Wallingford Sonic Drive-In Breaks Sales Records

This past Saturday, July 24th, the Wallingford Sonic Drive-In held a one day Special Grand Opening event from 6 AM to midnight. I figured this event would be well attended, even packed to the gills. It seems I was right.

Today, everyone who is signed up for Sonic’s email newsletter received the following email, and it was also posted on the Sonic of CT web site:

“We would like to thank all of our Sonic Drive-In Fans and Customers  who came out to support our ‘Special Grand Opening Event’ on Saturday the 24th.

Because of you, the Wallingford, CT store broke the record for the highest sales in one day for any Sonic Drive-in across the country!

The CT store beat the record that was previously held by Peabody, MA!

We would like you to know we appreciate all your support and business and are proud to have ‘The Sonic Experience’ a part of CT”

Thank you to all our Fans and supporters!!

Sincerely and with Great Appreciation,

The Mesite Family, The Sonic Management Team, Staff and The A-Team Members”

Well, I’d say that’s a pretty good indication of good attendance! It’s saying a lot that the Wallingford store broke a record for ALL Sonic restaurants throughout the United States. That’s over 3,500 locations and counting! But, there is scuttlebutt going around that the record won’t last long, as residents of both the upcoming Manchester and Milford locations are boasting that each will break Wallingford’s record. Will they or won’t they?

I’m betting NO. What do YOU think?

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Post from: Wallingford Wired©2009 by Pat & Wayne Harriman

Wallingford Sonic Drive-In Breaks Sales Record

I just wanted to post a little update regarding the progress of the Wallingford Sonic Drive-In construction. Back on May 17th I attended the ground breaking ceremony for the new restaurant, and at that time the site looked like this:

Lots of bare ground and nothing really going on. So, yesterday I drove by and took a few shots of what’s been done so far:

I know, still not much to look at, but it shows some progress being made in erecting the building and supports for the canopy. As far as we have heard, Sonic of CT is still shooting for a grand opening during the 4th of July weekend, but I have a gut feeling that deadline won’t be met, judging by the level of completion and that the 4th of July is only 12 days away, but I guess we’ll see!

Sonic recently had a couple of job fairs to interview for managerial, carhop, and crew positions on June 15th and 17th at the Villa Capri Restaurant, and comments left on their Facebook page indicated they had received well over 1200 applications for what are probably well under 100 positions! A few people commented that they had been hired, so I guess they weren’t messing around sifting through those applications!

We’ll post again when more information about the opening is made public. See you guys soon for a Cherry Limeade!

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Post from: Wallingford Wired©2009 by Pat & Wayne Harriman

Update on Construction of Wallingford Sonic

Harriman Real Estate, LLC Welcomes Laura Ritter!

Back in August of 2009, Pat had the good fortune of helping Laura Ritter buy a condo in Southbury. The transaction was an easy one as most home sales go, and Pat and Laura hit it off right away, becoming friends and keeping in touch via phone, e-mail and Facebook. Laura said that she had always had an interest in selling real estate, and Pat encouraged her to take the required classes and exams and perhaps, when she got her license, come work for her.

Now, nine months later, that is exactly what has come to pass. Laura recently passed her state licensing test, so it is with great pleasure that we welcome Laura Ritter as the newest member of the Harriman Real Estate family.

While new to real estate, Laura has a background in both the public and private sectors, having been a Marketing Coordinator for Pitney Bowes and also operating her own business, “Findings”, an antique store she owned in Seymour for three years. She has an Associate degree in Business Administration and a certificate in Electronics Technology, and while with Pitney Bowes she was presented with their Vision Award for her out-of-the-box thinking. People with such a variety of credentials are just the type of person we value at Harriman Real Estate, and we know she will add much to our successes.

Laura has four children and five grandchildren and counts kayaking, world travel and reading about political history among her hobbies. We are proud that she will be carrying the Harriman Real Estate banner in her hometown of Southbury, as well as Woodbury, Roxbury, Newtown, Southford, Middlebury, Waterbury, Watertown, Danbury, Bethel, New Milford, and Bridgewater.

Laura can be reached by phone at (203) 241-8153, or by email at lritter@harrimanre.com.

WELCOME TO THE FAMILY, LAURA!!!

Post from: Wallingford Wired©2009 by Pat & Wayne Harriman

Harriman Real Estate, LLC Welcomes Laura Ritter!

Sonic of CT Breaks Ground for New Wallingford Drive-In

Well, whatever speculation there might have been about the coming of Sonic to Wallingford is officially over. At 3PM Monday afternoon, dignitaries from Sonic, the Mesite family and local government gathered together for a ground breaking ceremony to herald the coming of the long-awaited eatery.

Robert Mesite, his brother Ralph, sister Gina and mother Rosalie were all on hand, as well as his wife and children, several Sonic officials, Wallingford Mayor William Dickinson, Senator Len Fasano and Representative Mary Fritz. Gina made some opening remarks, followed by Robert and Ralph. Then the mike was turned over to the politicos who offered congratulations and well wishes.

The family then took the ceremonial spades and dug into the pile of earth in front of them, tossing it on the pile and  marking the construction site officially open as cameras from the major news channels recorded the event. As you all know, this is the first Sonic drive-in for the state, but it won’t be the last. Robert Mesite stated that there are plans to open an additional seven restaurants in Connecticut, with the next one scheduled for Manchester. He said that Sonic moves “at the speed of sound”, and plans to prove it: the Wallingford drive-in is scheduled to open during the first week of July, a scant seven weeks away.

We know we can’t wait for it to open, and there are scores more who feel the same way. We took some pictures of the ceremony, some of which are included in this post. If you’d like to see the entire set of photos, please head over to my Facebook page. We also took some video, which I have included here. I shot it with my Flip camera, so try to look past the slight shakiness!

All in all, it was a fitting launch to Wallingford’s chapter of the Sonic experience, and I hope to see you all at the Grand Opening in July! Keep checking back here regularly, as I’ll be posting more info regarding the opening as it becomes available.

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Post from: Wallingford Wired©2009 by Pat & Wayne Harriman

Sonic of CT Breaks Ground for New Wallingford Drive-In

Harriman Real Estate, LLC Welcomes Paula Eisner!

The weather is turning nice. The Tax Credit is history, except for qualified military personnel. Baseball is in full swing, the NHL and NBA are in full play-off mode and the NFL just held their draft. Can there be any better news than all this?

YOU BET!

Hot on the heels of our announcement of Sue Farone joining us, it is our pleasure to again roll out the red carpet and welcome Paula Eisner to the Harriman Real Estate family. This is a homecoming of sorts for Paula; she started out 7 years ago working with Pat at Prudential CT Realty, then became a valued member of The Harriman Team before leaving for a short time. Now that we have started Harriman Real Estate, it is great to welcome her back into the fold.

In addition to her real estate knowledge, Paula brings a wealth of experience in many disciplines to the table, including Customer Service, Purchasing and Nursing, to name a few. She is also an active supporter of Women in Business and the Meriden Police Benevolent Association.

A long-time Meriden resident, Paula has three children, eight grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. She will be providing superior service to her clients in Meriden and Wallingford, as well as several surrounding towns, and we are extremely happy to have her back!

Paula can be reached by phone at (203) 631-5495, or by email at peisner@harrimanre.com.

WELCOME BACK, PAULA!!!

Post from: Wallingford Wired©2009 by Pat & Wayne Harriman

Harriman Real Estate, LLC Welcomes Paula Eisner!

Wallingford Sonic Drive-In Closer to Reality

Today on their Facebook page, Sonic of CT posted some news that is sure to please the hungry multitudes that have been waiting with bated breath for the popular eatery to open. According to their post, owner and developer Robert Mesite plans to break ground for the new restaurant within the week, and an opening date is anticipated within the following two months. That would place the serving of the first burger and Cherry Limeade sometime in July, a little behind the June opening that was originally hoped for. But at least now there’s a time frame in place, giving some definite form to the upcoming schedule of events. Can the Grand Opening be far behind??

Stay tuned to this space for additional updates as they come available!

(Sonic trivia: did you know that, before she was on American Idol, Kelly Pickler was a Sonic carhop in Albemarle, NC?)

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Post from: Wallingford Wired©2009 by Pat & Wayne Harriman

Wallingford Sonic Drive-In Closer to Reality

[Ever since we had our home energy audit done back in November, we’ve gotten several more solicitations from companies offering to do one for us, and only charge us $75. Luckily, since we are Wallingford residents our energy audit cost us nothing, as the cost was covered by the town. As we’ve said before, energy audits are a great service that can pinpoint the places in your home that can rob you of precious heat and allow you to have them fixed.

But, are the audits done through the utility companies all they’re cracked up to be? After a conversation with our good friend and home inspector extraordinaire Jim Quarello, we’re not so sure. Jim was kind enough to provide us with a professional’s viewpoint and has allowed us to publish it here.]

Are the Utility Companies Duping the Public?

by James Quarello, ASHI Certified CT Home Inspector

As everyone is well aware, the cost of energy has gone significantly higher in the last couple of years. This has spurred an interest in energy conservation. A little late in my opinion, kind of like closing the door after the dog gets out, but I digress.

Because higher energy costs hit everyone where it hurts, their wallet, the utility companies have been forced through public outcry to offer some kind of relief. Now I do not know what is being done or proposed in other states across the nation, I will only be focusing on where I live and work, Connecticut.

What has been instituted in Connecticut through the two major electric utilities, Connecticut Light & Power (CL&P) and United Illuminating (UI) is a program titled Home Energy Solutions (HES). This is touted by the utilities as; “A Comprehensive Service to Help Lower Your Energy Bills”.

The HES program is funded through the Connecticut Energy Efficiency Fund (CEEF). The CEEF is financially supported by all CL&P and UI customers through the conservation charge on their electric bills and paid for by customers of Connecticut Natural Gas, Southern Connecticut Gas and Yankee Gas. In other words, the customers are paying for this service. In essence, it’s a give back.

The service, however, is not free; there is a charge of $75 for most customers, with the only exception that I’m aware of being for Wallingford Electric Division (WED) customers. This program is free for those lucky enough to have WED as their electric provider.

The cost of the program is a bargain and I encourage everyone to take advantage of this service with one caveat: do not expect to save much money on your utility bills after the job has been completed.

The focus of the program is repairs to the home. Not specific repairs identified for each individual home, but more a blanket approach. The web page explaining what the program encompasses states:

The service may include, followed by a list of energy repairs and upgrades.

The most significant and impressive of these is the blower door assisted air sealing. Unfortunately, the job is focused on finding big leaks in order to drop the reading a few hundred points. The job performed is in no way complete or comprehensive.

The purpose of this dissection of the HES program is to provide understanding to homeowners in Connecticut who are seeking relief on their energy costs. The utility companies are selling the perception that this program will provide a significant and comprehensive solution to homeowner’s high energy costs. This, in fact,, is not the case.

As a home energy auditor/inspector, I have performed many audits on homes after the HES program was completed. The homeowners contacted my company because:

1. Their energy bills were still high and they were dissatisfied, and
2. They were seeking advice from a knowledgeable, independent energy professional

My company conducts a service called the Home Energy Tune-uP, a comprehensive energy efficiency improvement analysis specific to the individual home. No repairs are performed; instead,, the energy wasting culprits are first identified and then a report is assembled in which each available cost effective energy saving measure is charted. What in effect is presented to the customer is a pin point plan of how and where they can save money on energy in their home.

The other, and most important, aspect of the Tune-uP service is the fact it is performed by Connecticut licensed home inspectors, not contractors (who are not licensed). Home inspectors analyze homes almost every day. In order to perform their jobs, home inspectors must be knowledgeable on the plethora of components and systems found in a home. As a licensed profession this requires initially obtaining formal training and doing an in field apprenticeship followed by continuing education in order to maintain the license.

So, are the utility companies duping the public? Maybe a little, but it’s always been caveat emptor, buyer beware. The utility customer should research the program to understand the scope and focus of the service. It is certainly worthwhile for every utility customer to take advantage of the program. If the homeowner is seeking solutions and expert advice, a Home Energy Tune-uP should be the first step to resolving their high energy costs. In fact, having a Tune-uP done before the HES program would provide the homeowner education on precisely what their home needs to be more energy efficient.

[Thanks to Jim for this article. If anyone is interested in availing themselves of his services, Jim can be reached at (203) 697-1147 or through his web site at JRV Home Inspections.]

Post from: Wallingford Wired©2009 by Pat & Wayne Harriman

Are the Utility Companies Duping the Public?

Too late.

Unfortunately, the credit card companies have known for some time that this was coming and acted accordingly: they hurriedly raised people’s interest rates when they were late making payments, jacking up rates to over 30% in some cases (which borders on usury), and adding millions in fees to consumer accounts before the law went into effect today. So, while this law will hopefully curtail this shady activity going forward – and even that is not a certainty – the damage has, for the most part, already been done.

Many cardholders have seen their initial interest rates, which were well below 10% in many cases, balloon to 25-30% for being late with one or two payments. Even people who had never missed a payment before were suddenly seeing their rates skyrocket, and with no warning. I’m all for showing restraint and responsibility in personal spending and credit use, but where do you draw the line? How are a couple of missed or late payments worth a 300% increase in your interest rate? When does it end? Well, hopefully today. Only time will tell.

(Disclosure: We are credit card users. We have had the rate on several of our cards increased. Yes, it hurts.)

Here is a summary of the new rules provided by http://banking.senate.gov:

What the Credit Card Act Means for Consumers

On February 22, sweeping new rules to protect American consumers from abusive credit card practices will go into effect.  Required by Senator Chris Dodd’s Credit Card Accountability, Responsibility, and Disclosure Act, these new regulations will put an end to the deceptive and unfair practices that have driven many families into debt and establish clear new rules of the road to give consumers the information they need to make educated decisions when it comes to their credit cards.

What American consumers can expect under the Credit CARD Act:

UNFAIR INTEREST RATE HIKES PREVENTED

·         Interest rate hikes on existing balances will be prohibited unless the cardholder is more than 60 days late in making a payment.

·         Universal default, the practice of raising interest rates on customers if they are late paying an unrelated bill such as a car loan or a utility bill, will be prohibited for existing balances.

·         Teaser rates will be required to last for at least 6 months, and credit card companies will be prohibited from increasing rates in the first year after a credit card account is opened.

CLEAR RULES OF THE ROAD

·         Billing statements will clearly display payment due dates and late payment penalties, and credit card agreements must be posted on the company’s websites.

·         Monthly statements will also warn cardholders about how long it will take them to pay off their balances if they only make the minimum payments.

·         Credit card companies will be required to notify cardholders 45 days before changing terms of their accounts, giving cardholders time to shop around for a better deal and opt-out of the changes, and allowing cardholders to close their accounts and pay off the balance under their current terms. Cardholders will generally have at least five years to pay off the balance.

FAIR PAYMENT PRACTICES

·         Statements must be mailed out 21 days prior to the bill’s due date.

·         Credit card companies will no longer be able to set early morning or other arbitrary deadlines for payments.

·         Any payments in excess of the minimum payment must be applied to the customer’s credit card balance with the highest interest rate, rather than applying payments to customer’s balance with the lowest interest rate as many companies currently do to rake in greater profits.

LIMITED FEES

·         Card companies will generally be prohibited from charging fees to pay bills by mail, telephone, or electronic transfer.

·         Penalty fees will be reasonable and proportional to the omission or violation.

·         Customers will be able to choose whether or not they want over-the-limit fees on their account.  Those who do not opt for these fees will have transactions rejected if they exceed their credit limit.

NEW PROTECTION FOR YOUNG ADULTS

·         For applicants under 21, credit card companies will be required to obtain an application that contains the signature of a parent or guardian or information showing that the applicant has the financial resources to repay the debt.

·         Card companies will be prohibited from offering free gifts in exchange for credit card applications on college campuses, cracking down on misleading marketing tactics.

Post from: Wallingford Wired©2009 by Pat & Wayne Harriman

New Credit CARD Act Takes Effect Today

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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Post from: Wallingford Wired©2009 by Pat & Wayne Harriman

Wallingford PZC Approves CT’s First Sonic Drive-In

This week’s economic news was mixed for mortgage markets. A speech from Fed Chief Bernanke pushed mortgage rates lower early in the week, but weak results in the Treasury auctions caused them to turn higher again later in the week. In the end, mortgage rates finished with little net change.

Despite a stronger than expected November Employment report released on Friday, December 4, Bernanke came out on Monday and repeated the Fed’s plans to maintain the fed funds rate at extremely low levels for an extended period of time. According to Bernanke, the Fed still expects the labor market to improve very slowly, so they are reluctant to remove monetary stimulus by raising rates. Fed officials believe that inflation will remain low for the next couple of years, meaning that there is little short-term pressure to raise rates.

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, December 11th, 2009

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 = 5.000% APR = 5.240%

15 yr conforming fixed: rate = 4.375% APR = 4.542%

7/1 yr conforming ARM: rate = 4.375% APR = 4.641%

5/1 yr conforming ARM: rate = 4.000% APR = 4.354%

30 yr FHA Fixed : rate = 4.875 APR = 5.230%

30 yr CHFA w/ 1 pt : rate = 4.375% APR = 4.559%

———————————————————–

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

30 yr jumbo fixed: rate = 5.250% APR = 5.452%

15 yr jumbo fixed: rate = 4.875% APR = 5.154%

7/1 yr jumbo ARM: rate = 4.625% APR =5.225%

———————————————————————————

CHFA (Connecticut Housing Finance Authority) rates for the week of December 10 – December 16 , 2009

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

Post from: Wallingford Wired©2009 by Pat & Wayne Harriman

Mortgage Rate Update 12/11/09