North Haven Home Sales : Mid-Year Update - 2008

Single family home sales in North Haven tumbled in the prime spring market of 2008.  Closings during the months of April, May and June saw most of the activity from first time home buyers and drove the median sales price to its lowest point in over three years. 

Second Quarter of 2001 :   63 homes sold with the median price of $192,500

Second Quarter of 2002 :   70 homes sold with the median price of $201,500

Second Quarter of 2003 :   47 homes sold with the median price of $235,000

Second Quarter of 2004 :   71 homes sold with the median price of $260,000

Second Quarter of 2005 :   62 homes sold with the median price of $311,000

Second Quarter of 2006 :   67 homes sold with the median price of $315,000

Second Quarter of 2007 :   61 homes sold with the median price of $325,000

Second Quarter of 2008 :   62 homes sold with the median price of $282,500

When you are Coming to Connecticut -  Contact Dan Cummings - The Running Realtor for help with Real Estate.

North Branford Home Sales : Mid-Year Update - 2008

Single family home sale prices in North Branford recovered a little after the steep drop-off in prices seen during the same time last year.

Second Quarter of 2001 :   25 homes sold with the median price of $198,900

Second Quarter of 2002 :   26 homes sold with the median price of $253,000

Second Quarter of 2003 :   51 homes sold with the median price of $258,900

Second Quarter of 2004 :   39 homes sold with the median price of $292,500

Second Quarter of 2005 :   37 homes sold with the median price of $314,000

Second Quarter of 2006 :   27 homes sold with the median price of $350,000

Second Quarter of 2007 :   26 homes sold with the median price of $297,500

Second Quarter of 2008 :   25 homes sold with the median price of $311,800

When you are Coming to Connecticut -  Contact Dan Cummings - The Running Realtor for help with Real Estate.

Branford Home Sales : Mid-Year Update - 2008

Single family home sale prices in Branford are off about 7-1/2% from last years closing prices. Volume during the prime spring market also fell to its lowest level in years. 

Second Quarter of 2002 :   37 homes sold with the median price of $250,000

Second Quarter of 2003 :   55 homes sold with the median price of $279,900

Second Quarter of 2004 :   80 homes sold with the median price of $315,000

Second Quarter of 2005 :   71 homes sold with the median price of $345,000

Second Quarter of 2006 :   57 homes sold with the median price of $396,000

Second Quarter of 2007 :   54 homes sold with the median price of $387,000

Second Quarter of 2008 :   41 homes sold with the median price of $358,000

When you are Coming to Connecticut -  Contact Dan Cummings - The Running Realtor for help with Real Estate.

Guilford Home Sales : Mid-Year Update - 2008

Single family home sale prices in Guilford tumbled nearly 15% during the prime spring market of 2008. This is similar to the downturn seen in North Haven but both of these towns have a diverse housing base with many lower priced homes that are attractive for first time buyers.  Mid-priced homes remain sluggish while lower priced homes are selling.

Second Quarter of 2001 :   108 homes sold with the median price of $295,000

Second Quarter of 2002 :   111 homes sold with the median price of $359,000

Second Quarter of 2003 :    99 homes sold with the median price of $369,900

Second Quarter of 2004 :    92 homes sold with the median price of $399,500

Second Quarter of 2005 :    83 homes sold with the median price of $485,000

Second Quarter of 2006 :    87 homes sold with the median price of $525,000

Second Quarter of 2007 :    76 homes sold with the median price of $522,000

Second Quarter of 2008 :    69 homes sold with the median price of $427,500

When you are Coming to Connecticut -  Contact Dan Cummings - The Running Realtor for help with Real Estate.

Madison Connecticut Home Sales : Mid-Year Update - 2008

Single family home sale prices in Madison remain the highest along the shoreline of New Haven County but sales volume dropped substantally.  Typically around 80 homes sell during the prime spring months of April, May and June but with only 49 closed sales this year is the slowest of the decade.

Second Quarter of 2001 :   84 homes sold with the median price of $326,000

Second Quarter of 2002 :   84 homes sold with the median price of $381,000

Second Quarter of 2003 :   80 homes sold with the median price of $452,000

Second Quarter of 2004 :  102 homes sold with the median price of $457,500

Second Quarter of 2005 :   92 homes sold with the median price of $537,500

Second Quarter of 2006 :   77 homes sold with the median price of $608,500

Second Quarter of 2007 :   80 homes sold with the median price of $542,000

Second Quarter of 2008 :   49 homes sold with the median price of $495,000

When you are Coming to Connecticut -  Contact Dan Cummings - The Running Realtor for help with Real Estate.

Music Under the Stars - Beer Drinking Allowed?

The traditional Music  Under The Stars concerts are underway in North Haven this season and rumor around town is that the fun festivities may not be the same under the new town administration.  For as long as I can remember it has been acceptable to pack a few beers for a relaxing night of music on the Town Green.

When I noticed the show tonight featured "Big Shot" a Billy Joel tribute band I asked my wife if she wanted to go. Since I'm not always in tune with the latest trends she informed me that word on the street is anyone on town property with alcoholic beverages will be fined.  Not sure if she was trying to give me a nudge for Tee'd Off Tuesday but it sort of worked.  Although I'm not officially annoyed about the rumor I would be pissed if I get a ticket.

After searching the town web site I did find an ordinance that indeed prohibits the consumption of "alcoholic liquor" on town property and began my investigation into the Grey Area.   Of course the bureaucrats that earn their living sucking tax dollars out of our pocket never make anything easy to understand. 

My first thought was liquor is a distilled process so maybe beer & wine are except from the ordinance since they are fermented beverages and are commonly allowed where "Hard Liquor" is not.  Well the town cronies included language to define alcoholic liquor as described in Section 30-1 of the Connecticut General Statutes which after a little more investigation I discovered includes all liquid and solids with an alcohol content of more than 1/2 of 1% by volume.

My next task was to find out how much alcohol is in my beer of choice, Heineken contains 5.4% alcohol when measured by volume so it looks like the law clearly spelled out in black & white.  The only shade of grey left is whether the first selectman issued her blessing allowing the town folks to carry on as they have in prior years.   

Guess I'll just pack my cooler with a couple of cold ones and see what happens.  Anyone interested in discussing real estate within my territory can feel free to contact me or catch me at the concert for a little conversation between songs.

Marathon Memories - Finishing the First One.

Being a lifelong New Englander I'm an early riser so waking at 3:00am in San Diego to run the Rock-n-Roll Marathon was easy for me.  Looking around before the race there were not many smiles at dawn.

Race day is the end result of many training miles. Most participants at the race ran 500 miles or more during the proceeding 4 or 5 months so they'd be ready to undertake the 26.2 Mile event.

The Course started out on the West Side of Balboa Park and we looped around going through parts of the San Diego Zoo on our way Downtown. The city streets were a little rougher than I expected so there were plenty of cracks and pot holes to dodge. Nothing worse then hitting a hole the wrong way and twisting your ankle during an event of this magnitude.

After the first hour I was slightly ahead of my theoretical target time so I pulled out my camera for some photos along the way.  As you can see in the photo below the running crowd was still pretty thick.  I lost some time over the next several miles due to the congested streets and constantly stopping to take pictures.  Suppose serious runners would never think of actually enjoying their time on the course but I typically run races with a camera.

Once we left the Downtown Streets it was time to head out on that highway. At that point I needed to refuel the camera.  Anticipating many photo opportunities I did pack spare batteries in my running shorts so I pulled over for a pit stop.  Yes... I carry way to much junk!

I did have some technical difficulty and the camera flash starting going off everytime I took a picture.  After wasting a few minutes fiddling with settings I decided I better get back to running.

As I rounded the bend I saw the second ambulance of the day loading a runner.  We were still a few miles from the halfway point.  My wife and I had prearranged a meeting spot where the course came closest to our hotel so I snapped a few final photos as I came through the water stop before leaving the camera with her.

My intension was to make up lost time in the second half but things don't always go as planned.  Once the cloud cover known as June Gloom in San Diego burned off the sun warmed it up.  I could feel the heat on the ball of my right foot.  The only other time I'd felt that sensation was during our longest training run of 20 miles.  Willpower and determination is not a problem for me so not crossing the finish line was never a concern. I did do a bit of walking durning the later miles so I finished at just before noon with a chip time of 5:15.

Recovery time was very fast.  By 2:00pm I was making my way to the hotel's outdoor cafe for a burger and beers...  One of my team mates from the Leukemia Society's Team in Training was there with his parents and we discussed the race and events of the weekend.

Simon's father, Peter, was so inspired by the TNT organization and the huge amount of money raised ( $12.5 Million at this one event ) that he is planning to run a half marathon as a participant this fall.

I still have a few more miles left in me so I will be running the Fairfield Half in two weeks and start up again in late September at the Philadelphia Distance Run.

In my spare time I'm available to sell houses. To arrange a private showing of any home listed on the Connecticut MLS that is in my territory of New Haven County  just contact me, Dan Cummings, The Running Realtor via email at Dan@CummingsTeam.com or call my 24 hour access line : 203-672-2455

Super 8 Meme

My wife, Sandra Cummings, dumped on me by sticking my name at the top of her list of victims assigned to complete the task of answering 8 questions that can be quite revealing to those prone to psychoanalysis interpretation.

For anyone new to blogging, a MeMe is a request to reveal several tid-bits that readers don’t know about the chosen one, in this case ME.  I generally let it all hang out so there are not many secrets.

• Who is your favorite musical artist? The musical question was covered in detail some time ago. If I was forced to pick just one talented musician I would bob and weave and surely excape being pinned down, I'm Still the Same!
  

•  Who is you favorite artist?  The mind challenging works of M.C. Escher and a close second would be the vibrantly colorful Black Velvet Art but I don't recall the Gas Station Attendent's Artist's name.

• Who is your favorite blogger? I'll go with Jennifer Bukaty, Andrew Lenza & Jason Sardi because they are a wild threesome and everyone else seems to think they should be followed.  It's part of the Lemmings Law.

• If you could meet anyone (alive or dead), who would it be and what is the most interesting thing about them?  I typically do not place people on a pedestal.  Whether rubbing shoulders with Presidents or Paupers all people have their own intriguing brand of intellect to offer.
  

•  What did you want to be when you grew up?  I'm doing it.... Just being Me! 

• What is the most interesting piece of trivia you know?  The Crux of the Biscuit is the Apostrophe.

• If you could live in any point in history what would it be and why?  I would stretch my point from the beginning of time to eternity and beyond....

• What is the most interesting job you have ever held?  I vaugley recall my work as a boob massager but the details are foggy... Sometimes I wonder if it was only a dream!

Of course my rebel intension of this piece was to fill it with fun and light humor. Please forward any complaints to Mr. Andrew Lenza.

Now to pick -  Eight is Enough….

 Suzanne Sands   -   Sandi Bauman   -   Lisa Rapose   -   Cait Donohue

 Susie Roscoe   -   Tracy Santrock   -   Judy Greenberg   -   George Souto

Yale Graduation - 2008

Today the blue skies of New Haven were exceptionally clear as I viewed Harkness Tower from my ceremonial seat during the 307th Commencent at Yale University. The sun was hot but a cool breeze refreshingly swept through the Old Campus Courtyard most of the morning.

Among the highlights of the outdoor ceremony was a most notable face in the crowd.

The Magical Mystery Tour of life brought none other then Sir Paul McCartney to the Yale Commons to receive an Honorary Doctor of Music Degree.

The best things in life may be free but a certain satisfaction comes from hard work and reaching a challenging goal. The real acheviement of the day came inside the walls of Woolsey Hall when our daughter in law, Nadya Maria Morales-Cummings, received her "earned" Doctor of Philosophy.

Reflections on Reaching the Peak with Team in Training

As many of you know back in January I signed on with The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's TEAM IN TRAINING.  Since I've always been very level headed I took their sales hype about participation being a Life Changing Experience with a grain of salt and fully expected fundraising to be a difficult task.  Sunday morning as I drove to our longest scheduled run of 20 miles I was reflecting back on the 16 weeks leading up to this point.

During the early months my time was consumed with raising money.  I sent out Press Releases and mailed letters to family, friends and business associates asking for a small contribution.  My thought was to encourage 200 people to offer donations of $25 each for a total goal of $5000. I Failed!  What I did get was less than 100 donations but the dollar amounts were very generous.

My single largest contribution came from a man I had never met until last week.  During dinner conversation he asked if I ever Hit The Wall.   I told him our training schedule was designed to have us approach The Wall but hopefully avoid it and our longest test run was coming up...

My first 10 miles were perfectly paced but oddly I started to slow and dropped off a minute per mile.  By mile 15 I was feeling tight and thinking cutting my 3/4 acre lawn with a 22" push mower on Saturday afternoon might not be classified as resting before the long run.  The coach at mile 17 suggested I stretch a little and that brought on severe leg cramps.  He asked if I was running on the sidewalk and coincidentally since this training was in unfamiliar territory I was on the sidewalk most of the time. It was then that he told me concrete is much tougher on the body and whenever possible I should stay on the softer asphalt road. It was to late to salvage that run so I walked the final three miles and will not be running on sidewalks in the future.

Our honored Teammate, Olivia was also up and out of her home early to meet us before the 7:00 am run. After all the reflection of successful fundraising techniques and running miles in the rain and snow the real payback for participation stood before us.  Diagnosed at 4-1/2 years old and going through 3 years of treatment she is now a normal 10 year old that is cancer free.  Other than the minor inconvenience of having her blood monitored she can live the carefree life of a kid....

What was reinforced by my involvement with the team was something I already knew.... Money doesn't mean shit! There will come a time in most everyones life when they realize that $20 bill they hold so dear will not buy them another minute.  If I can offer one bit of wisdom let me say Loosen Up, Give a Little...