Dan Cummings - The Running Realtor: December 2007

During the final week of the year many people will pay their property taxes due in January so they can take a tax deduction off this years income.  While you focus on the April 15th filing deadline for your income taxes you might want to consider a faster approaching deadline on February 20th to appeal property taxes.

Have you felt the pinch of skyrocketing property taxes?  According to this recent article property taxes have soared 50% nationwide from 2000-2006.  During that same time frame inflation has increased 17% while household income has dropped 2%.  

Being in the real estate business we see the unfortunate reality where older homeowners reach the point of having to sell their home because they can no longer afford the taxes. 

Some towns are offering an opportunity for Seniors work off their taxes. The problem with that solution is that it only works for a select group of able bodied Senior Citizens.  In one of the more expensive sections of the country (Westchester County -NY) one town is offering $7 an hour. The woman in the example is 76 years old with a monthly Social Security check of $620.  She has been in her home for 43 years and taxes are now 12k annually.   Can she really be expected to put in 42 hours a week all year long just to gross enough to pay the tax bill?

A better solution is for "We The People" to stand up and say ENOUGH is ENOUGH.  Government spending on every level is out of control.  You can start small with you own home. Look at your assessment and compare it to similar homes.  If you are being over charged appeal the tax assessment.

In Connecticut the deadline to file a petition to appeal your taxes is February 20 annually. You can find more information at the town hall or select the link if you are in Madison, CT  06443 or Guilford, CT 06437 

So This Is Christmas!  

This Christmas is Number 31 for me and my wife... After all these years of shopping I think I do fine but I need to get a little tee'd off at the quality control standards of clothing manufacturers.  When I was first married my wife was a perfect size 5...  shopping was easy   Jeans.. Size 5... Dress Size 5... Ring Size 5... Shoes Size 5...  Bra...  well... harnessing the twins it a little trickier but you get my point...

Over the years sizes have changed.... Although my wife remains the same physical size and weight she was 30 years ago the definition of Size 5 has been modified in the United States...  Now depending on the brand she may need a size 4, 3 or 2.

The same technique is used in the supermarkets.  Remember when a pound of coffee was purchased in  16 ounces cans. I recall the transition when those silly little cans showed up and then one day the standard #2 Can was gone!   Do they really think it goes unnoticed?  

Think about it... They reduce the size of food containers so we pay more for less and they change the sizing standards for clothing so we feel thinner...  I get a bit ticked that they feel we are so easily brainwashed...

It's approaching 5:00 am on the East Coast, soon excited children will start ripping into their Christmas Prizes and wives will explain to their husband that selecting sizes is not that simple... You also need to know a little about Juniors and Misses and Petite!

Merry Christmas!!!          ( Susie - Enjoy the Snow! )

Welcome to Tee'd Off Tuesday!   This may actually be the last one of the year unless Santa leaves me a lump of coal next week on Christmas morning!

I'm a man of routine and part of my morning ritual includes reading the newspaper with a few cups of coffee.  Today the front page headlines screamed more gloom and doom in the real estate world.  While reading the paper I also have the TV tuned into the morning news. One of the field reporters was live in West Haven with the camera panning a few for sale signs talking about the hard hitting foreclosure rate in the state. Click on the headline below to read the full story....

Most Real Estate Agents are well aware of market condition. Throughout the year as people ask me about the market my response has always been the same.... It is not that bad!   Volume is down but after a number of years of record breaking movement a slowdown is normal.  Prices are another subject that people always touch upon and they are also holding up fine in my territory.  There are many examples of overpriced homes that did not sell and eventually readjust the asking price.  The media usually calls these huge drops in value but since the unrealistic price was never accurate it does not reflect the true market conditions.

Today I'm Tee'd Off that the media continues to twist facts to scare the public.  If you are interested in Buying or Selling  a home in New Haven County let me know and I will happily explain the real estate market so you can decide if current conditions make it the right time for you to make a move.

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I'm Trying.... I'm Trying....  This year I just can't seem to kick myself into the mall. Ten days til Christmas so this morning I slipped into my Holiday Undies and grabbed my stack of Christmas Cash with a mission.... Shop Til I Drop!

Well.... I'm still here....  The thought of aimlessly wandering around on a Saturday just doesn't seem to get me in the Holiday Spirit.  I am defeated before I begin.  

Being in the Real Estate business we must learn to self-motivate ourselves.  Consumers hear the gloom and doom that the media sends everyday and we as agents feel the results in our wallet.  Our job goes well beyond selling homes, we need to educate people on the market. Yesterday I was talking to a guy that will be listing in the spring.  It felt good to know he was able to sift through all the negative press and understands it isn't that bad.

Yes,  volume is off...  After a few years of record breaking movement it was bound to happen.  So many people have relocated within the last 5 years that it was time to slow down. Looking around you can always pick out drastically overpriced homes that get reduced by 100's of thousands of dollars. When taking a broader look at market conditions we have not seen dramatic price drops in my territory.

Sure as the market slowed new financing products were introduced to bring in buyers that were otherwise not qualified to purchase.  These sub-prime purchasers with long track records or financial failure bought at the top typically financing every penny including their closing costs.  Yes, they let their bills slide in the past and they continue to let them slide today.  Was the increase in foreclosures really a surprise?

Well.. A little typing and my shopping motivation is re-ignited. Off to the Mall with my cell in hand. If you are in the market for a new home now is a great time to begin your search.  During the coming winter months less buyers are looking at homes and you may find a better deal instead of waiting for the prime spring market to arrive.  Give me a call or drop me an email if you need assistance Buying or Selling a home in my territory.

Email:  Dan@CummingsTeam.com      24 Hr. Access Line:  203-672-2455

I'm sitting here this afternoon finally addressing all my "Holiday Cards" as the snow accumulates outside my window and as usual my mind begins to wander.  The first thing I realized as I glace from my Excel list to the envelope is the fact that I never heard the CD included with the card. 

I pop it into the computer and as I listen to the songs I begin to and think of all the politically correct baloney I have read this season. Remember not to say Ho! Ho! Ho! because it may offend some women.  Santa needs a slimmer look because after all these years the jolly ol' elf is a contributing factor to the fatness of children. 

Merry Christmas! What a crock...!  The card says "Happy Holiday"  but the CD contains the "12 Days of Christmas" and even has "Silent Night"  Holy Moley.... the words CHRIST and JESUS and LORD!  I'm a politically incorrect Irish Catholic!  What kind of message am I sending if my prospect is Jewish?

*Oh Danny Boy*   *You Think Too Much*

Is there a site where I can find more information beyond the Family Crest?  Some names are easy to identify, should be safe sending cards to the Itailians and Irish.  What about Germans, they could be Jewish?  Should I be concerned about sending a Christmas CD in my Holiday Card?   Beyond that I wonder who is the dumbass that selects heavily religious music for a card designed and sold to a Realtor who deals with people from all walks of life. 

I'm always my intension is never to offend anyone so if you need assistance Buying or Selling a home in my territory just remember to google Dan Cummings, The Running Realtor or email  Dan@CummingsTeam.com     

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The final two weeks have arrived.... It is Crunch Time for Christmas Shopping!

This year I am way behind schedule, could be the warm weather this fall or just the usual dread of aimlessly wandering around looking to spend money of "stuff" that I know we don't need. 

Maybe I'm a bit more cynical than most but I am tired of the excessive commercialization of holidays.  This is nothing new and a discussion I have had with my wife over the years but I have never successfully figured out how to reverse the trend for MORE.... It's not just about money,  It's about having to much JUNK.

Since money buys junk I use holiday spending as sort of the report card to establish where we stand. My wife and I have never really agreed on how to read statistics either.  Most articles are unclear, for example I just read this story that says the Average U.S. Consumer will spend $817 this year.  Translating that data and applying it to a family of four means they'll spend over $3250.

The article also noted that 70% of the people would prefer less emphasis on shopping yet if you look around the mall you'll notice plenty of consumers but very few smiles as the brainwashed masses look for something to buy. 

This New Year's Day set a resolution for yourself that will make you smile. The holiday season should be a happy time instead of a draining experience.  

Today is race day!  The Christopher Martins 5k was my first running event when I started my latest fitness routine back in 2005.  After spending several weeks walking in preparation for a 2k Thanksgiving Day Event I enthusiastically took on running and made the rookie mistake of cramming my training into just a few weeks.

After that first 5k which I completed with a time only 23 seconds per mile faster than my walk I hobbled around for a week.  Severe knee pain slowed me down as I continued to train and realized the importance of stretching. 

In 2006 this race brought out over 1250 runners and so far  over 750 Pre-Registered Runners are signed up to participate this year. Many more will sign up this morning since the unpredictable weather can be a factor.  In '05 we had a bit of snow, '06 had early rain but it was sunny by start time. 

In the early morning darkness with a temp of thirty today's weather should be fine.  Cloudy and cool for the 10:00 am run.  Christopher Martins puts on a fine event. By 10:30 the bar will be lined with free beer for the runners to hydrate and enjoy the festive fun of the final race of the year.  The next local event is the Frosty 5k on New Year's Day in Guilford. 

I'm always running around the New Haven County so if you need assistance Buying or Selling a home in my territory just remember to google Dan Cummings, The Running Realtor.

Email:  Dan@CummingsTeam.com      24 Hr. Access Line:  203-672-2455 

 EDIT :  Christopher Martin's 5k Results - 2007

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