Price, condition, site grab buyer attention

The best way to determine price in our market is to start looking at two categories of real estate: sold and actives. As per the author from The Washington Times, price and condition is the two most important things that grab buyer’s attention. Sellers need to look at where the competition is priced and price lower than the lowest price. Condition is the second part of this equation that sellers have control over in today's market. Mentioned below are the steps that must be taken for a successful sale. New paint everywhere, New flooring and paint make people drop open their mouths with "wow", getting all the windows cleaned and caulked, new faucets throughout, new hardware on the doors, and new switches and switch plates take the house from merely cleaned up to new. [M. Anthony Carr, The Washington Times, December 22, 2006]

Time to Buy is Before Seller's Market Builds

When it has been officially deemed a buyer's market by all the national real estate associations then it is said to be a good time to buy. According to the author from The Washington Times, seller’s markets need to build, while buyer's markets happen overnight. Buyers of resales have a while now to choose from the homes they want, and interest rates are still fairly low. Buyers are waiting for the bottom to hit and sellers are holding onto prices or removing their homes from the market. The author think buyers should get off the fence, get financed and purchase a home due to historically low interest rates and high inventory. [M. Anthony Carr, The Washington Times, November 24, 2006]

Holiday Selling Tips

The following last few months of the year are full of holidays, occasions and year-end must-sell homes often are snapped up by year-end must-move buyers. There is a good chance of a sale if anybody makes an appointment to see your home during the holidays. In this article from Jacksonville.com, the author cites few holiday selling tips. Sellers should work to strike a balance between at-home holiday time with family and time when the house will be available for showing, consider your home's appearance and what your decorations say about it. The bottom line of selling a home at the holidays is that sellers should do their best to make sure the home is shown in its best light and for the right price. [Angela Bauer, Jacksonville.com, October 29, 2006]

Pamphlet Spells Out Risks of 'Exotic' Loans

Federal banking regulators last month issued a strongly worded warning to lenders about the dangers of nontraditional, or "exotic," mortgages, telling them they feared that borrowers did not understand the implications of the loans. Now regulators have issued a similar warning directly to consumers in a pamphlet that explains how these loans work, including a glossary of terms that represent a new vocabulary for borrowers accustomed to traditional lending. [K. Downey, The Washington Post, October 21, 2006]

BUYERS! Prices, interest rates put a value on buying

The prospective buyers in this real estate market watches the prices and the interest rates adjustments together and then makes an offer at the optimal time to get the best house for the best price and terms. According to The Washington Times, the reality about real estate is that sometimes you have to buy when your life situation dictates it, not when the price is right. The author recommends buyers to buy when prices are stable with a low interest rate and then hold on for the ride. He also adds that if buyers are waiting for prices to hit bottom, it could happen while they wait or they could create their own bottom price by making an offer now before interest rates start their upward climb once again. Get the house they want for the price they want at today's interest rate. [M. Anthony Carr, The Washington Times, September 29, 2006]

All Home Loans Are Not Created Equal

Consumers who are looking for home loans can get lower monthly payments in some cases by getting a home loan with mortgage insurance rather than a piggyback loan. In this article from The Detroit News, the author reveals that mortgage insurance has become competitive with piggyback loans because of two developments. First, short-term interest rates rose during the Federal Reserve's two-year rate-hike campaign. Second, mortgage insurance companies started pushing single-premium policies that could be financed as part of the loan. Mortgage insurance is a really good alternative now for consumers. [Holden Lewis, The Detroit News, September 01, 2006]

Get The Most From A Slow Market

Despite rising interest rates and a glut of homes for sale, homebuyers can still get the most from a slow market. In this article from The Detroit News, the author highlights some important tips on how to do that. Some of the prominent tips are buying quality and not quantity, investing for income and not capital gains, think real estate if you want long-term investments, considering buying several properties at these low prices if buyers can afford to do it, and rent them out. As long as buyers can hold onto them for several years, they eventually see a profit when the market rebounds. [Lynne Meredith Schreiber, The Detroit News, August 18, 2006]

Just Listed!

55+ LIVING AT IT'S FINEST!

6510 Ridenour Way E, #2B in Eldersburg

FREE RECORDED INFORMATION - 24 HOURS1-800-241-1674 ext 4112

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This lovely, fully accessible, second floor, 2 bedroom, 2 bath condo in the sought after, 55 + community of Nell’s Acres is the perfect home to call your own. Easy access is provided via the Elevator and Secure Entrance. The large (16'x15') Master Bedroom boasts a full bath and walk-in closet. You'll enjoy relaxing on the TREX deck Balcony, through glass sliding doors in the Living Room. There are many seller paid upgrades in this home including the Smooth-Top Range, Built-In Microwave, Oversized Washer & Dryer and Large Ceramic Tile Shower as well as the upgraded Carpeting. Use of the Community Center, Which can hold up to 200 guests, the Gym and Secure Storage are included in the monthly maintenance fee. Assigned parking is also provided. Offered at $234,900. Contact Maggie today to set up your private showing! (301) 418-2135 CR6166236 (RI65-169)

New Listing! Classic Cape Cod in Idlewylde

Under Contract! SOLD in 8 Days!

920 Overbrook Road in Idlewylde

FREE RECORDED INFORMATION - 24 HOURS1-800-241-1674 ext 4102

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Classic Cape Cod featuring a Remodeled Kitchen with Corian Counters, custom Cherry Cabinets, Ceramic Tile, New Stainless Steel Range, Dishwasher, Disposal & Pantry. Many of the original details like transom windows, moldings, trim, and six-panel doors with skeleton key hardware add to the charm of this classic home. The Living & Dining Rooms, Large Master Bedroom with Walk-In Closet & 2nd Bedroom boast Inlay Wood Flooring. A large, loft-style Bedroom, Family Room, Central AC, New Windows, Venting Skylights & Security System complete interior as the Fenced Yard with Deck, Landscaping & Off-Street Parking for four perfect the exterior. Located in the Stonleigh School District. Home Warranty included! A pre-sale Home Inspection Report is also available. Priced to sell at $264,900. Contact Maggie today to set up your private showing! (301) 418-2135BC6149666 (OV90-169)

Tips Guide Investors To Places Set To Grow

Real estate, unlike stocks or bonds, is a good investment any time, the only thing one should know is where to buy. According to The Washington Times, the start-up investors need to look around a house in their state first. Then they can use the following points as a guide to whether it is a good time to buy or not. Some of the points that need to be given importance are low housing prices, stable income, while searching for the current economic picture investors should look for what's happening as far as growth is concerned, planned jobs, plants, and federal spending in the state, and rental vacancy rates. Once investors have these points in their plan covered, they’re ready to start looking at property. They need to get together their real estate team and hit the road to building wealth. [M. Anthony Carr, The Washington Times, July 21, 2006]

Juggling a Sale and a Purchase

When homeowners decide to sell their existing homes and buy new homes at the same time, experts suggest that they should always prefer to sell first; then buy later. According to Boston.com, some of the points that homeowners should note while selling first include considering the timing; with spring and early fall being the best, carrying out comparative market analysis, estimating the minimum amount of cash expected from the sale and getting pre-approved for a loan. In cases where they buy first, the important points include structuring the buying offer to include a long escrow or making the purchase contingent on the sale of your current home, and focus on selling your house. [ Boston.com, 2006]

Take Time When Buying a House

Prior to buying a house, prospective buyers need to give themselves more time before they come to any home buying conclusions. In this article from The Detroit News, the author wants buyers to pay attention to these five secrets to buying the best house for their money. Prominent among these are getting pre-approved for the mortgages rather than being pre-qualified, selling your current abode, then buy a new one, making a list of things you want in the new place and checking it twice, looking for traffic noise, power lines, community lawsuits, anything that might make an abode less desirable than it appears to be. Further the author adds that if someone promises you a great deal be wary and ask lots of questions. [Lynne Schreiber, The Detroit News, May 26, 2006]

Truths on Remodeling

Remodeling your home can be an exciting experience, but it is one that you must prepare for and do your homework before embarking. Home remodeling is the best way to protect what is for many their largest investment. In this article from The Washington Times, the author cites the best and effective ways of proper remodeling. Prominent among these are proper planning, looking over other people’s remodeling job an try getting a proper view of remodeling done, getting professionals help that would include landscapers, construction artists and interior decorators, anyone who can take your concepts to fruition, picking up the right contractors for the right job, getting bids in writing from contractors for all the work they would be completing, using storage place to the maximum. [Chris Sicks, The Washington Times, May 12, 2006]

Which Home Improvements Pay Off?

Home improvements add up to constitute a critical task for homeowners seeking to enhance the market value and consequently help them strike better resale deals. According to Smartmoney.com, though the exact value could be affected by factors like value of homes in the neighborhood, prevailing trends in the housing markets, and the time of sale, homeowners would do well to focus on specific areas where improvements could be carried out that would invariably assist in augmenting its value from the long-term perspective. Prominent focus areas that were found to contribute to its value included kitchen-remodeling, exploring ways to increase functional space within the house, adding extra bathrooms, installing decks and replacing windows, while swimming pools and the gardens were best left alone. [ Smartmoney.com, 2006]

How to Price Property is Seller's Top Challenge

The challenge for sellers in today’s market is how to price the property because they cannot expect to get the price that they might have gotten a year ago. According to The Washington Times, the author cites that pricing is the key for selling and there are only a few ways to price a home for sale. Sellers need to use the accepted modes of pricing. The first model is probably the most popular, the comparable. And another way to price your home is to come up with a tax assessment model. This one takes a little bit more homework and data mining. The author reminds that if your agent provides feedback from colleagues that your house is overpriced, move from denial into acceptance and price the house right. Seller should remember, the goal here is not to price the property as high as possible, but to sell the house. [M. Anthony Carr, The Washington Times, March 17, 2006]

I LOVE New Technology!

"RIM: Web Services Will Trump Mobile Browsers"eWeek (Maryland Association of Realtors E-Newsletter 03/01/06) ; Hines, Matt
Though Research In Motion's (RIM) days may be numbered due to litigation over BlackBerry handhelds, senior product manager David Heit believes he has found the key to the future of mobile application delivery for businesses in the design of new Web services-based tools to build new applications and not mobile browsers, as are being pushed by many in the industry. "The assumption is that the mobile browser experience should be the same as the desktop experience, but we believe that the usage patterns are different than when you're sitting at your desktop, versus when you're working with a mobile device," says Heit. "The mobile experience is much more about immediacy and having information available when you need it. Web services represent a third development model beyond browsers and something like Java, and they will greatly increase our ability to extend applications onto the handheld." In accordance to this belief, RIM has launched the Blackberry MDS Studio, a visual platform design and assembly tool that allows software developers to more quickly build applications for mobile devices using the drag-and-drop method. The technology has gained a following: Real estate specialist JJ Barnicke, for example, has built a field sales automation tool for its agents. But analysts say if such technology is to gain a greater foothold, wireless carries will have to embrace it first. "At the end of the day, the U.S. market is all about control by the carriers, and from their perspective pushing Web services through their portals gives them a lot more control, so there could be some resistance," says Current Analysis analyst Brad Akyuz. "I don't think that there's much question that someday the predominant way for delivering applications to mobile handsets will be push-based services built on Web services," he notes. "But the manner in which carriers embrace all of this, which mostly remains to be seen, will have a significant impact on where and when we see these types of applications showing up."

10 Ideas Can Add Up To Success For Sellers

When buyers gain advantage in a housing market, sellers must try to approach with a favorable outcome enticing buyers to their homes, then to lock in their asking price. In this article from The Washington Times, the author cites 10 different ideas that can help sellers sell their house, if not at their price, at least a little closer to it than what they might have gotten otherwise. Prominent among these are finishing recreation room, decorating allowance, buying down payments to lower the interest rates, paying off bills, paying closing costs up to mortgage program limit. [M. Anthony Carr, The Washington Times, February 17, 2006]

Cancellation of Private Mortgage Insurance: Federal Law May Save You Hundreds of Dollars Each Year

Private Mortgage Insurance, PMI, refers to insurance provided by non-government insurers that protects lenders against loss if a borrower defaults and usually comes into force when homebuyers make a down payment less than 20% of the home's purchase price. According to the Federal Trade Commission, The Homeowners Protection Act of 1998 establishes rules for automatic termination and borrower cancellation of PMI on home mortgages. The article highlights details wherein homebuyers can avail of benefits on home mortgages signed on or after July 29, 1999 for the purchase, initial construction, or refinance of a single-family home. [ Federal Trade Commission, 2006]

Six Key Negotiation Tips For Home Buyers And Sellers

Success in a slowing real estate market requires paying greater attention to negotiation skills. According to SouthCoastToday.com, there are six key questions for home buyers and sellers to get answered for a successful home sale negotiation. Few of them are why is the seller selling this lovely home, what was the home seller’s purchase price, what is the buyer’s motivation to purchase my home, has the sellers obtained a professional home inspection report. When negotiating a home sale, sellers and buyers cannot ask too many questions to enhance their negotiation position. The prime reason is to determine how motivated the other party is to buy or sell. However, if the other party is highly motivated, then you are in a strong circumstance to negotiate your strongest price and terms. [Robert J. Bruss, SouthCoastToday.com, 2005]