Why I Love Barre Homes - 01/27/10 01:17 PM
Why I Love Barre Homes
I just saw a flat-out beautiful home in Barre.  Custom cherry cabinets, granite countertop and backsplashes, maple flooring, BIG views all the way to Camels Hump.
It blows me away that a house like this can be had for less than a half million.  There's nothing wrong with the house--everything's just in great condition.
And I'm contemplating going on a personal crusade to stoke the fires of Barre real estate.  If I were looking for sheer value, I'd definitely want to think about Barre.  This isn't where I go off and say that it's a perfect … (4 comments)

Use a Realtor or Go FSBO in the Montpelier and Barre Area? - 01/21/10 05:03 AM
Ahhh...the eternal question.  I fully understand the argument.  Hire a professional and pay the commission (when it sells) or go it alone, and try to avoid the commission.  Our office has some very preliminary sales data from 2009 in Northfield, Williamstown, and Calais.  I preface ALL of my stats by saying that, being Central Vermont, the sample sizes are small.  Not sure if this would hold up to rigorous statistical review.
But anecdotes are worthwhile too.
In all three of those towns, Williamstown, Northfield, and Calais, the difference in sale price between those that sold using a Realtor and those that … (6 comments)

Northfield, Vermont Classic Cape--New Listing! - 01/19/10 01:06 PM
Oh, Oh, Oh!  I love this classic 3 bedroom cape in Northfield, VT.  Normally I walk into a place and think, "Hmmm...I better send in my stager."  But with this one I thought, "Hmmm...Let's send in the stager just to mess with her mind."  The place just looks great. Maybe change the color on a couple of walls here and there.

The other interesting part of this house is that, while within walking distance of the schools (it being Northfield, there's an elementary and a middle/high--and they're right across the street from each other), and although it's close to town and … (0 comments)

Zoom Zoom: January in Montpelier - 01/18/10 08:00 PM
The reports of a dead January in Montpelier and Barre are greatly exaggerated.  Ok, it's maybe not as hectic as in June and July, but even so, Fred and Charlie in our office were out on appointments all day, as was Tim. 
Me?  I had a showing in the morning, ran out to meet with an appraiser, came back to the office to scarf down some bean soup (I made it myself, thank you very much), and then was out to another listing appointment in Montpelier.
Don't believe that things are picking up?  Check out RayMikus.com to see the listings, and explore … (1 comments)

Went Ahead and Pulled the Trigger - 01/15/10 01:42 PM
After a perfectly reasonable period of due diligence, and with considerable input from fellow Active Rainers, I went ahead and pulled the trigger on getting my own website.  Some agents here in Montpelier and Barre have their own sites, but most do not.  I'm just trying to set myself apart a little more, and provide more exposure.
They weren't the cheapest, but I went with RealPro.  The sites are very classy, and the customer service (I'm sorry, "Client Care") people have thus far been very responsive.  Charlee was very patient with me as I asked a kazillion silly questions.
And, one of … (7 comments)

Was that Ray on a Snowmobile?? - 01/13/10 08:20 PM
See, here's the deal:  I REALLY enjoy my job.  Today I enjoyed it even more than usual.  As some of you may know, I have a remote 100 acre camp listed for sale in Worcester, VT (just north of Montpelier).  In the winter, the only way up to the camp is on snowshoes or on a snowmobile.
Last week, another agent in our office, Jane Eakin, went for the bucolic snowshoe approach.
My buyers today wanted to burn a little gas.  So, up we went.
I haven't been on a snowmobile since I was in Junior High, and my friend's parents … (4 comments)

Completely Unrelated to Real Estate - 01/11/10 08:01 PM
I rediscovered one of Montpelier's best restaurants--Royal Thai Orchid.  Didn't even have a menu, but as I talked to the owner about what sorts of flavors I was looking for, he hooked me right up.  I'm still not even sure what it was that we ordered, but we just kept saying, "This is SO good!"
Years ago, someone nearly ruined Pad Thai for me by telling me that the "secret sauce" was ketchup.  Yeah right, I thought...but it tastes a lot like ketchup!  Haven't enjoyed Pad Thai since then.
Until yesterday. 
Next, I'm going to have to try the family's second … (2 comments)

What the Heck is a Market Analysis? - 01/09/10 09:37 AM
True Story:  Fred in our office ran into another agency's market analysis that simply took the city of Montpelier assessed value, and divided it by .6 to get the market value.  Huh?  Well, it's easy to check how accurate that method is.  Just take some sold houses (that are comparable), multiply by .6 and see if that's the assessed value.  Guess what?  They weren't even close.
Very bluntly, a market analysis is used to find out how much someone's house is likely to sell for.  Unfortunately, it's as much art as it is science.  But, basically, here's how it's done-when it's … (2 comments)

I Can't Believe They Did It! - 01/06/10 03:07 PM
I have a listing in Calais, VT that's a wonderful property.  We brought in an interior designer for a consultation, and, among other things, she mentioned the wallpaper in the dining room.  Mentioned, as in, said it should go.  My clients--God bless them--did it!
It's taken me two years to finish a ceiling that I started in my own home.  On Monday, the interior designer, Alisa Darmstadt, suggested the seller take down the paper.  I went in today, and it's gone and repainted.  Unbelievable!
To me, that's a motivated seller.  And those hours spent the past couple of days may end … (0 comments)

Montpelier and Barre Multi Family Sales - 01/04/10 08:54 PM
Well, here's my unofficial summary of 2009 multi family sales in Barre, VT and Montpelier, VT.  To me, the most interesting number is the total inventory of available properties in Barre, compared to the number of sales in 2009.
Closed Multi-Family Properties:
Barre:  8
Average Sale Price: $122,238
Average Price/Unit:  $34,187
 
Montpelier:  9
Average Sale Price:  $185,322
Average Price/Unit:  $79,402
Interestingly, only 2 of the sales in Barre were duplexes, but 6 of the Montpelier multi-families were duplexes.  Some of them were really "in-law" situations.  There was also a very wide range of "price per unit", including one ridiculously low … (2 comments)

Montpelier Neighborhood Photos - 01/03/10 09:39 PM
I love Montpelier.  Here's yet another reason why:  The Montpelier Capital Area Neighborhoods is asking the residents (remember, there are only around 7000, so participation is key!) to capture 1/10/10 on film (or bits).  Montpelier CAN wants people to take pictures of "a day in the life" on that particular day.
I love it!
True Confession:  I don't actually live in Montpelier--I live in Middlesex, but own properties in Montpelier. 
I may have to submit my photos in a sneaky fashion.  You know, have a bona fide townie drop them off.  Or, I could develop them and put them in an … (2 comments)

 
Business_picture_september_09 Rainmaker_large

Ray Mikus

Montpelier, VT

More about me…

Heney Realtors

Address: 81 Main St, Montpelier, VT, 05602

Office Phone: (800) 696-1456 x 113

Cell Phone: (802) 279-2403

Email Me

Vermont's a small state. Central Vermont (Montpelier, Barre, Northfield, U-32) really is a lively and transparent community. We all know someone in common, and I wanted to expand this transparency to a professional real estate oriented community website.


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