling the fastest, anything priced higher is taking 4 months or more to sell. It looks like sales in both towns will fall back slightly in January, but we're hopeful that interest rates will stay at current levels for a while and buyer activity will remain high heading into the Spring market.

For more information on the Wallingford and Meriden housing markets, call Harriman Real Estate today at (203) 672-4499, email us at info@harrimanre.com, or visit our web site at www.harrimanre.com!

Related articles

• How's the Market? Wallingford and Meriden CT November 2011 (wallingfordwired.com)
• How's the Market? Wallingford and Meriden CT October 2011 (wallingfordwired.com)

Wallingford CT Market Update for December 2011

Here's the way the housing market is shaping up in Wallingford as of December 31, 2011:

There are currently 186 single family homes for sale in Wallingford:

• Low list price: $29,900
• High list price: $850,000
• Average list price: $298,800
• Median list price: $269,450
• Average Days on Market: 106
• Homes sold on average for 92.9% of list price

There are 40 homes currently under contract, priced between $109,900 and $599,900. Based on the number of homes sold in December (27), it would take approximately 7 months to

sell the current inventory.

As for condominiums, there are currently 67 condosfor sale:

• Low list price: $46,900
• High list price: $559,900
• Average list price: $219,761
• Median list price: $192,000
• Average Days on Market: 165
• Condos sold on average for 90.2% of list price

There are currently 11 condos under contract, priced between $49,900 and $495,000. Based on the number of condos sold in December (8), it would take 8 months to sell the current inventory.

Here is a chart showing annual home and condo sales in Wallingford for 2011: 

Wallingford home and condo inventories went in opposite directions in December, as single family homes fell by 5% to 186 units (down a third consecutive month) and condos rose by 12% to 67 units, roughly were it was in October. The average selling price in both categories plummeted, as condos dropped 7% to their lowest level of the year at $198,115, while single family homes fell 8% to $277,585. Total sales increased by 13% over November, and by 46% over October, a nice gain during what is usually a slow time of the year. This increase in sales, coupled with decreased inventory and faster selling times resulted in the Wallingford housing market staying firmly in a balanced market. Conventional mortgage rates were still hovering at or below 4% and CHFA rates for first time home buyers fell to another yearly low of 3.250 percent. At the end of November we projected December sales to be in the 30-35 unit range, and we were right on at 35 units sold. The Wallingford market remains very active in January, but we're skeptical that the market will maintain the current rate of sales, so we think there will be a fallback to between 25-30 sales for the month.

~Wallingford Properties For Sale~

(zoom out to see more properties)

Related articles

• Wallingford CT Market Update for November 2011 (wallingfordwired.com)
• Wallingford CT Market Update for October 2011 (wallingfordwired.com)
• Wallingford CT Market Update for September 2011 (wallingfordwired.com)