Everyone knows that local honey is the best honey!  So if you're in Suffield why not stop by and pick up a jar in your own backyard.  Suffield Beeworks now has a self-service honey wagon at 31 Wendover St. in Suffield.  

Suffield Beeworks is the backyard beekeeping operation run by Andrew Preissner and Joyce Munson who keep several hives in their own yard and at a local farm.  Andrew is the current president of the Suffield Chamber of Commerce and the Vice President of the Hampden County Beekeepers' Association and Joyce is the secretary for the Hampden County Beekeepers' Association.  Both volunteer numerous hours to both the Suffield Chamber and to the HCBA. They are always working hard to help spread the word on why the world needs more happy, healthy honeybees.  These beekeepers rock!  Support them and help them support the bees by picking up a jar of their local honey today!  

Moving is exciting and fun; you're getting a new place, maybe in a new town and you're looking forward to your new beginning there.  It can also be stressful; the packing, the logistics, the job transfers... and that's under regular circumstances.  What if you were also expecting your first baby and had a largish dog in the family?  

Meet Heather & Mike, the proud parents-to-be, and Dice their fur baby!  

When I first met Heather she was trying to plan a move from Salem, MA to a new rental home "somewhere" in CT.  With a baby on the way and a doggy in the family, she wanted to move quickly and knew her options would be limited.  We narrowed the search area, and found a few great houses that met the needs of their growing family.  But then, two out of three of the homes we had scheduled to view were rented out from under us right before out appointments.  The third was great, but the pet policy was listed as "negotiable".  And negotiate we did!  Heather and Mike were asked more questions about Dice than about themselves and were quick to provide answers and paperwork to support Dice's application as a pet tenant.  Needless to say, he passed.  Just look at that face!   

With the additional wear and tear a pet can do to a rental property, a lot of landlords have gone to strict "NO PETS, NO EXCEPTIONS" policies.  So as a well qualified tenant looking for a new rental, what can you do when your fur baby is limiting your options?  As a realtor that represents tenants, when I see a rental that I know will be a good fit for my client, but then see "NO PETS" in bold type, I will often reach out to the landlord to see if there is any flexibility in their "NO PETS" policy.  For a tenant that has a strong application package with great credit, employment history, income verification and rental history, landlords have been known to bend their own rules and let Spike or Spot or Fritz the Cat move in.  They may require an additional pet security deposit, but you'll do anything for your four legged family member, right?  

So how do you improve the chances that your rental application is accepted when you are planning a move with a pet?  With a pet resume of course!  Being prepared ahead of time with the information suggested below will strengthen your chances of having your pet pass through the application process as easy as you did with your credit score over 750 (which by the way if your credit is so good, why are you renting?  We should be talking about buying! More on that later.).  

To start your pet's resume, get the basics in order.  It is recommended that all resumes start with this information:

• Pet’s name
• Age
• Breed
• Weight
• Proof of vaccinations
• Disclosure of any incidents
• Current photo

Mention any special training your pet has received and what traits make them such a good animal.  You can also add your vet's information so the landlord may contact them to confirm the details included in the resume.  

If you take the time to put your pet's best paw forward, you extra effort may pay off! 

Why rent when you can own?  This adorable Cape Cod home in Sandy Hook would be a great investment for anyone looking live small.  The main living level contains the kitchen, bathroom and living area complete with gas fireplace.  Upstairs you have your master suite with a balcony that overlooks the private yard and woods.  There is a laundry room in the basement and room for storage.  You will also have expansion capabilities with the newer 4 bedroom septic system.  A great opportunity to own for less than you can rent in this beautiful community.

74 Lakeview Terrace
Newtown, CT 06482
​1 Bedroom, 1 Bathroom
$142,000.00

12 Reasons Why You’ll Be Happier in a Smaller House 
by Joshua and Patty Becker 

People buy larger homes for a number of reasons:

• They “outgrow” their smaller one.
• They receive a promotion and raise at work.
• They are convinced by a realtor that they can afford it.
• They hope to impress others.
• They think a large home is the home of their dreams.

Another reason people keep buying bigger and bigger homes is because no one tells them not to. The mantra of the culture again comes calling, “buy as much and as big as possible.” They believe the lie and choose to buy a large home only because that’s “what you are supposed to do” when you start making money… you buy nice, big stuff.
Nobody ever tells them not to. Nobody gives them permission to pursue smaller, rather than larger. Nobody gives them the reasons they may actually be happier in a smaller house.

So, in an attempt to break the silence, consider these 12 reasons why you’ll actually be happier in a smaller house:

1. Easier to maintain. Anyone who has owned a house knows the amount of time, energy, and effort to maintain it. All things being equal, a smaller home requires less of your time, energy, and effort to accomplish that task.
2. Less time spent cleaning. And that should be reason enough…
3. Less expensive. Smaller homes are less expensive to purchase and less expensive to keep (insurance, taxes, heating, cooling, electricity, etc.).
4. Less debt and less risk. Dozens of on-line calculators will help you determine “how much house you can afford.” These formulas are based on net income, savings, current debt, and monthly mortgage payments. They are also based on the premise that we should spend “28% of our net income on our monthly mortgage payments.” But if we can be more financially stable and happier by only spending 15%… then why would we ever choose to spend 28?
5. Mentally Freeing. As is the case with all of our possessions, the more we own, the more they own us. And the more stuff we own, the more mental energy is held hostage by them. The same is absolutely true with our largest, most valuable asset. Buy small and free your mind.
6. Less environmental impact. A smaller home requires less resources to build and less resources to maintain. And that benefits all of us.
7. More time. Many of the benefits above (less cleaning, less maintaining, mental freedom) result in the freeing up of our schedule to pursue the things in life that really matter – whatever you want that to be.
8. Encourages family bonding. A smaller home results in more social interaction among the members of the family. And while this may be the reason that some people purchase bigger homes, I think just the opposite should be true.
9. Forces you to remove baggage. Moving into a smaller home forces you to intentionally pare down your belongings.
10. Less temptation to accumulate. If you don’t have any room in your house for that new treadmill, you’ll be less tempted to buy it in the first place (no offense to those of you who own a treadmill… and actually use it).
11. Less decorating. While some people love the idea of choosing wall color, carpet color, furniture, window treatments, decorations, and light fixtures for dozens of rooms, I don’t.
12. Wider market to sell. By its very definition, a smaller, more affordable house is affordable to a larger percentage of the population than a more expensive, less affordable one.

​
Your home is a very personal decision that weighs in a large number of factors that can’t possibly be summed up in one 700 word post. This post was not written to address each of them. Only you know all the variables that come into play when making your decision.
I just think you’ll be happier if you buy smaller—rather than the other way around.

So, I'm two weeks into my current tour widowhood and I don't want to be too much of a mush, but I miss this guy pretty bad.  We've just finished the first in depth phone conversation our mutually dynamic schedules have allowed us over the past several days and I'm feeling grateful for that.  Also grateful that we're both able to do the things we love together and separately.  This is a crazy time and a crazy world and I realize not everyone is so lucky.   

So I may not be able to see my husband right now, but that doesn't mean you can't!  Check the schedule and go see him play some aggressive and athletic rock guitar!  Coming soon to a venue near you!

​I’m so happy to have this one closed and to know that Mike and Sue are finally able to move and settle in to their new home! I first met Sue back in May when she came up to CT from the Carolinas to start scouting houses after she and Mike decided to move north to be closer to family.  Their home sold very quickly and the pressure was on to find their new place!  Sue didn’t find anything that worked on her short trip up, so she went home to pack and we agreed to start looking again as soon as they arrived in CT. 
 
As with all real estate transactions, this one presented it’s own unique set of challenges… We had the logistics of a long distance move, extra pressure to find something quickly or find temporary housing, a specific set of needs and wants (must have; garage, fenced yard, central air, single level living) and the financing was to be a VA loan (extra hoops to jump through).  We looked at lots of houses, found one the Turners loved and almost closed on time!  We were actually only 1 day late. 
 
It was a long journey from May to August 31st but it was fun getting to know the Turners and meeting and matching each challenge that popped up on their home buying adventure.  Congratulations, Mike & Sue!  I know you and the dogs are going to love your home.  I’ll be by soon with wine! 

Closed 8/31/17
7 Conlin Dr. 
Enfield, CT 06082
3 Bedroom, 1 Bathroom
$183,500.00

Meet the Athertons!  This is Myles, Melissa and Top.  Top is a hardworking New York City dog who really wanted to get out of Brooklyn and stretch his legs in the country.  Tired of listening to him whine about it, Myles and Melissa headed up to CT in search of a property they might all enjoy.  Eleven short weeks later, and Top now has 22 acres of sticks to chew, animals to chase and tall grass to roll around in.  Top is feeling a little anxious about the renovation projects  he has planned for the property but says that overall, he couldn't be happier with his family's choice for their new home.   

Working with Myles and Melissa on their new home purchase was a pleasure.  They were tough negotiators, knew what they wanted and kept their eyes on the prize!  In the words of my good friend, Kenny Rogers, they knew when to hold 'em and they knew when to fold 'em and now that the dealin's done, they ended up the big winner, getting this place for a steal, way below the asking price.

They have good eyes for potential and ambitious plans to renovate this unique mini-estate into the home of their dreams.  I cannot wait to see their progress, I have a feeling it will be glorious!     

Closed 9/7/17
78 Shortwoods Rd.
​New Fairfield, CT 06812
Main House, 2 Bedroom, 2 Bathroom 
Guest House, 2 Bedroom, 1 Bathroom
22 acres bordering state forest
​$415,000.00

​I found myself in Brookfield, CT this morning for a closing.  As I got close to the lawyer’s office, I noticed this…

It was pointing right, and I had to go left but I knew DiGrazia Vineyards would not be too far out of the way when my appointment was over.  But it was only 10am...  and would they even be open today?  And how early is too early to start tasting wine on a Thursday?  A quick search online shows me the tasting room hours are from 11am to 5pm Thursday to Monday.  A quick scan of my calendar shows me that I have time to stop between appts.  Also, it is, IN FACT, 5 o'clock somewhere.  YES!  

The closing went smooth and I was lucky enough to catch the winemaker in the tasting room.  (A joke about the early wine drinker catching the vintner would be good here.)  We chatted about their wines and beekeeping and I learned something new about both!  I also liked all six of the wines I picked to taste and that is rare for me.  

Long story short, DiGrazia Vineyards is worth checking out!  If you're in or around Fairfield County give them a try.  If you're not near by but are collecting stamps in your CT Wine Trail Passport, make the trip.  If you like wine, live in CT and haven't checked out our state's wineries & vineyards yet, click that link and go to the closest tasting room immediately!  You're missing out!  Salud!