About Anne Arundel County, MD

The first-time homebuyer credit had no direct impact on real estate sales during October in Davidsonville, Maryland, since prices in this zipcode typically exceed the first-time buyer price range. Yet activity did increase last month over October of 2007 and 2008.

Other good news for Davidsonville home owners is that both the average and median prices increased over the same month last year and the days on market were nearly down to 2006 numbers. Unfortunately, the percentage of sold price to list price is still under 90% - although it went up 2% from the same month last year.

As you can see from this chart, the volume of real estate sales in Davidsonville is very low, so it's easy for statistics to take a dramatic swing up or down if just one sold property is extremely high or low.

For that reason, if asked to make a pricing recommendation to you today, I would expand my search to include both comparables and real estate trends in other Anne Arundel County communities with homes in similar neighborhoods priced in the same range. Other pricing considerations would include location, features and condition of your property.

If you're thinking of selling or buying a home in Davidsonville, Maryland, or you're simply curious about the value of your home, please feel free to contact me for a professional opinion.

Originally posted by Margaret Woda to FocusOnCrofton.com

Want to learn more about Crofton resident Kristen Becker? Just pick up a copy of today's Wall Street Journal and turn to the Life & Style section.

Or you can click on the link to When Mr. Clean meets Ms. Messy to read the article online. You'll learn Kristen's age, how many children she has, who lives in her home besides her husband and kids, and which spouse is the neatnik (and which is the slob).

Kristen, we'll be interested in learning how columnist Elizabeth Bernstein "discovered" you and your husband.

Kristen has been a member of Crofton Village Garden Club since September and she's already making her mark by volunteering as the Youth Activities Chair for the club. She's also slated to be the emcee for our Plant it Pink Fashion Show and High Tea at Crofton Country Club on May 2, 2010.

And now she's a celebrity, too, after being featured in today's Wall Street Journal.

Originally posted to CroftonVillageGardenClub.com by Margaret Woda

Don't believe everything you read about which upgrades do or do not increase your property value. All real estate is local, even hyper-local, and some general statements about real estate just don't apply in Crofton Maryland and other communities in the Baltimore-Washington area.

According to Allegra Muzillo, in a blog post earlier this month on Real Simple, it will de-value your home to convert a bedroom into a home office. Just to add validity to her point, she cites a Manhattan real estate expert who agrees, and says doing this will give you one less bedroom to advertise.

In fact, I've never seen an agent in this area advertise a home as having three bedrooms when the fourth bedroom is furnished and used as a home office. And I've never encountered a prospective buyer who couldn't imagine office furniture in a bedroom or bedroom furniture in an office.

Maybe we're just smarter in the Crofton area than folks in some other parts of the country! But what about your property value...

I don't believe it will make any difference at all in the sale price of your Crofton home, at least not in the eyes of an appraiser or assessor who is concerned with above-grade finished square footage. If the room has a closet and a window large enough to satisfy fire regulations for a bedroom, those factors will likely determine if it's a bedroom - not the furniture placed in the room or its usage.

My recommendation is very simple: Put your existing living space to work for you!

In neighborhoods like we have throughout the Crofton area, homes are similar enough that comps, market trends and condition will determine your property value. When you're ready to sell, focus on de-cluttering, cleaning, neutralizing, making repairs and staging because THAT will make a far greater difference in your selling price than whether there is a desk or a bed in one of the bedrooms!

Originally posted by Margaret Woda at www.FocusOnCrofton.com

It was only a few short years ago that agents recommended to sellers not to accept contracts that had FHA and VA loans, in favor of conventional loans. Back then, there was frequently multiple contracts on every property and the thinking was that a conventional loan would be easier to close.

FHA loans today are affordable, and as you can see, most frequently used last month to finance home purchases in Anne Arundel County, MD.

With our proximity to Ft. Meade and the Naval Academy, VA loans accounted for 13% of all funding last month. Another great loan product for our military home buyers.

Rates are still low and there is a wide selection of inventory in Anne Arundel County, MD. Combined with government tax rebate programs, now is a great time to buy.

If you're SEARCHING for a home anywhere 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