SOLD! Southern RI Housing Stats

While housing markets across the country have seen double digit increases in housing sales, RI has seen only a 1% increase. RI, unlike other states was not hit as hard by the housing bubble of 2008. In southern RI the second home market and demand of homes cushioned the housing market somewhat.

From June to August 6 homes in Richmond, Charlestown and Hopkinton were sold in the price range of $100,000 to $200,000. This is the typical “bottom of the market” or first time home buyers range for these towns. This number excludes short sales.

What is interesting about these numbers is the number of days these homes were on the market. The longest was 62, the shortest was 1. Not only are homes in this price range selling, they are selling very quickly. The average was 23 days on the market.

For sellers this means pricing a home in this range may lead to an expedited sale. Good news for those who may want to move before the start of the school year, or who want to move quickly. For sellers who are priced slightly above this price range, a price reduction may help sell their home.

Buyers in this price range will have to keep up to date on this market. With homes selling quickly buyers need to be ready to view them, have their mortgage commitment letters ready and be ready to make an offer quickly.

Are you or is someone you know looking at homes in this price range? If so they need an agent who understands this market and will help them meet deadlines and get ready to put in an offer that may get accepted in this competitive market.

Southern Rhode Island Real Estate Buzz

Can you feel it? It is a low and underlying buzz. If you work in real estate full-time the buzz is almost deafening. Real estate is making an exciting comeback.

Buyers are getting loan approval and getting into a market that is offering a variety of housing choices. Desirable properties are getting multiple offers and some are selling for higher than the listed price. For more information on those properties see my blog post entitled, “Richmond Market Analysis Report.”

Overall the market has seen an increase in home prices with a month-to-month slight uptick. It has seen the most sales activity in 3 years. According to the National Association of REALTORS, home sales are at the highest they have been in 3 years.

For the consumer this means now is an advantageous time to get into the market. Lower home prices are great for buyers. Home prices are still below what they were at the height of the housing market, but homes that are priced properly are selling relatively quickly and may even have multiple offers.

If you would like more information about the southern Rhode Island real estate market contact me at Rebecca@browngrouprealty.com

Rural Southern Rhode Island MOO-Naure Ordinances

MOO-nure, it’s smelly, sometimes slimy, wet and dry, colorful and constant. No one likes to talk about manure, but for rural Rhode Island residents who own or tend livestock, it is a daily (sometimes twice daily, who am I kidding, multiple times a day) reality.

Cows From Behind

For those dealing with the other end of life, here in the bottom end of the state understanding town ordinances about “it,” can at the very least keep homeowners out of trouble and in their neighbor's good graces.

Believe it or not, each town has several ordinances involving the care, removal, management and storage of manure; or as I like to consider it, future compost.

According to the town of Richmond, in the manure ordinance 6.18.010, manure ordinances are for livestock . The town's definition of livestock includes such public offenders as cattle, cows, sheep, horses, ponies, mules, burros, donkeys, goats, llamas, alpacas, rabbits, chickens, roosters, turkeys, ducks, geese, guinea fowl, pea fowl, peacocks, ostriches, and emus, as an accessory use to a principal residential use.  

Meanwhile, wild animals are free to use the world as their toilet.

2 other ordinances that impact manure storage are listed below.

6.18.020 General standards.  The following standards apply to any parcel on which domestic livestock are kept. 

 

A.  Areas where domestic livestock are kept shall be managed in a manner that minimizes dust, odor, and vermin.

 

B.  Stormwater runoff from all areas where domestic livestock are kept and where manure is stored or composted shall be directed away from wetlands and wells on the parcel where the domestic livestock are kept and away from wetlands and wells on adjacent parcels. 

(Ord. dated 6-7-11)

 

6.18.030 Manure management.  Manure shall be stored or composted in the following manner:

 

A.  Manure shall be stored or composted at least fifty (50) feet from a lot line, one hundred (100) feet from a well, and two hundred (200) feet from a wetland or stormwater drainage feature.

 

B.  Manure storage or composting areas shall be visually screened from residential uses on adjacent lots.

 

C.  Manure shall be stored on an impermeable surface and shall be protected from precipitation by a cover to prevent surface runoff over and around manure piles to avoid contamination of surface and ground water.

 

Manure is not a pretty or sexy topic (I can't believe I just used the word "sexy" in this post) but for those who live in rural southern RI or those who want to, it is an everyday reality. Knowing and understanding town ordinances will hopefully keep homeowners out of trouble and in the good graces of their neighbors.

 

For more information contact the local town hall.

 

Richmond Town Hall website

Black Farm Management Area: A History of Owners

Black Farm Management Area in Hopkinton, RI incorporates over 200 years of New England agricultural history. Today, hikers, hunters and trail riders enjoy rambling through the scenic trails; however, 150 years ago it was a growing, working and changing farm much like many farms in and around southern RI.

 

To the north of the farm house is a cemetery. It contains 20 headstones of slate and granite, many bearing the names of former owners and occupants. Included in the cemetery are former owners Isaac and Mary Collins and their children.

 

 Collins Cemetery at Black Farm

Photo Peter Mair II of Wilbur Smith & Associates

 

In 1710, a Quaker named John Collins from Westerly, along with 6 other persons purchased 3,000 acres of undeveloped land in what is now known as Hopkinton. John Collins’ share of the purchase was 450 acres that ran along Wood River.

 

Upon John Collins’ death his several sons inherited his land.  His grandson, Nathan Collins inherited a 46 acre parcel. It was here that he and his wife Tabatha erected the first dwelling on what is now considered Black Farm.

 

In 1817 Nathan Collins sold the property to his cousin Isaac for $450. Isaac and his wife Mary were to become the predominant owners of the farm who used it for agricultural purposes. They are also buried on the property in the Collins Cemetery.

 

Isaac was a local doctor who practiced in Richmond, RI. He and his wife Mary had 13 children. It is during this time historians believe the ell was added to the main farmhouse to accommodate the large family.

 

Black Farm Farmhouse with Ell 

Photo Roberta Randall of RI Historical Preservation & Heritage Commission

 

Isaac Collins increased his holdings by purchasing adjacent parcels. At the time of his death in 1841, the farm had been increased to 197 acres; 182 acres in pasture, cultivation, and orchard, and 15 acres of wood lot. Isaac also built a corn-crib and one-and-one-half story barn.

 

Isaac Collins’ son, Thomas inherited one-third of his father’s land and purchased another third from his brother. He increased the farm size to 200 acres, but a large portion was left unfarmed. It was during this period that many local farms were decreasing in size as cereal crops were declining in the east, and growing rapidly in the west. Thomas concentrated his efforts on milk production, wool and gardening to supplement his decline in cereal crops.

 

Upon Thomas’ death in 1896 the farm was almost exclusively used for lumber. He willed his estate to a cousin, James H. Collins. Thomas raised James and gave him a home. A year after receiving the estate James Collins sold the property to Peter D. Palmer, a Hopkinton attorney, for $10.00.

 

Soon the property was sold back to the Collins family when John Collins purchased it and continued the lumber operations.

 

After WWII, the property was farmed and occupied on a seasonal basis. A barn from an adjacent farm was moved onto the property and the home and outbuildings were kept in good repair. 1200 feet to the north of the farmhouse is the foundation of a building said to have been used as an ice house. The ice was harvested from Plain Pond. Plain Pond is a naturally occurring kettle pond on the property.

 

 Black Farm Outbuildings Including Chicken Coop, Barn & Playhouse

Photo Roberta Randall of RI Historical Preservation & Heritage Commission

 

In 1956, John Collins’ son, Arthur Collins sold the property to local poultry farmers Joseph and Anna Russo.

 

The property was acquired in 1964 by Mrs. Margaret McCormack Black. The Blacks sold the farm to the state of Rhode Island in 1991 to be used as open space. The remaining farmhouse and outbuildings were set aside for private ownership and have since been restored.

 

Beneath the surface beauty of the Black Farm management area lies 200 years of southern RI agricultural history. Enjoy the trails and explore the old foundations that dot the woods throughout the area. Take in the kettle pond and imagine it being harvested for ice during cold winter days. Black Farm offers a unique RI experience that incorporates local history with modern recreation. Explore and experience all that Black Farm has to offer.
Photo courtesy Google Maps

Hiking and Trail Riding at Black Farm Management Area in Hopkinton Rhode Island

Black Farm is a unique gem in Hopkinton RI. It encompasses the desires of the modern hiker or trail rider along with over 200 years of southern RI farm history. It is rich in natural splendor and the sounds of native wildlife.

Black Farm is approximately 245 acres of state land located on the east side of Woodville Alton Road. There is a parking lot directly off Woodville Alton that allows access to the trails that intertwine the acreage.

The land borders Sweet Valley Estates, an abandoned railroad trestle, 2 miles of Wood River, Woodville Alton Road and private property. It was set aside in 1995 as state land. Walking, hiking, trail riding, hunting and dog training are all permitted in this area.

It contains mixed forests of evergreens and hardwoods, oaks maples, white pine and pitch pine. It is home to various species of native animals including, otters, raccoons, and all kinds of waterfowl. The unique mix of fields, swamps and the river system makes for a diverse ecosystem.

Blue dragonflies dotting Plain Pond

The land includes a kettle pond, called Plain Pond. It is a shallow, naturally occurring kettle pond. It is a great place to bring the dog for a swim as the bottom is mostly sand, not mud. This is a convenience for those who want to take the dog for a walk but don’t want mucky puppies in the car.

The land is also interspersed with small streams that feed the swamps and eventually Wood River. There are small walking bridges over each stream enabling the hiker to keep their feet dry.

After visiting the pond walk along the abandoned railroad trestle to the pillars on Wood River. This is where the train crossed the river at one time. It is a great spot to stop, have a snack or view the river.

There is also a historic cemetery that includes members of each owner’s family dating back to 1755.

Most of the trails are old roads and trestles so they are fairly wide and easy to walk. There are a few hills, but nothing strenuous.

The parking area is fairly small, but will accommodate most horse trailers. The footing is mixed sand and hardwoods. The bridges are NOT horse safe. Expect to wade through the few streams. The trails are mainly used by hikers and have low hanging limbs. Around the pond the trails widen and are perfect for cantering. Along the river there is a cleared field and sandy trail that are great for working a horse while enjoying the view of Wood River.

Take the family, the dog or horse and treat yourself to a unique walk through Black Farm.

To find out more about the history behind Black Farm including its owners and historical importance read my next post on Friday April 19th.

Southern Rhode Island Tax Rates

While holding an open house in the town of Charlestown, RI I was talking to a couple who asked a frequently asked question, “What are the taxes on this house?” I told them and they were amazed at the difference. The couple lived in a home in West Greenwich, RI a town whose tax rate is more than double that of neighboring Charlestown

That led me to compile a list of town tax rates and have them readily available. Taxes are fluid, can and do change.

These numbers provided reflect those of towns from the year 2012. It is important to note that they are a dollar amount per thousand and that land and “improvements” are calculated separately then added together.

When purchasing a home it is important to note that taxes will be included in mortgage calculations. Principal, interest, taxes and insurance are part of the complex mortgage formula. When getting pre-qualified for a mortgage ask the lender about taxes and how much they might impact purchasing power.

Town/$ per Thousand of Assessment (Lowest to Highest)

Charlestown - $7.48
Exeter - $13.49
Richmond - $14.99
Hopkinton - $15.69
West Greenwich - $18.74