Relocating and Need to Sell Your House in Connecticut? The Complete Playbook (2026 Guide)

You took the job, the orders came through, or family needs you somewhere else. Now there is a house in Connecticut and a date on the calendar. This guide is the complete playbook for selling a Connecticut house when you have to move: the timeline, the money, the paperwork you can sign from another state, and the honest answer on when a listing, a rental, your employer’s buyout or a cash sale leaves you best off. It is part of our guide on how to sell a house in Connecticut.

What are your options when you have to move and sell a Connecticut house?

When you have to move and sell a Connecticut house, you have five main options: list it with an agent before you move, list it after you move and sell from a distance, take your employer’s relocation buyout if you have one, rent it out and sell later, or sell it directly to a cash buyer. Which one is best depends on your move date, the condition of the house, your mortgage and your tax position.

Most relocating owners start by asking “how fast can I sell?”. The better first question is “what happens to the house on the day I leave?”. If it will be sold, under contract, rented or bought out by then, you are in good shape. If it will sit empty with your mortgage, your heating bill and your property tax still running, every month costs real money and adds risk. The options compared:

There is no single right answer. A well-kept colonial in West Hartford with five months before the move should almost always be listed. A tired ranch in Bristol with an oil tank in the yard, a move in three weeks and no relocation package is a different story. The rest of this guide walks through each choice with Connecticut numbers.

How long does it take to sell a Connecticut house before a move date?

Selling a Connecticut house before a move date takes about two to four months with an agent: a few weeks to prepare, a median of roughly 30 to 60 days on the market depending on the season, and 30 to 45 days from signed contract to closing with a mortgage buyer. A cash sale can close in about one to three weeks. Count back from your move date to see which routes still fit.

The selling clock has three parts, and only one of them is in your hands:

• Prep (you control it): hiring a Connecticut attorney, choosing an agent, repairs, cleaning, photos and the state disclosure forms. One to six weeks.
• On the market (the market controls it): Connecticut’s median days on market was 28 in May 2026, 41 in September 2026 and 61 in January 2026 (Realtor.com via FRED). Spring is fastest, the holidays slowest.
• Contract to closing (lenders and attorneys control it): inspections, the bank appraisal, the buyer’s mortgage commitment and the title search. About 30 to 45 days with a mortgage buyer. The buyer’s lender must give the buyer the final Closing Disclosure at least three business days before closing, so late loan changes push the date.

Plan backwards from the day you leave

Typical shapes, not promises. Relocation buyout timelines are set by each program; ask your relocation company for its schedule in writing. For the full step-by-step clock, see how long it takes to sell a house in Connecticut, and if you can choose your listing month, our best time to sell in Connecticut guide shows the state’s month-by-month sales.

Should you sell your Connecticut house before or after you buy the next one?

Whether you should sell your Connecticut house before or after buying the next one depends on cash and risk. Selling first frees your equity and removes the risk of two mortgages, but you may need temporary housing. Buying first lets you move once, but you must qualify for both loans and carry both homes until the Connecticut house closes. A contingent offer or a rent-back can bridge the gap.

Questions to answer before you choose

• Can you qualify for both payments? Ask your lender now, not after you find the next house. Lenders count your Connecticut mortgage, property tax and insurance against you until it is sold or rented under a lease.
• Is the destination market fast or slow? In a competitive market, sellers often refuse offers that depend on you selling first, which pushes you toward selling first or using a bridge.
• How long can you carry the Connecticut house? Add your mortgage payment to the monthly carrying costs in the table below. Multiply by four months. If that number scares you, sell first.
• Do you have a relocation package? A guaranteed buyout removes the risk of buying first. Read the relocation package section before you decide.

How do you pay for the next house before your Connecticut house sells?

To pay for the next house before your Connecticut house sells, owners use a bridge loan secured by the current house, a home equity line opened before listing, a purchase contingent on the sale, a rent-back after selling first, or savings and an employer advance. Each costs something: interest, fees, a weaker offer, or the risk of carrying two homes if the sale takes longer than planned.

Should you rent out your Connecticut house or sell it when you relocate?

Renting out your Connecticut house instead of selling makes sense when the rent covers the mortgage, taxes, insurance and repairs with room to spare, you have a reliable local manager, and you might come back or expect prices to rise. Selling is usually better if the numbers are thin, the house needs work, or you would lose the home-sale tax exclusion by waiting more than about three years after you move out.

The tax clock most renters forget

The home-sale exclusion lets you exclude up to $250,000 of gain, or $500,000 for most married couples filing jointly, if you owned the house and lived in it as your main home for at least 24 months (730 days) during the 5 years before the sale (IRS Publication 523). The two years do not have to be in a row.

That gives a relocating owner a window. If you lived in the house for two years or more, you can rent it out after you move and still qualify, as long as you sell within about three years of moving out. Wait longer and the exclusion is gone. Time after you last lived in the house, within that five-year window, does not count as “nonqualified use” that would shrink your exclusion.

What changes when you become a landlord

• Depreciation. While the house is a rental you take depreciation deductions (IRS Publication 527). When you sell, the exclusion does not cover depreciation allowed or allowable after May 6, 1997; that part of the gain is taxable even if the rest is excluded (Pub 523).
• Connecticut landlord law applies. You may not take a security deposit of more than two months’ rent, or one month’s rent if the tenant is 62 or older; it goes into an escrow account, earns interest, and must be returned within 21 days after the tenancy ends (or 15 days after you get a forwarding address, whichever is later) (CGS 47a-21). If you later sell, the deposits transfer to the buyer.
• Selling with a tenant is slower. A lease survives a sale, showings need the tenant’s cooperation and proper notice, and many buyers want the house empty. Read our landlord’s guide to selling a rental with tenants in Connecticut before you sign a long lease.
• Insurance changes. A homeowners policy usually does not cover a rented house. You need a landlord (dwelling) policy, and the tenant needs renters insurance.
• Your mortgage. Many owner-occupied mortgages require you to live in the house for a period after buying. Moving for a job is often allowed; check your loan documents and tell your lender.

A rent-or-sell test you can run in ten minutes

In the example the house loses money every month before any big repair, and the owner is a long-distance landlord for the privilege. That is common in Connecticut towns with high mill rates. Renting wins when the mortgage is small or the rate is very low, the house is in good shape, you have a manager you trust, and you have a reason to keep it. Otherwise, selling while you still qualify for the exclusion is usually the cleaner choice. Our older post on moving when your house hasn’t sold yet covers the short-term version of this decision.

How do employer relocation packages handle your Connecticut house?

Employer relocation packages handle your Connecticut house in one of a few ways: a buyer value option, where the relocation company steps in to buy the house at the price an outside buyer offers; a guaranteed buyout, where it offers a price based on appraisals if you cannot sell; a lump sum you spend as you choose; or help with selling costs only. Read the house section of your package before you list, because listing the wrong way can disqualify you.

The tax side of relocation money since 2026

For years, employer-paid moving costs were partly tax-free. Federal law (P.L. 119-21, signed in 2025) permanently eliminated the exclusion for qualified moving expense reimbursements, so for most employees, moving money from an employer is taxable wages (IRS Publication 15-B). The exceptions are members of the U.S. Armed Forces on active duty who move under a permanent change of station order, and certain employees and new appointees of the intelligence community who must relocate. Many employers “gross up” the payment to cover the tax; ask.

Home-sale programs are treated differently. The IRS has ruled (Revenue Ruling 2005-74) that, in a properly structured program where the relocation company truly buys the house, the employee is treated as selling the house, and the company’s payment of selling costs in that structure is not compensation to the employee. Whether your program fits that ruling depends on its paperwork. Ask your relocation company and your tax adviser; do not assume.

When the package wins: if you have a buyer value option or guaranteed buyout with selling costs paid, it will usually leave you with more than a direct cash sale. A cash buyer makes sense alongside a package mainly when the buyout price is low because of repairs, when the program’s deadline is too slow for you, or when the package covers only part of the costs.

What taxes do you owe when you sell a Connecticut house after moving away?

When you sell a Connecticut house after moving away, you pay the state and town conveyance tax at closing, your share of the year’s property tax, and federal and Connecticut income tax only on any gain the home-sale exclusion does not cover. Moving out of state does not end Connecticut tax on the sale: nonresidents still owe Connecticut income tax on a taxable gain from Connecticut real estate.

Selling before you hit two years: the job-move partial exclusion

If you must sell before you have lived in the house for two years, you may still get a partial exclusion. Under IRS Publication 523, a work-related move qualifies if your new job is at least 50 miles farther from the home than your old work location (or, if you had no job, at least 50 miles from the home). Health reasons and certain unforeseeable events can also qualify. The exclusion is then a fraction of $250,000 or $500,000 based on how much of the two years you met.

Is Connecticut tax withheld at closing when you live out of state?

We found no Connecticut rule requiring state income tax to be withheld at closing when a U.S. seller lives in another state. You still owe the tax on any taxable gain and file a Connecticut nonresident or part-year resident return. Ask your attorney to confirm for your closing, and see our guide to taxes when selling a house in Connecticut for the details, including rentals and inherited houses.

How do you sell a Connecticut house when you have already moved out of state?

To sell a Connecticut house after you have moved out of state, put a local team in place: a Connecticut real estate attorney, a listing agent or direct buyer, and someone nearby to check the house. Then sign the disclosures electronically, approve offers by email, and sign the closing documents in front of a notary where you live, or give a trusted person a power of attorney. You do not need to fly back for the closing.

Connecticut makes long-distance selling easier than many states in one way: closings are run by attorneys (CGS 51-88a), and your attorney can handle the payoff, the deed, the conveyance tax return and the wire to you without you in the room. What it does not allow is closing by video notarization. Here is the team you need:

What you can do from anywhere

• Sign the listing agreement, the Residential Property Condition Report and the lead paint disclosure electronically, as your agent and attorney allow. Fill in the condition report honestly before you leave, while you still remember the house; a buyer who does not get it before signing receives a $500 credit at closing (CGS 20-327c).
• Review offers and counter-offers by email and video call.
• Approve repair credits after the inspection without traveling.
• Sign the smoke and carbon monoxide affidavit as part of the closing package (or the buyer gets a $250 credit, CGS 29-453). Make sure the detectors are installed and working before you leave, so you can truthfully sign it.

Before you go, gather the papers the buyer and attorneys will ask for. Our list of the documents you need to sell a house in Connecticut covers each one and where to get it, and our Connecticut closing process guide explains every step after the contract.

Can you close on a Connecticut house sale remotely?

Yes, you can close on a Connecticut house sale remotely, but not by video. Connecticut’s remote notarization law excludes real estate closings (CGS 3-95b), so an out-of-state seller usually signs a “mail-away” closing package in person before a notary where they now live, with two witnesses for the deed, and couriers the originals back to the Connecticut attorney. A power of attorney is the other route.

What Connecticut law says

• No video notarization for closings. Since Public Act 23-28, Connecticut notaries may notarize some documents remotely, but CGS 3-95b(i) bars remote acknowledgment for a real estate closing (as defined in CGS 51-88a) and for a power of attorney. An acknowledgment done that way is ineffective.
• Out-of-state acknowledgments are valid. A deed or power of attorney for Connecticut land that is signed and acknowledged in another state, following that state’s law or Connecticut’s, is valid here (CGS 47-7, with an exception for remotely located signers). Connecticut also recognizes notarial acts by notaries and other officers of other states (CGS 1-57).
• Two witnesses on the deed. A Connecticut deed must be acknowledged and signed in front of two witnesses (CGS 47-5). Many states do not require witnesses, so a notary there may not expect it. Your attorney’s instructions will show where each witness signs; bring a friend, or ask the notary’s office to supply witnesses.

How a mail-away closing works

1. Your attorney sends the package. About a week before closing, your Connecticut attorney emails or overnights the deed, the conveyance tax return, the affidavits and the instructions, with a prepaid return envelope.
2. You sign in person where you live. At a bank, a law office or a mobile notary, in front of the notary and two witnesses for the deed. Follow the instructions exactly: blue ink if requested, no dates left blank, names exactly as on the deed.
3. Courier the originals back. Overnight, with tracking, to your attorney. Originals are needed to record the deed at the town clerk.
4. The closing happens without you. The buyer signs with their attorney. Your attorney holds your documents in escrow until the buyer’s funds arrive, pays off your mortgage, records the deed and pays the conveyance tax.
5. Your money is wired. Your attorney wires your net proceeds to the account you gave them in writing. Confirm the account by phone at a number you already know.

Can someone sign for you with a power of attorney when you sell a Connecticut house?

Yes, someone can sign for you with a power of attorney when you sell a Connecticut house. Under Connecticut’s Uniform Power of Attorney Act, the power of attorney must be dated, signed and witnessed by two witnesses, and should be acknowledged before a notary (CGS 1-350d). When your agent signs the deed, the power of attorney is recorded on the town land records with it (CGS 47-10). Clear the document with your attorney and the title insurer first.

A power of attorney is the best route when you cannot be sure where you will be on closing day (deployments, travel, a new job with no time off), or when the closing documents may change at the last minute. It lets a trusted person, often a family member or your Connecticut attorney, sign everything for you.

Practical tips

• Use a limited (specific) power of attorney that names the property address and the sale, rather than a general one. Title insurers and lenders review these documents closely, and a specific one raises fewer questions.
• Send a draft to your attorney and the buyer’s attorney early. Some title insurers have their own requirements; finding out a week before closing is too late.
• Keep the original. The original, signed document is what gets recorded. Overnight it to your attorney.
• Military? Your installation’s legal assistance office can prepare and notarize a power of attorney. Tell your Connecticut attorney which form you plan to use.
• A power of attorney ends at death. If the owner dies, the house is sold through probate instead; see our guide to selling an inherited house in Connecticut.

What are the risks of leaving a Connecticut house vacant while it sells?

The risks of leaving a Connecticut house vacant while it sells are frozen and burst pipes, water damage nobody sees for days, break-ins and vandalism, and insurance gaps: many homeowners policies limit coverage once a house has been vacant for about 60 consecutive days, and freeze damage is often excluded unless the heat was kept on or the water was shut off and drained. Call your insurer before you move out.

Insurance: the call to make before the moving truck comes

Standard homeowners policies are written for a house someone lives in. Common policy forms exclude vandalism and glass breakage if the house has been vacant for more than 60 consecutive days before the loss, and exclude freezing damage to plumbing in an unoccupied or vacant house unless you kept the heat on or shut off the water and drained the system. Your policy may differ, so ask your agent three questions in writing:

1. How many days can the house be empty before any coverage changes?
2. What exactly must I do to keep freeze and water coverage (heat setting, water shut-off, inspections)?
3. Do I need a vacancy endorsement or a vacant-home policy, and what does it cost?

Connecticut houses rely heavily on heating oil: in many towns, oil heats most single-family homes (town assessor data in the table below). An oil tank that runs dry in January is a common way a vacant house freezes. Put the house on automatic delivery, and ask the dealer to call your key holder, not just you.

Your empty-house checklist

• Call your insurer; get the vacancy rules in writing
• Keep the heat on (a low setting, as your insurer advises) and set up automatic oil or propane delivery
• Or have the house professionally winterized: water off, pipes and water heater drained, antifreeze in traps
• Install a smart thermostat or a low-temperature and water-leak alarm that texts you and your key holder
• Keep electricity on for the sump pump, the alarm and showings
• Forward your mail with the Postal Service and cancel newspapers
• Arrange lawn mowing and snow and ice removal; a buyer’s first impression and your liability both depend on it
• Give a key holder the alarm code and your insurer’s claim number
• Set lights on timers; leave some basic furniture or staging if your insurer allows
• Keep paying the town’s property tax and water and sewer bills on time
• Test smoke and carbon monoxide detectors so you can sign the closing affidavit
• Photograph every room on the day you leave (useful for claims and for the condition report)

What does it cost to carry and sell a Connecticut house after you move?

Carrying a Connecticut house after you move costs your mortgage payment plus property tax, insurance, heat, electricity, water, lawn and snow care, and any vacancy coverage, usually somewhere between several hundred and a few thousand dollars a month before the mortgage. Then the sale itself costs commissions if you list, the conveyance tax, your attorney and the property tax proration at closing.

Property tax alone is a large monthly number in many Connecticut towns. The table shows the estimated tax per month on a house selling at the town’s median single-family price, plus the share of homes heated by oil, which matters for winter freeze risk. Each town name links to our page for that town.

A worked example: list now, list after moving, or sell for cash

Say your house would sell for $400,000 on the open market in a town with the standard 0.25% town conveyance tax and property tax of about $800 a month. Your move is in six weeks. These numbers are illustrative, not a quote or a promise.

In this example, listing leaves you about $31,000 to $37,000 more than the example cash offer, before you count the mortgage payments while the house sits empty. That is the honest picture for a house in good condition: if you can wait and carry it, listing usually wins. The gap narrows when the house needs major work (which comes off a listing too), when it sits through a winter, or when your carrying costs are high. Run your own numbers in the calculator, and see our guides on the cost to sell a house in Connecticut and the conveyance tax in every town.

When does a cash sale make sense for a relocation, and when does it not?

A cash sale makes sense for a relocation when the move date is too close for a listing, the house needs repairs you cannot manage from far away, carrying two homes would strain you, or the house is hard to finance. It does not make sense when your employer offers a buyout or a buyer value option, the house is ready to sell, you have time, or a rental would cover its costs. Then a listing, the package or renting usually leaves you more.

If you go the cash route, compare more than one offer, check what each buyer actually does (buys and closes, or assigns the contract to someone else), and have your own Connecticut attorney. Our guide to cash home buyers in Connecticut explains how offers are calculated, and the checklist for vetting a cash home buyer in Connecticut shows how to confirm proof of funds, a real local closing record and a written closing date. To weigh any two offers, use our guide on how to compare offers on a house in Connecticut, and for the full side-by-side, see cash buyer vs. realtor in Connecticut.

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How do you sell your Connecticut house when relocating, step by step?

To sell your Connecticut house when relocating, follow these steps: set your deadline, read your relocation package, get a price and timeline, decide whether to sell, rent or take a buyout, hire a Connecticut attorney, fill in the disclosures before you leave, protect the empty house, plan how you will sign, compare offers on net and timing, and close by mail-away package or power of attorney.

1. Write down your real deadline

   Not just the moving day: the day you need the equity for the next home, the day your new lease or mortgage starts, and the last day you can carry two payments. That deadline decides which routes are open.

2. Read the house section of your relocation package

   Look for a buyer value option, a guaranteed buyout, a lump sum, or help with selling costs. Ask the relocation counselor what you may and may not sign, and by when. Do this before you call an agent.

3. Get a price and a timeline for your house

   Use recent sales near you, an agent’s price opinion, or the forecast tool above. Compare the likely closing date with your deadline.

4. Decide: sell before, sell after, rent, buyout or cash

   Use the tables in this guide. If you are thinking of renting, run the cash-flow test and check your three-year exclusion window.

5. Hire a Connecticut real estate attorney

   Tell them you are relocating and ask how they handle mail-away closings and powers of attorney. Ask for the fee in writing.

6. Do the paperwork while you are still in the house

   Fill in the Residential Property Condition Report, the lead paint disclosure for homes built before 1978, and gather your deed, survey, permits, oil tank, septic and well records.

7. Fix only what blocks a sale

   Leaks, broken heat, missing smoke and CO detectors, anything a lender would flag. From far away, every repair costs more to manage. See what to fix before selling in Connecticut and our low-cost fixes.

8. Protect the house before you leave

   Insurance call, heat or winterizing, automatic oil delivery, alarms, a key holder, mail forwarding, lawn and snow care.

9. Choose how you will sign

   A mail-away closing package signed before a notary and two witnesses where you live, or a recorded power of attorney. Settle this with your attorney before you go.

10. Compare offers on net and certainty

    Price minus commissions, credits and repairs, plus how likely the buyer is to close and when. A slightly lower offer that closes on your date can be worth more than a higher one that needs a mortgage in winter.

11. Close and confirm the wire

    Sign and return the originals, confirm the wiring details by phone, and keep the closing statement for your taxes.

From the closing table

The relocation sales that go sideways are rarely about price. They are about a house that sat empty without anyone checking it, or a signature nobody planned for. Before you hand back the keys to your old life here, settle two things with your attorney: how you will sign from your new home, and who walks through the house every week until it closes.

Your relocation selling checklist for Connecticut

This relocation selling checklist covers every task for selling a Connecticut house when you move, in the order you need them. Tick items off as you go; your progress is saved on this device.

• Write down the move date, the date you need the equity, and the last day you can carry two homes
• Read the relocation package: buyout, buyer value option, lump sum or selling-cost help
• Ask your lender whether you can qualify for both payments, or for a bridge loan
• Open a home equity line before listing, if you plan to use one
• Get a price opinion and a realistic timeline
• Run the rent-or-sell test and check your 3-year exclusion window
• Hire a Connecticut real estate attorney; ask about mail-away closings
• Fill in the Residential Property Condition Report and lead paint disclosure
• Collect the deed, survey, permits, and oil tank, septic, well and radon records
• Fix leaks, heat and safety items; install working smoke and CO detectors
• Call your insurer about vacancy; get the rules in writing
• Set up heat and automatic fuel delivery, or winterize
• Name a local key holder; give them the alarm code and insurer’s number
• Forward mail; arrange lawn and snow care
• Decide on a mail-away closing or a power of attorney, and prepare it with your attorney
• Give your attorney your wiring details by phone, once
• Compare offers on net proceeds, certainty and closing date
• Keep paying town property tax, water and sewer bills until closing
• Keep your closing statement for your tax return

What if you are in the military, divorcing, or the house will not sell before you move?

If you are in the military, divorcing, or the house will not sell before you move, the basic plan is the same but the rules change: service members can suspend the five-year home-sale test for up to ten years, a divorce sale needs both owners’ signatures and often a court order, and a house that will not sell needs a decision on price, renting or a direct sale before the empty months add up.

Military moves (PCS orders)

Connecticut has a large military community around the Naval Submarine Base in Groton and the Coast Guard Academy in New London. Three rules help service members who must sell:

• The five-year test can be suspended. If you are on qualified official extended duty (more than 90 days or indefinite) at a duty station at least 50 miles from the home, or living in government quarters under orders, you can suspend the five-year test period for up to 10 years (IRS Publication 523). That can keep the exclusion alive if you rent the house while stationed elsewhere.
• Moving reimbursements stay tax-free for active-duty members moving under a permanent change of station order (IRS Publication 15-B), unlike most civilian relocations.
• Powers of attorney are routine. Your installation’s legal assistance office can prepare one; get it to your Connecticut attorney for review well before closing.

If you rent the house out while stationed elsewhere, the landlord guide covers Connecticut tenant rules, and our pages for Groton and Ledyard have local sales and tax data.

Relocating during a divorce

If one spouse is moving and the house is jointly owned, both owners must sign the listing, the contract and the deed, and a divorce decree or court orders may control the sale. A mail-away closing or power of attorney works for the spouse who has moved. Our older posts on selling your home during a divorce cover the basics.

The house will not sell before you move

Every month it sits costs you the carrying costs above, plus the mortgage. Look at the reasons in order: price, condition, photos and access. Our guide on why a house won’t sell in Connecticut walks through each one. If the fix is a price cut you can afford, make it once and make it count. If the fix is repairs you cannot manage from away, a direct sale may cost less than another winter.

Older homeowners moving closer to family

A move to be near children or into assisted living often comes with a lifetime of belongings. Our posts on handling all your stuff when you move, when to call a mover and moving long distance help with the logistics. If someone else will handle the sale, set up the power of attorney while the owner can sign it.

What mistakes do Connecticut owners make when they sell and relocate?

The biggest mistakes Connecticut owners make when they sell and relocate are listing before reading the relocation package, leaving an empty house without telling the insurer, planning a video closing that Connecticut does not allow, renting the house past the three-year exclusion window, and choosing an offer on price alone when the closing date and the buyer’s financing matter more for a move.

• Listing before reading the package. Signing a contract on your own can void a buyer value option.
• Assuming you can close by video. Connecticut does not allow remote online notarization for closings or powers of attorney (CGS 3-95b). Plan a mail-away signing or a power of attorney.
• Forgetting the two witnesses. Notaries in many states do not use witnesses. A Connecticut deed needs two (CGS 47-5). A missing witness can delay your closing.
• Leaving the house empty and uninsured. A vacancy clause or a frozen pipe can turn a sale into a claim fight.
• Letting the oil run out. Automatic delivery and a low-temperature alarm cost little.
• Renting “for a year or two” without checking the tax clock. Three years after moving out, the exclusion is gone.
• Treating moving money as tax-free. Since 2026 most employer-paid moving costs are taxable wages.
• Acting on an emailed change to wiring instructions. Always confirm by phone at a known number.
• Waiting until the last week to decide. Every route has a lead time. The decision is cheapest when the move is still months away.

Questions Connecticut owners ask about selling when they relocate

Related Connecticut guides

Sources

• CGS § 3-95b (remote notarization; subsection (i) excludes real estate closings and powers of attorney), from Public Act 23-28 as amended by Public Act 24-97.
• CGS §§ 47-5, 47-7 and 47-10 (deed requirements and two witnesses; conveyances and powers of attorney executed outside Connecticut; power of attorney recorded with the deed).
• Connecticut Uniform Power of Attorney Act, CGS §§ 1-350 et seq. (execution: two witnesses, acknowledgment; validity of out-of-state powers).
• Uniform Recognition of Acknowledgments Act, CGS § 1-57.
• CGS § 51-88a (real estate closings by attorneys).
• CGS § 47a-21 (security deposits: limits, escrow, interest, return, transfer on sale).
• CGS § 12-494 (conveyance tax) and OLR Report 2020-R-0020.
• CGS § 12-711 (Connecticut income tax on nonresidents’ gains from Connecticut real property).
• CGS §§ 20-327b and 20-327c (property condition report; $500 credit) and CGS § 29-453 (smoke and CO affidavit; $250 credit).
• IRS Publication 523, Selling Your Home (exclusion, 24 months in 5 years, work-related move partial exclusion, depreciation after May 6, 1997, uniformed services suspension up to 10 years).
• IRS Publication 527, Residential Rental Property (depreciation of a rented home).
• IRS Publication 15-B, Employer’s Tax Guide to Fringe Benefits (P.L. 119-21 permanently eliminates the moving expense reimbursement exclusion; Armed Forces and intelligence community exceptions).
• IRS Revenue Ruling 2005-74 (employer relocation home-sale programs).
• IRS, FIRPTA withholding (foreign sellers).
• Realtor.com median days on market, Connecticut, via FRED.
• CFPB Regulation Z § 1026.19(f) (Closing Disclosure three business days before closing).
• Town sales, mill rates and heating fuel: Connecticut Office of Policy and Management data on data.ct.gov (real estate sales Oct 2024–Sep 2025, fiscal 2027 mill rates, 2025 assessor parcel data).

Who wrote this

Jerryll Noorden

Jerryll has bought and sold Connecticut houses since 2016 and has sat at more closing tables than he can count, on both sides. Before real estate he was a robotics scientist at NASA, IHMC and IIT. He wrote this guide because the national sites that rank for it skip the Connecticut rules that cost sellers money. When listing or selling it yourself would get you more than a cash offer, he says so.

More about Jerryll · (203) 529-4712

This guide explains Connecticut rules in plain English. It is not legal or tax advice. Laws change; for your sale, talk to a Connecticut real estate attorney and a tax professional.