Connecticut Home Buyers and Sellers: Go to these websites!

Take a look at the links below. These websites are great sources of information on real estate, mill rates, etc.

Vision Appraisal - Many towns in Connecticut have real estate property information, including address, square foot measurements, and sales information listed on this site. Search by the name of the town where the property is, and you'll get the online "field card".

Total Valuation - If you didn't find the town on Vision Appraisal, you might find it here.

CT Data Engine - This has a lot of information about towns in this state, including incomes, education levels of the residents, school information, and so much more. A real snapshot of any town you want to know more about in Connecticut.

Towns in Connecticut have "official websites" that will give you the names of their elected officials, coming events in the area, local government info, and very often a history of the town. Also includes phone numbers and often email addresses - in short, all the information you need especially if you're moving there and want to know the number of the local school, what you need to do to get a license for your pet, or what the hours are for the local transfer station. Here are a few to start you off, they will also be linked on the links menu on the home page of this blog.

Salem Town Hall

Colchester Town Hall

Lebanon Town Hall

Montville Town Hall

Henna Workshop in Salem, CT

The Salem Public Library in Salem, CT will be hosting a workshop on Henna designs on your skin. Anne MacFayden will be back on Saturday, March 14 between 1PM and 3PM at the library, and if past workshops are any guide, this one will be very popular.

Aimed at teens, with adults also welcome, permission slips are required for anyone under 18 years old. Slips are available at the Library Circulation Desk or at the beginning of the program. Please note that class size is limited.

Creepy Basements

As a real estate agent, I have the "privilege" of seeing lots of basements. Yuck. Seriously - I'm not a big fan of basements to being with: they can be wet, they're always dark until you turn a light on, and half the time even when you do turn on a light, it's still dark!

I will admit to letting my buyers go down there without me first, until I know if they're serious about the house. If it looks like it's under consideration, I'll go take a look and make sure I don't see any problems. But if it isn't - forget it.

Last week, I happened to take a buyer to a deceptively small ranch, with a full unfinished basement. First question: where's the light switch. Ah! right at the top of the stairs. So - since she seemed interested in the main level of the house, down we both went. Only to find....a snake in a jar on the table in a corner of the basement......

Seriously - if you're a seller, try to inventory what you've got hanging around down there at your own house. Basements are bad enough, especially when they're unfinished. But it doesn't help if you're going to turn it into a trip through the Ghouls Museum!

Happy Valentines Day!

Hooray! The sun is shining, there's *almost* no snow on the ground here in Connecticut, and it's Valentines Day. I asked my husband what he wanted for a present, and he told me "this is the day that men give women presents, not the other way around!" So, I'm just hoping he remembers that he said that, since I haven't gotten him anything.

By the way it's a great day to go look at houses! Now there's a wonderful Valentines Day present for you wife :-))