About Crofton's Chapman Farms

Chapman Farm is a community of more than 500 detached homes built in the 90's on the west side of Reidel Road in Crofton, Maryland.

It's a beautiful community of well-kept homes built around a designated "historic" home and outbuildings on a site now used as a community clubhouse and playground, with ample parking.

No doubt about it... home buyers love Chapman Farm!  Nearly 30% of all detached homes that went under contract during August in Crofton were located in Chapman Farms.  These homes ranged in price from roughly $485,000 to $585,000.  Now there are only four active listings remaining on the market, so you'd better go check them out!

Fear of making a costly mistake is one of the reasons Crofton home sellers give for choosing to work with a real estate agent. After all, who can afford to miss a single detail in this market - buyers are few and far between, and you don't want to let any get away!

Whether you're selling your own home or working with a real estate agent, here are some of the mistakes home sellers sometimes make - in Crofton or Anywhere, USA:

• Overlooking critical details -
  You must be prepared with answers to questions buyers ask, when they ask them. For example, the average utility bills or annual property taxes... how old the furnace is or when the roof was put on... which schools do neighborhood children attend or how far is it to the nearest parochial school...
  
  
• Failing to provide disclosures required by local, state or federal law -
  The repercussions of this could be extremely costly. For example, do you know the exact wording required for disclosing a private utility assessment on your property in Anne Arundel County Maryland? Do you even know if you have one? Is disclosure required in your state or local jurisdiction if your home is "upside down" or facing foreclosure?
  
  
• Relying upon open house, print media and the Internet for finding a buyer -
  There is no substitute for the huge network of repeat and referral clients most real estate agents have, not to menton their relationships with other real estate professionals who also have a huge network of repeat and referral clients. Even if you post your home on the Internet yourself, do you know which sites generate the most qualified traffic?
  
  
• Being unavailable when a buyer wants to see your home -
  Of course you want to attend your son's ball game or go grocery shopping. Let's just hope a buyer doesn't want to see your home while you're away from the house. There's a fair chance that buyer will move on and not come back if you're not available to show your home at the buyer's convenience.
  
  
• Overpricing or underpricing your home -
  Like the story of Goldilocks and the three bears, "just right" is what buyers want. Pricing can make a difference right up front, when a buyer is deciding which homes to view. Overpriced homes often don't get shown at all, and underpriced homes may sell quickly (but take money out of your pocket).
  
  
• Appearing too anxious when you follow up with buyers or agents -
  It's like walking a balance beam... If you call the buyers or agents, they may see that as an indication that you're desperate. On the other hand, what if you don't call, and they have questions?
  
  
• Making unnecessary selling concessions or failing to make necessary concessions -
  Do you really have to pay the buyer's closing costs? Leave all your appliances? I know a buyer who walked away when the seller self-righteously refused to clean the gutters, as requested in negotiations.
  
  
• Under-estimating your selling expenses -
  This is easy to do - especially at certain times of the year when taxes may be due, but they are not yet paid from the seller's escrow account.
  
  
• Assuming the buyer-broker has your interest at heart -
  Just because an agent submits an offer on your home, do not mistake that agent for your friend. A buyer's agent is legally and morally responsible to his or her client to represent the buyer's best interest - not yours.
  
  
• Not hiring an agent to represent your best interests - or choosing the wrong one -
  You know what they say about an attorney who represents himself: "He has a fool for a client". It's no different in real estate. Choosing the right agent can be a challenge, and "how-to" is the subject of another entire blog post.
  
  
• Fair housing violations -
  Can you name the seven protected classes under the Federal Fair Housing Laws? Are you prepared to face a "tester" from HUD to challenge one of your statements or actions?
  

For more information about selling your home, take a look at my series of blog posts, the Buyer's Market Challenge.

FIND A HOME IN CROFTON, DAVIDSONVILLE, ODENTON, GAMBRILLS, ANNAPOLIS, BOWIE

These last few days we've been blessed with some above average weather, and on both occasions I've used it to walk or ride my bike around Walden and Chapman Farms in Crofton. Both neighborhoods are phenomenal: well-kept yards and houses, clean streets and sidewalks, and Walden has golf-course views.

There is just something about Chapman Farms. A very neighborhoody feel. Maybe because its not divided up by Reidel road and a golf course like Walden is. Maybe it was just the nights I was out and about.

But walking around Chapman Farms at dusk, as parents were bringing kids home from their various little league practices and young couples were out with their kids in strollers, or walking their dogs - you just feel something different about it.

Here are some featured listings of homes for sale in Chapman Farms.