I cannot help but notice that some Stamford gas stations have the highest pricing in THE NATION! Particularly the few stations who are close to the Merritt on Long Ridge and High Ridge. These stations often charge 20 cents more than stations closer to downtown. Could it be they are some how colluding to fix there prices higher than other area stations? Also, why are all these stations full service? Can’t they offer the option to fill yourself?

I just don’t buy that their fixed costs are higher and thus need to charge more. Afterall, gas stations in Manhattan, with extraordinary real estate costs, are still cheaper. A short drive to Norwalk or even some stations in Greenwich and you can find cheaper gas. I have seen gas stations in Hawaii that charge less. You can get gas for $2.50 a gallon in NJ, yet it costs $3.30 in CT??

Can someone please explain to me why gas is so expensive in this small 3 mile radius?

From CNNMoney.com:

The House of Representatives just voted to give first-time homebuyers three more months to close on their purchases and land an $8,000 federal income tax credit. READ MORE

Note this only applies to people who have already applied for the program in April but needed more time to close.

The Classic condominium building downtown will be holding an auction of 28  units on June 27th.  The building is located at 25 Forest Street in downtown.

Auction is being held at the Stamford Marriott on June 27th.  You can find out additional information here: http://www.theclassicauction.com/

A quick look at a new single family home on Malvern Road (MAP LINK) which has just been listed for $649,900 ($259 a sq ft). The home is located just West of Sterling Farms Golf Course off of Vine road. Great neighborhood. The home last sold in 2000 for $510,000. My best guess is that this will sell for 10-13% off list price when looking at comparable homes recently sold.

HIGHLIGHTS:
4 Bedroom
3 Bath
2504 Square Feet
2 Car Attached Garage
Central Air
600 Sq ft finished basement

(Would help if they stand further back when taking a photo of the house!)

Click here for more info on this listing.

NOTE: I have no connection to these highlighted properties unless otherwise noted and often pick them randomly based on perceived interest level.

The Wall Street Journal recently released an interesting article highlighting the increase in the number of teardowns in Fairfield County. Positive signs as developers once again seek out affordable land to teardown old run down homes and erect new ones.

In Fairfield County’s commuter towns, new homeowners and real-estate developers are demolishing modest older houses so they can erect grander ones. Empty lots, marked by the telltale Dumpsters and mounds of dirt rising 20 feet high, are becoming a common sight again after a slowdown in so-called teardown activity during the recession.

Teardowns were popular during the housing boom, led by hedge-fund managers and bankers looking to build their dream homes in older, but prestigious, locations just a short train-ride from New York city. But as prices of land and the cost of construction surged, the practice came to a halt.

Now, however, “Land prices have come down to where it is feasible to do this again,” says Mark Victor, a local developer who recently bought and tore down one Westport home and is contract to buy—and demolish—another.

Link to full WSJ article

As with owning any home, there is always something to fix around the house. However, why is it such a chore just to find a suitable repair service? Assuming friends cannot provided a recommendation, I usually try AngiesList.org, which is probably the most reputable consumer review site on the internet for local contractors, plumbers, electricians, etc. The only problem is that whenever I do a search, very few local providers have reviews listed for them. Thus I am usually left searching Google Maps for names and phone numbers and forced to make service judgements based on their clever company name or vanity 800 number.

What amazes me is how nobody in Stamford seems to want my money. On multiple occasions, with multiple types of service, I have left messages for people or even had them come out for estimates only to leave me in the dark. For example, I recently needed to have a portion of the hardwood floor repaired in my kitchen. I called four companies, only two ever returned my phone call. Yet, the two that did, came out to my house but then never provided an estimate for the work. Thus, I am still waiting to have the repair done (know anybody?).

I experienced a similar situation when I recently reached out to several local companies for air conditioning repair work. One company never returned my phone call and another could not provide me with an appointment and insisted on calling me whenever their technician was available (meaning I was at their beckon call and would have to run home at their convenience). What happened to the recession? I thought people in these professions are begging for work? Are Stamford contractors doing that well right now that they can turn away most business?

Luckily I stumbled across “24 Hour Heating and Air Conditioning” in the online Yellow Pages. They were super courteous on the phone and were able to schedule an appointment the next day. They provided me a two hour window and arrived right when they said they would (even though they were coming from Danbury). Everything about the experience working with them was professional, from the cloth booties the technician wore inside the house to the extra time they took to explain everything. While this was my first time using them, I will definitely be calling them again should the need arise.

Through trial and error I have finally begun to have reliable local cast of contractors for various jobs, as time permits I will try to post more reviews of them here.

Here is a list of Stamford open houses for this weekend: LINK

UPDATE: SALE CANCELED

The once popular swim and tennis club in North Stamford is being auctioned off on May 1st. The club officially closed down roughly three years ago and the property has since been left vacant. What was once a nice swim and tennis club has now fallen into disrepair and has become a hangout for local hooligans. Legal troubles have apparently led to the club’s demise.

The city is now owed several years of back taxes, and they are auctioning it off on May 1. The property is roughly 13 acres and once included 6 tennis courts, two pools, two club houses, and a good size pond. The property now provides a rare opportunity to purchase 13 RA-1 zoned acres in Fairfield County.

I drove by the property and they have the following sign posted outside:

Sign reads that successful bidder will need to have $183,000 certified check at the time of the sale.

I think there is already an over abundance of swim and tennis clubs in Stamford, so I would be surprised if a developer would want to reopen as such. The property is a somewhat odd shape and includes protective wetlands, so not sure how conducive it would be to building multiple single family lots, this property may be better served as some type of school or retirement home.

(NOT OFFICIAL PHOTO)

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In following along the same theme as my last post, I thought we could take a look at the most expensive home for sale in Stamford. This distinction belongs to 236 Davenport Drive in the far west corner of Stamford (practically in Old Greenwich). For only $5,750,000 you can own a 5044 sq foot ($1139 per sq ft)  home right on Long Island Sound. Perfect for parking your yacht in the deep mooring dock and then taking a dip in your own private beach. Who needs spray tans?

The home last sold in August of 2006 for $5,200,000 which makes todays asking price a stretch considering virtually no homes in Stamford are selling for their 2006 values. The house has been on the market since September 2008 when it was originally listed at $6,750,000. In the last 365 days there have been 3 homes over $3,000,000 sold in Stamford and none over $4,000,000. Compare that to the same period in 2006 and 9 homes over $3,000,000 were sold. It is no surprise that the sales activity in the million dollar plus range has greatly suffered.

Quick Specs on 236 Davenport Drive:

Number of Rooms = 12

Number of Bedrooms = 5

Full Baths = 5

Half Baths = 2

Year Built = 1920

Taxes = $64,847 a year

More photos and information can be found here.

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The current title of most affordable single family home in Stamford goes to 66 Dale St. The house is located in the East Side area of Stamford in between 95 and Cummings Park.

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Listed as a short-sale at $268,880, this is a 3 Bedroom, 2 bath home with 1648 square feet ($164 a sq ft). Remarkably, it still has a relatively high tax bill of $5443 a year. The home was originally listed at $325,000 back in February of 2009. Like Peach?

More details on listing here.