Unhappy with your property assessment? Applications for appeal are due February 20th! Have questions, or need advice? Give us a call.

Are you floored by the costs of home improvement or scared of buyers' remorse in this sellers' market? If you are on the sidelines waiting for costs to decline, know it could be decades! As your real estate partners, the KMS Team is ready to identify options and help you formulate intelligent real estate strategies.

If you’ve just moved in, chances are good that the previous owners did some tidying up before selling their home. If not, take a look at your home from the curb — does your driveway need sealing, windows need washing or the front door need painting? Fall is the perfect time for these tasks and more. Here are some ideas to get you started.

Even at significant expense, upgrading things beyond cosmetics can have enormous value in a market where buyers seek “new” with no work required. Energy saving, environmentally friendly solutions - many with tax rebates and credits thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act, are available and should be considered when making any home improvements.

As realtors, we often write, suggest or speak of a renovated bathroom. Conceptually, or in pictures, it seems pretty simple. Today, let’s take a look behind the scenes of a powder room update. We'll breakdown the costs, see what decisions the homeowner made and talk time, start to finish.

Ah, spring. The time to deep clean and air out our homes — who doesn’t love to throw open the windows on those first warm days? Deep down, we all know the quality of inside air can have a big impact on our health. So let’s take some steps to keep this spring feeling year-round by improving the overall air quality in our homes.

Offering discretion and quality, the Compass Private Exclusives program provides the flexibility to share details about the your property to selective audiences, without divulging details to the general public. As an off-market listing, your home will not appear on public home search websites.

Furnishings can make a house look & feel like home. If the furnishings are tasteful, in good condition and appropriate for a home’s architecture, the spaces feel more welcoming — enticing buyers to stay, forever.

There are many reasons why we believe buying a home is better than renting, but let's just focus on one — inflation. Yes, right now we are experiencing unusually high inflation, but inflation exists almost always.

Lyme disease takes its name from Lyme, Connecticut, where the illness was first reported in 1975. It is spread by the black-legged deer tick that has been firmly established in Connecticut for several decades. A bacterial infection, Lyme is treated with antibiotics successfully when caught early but late Lyme disease can have persistent and often serious complications.

Hopefully the rise in market prices has put you in a position to recognize a gain on the sale of your home. The first step in calculating the gain is to identify your home’s cost basis - meaning everything that you spent to pay for, improve or prolong the life of the product (aka your home).

Radon is a colorless, odorless, radioactive gas that naturally occurs as the earth’s radioactive metals break down in rocks, soils and ground water. Occurring everywhere, it is estimated that 1 in 3 CT homes have elevated radon levels, whereas across the U.S. that number is only about 1 in 15 homes.

Historically low inventory means slim pickings for a new home, right? Not necessarily. Because you don’t necessarily have to replace your current residence with another house. Several exciting new projects offer Fairfield County residents innovative new ways to live. You just have to think outside the “housing” box.

Do you count yourself among the nearly 60 million Americans who are self-employed? Being your own boss has wonderful benefits — flexible hours, freedom in choosing projects/co-workers, control over work environment, ability to pursue your interests/ obtain skills and more. But it also has its downsides, such as proving a steady stream of income.

Now is the perfect time to get started on your spring cleaning. Improve the air quality, your mood and see your home in a brand new light! And it’s a mandatory first step if you are thinking of selling your home. Today’s home buyers want properties in pristine, move-in condition. Selling or staying, make productive use of these days at home…

On October 1st, 2021 the National Flood Insurance Program enacted Flood Risk Rating 2.0. It comes with the promise of greater rate transparency for customers. The old rating methods, in effect since the 1970’s, ultimately resulted in smaller homes being rated at an increased rate over much larger homes.

After escaping the touted "Henri" and feeling the effects/brunt of "Ida" in the last few weeks, it is important to remember we are still in the midst of hurricane season! While sellers are obligated to disclose known flooding issues, recent storms have brought unusual, significant rainfalls surprising some buyers with water seeping into the basement and worse.

There is so much emphasis on the frenzy surrounding home buying/selling these days that an important, essential service realtors provide is often overlooked — residential rental assistance. Short-term, temporary while in-between houses, long-term or just for the summer, we can guide you through it all!

It's perfect nowhere. And it isn't even close to perfect anywhere for everyone. What may be bliss to you could quite easily be awful to others. Our best advice is that when you choose where you want to live be extremely selfish. Where you live should work for your needs, likes, wants, and specific individual circumstances.

Did you know The American Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI) was formed by a Stamford, Connecticut builder?In 1973, Ronald Passaro could only identify six other inspectors in the tri-state area.

Like you, most homeowners in Fairfield County are keenly aware of that we are in a sellers’ market for real estate. Stories of multiple offers and selling prices over list have many people thinking this may be the time to sell. If you are at all tempted, or would simply like to know what your house might be worth presently, we’d love to offer you a complimentary market analysis.

It's so easy - and seemingly cheaper - to decorate your home upon moving in and then do absolutely nothing forever afterward. As real estate professionals, we see this delusion daily and all know this type of complacency is indeed very.....expensive!

Throughout this busy year, we received numerous questions and feedback from our clients about their moving experience. Our goal is to help minimize stress from the entire process of buying or selling a home. Hopefully you will find these tips helpful in planning your next move.

We’d like to thank Tom Ayres, Partner at Daigle & Travers Insurance, for so thoroughly explaining why homes are often insured for more that what the homeowners paid for them. Required reading for first-time homebuyers & an excellent refresher for all in these times of ever-rising replacement costs and frequent natural disasters.

We always caution against relying on a "zestimate". Zillow itself claims these to be a "starting point" and encourages buyers, sellers and the just curious to do their own research.

As the saying goes, “nothing is certain but death and taxes”. Yes, no matter where you live in the United States, taxes are a certainty. When considering a move across state lines, it’s important to understate the tax implications. Biased for sure, but we think the “bang for your buck” is a lot better in Connecticut than the surrounding states!

The trend to move within the tri-state region is not new but it is accelerating in our direction! Whether the pandemic has shortened the timelines of those planning to move at some point or making people rethink their definition of home, we the team of KMS Partners, stand ready to help.

To rent or buy a home isn’t just a financial decision, it’s also about comfort and your vision for your life. When that vision clears and home ownership is in view, will you be ready? As one of the most important financial transactions of your life, you need to make sure your finances are in order before beginning the home-buying process.

Now is the perfect time to get started on your spring cleaning. Improve the air quality, your mood and see your home in a brand new light! And it’s a mandatory first step if you are thinking of selling your home. Today’s home buyers want properties in pristine, move-in condition. Selling or staying, make productive use of these days at home…

A bridge loan is a short-term loan that uses the equity from your current home to help you make an offer on a new one, without rushing to sell. Compass Bridge Loan Services gets you access to competitive rates and dedicated support from industry-leading lenders, with the exclusive option to get up to six months of your loan payments fronted

You found your dream home near the water, but were snapped back to reality upon hearing the words - it is not FEMA compliant. Were you right to panic? Not necessarily, after all you were looking at homes by the water. You always can and should obtain flood insurance - it is just a matter of cost.

‘Tis the season to…celebrate with family and friends, shop for gifts…and yes, list your home! Sure, the holiday season is a busy time of year. But we believe it’s also one of the best times to be on the market for a number of reasons…

We help young couples buy their first home. We’re there as their families grow, and when they need more space. If they relocate -- across town, or across the country -- we work with them to replicate the house they’re selling, or perhaps try something entirely new. Years later, when they become empty nesters, we work together to find a smaller, more manageable space.

Who should you call when your driveway need to be replaced? My recommendation is Luciano Paving.

When it became clear that the driveway needed to be torn up and repaved with some attention to drainage, I called four vendors for opinions and estimates. What a process!!

Taking steps to improve your FICO® Score can be very helpful before applying for a mortgage or bridge loan because a higher score can help you secure the best terms and interest rates available. Here are some actions that can help improve your score over time…

Exclusive to Compass, our Concierge program is designed to make it easier than ever to get your home market-ready. Compass Concierge helps you sell your home faster and for a higher price. From painting to flooring, Concierge transforms your home with zero upfront costs and no interest.

It never hurts to plan ahead. If you’re thinking of selling your home, now is the time to start preparing. That’s true whether you’re putting it on the market soon, two years from now (when you’re due for a work reassignment), or even five (fingers crossed the last kid finally graduates!).

On average, we spend 65% of our time at home. Hopefully, we at KMS Partners have helped you to find a home in which you can be happy, feel comfortable and at peace. Now let’s make sure that it is a healthy environment too! Here’s some tips to get you started.

Netflix premiered the eight-episode series on the virtues of the “KonMari Method” of tidying! First outlined in Marie Kondo’s book, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing, a resurgence has begun. The series sparks joy in those she helps through the tranformation.

With the KMS Team at Compass you'll get the benefit of years of collective experience in the real estate industry: More ideas, more perspectives, collective marketing ideas, more resources and more negotiation experience.

We all know the expression “caveat emptor”: It’s Latin for “let the buyer beware.” But the seller needs to be aware too. And that’s never more important than when you’re selling your house. Listing it is only the first step…that moment when strangers first walk through your door – is when the reality of selling first hits.

We’ve got doctors to keep us healthy, financial advisors to grow our money, and lawyers because, well, you know. At KMS Partners, we are advisors in every sense of the word. We are coaches, counselors and therapists. We are there for you when you’re selling and buying -- but even when you’re not ready for a transaction. We’re here to help -- before, during and after a sale. And if you need a referral to a good doctor or electrician: Just ask.

Buying a house is often the most important financial transaction you’ll make in your life. There are many reasons you should trust it to a person, not a pixel. For example, we can help with pricing. Sure, you can find it online. But what does that price mean? Is it fair? What about comparables? Is there room for negotiation? We’re there when you walk through the front door of a house….

The key to a smooth process is to identify a mortgage professional early in the home buyer process who will guide you. A loan officer will help you obtaining a competitive priced loan, he or she will also need to prepare your financial documents in an organized fashion and help you understand the types of products available.

Your friend mentions her house is “broker protected.” Your real estate agent casually mentions “CMA” and “MLS.” You drive by a sign for an “Open House” -- are you invited? Every industry and profession has its own language.