Stephen's Blog

Lakeside Gem in Goshen, Connecticut

Stephen Drezen (Portfolio Properties Group) — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 14:48:37 -0500

With Spring in full swing here in New England, days beginning earlier with birdsong and ending with sweet springtime sunsets behind verdant, newly bushy trees, it's the perfect time to enjoy lakefront property. Whether you've always been attracted to waterfront housing or if you've been seriously considering relocating to a home on the lake, Litchfield County has a multitude of beautiful, relaxing options for you. The gorgeous home you see below is one such waterfront gem, located in Goshen, Connecticut's fantastic Woodridge Lake community.

Built by 2007 HOBI Award Winning Builder, this home is a spacious, second-tier Woodridge Lake home, affording spectacular winter views of Woodridge Lake. The new design boasts 5 bedrooms, 3.5 baths, a beautifully fitted cherrywood and granite kitchen and hardwood floors throughout. In the winter you'll also enjoy the dual, sweeping fireplaces, and the airiness afforded by nine foot ceilings. The first floor has a master bedroom suite and a spacious screened in cedar porch. The property's stone wall-lined driveway leads to a two car garage large enough to fit your vehicles as well as storage space.

Woodridge Lake in Goshen, Connecticut Located less than 10 minutes from the Historic Town of Litchfield. Litchfield is a popular weekend destination spot and hosts the Annual Litchfield Road Race held each year in June. Goshen is home to the Internationally known Litchfield Jazz Festival, held each year in August and the Goshen Agricultural Fair held over Labor Day weekend. Located just a few miles away is the family friendly Mohawk Ski Mountain, the Housatonic River (known for world class fly fishing) and hiking on the Appalachian Trail.

Enjoy Country Club living at its best with four sandy beaches; marina; boating and fishing; 8 tennis courts; (two Har-Tru courts) a 12,500 square foot clubhouse with Wi-Fi internet access, meeting rooms, library, fitness center, locker rooms; heated Jr. Olympic pool; playground; organized activities and much more. The community is strategically located to be within an approximate five minute drive of one private and one public golf course. Theater, music, and entertainment are all a short drive away.

For more information on this beautiful property, to explore more options in Litchfield County, or to speak to a realtor, please visit Portfolio Properties Group's website.

Sweet Treats in Litchfield County

Stephen Drezen (Portfolio Properties Group) — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 14:36:09 -0500

When I think of culinary gems of New England, the first savory delight that comes to my mind is the perfect, creamy New England Clam Chowder. Hard on its heels, though, comes a less recognized food that enriches a delicious stack of pancakes as well as crisp squares of country French Toast. This food brings out the best in any baked apple and turns oatmeal from an ordinary breakfast repast into a delightful morning treat. It can be rendered into candy or poured over popcorn, enjoyed in tea or spooned over vanilla ice cream. In case you didn't know, I'm referring to the delicious spoils of the spring and fall sap runs: the unparalleled maple syrup.

If, like me, you are a fan of the flavor of genuine maple syrup, then Sweet Wind Farm is the perfect place to take your family or a group for a sweet and educational Litchfield County outing. At the farm you can view tapped trees during syrup season, take a guided tour of the sugarhouse facility and equipment, and watch the makers boil snap while you experience the unparalleledly rich scent of steaming New England maple syrup. There is also a narrated slide show of the sugaring process, a history of sugaring, and other educational topics related to maple syrup production. As a bonus, samples are distributed.

Fees are $5.00 per participant. For school groups an homeschool groups and scouts, a discount may be awarded. Hurry to take advantage of learning about this very New England industry as tours and educational sessions (not to mention supplies of maple sugar candy) end at the beginning of May!

For more information, you can call (860) 653-2038 or visit Sweet Winds Farm's website here.

Savvy Spenders Won't Skimp on Homes

Stephen Drezen (Portfolio Properties Group) — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 14:20:20 -0500

With our economy in the dynamically tenuous state it has maintained for more than a year now, consumers are adopting a number of tactics to save cash. One of them is, according to a Kelly Blue Book Study, purchasing more fuel efficient cars. Another savers'-tactic is to cut down on non-essential leisure expenses. Most consumers have lowered or limited their expenditure on visual and audio media and entertainment. Interestingly enough, however, only 10% of consumers polled in the Kelley Blue Book study plan upon delaying or limiting the most important purchase of all: a new home.

This news bodes well for home builders and sellers, who have, across the nation, reported slow sales in the past few months. In March, sales were down 8.5 percent from February, and 36 percent below the same period in 2007. If these savvy savers are planning on purchasing new homes, builders can look forward to better times ahead.

Realty Times also reports some good news for homebuyers. Home inventories have risen the most in 27 years, up to an 11-month supply. Though this good news does come on the heels of foreclosures, that home-sellers are pricing their homes more attractively works well to the advantage of new buyers. New homes are also at a more attractive price--more attractive, in fact, then they have been in more than 30 years.

Though more attractive home prices don't translate into significant benefits for home sellers, I suspect that, with the worst of the credit crunch being rumored as over, prices won't stay so low for long. Home buyers should take advantage of the buyers' market soon, and home sellers? You all just hang in there.

To read more about the Kelley Blue Book Study and the Realty Times article that discusses it, please click here.

Positive Housing Trend in the Northeast

Stephen Drezen (Portfolio Properties Group) — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 13:58:39 -0500

Quite happily, a recent Realty Times article reports that the NRA projects a rebound of home sales in the Northeast based on current numbers.

Though existing home sales dropped last month in the South and the Midwest, home sales rose on our Nation's coasts. Home sales rose 2.2 percent in the Northeast and, according to many Northeast agents, the market has been doing just fine.

With spring in full swing (let's not mention the pollen count!), new listings are coming on the market every day and being snapped up almost as quickly. Given Connecticut's proximity to New York and International Airports--a highly advantageous geographical location, especially for Litchfield County homesellers--properties are still in high demand. As long as New York City is still the heartbeat of the Nation, the demand for Connecticut homes will remain impressively high.

While home sales in the Northeast remain high, Realty Times suggests that they are, quite literally, conditional. The homes that sell the quickest are those that necessitate the least rehabilitation--think new paint, intact flooring and wall spaces, safe porches and recently refinished bathrooms, and kitchens with the most modern of modern conveniences. So, if you are hoping to join in this positive NOrtheast housing trend and put your house on the market, make certain that your home is in the best condition possible; doing so will not only save you market time, but probably earn you considerable dollars in the final sale.

To read Realty Times' Northeast report, please visit their website.

Stand-Out Home in Woodridge Lake Community

Stephen Drezen (Portfolio Properties Group) — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 09:33:39 -0600

I can´t think of a better way to start the morning than to grab a cup of coffee, wrap myself up in a cozy bathrobe and step out onto a porch to take in the morning air and gorgeous lakeviews. If you like this idea as much as I do and are looking to relocate, this gorgeous home in Goshen is for you.

Built by 2007 HOBI Award Winning Builder and the 2008 Northwestern Connecticut Homebuilder of the Year, this Woodrige Lake home has serene winter water views. Cape Style, its shingled visage stands out with crisp green trim and dormer windows that add a boatoad of character. The home boasts a brand new kitchen with granite counter tops, maple cabinets, and stainless steel appliances--ideal for all of your culinary feats. The first floor master bedroom and master bathroom has a luxurious, glassed-in shower and a whirlpool, complemented by marble vanity tops.

The terraced property is landscaped with trees and shrubs and has an additional lovely addition of a stone wall lining the entryway to the home. A capacious garage offers enough room for all of your tools and vehicles, with plenty of space left over for storage.

As a member of the Woodrige Lake community, you´ll also enjoy plenty of country club amenities. Four sandy beaches; marina, boating and fishing, 8 tennis courts, a 12,500 square foot clubhouse with Wi-Fi internet access, meeting rooms, library, fitness center, locker rooms and a heated Jr. Olympic pool are only some of these benefits! The community is strategically located to be within an approximate five minute drive of two private golf courses and one public golf course.

To schedule a showing, explore more properties on Woodrige Lake or in Litchfield County, or to speak to a realtor today, please visit Portfolio Properties Group´s website.

A Sweet Event in Litchfield County

Stephen Drezen (Portfolio Properties Group) — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 07:33:35 -0600

Chocolate has been known to invite a response in the body similar to the feeling of falling in love, which might attribute to its status as reigning confection on Valentine´s Day, to say nothing of explaning why so many erring lovers present gifts of flowers and cocoa sweets after their own falls from grace! Chocolate, especially the dark variety, is also rich in healthy antioxidants which benefit the skin and the heart. Perhaps most importantly, chocolate just tastes good. If you are a chocolate fancier for any of the above reasons (or one of your own), then get down to Fall´s Village this Saturday, February 23rd, when The Friends of D.M. Hunt Library will be holding a stupendously sweet fundraising event, Chocolate in the Village.

Waiters will circulate the library´s fundraiser with scrumptious, chocolate-based treats before moving on to the main event: an auction of more than twelve different desserts, all hand-wrought by local bakers. Among the delicacies will be Cookie Kubarek's Chocolate Intemperance which supposedly takes eleven bowls and pans to create; Karen Lindquist's Chocolate Biscotti; Mrs. Fedorjaczenko's Bittersweet Chocolate Pudding with Crème Fraiche Topping; Barbara Lemmen's Chocolate Chiffon Pie; Ruth Giumarro's Truffles and Greg and Anne Bidou of Toymakers Café will craft their 50 Layer Chocolate Raspberry Crepe Cake.

Also on hand will be a chocolate and truffle bar where event-goers can sample a variety of different chocolates, along with a bar serving red wine, port, dessert liqueurs, hot chocolate, coffee and tea. A trivia-driven treasure hunt for prize-bearing Golden Tickets has been hidden around the library to add to the fun.

The event is Feb. 23 from 6 until 8 p.m. at the library,, on Main Street. Tickets are $20 in advance at the library or $25 at the door, but hurry because more than half of the tickets have already been sold. Call 860-824-7424 for information.

Be a Better Environmental Steward

Stephen Drezen (Portfolio Properties Group) — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 07:07:10 -0600

Those of us who make our homes on the waterfront often choose to do so because the distance from concrete jungles and proximity to trees, lakes and woody vegetation makes us feel more connected to the natural world. As such, the inhabitants of our country´s beautiful lakefronts, river communities, pondsides and oceansides have more to tackle than the responsibilities of homeowners: they must also be careful environmental stewards. As spring draws near and thoughts of home improvement, yard work, and time spent out of doors begin to shimmer in the not so distant future, you may be wondering: how can I preserve my waterfront property? Here are some ideas.

A number of studies have shown that lakefront property that preserves its habitat´s natural character is valued highest, so before you rip out the shrubs that lead down to your property´s shore, consider the following:

Those plants will give you a beautifully varied array of scenery to frame your lakeviews.
Lakefront vegetation helps to muffle noise from the lake that might reach your house, and vice versa.
A rich variety of wildlife may make its home in the shrubbery on your property--preserve it!
Natural shoreline bushes are key in preventing waterfront erosion.

If you must change the face of your lakefront property with landscaping, here are some more guidelines.

Always maintain a natural landscape of native wildflowers, grasses, trees and shrubs.
Maintain a buffer zone of natural vegetation when you undertake your landscapring project.
Plant native bulbs and perennial flowers to add color.
Limit paving sidewalks and driveways as they tend to encourage erosion.
Plant a raingarder, which will control runoff and promote rainwater infiltration.

If you´d like more ideas as to how to be a better environmental guardian of you rlakefront property, The Wisconsin Environmental Inititative has published an interesting set of guidelines. To see the guidelines, click here.

A Sweet Valentine's Day Activity in Litchfield County

Stephen Drezen (Portfolio Properties Group) — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 15:37:12 -0600

Before there was Hallmark, even before Hallmark's intrepid predecessor--Worcester Valentine Creator Esther Howland--there were dedicated young men and women armed with colored paper, ribbons, lace, and ardent passion in their bosoms.

Families and children are invited to the Litchfield Historical Society's annual Valentine Workshops where they'll find Victorian-era Valentines from the collection of the Society's Ingraham Memorial Library. They can use these lovely pieces for inspiration to create their own love notes for friends and family. Examples of handwritten poems, humorous missives and intricate patterns will be available for inspiration, or participants may choose from a variety of quilling and scherenschnitte patterns to create their own unique Valentine.

Participation is free for Litchfield Historical Society members and $3 per participant for non-members. Registration is required, so call (860) 567-4501 to sign up. Visit the Litchfield Historical Society's website here.

Beautiful Colonial Farmhouse in Goshen´s Woodridge Lake Community

Stephen Drezen (Portfolio Properties Group) — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 07:30:31 -0600

From time to time I like to post a really exceptional property to my blog. This gem in Goshen, Connecticut, is certainly such a one! Nestled in Goshen´s Woodridge Lake community, this home is the perfect place to enjoy country-club style living in your own comfortable home.

This new construction is the builders´ own custom colonial farmhouse design. Set romantically amidst trees and on a gentle slope, the home is surrounded by stone walls and iron fencing. Harwood floors add a definite richness throughout the home and to its three bedrooms, office, family and dining rooms. The floors are accented by custom oak cabinets and granite countertops in the kitchen, which is outfitted with modern-look stainless steel appliances. Crown molding in the living and dining rooms lends the home a refined-yet-comfortable air as do the custom built-in books shelves in the family room. The home boasts a finished basement with kitchenette, a wood stove and walk out to the back yard where you´ll find a custom stone barbecue grill and a storage shed. In the front yard you can enjoy a natural water garden and look out onto your beautiful, green lawn.

For more information, visit our website here.

To take a virtual tour of this property, click here .

To schedule a showing of this property, see more homes in Goshen, explore properties in Litchfield County or to speak to a realtor, please visit Portfolio Properties Group´s website.

Shrinking Homes a New Building Trend

Stephen Drezen (Portfolio Properties Group) — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 04:02:48 -0600

Every man wants to be ruler of his own kingdom and, oftentimes, that kingdom is his home. The king of the castle mentality coupled with the past years of economic comfort has led to the creation of mansion upon mansion and luxury chalet upon rambling deluxe ranch. For largefamilies, homeowners who entertain often, and those looking to invest in a family compound that can not only host the entire clan, but be passed on to many generations, these monolithic homes still make sense. However, with energy costs rising, land prices gradually increasing, and the prices of building materials going up, the building industry is seeing a new trend: builders are creating equally lovely but economical houses with the luxuriant pouch containing the 5 extra bathrooms, swimming pool, and multiple living rooms liposuctioned off.

Realty Times reports that some builders are scaling back homes from 2,200 square feet to 1,800. They are also building two-bedroom houses that only offer a little more than 1,000 square feet. The down-size allows for homes to be reduced to more feasible prices that render new homes an achievable reality more than a fond dream for homeowners.

But the scale-back oughtn´t be interpreted as an entirely bad thing. Joseph Narkiewicz of the Tampa Bay Builder´s Association says that there will still be super-sized homes available for those whose lifestyles demand and support it. He also holds that we´re set to see an improvement in the economy as the year 2008 progresses. The increase in more economically sized and prices homes is a natural downsizing that, eventually, had to occur.

"Some things may have gone to the extreme and I think buyers are now going through a reality check and [finding] they don't really need those huge bathrooms like [developers] were building. They don't really need all the extra space that [developers] were building and, to try to mitigate the higher pricing, they're bringing [the square footage] down," Narkiewicz reasons.

Interestingly enough, Narkiewicz thinks that te smaller-home trend is not a trend, but a reality that´s here to stay—at least for a little while. ¨I think that homes will be down-sized somewhat and that will probably remain there until people decide they want more space. But this is probably going to become a more permanent thing.¨

LED Lighting--Not Just For Christmas Lights Anymore!

Stephen Drezen (Portfolio Properties Group) — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 03:42:10 -0600

While lighting may account for only 25 percent of a home's electric bill, it is the type of energy homeowners can most readily see. As such, as a nation we are preoccupied with heightening light efficiency. There is an unexpected technology that can dramatically decrease lighting costs, but because we are most accustomed to seeing it in use in neon signs, electronic appliances and lighting up gigantic boards at sporting events, we tend to forget that it is also a viable home-lighting option. Enter the LED light.

According to the U.S. Department of Energy good quality LEDs in properly designed fixtures can last as long as 50,000 hours and some researchers say LED life can be double that. What´s more, LED research and development continues to improve efficiency and new generations of LED devices become available approximately every 4 to 6 months. An added bonus is that LEDs are much more durable and resistant to vibrations than both incandescent and fluorescent lamps which are, as well you know, are prone to breakage.

So let´s examine the monetary facts. A 60-watt incandescent bulb costs less than a dollar while a comparable 2 watt LED light bulb, generating an equal level of lumens, costs more than $30. $30 for a lightbulb? Scary at first glance, no? Never fear: LED lights, while more costly up front, last and last, which makes them a more affordable lighting option than standard incandescent lighting. For example, if it takes 50 incandescent bulbs to match the lifespan of one LED, the replacement costs for the incandescent lamp, at $50, wind up costing more than LED lighting.

LED lighting also beats out the alternative to incandescent—fluorescent lighting. Fluorescent lights may last longer than LEDs, but they also generate a lot of heat just to create light. In reality, only 5 to 10 percent of the energy used by filament bulbs goes toward creating light. Because LEDs have no filament they generate very little heat; thus, a much higher percentage of the power—80 to 90 percent—goes directly to generating light in an LED.

If the cost efficiency doesn´t convince you that LED lights trump fluorescents, consider that off-putting flicker that´s likely to make you a little batty if ever you spend too long in a doctor´s waiting room. Think, too, of that maddening, low-level buzz they emit—and all of that´s to say nothing of the ever-so-glamorous light thrown by fluorescents.

To read more about LED lighting, check out this great article at Realty Times.

A Word on Canaan, Connecticut

Stephen Drezen (Portfolio Properties Group) — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 15:34:08 -0600

Understanding a place's history is a tremendously important aspect of being a good resident of your particular town and enjoying the pride of place that accompanies living in lovely Litchfield County. In this light, every now and then I like to give a brief historical background of some of Litchfield County´s towns. Most recently I've addressed Plymouth and Cornwal, but today my sights are turned on Canaan-Falls River, a truly lovely little New England town in Western Connecticut.

Washington, CT´s Institute of American Indian Studies, about which I´ve written in previous posts, reports that Canaan-Falls Village was originally settled by Native American societies, probably mostly of the Weantinock tribe. The Native Americans were Canaan´s sole inhabitants until the white settlers, mostly English, bought and settled the land. The estimated population of the Colony of Connecticut in 1730 was 60,000 and growing rapidly—unsurprising, because its rich soil, abundant waterpower, exceptional iron ore, limestone and vast stands of virgin timber were ripe for settlement. In 1738 and in subsequent years land in Canaan, Kent, Cornwall, Sharon, Salisbury, Goshen and other towns, in what would become Litchfield County in 1751, was sold, organized, and subsequently settled.

Beginning in the early 18^th through early 20^th century, Canaan was a site for much production of Salisbury iron. Canaan´s now quiet center of town was, years ago, the epicentre of commercial activity with a huge factory standing at Great Falls where cannons, war materiel and huge railroad tires from the famed Salisbury iron were manufactured during wartime.

Today you can still see the historic Lawrence Tavern, on the National Register of Historic Places, Canaan Depot, and Beckley Furnace, one of three blast furnaces in operation along Lower Road and the Blackberry River in East Canaan during the period 1832-1923. Despite its industrial past, today the natural beauty of Falls Village is in full, unspoiled bloom.

I must give thanks to Betty Tyburski for much of the information contained above. For more complete information on Canaan-Falls Village, please visit the town's site here.

Ensuring a Greener Future in Washington, CT

Stephen Drezen (Portfolio Properties Group) — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 07:49:44 -0600

As a complement to my recent post on green building, I´d like to take a moment to recognize the achievements of a Litchfield County Town that is doing its part to ensure a healthier, environmentally sounder future. I´d heard talk about the work being done in Washington, Connecticut, but didn´t know specifics until I read this month´s issue of The Litchfield County Times magazine.

According to The Litchfield County Times´article, which you can read here, the 37-year-old Washington Environmental Council, headed up by Mr. Elliott Davis, has helped implement local monitoring of the Shepaug River and controlled the influx of invasive plants in the area. Astoundingly enough, the council has also succeeded in committing the town of Washington to adopting 20 percent clean power by 2010, in addition to creating an Annual State of the Environment report that will help keep Washington homeowners apprised of their energy use.

One of the Washington Environmental Council´s achievements most interesting to me is that it has succeeded in bringing Smart Power, an alternative and Clean Energy source, into local homes. Homes that participate in the Smart Power program receive electricity through approved renewable resources such as wind, small hydro and landfill gas. Currently sixty five homes in Washington run on Smart Power. It´s said that if the council can get the number of Smart Powered homes up to 100, the Smart Power company will grant Washington a free solar electric system for a public building, a tremendous opportunity for the town of Washington.

And the council´s work doesn´t end there! The council is investing in Washington´s future by way of education, coordinating public lectures on conservation and renewable energy and introducing progressive curriculum such as biodiesel projects and environmental field trips into local classrooms. It has also granted a number of scholarships to students looking to further their education in environmental studies.

Thanks to the work being done by The Washington Environmental Council, things do seem to be getting a little greener in Litchfield County, and not only because of Spring.

A Stand-Out Property on Woodridge Lake

Stephen Drezen (Portfolio Properties Group) — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 06:04:52 -0600

Working as a Litchfield County realtor I am fortunate enough to be exposed to some truly spectacular homes. Though I see beautiful homes I every day, I most deeply enjoy brokering lakefront properties. As an avid waterfront property lover, take it from me--this elegant home located on Goshen´s Woodridge lake is a real reason to get excited about lakefront property. The post-modern design gem was wrought by master craftsmen and it shows. With glossy, refined wainscoting and coffered ceilings in many of the twenty five rooms, a generous fireplace, natural ash wood floor and red mahogany hand rails, no detail has been spared. Ten foot high ceilings on the first floor, nine foot high ceilings on the second floor, and twelve foot high ceilings on the lower level ensure that the 14,600 square foot home never feels anything but airy and comfortable.

One of the property´s truly stupendous, standout features is the gourmet kitchen. Complete with granite countertops, cherry wood cabinets, the finest in modern appliances and a butler´s pantry with wine cooler, makes it an ideal den for aspiring chefs.

The back exterior has multiples decks overlooking Woodridge Lake, an old stone patio complete with fire pit, a fully landscaped yard, and a gorgeous Vermont slate roof. To protect your vehicles from the sun and heat, there is a large oversized three car garage with pavers up the driveway and a fourth garage, perfect for boat storage, with a front platform of honed grey granite, copper gutters, stone veneer skirt and many other lovely and luxurious touches. If you wish to take your barbecue or sunbathing off of the patio, there is a recently installed grass lawn that stretches to the waterfront. A stone entrance to the lake and your own private dock completes the property´s outdoor space.

For a virtual tour of this property, click here.

To speak to a realtor, schedule a viewing of this home, or to explore other properties in Litchfield County, please visit Portfolio Properties Group´s website.

With Green Building, Everybody Wins

Stephen Drezen (Portfolio Properties Group) — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 06:32:46 -0600

As a real estate broker I spend more than half of my day thinking and talking about buildings. I am passionate about beautiful homes and commercial properties, so the time spent on buildings is a pleasure for me, and I hope in this blog, maybe for you! In this post I´d like to talk a little more about buildings, but to get a bit more specific: Green Buildings.

Buildings account for one-sixth of the world's fresh water withdrawals, one-quarter of its wood harvest, and two-fifths of its material and energy flows (Roodman and Lenssen, 1995). With a substantial percentage of our planet´s resources devoted entirely to creating housing, going forward it is important that we cast a prudent eye toward our building projects. Because there are a myriad tax incentives and state-by-state benefits offered to those who remodel or build according to green building guidelines, going green has the potential to benefit your environment as well as your wallet.

First of all, what is green building, and what makes a green edifice? The guiding principle behind green building itself is using resources efficiently while creating healthier buildings. Abiding by this principle has many benefits for the environment, including improved human health and productivity, lower cost building operations, and resource efficiency, which moves us closer to a sustainable future.

Green buildings themselves are constructions that are designed, built, renovated, operated, or reused in an ecological and resource-efficient manner. Green buildings are designed to meet objectives such as protecting occupant health, improving employee productivity, using energy, water, and other resources more efficiently, and reducing the overall impact to the environment.

Green buildings can obviously have a huge impact upon the future of our planet, but did you know that investing in green building now can be vastly beneficial to your wallet? The Energy Policy Act of 2005 established a tax deduction for energy efficient commercial buildings. This translates into as a tax alleviation of $1.80 per square foot for owners of new or existing buildings who install interior lighting, building envelopes, or heating, cooling ventilation or hot water systems that reduce the building's total energy and power cost by 50 percent or more.

There are also a dizzying array of state-regulated writeoffs and benefits for those who choose sustainable design. Before you begin your projects, make sure to see how(and how much!) you can save by investing in our planet´s future. For an example of how much green building can do for you and the environment, see California´s Green Building site. For Connecticut specific information, visit BuildingCTGreen.com.

To read more on green building, check out this week´s Realty Times article.

Record-Breaking Sale in Litchfield County

Stephen Drezen (Portfolio Properties Group) — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 15:25:31 -0600

The recent sale of an estate in Kent may bode well for this year’s sale of lakefront homes.

A 47-acre estate in Kent, Connecticut, situated on a 130-acre private lake, has gone for $11,099,999. This staggering figure is a record for a Litchfield County residential land sale. The property is well worth it; once featured on a New York City lifestyle television show, it boasts a long, sloping lawn that allows unhindered vistas of the 200-foot deep lake. The house also has a pre-existing 3,000-square-foot sandy beach that would not be allowed under current wetlands regulations. To top it all off, there is an adjacent heated inground pool.

This record-sale compound consists of a 4,300-square-foot country timber frame residence, a three-bedroom guest house, a caretaker's cottage and a large athletic complex with a gym and an indoor basketball court. The lands around the lakes were used for years as children's camps, which is why the landscapes have been so meticulously preserved for future generations. The new owners are truly lucky people.

While this gorgeous lake home is now off the market, there are plenty more gems to be had in Litchfield County. Contact us today or visit Portfolio Properties Group’s website to see how you, too, can have a lake dream home!

Top Seven intelligent Communities of The Year Announced

Stephen Drezen (Portfolio Properties Group) — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 15:24:48 -0600

Last month The Intelligent Community Forum announced its Top Seven Intelligent Communities of the Year. To win the title of “Intelligent Community,” the site must prove a model for economic development in the 21st Century by providing broadband technologies and secure local government support as the engines for community growth.

Though slots one, two and three went to Scotland, Canada, and Seoul, respectively, the United States was for the first time not exempt from this year’s awards. Coming in at number four is Northeast Ohio where a fiber network deployment by OneCommunity has been leveraged by government and nonprofits in a number of ways. The initiative has jumpstarted new investment, improved healthcare delivery, and improved access to culture and heightened education in urban schools. Perhaps more importantly, it’s effectively engaged tens of thousands of area leaders to collaborate in regional economic development.

Westchester County, New York, which came in sixth of the seven intelligent communities competition, built a multi-gigabit fiber network that serves over 3,500 companies. Determined to maintain the quality of life that is its most compelling advantage, the county has invested in promoting business growth, improving the skills of its workforce and fighting digital exclusion in a community that has seen new immigrants become 35 percent of its population.

Finally, North Carolina slid in at number seven thanks to having built a fiber network that led to an 88 percent broadband penetration rate. This digital foundation has been used to develop free computer labs across the region, create an e-government portal that is number three in the nation, and build a sustainable ICT skills training program. The city and county now count 37,000 biotech employees as residents and will fund a program to put PCs and broadband connections into the homes of low-income students.

The Internet can do some pretty amazing things. Or, more accurately, these aforementioned communities are doing amazing, forward-thinking things with the internet! I wonder how long it will be before Connecticut takes the initiative to build such a wide-reaching fiber network? I can only imagine how useful and necessary it might prove to businesses in and residents of Hartford County.

More Good News Brought To You By The NAR

Stephen Drezen (Portfolio Properties Group) — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 15:24:08 -0600

The National Association of Realtors has been busy, lately, and receiving a lot of good press from my friends at Realty Times, to boot!

This week I read that thanks to the NAR’s fervent lobbying the White House and House leaders have agreed to include higher conforming loan limits in an economic stimulus package. Lobbying since 2005, the NAR has finally seen some return on their efforts, which will be especially helpful for coastal California and Florida loan-seekers as, in these areas, the median home price is far out of conforming range.

The NAR’s efforts have raised the limits of FHA loans to $625,000. They hope that this higher loan limit will lower interest paymens for consumers who get GSE “Jumbo” loans (loans for more than $417,000), reduce the supply of homes on the market, strengthen home prices by two to three percentage points, reduce foreclosures by 140,000 to 210,000, stimulate an additional 348,000 home sales and increase economic activity by $42 billion.

The increase in loan limits has the potential to make a huge difference because lending is a bit, well, constipated of late. Sensibly, banks don't want to loan money and not be able to get more money, so having higher limits on FHA loans means that government-sponsored enterprises like Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will guarantee those loans. The loans can be packaged into securities for investors, and investors will buy them because most of the risk has been taken out of the equation, which is a rather favorable outcome for all parties.

As of now the bill affecting this change has been passed in the House, but not yet in the Senate. Now, only time will tell whether the NAR’s lobbying and its projected positive outcomes will have the positive impact envisioned.

To read more on this, please see today’s Realty Times article by Blanche Evans.

Methods for Decreasing Risk of Lyme Disease in Southern CT Come Down to DeerMethods for Decreasing Risk of Lyme Disease in Southern CT Come Down to Deer

Stephen Drezen (Portfolio Properties Group) — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 15:23:01 -0600

Since it was first identified in a Southern Connecticut community in 1975, Lyme disease has become endemic. Most of the Northeastern United States has reported cases, and has begun to affect many regions in other parts of the country. Since 1991 reported cases have doubled and continued to rise and, as spring approaches, it becomes ever more apparent that steps need to be taken to control the climbing numbers.

Unsettlingly enough, Lyme disease is particularly intense in Fairfield County, along Connecticut's coastline and in the Northwest Corner. Litchfield County towns, Kent and Salisbury among them, have some of the highest rates of infection, according to the state Department of Health. Happily, some Connecticut organizations are exploring ways to lower the risk, and it all comes down to the same sprightly holiday icon I was writing about only a month or so ago when St. Nick was set to take flight: the deer. The Connecticut Coalition to Eradicate Lyme Disease and the Fairfield County Municipal Deer Management Alliance wish to implement a drastic reduction in the state's deer population as a way of eradicating Lyme disease.

A sizeable reduction in the number of deer, from more than 60 per square mile in some regions to an average density of eight to 10 deer, would eliminate the host needed by the deer tick, the main carrier of Lyme disease. For this, the aforementioned organizations are asking Governor M. Jodi Rell for a proclamation to help raise public awareness of the health risks. Dr. Georgina Scholl, representative from the Fairfield County alliance, says that, "Right now, people think hunting deer is a sport and many think it's inappropriate. But if the information is put out in a way the public can understand, the DEP would be asked to help in getting the population down."

The deer population in Connecticut is at an all-time high, even greater than when European settlers first moved into the region in the Colonial period. The heaviest populations, found in Fairfield County and coastal towns, surpass an astonishing 60 deer per square mile. Northwest Connecticut also has robust deer populations, and it is not an accident, she said, that there are high numbers of reported cases of Lyme disease in all three regions.

Dr. Scholl says, "Deer reduction is the only thing that's been proven to prevent Lyme disease." Dr. Scholl says that in places where deer have been eliminated or greatly reduced, reduction in illness and motor-vehicle accidents has been reported. Also, in Eastern Connecticut shoreline areas, Lyme disease cases were reportedly reduced by 90 percent within two years of implementing effective deer population reductions.

Though I remain a bit ambivalent about mass elimination of our area’s deer population, I agree that something must be done about the rampant spread of Lyme disease in our area. If reducing the number of deer per square mile is the most—or only—effective means of doing so and making Fairfield, Litchfield counties and, in fact, all of Connecticut safer for our children and families, then I suppose it’s an evil best tolerated—and soon.

To read more on this, please see this excellent Litchfield County Times article.

Beautiful Contemporary in Harwinton, Connecticut

Stephen Drezen (Portfolio Properties Group) — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 15:36:10 -0600

At Portfolio Properties Group we are lucky enough to deal with exceptional properties every day. From time to time, I like to post particularly striking homes here on my blog. This airy contemporary in Harwinton is such an example.

Situated on 37 acres overlooking Lake Harwinton, the property boasts a wealth of trails to take on via horseback or bike. The main house has a generous four bedrooms and bathrooms, a dining room with exposed brick and beams and a gorgeous slate floor. The home’s two kitchens means possible living quarters for extended family members or a truly excellent space for the culinarily inclined! The grounds cradle two commodious barns with a total of seven garage bays; one barn with an upper apartment for guests and the other a fully equipped horse stable. Only minutes away from Mohawk Mountain and Ski Sundown, this is the perfect property for winter athletics lovers.

To speak with a realtor, access more details on this home or to explore other properites in Litchfield County, visit Portfolio Properties Group’s website. For a virtual tour of this home, click here.

Children's Theater in Litchfield County

Stephen Drezen (Portfolio Properties Group) — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 14:50:47 -0600

Litchfield County is a wonderful place to raise a family. With its excellent public school systems and proximity to a multitude of prominent private educational institutions, you’d be hard pressed to find a better place to raise your family. Litchfield County is also well known for its involvement in the arts; with galleries and opera houses, theaters and cinemas, raising your children with an excellent education and a keen appreciation for culture and artistic expression is easy achievable in Litchfield County.

The Palace Theater of Waterbury, CT, has offerings every year that go far in developing younger viewers’ appreciation for the theater. One event sure to be well received by younger audiences is this coming Thursday’s presentation of Katie Couric’s The Brand New Kid. Couric’s story, following the scholastic times of Lazlo S. Gasky, more simply known as “the new kid in school,” deals deftly with the tough and increasingly important themes of diversity and bullying.

You can begin or fortify your child’s relationship with the theater on January 31st. For more information, times and tickets visit The Palace Theater’s website.

Are Fewer Dropped Calls Worth Health & Safety? Kent Says No.

Stephen Drezen (Portfolio Properties Group) — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 05:50:58 -0600

Placing a cell tower in Kent, Connecticut has been a bone of contention for the past few months. The forum entitled "Responsible Tower Siting, It's More Than Aesthetics,¨ held at the Cornwall Town Hall gave those already opposed to the tower a whole new array of reasons to fight the tower´s placement in their town.

The forum´s featured presenter, science journalist B. Blake Levitt presented a compelling argument for not heightening cell calling conveniences via more towers. ¨People say providing more towers is a safety issue," she said. "Everyone has heard about lives that were saved because of cell phones, but cell phones cause more accidents than they help." People, according to Blake, are more likely to drive in unsafe conditions because of the false sense of security provided by their mobile phones. What´s more, short term memory is impeded for up to fifteen minutes after a phone conversation and motor skills of individuals speaking on cell phones are roughly equivalent to those of a drunk driver. Why wouldn´t Connecticut residents have a problem with adding another cell tower to their lovely Litchfield County vistas?

As if the above evidence wasn´t enough, biological research presented at the forum corroborated Kent residents´concerns about an additional cell phone tower and further fortified Ms. Levitt´s argument against the erection of more towers. The human body, being a very sensitive electrochemical instrument, is attuned to microwave pulses modern technology broadcasts two to 24 times per second. Ms. Levitt´s report states that this pulsing is in the frequency range of human brain waves and can cause them to speed up or slow down, changing a human´s level of consciousness. Studies have uncovered that microwave exposure can result in headaches, depression, sleep deprivation, disruption of REM sleep, short-term memory loss, reduced problem-solving skills, mood swings and more, making another new cell tower not quite the best of neighbors.

It is the duty of the FCC to monitor towers, but there is no monitoring at the local level. Ms. Levitt says that local communities were largely stripped of their ability to oppose cell tower placements by the Telecommunications Act of 1996, which removed local control and the ability to object to towers based on environmental effects. I find the lack of local control very worrisome and I, for one, hope that Kent residents prevail in keeping the tower out of their town.

To read the full article in The Litchfield County Times, click here.

Looking Back at Plymouth, CT

Stephen Drezen (Portfolio Properties Group) — Sun, 20 Jan 2008 08:30:45 -0600

Familiarity with history is a tremendously important aspect of being a good resident of your particular town and enjoying the pride of place that accompanies living in lovely Litchfield County. For this, every now and then I like to give a brief historical background of some of Litchfield County´s towns. Previously I addressed Cornwall, so today I´d like to talk a little bit about Plymouth, Connecticut.

Incorporated in 1795, Plymouth was a manufacturing town almost from the get-go. In 1810, Gatus Fenn obtained a patent for block tin faucets. Soon to follow were pewter tumblers, plows, shoes, linseed oil, hats, frames and candlesticks. Carriage makers, the Coley Brothers and Augustus C. Sheldon, also took up residence in Plymouth in the 1830s to complement the town’s already successful wagon-building sector. Brickmaking and Anson Beecher hats were among other Plymouth industries.

Historically, Plymouth hasn’t been without illustrious visitors. On September 23-25, 1780 George Washington, while on his way to Hartford to discuss preliminary plans for future campaigns, stayed at Quiet House in Plymouth. Evidence in several diaries attests to his presence.

Legends and hearsay are the only extant evidence of the Plymouth Marsh Monster, the town’s other illustrious figure. The monster was said to have claimed a tiny settler girl, Sarah Tuttle, who was never found but whose headstone is still visible in the East Church cemetery.

Today Plymouth’s town Center retains its small town colonial charm and you can still see many of the original homes of the Town's industrial entrepreneurs.

(Thanks to Judy Giguere's research for providing the basis of this article.)

Learn About American Indian Trade in the 1700s in Litchfield County

Stephen Drezen (Portfolio Properties Group) — Sun, 20 Jan 2008 05:19:04 -0600

Connecticut has a rich Native American heritage, home to the Nipmuc, Pequot and Mohegan tribes. Before any exchange ever happened at one of Litchfield county’s antique shops and certainly before a dollar or any European currency was ever introduced to the mix, Indian Peoples traded corn, animal skins, stone tools, pots and wampum beads. Trade networks expanded in the 1600s to include European ships, colonial settlements, and trading posts.

As European colonialism spread throughout North America after 1700 and the size of Native communities shrank. Naturally, indigenous peoples sought to adapt their traditional economies to the new systems. Articles once made for personal use became valuable commodities to be sold or traded for manufactured goods.

This month you can learn about what and how American Indians traded in the new economy from a wonderful Litchfield County Resource—The Institute for American Indian Studies. The Lecture Made for Trade: Realitites of Economic Survival will be given in Washington, CT, at 38 Curtis Road. For more information or to reserve a space, call (860) 868-0518. Please also see the Institute's website for more great educational opportunities.

The NAR's Answer to Inflammatory Journalism

Stephen Drezen (Portfolio Properties Group) — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 11:51:24 -0600

Good consumers know to take their television, radio and print news with a grain of salt and never to consider what´s on the news a fact until it´s been readily verified by multiple sources. But what to do when not one or two, but all sources are gushing doomsday prophecies about the housing market? Well, the NAR (National Association of Realtors) has finally taken a step by creating housingmarketfacts.com. The educational site has the express purpose of giving homebuyers and sellers information that illustrates the value of real estate as a long-term investment rather than a temporary burden.

Stories about mortgage fraud, foreclosures and crashing markets are the norm in the media, but what housingmarketfacts.com endeavors to show that owning a home is one of the most reliable ways to build wealth for most people. Realty Times provides this great breakdown of facts gleaned from the NAR resource:

For the past 30 years, the median price of existing homes has increased an average of more than 6 percent every year, and home values nearly double every 10 years.
Home prices typically beat inflation by one or two percentage points.
Housing sales in 2007 are expected to be the fifth-best on record

To be fair, the NAR does expect a 1.9 percent decrease in housing prices in the coming year, but this is nearly inconsequential when contextualized. For example: if the national median home price is about $217,000. A 1.9 percent decrease would make it worth about $212,877, on a national scale. The difference is only $4,123, or about the same annual depreciation consumers experience on their SUVs. This loss is rather negligible, considering the horror the media has been painting for months now.

I think that the NAR´s resource is very valuable. The more information people have about their environment, their economies, and their future, the better. Housingmarketfacts.com will, I hope, serve to remove one more layer of haze from the seriously singed lens through which the media would have us view the housing market. While NAR´s resource is more inclined to paint a rosy picture and, like any media source, should be regarded critically, it goes far as a counterbalance against the largely negative housing market news.

To see a Realty Times article on this subject, click here.
Click here for the NAR´s housingmarketfacts.com.