Like clockwork, the local residential real estate market seemed refreshed by the seasonal start to spring. The past year has been defined by one daunting metric, "low inventory," or too few homes on the market to satisfy the buying demand. Though inventory hasn't entirely bounced back to pre-2021 levels, the market has seen a healthier influx of homes coming to market — and there are buyers eager to learn about them. Here's just a few of the properties that debuted on the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) in recent days:

165 Plant Street in New London is newly listed for sale. This five-bedroom colonial has just over 2,900 square feet of living space, with hardwood flooring, high ceilings and open-plan living on the first floor. It has a bright, updated kitchen with a center island, white cabinetry, quartz surfaces, stainless appliances and a tile backsplash in a herringbone pattern.

A wood-burning fireplace with a brick surround sits centerstage in the step-down living room, which has access out the expansive deck. Four of the five bedrooms are on the second level — one with a private bath and balcony deck. The third level has been fashioned in a primary suite, with a full bath, a walk-in closet and dressing area, and additional washer/dryer hookups, should the buyer like to add a laundry. This house is situated on a 0.28-acre corner lot in a neighborhood setting, close to Mitchell College, L&M Hospital, General Dynamics/Electric Boat, Ocean Beach, Union State and the ferries to Fishers Island, Block Island and Long Island, New York. The property is listed for $399,000. Listing Realtor Jamie Bresnan of Coldwell Banker in East Lyme is planning a public open house for Saturday, April 2, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Across the Thames River in Groton, 142 Ledgeland Drive made its market debut yesterday. Andy Schilke of Schilke Realty is the listing Realtor. The seller is asking $475,000 for the three-bedroom, 1,808-square-foot colonial with an attached two-car garage. The home was built in 2004 and features a living room with a gas fireplace, a formal dining room, expansive family room, and an eat-in kitchen among the floor plan. Among the three bedrooms, the primary bedroom has a private bath.

Besides the charming covered front porch at 142 Ledgeland Drive, the house is appended with a deck overlooking the backyard and built-in firepit. The property is in a true neighborhood setting, north of I-95 and close to several local parks. A public open house is planned for Saturday, April 2, from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m.

Realtor Mary Collins, with Berkshire Hathaway New England Properties, is hosting a public open house at 818 Goshen Hill Road in Lebanon this Saturday, April 2, from 1 to 3 p.m. This farmhouse-style colonial was built in 2005, overlooking pastures, meadows and farmland.

The house, with a rocking chair-worthy front porch, is a manageable 1,608 square feet, with two bedrooms and two baths, living and dining rooms, and a kitchen that opens to a family room. It presides over 2.02 acres of its own, but sits across from the state-owned Bartlett Brook Wildlife Management Area, with trails for walking, biking and horseback riding. The property is within 25 minutes of Hartford, less than an hour to UConn's campus, and a mere half-hour to southeast Connecticut's beaches.

Making its market debut today, 7 Wisteria Lane, Old Saybrook, is listed for $570,000. Representing the seller are Broker Tim Bray and Realtor Andrew O'Reilly of Seaport Real Estate Services in Mystic. This is a 1.33-acre property, with a 2018-built colonial. The single-family residence has four bedrooms, three baths, 2,986 square feet of living space, and an attached two-car garage. The brokerage welcomes the public to an open house this Saturday, April 2, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

"This property is extremely unique in that it is located on a dead-end street with a cul-de-sac, providing privacy," Bray told Welcome Home. "The basement has 700 additional square feet of finished space, boasting a three-sided gas fireplace, bar, workout space and a second living room. The covered front porch provides another living space to be utilized, as well as the back deck, hot tub and firepit."