In 1995, 2% of the homebuyers used the Internet as a source of information in their home search. In 2001, 79% used the Internet as an information source. My web site continues to attract qualified buyers for our homes here in town. Also, my many thanks to all of you for referring your friends to me. Once again there are more people wanting to move here than move out, consequently, an inventory shortage persists.

Our Board recently had a meeting with our tax assessor Al Garzi. He said that we would be reassessed every four years at 70% of market value. It’s hard to say that The Town figures will be exactly the same as the figures the real estate community will use since it depends on supply and demand as well as updates etc. The more updated a home is, the faster it will sell, and since everyone is very busy today with more two family careers, there is less time to tackle home remodeling projects. If you were thinking of selling in the next year or so I would love to hear from you. Sometimes we can put buyers and sellers together if we know someone has plans to move, then you can save the hassle of being on the market for several weeks or maybe months.

Please remember that for all residents 65 or over, you should call the Town Hall to get your $787 tax credit. Also, for people with incomes not to exceed $55,000, you can defer up to 100% of your tax bill plus simple interest.

The mill rate will be going down consequently the taxes on personal property (cars) will be less. Al said that he expects that when the current evaluation is completed, the town’s Grand List of taxable property will have grown substantially from it’s current $2.75 billion to around $3.9 to $4 billion. The revaluation is required by the state. The new values will be in place for the Oct. 1, 2002 assessment year, meaning it will not affect tax bills until July 1, 2003. People will be getting notification of their changed assessments probably this year.

On a final note, almost all of us have seen substantial gains in our house prices. Every young couple wants to have their children in the Ridgefield schools; consequently, the wonderful facilities we have are making our town the most desirable small town to live in. If you haven’t seen the recent article in the Connecticut Magazine in November, rating us once more “ the best small town in the state,” please call me as I have ordered reprints and will be glad to send you one. Our statistics are keeping our real estate values high. I also saw in a trade journal that market statistics indicate Manhattan real estate is thriving and sales volume is up 68% over October 2001. God Bless America.

The spirit of the season makes me especially thankful for my many clients and friends like you. Happy Holidays to you and yours, from my home to yours.