Proper planning is essential to a successful outcome when buying a home. This is a complicated process and represents a significant financial and time commitment. This is not like buying a new piece of clothing... Read More
Selling a home is a complicated process that requires expert guidance. If you know what you are doing you can absolutely sell the home without the assistance of an agent, but if not, you need to... Read More
Buying a fixer-upper can be a smart investment for several reasons. First, it allows you to purchase a property at a lower price than move-in-ready homes, providing room in your budget for renovations and customization. Read More
IS BUYING A HOME IN YOUR NEAR FUTURE? Maryland first-time homebuyers may open a savings account at a financial institution where they can deposit up to $5,000 per year for down payment and closing costs. Read More
These days, just about everyone relies on the internet for work, school, entertainment, shopping, networking, you name it. So, speed and connectivity have become big issues. Ideally, you want a fast, reliable connection — consistently. Read More
Like most homeowners, you probably don’t think of your property as just a building with rooms and a backyard. To you, it’s much more than that. It’s a home. When you walk into your dining... Read More
When you’re shopping for a new home, you probably want the property to be as “move in ready” as possible. That way, you can… well… just move in! However, there are a lot... Read More
If you need to sell your home in the next month or two, you might be worried. After all, aren’t spring and summer the ideal seasons to list your property? If you list in November... Read More
There is often confusion from buyers when it comes to getting pre-approved. Most buyers think that it is about getting the piece of paper known as the pre-approval letter. It’s not. First and foremost the... Read More
As my buyers go through the lending process and determine what they are comfortable paying for their monthly mortgage payment one overlooked aspect in this process is their tax refund. When determining the monthly mortgage... Read More
What does everyone say when they walk into a store and the sales clerk comes over and says “May I help you?” The classic response, “No thanks, I’m just looking.” And the sales clerk walks... Read More
I have a simple philosophy for my clients. I want you to be prepared to buy every time we go look at homes. That is not to say that you will buy a home, just... Read More
When talking with your lender, let them tell you the maximum you can afford rather than you telling them how much you want to pay. Why? Because it is important to know the maximum amount... Read More
I was talking to a friend of mine the other day about their friends that recently withdrew their home off the market after lingering for 6 months. I was curious about what had occurred because... Read More
I frequently get asked by my buyers and sellers about whether Fall and Winter is a good time to buy or sell versus Spring and Summer. My typical response is that “it depends”. Basically, it... Read More
I am amazed how often that I hear from my buyer clients that I was the first agent to present them with the document entitled “Understanding Whom Real Estate Agents Represent” at our first meeting. As... Read More
I can never understand when I see listings on the MLS where there are no pictures or the pictures that have been posted are of poor quality. If first impressions are everything it really pays to... Read More
Why do you care? Because you co-signed for that car, your credit score just dropped below 600, and now the lender cannot use your income for a home that you want to purchase. This actually... Read More
True Story – I received a call this morning from a listing agent whose client did not accept my client’s cash offer on a home several weeks back. My client’s offer was less than the other offer. However, my client had also... Read More
I, like many Realtors, have seen home buying activity tick up quite significantly since January 2012. Within the last month alone four of my buyer clients have experienced a phenomenon that we have not seen in several... Read More
For those of you that are familiar with the game show “Let’s Make a Deal’ you know what can happen when a contestant is tempted to exchange their current prize with the opportunity to possibly have... Read More
I received an email this morning from a past client of mine who had a friend who was upset that she found out that a suicide occurred in the home she bought three months prior. ... Read More
Please consider the total cost of ownership. This was the exact conversation that I had with one of my first time home buyer clients this morning. She really, really, really wants to buy her first... Read More
Please make certain to call your local utility company, in this case, BGE, when you are buying a new home to make certain that the utilities continue without interruption. The number is 800-685-0123 and you... Read More
32nd Street Farmer’s Market Just got back from the 32nd Street Farmer’s Market in Waverly. What a great place to get fresh fruits and vegetables, meats, breads and pastries. All Local, many products are organic. ... Read More
This is the advice that I give to my buyers when they are preparing to write an offer on a home that they love. Make certain that the offer your write, while taking into considering... Read More
Ok, you bought a home, and now you want or need to move, but are unwilling to take a loss on any real or paper profits. As such, you now have decided to become a landlord. Read More
During the housing boom everyone thought that they could make a quick buck by buying, rehabbing, and reselling homes for a profit. And while this was true, some engaging in this activity did not necessarily adhere... Read More
When selling your home you need to win on a price war and beauty contest. Great homes sell quickly. If your home is priced correctly and shows well it will too. When homes linger on... Read More
When I often speak with buyers the first thing they tell me is that they are qualified to buy a home at “such and such price”. Upon further qualification, it often becomes evident that they... Read More
I’m often asked if this is a good time to buy a home. Some clients are concerned that home prices may fall further than they have already. They are assuming that the best course of... Read More
Selling a home with tenants in it probably ranks up there as one of a listing agent’s least favorite thing to do. As the seller, it is important that you take the following into consideration... Read More
I love the fact that today’s buyers have so many resources at their fingertips to look for homes. Instant access to a home’s information via the Internet or even by simply driving... Read More
One of my buyer clients recently asked me this question out of frustration. And when I opened the Baltimore Sun this morning an article appeared that appropriately described the current situation (which I had already... Read More
But one of the buyers that came to see your home bought the home two doors down. This recently happened to some sellers that I know, I am sad to say. Here is the background... Read More
Hey “20 somethings” – you have been in your job now for a couple of years and now you are thinking maybe now is the time to buy. I am not going to bore you with... Read More
Please consider the total cost of ownership. This was the exact conversation that I had with one of my first time home buyer clients this morning. She really, really, really wants to buy her first... Read More
Confidence is key when buying a home. I don’t want to sound like a broken record, but confidence is key, regardless of whether it is a buyer’s or seller’s market. And... Read More
I recently had a discussion with a buyer about home inspections and how he thought that they were a waste of money. I could see how one might think that. I... Read More
Home ownership is not for everyone. I am currently working with a buyer who wants to make certain that she can still maintain her “single lifestyle” spending habits and own a “nice” home. She currently... Read More
Is cash really king? Not necessarily. When evaluating offers a seller is going to look at the total package – What is the bottom line you are going to net from the sale?, What is... Read More
After 5 long years of declining prices I think we are finally at a point where many markets are seeing a plateau of pricing, if not a slight increase. And while, we all would love... Read More
If your home is listed on your local Multiple Listing Service (MLS) or another website you ARE having an open house each and every day. I know that many sellers are concerned about having an... Read More
In this case, yes. I recently posted on FB that I was able to sell not only one home but two homes in less than 24 hours. A friend of mine commented that they must... Read More
Or at least, the 21st Century Version of it. If you are selling your home it is imperative that you listen to what the market is telling you. If it is priced correctly and shows... Read More
Unless you price it correctly. I have said this time and time again. Homes that sell fast do so because they show well and are priced correctly – any time of the year. If... Read More
Well I’m not but my buyers are. Here is the situation. We go visit a home prior to it being listed. It was going on the market two days after we saw it. My clients... Read More
I have had two separate discussions with two separate clients in one day about this. So it’s worth writing about. Work is requiring that they relocate and they are considering selling or renting their home. Read More
I recently had a conversation with a prospective seller client who wanted to make certain that the listing agent he hired had buyers who could potentially be interested in his home. Now, while I would... Read More
So… I get this call from a frustrated seller who was not happy with their current listing agent. She and her husband were re-locating out of state and wanted to get their home sold quickly. Read More
I often get asked that question by sellers and often respond, “Quite frankly, I hope a qualified one.” I don’t mean to offend anyone with this post, but at the end of the day,... Read More
As a parent myself I understand the motivation behind your intentions to protect your children in everything that they do, including buying their first home. However, by inserting yourself as the gate keeper and not... Read More
That is a good question and one that many sellers have asked their agent at one time or another (If you have not then congratulations). It could be price, it could be condition, it could... Read More
