Dan Cummings - The Running Realtor: February 2009

A blend of ramblings about Real Estate & Running around New Haven County and the Connecticut Shoreline

Help Stimulate My Dynamite Ladies

Whenever I’m running a race and happen by an area playing T.N.T. it brings a smile to my face and sends a shiver down my spine.  Last year at this time I joined the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Team in Training ( TNT ) to run my first marathon.  I crossed the finish line on June 1st, 2008 at the Rock-n-Roll Marathon in San Diego and a year later I’m still running with TNT.

The names and faces change each season but the work remains the same.  Our primary goal is to raise money for Blood Cancer Research and during these tough economic times all the TNT participants have to work a little harder to meet the fund raising requirements to remain on the team.

This season I am taking a break from fund raising and instead working as a Mentor.  I feel fortunate because as in the  lyrics of the AC/DC song I have “Women to the left of me and Woman to my right“  Five young ladies to be exact and I’d like the see each one of them reach the fund raising minimum with the least amount of stress so they can concentrate on training.

If you know any of these running woman or are just in the mood to spread a little goodness feel free to give generously.

Jill Alward : Rock-n-Roll Marathon RunnerJennifer Carbonneau : Fairfield Half Marathoner

 

Jill Alward will be Running the Rock-n-Roll Marathon in San Diego on May 31,  2009. Click Here to read more on her fund raising page.

 

Jennifer Charbonneau is training to run the Fairfield Half Marathon which is a tough course.  Click Here to support her.

 

Meredith Corvo : Running the Fairfield Half MarathonLinda Stuckman : San Diego Half Marathoner

 

Meredith Corvo will also be tackling the tough course in Fairfield on June 28th. To help her raise money Click Here

 

Linda Stuckman is heading out to San Diego to run her first Half Marathon. Click Here to learn more about her fund raising.

 

Jennifer Trasko : Running the Fairfield Half

 

Jennifer Trasko will be part of TNT at the Fairfield Half Marathon. To help her finish off the fund raising visit her site by Clicking Here.

 

For more information on TNT visit the TEAM IN TRAINING site.

3 comments • Dan Cummings - Connecticut's Running Realtor • February 27 2009 06:04PM

Open House - 20 Tanglewood Drive - Branford, CT 06405

OPEN HOUSE -  Sunday March 1, 2009  between 12:00 - 3:00 pm. 20 Tanglewood Drive, Branford CT 06405

All are Welcome... Buyers, Sellers & Just Curious Lookers...  

The Location :  20 Tanglewood Drive - Branford, Connecticut 06405

The Description:   Sitting at the end of a cul-de-sac abutting the woods is this charming cape awaiting it's new owners. Living Room & Dining Room with newly refinished hardwood floors and crown molding. Family Room with Fireplace and sliders to the screen porch and an office finish off the first floor.

The Financials:  Asking price of $419,900

The Directions:  Exit 56 off of I-95, south on Leetes Island Road to a left of Eastwood Drive and a right on Fern leads straight to 20 Tanglewood Drive. The easy option is just follow the William Raveis Real Estate signs leading to the Open House hosted by Dan & Sandra!

If for any reason you are unable to attend on Sunday and you would like to arrange a private showing You can contact Dan Cummings , The Running Realtor at 203-672-2455 or email Sandra@CummingsTeam.com

If you would like to search for other homes for sale on the Connecticut Multiple Listing Service sign up for FREE INSTANT ACCESS at MLS.CUMMINGSTEAM.COM

 
2 comments • Dan Cummings - Connecticut's Running Realtor • February 22 2009 01:12PM

The FaceBook Frenzy Found my Office

Dan Cummings - Facebook StatusTypically I do not consider myself cutting edge but tend to be ahead of the curve with technology. In the case of Social Networking I have been at it for a few years during which time agents around the office brushed it off as something silly.  One agent that noticed me online as she walked by my desk stopped to comment that she thought it was cute that I had all these fictional friends.  Others shrugged off the theory of blogging as a time consuming task that didn't warrant the time.

Well....  I  Heard it through the Grapevine  that the latest memo going around the office declared FACEBOOK is the place to be.  Now I'm being hit with "friend" suggestions and requests that I'm a bit leery about accepting.   There are certainly some agents within the office that I will think nothing of ignoring but I do have friends that I socialize with but don't know if adding them to my "social network" makes good business sense.

Our office manager recently put together a weekly meeting series to enlighten all the agents that want to keep up with technology.  I gave up these nonsense sessions a few years ago because most of the agents just don't get it and I found I was constantly bombarded with requests for help.  Each week a "self-proclaimed" expert in some form of technology offers a presentation to the group so they can all share ideas.  I was told the first guru came in with an attitude that she is God's Gift to the World and started using buzz words like "internet" "smart phones" and "blogging".  Here is an excerpt that I found on Facebook from her before the presentation to the group.

The jist of her idea was that everyone NEEDS a website.  Yes, I agree.... The suggested method of developing a presence was to search Real Estate Agent Sites from other parts of the country and when you find something you like COPY IT!  Of course, anyone with half a brain knows that techique is called COPYRIGHT INFRINGMENT but I have seen agents from my office employ that very logic here on ActiveRain . One agent has four blog posts and two of them appear to be Cut & Paste.

Not every agent is dumb as stone so it was brought to the Keynote Speakers attention that her instructions to the less experienced agents was illegal and opened them up to a lawsuit.  After some back peddling and muttering this was the speakers Facebook comment.

Figured this dilemma must be quite common and was wondering what other commission based salespeople think of allowing office competitors to ride their coat tails.  In time they can develop their own network of online friends but should I make the introductions easy for them?

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

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19 comments • Dan Cummings - Connecticut's Running Realtor • February 15 2009 03:31PM

The Running Realtor's Home Sales Report - January 2009

Home sales in my primary market along the Connecticut Shoreline have continued to drop to the lowest point in years.  Earlier this decade 70 single family homes would typically close during the month of January but sales volume peaked in 2005 with 85 January closings.  Since then volume has slowed dropping to 39 home in 2008 and starting the new year with only 36 closed sales last month.

From a selling standpoint competition is fierce!  As of today there are over 500 homes listed for sale so a great buying opportunity exists.  Mortgage rates continue to be very attractive and stimulus incentives may offer a substantial tax savings for anyone purchasing this year.

Asking Price   Sale Price   Address Beds   Baths   Town / State / Zip
.                  
399,000   381,500   20 Hill Street 3   2.0   Branford, CT  06405
299,000   280,000   166 Limewood Avenue 3   1.1   Branford, CT  06405
469,900   502,540   Lot 9 - Louis Street 3   2.1   Branford, CT  06405
275,000   266,000   14 S Montowese Ave 3   2.0   Branford, CT  06405
592,900   525,000   4 Sybil Creek Place 3   2.1   Branford, CT  06405
600,000   500,000   1 Whiting Farm Road 3   3.0   Branford, CT  06405
525,000   520,000   9 Wilbraham Court 4   3.1   Branford, CT  06405
.                  
839,000   750,000   1290 Durham Road 4   3.1   Guilford, CT  06437
259,000   250,000   104 Farmview Dreive 3   1.1   Guilford, CT  06437
415,000   415,000   3 Finch Lane 4   2.1   Guilford, CT  06437
629,900   585,250   4 Garrison Drive 4   2.1   Guilford, CT  06437
623,000   600,000   28 Graves Avenue 4   2.0   Guilford, CT  06437
127,000   110,500   59 Lone Pine Trail 2   1.0   Guilford, CT  06437
289,900   270,000   129 Williams Drive 3   2.0   Guilford, CT  06437
.                  
868,960   926,220   Lot 5 - Century Oak 4   3.1   Madison, CT  06443
374,900   386,000   22 Dream Lake Drive 4   2.1   Madison, CT  06443
659,000   665,000   Lot 11 - Governors Way 4   2.1   Madison, CT  06443
1,399,000   1,225,000   16 Govenors Way 4   4.1   Madison, CT  06443
339,000   325,000   573 Green Hill Road 4   2.0   Madison, CT  06443
999,900   880,000   15 Grove Avenue 4   2.3   Madison, CT  06443
1,175,000   985,000   4 Matthew Court 4   3.1   Madison, CT  06443
1,495,000   1,310,000   19 Neptune Avenue 3   2.1   Madison, CT  06443
925,000   899,900   26 Webster Point Road 3   3.1   Madison, CT  06443
179,000   185,000   66 Wildcat Road 2   1.0   Madison, CT  06443
159,000   159,000   70 Wildcat Road 1   1.0   Madison, CT  06443
.                  
249,900   246,500   63 Forest View Road 3   1.0   N Branford, CT  06471
249,900   240,000   20 Hunter Hill Road 5   3.0   N Branford, CT  06471
419,900   419,900   Lot 2 - Parsonage Hill 3   2.1   Northford, CT  06472
211,900   208,000   103 Village Street 3   1.0   Northford, CT  06472
209,900   206,000   2 Williams Road 3   1.0   N Branford, CT  06471
.                  
446,000   425,000   39 Hanson Farm Road 4   2.1   North Haven, CT  06473
279,900   269,500   1674 Hartford Turnpike 3   1.0   North Haven, CT  06473
657,400   728,228   5 Kipp Farm Estates 5   3.0   North Haven, CT  06473
314,900   280,000   185 Mill Road 4   2.1   North Haven, CT  06473
279,900   260,000   14 Shaw Drive 3   1.1   North Haven, CT  06473
289,900   277,000   6 Valley Brook Lane 3   2.0   North Haven, CT  06473

 

If you are thinking of selling and curious about the value of your home click the house on the right to request a Free No Obligation Market Analysis of the property.  With today's on-line databases I can give you a fairly good idea of the market price without even touring the house.

Anyone ready to undertake the adventures of searching for property in New Haven County can contact Dan Cummings - The Running Realtor via email or call my 24 hour access line : 203-672-2455

 

Subscribe to Dan - The Running Man's Blog by Email

 
3 comments • Dan Cummings - Connecticut's Running Realtor • February 08 2009 01:55PM

Running Realtor's Miami Marathon Wrap-up

Running Realtor Finishes Miami MarathonMy Miami Marathon adventure started off on the wrong foot and never really eased into the right pace. While in Florida they experienced the coldest weather they'd had in years and freeze warning were posted most nights. At the end of the week when I was hoping for cool weather the heat came in so the warmest temperatures we encountered was on marathon day.Running Realtor Miami Marathon Shoes

Since we had so much snow in Connecticut I didn’t put as many miles as planned on my new marathon shoes. I purchased two identical pairs of Kayano 14’s and used one during training but only had about 25 miles on my racing pair. Marathon morning I was a bit concerned because my left foot had been sore since my last run in my race day shoes and there was a bruise on the topside of my foot.

The official start time for the Miami Marathon was 6:15am but with a crowd of 15,000 or so it took me about 10 minutes to get to the starting line. Typically the first few miles are slow due to the dense pack of runners so I was surprised when motorcycle cops started pushing us to the right as we crossed the bridge into Miami Beach so they could open a lane to traffic.  My second bout of slight disappointment came at the first few water stops. Early in a long run I'm not a big Gatorade fan so I opt for water which is towards the end of the hydration stations. The first stop was so chaotic with the masses of runners and understaffed attendants that I decided to wait for the next stop where it was still short staffed so I had to stop and pour my own water.

Miami Marathon's Blistering HeatMy foot didn’t feel too bad once I got going but the later miles were tough. As we ran through a residential area with fairly loose roadways I could feel a pebble in each of my shoes so just after mile 16 I stopped to get them out. By mile 20 the heat on my feet was a pretty clear indicator that I was blistering and my pace dropped off the last six miles.  Of the three marathons I finished Miami was the slowest, 5 minutes slower than San Diego and a full half hour slower than Hartford,  heat does a number on my feet.

My feet have started to heal so I'm ready to chase the next real estate deal.  If you are thinking of buying or selling give me a call or google Dan Cummings, The Running Realtor.  

My marathon running also allows me to mingle with agents throughout the country so if you are leaving Connecticut contact me and I'll put you in touch with a great agent that I know will serve you well.

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16 comments • Dan Cummings - Connecticut's Running Realtor • February 01 2009 04:32PM