About Bowie's Belair At Bowie

3–Year History of Bowie MD Real Estate Sales

As we begin the new year, it's always good to reflect for a moment on the year behind us. I like to put that reflection in perspective by comparing it with two previous years:

North Bowie (20715) had 290 closings, the highest number in three years, with 216 in 2010 and 250 in 2009. Hopefully this trend will continue so the inventory of 79 homes currently for sale will drop consistently each month of 2012.

South Bowie (20716) had 201 closings, the lowest number in three years, with 241 in 2010 and 213 in 2009. There are 77 homes for sale in this area, as of 1/5/2012.

West Bowie (20720) enjoyed the highest number of sales in three years, but just barely, with 287 in 2011, 286 in 2010 and 274 in 2009. 101 homes are on the market now in this zipcode.

Southwest Bowie (20721) held its own in 2011, with 268 closings compared to 271 in 2010 and 254 in 2009. There are 86 homes currently for sale in this area of Bowie.

What does all this mean to you?

Home Buyers: With so many homes on the market, you should be able to find a seller who is willing to compromise on price or pay some of your closing costs. With low interest rates still available, condtions are perfect for you to buy your first home or move up to a bigger/better Bowie home.

Home Sellers: It's still competitive for you, so you will have to entice buyers to your home with special incentives like closing help. Once you get them in the door, your home needs to be in top showing condition. And, of course, nothing sells a home like pricing it right for the market. The bubble years are gone, and there's no point in waiting for 2005 home prices to return. It's not likely to happen any time soon.

The Ballet Theatre of Maryland invites you to dress as your favorite storybook character for a tea at 6 p.m., prior to their performance of Storybook Theatre at the Bowie Center for the Performing Arts on Saturday. In addition to tea and treats, there will be games and a chance to meet your favorite storybook character. Doors will open at 5:30 p.m. and the performance will begin at 7 p.m.

Enjoy three classic fairy tales in a mini-version that will leave you wanting more: Alice in Wonderland, Excalibur, and Aladdin. (Fortunately, you can look forward to a full version of Aladdin, playing October 21-23.)

This seems like a wonderful opportunity to introduce your children to live ballet theater, with three different stories that won't wear out their attention span... or yours. Free parking, no commute... what more could you ask for?

Order tickets online for this performance of Storybook Theatre at $20 for Bowie residents ($25 for non-residents), with special prices for seniors, students and children. Under-12 tickets are just $10.

Bowie Center for the Performing Arts is located at 15200 Annapolis Rd., Bowie MD 20715, bellettween Bowie H.S. and the Bowie Library.

Other FUN Things to do in Bowie, Maryland

• Dinner and a Movie - There's no shortage of places to dine in Bowie MD when your taste buds get tired of the same ol' thing. Whether you're looking for burgers or fajitas, seafood or salad... it's all here in Bowie. One of my family's...
• Let's Play Golf - Looking for things to do in Bowie, Maryland? Local residents love Bowie Golf and Country Club, a city-owned facility on Route 197 in North Bowie operated as a semi-private club. This 18-hole golf course...
• Take a Walk Through History - Take a walk through history right here in Bowie MD as you explore several sites listed on the National Register of Historic Places, including the Belair Mansion, Belair Stable, and Bowie Railroad Museum...
• Spend an Afternoon with a Good Book - Whether you prefer a best seller or a literary classic to read, you'll find it at BOWIE LIBRARY, located on Route 450 adjacent to Bowie Sr. High School. But books aren't the only thing you'll find…
• Enjoy a Lazy Day at Allen Pond - Enjoy a lazy afternoon at Allen Pond with family and friends... or even by yourself. There's something to be said for "getting away" for a little peace and quiet. Bowie residents love Allen Pond...
• Take Fido to the Dog Park - Take your dog to the Dog Park on Northview Drive in Bowie MD, and you'll both enjoy it! Bowie residents find that it's a great opportunity to spend some quality time with your pet, for your dog to get some...
• One, Two, Three Strikes You're Out at the Bowie Baysox - How lucky are we to have the Bowie Baysox right here in Bowie MD, not to mention the fact that we live about a half hour from major league baseball in both Washington, D.C. and Baltimore!
• Live Performances - Bernard Slade's Same Time, Next Year opened this weekend at Bowie Playhouse and runs through August 14. Bowie Playhouse - known for many years as Bowie Theatre in the Woods - is located near Belair in Bowie, in Whitemarsh, off southbound Route 3, between Routes 50 and 450. It's a 150-seat indoor theatre owned and operated by the City of Bowie.
• Nature Hike and Puppet Show - Lots of fun things to do NEAR Bowie, as well, such as this Groundhog Day celebration on Saturday, Feb. 5, at the Frank Oslislo Visitor Center at the Merkle Wildlife Sanctuary
• Year-round Ice-Skating - Bowie residents enjoy year-round skating at Bowie Ice Rink, near Allen Pond. On any given day there will be lasses, parties, hockey games, or open ice. Check it out!

Are you thinking of relocating to Bowie, Maryland? Click on Bowie Homes for Sale.

Bowie's annual Memorial Day Parade begins at 11 a.m. today at the Bowie High School Annex on Belair Drive and ends at the Market Place Shopping Center. Other streets along the parade route include Sussex Lane, Stoneybrook Drive and Sage Lane, so those roads will be closed to normal traffic.

The U.S Army Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps will participate in the parade, along with Bowie High School Marching Band, Eleanor Roosevelt High School Pep Band, Panquility Steel Drum Band, Prince George's County Police Bagpipe Band, the Bowie Volunteer Fire Department Company. You'll also see a variety of floats, antique cars, dance groups, beauty queens, marching units and veterans organizations,

Officials suggest watching the parade from Acorn Hill Park and Sussex Lane Park, where food and drink concessions and restrooms will be available.

After the parade, the Back Pages Band will perform Beatles' music from the sixties at the lawn on Sussex Lane, across from the original Levitt & Sons model homes, to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Belair at Bowie.

Bowie MD Real Estate Update
20715, 20716, 20720 - October 2010-March 2011

Looking across three Bowie zipcodes, we see that Bowie home sales were up in March compared to the previous month, February 2011.

The picture was not entirely rosy, however, when we compare last month with last year: In North Bowie, the number of sold homes remained flat from 2010 to 2011 while they plunged almost 30% south of Rt. 50; Residential real estate in the 20720 zipcode experienced an increase in units sold, from 18 last year to 23 in March 2011. Looking at this chart from a different perspective, we see the number of units sold isn't very different for the 20715 and 20716 zipcodes from the starting point in October, while the 20715 market has improved overall since October 2010.

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“Much better” also describes the Median Sold Price for the 20720 zipcode of Bowie – UP from the starting point of this chart (October 2010), up from last month (February 2011), and up 25% from last year (March 2010). The Median Sold Price is down, however, for the other two zipcodes – no matter how you look at it. DOWN from the starting point of this chart, from last month, and from last year.

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Days on Market -how long from listing date to sold – is another indicator of how the real estate market is doing. While the number was hovering around 100 days for these three Bowie zipcodes last month (March 2011), this chart shows an increase from the starting point (October 2010) for 20715 and 20716, and a significant increase for 20720. A look at the statistics for March 2010 Indicates that the Days on Market were up only slightly in 20715, up 11% in 20716, and up 37% for 20716.

So What?

As a Bowie homeowner, what does all this mean for you? That's a fair question, and sometimes I ask the very same question after I pull all these real estate statistics together. I don't have the answer… I can only offer one person's perspective:

• Some Bowie homes are still selling every month, in spite of this challenging market – so go ahead and put your home on the market now if you're thinking of selling any time soon. There's no guarantee when the market will improve.

• The Median Sold Price for Bowie homes suggests that more lower-priced homes in each zipcode are the ones selling. However, we're looking at the “median” here, and not the “average” – that means the number on this chart falls squarely in the middle.

• Anyone selling a home in Bowie should probably plan on 3 months – What are you waiting for, get started now if you want to move before school starts in your destination location.

If you're interested in market statistics for the 20721 zipcode in Bowie, Anne Arundel County, or anywhere along the Rt. 50 corridor between Bowie and the D.C. line and north to the Montgomery County line, please contact me. I'll be happy prepare a market study for your zipcode.

Margaret Woda

Bowie Moms and Dads, make plans now to take your kids to Groundhog Day on Saturday, Feb. 5, at the Frank Oslislo Visitor Center at the Merkle Wildlife Sanctuary. The hour-long event (2-3 p.m.) is sponsored by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources and the Maryland Park Service.

Take a short nature hike and attend a puppet show, too. Doesn't this sound like fun for the whole family? Ranger Jarboe suggests you remember to dress warmly, wear comfortable shoes and bring water to drink. For more information, you can contact him by email at kjarboe@dnr.state.md.us.

The Merkle Wildlife Sanctuary is about 20 miles/35 minutes south of Bowie in Upper Marlboro MD. (MAP)