Just Listed! 3,294 sf Ranch with Million Dollar Views

Remodeled Colonial in Libertytown

Outstanding Smithsburg Colonial with Mountain Views

Why Home Buyers Should Understand the Importance of Interest Rate Drops

Home buyers too frequently treat interest rates as a secondary concern. Many buyers will stress over $300 or $400 in negotiations over purchase price. But when told that interest rates dropped half a point, home buyers will often respond with a shrug...[more] [Broker Agent News, Ki Gray April 2008]

5 Tips for Buying a Home in a Down Market

The subprime mortgage bust has scared a lot of people away from the housing market. The nightly news is filled with images and stories of everyday Americans who are losing their homes because they made greedy and uninformed decisions, they were taken advantage of by predatory brokers, or a combination of these situations. However, the news isn’t all bad. This decline in the market has dropped prices and made housing affordable to many fiscally responsible renters who never considered home ownership to be an option.

If you find yourself house-hunting, make sure that you follow these five simple steps to take advantage of this downturn in the market; if you don’t, you could be the next sad story on your local news...more [Bankaholic.com April 10, 2008]

Just SOLD in 5 Days! Under Contract on 3/31/08 for FULL MARKET VALUE!

A Different Approach to Revitalizing the Housing Market

While U.S. Federal Reserve rate cuts and the economic stimulus package are helpful, they aren't enough to bring the economy back from the brink of recession. Some mortgage lenders' decision to temporarily suspend the foreclosure process through "Project Lifeline" is encouraging, but more drastic steps need to be taken to help a housing market that is obviously in trouble.

Few would disagree that the explosive growth in the housing market (prices and inventory) over the past several years was stimulated by lenders providing easy financing. As is typical with most major purchases, as financing becomes more affordable, an increase in demand will follow.

While it is easy to blame "subprime" lenders, More... [Lyle Martin- Broker Agent News 2008]

Remodeled Colonial in Libertytown

What Your Real Estate Agent Knows That You Don't

When you make the decision to sell your home, you are under no obligation to hire a real estate agent or broker to help you with the sale. Nonetheless, most people prefer to hire a real estate agent in order to better protect themselves. And, it also puts them in a better position to successfully sell the home in a short amount of time. more... [Broker Agent News by Eric Bramlett 11-30-2007]

Save Your Home from Foreclosure

YOU’RE NOT ALONE IF YOU’RE HAVING TROUBLE PAYING YOUR MORTGAGE
The housing boom led to a record homeownership rate of nearly 70 percent, but some homeowners now face problems making their mortgage payments and can’t refinance their loans. Over the last few years, lenders invented new types of mortgages to help families buy their first homes and refinance their existing mortgages. Many of these mortgages helped families without cash for a down payment, or with less-than-perfect credit, qualify for loans known as "subprime" loans. read more...

List Low, Sell High

In today’s hot sellers market, setting a list price that's lower than market value can be an effective strategy as long as you combine it with an aggressive marketing campaign. In this article from The Boston Globe, the author states that if sellers expose an under priced listing to a broad-enough segment of the market before accepting offers, the market will establish the price through a process of competitive bidding. This strategy is most effective in markets that lack enough homes for sale to meet the demand. Further the author cites that to be a successful seller, you need to manage your expectations. Using gimmicks to attract buyers, may increase the number of showings your listing receives. But, it's unlikely to result in a sale if your listing is priced too high. [Dian Hymer, The Boston Globe, August 27, 2007]

Risky Loans Get Harder To Come By

Some nontraditional mortgage loans have vanished from
lenders' menus, while others have gotten more expensive during an eventful week for
those in the mortgage industry.
But a looming credit crunch for riskier mortgage debt has not yet spilled over to
traditional, creditworthy borrowers, who can still obtain conventional financing at
market rates, mortgage lenders say.
"What we're seeing is because of the mess in the subprime market world right now. It
is definitely blowing over to the [parts of the] prime market," said Ginny Ferguson,
co-owner and broker of Heritage Valley Mortgage in Pleasanton, Calif.
It's the riskiest part of the nonsubprime market that is feeling the squeeze as the
secondary mortgage market has curbed its appetite for these loans.
Mortgage offerings changed daily this week as some companies took Alt-A loans off
the table...[Amy Hoak, MarketWatch, Aug 3, 2007]

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Lakeview Colonial with In-Ground Pool

Selling your home for the best price in an up or down market

A good, full service Realtor will be able to help you sell your home for the best possible price, terms and conditions. In this article from Jacksonville.com, the author states that for obvious reasons, the asking price is the most important factor in determining how fast your home sells. Professionals know that the longer a house stays on the market, the lower the selling price will be in comparison to the original asking price. It is important to look at all the feedback with your Realtor to determine the next steps to take. The author further adds that if your home has languished on the market for several months, it may be a good time to take another look at your competition and determine a more aggressive strategy. [Phyllis Staines, Jacksonville, June 08, 2007]

The right price is right way to capture buyer

Selling a home "as-is" in the current market is not all that easy. In this article from The Washington Times, the author states that there is a very big difference between an as-is sale and a house that has a lot of defects. He further recommends that sellers do not call their property as-is when they list it. Rather, they should raise that with buyers or perspective buyers at contract time once there's an offer being negotiated. Buyers should be interested in all the best properties available on the market. Without doing more research, you shouldn't rule out any property for any reason. Before you decide for certain how to market your home, be sure to consult with a Realtor regarding your state's disclosure regulations. [Sara Sicks, The Washington Times, June 01, 2007]

Will market warm up this spring?

The spring market always is the hottest period of the year for home sales. The pertinent question is that whether this spring will be better than last spring was. As per the article from The Washington Times, the author states that the increase in traffic that agents were reporting caused some to hope that the spring market would pick up in a big way. Cumulative data for the District actually shows sales there up by 2 percent over the first four months of the year, but that is the only jurisdiction where sales have risen this year. April's lackluster sales meant that home prices are falling or stagnant in most of the region. [Chris Sicks, The Washington Times, May 18, 2007]

Professional Staging Edits Clutter and Smells

Sellers with small children or pets might consider hiring an accredited professional stager (ASP) who can provide simple guidelines to help them redirect potential buyers' focus to the home's highlights as a welcoming, livable space. As per the author from The Washington Times, professional staging edits clutter, smell. A good stager knows the demographics and can calculate when a property should be staged to sell to buyers with one or more children. Homeowners with a large family, including many pets, may not recognize the disorder and accumulation of items in their homes. A stager can help them with a fresh perspective on how to rearrange, organize and get rid of unnecessary items. [Cary Lee Dailey, The Washington Times, March 30, 2007]

Riverfront Property Available in Emmitsburg, Maryland

SOLD- Ask Me How I Can Sell Yours!!!

50+ ACRE ESTATE

14909 Sixes Road in Emmitsburg

Exceptional Value at $899,000

Imagine the possibilities! Gorgeous 50.46 ac Estate with Views of the Catoctin Mountains & Monocacy River access! Located just 30 minutes from Frederick, this Custom built Colonial features 4 bedrooms, 2 full baths and 1 half bath. Hard Wood Floors, Crown Moulding and Chair Rails accentuate the Formal Dining Room and Living Rooms as well as the Grand Two-Story Foyer. The Gourmet Kitchen has a Center Island as well as a Breakfast Nook with bay window that overlooks the beautiful fields. A Wood Burning Fireplace with Marble Surround is the center piece of the first floor Family Room. The main level is also the location of the Library or Professional Office. Upstairs, you will delight in the Luxurious Master Suite with 2 huge walk-in closets as wells as a Master Bath with a Two-Person soaking tub, large vanity with Dual Sinks and Separate Shower. Three additional bedrooms with plenty of closet space, a full bath and laundry room complete the second level. The finished basement showcases wainscoting in the Recreation Room, a rough-in for a full bath, utility room, storage room and walk-up outside entrance. The Professionally Landscaped Yard surrounding the house has fencing to include the home and one acre which can all be enjoyed from the Wrap-Around Porch or huge Bi-Level Trex Deck. The farm is two separate parcels with an extensive Fruit and Nut Orchard, 3 Wooded Acres, an 18 Acre 3-Board Fenced Pasture, and 25 Tillable acres. A 30' x 40' Pole Building with water & electric is included as well as access to the legendary Monocacy River. Bring your horses and make this amazing farm yours today! Exceptional value at $899,000 Contact Maggie today for more details &to set up your private showing! (301)418-2135

FR6439912 - (SI14-169)

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Is Remodeling Worth The Expense?

Prospective home remodelers need to ask themselves whether doing remodeling can be a worth the expense. As per the author from Boston.com, according to one of the report, the cost of remodeling increased at the same time that the return on the dollars invested decreased. This report underscores the importance of remodeling with a long term perspective in mind. It does not make sense to embark on a major kitchen remodel just before selling your home. The report covers 25 remodeling projects, and for the first time PDF files are available for the 60 cities that were surveyed. The author suggest homeowners before they take on a remodeling project, talk to local contractors for input on costs, and to a trusted realtor for information on how much they can expect to recoup when they sell. [Dian Hymer, Boston.com, February 19, 2007]