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Some interesting real estate statistics, courtesy of KMS Partners @ Compass:
Between January 1 and June 30, Westport’s total volume of single-family homes was $493,710,999. An additional $17,508,061 worth of condos and townhouses was sold.
That’s a 78% jump from 2020 for homes, and a 141% increases for condos/ townhouses.
The number of sales (267 for homes, 28 for condos etc.) represents rises of 34 and 87%, respectively.
The median sales prices of homes ($1.575 million) and condos/townhouses ($493,000) are up 30 and 4 percent from 2020, respectively.
Single family homes were on the market for a median of 33 days; condos etc., 65.
The most expensive home sale recorded last week in Westport was 10 Gray Lane, off Sasco Creek Road. It fetched $10 million.
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There are changes cooking at Balducci’s.
The gourmet grocery store is changing 3 of its 6 registers to self-serve.
Staff members have been asked to stay Tuesday night, to work on the store’s remodeling. A source says, “No one in the store knows what that will be.”
Last fall, Acmme Markets bought 9 Balducci’s stores on the East Coast. They said they would not change the name — or the quality of the goods.
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Weston resident Ed Whitley is global head of content partnerships for Bridgeman Images. They represent over 2,500 museums, galleries and artists around the world.
He had a great — and pleasant surprise — yesterday, at Weston’s inaugural Art Fine Arts Festival. One of his own contemporary artists — Ben Bonart — exhibited.
Yesterday’s festival included Weston’s own José Feliciano, in his first live performance since the pandemic struck.
The Weston Fine Arts Festival continues today, through 5 p.m. on School Road.
Ben Bonart (left) at the Weston Fine Arts Festival, with Edward and Susie Whitley,
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Congratulations to Westport Little League’s champion 10U All-Star district team. They won the title Friday, beating Fairfield National. with a score of 14 to 1 beating Fairfield National.
Team members are Dylan Burdeshaw, Brody Chiupsa, Miles Delorier, Henry Ellis, Justin Goldshore, Christopher Lambert, Chase Landgraf, Jack McGratah, Luke Moneyhon, Noah Smith, Grant Theisinger, Nolan Walters and Wes Walters. Coaches are Justin Walters, Marc Theisinger and Dave Smith.
Next up: the sectional tournament.
Westport Little League district champs!
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Speaking of sports: Two soccer events yesterday highlighted the importance of the game for all youngsters, regardless of physical or mental disability, or socioeconomic status.
Staples High School boys team tri-captain Bruno Guiduli continued his fundraising and awareness campaign for TOPSoccer, a national program for players with intellectual, physical or emotional challenges.
Bruno began his efforts in November. He brought his specially made goal — with the “O” in “TOP”soccer cut out — to Wakeman Field. Four hours later, his total raised passed $3,000.
Bruno Guiduli, with some of his TOPSoccer supporters/kickers. (Photo/Barry Guiduli)
A couple of hours later at Cesar Batalla School in Bridgeport, 1999 Staples High School grad — and former MLS pro/national team player — Kyle Martino unveiled his Over Under Initiative.
Martino designed a goal that converts any basketball court into a field for soccer, street hockey or handball. It’s easy to set up, and — through his non-profit foundation — will provide access to added recreational opportunities for millions of underserved youth.
The Cesar Batalla court is the first in the nation. Martino was joined by Bridgeport superintendent of schools Michael Testani, coaches and players from Beachside Soccer Club, and — of course — a ton of eager kids.
Youngsters play at Cesar Batalla School’s new multi-sport court. The soccer goal can be pulled out of the ground, then sunk back into the ground, with ease.
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Add one more local name to the list of 2021 Emmy nominees: Michael Lonsdale.
The longtime Westporter is up for Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Variety Series or Special. He was the production mixer on HBO’s “David Byrne’s American Utopia.
Emmy Award
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Today’s “Westport … Naturally” photo comes from Thursday’s “06880” blog party. This guy tried to crash the event. He’s lucky he didn’t end up cooked.
(Photo/Isabelle Alvarado)
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And finally … happy 82nd birthday to Dion DiMucci. Known just by one name, Dion made his mark as a doo-wop singer with the Belmonts.
In 1968 he shifted gears, recording a song memorializing 4 slain American heroes: Abraham Lincoln, John F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King and Bobby Kennedy.
Dion is lucky to have made it past 19. In early February 1959, he was part of a star-studded “Dance Party” tour. When asked to spend $36 on a flight from Clear Lake, Iowa to the next stop, Dion said no to the extravagance. He took the tour bus.
The plane crashed, killing all on board: Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, J.W. “The Big Bopper” Richardson, and pilot Roger Peterson.
I have a couple of comments about the 10 million dollar home that sold. First of all, it’s like living in a fishbowl. Anyone driving by can determine what color socks you’re wearing. Also, a little story I like to tell about “ expensive” houses is the one that sold for 93 million in Palm Beach, around 2008. It was situated on two acres and the buyer, a Russian, tore it down! It was a 93 million dollar tear down. The seller was one Donald Trump. Google it.
To add to the story about Dion. When he was asked to pay the money for the plane ride, it happened to be the same amount his parents were paying every month for the place they were living in back in New York. That supposedly was the determining factor. I met Dion’s sister in West Palm around 2009.
I hate it when Dan posts something and I’m the only one who comments! HELP.. someone write a comment! Don’t let me be the only one.
Jack. I was going to write something.
We’ve had some ridiculous sales of houses that have become teardowns.
For example 7 Surf Rd Westport Saugatuck Shores 4 million dollar teardown. It’s a (was) 1968 2 story house in a flood zone. Now going for 7.9 million for the new house now I see a new price of 9.5 million. It’s for the type of house or a misprint.
Bermuda Point as known as 62 Bermuda Rd Westport Saugatuck Shores also a flood zone. It’s original price the was 12 million now marked down to 10 million. I found the original property transfer back in 2013 for 1.3 million.
Quite a price jump.
The prices are just obscene and ridiculous. I’m just scratching the surface. They’re out bidding each other for homes which makes it difficult for young families and older ones looking for something smaller.
Now developers are taking the manageable smaller homes that use less electric and building huge homes that need and use more water, electricity and have automatic sprinkler systems which is taking away from the water table.
The smaller manageable homes could be renovated and addition put on and still not cost ridiculous amounts of money.
There’s a lovely large house in Simsbury on 30 acres for 2 million and you can probably build your own beach, wave pool with sand.
Wendy, The words ‘flood zone’ scare me. Where I lived in Florida, there was about a 150 yard stretch of South Ocean Blvd. that was below sea level. You had to walk up a slight incline to get to the ocean and the beach. The side of the road was always wet. This was adjacent to the hotel EAU PALM BEACH, which actually was in Manalapan. That’s the hotel President Xi of China stayed in when he visited Mar a Lago. (Actually Xi rented out the whole hotel for two nights.)
A recent song by Dion, with Paul Simon: https://youtu.be/bpsVSLUOCGA
It’s interesting that a Russian would overpay by millions for a home owned by Donald Trump. Would you be surprised if prosecutors and investigators have that on their list of items to look for as they study Trump documents for signs of money laundering and other crimes?
If you Google it, you can get the Russian’s name. He tore down a 93 million dollar home on two acres! I think Trump bought it for half the price he sold it for.
I Googled it. It was a 6.3 acre property in total. The Russian oligarch subsequently subdivided it into 3 properties and sold them for around $109MM. Not a great deal given carrying costs but not a complete disaster.
Interestingly, a “spec house” on one of those 3 lots apparently just sold for $122MM last Friday so whoever the Russian sold it to (assuming it was an unrelated party) did a whole lot better.
Bill, What’s interesting is that housing prices and land prices tumbled by 2008 in Florida. It was a blood bath and the bankruptcy courts ended up being backed up for three years! In my humble opinion, I’d bet that 93 million could have been negotiated lower.
No doubt had he waited until the collapse of Bear Stearns and Lehman later in 2008, he could have gotten a much better price. Still by early 2008, both the commercial and residential real estate markets were falling apart though unique high end properties often defy logic, particularly if sold to someone looking for safe havens to park large sums of money. There is a lot of largely unoccupied high end real estate in Manhattan owned by, among others, Russians.
Senator Wyden, the Democratic senator from Oregon, wanted the Treasury Department, in 2018, to hand over records relating to President Trump’s sale of the Palm Beach estate that he bought for $41 million and then sold to a Russian oligarch for $95 million only four years later. That was from a Newsweek article from 2018. I did a little Googling myself.
As the agent who represented the buyer of the luxury home photographed I can say that there are aspects of the current local real estate environment that represent a fundamental shift and not just an uptick in pricing. Having represented the most buyers of any agent in 2021 in Westport it’s apparent to me that clients are less noise sensitive and features such a detached garage are no longer deal killers. Happy to discuss with anyone who wants to listen as this is what I do and I just love it!!