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]

8 Big Mortgage Mistakes And How To Avoid Them

Among the many services Maggie provides her clients, making sure her buyers have the right financing for their situation is at the top of the list. The process of applying for a mortgage involves not just being aware of the required documentation procedures but also in getting familiar with a whole array of rules, regulations, and terms that may appear complicated to grasp in its totality for prospective buyers. According to the author, when confronting such a situation its all too easy for applicants to commit errors and to this end points out the leading mortgage mistakes that buyers should heed to in advance, prior to purchase. Prominent mistakes include not checking individual FICO scores six months in advance, overlooking state-sponsored first-time homebuyers programs, borrowing in excess of their ability to repay, and paying wasteful junk fees, amongst others. [Liz Pulliam Weston, MSN Money, 2005]

14 Acre Gentleman's Farm in Ladiesburg!

Under Contract!

12234 Warner Road In Ladiesburg 14 gorgeous and peaceful acres! Come take this diamond in the rough and make it the home of your dreams today! Colonial home has hardwood floors, 4 bedrooms, 2 full baths, fireplace and a beautiful bank barn on property. Tons of potential, an amazing piece of land, all in a great location! Priced to sell at $399,900 Contact Maggie today for more details & to set up your private showing!

FR5393016 (WA12-169)

Which Home Improvements Pay Off?

The critical task of home improvements can easily add up for homeowners seeking to enhance the market and resell value of their home. According to Smartmoney.com, the exact value could be affected by factors such as the value of existing homes in the neighborhood, prevailing trends in the housing market, and the time of sale, homeowners are advised to focus on specific areas where improvements will increase the long term value of the home. Prominent focus areas, those that would see the greatest return on investment, included kitchen-remodeling, an increase of functional space within the house, adding extra bathrooms, installing decks, and replacing windows, while areas to avoid include gardens and the addition of a swimming pool. [ Smartmoney.com, 2005]

Questions Every Buyer Needs to Know

When you are buying a home, there are many problems that the seller is forced to disclose, but, these disclosures do not always show the entire picture of the home. According to Daily Herald, there are six questions buyers may want to ask that can offer additional insight about the prospective home before they make a final decision. Some of these questions highlighted are how much did the seller pay for the home, has the seller had any problems with the home in the past, why is the seller selling the house. The article adds that knowing all buyers can about a prospective home, not only helps them decide if it’s the home of their dreams, but what offer to make as well. Buyer’s real estate professional can help them get their key questions answered and give them advice on how to evaluate their findings. [ Daily Herald, November 13, 2005]

What Makes Buyers "Bite"?

Today's buyers will “bite” on a home that appeal to their senses, which includes the home’s curb appeal, the first impression they have as they drive by the house. In this article from Jacksonville.com, the real estate experts reveal that location and the view from a home are two of the most important features that make buyers bite. Another important tip to make buyers bite is to keep surfaces painted in neutral shades. The experts add that one way to impress buyers from the beginning is to create a foyer space upon entry. While every buyer in every price range has different items he or she looks for in a home, there are certain features that continuously please a majority of people. Overall, maximizing all of the home's positive features is the way to go. [Jill Zehler, Jacksonville.com, October 22, 2005]

Six Mistakes Homebuyers Should Avoid

In the quest to purchase a house or condo, many home buyers get caught up in the thrill of acquiring a new home and they make potentially costly mistakes. In this article from Bradenton Herald, the author mentions the top six home buyer mistakes that should be avoided during any time of the year. Shopping for a home before homebuyers shop for a mortgage, rushing to buy a house or a condo without carefully researching the local home market in their price range, forgetting to include the two key contingency clauses, buying a home without their own buyer’s agent, not insisting on a comparative market analysis (CMA) before making a purchase offer are some of the mistakes that buyers should avoid. [Bradenton Herald, Robert J. Bruss, October 23, 2005]