Here is the complete list of what I like about winter. 1 No mosquitoes 2. You can fly south and find mosquitoes. Any Questions?

This issue will cover some hidden treasures of our area, a short comment about the market and a checklist of things to check in your home for spring so you can relax in the summer and protect your investment.(pay attention condo dwellers,you should read it too!)

Start Whining!
Oops, I meant wining. Some of you think I am nuts, when winter aside, I think we live in one of the best areas anywhere. Besides our coast, Mystic, New London restaurants, festivals, forests and trails, we have some very neat wineries in our area. Now, I am not a wine connoiseur, but I know a good time and what I like in taste.

A hidden gem on Rte 117 just north of 214 in Ledyard is Maugle Sierra. For red wine lovers, this is paradise, especially the St. Croix, yummy, the house red and Sunset are not bad at all either! Allegedly they are expanding, but even small there is an intimate (like I know what that is) tasting room and during bearable weather nice tables outside to enjoy the view of the vineyard. The guy who serves the wine (ok, there is possibly a formal name for this) is entertaining and appears knowledgeable).

A very Special client took me to Heritage Vineyard on Rte 169 in Lisbon on your way up towards Canterbury. I must have driven by hundreds of times and never noticed it. I have not yet tried all their wines, but food wise this place is hard to beat. It is a totally awesome cozy atmosphere, with a chef, sometimes music, a mini fireplace and foods like mashed lobster flatbread pizza(and other varieties),scallops nachos, a variety of home made soups. It’s “do not miss place”, even if you don’t drink wine.

Buried in the middle of no where in North Stonington is Jonathon Edwards Winery. It’s a great tasting room and for those who love desert wines, try the port. It’s a little remote, but a great open tasting room and nice surroundings. By the way, most of these places have tastings that range from $7-$10 dollars, so it’s a cheap date kind of thing as long as you don’t buy any bottles. If you do you will typically find prices from $17-$25, except for desert wines that are a hefty $40+.Thats because I like them. If they were cheap, I wouldn’t. There are also wineries including Dalice Elizabeth in Preston, Stonington Vineyards, and Priam in Colchester, Chamard in Clinton, Bishops in Ledyard and probably a batch I don’t know about. So forget about that expensive European or California wine experience as most of these are within a 45 minute ride from Norwich and New London.   

Spring Maintenance
Lets be frank, home maintenance is not a joyous past time. But if you do it right, you can save thousands in repairs and replacements. It’s either fix those gutters, or get water in the basement and have the gutters fall off your house, your choice. Planning ahead can save big bucks. How? I have seen roof estimates on the same house run from $4,500 to $12,000.If you start to see curling shingles, worn or cracked shingles and you know roof time is in the next 1-2 years, because its been 20 since the last one, plan early and save. Call several contractors and let them know it’s not an emergency and get their estimates. Doing it early saves you from a last minute emergency when you have to settle for who ever is not busy and will no doubt up charge you. It will also avoid leaks which lead to damaged sheetrock and mold.

Inspect your gutters to see if they are clogged from fall leaves and clean. Better yet call the Prevost family of A1 Gutters in Niantic 860-739-6380, and get gutter guards so you never have to do that again. They are the best in the area and a family run business since the pop was a tot in the 1800’s.(had to get that in) That has to be on my list too as cleaning them last year was yucky, to say the least.

Look at the chimney. Are there cracks, do you need a cap? Fixing the small cracks now, stop water and ice from forming large cracks later and something other than Santa coming down the chimney. Speaking of cracks, check the driveway (ok, something else on my list).Sealing the minor cracks can prevent them from becoming major ones and redoing the driveway.

Windows with wood sills and frames should be checked for peeling paint and moisture penetration. Once again, a little preventive maintenance now, will avoid having to replace the sills later. Same goes with your deck. Staining your deck is cheap and super easy. My back deck has to be done every year from sun exposure, but I just roll on the stain and it looks new and will keep lasting.

Inside, check your circuit beaker panel for signs of moisture penetration and the seal around the entry cable outside. Flick your circuit breaker switches to make sure they are not stuck. Make sure the external entry cable is not worn or frayed.

Your heating and air conditioning system should be serviced once a year. Now is a good time to call on you’re a/c system. I normally call on my heating system in September, but I assume they can be done at the same time. Warm air systems have air filters and if you didn’t know that, yours is probably quite clogged right now. They are cheap, a couple of bucks and there are 30 day and 90 day filters, I opt for the 90 day ones as it takes 150 days before I remember to change it. If you have a hot water baseboard system, look for signs of leaks, which may be rust stains on or around your boiler. It is a minor problem now, but if you let it go, the rust spreads. Also check under your oil tank for signs of rusting. It’s a quick job to sand and paint and will make your tank last many years. Remember, this is by far, not a complete list. Go back to the home inspection report your favorite Realtor made you get. It has a checklist as well as the problems found when you purchased the house.

OK, condo folks, where do you fit in? Remember, your maintenance is done by the association, however you can warn them when there is a small problem so it doesn’t become a big problem. This will save everyone in the association and you, money in the long run. Condo associations who do not address the small problems are the ones assessing owners, because they got out of hand.

Remember, when you invite me to dinner, I will be checking up on you and I will tolerate no excuses!!!! Finish these steps in April and May and spend your summer on your porch sipping some wine or your favorite beverage.

The State of the Market
Absolutely fantastic!!!! If you’re a buyer. Prices have dropped so drastic that similar size rentals are now about the same as buying. We are at 2003 price levels with unbelievable interest rates. The market is flooded with short sales and foreclosures, so we have not turned the corner yet.

The media is influenced by so much data, that no one knows whether we are coming or going, so here is pure raw data on average prices from 2008-2009, directly from the MLS. The following are average price reductions per category for just one year in Southeastern CT. Single family homes -11.28% Condos -10.11%  Mobile Homes -14.44% Land -27.27% Multifamily homes -36.67% and commercial properties -8.89% (though volume of sales of commercial properties were down 43.71%)

There was a time when folks started out with multi family homes as a way of getting their foot in the door with low payments and I think that is a great idea as some kept their multis and moved on to singles and kept cash flow. In todays lifestyles, not many want to do that any more, though I think with prices so beaten down, it’s not a bad idea.

The numbers above are pure data numbers. I do get folks who state there area is immune from this for some reason or another, but it is simply not true. Some areas are less effected than others, but we have all taken a hit.

In my humble opinion, now that its over with, the tax credit was a bust. It only helped those who already qualified for a home, but forced many to make quicker decisions ,so that perhaps we squeezed in 6 months of sales into 4. It created urgency, but didn’t create buyers and wasted a lot of our tax money .Don’t get me wrong. I am glad lots of my clients got the money, but we need to put our countrys’ fiscal track back in order, and this didn’t do it.                   

Wrap it up Leo!
My business has still stayed relatively healthy and I have many of you to thank. Every day brings multiple smiles from dealing with the many friends and clients out there.

I have suffered a loss of equity and wealth, just like most of you who may not own a car phone store or house on the water, but Shirley and I love where we live and will not be going anywhere.
 
3 last points and rules 1. The maintenance section is just a brief over view; go back to your inspection checklist! 2. Foreclosure buildings are cold from November to May. You can now only see them from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.  . . .  3. No more divorces!!! I love you all and will be glad to skip the money made from selling those homes.

May your God bless you and please reach out and help our neighbors in crisis, whether our friends in Haiti or the ones down the street. If we stay busy helping each other, we can stay out of trouble and make this a better world, Enjoy the summer, hope to see you out there~ (maybe at a winery!)