From Auto Shop to Real Estate: How One Agent Is Helping Working Families Navigate Litchfield County’s Market

Written by:

Steve Marcinuk

Date:

02 Feb 2026

Share

Share via Facebook

Share via Linkedin

Share via X

Copy to clipboard

Litchfield County’s real estate market has become a battleground between local working families and deep-pocketed second-home buyers. As high-income buyers from out of town drive up demand and prices, many year-round residents struggle to compete for a shrinking supply of homes. LeeAnn Asklar, a realtor with E.J. Murphy Realty, is using skills she honed over 16 years in the automotive industry to help local families find and win homes in this competitive landscape.

Applying Automotive Expertise to Real Estate

Asklar’s path to real estate is anything but traditional. Before she became an agent three years ago, she spent over a decade working in auto service, a male-dominated field where she learned to prove herself through persistence and deep expertise. “The automotive industry is a male-driven industry, and I really had to work hard being a young woman getting into it to prove myself,” Asklar says. That same determination now shapes her approach to real estate.

Her technical background is invaluable for clients with limited experience in construction or home maintenance. Asklar routinely accompanies inspectors, studies building practices, and learns the details of materials and systems that affect a home’s value and safety. “I want to know everything top to bottom, following the inspectors around, really understanding building practices, materials used, what to look for in a home,” she says. This knowledge allows her to guide clients who might otherwise miss critical issues or opportunities.

Just as important, her automotive experience taught her to handle high-pressure situations calmly. She notes that people rarely arrive at an auto shop in a good mood, so she had to develop thick skin and a solutions-oriented mindset. “You have to be able to persevere through every situation,” Asklar says. “It’s that constant ‘What can we do to move forward? How can we make this the best experience possible?”

A Market in Flux: Prices, Rates, and Inventory

The past year has brought significant changes to Litchfield County’s housing market. After a sluggish period when many buyers held off, Asklar reports that falling home prices and lower interest rates have begun to draw more people back into the market. “Towards the end of the year, we definitely saw home prices gradually drop, which brought more buyers out,” she explains. “The houses are more within reach, and they seem to continue dropping a little bit, not significant, but enough.”

Interest rates, which had previously sidelined many buyers, are now coming down, making mortgages more affordable. As a result, Asklar has seen a sharp uptick in activity. “I’ve had a hectic end of the year and beginning of this year, so I’m hopeful that this trend continues into 2026,” she says.

Still, a lack of inventory remains a significant obstacle. Many would-be buyers can’t find suitable homes on the market. “I have several people looking to buy a home, but there’s just not a lot of inventory out there to show them,” Asklar says. This shortage is pushing some to consider alternatives, such as purchasing land for new construction or exploring modular housing as a more affordable path to homeownership.

Seller Expectations Out of Step With Reality

One reason for the slow pace of sales is a growing disconnect between what sellers expect and what buyers are willing to pay. Asklar sees many sellers pricing their homes based on outdated assumptions about what the market will bear. “When sellers go to list their houses, their expectations are a little higher than what the market actually is,” she observes. “A lot of houses are just sitting on the market, so your days on market are significantly longer than they were probably a couple of years ago.”

The current interest rate environment is a key factor in this standoff. Many homeowners are holding onto properties because they locked in low rates years ago. “They either have no mortgage or have a really low interest rate from when they originally purchased, and jumping into potentially double the interest rate is a big factor,” Asklar says. “They’ll make their current home work a little longer because they have a 3% interest rate instead of a 6% interest rate.” As a result, fewer homes are being listed, and those that do come to market often linger unless sellers are willing to adjust their expectations.

Championing Local Working Families

In a market increasingly dominated by wealthy second-home buyers, Asklar has made it her mission to help local working families secure housing. “I kind of pride myself in helping the working class people, the people that have roots here, that have families here, that don’t want to leave,” she says.

Her strategy targets homes that are both affordable and in desirable neighborhoods, often modest properties surrounded by much larger, more expensive second homes. “I’m looking for the affordable homes in the best neighborhoods, these little houses that are kind of tucked in, that are within reach, surrounded by these beautiful multi-million dollar second homes,” she says. Asklar describes herself as wanting to be “the Joanna Gaines of New England in a different aspect, helping people find that gem in the midst of something that may be unattainable.”

What Buyers Want: Move-In Ready and Comfortable

Today’s buyers are less interested in fixer-uppers and more focused on move-in-ready homes. Asklar notes that houses requiring minimal work and offering comfort and warmth tend to attract the most attention. “Homes that don’t need a ton of work — when you walk into a home, it feels comfortable and doesn’t feel like a big project — those are the homes that people seem to gravitate more towards,” she explains.

For sellers, this means presentation is critical. Asklar advises her clients to make small but meaningful improvements, such as repainting or refinishing worn floors, to create a welcoming atmosphere. “Buyers want to feel like we can just move right in,” she says. She points to a recent listing where staging and cleanliness made a clear difference. “You walk in there, the wood stove’s going, it’s warm, it’s cozy, it’s inviting, and everyone just fell in love with the home.”

Strategies for Winning in a Competitive Market

With multiple offers common and competition fierce, Asklar believes that understanding the seller’s situation can give buyers an edge. Rather than relying solely on tactics such as waiving contingencies, she encourages buyers to identify ways to support the seller’s needs. “Getting to know the sellers, not necessarily their motivation for selling, but getting to know who they are and what would help them in their situations,” she explains.

She recalls a recent case in which her buyers won a bidding war by offering to help an elderly seller clear out belongings and manage the logistics of moving. “He chose us over all the other offers because he appreciated our willingness to see where he was at and work with him instead of against him,” Asklar says. Personal touches like these can make a decisive difference when offers are otherwise similar.

Looking Ahead: Opportunities and Caution

As 2026 approaches, Asklar is cautiously optimistic. She expects that lower interest rates will encourage more homeowners to list their properties, gradually easing the inventory crunch and giving buyers more options. “My gut feeling is that inventory is going to pick up and drive more buyers, since interest rates have dropped to a more attainable rate,” she says. “I think that is going to drive sellers to start making those moves where they may have held on for the last couple of years.”

Her advice to buyers and sellers is grounded in experience: timing the market is less critical than readiness. “There is no good time to buy or sell a house. It’s when you’re ready. If you wait for the market to change or for interest rates to drop, you may not be ready when that happens. The best time to buy or sell is when you are financially ready, and you are physically and mentally ready.”

For working families in Litchfield County, having an agent who combines technical know-how with a commitment to local clients is increasingly valuable. As the market adjusts to new realities, rising interest rates, evolving buyer preferences, and persistent inventory shortages, advocates like Asklar are helping to ensure that longtime residents still have a place in the community they call home.