Ira Goldspiel, Sotheby's International Realty

There's something unique about Litchfield County. This section of Northwest Connecticut offers an extraordinary mix of diverse people who love the land and the picturesque wide open spaces, the sense of history as well as the pleasures of modern life. A sense of community endures in the County's towns and villages, whose main streets retain the charm of another time, but which also enjoy the distinct advantage of accessibility to major cities. In this tranquil countryside, individuals and families can set their own pace, choosing to enjoy the area's fine restaurants, excellent shopping, ample outdoor activities and respected educational institutions.

With all that Litchfield County has to offer, I made the decision in 2003 to change what was once a weekend retreat from New York City into a full time residence in Kent, CT. I have built a life in Litchfield County and become an active member of the community, with a career as a realtor and a business owner. My prior experience was in the fast paced world of Fashion and Retail, managing brands such as Gap and Armani. From this background, I learned the value of distinctive service and its critical importance to success. Distinctive service means listening to the customer and working passionately and tirelessly to ensure that all angles are covered, not simply reacting to, but anticipating the customer’s needs. To help ensure a smooth transaction for my clients, I devote a considerable effort prior to showing properties to analyzing a client’s requirements. I never lose sight of the importance of bringing people together, negotiating deals and making things happen. I am always available to help you with market opinions and analysis, as well as with listing or searching for a full time home, a weekend or seasonal residence or for undeveloped land, and whether your vision includes new construction, renovations or conservation. Through my extensive local contacts, I am also happy to recommend architects, contractors, decorators, sitters and other providers in the area.

Licensed in both Connecticut and New York.

For a personalized search of area listings click here

I am available 24/7 for a market analysis, as well as showing and listing appointments. For a list of area listings and for my personal listings please visit www.sothebyshomes.com/litchfield.

 

For a Personalized Search Contact:
Ira Goldspiel | igoldspiel@aol.com | 860.927.7724 (office) | 917.626.3481 (cell)
www.sothebyshomes.com/litchfield.

Professional Association
National Association of Realtors
Conn Association of Realtors
Litchfield Board of Realtors
Consolidated Multiple Listing Service
Litchfield Multiple Listing Service

Professional Specialty
New Construction
Land Gifting
Second Home Market
First-Time Home Buyer
Creative Financing

 

Community Involvement
Board member Kent Chamber of Commerce.
Developer of kentct.com
Founder Shorter Days/ Brighter Lights
Fundraiser womens support services

Experience
20 years as a senior merchandising executive with Companies such as the Gap and Armani Exchange
Owner and developer of the Inn at Kent Falls

Litchfield County Publications

Ira Goldspiel, owner of the Inn at Kent Falls and the guiding light behind the Kent Chamber of Commerce's Shorter Days Brighter Lights Christmas tree lighting and community pot luck dinner, has another full time job as a realtor. Mr. Goldspiel has been working for David Bane Realty for the past five years and this week announced that he is joining the sales team at Sotheby's International.

Sotheby's recently purchased Todd Cole Realty and took over its office in the Kent Town Center.

We caught up with Mr. Goldspiel on Wednesday, his first day at his new job. Mr. Goldspiel said he is "very excited to be part of Sotheby's," adding, "I wasn't unhappy working for David. There are a lot of wonderful people working there. I will miss them, especially all the girls. It is hard to leave after five years. I expect to remain good friends with everyone there and hope that we will be doing deals together."

Mr. Goldspiel said he made the move to Sotheby's because, "This is a chance to grow my business. Real estate is my full-time job. Sotheby's has three offices in the area and has an amazing marketing presence on the East Coast as well as an international reach."

He said, "The business has the small-town feel with an international presence. I feel I can use that to better serve both the seller and the buyer."

Sotheby's is known for marketing to the luxury home and resort market but Mr. Goldspiel said, "I haven't abandoned the middle-income properties, those in the $200,000 to $300,000 range." A quick check of the Sotheby's Web site confirmed this. There were several properties listed at the Kent office that fit in this category along with those in the $1 million to $4 million range. There was even a one-bedroom cottage in Kent that is for rent for under $900 a month.

Sotheby's Kent office has 12 agents. In addition to Mr. Goldspiel, Mr. Cole and Dottie MacRitchie stayed on when Mr. Cole sold his business to the international realty giant. They have been joined by agents Elizabeth DeVos, Judy Perkins, Michael Deveau, Sean Aikman, Mary Ann Miller, Fred Perotti, Gabriel Pinter, Karen Quinn, and Mary Anne Tappan.

For more information call 860-927-1141. Sotheby's office is located at 27 North Main Street, Suite 3 in the Kent Town Center.

-- Karen A. Chase

The New York Times

The gateway from New York into the town of Kent, on the western edge of Litchfield County, is Bulls Bridge, a one-lane covered bridge that insists those who cross it slow down. It's an appropriate welcome to a town incorporated in 1739 and known for its state parks, outdoor activities and blend of culture and country life.

All of which appealed to Toby and Lisa King, who live on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, when they bought a weekend home. They paid less than $500,000 in January for a former deer-hunting cabin.

"Toby is a fly fisher, and I love to hike, swim and snowshoe," said Ms. King, 33, a television producer at Grey Advertising. "We were looking for a place that had all this and that we could travel to comfortably most weekends."

And, said Mr. King, 34, an investment banker, "there are lots of interesting people around."

Those people include a mix of artists, writers, and actors — plus Henry Kissinger — along with local families. First Selectwoman Dolores Schiesel estimated that nearly half of Kent's residents are part-timers. "It's hard to call them weekenders," she said. "They might start off with weekends, but before you know it, they're here three or four days a week."

Bonnie Bevans, who grew up in the area and is a real estate agent in the Kent office of William Raveis International, said that about 90 percent of her clients are looking for weekend homes.

Before the railroad tracks cut through in the early 19th century, the land that is now downtown Kent was a farm area called the Plains. Businesses flourished with the arrival of the railroad, giving Kent a Main Street commercial district several blocks long. Among the low-rise wooden buildings is the Kent Town Center, a cluster of shops and offices completed in the late 1980's. There are numerous antiques dealers, as well as a supermarket, a hardware store, a liquor store and an ice cream parlor. "It has just about everything you need but not much you don't," said Peter Grossman, a retired investment banker who spent weekends in Kent for 14 years with his partner, Lawrence Timmins, before they became full-timers two years ago.

The Scene

Kent's bustling downtown sets it apart from many Litchfield County towns, which often lack any commercial development.

The downtown impressed Simi Fazeli, 53, of Hartsdale, N.Y., who is a skin-care specialist in Manhattan. She recently bought a weekend home in Kent with her husband, Moe Alafchi, 43, an electrical engineer. "We walked around town, then stopped at Stroble bakery for coffee and a bagel and watched the people who came in," she said. "We really liked the feel of the place."

For a town of just 2,800 people, Kent has a surprising concentration of galleries — nine in all, including the Paris New York Kent Gallery, housed in an old caboose, and the Bachelier-Cardonsky Gallery. Both have shown works by internationally known contemporary artists like Lee Krasner and Louise Nevelson.

In addition to the Stroble Baking Company, the downtown includes Kent Coffee & Chocolate, an espresso bar known for hand-dipped truffles, and the House of Books. The town also has its share of restaurants, patronized by full-timers and weekenders alike. One of the oldest is the Fife 'n Drum, which has French, Italian and American cuisine and where the owner, Dolph Traymon, plays piano nightly. Quieter is Belgique Patisserie & Chocolatier, which recently added a 10-table restaurant, Belgique Salon de Thé, serving Belgian specialties like waterzooi (a chicken stew).

Celebrity weekenders, in addition to Mr. Kissinger, include Oscar de la Renta and Patti LuPone. Ira Goldspiel, owner of the Inn at Kent Falls and an agent with Bain Real Estate, described the town as being more low-key than the Hamptons and more upscale than the Catskills. "It's sophisticated," he said, "without being pretentious."

Pros

Kent is less than two hours by car from New York City. "We hardly ever hit traffic," Mr. Grossman said.

For those who love the outdoors, Kent has plenty to offer. Part of the Appalachian Trail runs along the banks of the Housatonic River in town. At Kent Falls State Park, a 200-foot waterfall rushes over white marble ledges; 2,300-acre Macedonia Brook State Park has hiking, camping and fishing. Ms. Bevans said that the Spectacle Ponds are among the cleanest in Connecticut; North Spectacle is only accessible to lakeside property owners, but South Spectacle has public access for fishing, kayaking and canoeing (motorboats are prohibited). The town has swimming in Emery Park and at Lake Waramaug in nearby Warren. Fly-fishing enthusiasts can take their pick of the Housatonic (catch and release), Hatch Pond or Waramaug. And there are 23 ski trails on Mohawk Mountain, 15 minutes north in Cornwall.

Ms. Bevans said that the town was safe and secure. "There is no crime," she said. "The last time we had an incident was a few years ago when someone stole a can of tuna and a prom dress."

Cons

Kent is embroiled in a legal showdown with the 300-member Schaghticoke Tribal Nation, which has owned a 254-acre reservation in town for two centuries. In January, the Bureau of Indian Affairs formally recognized the tribe as a sovereign nation, giving it the right to an additional 2,150 acres, including part of the Kent School, one of three boarding schools in town. That has raised some concern about the possibility of casino development, and Kent is challenging the bureau's ruling.

Richard Velky, chief of the Schaghticoke Tribal Nation, said that the tribe wanted to build some 80 homes on the additional land. "We're looking to move other members of the tribe back onto the reservation," he said. But he added that the tribe was not interested in putting a gambling facility in Kent.

Kent's sophisticated shopping district means sophisticated prices. "I guess people have figured out that there are a lot of weekenders who are relaxed and willing to spend a little more," Mr. Alafchi said. Taking the prize: Jamaican Blue Mountain espresso at Belgique Salon de Thé, which costs $9.50 a cup. Susan Gilissen, an owner, said that for that price the coffee comes with a plate of tiny pastries and chocolates.

The Real Estate Market

A revaluation completed in early 2004 indicated that property values had jumped 40 to 50 percent or more in the last three years. Indeed, a house that sold for $365,000 five years ago is now assessed at $650,000.

Mr. Goldspiel said that sales have been stronger this year than last year, and Ms. Bevans said that houses sell quickly — if priced right. Turnover of houses priced from $400,000 to $600,000 is particularly fast, Mr. Goldspiel said. "In Kent," he said, "you can find something cool for between $200,000 and $300,000, and after that, the sky's the limit."

Prices for vacant land have also jumped, largely driven by dwindling supply. In 1990, there were 375 lots on the market or in the pipeline, said Todd Cole, owner of Todd Cole Realty in Kent. Now, there are no more than eight; the largest is 54 acres listed for $1.3 million, and the smallest is 6.5 acres priced at $137,500. In 1993, a five-acre lot in Kent went for $50,000; earlier this year, a comparable lot sold for $227,500. Mr. Cole speculated that as available land becomes scarcer, that suburban staple, the teardown, will reach Kent.

St. John's Peak, a development, is bringing 50 new lots to the market. They range from 5 to 23 acres and are priced starting at $150,000, in a subdivision about 20 minutes from the town center. The lots, scheduled to go on the market on Sept. 18 by appointment only, are likely to attract weekenders, according to Mr. Cole, because of their distance from town. "This will be good for Kent," he said, "because it won't increase demand on the school system or local services." As for increased traffic, he said: "You can hardly walk through town on the weekends now. I don't think that will change much."

Taxes are $4,674 on a 4,500-square-foot farmhouse on 5.25 acres that sold for $760,000; they are $2,438 on a 2,700-square-foot home on 0.46 acre that sold for $299,900.

A 1,420-square-foot, three-bedroom farmhouse built in 1860 on 0.3 acre has been listed at $264,900 since early March. A 2,964-square-foot, four-bedroom colonial-style house built in 2003 on 2.39 acres has been priced at $595,000 since September 2003. A 3,200-square-foot, four-bedroom colonial-style house built in 1993 on 3.95 acres has been on the market since January for $625,000. A 2,800-square foot, three-bedroom lodge-style home, built in 1987 on 60 waterfront acres on South Spectacle Pond, has been for sale at $4.2 million since late July.

-- Susan Hodara