Hartford Business Journal

www.HartfordBusiness.com February 15, 2016 • Hartford Business Journal 7 WHAT'S AHEAD: ■ 2/22 Focus: Banking & Finance ■ The List: Largest Venture Capital Deals ■ Nonprofit Profile: CT State Medical Society CALENDAR WEDNESDAY, FEB. 24 Creating a Winning Business Plan The University of Hartford's Entrepreneurial Center will host a Feb. 24 seminar that informs entrepreneurs how to write a successful business plan. The seminar, which runs 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at 1265 Asylum Ave., Hartford, will help entrepreneurs learn the basics of putting together a business plan that will help them determine the feasibility of their business idea and access financing to grow. The seminar is free to attend. For more information contact: Pamella Kellom, 860.768.5681, entrectr@hartford.edu. F O R A C O M P L E T E L I S T O F G R E A T E R H A R T F O R D B U S I N E S S E V E N T S , G O T O W W W . H A R T F O R D B U S I N E S S . C O M A N D C L I C K O N ' C A L E N D A R . ' A L L C A L E N D A R I T E M S M U S T B E S U B M I T T E D E L E C T R O N I C A L L Y V I A O U R W E B S I T E , H A R T F O R D B U S I N E S S . C O M . REAL ESTATE CT foreclosures fell in '15 Connecticut's foreclosure inventory rate still tops the national average, but the numbers dropped significantly in 2015. According to property-data vendor CoreLogic, Connecticut's foreclosure inventory at the close of 2015 stood at 1.7 percent. The national average was 1.1 percent. The state's foreclosure volume plummeted 25.8 percent in 2015 vs. 2014, CoreLogic said. Nationally, the foreclosure inven- tory rate dropped 23.8 percent in the same period. In 2015, 3,665 foreclosures were completed in Connecticut. That's down 34.9 percent from 5,637 completed foreclosures in 2014. Connecticut's serious delinquency rate of 4.2 percent — a mea- sure of past-due mortgages likely headed to foreclosure — is above the national average of 3.2 percent. Connecticut's 2015 serious- delinquency count was down 24.9 percent from 2014, compared to a drop in the national average of 23.9 percent in 2014. CT home sales finish strong in 2015 Overall, 2015 saw major growth in Connecticut home sales, coupled with a slight decrease in prices. There were 29,986 sin- gle-family homes sold through the year, a 16.9 percent increase from the 25,660 sold in 2014. The median sales price for a home in 2015 was $246,000, a 2.2 percent decrease from 2014's me- dian of $251,500. There were 2,588 Connecticut single-family home sales in December, the highest sales total for the month since 2006, ac- cording to a new report from The Warren Group, publishers of The Commercial Record. December's 2,588 sales, were up 17.9 percent from a year earlier. The median sales price in Dec. 2015 was $235,000, a 2.1 percent decrease from Dec. 2014's median of $240,000. December also saw 619 condo sales with a median sales price of $146,500; the sales were up 2.7 percent from a year earlier, and the median price represented an 8.4 percent decrease. TECHNOLOGY $500K to Quiet Corner Innovation Cluster The U.S. Economic Development Administration has awarded a $500,000 grant to establish a Quiet Corner Innovation Cluster in Connecticut's northeastern section, several state Congressional leaders said. The cluster would help small- and medium-sized technology and manufacturing businesses in Eastern Connecticut access the research and business expertise at the new UConn Tech Park and UConn's Office of Technology Commercialization to help strengthen and expand their businesses and grow jobs, accord- ing to a joint statement from U.S. Sens. Chris Murphy and Rich- ard Blumenthal, and Rep. Joe Courtney, whose district includes that region of the state. The competitive grant was among 25 awarded nationwide to advance innovation and build capacity of existing businesses, the legislative trio said. In real life, you don't need media to be social. Real Life Connections In a world where communities are virtual, it's nice to know there's still a real one. At The Hartford Club, you connect with real people. So you can share real ideas, real advice, or just a really interesting story. To learn about membership, visit hartfordclub.com or call 860-522-1271. P H O T O | C N N

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