Maryland

Just wanted to share more photos of the storm in Southern Maryland

Japanese Maple

View of bridge to Solomons Island

Our boat in the ice on the creek

Downy woodpecker during the snow storm

"This evening when we heard on the weather channel that the storm was going to go north and just miss us, we would get some freezing rain but very little snow, well I have to tell you, we did say YEA! YEA! I know that's bad, but at this stage with 4 days of snow we have had enough.. We spent 3 hours getting the ice and snow off of the boat and at least 5 hours digging our way to the end of the drive. I must say I've had enough snow and winter to last a lifetime.

DISCOVER SOUTHERN MARYLAND SECRET..WHERE RELAXATION IS A LIFESTYLE NOT A VACATION

BARBARA RALEY, REALTOR

The McNelis Group, LLC

301-904-2172 Cell

410-394-0990 Off.

www.barbararaley.com

barbararaley@mris.com

Equal Housing Opportunity

Glen Burnie, Anne Arundel County, Maryland - Market Update for the Week Ending January 30, 2010

The Anne Arundel County real estate market remains strong is still seeing stable numbers in sales and settlements. Interest rates are still low, however, there are rumors that the rates will be going up in the new year to around an average of 6%. The home sales still aren't as swift as we would like to see, however, they are seasonably increased over times in the past. The number of new listings has declined steadily over the past few weeks and we are seeing a good increase in the number of homes going under contract and settling. Home prices are also remaining fairly stable as we move into the Thanksgiving Season. Now that fall is here to stay we'll see another spurt in activity before the winter hibernation. I'm surprised I'm not seeing more new home buyers making the decision to buy with so many great deals available. Now with the economic stimulus changes (up to $8000 in tax credits) and low interest rates it will be interesting to see how this all changes. Overall, there has never been a better time to buy, than right now but buyers need to hurry because the tax credit times are coming to an end soon.

These figures are taken directly from our MRIS system and are believed to be accurate.

Glen Burnie, MD

New Listings 22(no change from last week)

Under Contract 22 (increase of 5 from last week)

Settled Sales 6 (increase of 3 from last week)

24 foreclosed homes for sale

Anne Arundel County

New Listings 170 (decrease 2 from last week)

Under Contract 103 (decrease 6 from last week)

Settled Sales 79 (increase of 33 over last week)

147 foreclosed homes for sale.

Glen Burnie offers many affordable housing opportunities for those relocating to Ft. Meade and Annapolis. Glen Burnie is located north on 97 from rt 50 or north on Rt. 2 from Annapolis Naval Academy and east along 32 and north on 97 from Ft. Meade. It is a relatively easy commute from either base and only a couple short miles from the Curtis Bay Coast Guard Station too, as well as being commutable to DC whether you ride the MARC from Odenton or drive.

If you are thinking of buying or selling a home give me a call today and we'll talk about the market conditions and what your home could possibly be worth in today's market place if you are thinking of selling. You can save thousands by listing your home with Advance Realty Anne Arundel Inc.. If you are considering buying a home, there is no better time than now to buy. The tax savings and wealth building a lone is worth the plunge into todays market.

In keeping with saluting our heroes, during 2010 Advance Realty Anne Arundel Inc is waving administrative fees active duty military, retired military and the families of fallen military, as well as policemen, firemen and emt's. If you enter into a contract by the New Year's eve Advance Realty Anne Arundel Inc. will waive the admin fee at settlement. This is a $350 savings. If you are thinking about buying or selling a home give Advance Realty Anne Arundel a call and receive full service real estate assistance from an experienced agent. Our office is open 7 days a week and we can be reached at 410-761-1550.

June Piper-Brandon, Broker - Advance Realty Anne Arundel Inc.

Sometimes homeowners' association, coop and condo boards forbid owners from renting their units, thus forcing owners to sell the property in what is not only a depressed market but is in competition with many other properties for sale. This is particularly common in coops because the burden of a mortgage default is shared by all residents of a coop, and there is a belief that absentee landlords are more likely to default or fail to pay the coop fees. The restriction on rentals can be very burdensome on an individual owner who is transferred out of the area or who has outgrown the property but didn't want to sell just yet, It seems so unfair that a board can limit the owner's ability to rent and force the owner to sell, but it is legal. Not all associations have restrictions like this. For example, Kenwood Forest I and II in Chevy Chase MD do not restrict rentals, and many current landlords were once owner occupants there. This issue has been litigated in many states, but all the court cases have held that community associations have the right to limit -- or even prohibit -- the number of renters in those associations.

Owners within condominiums and homeowner associations are bound by the legal documents and the rules and regulations of their association -- as they currently exist and as they may be properly amended from time to time.

In a condominium, the legal documents are generally called (1) the declaration and (2) the bylaws. In a homeowner association, those documents are called covenants, conditions and restrictions (or CC&Rs).

A board of directors has the right to enact reasonable rules and regulations, so long as those policies do not directly conflict with the legal documents. In order to amend legal documents, it usually takes a supermajority vote of all of the owners. Sometimes this is a 66 2/3 vote and sometimes it is as high as 75 percent. Why? The reason is because the other owners bought into the association based on the existing documents -- and only you and a supermajority of owners can make any changes.

In the area involving restrictions on renters, the courts have held that a board cannot make the change merely by a rule enacted by the board. It takes a bylaw amendment to do this.

If your association is following the rules regarding amending your legal documents, and if that vote is positive, you and the other owners are legally bound by those changes, so don't snooze when your condo association is proposing new guidelines or restrictions. In addition, before you make a decision to buy into any community with a board of directors, whether it is a home owners association, a condo or a coop, take the time to read the documents that you receive. The timeframe for the review is not very long, so pay attention and read carefully in order to avoid any lamentable surprises.

I think that I shall never see a poem lovely as a tree

Check out this awesome tree! I recently sold a townhome in Rockville, Maryland that overlooks this gigantic tree and I found it most fascinating. It reminds me of the Joyce Kilmer poem I learned as a child, TREES.

CAN YOU IDENTIFY WHERE THIS TREE IS LOCATED??

TREES

By Joyce Kilmer 1886 - 1918

I THINK that I shall never see

A poem lovely as a tree.

A tree whose hungry mouth is prest

Against the sweet earth's flowing breast;

A tree that looks at God all day,

And lifts her leafy arms to pray;

A tree that may in summer wear

A nest of robins in her hair;

Upon whose bosom snow has lain;

Who intimately lives with rain.

Poems are made by fools like me,

But only God can make a tree.

This Blue Cheese dressing is delicious and I thought i would share it with you. It can be used on salads or for those famous Chicken wings.

CHICKEN WINGS

15-20 Chicken wings

1 Envelope Hidden Valley Ranch dressing

1/3 Cup butter

1/4 Cup Franks Hot sauce (if you are brave)

3 Tablespoons Vinegar

Paprika

Preheat oven 400 degrees, dredge Chicken wings in Dry Salad Dressing mix, dip in butter or margarine,hot sauce and vinegar. Arrange on baking sheet, Sprinkle with paprika and Bake for 25 -30 minutes. turn over sprinkle with paprika and bake for another 15 min if necessary or until brown. (you may want to put a little more dry dressing mix on them)

BLUE CHEESE SALAD DRESSING

4 oZ. Good Blue Cheese

1 Cup mayonnaise

1/2 Cup sour cream

2 Tablespoons lemon juice

2 cloves garlic minced

1 tablespoon grated onion

ENJOY

DISCOVER SOUTHERN MARYLAND SECRET..WHERE RELAXATION IS A LIFESTYLE NOT VACATION

BARBARA RALEY, REALTOR

The McNelis Group, LLC

301-904-2172 Cell

410-394-0990 Off.

www.barbararaley.com

barbararaley@mris.com

Equal Housing Opportunity