Peggy Chirico ~ Hartford & Tolland County Real Estate Blog: Connecticut: Tolland

2011 Holiday Open House at Birch Mountain Pottery!

This Saturday, December 3, 2011, is the annual Holiday Open House at Birch Mountain Pottery in Tolland CT!  The festivities begin at 10:00 a.m. and go until 4:00 p.m.  Susan Gerr, owner of Birch Mountain Pottery, has been busy creating one-of-a-kind gifts that will be perfect for anyone on your list. You will find beautiful mugs, serving dishes, bowls, vases, sushi sets, and other gifts that you won't find anywhere else.  If you want a sneak peak at her beautiful work, you can see the gallery.

In addition to her beautiful pottery, she also showcases other artisans who have created jewelry, baskets, textiles, photography, carved wood items, soaps and lotions, etc.  You will be sure to find the perfect gifts!

Delicious holiday-inspired refreshments will also be on hand in case you work up an appetite shopping.  You can also enjoy the beautiful music of Dave Elwell.  Be sure to stop in anytime between 10:00 and 4:00 to jumpstart your holiday season.  Birch Mountain Pottery is located at 223 Merrow Road in Tolland CT. 

For additional information, contact Birch Mountain Pottery at 860-875-0149.

Tolland CT Market Report for September 2011

It was a stunning September for Tolland CT real estate.  Posting the highest month in 2011, September came in at 20 closed sales with a median price of $297,575.  This September also showed significant gains over last September, which had 10 closed sales with a median price of $234,000. 

Here is the breakdown by price range:

What was behind this jump in sales? We can only speculate, but Tolland has always been prized for its school system and it was named one of the top places to live by Money Magazine.  Did people read that and decide to take the plunge? Or were people just trying to get settled at the start of the school year? Or is this truly a turnaround for Tolland real estate?  We will have to wait and see what the next few months show; however, there are currently 9 homes under contract and 14 under deposit.

Median prices have shown great variability, but the past several months have seen fairly stable levels--and good ones at that (from sellers' perspectives)!  Here is a recap of closed sales and median prices by month for 2011:

There are currently 105 homes on the market, ranging in price from $115,000 for a three-bedroom, 1.1 bath split level to a $1.3 million six-bedroom, five-bath colonial/cape with 4500 sq. ft.  The median price is $299,900.  Given the current levels of inventory, the absorption rate in Tolland CT is 6.4 months, which is clearly a neutral market.  This is great news for sellers in Tolland CT.  If you are interested in finding out what is on the market in Tolland CT, you can enter your search criteria and see for yourself.  If you prefer, contact me and I will be glad to help you with your search.

Market Report for Tolland CT ~ June 2011

During June 2011, there were 12 closed sales in Tolland CT with a median price of $281,000.  During June 2010, there were 13 homes sold with a median price of $292,900. So the median priced has dropped somewhat over last June.

If we look at the previous two months, April and May, the housing market in June in Tolland was more active.  In  May there were 7 closed sales with a median price of $225,000, while in April, there were also 7 closed sales with a median price of $168,000.

Here are the number of homes sold by price range:

Another interesting fact is that the median days on market for June was 23, compared to 50 in May and 45 in April.  In addition, the sale price to list price ratio was 98.35 in June, 95.8 in May, and 96.5 in April. 

There are also currently 9 homes under contract and 9 homes under deposit. 

If you are looking for a home in Tolland CT, there are currently 112 homes on the market with a median price of $299,450.  Homes are ranging from $139,900 to $789,900.  I was showing homes in Tolland last week and will say that there are some beautiful homes to choose from.  If you have questions about what is currently on the market, please give me a call and I would be happy to help.

Mug Day at Birch Mountain Pottery is May 7, 2011!

Every year on the day before Mother's Day, Susan Gerr of Birch Mountain Pottery in Tolland, CT holds Mug Day.  She spends weeks before Mug Day creating many beautiful mugs in all shapes, sizes, and colors so that everyone can find their "perfect" mug. 

Mug Day will be held at 223 Merrow Road in Tolland, CT from 10:00 to 4:00.  There will be live entertainment from 11:00-1:00 and refreshments will be served (always delicious!). 

You can check out the mugs, but you are also welcome to browse the shop for other one-of-a-kind items, such as salad bowls, sushi sets, serving pieces, vases, pitchers, sugar and creamer sets, etc.  Her work is really beautiful and would make a perfect gift for Mother's Day or any other occasion.

Stop in any time this Saturday from 10:00 to 4:00 and find your perfect mug!

While the number of homes sold in 2010 was down from 2009, the median price was up slightly in Tolland CT.  In 2010, there were 104 closed sales, while in 2009, there were 130 closed sales.   The median price was $272,200 in 2010 and $269,250 in 2009.

As was reported for other towns, Tolland also showed a peak in home sales during the second quarter as a result of the homebuyer tax credit, which expired on June 30, 2010.   Here are the number of sales by month in 2010:

There was great variability in median price by month, from a low of $209,000 to a high of $380,000.  Let's take a look at the median price by month in 2010:

Tolland is a sought-after community that offers homes in all price ranges, including starter homes, new construction, and elegant spacious homes in lovely neighborhoods.   The median price is higher than many surrounding towns, but with a population of approximately 14,800 people and great schools, Tolland is a town that many people are eager to get into.

Holiday Open House:  Birch Mountain Pottery in Tolland CT

Susan Gerr of Birch Mountain Pottery will be celebrating 25 years in business this year with her annual Holiday Open House to be held on Saturday, December 4, 2010 from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

The Holiday Open House will be held in her studio and shop at 223 Merrow Road in Tolland.  On display will be Susan's beautiful pottery as well as the work of other artists, including weavers, potters, photographers, jewelry makers, etc.  It is a perfect opportunity to start some holiday shopping, picking up some one-of-a-kind handmade gifts.

In addition to browsing in the shop, you can enjoy the music of live musicians as well as sample some of the delicious refreshments that will be on hand.  This is sure to be a festive occasion that will get you in the mood for the holiday season. 

Stop by the Holiday Open House at Birch Mountain Pottery at 223 Merrow Road, Tolland, CT.  For more information about pottery or to check out classes, visit Birch Mountain Pottery on the web.

If you are looking for a distinctive restaurant east of the river, you must go to Zest!  Located in a restored farmhouse that was most recently Monet's Table, Zest is conveniently located near the junction of Routes 30 and 74 near the Vernon/Tolland line.

I met a friend for lunch last Friday, a glorious spring-like day--and just a bit too early to see what the gardens and outdoor eating area would look like in bloom.

The restaurant has two main rooms that are charmingly decorated, two fireplaces, lots of natural light, and an exquisite menu that tells you that there is a real chef in the kitchen.

After much deliberation, my friend and I both chose the Winter Salad: Sauteed pears and figs in port wine sauce served over mixed greens with sugared walnuts and chevre.  The flavors were superb! The salad reminded me of Sonoma, CA in the summer and was the perfect choice for a warm, sunny day. But so many other delectible choices had to be passed up, such as:

• Grilled pear and bacon cheese sandwich
• Sweet potato and wild mushroom cakes with ginger wasabi sour cream
• Prosciutto wrap with grilled brie and cranberry apple chutney
• And so many other wonderful choices.

The restaurant is open for lunch, dinner, and Saturday brunch.  Check out the website for hours, menus, and stunning pictures of the gardens in bloom.

Chef and owner Carrie Landry was featured on Better Connecticut and you can see a video of her preparing miso hazelnut sea scallops.

With so many delicious choices, I can't wait to go back and try other items on the menu.  But don't just take my word for it, try it yourself.

Zest, 167 Tolland Stage Road, Tolland, CT 06084 

860-875-7244