Real Estate

Every once in awhile we need reminders that we all have, what I would call "ghost energy drains." You know what they are, but we all forget about them, which is why I refer to them as the "ghost energy drains."  Such items include toaster ovens, portable microwave ovens, dryers, hair dryers, computers, printers, fax machines, cell phone chargers, even electric toothbrush chargers all "drain" our...

Back in the day, early mattresses were made of simply hay or straw covered with ticking. Under the mattress was roping, woven through the bed frame (usually 4-poster) and at the footboard, the rope would be visible and it could be tightened with a stick. Hence the origin of the old nursery rhyme instructing the sleeper to "Sleep tight (tighten the ropes), and don't let the bed bugs bite (breeding in the...

Passover has always been my favorite holiday, mostly because of all the special foods that we eat only at Passover.  My mom always downplayed what we couldn't eat, and prepared many dishes that she would only serve during this very special week.  I thought it would be fun to share some of our family's favorite recipes.    Passover Mandel...

Here is Part 2 in a series of quick posts I’m writing that is designed to give you ideas on how to increase your home’s value (inspired from my own experiences). Please feel free to post your comments below, with your own suggestions! Nowadays more and more people seem to prefer to stay close to home and view their homes as a retreat, a sort of haven… If the place you call home needs a bit of TLC,...

These days, more and more homeowners are looking at their dwellings as a respite from the uncertainty we are facing in the “real world”. As they look to “cozy up” existing space in their homes, many are turning to the “green” products that not only produce beautiful results, but are also environmentally friendly. It can be overwhelming to find “green” products in a sea of mass-marketed...

 Prior to legislation creating Buyer Representation, the adage ‘Buyer Beware’ was in full force. When a Buyer was shown a property by a real estate Agent, the Buyer may have assumed that the Agent was working for him; in fact, the Agent was looking out for the Seller’s interest.    On June 1, 1997 Connecticut Real Estate Agency law changed to address this fundamental inadequacy of the existing...

Earlier this month I had a real estate counseling session with a young couple looking to purchase their first home and the term “PITI” came up in our conversation. We’ve all grown accustomed to asking our buyers to speak directly with a lender first to get “pre-qualified” for a mortgage and we’ve gotten away from having to explain this acronym, which stands for principal, interest, taxes and...

In our current economy, with consumer spending down- more people seem to prefer to stay close to home and view their homes as a retreat, a sort of haven… If the place you call home needs a bit of TLC, or you’re looking to increase its value, there are ways to do so while staying within your budget. There are many payoffs - the obvious one being that you will enjoy living in your house, and another...

I am currently working with a wonderful couple who are first time buyers. They entered the Real Estate market thinking that they would quickly find their first home. What a surprise they had when they were out-bid on 6 different houses! . You might think this is because they "low balled" each offer they put in, and in fact they did on the first one, but they quickly realized that the homes for sale in...

If you've asked yourself lately, ”What can my country do for me?" ask no longer and call your Calcagni Associates REALTOR to make that home purchase you have been putting off. President Obama’s American Recovery and Investment Act signed into law on Feb 17, 2009 provided first time home buyers a unique opportunity to receive up to $8,000 in the form of a credit when purchasing a home between Jan 1 and...