Danbury is nicknamed Hat City - Danbury is a city in the interior of Fairfield County, Connecticut, making it part of the Litchfield Hills region. Danbury is a small city located 60 miles southwest of Hartford and 65 miles northeast of Manhattan New York City.

Lake Houses Candlewood Lake Real Estate - Candlewood Lake is extremely popular with year-round residents and New York weekenders. Owning on a large motorboat-friendly lake within an hour and a half of Manhattan has made Candlewood Lake one of the most attractive lifestyle and investment buys in Western Connecticut.

About Fairfield County Connecticut - As of 2010, Fairfield County, CT had a population of 916,829. Fairfield county is home to four of Connecticut's largest cities. When combined, Bridgeport (1st), Stamford (4th), Norwalk (6th) and Danbury (7th) contain about 429,800 people; almost 1/2 the county population.

Code Violations Can Prolong Home-Buying or Selling Process

By Keith Loria - Going through the buying or selling process can be a stressful experience, however, bringing in a home inspector to thoroughly evaluate the home and check for any code violations should be at the top of the list, no matter what side of the transaction you’re on.

6 Easy Fixes for Common Home Problems By Barbara Pronin

You’ve just moved into your new home or new to you, at least. But while the congratulations cards are still coming in, you begin to notice a few little flaws you never noticed earlier like stains in the bathtub, or a dusty chandelier that may not have been cleaned since the day it was installed.

Top 5 Ways to Achieve Spring Decorating Success

By John Voket - Spring is here and with it comes a natural urge to freshen up the lair where you've spent the past few dark winter months curled up eyeballing DIY cable shows, catalogs and color swatches. Yes, I know that nothing inspires decorating like turning that calendar page to April.

Increase Your Resale Value: 3 Foolproof Ways

Continuing uncertainty in the real estate market has homeowners asking a major question as the market warms this spring is it smarter to move or to improve? Cost is the driving factor behind home improvement projects again this year, and it's important to choose projects that will provide the biggest return on investment.

Creating a Favorable Impression among Prospective Buyers

By Keith Loria - If you’ve gone through the process of getting your home ready for sale recently, or are in the process now, you know just how important it is to put your home’s best foot forward. While making sure your home stands out from the competition visually is an important piece of the puzzle, appealing to prospective buyers’ other senses can be just as important, especially when it comes to the smell of your home.

First Time Home Buying Doesn't Have to Be Intimidating

Traditionally, spring marks a busy period of time for housing market activity. Buying a home can be the largest and most important financial decision one can make, so it is important to be aware of all the factors that go into making a responsible purchasing decision, especially if you’re buying for the first time.

Mortgage Fraud: How to Protect Yourself When Buying or Refinancing

The promise of a quick profit in real estate can be hard to resist. But consumers who misrepresent information when buying or refinancing a home could end up being responsible for any shortfall when the property is sold. If the misrepresentation is intentional, they could also be held criminally responsible as accomplices to mortgage fraud.

Downsizing Trend Gains Steam as Homeowners Opt for Less Space

By Keith Loria - As we continue to move away from the era of the McMansion, downsizing has become a popular trend in real estate markets across the country. The trend has gained a lot of momentum within the past few years as well, as homeowners are being forced to downsize due to the financial problems that have wreaked havoc on our nation and the housing industry as a whole.

Simple Steps to Home Safety - Keeping your home and family safe is a high priority. If home fires, break-ins or weather-related disasters have you worried, here are some simple steps you can take to make your home a safer place.

5 Tips for Mold Removal from Walls - Spring is here, and that means the rainy season may very well be upon us. With rain comes water damage and with water damage comes every homeowner’s worst nightmare: mold. Okay, that might be a bit extreme, but mold is a pesky problem.

Tips and Tricks to Get Your Home Clean - The weather is warming and pretty soon it will be time to throw open your windows, enjoy the fresh air and partake in a bit of spring cleaning. However, decluttering isn’t the only thing you should be focusing on this spring. Following winter months spent indoors, it's important to take the time to get rid of the dust, dirt and allergens that accumulate in your house. Use these tips to get your home organized and clean:

Add Value to Your Home without Breaking the Bank. At a time when homebuyers are looking for houses that don't need numerous home improvements, many homeowners increase home value with relatively simple upgrades to their kitchens.

Tip 1: Understand the market. In strong markets, where demand outstrips supply, home sellers can old out for top dollar. In weak markets the reverse is true  there are many homes on the market and unless you price your home very competitively you'll be very unlikely to attract any buyers. Whatever the current market conditions you will be most likely to get the highest possible price if you are willing to take the time to understand each of the components of a successful home sales campaign so you can assure that you, or a real estate service provider who may be assisting you, are doing everything possible to maximize the effectiveness of the home marketing effort.

Simple Tips to Increase Your Home's Curb Appeal

Have you been wanting to change the look of your house but aren't sure what you can do to increase your curb appeal? Handyman Connection, one of the largest networks of home repair and remodeling contractors in North America, has released a few home improvement ideas to help you enhance the street view of your home.

Six Questions to Ask When Shopping for Homeowners Insurance

Being an informed consumer means not only reading your homeowners insurance policy closely but also asking experts what constitutes the right type, and amount, of coverage you need for your home, according to the Insurance Information Institute (I.I.I.).

Education Matters: School Districts Shouldn't Be Overlooked when Searching for a Home

By Keith Loria   If you’re in the market to buy a new home, you undoubtedly have a laundry list of features you can’t live without and those you’re willing to cross of your wish list. Whether you have children or not, one item that shouldn’t be overlooked is the school district where the home is located.

Why Being Present at a Showing Can Hamper Your Sale

By Keith Loria   If your home is on the market, you know just how important it is to keep it clean and tidy in case your agent calls with a last-minute showing. While piling in the car each time a showing rolls around can feel like a chore, real estate professionals across the board agree that it’s best to be out of sight when a potential buyer comes to view your home.

Are You Selling Your Home? Start at the Top In today’s competitive real estate market, many homeowners go to great lengths to help their home stand out from the competition, from staging to landscaping to replacing windows. An important place to start, however, is at the top. Does your roof add or subtract from the salability of your home?

Keeping Your New Home Environmentally Sound - While the focus is often on redecorating and buying new furniture when moving into your new home, there are several steps you should take to ensure your home’s environment is safe and comfortable, in addition to aesthetically pleasing.

Digital Real Estate: What Is The Perfect Storm?

By Austin Allison   Technology has literally changed the face of the real estate world in recent years. Real estate has transitioned from an industrial society to a digital information society, and is in a state known as the “Perfect Storm.” There are several factors that contribute to this concept.

Successful Short Sales: It All Starts with the Seller

By Gee Dunsten  Last month, I outlined the reasons why you should get back on the short sales bandwagon if you’ve fallen off. In the current market, more and more lenders are coming around to the realization that short sales are a favorable option after all and, therefore, are processing and closing short sales at a much faster pace.

Money-Saving Notes for New Homeowners - Turning the key in a lock that no landlord has access to, playing football in your own backyard and painting your living room bright yellow what could be more exciting than making the jump from renter to first-time homeowner? Getting swept up in all the excitement is a wonderful feeling but then comes the scare of “what should I do now?”

6 Ways to Increase Your Home's Value  By Barbara Pronin - Homeowners nationwide have seen their home values dip over the past few years, more in some areas than others. But homes are still selling, noted California REALTOR® Ellen Parker, who recently sold a $1 million property in an Orange County neighborhood where sales have been relatively slow.

Tips on Saving Big on Monthly Expenses - The beginning of a new year is the perfect time to resolve to save money. With just a few basic lifestyle changes, renters can save up to $368 per month, or $4,416 per year! Finding the perfect balance between pinching pennies and enjoying your home and life can be difficult, but easy money-saving techniques can help your readers stay on budget in 2012. By making eight simple changes in your home, renters can save up to $368 per month.

Time It Right: When to Build a HomeTo build or not to build

Can anyone answer this question? Whenever someone has a big decision to make they typically turn to family, friends and of course the Internet for answers. Does building a new home qualify in the category of a “big decision?” You bet it does and in the real estate market of the past several years, the question of “when” has become perhaps more prevalent than “if.” Here are a few things to consider when deciding if the time is right for you to build.

Saving Toward a Down Payment: 8 Great Ideas By Barbara Pronin

Like many consumers today, you may be thinking this is a great time to buy your first home and you are right. Rock bottom prices, historically low mortgage rates, and a great selection of properties in all price ranges make this an excellent time to buy.

Here are 10 great tips to consider when getting a mortgage.

1. Don’t Stretch Your Loan Qualification Limits to Buy a Home Beyond Your Budget. A home should be a source of satisfaction and an investment not a financial albatross, especially for first-time buyers. Borrowing heavily from family members, selling assets, and living poor just to own a bigger or better home, makes for larger mortgage payments and risks difficulties in the future.

Renting vs. Buying: Which One's Right for You?

By Keith Loria Today’s real estate market pluses include low mortgage rates and attractive prices, but purchasing a home is still difficult for many Americans. Renting and buying both have their benefits and challenges depending on each person's circumstances. It's important to weigh the pros and cons.

Getting the Most from Your Heating in the Winter Months - Heating your home during the colder months uses a large percentage of the energy you use throughout the entire year. And with winter weather finally setting in, most of us are likely to crank up the temperature indoors to ward off the cold outdoors.

But at a time of year when many of us are already stretched against a difficult financial climate and high energy prices, how many of us can really afford to have the heating on all the time?  The follow advice, offered by Glow-Worm heating, can help you get the best from your heating systems during the cold winter months.

The More You Know: 4 Great Tips for Home Sellers

Tip 1: Identify three experienced agents who are familiar with your neighborhood. Look for agents who have “for sale” signs placed in your neighborhood. Ask each to prepare a market analysis (how much is it worth?) and a marketing plan (how do you plan to market my home?). Ask lots of questions about both. Include the main points of your marketing plan in your listing agreement so that all parties will know what is to be expected (i.e. frequency of ads and the publications/websites where they’ll appear, frequency of open houses, etc.). Limit the length of the listing—two months or less is good, but no more than three months. If the agent is doing his/her job as set out in the listing agreement you can always renew the listing when it expires. If they’re not producing results you’ll be able to document the reasons if you decide to cancel the listing early or be able to show them why you aren’t renewing the listing with them.

Gardeners Get a Jump on Spring - Now that winter’s darkest days are (hopefully) behind us, spring is closer than you think. Get a head start on spring gardening and begin planning now for an easier and more rewarding gardening season. The following tips can help jumpstart your season.

By Barbara Pronin, RISMedia Columnist - Deciding what kind of home loan is best for your needs is an integral part of the home buying process. But it’s not always easy, according to California mortgage broker Ken Go.