Crofton, MD

The Crofton Civic Association annual meeting is tonight at Crofton Elementary School (7:30 p.m.) and the “hot topic” will be the future of Lake Louise.

Once the jewel of Crofton’s curb appeal, Lake Louise has been an eyesore for years.

In the early days of my real estate career, prospective home buyers were always impressed at the lovely entrance into “Old Crofton” – the beautiful pond known as “Lake Louise” and the meticulously maintained lawns. No more. Now their first impression of our neighborhood can be summarized in one word, “OLD”.

Contrast this with their impression as they drive into other nearby communities and even shopping centers where the lawns and beds at the entrance are impeccably maintained, seasonal flowers are in bloom, and water features often include a fountain, lighting and sometimes a walking path and benches…

There are several proposals for Lake Louise on the table, and you probably already read about them on the Crofton Civic Association website or in the letter mailed to every household. You’ll learn more about each option if you attend the meeting tonight.

The property value of every homeowner in Crofton will be impacted by any decision regarding the future of Lake Louise. That’s because the decision of prospective homebuyers to choose our community over another (let alone your home) will be influenced by the “curb appeal” of Crofton’s front yard along Route 3. A beautifully maintained entrance into the community creates that important “first impression” for the neighborhood. As you’ve heard before, “you don’t get a second chance to make a good first impression.”

Please keep that in mind as you consider all the options, and don’t “settle” for anything less than a first class landscaping and maintenance package for Crofton’s front yard. A “natural” look in your front yard wouldn’t appeal to many homebuyers, and it’s not likely to attract many of them past those front gates and into our community either.

Homes for Sale in CROFTON

A slow week after Labor Day saw Crofton MD with four houses going to settlement. Once again, three of the settlements were in the price range below $250,000. This is the price range which is the sweet spot for first time home buyers. The fourth house was a nice Colonial priced at $403,000.

So what did last week tell us about potential future settlements? Three houses in Crofton MD moved to the Contract stage. At this point, all contingencies are removed and settlement is approaching.

No houses went under contract with a kickout.

Five houses went under contract with no kick out. Some contingencies still exist but a contract with no kick out is pretty solid.

Three new rentals became active last week in Crofton MD. Monthly rental prices ranging from $1,325 to $1,800.

Eight houses became Active in the Crofton MD market. Three of them priced below $300,000 continue to provide a good selection of inventory to choose from for first time homebuyers.

This is just another reminder for first time home buyers that the $8,000 tax credit is set to expire on November 30th. You should be out there seriously looking in order to be able to settle before November 30th. You still have a little time but don't delay.

If you're not already working with an agent to get into your first Crofton MD home, I can help. Just call me at your convenience at 443.995.9595.

Overall, not a bad week for Crofton MD home sales.

If you're SEARCHING for a home in Crofton, MD or any other city in Maryland, click here to view all ACTIVE LISTINGS.

Richard Iarossi, REALTOR®
Long and Foster® Real Estate, Inc.
Crofton, MD 21114
410-451-6255 Office
443-995-9595 Cell
Web: http://www.RichSellsHomes.com
eMail: Rich@RichSellsHomes.com

Annapolis MD Real Estate Specialist
Bowie MD Real Estate Specialist
Crofton MD Real Estate Specialist

©2009 - RichSellsHomes, All Rights Reserved

Reserve the date to give blood through the American Red Cross right here in Crofton MD.

Date: October 6, 2009 (Tuesday)
Time: 2:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Location: St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish
1800 Seton Drive
Crofton, MD 21114

Here is another opportunity to recycle right here in Crofton MD. A unique recycling effort no doubt. Recycle your blood to help someone in need.

If you're looking for just that little extra bit of incentive, a donation to Susan G. Komen for the Cure will be made on behalf of all donors. I'm not sure but they'll probably have cookies too.

Richard Iarossi, REALTOR®
Long and Foster® Real Estate, Inc.
Crofton, MD 21114
410-451-6255 Office
443-995-9595 Cell

Web: http://www.RichSellsHomes.com
eMail: Rich@RichSellsHomes.com

Annapolis MD Real Estate Specialist
Bowie MD Real Estate Specialist
Crofton MD Real Estate Specialist

©2009 - RichSellsHomes, All Rights Reserved

Your Crofton MD home purchase contract is ratified, now what do you do? Early on you received pre-approval or pre-qualification from your lender. Now that the contract on your Crofton MD home is ratified, you need to formalize, and get a commitment for the loan.

In the contract is a specified period of time when you have to apply for a loan, and when the loan will actually be committed to by the lender. All this has to happen before settlement. Your agent will help make sure that the dates specified in the contract are met.

The formal application is first and the lender will require documentation of your assets and income. Your credit check and FICO scores should have been done earlier. They'll be checked again to make sure nothing has changed.

REMEMBER, don't go out and buy that new car or furniture for the house as that could affect the commitment for the loan. Wait until after settlement before making any major purchases.

Once you submit the formal application, the lender will order an appraisal of the Crofton MD property. This process usually takes a week or two to complete.

During this time your documentation will be forwarded to the lenders Underwriting department for review. For the lender, this is where it all comes together. Even though they work for the same company, the underwriter works at arms length from the loan originator.

If the appraisal is acceptable to the bank, your documentation is complete, and underwriting has completed their review, the loan can be committed and we can move on to settlement.

Once the financing contingency is removed, settlement on your new Crofton MD home is just a matter of time. Financing is usually the last contingency to be removed.

Financing, securing the loan, is one of the most critical steps in the purchase of your Crofton MD home. Having a professional loan officer working on your behalf is absolutely critical.

If you're SEARCHING for a home in Crofton, MD or any other city in Maryland, click here to view all ACTIVE LISTINGS.

Buying A Home In Crofton MD - Step 1, Making The Decision
Buying A Home In Crofton MD - Step 2, Getting Professional Assistance
Buying A Home In Crofton MD - Step 3, Time To Start Looking At Homes
Buying A Home In Crofton MD - Step 4, Know The Local Market
Buying A Home In Crofton MD - Step 5, Finding Your Dream Home And Writing An Offer
Buying A Home In Crofton MD - Step 6, Negotiating

Richard Iarossi, REALTOR®
Long and Foster® Real Estate, Inc.
Crofton, MD 21114
410-451-6255 Office
443-995-9595 Cell
Web: http://www.RichSellsHomes.com
eMail: Rich@RichSellsHomes.com

Annapolis MD Real Estate Specialist
Bowie MD Real Estate Specialist
Crofton MD Real Estate Specialist

©2009 - RichSellsHomes, All Rights Reserved

“But I can’t run from my front door to the corner mailbox!”

That’s a quote from my daughter Susan a few years ago when someone challenged her to participate in the Cherry Blossom Run. And she wasn't kidding, when she said that. After her doctor advised that asthma was no excuse for saying “no” – in fact, it would be good for her – she went online and found a training program for beginning runners. And yes, she did finish the race. If she could do it, you can, too!

Now you can train with local resident and prominent runner, trainer and author Christine Hinton, also known as The Running Coach.

Christine is offering her 10–week training program for Crofton area runners, beginning on September 19 at Crofton Country Club or Christine’s house, depending on the size of the group. They’ll be running in and around Crofton, in all weather conditions, as preparation for the Annapolis Striders 11th annual Cold Turkey 10k (6.2 miles) on Sunday November 22 at 8 a.m. Plan on an hour for the initial session, and more time as the running distance increases.

If you prefer, you can train for the 8k Downs Park 5 Miler on Saturday November 7 at 8:30 a.m. (Or you can train just for the heck of it and not participate in any race at all!)

Unsure? Take a minute to read Christine’s Top Ten Reasons to Hire a Coach.

Here’s what you need to bring to the first training session:

Running shoes and clothing, hat, gloves, water bottle
change of clothes for ride home or coat to cover up, towel,
completed Runner’s Questionnaire, signed Waiver Form, and your payment ($100 for the 10–week training, $80 for the 8–week training).

What you get:

• Half-price registration fee for the Cold Turkey 10k.
• Unlimited email access to a well known and published RRCA certified professional running coach and author.
• Information on strength training, cross training, nutrition, form, gear, hydration, stretching, race day prep, etc…
• Ongoing Q&A to become an educated runner
• Weekly email newsletters
• Group trip to a local running store to make sure you are in the right shoes and get any other apparel needed.
• Group discount at local running stores: 10% at Annapolis Running Store and 10% at Charm City.

Visit Christine’s website and her blog for more details about Coach Christine, the training program, and the benefits of training.

Running in and around Crofton with a bunch of other local folks sounds to me like a great opportunity for making new friends, having a lot of fun, and learning how to run correctly. What are you waiting for?

For more information, contact Coach Christine Hinton at 410-562-2277 or TheRunningCoach@comcast.net.