“i love every inch of greenwich
Great expectations
“The ability to manage expectations is paramount,” Broker Hillary McAtee remarked. That includes
managing buyers’ expectations about the obstacles that may come along. “I tell my clients that getting to the point of an accepted offer is only halfway to the finish line.”
Realtor Maria Ruggeberg agreed that it’s important to prepare clients for negotiating. “Buyers expecting to negotiate will consistently lose out,” she said. “Up front, buyers need to be told that there is little inventory — one to two months of supply. Offering list price is considered a low offer. If buyers are
prepared for these bidding wars, they will not be discouraged from buying and will submit their best offers from the start.”
“Most first-time homebuyers are hoping to move into something turnkey,” Ruggeberg reported. “But
the best value may be something that needs a bit of updating. So, the buyers need to judge their appetite for doing this work and how much they were willing to do. There are still properties on the market that
buyers can purchase without paying excessively. After all, we have low inventory, but it’s not zero inventory.”
An early dilemma that buyers face is choosing where to live. Just as a matter of practicality, they’ll want to narrow their search to towns, hamlets or private associations that check off the rest of the boxes on their wish lists. Greenwich has broad appeal for buyers, and it’s possible to buy a home or condominium in Greenwich for well under $1 million and all the way up to tens of millions of dollars for its most distinctive luxury properties. Realtor Roseann Sarica Benedict said, “I was born and raised in Greenwich, and I raised my children here, as well. I love every inch of Greenwich. Each section of our fabulous town offers so much, and depending on the needs of the buyers, it’s important to inform them what section of town offers those things they need. Some buyers might have dogs and want to be near walking trails for the dogs. If you are a horse lover, you may want to live near the riding trails.
“Bicyclists may want to be away from town, so that they can ride the roads that have less traffic. Commuters like to live close to train stations, and families enjoy living near parks or schools,” Benedict added. “Buyers do not have to settle.”
“There is, as always, a great demand for certain areas, such as Riverside and Old Greenwich, but
buyers have branched out to areas, such as backcountry, which had been lagging the other areas of town. This is a good thing,” Agent Maria Ruggeberg opined.
“Greenwich’s broad scope and diversity in housing stock, architecture, type of ownership and zoning are some of our great strengths,” Hillary McAtee said.
“Greenwich is an extraordinary community, where the benefits of becoming a resident are well worth
waiting for and far outweigh the difficulties that persist under current market conditions,” she added. “Absent of being afforded the luxury of time, buyers frequently
purchase property that may not be their forever residence. That said, regardless of where one lives, on their first day of ownership everyone can enjoy the public parks and recreation, dining, culture, places of
worship, diversity, education and infrastructure.”