Real Life/Real Estate in the Greater Hartford Area

Goodbye, Summer. I will miss you!

Although the temperatures will be in the 90s through Friday, summer is officially over because school starts tomorrow in Manchester for the elementary schools and the middle school.  The high school will start on Thursday.  For general information, visit the Board of Education website.

Manchester has around 7,300 students.  There are ten elementary schools: Bowers, Buckley, Highland Park, Keeney, Martin, Nathan Hale, Robertson, Verplanck, Waddell, and Washington.

The town has a sixth grade academy, Elisabeth M. Bennet Academy; seventh and eighth grade students attend Illing Middle School.  Manchester High School serves students in grades 9 through 12; Manchester Regional Academy and Bentley School provide alternate education for middle school and high school students. Manchester is also home to the Manchester Preschool Center and Odyssey, a charter school.

Have a great first day of school! 

My favorite farmer's market is just down the road from me.  Jem's Farmstand on Pleasant Valley Road, just past the Clark Street intersection, is open everyday during the season until 6:00 p.m.

The owner of Jem's Farmstand sells everything from tomatoes, corn, eggplant, and zuccini to herbs, flowers, and homemade jams.  She sells her own home-grown products as well as vegetables and fruits from nearby farms.

I stop in several times a week for my favorites--cherry tomatoes, pickling cucumbers, and lettuce (she grows an awesome, very spicy mesclun mix).  I've also bought about a bushel of basil to make enough pesto to past through the year.

If you are in the area, stop in.  You'll find everything you need at Jem's Farmstand.  Open seven days a week until 6:00 p.m., Jem's Farmstand is the most convenient farmer's market you'll find

I recently discovered Cato Corner Farm in Colchester, CT.  They make award-winning raw-milk cheese from about 40 Jersey cows (the real Jersey girls).   I had read about this family-run cheese-making operation and wanted to see (and taste) it for myself. 

We went into the cheese-tasting room to sample some cheese.  They make about twelve varieties of cheese, although only six or seven were available for tasting on the day we went.  All I can say is that the cheese was divine!  Each one had its own characteristics, some aged longer than others, and all were very delicious.  I bought a little of each and a little goes a long way.  Because the cheese is so rich and flavorful, I think you don't need to eat much.

After the cheese-tasting, we walked out to see the cows.  The cows were in the barn, but we were able to see their offspring up close and personal.  Each wore a very visible name tag so we could call them over by name.  Beautiful animals! 

Cato Corner Farm is open on Saturday and Sunday for cheese-tasting, but the products are available through a wide variety of venues, including stores, farmers' markets, and restaurants.  I had first seen their Womanchego (a play on Manchego) on the menu at Zest! in Tolland.

If you are interested in Cato Corner Farms, check out their facebook page.  I found out that they do much more than make cheese. 

Apple season actually started a few weeks ago (somewhat early, they say), but I went apple picking yesterday for the first time this year.  Recently, I have discovered the bounty of farms and orchards in South Glastonbury, and previously wrote about blueberry picking at Belltown Hill Orchards and Rose's Berry Farm.  On Friday, I went to Dondero Orchards and was absolutely amazed at the wealth of fruit and products that they offer.

We went to pick apples and filled our bags with Macintosh and Macoun.  They also had Honey Crisp, Cortland, and Fuji apples ready to pick, but I preferred the others.  We also picked some peaches that will need to ripen for a few days.  Peaches have been available for a while, but these particular ones weren't ready yet.  Not to worry, I have plenty of apples to eat in the meantime.

When we went to pay for the fruit, I saw the farm stand and just had to check out everything they had. I am sure I missed some items, but they also sell homemade bread, pies, cookies, jams, and pickles, just to name a few.  In case you don't want to pick your own, they also sell fruit already picked as well as eggplant, onions, basil, squash, and just about anything else you can think of.  They also stock locally made honey and farm-fresh eggs.  Dondero Orchards is a farmer's market, to be sure, that is open everyday in the summer from 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Be sure to check out Dondero Orchards!  It's a fabulous day trip! 

Dondero Orchards, 529 Woodland Street, South Glastonbury, CT 860-659-0294

I participated in a Brokers Tour this week to show off my listing, which is a fabulous renovated cape.  My client purchased the bank-owned property, fixed all the plumbing and electrical issues,  totally remodeled the kitchen and two full bathrooms, repainted, landscaped, and tended to all the details to make this house look great.

The house is completely move-in ready and just waiting for some new owners.  So at the tour, I was invariably asked if the owner was a flipper.  I replied, "I prefer to call him a neighborhood revitalization specialist." 

The number of bank-owned properties are increasing, and neighborhoods are suffering as a consequence.  We should be welcoming investors who take a huge risk to purchase, restore, and resell a vastly improved home.  They have to carry the costs and hope to recoup the money they spent in improvements, which is especially risky in this market.

The term flipper connotes someone who buys a distressed property, slaps on some paint, pads the costs, and reaps huge profits.  I know this isn't always the case, but public opinion of flipping is often a negative one.

On the other hand, a neighborhood revitalization specialist is someone who assesses the property, calls in licensed contractors to fix all the mechanical and electrical systems, remedies problems that would prevent the sale of the home, cleans and refurbishes each room, and may upgrade kitchens, baths, etc.

My client is a NEIGHBORHOOD REVITALIZATION SPECIALIST and he should be commended for helping to save the neighborhood! 

The Manchester CT real estate market was a busy one during the month of June, which was completely expected because of the deadline for the first time homebuyers' tax credit.  In June 2010, there were 63 closed sales according to the MLS, compared with 44 sales during June 2009.

The median price was down slightly at $192,500 compared with a median price of $199,000 in 2009. 

In July, there was a lull as the tax credit incentives disappeared.  There were only 23 closed sales, compared with 46 from July of 2009.  However, the median sales price increased to $210,000, compared to a median sales price of $194,000 in July 2009.

Here is the breakdown by price range:

Saturday was just the most perfect day for picking blueberries! I went to Belltown Hill Orchards in South Glastonbury on Matson Hill Road, rode the tractor to the blueberry fields, settled myself in one spot, and picked about eight pounds of blueberries. What a glorious feeling to have an almost bottomless bowl of blueberries.

Also available for picking were peaches, nectarines,and apples.  Maybe next time; today I am in blueberry heaven!

 Belltown Hill Orchards is a scenic 150-acre farm offering not only pick-your-own fruits but plenty of activities throughout the year.  There is also a farm market with an assortment of fruits, vegetables, homemake jams and sauces, bakery products, goat milk soap, mohair yarn, and gift baskets.  It's a great place to spend a day.

South Glastonbury is a mecca for pick-your-own fruit or for already-picked fruits and vegetables.  Belltown Hill Orchards is just one of many places from which to choose.  Just down the road are Rose's Berry Farm and Dondero Orchards.  For more options, check out the list of pick-your-own farms or farm stands.

Open House Sunday in Manchester CT.  Join me this Sunday, August 15, 2010 at 220 Middle Turnpike East, Manchester, CT from 1:00 to 4:00 to see this charming remodeled cape in the Bowers School District. 

This move-in ready home is attractively priced at $174,900.  With a fully remodeled kitchen, including new cabinets, sink, faucet, and GE stainless steel energy-efficient appliances, and two new full bathrooms (one on the main floor and one upstairs) with all new fixtures and beautiful decor, you are sure to find this an inviting place to call home.  There are beautiful hardwood floors throughout, a formal dining room, fireplaced living room with bay window, and a first floor family room.  Off the kitchen is a sunroom overlooking a cute backyard.

Upstairs are two large bedrooms with plenty of light, air, and storage.  The master bedroom has a spacious walk-in closet.

The basement is clean, light, and partially finished.  With a new washer, dryer, and laundry tub, this would also be a great space for a workshop or a finished playroom.

Please stop by this Sunday to see for yourself all that this charming home has to offer!