Cheshire to Host Life Line Screenings

by Harriman Real Estate on February 10, 2010

As we advance in age, our bodies become more susceptible to the ravages of injury and disease. Some ailments make themselves known immediately: broken bones, sprains, head and muscle aches, etc. But there are other, more insidious, health issues that are not so readily apparent and that may not show outward symptoms for extended periods of time, sometimes until it’s too late. That’s when some simple tests can be your best defense against catastrophic illness.

Life Line Screening Could Save Your Life

LifeLineScrLife Line Screening is the leading provider of community-based preventive health screenings in the country, and they will be offering their services in Cheshire on Monday, March 1st, 2010. This potentially life-saving clinic will be held at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church at 59 Main Street in Cheshire and will be a one day only event.

Many people think that, if these screenings were really necessary, their doctor would order them done himself. However, most insurance companies will not pay for them unless there are noticeable symptoms. The problem is, only 1 in 5 people who have a stroke show symptoms or warning signs.

Available Screenings

The following screenings will be available:

  1. Stroke/Carotid Artery Screening (checks for build-up of fatty plaque, the leading cause of strokes)
  2. Heart Rhythm Screening (EKG test that checks for irregular heart rhythm, which can increase the risk of stroke by 5 times)
  3. Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Screening (Ultrasound test for the presence of an enlargement in the abdominal aorta that could lead to a ruptured aorta)
  4. Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD) Screening (checks for extreme plaque build-up in the lower extremities)

The cost for all four of these screenings is $139; an additional screening can be done for Osteoporosis (abnormal bone mass density) for an additional $10. The total time for all 5 screenings is approximately 1 – 1.5 hours.

Cardiovascular disease is the #1 killer of both men and women in this country, and a leading cause of permanent disability. Please take the time to have these important tests done now to ensure that you – or a loved one – is not at risk for cardiovascular disease. Remember this is a one day event, and pre-registration is required. Call 1-800-635-0475 today to schedule your screenings. The life you save may be your own.

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Wallingford PZC Approves CT’s First Sonic Drive-In

by Harriman Real Estate on February 8, 2010

Wallingford PZC Approves CT’s First Sonic Drive-In

The meeting at Wallingford’s Town Hall tonight was approaching the 2 hour mark. Many questions were posed by the commission to the applicants, some seemingly more than once. Residents spoke their minds about the proposal, both for and against it, and even though every question was answered and every concern addressed, the final decision of the Planning and Zoning Commission was still in doubt. Finally, at about 9:00 PM, the vote was taken. The first Sonic Drive-In in Connecticut was approved unanimously.

But, not without some conditions. The biggest stumbling block had been how the traffic volume would affect the location and Route 5, and one of the provisions for approval was to have a post-opening traffic study done that would detail what effect, if any, the opening of the restaurant would have during the soft launch and the grand opening. Another provision was to make granting of building permits for the other two buildings on the lot subject to the outcome of the traffic study. There were other provisions as well, including one for controlling access of trucks during the initial opening of the restaurant, and also one to move a proposed crosswalk to be used by the roller skating servers. I think there were a couple other minor ones, but the developers of the site, led by Robert Mesite, Engineer John Mancini and Attorney Dennis Ceneviva, agreed to accommodate them all.

As far as I could determine, the next, and hopefully final, step before construction can start is to submit the plan to the state (Department of Transportation, I believe) for approval of some of the traffic-related changes that are planned for the site before launch. It was not clear how long this process would take or if any other steps would need to be taken prior to beginning construction, but I’m sure a full report will be forthcoming from the Record-Journal in the next few days outlining what’s up next for the long-awaited eatery.

Congratulations to the entire Sonic development team on a great presentation, and we’ll be watching closely for new developments…or to catch that first Sonic burger hot off the grill!

(If anyone sees any inaccuracies in this post, please feel free to bring them to my attention and I will correct them!)

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Mortgage Rate Update 2/5/10

by Harriman Real Estate on February 5, 2010

mortgage_rates2

The biggest influence on mortgage rates this week came from outside the US. Concerns about the possible default of sovereign debt in smaller nations caused investors to seek the relative safety of US fixed income securities. This week’s economic data was roughly balanced in terms of positive and negative surprises. The added demand for safer investments helped mortgage rates move lower during the week.

The recession has impacted countries in different ways. Some of the hardest hit have been smaller European nations, such as Greece and Spain. As members of the European Union, they must adhere to certain restrictions which limit their flexibility to adjust domestic economic policy. As a result, some countries may be at risk of defaulting on government debt. Investors responded by buying relatively safer assets such as US bonds, including agency mortgage-backed securities (MBS). Investors also withdrew money from global stock markets during the week. In the US, the Dow fell about 200 points.

Friday’s important Employment report contained mixed news. Against a consensus forecast for a gain of 15K jobs, the economy lost -20K jobs in January. The big story, though, was an unexpected drop in the Unemployment Rate to 9.7% from 10.0% in December. Two separate sources of data are used to compute the change in jobs and the change in the unemployment rate, and during volatile periods the two methods can show widely divergent results. The decline in the unemployment rate in January was viewed as very good news by many economists, pointing to an improving labor market. On a more negative note, revisions to older data showed that the economy has lost 8.4 million jobs since the start of the recession in December 2007, from the previous reported level of 7.2 million.

For expert assistance with your financing needs, call our in-house mortgage executive, Rick Cannavaro, at (203) 672-2706.

Click here to send a secure online mortgage application.

Here are this week’s rates:

Friday, February 5th, 2010

All rate quotes are for a 60-day lock with 0 points, 5% down payment, and a 720 FICO score.

Conforming limits are up to a $417,000 loan limit*

30 yr conforming fixed: rate = 4.875% APR = 5.134%

15 yr conforming fixed: rate = 4.375% APR = 4.662%

7/1 yr conforming ARM: rate = 4.250% APR = 4.641%

5/1 yr conforming ARM: rate = 3.875% APR = 4.227%

30 yr FHA Fixed : rate = 4.875 APR = 5.120%

30 yr CHFA w/ 1 pt : rate = 4.375% APR = 4.698%

———————————————————–

Jumbo loan limits range from $417,001 to $1,000,000*

30 yr jumbo fixed: rate = 5.625% APR = 6.010%

15 yr jumbo fixed: rate = 5.125% APR = 5.357%

7/1 yr jumbo ARM: rate = 4.750% APR =5.224%

———————————————————————————

CHFA (Connecticut Housing Finance Authority) rates for the week of February 4 – 10 , 2010

Homebuyer Mortgage Plan:

Interest rate: 4.375 % (APR range 4.475 – 4.875%)

Fees: Up to One Point (1% Origination Fee) * Payable to Lender

Term – 30 years, fixed rate

Downpayment Assistance Program (DAP)

(Rate listed is for DAP loans with Homebuyer Mortgage Program financing.)

Interest rate: 4.375 % (APR range 4.475 – 4.875%)

Fees: Up to $2000 Application Fee * Payable to Lender

Term – 30 years, fixed rate

(NOTE: If at any time the interest rate for the Homebuyer Mortgage Program exceeds 6%, the DAP interest rate will be capped at 6%.)

* Additional fees may apply

*Conforming loan limits listed above are for a single-family owner occupied residence.

Courtesy of The Harriman Team and William Raveis Mortgage

*All rates are subject to change. Minimum down payment and credit score requirements may apply. All information provided is deemed reliable but is not guaranteed and should be independently verified .

William Raveis Real Estate, 465 S. Main St., Cheshire, CT 06410

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Just Listed: 25 Laura Rd, Hamden CT

by Harriman Real Estate on January 27, 2010

Spectacular custom ranch home on 17+ acres. Home offers spacious rooms including living room with bay window, kitchen with island open to family room, master bedroom with bath and 2 walk-in closets, large sunroom, 31×24 rec room (perfect for home theater), newer furnace and central air. Home great for in-law set up.

For more info or to schedule an appointment to see this awesome property, please call Pat at (203) 672-4499! To see other homes listed by The Harriman Team, please go to our web site!

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Mortgage Rate Update 1/22/10

by Harriman Real Estate on January 23, 2010

mortgage_rates2

While the economic data released this week had little impact, mortgage rates were heavily influenced by two big stories. One was an announcement that China will take steps to slow its economic growth and the other was President Obama’s proposed new restrictions on the activities of financial institutions. Both measures are expected to lead to slower economic growth in the US, which hurt the stock market but helped fixed income markets. As a result, mortgage rates ended a little lower.

During the week, China released a report showing that its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) grew at an 8.7% pace in 2009. Rapid growth generally leads to higher inflation. In an effort to slow its economy and prevent inflation, China announced that it is going to curb bank lending. China currently has the third largest economy and is responsible for a significant percentage of global economic growth, so the effects of a slowdown in China will be felt around the world. In the US, President Obama proposed to limit the size and activities of large banks to reduce the risks to the financial system as a whole. If passed by Congress, this too would lead to slower growth for many large US financial services firms. The potential for slower economic growth and the resulting reduction in inflationary pressures was favorable for mortgage rates.

To build capital and reduce risk, the FHA announced that it will raise insurance rates and tighten credit score requirements. The major changes include increasing upfront premiums from 1.75% to 2.25%, reducing the maximum seller contribution from 6% to 3%, and increasing the level of FICO scores from 500 to 580 below which a down payment of 10% is required. At this point, the expected timing of the upfront premium increase will be in the spring, and the other changes will take place over the summer.

For expert assistance with your financing needs, call our in-house mortgage executive, Rick Cannavaro, at (203) 672-2706.

Click here to send a secure online mortgage application.

Here are this week’s rates:

Friday, January 22nd, 2010

All rate quotes are for a 60-day lock with 0 points, 5% down payment, and a 720 FICO score.

Conforming limits are up to a $417,000 loan limit*

30 yr conforming fixed: rate = 4.875% APR = 5.134%

15 yr conforming fixed: rate = 4.375% APR = 4.662%

7/1 yr conforming ARM: rate = 4.250% APR = 4.641%

5/1 yr conforming ARM: rate = 3.875% APR = 4.227%

30 yr FHA Fixed : rate = 4.875 APR = 5.120%

30 yr CHFA w/ 1 pt : rate = 4.375% APR = 4.698%

———————————————————–

Jumbo loan limits range from $417,001 to $1,000,000*

30 yr jumbo fixed: rate = 5.625% APR = 6.010%

15 yr jumbo fixed: rate = 5.125% APR = 5.357%

7/1 yr jumbo ARM: rate = 4.750% APR =5.224%

———————————————————————————

CHFA (Connecticut Housing Finance Authority) rates for the week of January 21 – 27 , 2010

Homebuyer Mortgage Plan:

Interest rate: 4.375 % (APR range 4.475 – 4.875%)

Fees: Up to One Point (1% Origination Fee) * Payable to Lender

Term – 30 years, fixed rate

Downpayment Assistance Program (DAP)

(Rate listed is for DAP loans with Homebuyer Mortgage Program financing.)

Interest rate: 4.375 % (APR range 4.475 – 4.875%)

Fees: Up to $2000 Application Fee * Payable to Lender

Term – 30 years, fixed rate

(NOTE: If at any time the interest rate for the Homebuyer Mortgage Program exceeds 6%, the DAP interest rate will be capped at 6%.)

* Additional fees may apply

*Conforming loan limits listed above are for a single-family owner occupied residence.

Courtesy of The Harriman Team and William Raveis Mortgage

*All rates are subject to change. Minimum down payment and credit score requirements may apply. All information provided is deemed reliable but is not guaranteed and should be independently verified .

William Raveis Real Estate, 465 S. Main St., Cheshire, CT 06410

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VIDEO: Housing Affordability for the 2010 Market

by Harriman Real Estate on January 20, 2010

Chris Raveis, Managing Partner, William Raveis NY, MA & Affiliates, presents an analysis of housing affordability for the 2010 market:

If you have specific questions about our local housing market, please give The Harriman Team a call today at (203)-672-4499.

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Wallingford Sonic Appeal Passes ZBA

by Harriman Real Estate on January 19, 2010

UPDATE: Wallingford PZC Approves Sonic Application

So, my wife and I just got back from attending the Zoning Board of Appeals meeting at the Wallingford Town Hall. After an hour of sitting in some rather uncomfortable auditorium chairs, we got the news we had been waiting for:

The Zoning Board of Appeals has passed the variance request we told you about here, and the march to opening Connecticut’s first Sonic Drive-In now moves on to the next Planning & Zoning Committee hearing next month.

We heard opening comments from the ZBA, then Attorney Dennis Ceneviva presented the request for the variance to the board, accompanied by Robert Mesite, managing partner of Sonic of CT, and a gentleman from the engineering firm (whose name I did not get) who will work on the project. There was some initial concern from the board chairman which was quickly allayed, and just one question about the proposed hours of operation from another board member. Then, a Wallingford resident, Ken (sorry Ken, didn’t get your last name!), addressed the board in support of passing the variance request. With little further comment or discussion, the board voted unanimously to allow the variance.

This is great news for all Sonic lovers in Connecticut, and hopefully this was the last big hurdle to overcome before construction can begin. Actually, I think there’s going to be a traffic study done to see if the traffic on Route 5 will be adversely affected by Sonic’s opening, but I don’t think that will be a problem. Most new places that open have initial surges in traffic until the novelty wears off, then it pretty much goes back to normal; it shouldn’t be any different with Sonic.

Kudos to Attorney Ceneviva and Robert and Ralph Mesite for keeping the Wallingford Sonic project on course, and to our new friend Ken for his staunch support of their efforts. Thanks to them, it’s looking more and more like a Cherry Limeade and Sonic burger are in my future plans!

The next meeting on the Sonic project is scheduled for February 8th at 7 P.M. at the Wallingford Town Hall. At this point the meeting is most likely a formality since the P&Z committee did not vote against the Sonic development at the first meeting, they simply wanted more input. Since tonight’s meeting gave them that input, it should be smooth sailing from here on!

VIVA LA SONIQUE!!

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Help for Haiti

by Harriman Real Estate on January 18, 2010

How You Can Help the People of Haiti

On January 12th, a magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck about 10 miles outside Port-au-Prince, Haiti’s capital city, causing massive destruction and the loss of thousands of lives.  The images of carnage and despair caused by this disaster (like the one below) have affected millions and moved them to contribute in whatever way they can to the relief effort.

If you haven’t yet made a contribution, but want to, here are some ways you can do it:

Image courtesy of The Huffington Post

1) Text “HAITI” to 90999 to have $10 added to your mobile phone bill;

2) Go to the Red Cross web site and click the “Donate Now” button to make a donation;

3) Call 1-800-RED-CROSS (1-800-733-2767) to donate, or 1-800-257-7575 for a Spanish speaking representative.

4) Text “YELE” to 501501 to donate $5 to Wyclef Jean’s Yele Haiti Earthquake Fund. (There has been some question as to the accounting practices of this group. I just want you to be aware of it, I’m not passing judgment. See Wyclef Jean’s response here.)

5) Go to Yele’s web site to make a donation;

6) Support Doctors Without Borders in their efforts to assist the humanitarian effort in Haiti. (Go to Doctors Without Borders or click the widget in the first sidebar over to the right of this post.) Actress Sandra Bullock donated $1,000,000 to this organization.

7) Go to one of the many web sites listed on Interaction.org to find alternative ways to assist in this massive effort.

8) While not a donation site itself, if you’re on Facebook you can become a fan of the Global Disaster Relief fan page. (There is a meme running through Facebook that said copying a certain status to your own profile would donate $1 to the relief effort; this is NOT true.)

There are many more ways to make a donation of money or time to this cause, this is only meant to be a sampling of the more visible ones. Please help if you can; if you can’t then please keep the people of Haiti in your thoughts and prayers.

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Wallingford ZBA Hearing on Sonic Variance

by Harriman Real Estate on January 16, 2010

Don’t forget to attend the ZBA meeting Tuesday night at 7 o’clock at the Wallingford Town Hall. Bring all your Sonic lovin’ friends!

“The Wallingford Zoning Board of Appeals will hold the following public hearings at their meeting of Tuesday, January 19, 2010 at 7:00 p.m. in the Robert Earley Auditorium, Town Hall, 45 South Main Street. 1. #09-061 Variance request from Mesite Family Limited Partnership for a front yard landscaped area of 25 feet where 50 feet is required (Section 4.16.E.1.a.1), to allow for the proposed site development (Sonic Drive-In, retail/bank building, and office building) at 1033 North Colony Road. Zoned RF-40 2.”

Wallingford Town Hall

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Just Listed: 463 Swain Ave., Meriden CT

by Harriman Real Estate on January 13, 2010

Beautiful brick home with energy efficient features. This move-in ready home has new propane heating system and electric heat backup, newer thermopane windows, 2 fireplaces and a whole house fan. Gleaming hardwood floors, a 3 car gar, deck and nice level lot round out this wonderful home. Walkout lower level adds 346 sf of livable space. Call Pat at 203-672-4499 for more info.

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