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Bethesda, MD

Turning the Tables: A Virtual Assistant Becomes A Homeowner

Steve Kantor -  Best Agent Business - Virtual Assistance: Virtual Assistant in Bethesda, MD

Best Agent Business Virtual Assistants don't just live in the real estate world as staff - often they enter it as clients. This moving story of a virtual assistant who just bought a house tells it all, from the importance of finding the right agent to the importance of making a fair offer based in the market conditions to the mound of paperwork necessary to close.

flag, homeAs a first time home owner, I can tell you one thing, very few emotions are left unturned during the process. I had no idea what I would be getting into, and here I am almost a month and a half later, still wondering how this all happened.

Let me back up and give you a quick history of the whole process and how it began. My husband is active duty Navy. When he received word that we would be staying in Jacksonville, I was ecstatic. Not only would we not have to move for at least three years, but we would actually be able buy our first home, and paint the walls a color other than white. Now, when we found out we would be able to look into buying a home, I was 7 ½ months pregnant, moody, and tired all the time. The military has a program called Movers Advantage, so we decided to utilize this program. We started with one realtor who sent us many listings to view on-line, but none that had any of the specs we were looking for in a house, our soon-to-be home. She was very passive, not as aggressive as I would have like her to be, so we politely requested a new agent.

Wow, she was wonderful. Not only did she find us ten plus homes for us to look at, she scheduled us is times to view these houses, all within a weeks time. Our first realtor did nothing of the sorts. So into the car we went, driving around, looking at house after house, and not finding anything that said Home.

Three days of looking, and I was beginning to feel overwhelmed, and disappointed. This was not only because we were growing closer and closer to time for my husband to be finishing with his training command, but also because our little baby would be arriving very soon and I knew my time was limited on being able to look for a house. It was hard enough waddling in and out of a car, then looking through house after house, but doing so with a newborn....not happening.

Day four of looking seemed to be producing the same results...nice houses, but not our home. It was the last house of that day, it had been on the market 1 day, and I just had this feeling. This house was on the same street as the house we were renting, so it would be a short move, and almost seemed too easy. We pulled in the driveway and I got a tingling feeling. As soon as my feet stepped into the front foyer, I knew it was home. I began scurrying around the house as fast as a 9 month pregnant lady could and became more excited with each step. My husband and I sat down at the bar right there in that house and put our offer on paper and the realtor submitted it.

Then the nerves sat in, and it was almost unbearable. We gave them two days to respond, and when 5 o'clock on the day we requested a response came and went, my heart was sad. I just knew that they had passed on our offer. Several hours later, the phone rang, they had countered. Contrary to most people's beliefs, their counter actually included a few things we hadn't thought of, agreed to most of our conditions, the only thing was they wanted a little more money. We put our counter offer in and the next day, with a house full of friends cheering on our respective college football teams, the phone rang....WE GOT THE HOUSE! The whole room broke into cheers, and we were so excited to share that moment with everyone!

Then the fun part, form after form, stacks of papers, inspections, walk thrus....o my the paperwork seemed almost endless. Then, in the middle of trying to get all of this done, our son made his appearance into the world. With a 3 ½ week old in tow, we arrived at the Law office to do our final closing. What an amazing feeling. The lawyer was wonderful and explained everything as we signed our lives away. As we sat there at the round table, signing paper after paper, I felt very relieved. The process was finally over, and we had a house, a home, a place our son will take his first steps, say his first words, and celebrate his birthday. It was the most amazing feeling knowing that it was done, and we could start moving our things into our home.

Not only did we find a house that we fell in love with, we made some new friends that we now talk to regularly, and plan on having dinner with, the "old" owners. It made the process even more enjoyable, though the first word that comes to mind when I reminisce about first starting the home buying process would have to be "anxiety filled," ha!

We've been in our new home for a little over a month now and couldn't be happier. The pictures are on the wall, the furniture is in place, and we're having our first dinner party tomorrow night. You want to know the best part; it's all over for at least three years!

Want more new ideas to make your business run more efficiently? Take 30 minutes today to schedule a call with Steve Kantor to see how a part time virtual assist can transform your business. Interested in a part time career with us? Visit our website for more information.

Condos For Sale in Bethesda Maryland 20814 - All Condos Near the Metro - Featuring The Promenade, The Chase at Bethesda, The Kenwood and The Christopher

Fernando Herboso Real Estate Maryland, DC and Virginia: Real Estate Agent in Gaithersburg, MD

Condos For Sale Bethesda MD 20814
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Condos For Sale Bethesda MD 20814
Condos in Bethesda BEST LOCATIONS! Maryland
The Promenade, The Christopher, The Chase at Bethesda
and The Kentwood
in BETHESDA Maryland
Weekly Stats
FOR ALL THESE CONDOS near the Metro in


BETHESDA Maryland 20814

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Market Report for all the CONDOS For Sale in
BETHESDA Maryland
20814


* The Promenade
* The Christhoper
* The Chase At Bethesda
* The Kenwood
* Including all FORECLOSURES AND SHORT SALES FOR BETHESDA

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This market report below is for November 2009.(11/21/2009) This includes all Active Homes
including SHORT SALES and FORECLOSURES.

I'm including all of the CONDOS that are under contract.

If you are new to the area. . this neighborhood is very convenient because it's
proximity to the Beltway
that circles Washington DC and the Metro.
There is an influx of first time home buyers looking for these condos
at a very reasonable prices.


short sales in md
Here’s what’s happening in your neighborhood.
The real estate market activity during this month around Bethesda seems to be leaps and bounds ahead of last year for buyers.
According to the Washington/Maryland Multiple Listing Service, there are 16 condos available to buy in all these Condos in Bethesda Maryland.
At the same time, 1 condo have
sold this month so far in all of these four buildings. . Also there are only 8 properties under contract status .
Potential buyers shouldn’t wait. With a strong buyers market, combined with low mortgage rates, now’s the time to get a great deal on your dream condo by the metro


The Sugarloaf Crafts Festival in Gaithersburg

November 20, 21, 22, 2009

Montgomery Co. Fairgrounds

GAITHERSBURG, MARYLAND

Fri. & Sat. 10-6, Sun. 10-5 • Under 12 & Parking FREE • Open Rain or Shine

Lovers of fine crafts and art will find more than 350 top artisans displaying and selling their unique creations in pottery, sculpture, glass, jewelry, fashion, home décor, furniture and home accessories, items for the garden, and photography. In addition to top national artists, the Festival will also introduce new and emerging artists showcasing the latest trends in handmade fashion and accessories, statement jewelry and fine art.

The Sugarloaf Crafts Festival in Gaithersburg

short sales in md Tigre also has a brand new list JUST PREPARED of PRE-FORECLOSURES for this neighborhood.
All condos for sale in Bethesda MD
If you want a copy. .
Just request it here.



Total Number Of SOLD FOR NOVEMBER SO FAR : 1
Total Number Of SOLD FOR OCTOBER : 12
Total Number Of SOLD FOR SEPTEMBER: 2

Total Number Of SOLD FOR August : 5

Total Number Of SOLD FOR JULY : 7
Total Number Of SOLD FOR JUNE: 9
Total Number Of SOLD THIS YEAR SO FAR : 53

foreclosuresSelling Your Condo in Bethesda?
We know marketing. .
We know the local market. .
we know how to bring buyers to
Bethesda!
Now you have our number. .
240-898-1848 xt 1

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For Condos in Bethesda MD 208514
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I want you to know that you may call me for any reason. And please let me know
if a friend, family member or neighbor needs a caring, competent real estate
professional to help in buying or selling. I truly appreciate your friendship and referrals.
My direct number is 240-426-5754

condos for sale Bethesda MD

Montgomery County Home Buyers, Rethink Your Plans to Buy or Sell

Courtney Donato-Griffiths: Real Estate Agent in Potomac, MD

Montgomery County residents, have been thinking about making a move but decided against it because you thought you couldn't sell you current home? Did you want to use the home buyer's tax credit, but waivered about buying because you thought it was too late to get the process going? Or did you not qualify because your income was too high? Or maybe because you owned a home, now or in buyer, sellerthe last three years, you didn't qualify?

Good news! The tax credit has now been extended and expanded in a way that will help sellers, help first time buyers, and help repeat buyers too. Let's look at the terms:

  • The credit runs through April 30, 2010. You must have a signed contract by this date, but have until June 3, 2010 to close. Military buyers who have served out of the country and are on active duty have an extra year to pursue this credit.
  • The credit is $8,000 for first time buyers, which includes those who have not owned a home for three years.
  • Repeat buyers who have lived in their home as primary residence for five consecutive years of the past eight qualify for $6,500.
  • Buyers but live in the new home for at least three years or repay the credit. This rule is waived for military personnel who must move sooner due to official business.
  • Income limits to claim the full credit are $125,000 for single taxpayers and $225,000 for married taxpayers. The credit phases out for incomes up to $20,000 above the limit.
  • The maximum value of the home is $800,000.

This credit, predicted to help stabilize housing throughout the country, can offer an added incentive to rethink your home buying or selling plans. Up to this point, buyers have been grabbing starter homes that tend to be lower priced. With this credit, there should put more homes on the market for you to consider as sellers move up.

If you want to move up to a bigger, better, or different home, the credit will provide an incentive to do it PLUS offer some assurance that when you list your home for sale, you will get a buyer more quickly. Currently, homes in Montgomery County require an average of 86 days to sell, down from 97 days in the period from April through June. (Historically, the best average number of days on the market (DOM) in the area is 76 days.) The average selling price in the county is $395,463. This is down 9.9% from last year. If you sell, you might have to tweak your desired price to be in line with neighborhood values but when you buy yourself, you will also benefit from this trend and be able to buy more house for less money yourself.

Courtney Donato-Griffiths can show you the perfect house in Potomac, Gaithersburg, Rockville, Kensington, Bethesda, or other Montgomery County locations and is ready to discuss all the scenarios of the new credit with you. Whether you are buying a Montgomery County home or selling one, Courtney your local Montgomery County specialist

BETHESDA HOMES FOR SALE - MONTGOMERY COUNTY, MARYLAND

11-17-09
Roy Kelley
Roy Kelley: Real Estate Agent in Gaithersburg, MD

BETHESDA HOMES FOR SALE - MONTGOMERY COUNTY, MARYLAND

Home owners and prospective home owners are closely watching the local residential real estate market. We email monthly statistics, but sometimes you need to have a detailed look at what is actually on the market for sale.

The following three reports show the properties that are active listings of homes for sale in the area. The properties are sorted by subdivisions. You may sort differently by clicking on the column headers.

The first report shows the 270 active listings excluding the lender owned (REO) homes and the short sale listings. Click the following URL to see the listings:
http://mrislistings.mris.com/Matrix/Public/Portal.aspx?k=1135923XDLVP&p=DE-94888924-136

The second report shows the 15 short sale listings that are available. Short sales are transactions where the proceeds of the sale will not cover the outstanding mortgages. These are sometimes called pre-foreclosures. Click the following URL to see the listings:
http://mrislistings.mris.com/Matrix/Public/Portal.aspx?k=1135923XDLVP&p=DE-94889167-213

The third report shows the 5 lender owned foreclosures (REO) properties that are for sale. The lender owned properties are vacant and prices are reduced until they are sold by the highly motivated sellers. Click the following URL to see the listings:
http://mrislistings.mris.com/Matrix/Public/Portal.aspx?k=1135923XDLVP&p=DE-94888953-106

Do you qualify for the new tax credit? The Home Buyer Tax Credit now includes current home owners as well as first time buyers. This link provides the highlights of the program: http://www.federalhousingtaxcredit.com/glance.php

Please contact us with your questions. We always appreciate your referrals.

The MLS Promised Hardwood Floors - Who's Liable? Anyone? Can I Promise Anything?

Lise Howe, Assoc. Broker and Attorney Licensed in DC, MD, VA,Coldwell Banker: Real Estate Agent in Washington, DC

After a detailed search of homes in Bethesda and Chevy Chase, my clients found a townhouse that they liked enough to make an offer on. After a lot of back and forth, they agreed to pay top dollar for the property, subject to a house inspection.

My clients had not really planned on moving. Indeed, they had just paid $8000 for new hardwood floors upstairs in their current home, but suddenly, they had found this new townhouse, and they had decided to make the offer.

When we did the inspection, we discovered that the air conditioner was not 2 years old as the seller had promised, but actually was 11 years old. The hot water heater was electric, not gas, as the Multiple Listing printout said. (The seller had said it was electric in the seller disclosure, but the listing agent didn't pay any attention to that when inputting the listing into the MLS.)

The marble floor in the foyer wasn't marble; it is ceramic tile, despite what the listing agent had said in the multiple listing service printout. My buyers weren't too disturbed about that since they could see with their own eyes that it wasn't marble. Thedisturbing issue discovered at the house inspection, however, was that the MLS prepared by the listing agent clearly states that there is hardwood under the carpet in 3 bedrooms, and a wood floor in the family room downstairs (although it is obviously carpet.)

Given that the buyer paid top dollar for this property, in part because it had a new air conditioner and hardwood floors, the buyer is a little upset. The seller is willing to give a credit for repairs, although not enough for a two year old air conditioner, and nothing for new hardwood floors. The seller's explanation is that the information contained in the multiple listing service is deemed reliable but not guaranteed, and they are SORRY about the confusion.

While I understand that, I am a bit confused about the effect of the buyer's reliance on representations in the multiple listing service by the listing agent as to the nature of the property being sold. This was the only place that the buyer could get information about the house on which to base his decisions on the value of the house. The buyer did not feel comfortable pulling up the carpet which was securely glued down before negotiating for the purchase of the property since the elderly owner was still living there with all her furniture.

Now it seems that the options are (1) suck it up and buy the house that now appears to be really overpriced or (2) walk away from the house that they really want.

I remember learning as a young agent to NEVER EVER NEVER promise hardwood floors if you didn't absolutely know that there was hardwood there. I remember the story of the agent who promised that there was hardwood in the dining room, but it turned out the hardwood was just around the perimeter of the dining room rug, but under the rug was plywood. The story was that the mistaken agent gave the new buyers hardwood floors in the dining room as a house warming gift.

Similarly in the DC metro area, we never promise square footage, so that we don't have to give that extra 10 or 100 square feet of living space as a house warming gift.

So, is that all mistaken? Can I promise anything with impunity and let the buyer hold the bag? Is it caveat emptor still? So I can promise the buyer an elevator in a house, a two car garage, an acre of land, gas fireplace, seaside view - all in a studio apartment in South Dakota?

Can someone explain the rules of the game to me so I can explain them to my buyer? Because I thought an agent had to exercise due diligence to ascertain the correctness of what is said about the property being sold.