EARTH DAY April 22, 2011 Over 4 Decades Old.   For over 40 years Earth Day has brought awareness to the world on April 22. This year we need to hammer home that this is not just a one day a year event but part of our lives every day.  Join Earth Day Network at their FaceBook page and help launch the “Billion Acts of Green”. The EPA’s website of earth day has ‘Earth Day Take Home Kits’, these web resources kits provide tips for you and your family to protect the environment and live a healthier lifestyle. Earth day is the idea of an US Senator from Wisconsin, Gaylord Nelson back in 1969 with the first Earth Day happening on April 22nd, 1970with over 20 million Americans taking part. By the millennium the event was becoming world wide as global warming and clean energy became more of a co... 04/20/2011

An Efficient Clothes Washer, What Is It?If you think about how long it would take to wash clothes by hand then you will appreciate how hard your washer needs to work and now the next question should be  how efficient should it be? When buying a washer there are two specifications you should look at, the amount of electricity it uses and the amount of water the machine uses. To help you gauge the difference between each appliance there are two rating systems: Energy Star helps you decide by rating the washer for you, to qualify as an Energy Star washer it needs to have a Modified Energy Factor (MEF) of 2.0 or greater and a Water Factor (WF) of 6.0 or lower. (1/1/2011). The Super Efficient Home Appliances Initiative by the Consortium for Energy Efficiency (CEE) a nation, non-profit public... 04/15/2011

    Why does the spring market begin to take flight in March? There are the obvious reasons: the winter thaw is dissipating, and the days are getting longer. Buyers come out of a long hibernation; and those who have been thinking about purchasing a new home are preparing themselves, not onlyto buy a home, but to move.A typical estate transaction for buyers and sellers typically can take up tosixy days from an executed binder to the closing table. The month of March begins process of timing a convenient closing as buyers are not only shopping for a home, but for a closing that will typically take place right around the time their school-aged children finish their last days of school. The Spring market is the strongest market in Real Estate, and the Spring-buyer has the Summer on his/her... 03/05/2011

Fairfield Ludlowe High School, 785 Unquowa Road, hosts an open house for eighth-grade students and parents who live in the Fair­field Ludlowe High School district on Wednesday, Feb. 2, at 7 p.m. in the audito­rium. The event includes an overview of the curric­ulum, student activities and athletics, as well as a tour. In the event of snow, the event will take place on Feb. 9. For details, call 203-255-7201. 01/28/2011

Benefitting Operation Hope in Fairfield CT   The BNI (Business Network International) Professional Referral Team in Fairfield held a successful team building event on December 8 to benefit Operation Hope.  Via its food pantry, Operation Hope (http://www.operationhopect.org/)  provides food - every month - to more than 200 families, including 100 children. The BNI team collected approximately $300 worth of canned and boxed food and toiletries to help stock the shelves at the Operation Hope. Why toiletries? People struggling to make ends meet are able to use food stamps, but these do not cover toiletries. Imagine not being able to afford  to buy diapers, toilet paper and shampoo - items many of us, thankfully, can take for granted. The BNI team worked together to collect items, boxing the... 12/12/2010

Sunrise in Fairfield County, CT It was simply gorgeous today, driving along Route 95 from Wilton to Fairfield at 6:45 am.    I had to take out my camera and get some shots in ..... But then, it was just so beautiful that I had to drive down to the beach to look, and barely made the meeting on time!  I got into the car, but had to get out to make sure that I had kept the camera still enough for clear photos.   The last time we had had great photo opportunities at 7 am was when the fog was sort of lifting, and the sun was trying to break all of the way through.  I rushed those shots, and never saw a morning like that again.   Sunrise in Fairfield County, CT 11/24/2010

Just came across this very informative article about MOLD REMEDIATION LEGISLATION AND LITIGATION, and while it's dated 2003, everything it brings up holds fast to this day. The only point I disagree with is: "3. There are no specific tests doctors can use to test for mold exposure" Yes there are. At least an allergist who knows what he's doing can. Once you have a MOLD TEST performed and you receive the quantitative as well as qualitative data, you can take results to an Allergist, I only recommend one and his name is John Santilli in Bridgeport Connecticut. He can then perform a mold screen of the blood to help show correlation to possible exposures. This is a VERY long article but one worthy to keep for reference and particularly useful for my Realtor community and clients going throu... 11/05/2010

Ingri Boe-Wiegaard, Acupuncturist, Explains How it Works Ingri Boe-Wiegaard, local acupuncturist, will speak this Wednesday,  November 27th, at 7:30 am at the First Congregational Church by the corner of Beach Road and Old Post Road.    She will speak for approximately 15 minutes or so, beginning with explaining how acupuncture works.   She has a crazy sense of humor, and Halloween is around the corner.   Fore warned is fore armed!      (If you are interested in more information, her web site is www.ctacupuncture.com.) Ingri Boe-Wiegaard has practiced acupuncture for over 25 years, and has offices in Bethel, Wilton, and Fairfield.  She has treated a multitude of symptoms, including headaches, allergies, quitting smoking, fertility, depression and pain.   The concepts of blocked energy a... 10/24/2010

Our Fairfield American Little Leagueteam ended its first trip to the Little League World Series last night when they were defeated by Auburn, Washington 9 to 5.  The game was exciting and it was a thriller going into the 6th inning, but the Washington team was really good and just hit the heck out of the ball.  Fairfield played tough and gave it their all but in the end it was just not enough to keep the dream alive. But their accomplishment is enormous:   they won the State championship, won the New England Regional, and united a hometown that was very proud of them and had the experience of a lifetime with memories they will have forever.  All in all I would say that is a great summer for Fairfield American, now they can look forward to school starting!  Come check out Fairfield, CT i... 08/25/2010

It is overcast here in Fairfield, CT today at 4:00 pm and we are waiting to see if our Fairfield American Little League team will get to play tonight in Williamsport , PA.  Last night's game was rained out, which gave the boys another day of rest but not enough to put Nick Nardone back into pitch tonight because he threw 88 pitches on Friday so he needs 4 days of rest. Tonight's pitcher will be either Quinn or Magi, both are terrific.  However, if they win against Washington tonight, Nardone will be able to start tomorrow.   All eyes in Fairfield, CT will be on ESPN2 tonight at 8 pm to watch our hometown team give it one more try - if they lose they come home "our heroes"  and New England Regional Champs!!!    If they win they play on at the Little League World Series!   So order a pizz... 08/24/2010

Well, our heatwave finally broke on Sunday and our Fairfield Americanlittle league team also lost a little heat Sunday when Pearland, Texas beat Fairfield American 14 to 1 in the Little League World Series in Williamsport, PA.  All of Fairfield, CTfelt their pain but knows they can come back tonight in their game against Washington at 8p.m. on ESPN2.  In Sunday nights game the Texas team hit the ball hard off each of the Fairfield pitchers, there was nothing Fairfield could do.  Fairfield's only run was scored by Chris Howell on an RBI double by Nick Nardone.  If Fairfield wins tonight they will have to face Texas twice more to advance to the United States championship on Saturday.  If you are not watching the LL World Series, I suggest you turn it on - it's entertaining and exciting wa... 08/23/2010

 The Fairfield American Little League won their opening game against Washington 3 to 1in Williamsport, PA!  Nardone's amazing pitching and excellent defense and base running by the entire team were the keys to today's victory!  You can catch the Little League World Series live for the next 9 days so don't miss out on the opportunity to cheer on Fairfield American. They play again on Sunday night at 8 pm, and we know all TV's will be tuned in to catch game 2 for our local hero's!  The Higgins Group Congratulates Fairfield American on a great WIN and we will be watching! 08/20/2010

Fairfield, Connecticut is HOT! Not only are we ranked 7th in Top Earning Towns by  CNNMoney.com, we have had our second hottest summer on record and now we have "Baseball Fever"!  The whole town is celebrating with the first appearance of a Fairfield team in the Little League World Series!  The Fairfield American Little League team, which Saturday won the New England regional title and advances to the first game in the the round-robin World Series today in Williamsport, Pa.  Fairfield American hopes to be the fifth team to bring the international championship home to Connecticut. Stamford, Norwalk, Windsor Locks and Trumbull have all won Little League World Series titles -- the most recent being Trumbull in 1989!  Fairfield American's dream is now the talk of the town, red is everywhere... 08/20/2010

Another scorcher here in Fairfield CT.  And the humidity is back, making it a perfect day to sit in the office and pore through statistics and market data. There are currently 89 listings classified as "Fairfield Beach Area" by the local MLS - my work focus is typically on the pure Fairfield waterfront properties - of which there are maybe 18 that qualify (meaning they are on Long Island Sound or Pine Creek near the Sound .) For today's discussion, I am not including any Sasco Creek or Southport properties - those I will cover later in the month. The Fairfield Beach properties range in price from $ 580,000 for a bungalow (generally used as a Student Rental for Fairfield University students) in the college section to $ 3.0 million for a 3500 square foot waterfront contemporary. In betwee... 08/11/2010

When shopping for homes in this market, there are alot of really great deals to be had...or ARE they MONEY PITS waiting to happen!!!??? Especially if house has been vacant for awhile. I kind of pride myself for being able to assess a home from the OUTSIDE never taking a step inside... But when I do get to look around inside, the first thing I check is WHAT GOT WET!!! One of the biggest things I'm on the watch for is ANY WATER INTRUSION!!! Water in the Basement...or water markings...This is the first sign I look for when thinking about purchasing a home to know if I'm going to get in over my head... Also be sure to check:      Grade outside of home. Will water be diverted away from home, or directly into basement? Is shrubbery away from side of home, is there excessive shade on a particu... 08/07/2010

It's a million degrees again here in Fairfield, CT    Real Estate seems to be the last thing on people's minds... which means SOMEBODY out there can get him or herself a fantastic deal. I rarely tout a "buyer's market" or "seller's market"  but I can tell you that there is a large group of Sellers in Fairfield that are simply beaten down this summer. After a promising Spring, business has fallen off the last few weeks, and I feel like I am the only person in Fairfield Real Estate that is not on vacation. Maybe I should just give up and go to the Cape for a week. But I keep thinking about my frustrated sellers who have endured record high heat and humidity, while dealing with record low buyer turnout and showings. They just want to sell the damn house. And now I see that mortgage rates h... 08/05/2010

Portfolio Recovery Collection Deletion Letter 1 When it comes to credit repair; I often hear the question: "Does that stuff really work?"  The answer is a resounding yes!  In an attempt to document this claim I will be posting this week examples of successful results as they come in. I am posting several deletion letters from Portfolio.  It is best when you can use leverage by having multiple clients.  What scares a collection agency more than a lawsuit?  The answer is simple: a class action lawsuit! (insert chuckle here)   ☺ MattToll Free: 888-NCFIXER (623-4937)Toll Free Fax: 888-FAX-4020 (329-4020)Local: 860-282-6181330 Roberts Street 4th FloorEast Hartford, CT 06108 credit repair company  04/30/2010

February 22, 2010 Things I learned today about Commuter Parking in Fairfield and the impact of the New Train Station - There were 3612 people on the Commuter Parking Waitlist for the Downtown Fairfield Train Station as of August 25, 2009.  According to the Parking Authority, the February 25, 2010 estimate is approx 3800. When someone registers currently for the Wait List, they are put on both the Southport and the Downtown Waitlist - so the lists are mostly duplicates or the 3800 on the Downtown list is a reasonable estimate of the total commuters waiting for a Parking Permit. In 2009, there were about 500 applications sent out by the Parking Authority with approx 400 being returned and accepted for new permits to be issued.  This means approx 500 people come off the wait list each year... 02/22/2010

Here is a wonderful blog by architect Michael Cobb who journals about his experience using this sustainable green SIP building product of the future. Agriboard. Agriboard is a structurally insulated panel (SIP) and goes up 8 times faster than conventional methods and saves 80% construction lumber, while being insect and mold resistant, fire rated 2.5 hours and F5 Hurricane- Tornado-Earthquake-Blast proof! : Studio Ecesis Project Journal by Architect Michael Cobb. Thursday, February 18, 2010   Panel Installation is Underway   Panel installation is underway.  The builders are moving ahead fast.  There is only a little more sunshine in the forecast so everybody appreciates the clip.  At midday today about 75% of the first floor panels were up after starting work on the panels yesterday.  M... 02/20/2010

The U.S. government’s home buyer tax credit was extended to April 30, 2010 and it will not likely be extended again. This is just 74 days from today. This tax credit can benefit first-time home buyers up to $8,000 and current homeowners up to $6,500, provided they meet certain guidelines. And because this program is a tax credit – it does not have to be repaid. There has never been a better time to take advantage of this tax credit because hundreds of homes are priced below market value. If you have a family member or friend who could benefit from learning more about this program, please have them call me for a free one-hour consultation so we can discuss how they may be able to take advantage of this benefit. John Queenan, Your Friend in the Real Estate Business, 203-638-7878 www.JustL... 02/15/2010