New Canaan to mark 911 with service of rememberence

A Service of Remembrance and Peace will be held by the New Canaan Clergy Association on the plaza of the Congregational Church of New Canaan on Gods Acre Sunday, September 11. It will be an opportunity for a very special reflection and remembrance that will include readings, psalms , prayers for wisdom and peace and hymns by area choirs.




Representatives of the town’s emergency services will hold a memorial procession from the Metro-North train station to the church plaza after gathering at 4:30 to honor those who selflessly responded the call on September 11, 2001. This will include members of the New Canaan Police Department, Fire Company Number 1, New Canaan Volunteer Ambulance Service and the Community Emergency Response Team. From there, bagpiper Stephanie Moore will lead the assembled group up Park Street to participate in the service.



All emergency responders are encouraged to gather at the train station at 4:30 p.m. or the Congregational Church at 5:00 p.m. as we honor our heroes, consider the lessons to be learned from every tragic event, and dedicate ourselves to a more loving and peaceful future.



In the case of inclement weather, the Interfaith Service will be held at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church

This article appears in The Daily New Canaan this week

I was interviewed for this article about my career by Fenella Pearson. Attached is the article.

When Denise Gannalo, a real estate agent with William Raveis, started selling homes in 1982, it never occurred to her that her career would be like a ride on a rollercoaster. "I've seen it all," she says. "The stock market crash of the late '80s, the down market of the early '90s, the exuberance of the dotcom era, the post 9/11 global economic problems and now the current financial crisis."


Denise has sold hundreds of properties in all price ranges throughout Fairfield County in both up and down markets. She says the key to her success is her ability to adapt to changing market conditions. Her years of looking at houses have turned her into a pro at helping clients visualize ways to remodel or reconfigure a space. And as a real estate investor and property manager herself, she has a thorough knowledge of the rental and investment market in Fairfield County.

A longtime resident of New Canaan, Denise has an encyclopedic knowledge of the neighborhoods and properties in town. She particularly enjoys introducing newcomers to the amenities found in New Canaan. "We have wonderful schools — my children are products of the New Canaan schools," she says. And she loves the town center where you're always guaranteed to bump into someone you know.

Denise thinks of herself as a "high-tech traditionalist." A master of the latest computer technology, which allows her to respond quickly, she is a firm believer in old-fashioned customer service. Whatever the client's needs, Denise says she always tries to go that extra mile, especially when the negotiating gets tough.

It's not all about work, though. "I love to laugh with my clients. I share their hopes and their frustrations," she says. Simply put, Denise Gannalo loves what she does. Apart from her family, real estate is her passion. She works it, lives it and breathes it. Finding that perfect Connecticut property for her clients is Denise's idea of a perfect day at work.

New Canaan Advertiser Editorial: So many heroes

Editorial: So many heroes

This editorial ran on Page 4A of the Thursday, September 20, 2001 issue of the New Canaan Advertiser. It is being reprinted here as part of the Advertiser's coverage of the 10th anniversary of the attacks on the World Trade Center.


There was no shortage of heroes last week as New Canaan joined the rest of America, and much of the world, in reaching out to victims of the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center.
Quick to arrive at the front lines, as they are every day here, were New Canaan police, fire-fighters and emergency medical personnel. They gave of their time and immediately responded to the city, some reaching ground zero of the explosions and building collapse that have left more than 5,500 missing, many of whom have ties to New Canaan.

Doctors treated the injured rescuers just feet from where the Twin Towers toppled, allowing them to quickly return to the task of searching for survivors.

Back in New Canaan, human services agencies and charities were collecting needed supplies and transporting them to the city. The Red Cross was swamped with blood donors. From the smallest school children, one of whom offered to donate a toy backhoe to help dig people out from under the ruins, to the founder of AmeriCares, who donated $1 million to a fund to help the families of the New York City firefighters and police officers killed during their initial rescue effort, the entire community seemingly offered its help.

In a show of patriotism, red, white and blue decorated the town and became the uniform of the day.

The community, indeed the nation, has come together. It will need to stay that way to get through the weeks and months ahead, as it will only get harder.

It has been nine days since fanatics flew planes filled with innocent travelers into offices filled with workers. With each hour, the hope of finding any more survivors in New York and at the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., fades like the dust and smoke still rising from the wreckage.

Obituaries for those who called New Canaan home, or who have family and friends here, begin to appear in today’s Advertiser. The bereaved will need our strength and support.

While rescue and recovery efforts continue, the world waits for a response to the attack. Certainly America will battle to find those responsible for last Tuesday’s sneak attack. There will be casualties on both sides.

The only way this town and country will get through this is to stay as united as we became during our immediate response to terrorism.

Previous generations have done it. Now it’s our turn.

Is owning a home still the American Dream?

The story as it appears in The Daily New Canaan

Inside One World Trade Center

A look inside the new tower and the city below.
Read more.............

Waterview Renovation in Milford Ct

What a great buy. A friend of mine has just renovated this charming Dutch Colonial on Milford's shoreline with beautiful waterviews of the sound. Just finished and ready to move in, this is an incredible opportunity. Check out the video link above or for more details click here.

New Canaan Taste of the Town Stroll

Last night was the kick off of Restaurant Week in New Canaan.  The town was chocked full of people and the restaurants were packed.  Restaurant Week will begin on Aug 26 through September 3 and will feature three course prix fixe menus at participating restaurants.  The following restaurants will be part of this celebration. Be sure to try some out.

Bistro Bonne Nuit
Cava
Cherry Street East Cafe
Club Sandwich
Fifty Coins
Gates
Kouzina
The Pine Social
Plum Tree Restaurant
Sole
Thali
Tuscan

Chef Luis Restaurant in New Canaan

Chef Luis is open for business. Luis is the best. His good nature combined with his delicious entrees are a winning combination. The expansion is awesome and the bar is spacious and inviting. Stop by and say hello to Luis. Click here to read the story

Sold and Closed in New Canaan for Over Asking. 47 Osborne Lane

When I listed this unique property it was not just pristine and just about perfect,  it was also priced perfectly.  On the market for just one week, we  received multiple bids and the property closed on Monday for $2,000,000 which was slightly above asking price.  The pictures tell the story....................................

New Canaan Construction Activity Picks Up

Building and remodeling in New Canaan is doing fine. Read about it in The Daily New Canaan.

http://www.thedailynewcanaan.com/news/new-canaan-construction-activity-perks

DOES YOUR HOUZZ LOOK THIS GOOD?

Supriya Anand, William Raveis social media guru has found this awsome new app that I would like to share.

If  you are searching for decorating and remodeling ideas! Well at last there is Houzz.  Houzz is an iPad and iPhone app that helps homebuyers and homeowners search for remodeling tips. The app features over 150,000 inspiring photographs of every room imaginable in a house, so you can assemble ideas on how to remodel.

You can create what the app calls “Ideabooks”-batches of photos that you want to store for later use when you are ready to find someone to remodel and redecorate your home. As an additional source of inspiration, you can sift through over 500,000 ideabooks that have been created by other Houzz users!

I have already started my own ideabook and I am excited.

Once you have found a design you really like and think would work in your home, tap into Houzz’s database of designers, filtered by local area. This is a wonderful app that is a must for anyone interested in remodeling a home! Check out Houzz’s YouTube video for more information.  www.houzz.com/iphone

Enjoy!!

How Stock Volatility Affects The New Canaan Real Estate Market

62 Shagbark Drive is an excellent example of the value that is currently available in

the New Canaan market.

What a roller coaster ride the Dow Jones has been recently. In this article regarding insight into the market, I'll provide you with the real-time data about what is happening in New Canaan real estate. How can I do it? I track the sales every day, week, month, annually and over the decades.
Here is what I have seen since July 21 when the Dow started dropping (and since August 4 when it started becoming extremely volatile). Please note this article is based on New Canaan* data only. I track New Canaan because it is an important market in Fairield County real estate and it's at my door step, since my office is on Elm Street in New Canaan and I have been working in this market for the past 28 years.

Sales have been extremely steady and very, very stable since last year. As a matter of fact, since July 21, there were 141 sales compared to 144 last year almost the same. However, the average sales price has increased to $1,795,680 from $1,571,580 up 14%. Be aware that the majority of sales closings take place in the summer with slower sales closings through the fall until years end. This happens at this time of the year, every single year. I don't believe it is connected to the stock market.

My point: The buyers are here and are buying. However, I want to provide you with a market insight that you cannot ‘hear' from the data. All summer I have driven back and forth from one end of beautiful New Canaan to the other a zillion times. On each trip, I have been accompanied by buyers. Their reactions to the volatility, which I hear and experience first hand, fall into three categories:

The legacy buyer

The largest group believes that New Canaan real estate prices are low, are very good value and they feel comfortable buying today. These buyers are purchasing today for the enjoyment of their children's children.

The safe haven buyer

These people are fed up with watching their net worth climb and decline like a yo-yo. As a result, they tell me they are not listening to their finance advisor as much as they used to. I heard them say, “I am thinking for myself more. I'm not so sure our financial guy is really ‘our trusted advisor' these days.” These buyers see that New Canaan real estate is more stable than most other Fairfield County towns so they are buying here.

The ‘I've lost my shirt' buyer

These are the buyers who judge their net worth on market peaks. In essence, their ability to buy is determined by the stock market. These are, far and away, the smallest segment of clients with whom I drive throughout the county.

As you can imagine, this article is a very hard point to illustrate with a specific property, so this photo is an example of the kind of great value buyers are picking up right now. This home, which I listed early this year located in the popular South of the Y neighborhood was originally purchased August 2004 for $1,744,000 with many upgrades. When the owners decided it was time to sell, they listed the property with another broker in March 2006 for $2,095,000 which was the peak of the New Canaan market and it did not sell. I took the listing this year and priced it at 1,590,000. It closed this year on June 15 for $1,450,000!

Market insights for the week

Focus, focus, focus. If you are determined to buy or sell real estate in New Canaan, focus on this market. Know what is going on. Don't guess the impact the stock market might be having. Get the facts and use the facts to guide your decisions.


*Data from Flexmls