Crofton, MD

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

The first-time home buyer tax credit is probably responsible for the decline in average and median home prices in Crofton Maryland since August, because first time homebuyers generally purchase at the low end of the market. Overall for the year, however, the trend in prices has been upward with the average sold price at $268,400 in January and $319,137 in October, and the median sold price increasing from $250,000 in January to $308,000 in October.

At the same time, that tax credit may be the reason more homes sold in September and October of this year than in 2008 - the only two months of this year when closings exceeded the same month last year.

My crystal ball is still fuzzy about the future of Crofton real estate because statistics are providing mixed signals. One thing is in clear focus, however: The number of new listings went down this year, and the number of non-contingent contracts went up. In fact, these two numbers are closer than they've been (for October) since 2006 - and that's something I'd like to see continue.

If we could have a few more months with the number of new contracts and new listings, I'd say we have a positive trend going and the future is bright for real estate in Crofton.

It will be interesting to see how the Crofton real estate market changes with the new expanded tax credit, which makes current home owners eligible for $6500 if they've owned and occupied a home for 5 of the past eight years. Hopefully that will give a boost to home sales in a different price range.

P.S. Be sure to click through and read Has Crofton Real Estate Bottomed Out Yet?

Several of the Crofton, MD home sales statistics looked better in October, 2009 compared to October 2008.

More units are being sold, but in the lower price ranges. 25 of the 27 sales were in the price range under $500,000, while fully 22 of the 27 listings were under the $400,000 price range.

During the month of October, 2009, 37 new listings were added to the Crofton, MD home inventory, while 27 were sold.

In a peek at the near term future, 46 homes went under one of the various contract categories. Despite that, more houses were added to the Crofton MD inventory in October, than went off.

From the data, it looks like first time home buyers were fueling the Crofton, MD home sale increases in October. That makes sense since there was an urgency to buy because the $8,000 tax credit was set to expire on November 31st. That has since been changed by Congress taking some of the sense of urgency off first time home buyers.

If you're not already working with a Realtor® to find that perfect Crofton, MD home, I can help. Call me at 443-995-9595 any time.

SOURCE: Metropolitan Regional Information Systems, Inc.
Information deemed reliable, but is not guaranteed.

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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

May I suggest you spend this evening in the company of your neighbors, as members of Baldwin Methodist Church, St. Steven’s Episcopal Church, St. Paul’s Lutheran Church and St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Parish perform Howard Goodall’s Requiem to honor our fallen service members.

This memorial service will be held at 7:30 p.m. tonight at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, 1800 Seton Drive in Crofton, off Rt. 424 near Crofton Middle School. It will be the premier of this music East of the Mississippi and the National premier of the arrangement created especially for parish performance.

Participants in this extravaganza have been rehearsing for many weeks, and they say it’s exhilarating new music with expressive colour and driving rhythms. What a wonderful way to honor the veterans in our families and local communities!

Why not take a Veteran or active-duty service member out to dinner tonight and then attend this service together?

There are specials today for veterans and active duty military at many area restaurants including Outback Steakhouse and Applebee’s. Check with your favorite restaurant.

Originally posted at FocusOnCrofton.com