Severna Park, MD

Why Is This Cute Couple All Smiles? You Would Be, Too, If You Just Purchased This Great Home in Severna Park

Here at The Moss Haedrich Team, we like to say that we have the best clients in the world. Maybe it's the Law of Attraction at work or something, but the homebuyers and sellers who find us and work with us - by referral, through this blog, or whatever - are just a real pleasure.

Take this happy couple here, John Haines and Dina Duncan. We'd been working with them for about six months to help them locate and preview homes that would fit their needs and lifestyle. When we finally had the opportunity to show them this one - 101 St. Ives Drive in Severna Park - they knew right away it was "the one."

Says Dina, "My favorite style is Mid Century Modern and it was amazing to find such a great example of this architectural style." Chartwell's family-friendly reputation was a big draw, according to Dina, as was the home's proximity to The Severn School, which her children will attend.

Great as it is, John and Dina have a vision for the home that will make it even more modern, unique and personal. They're already working with local a local design-build firm - LangKuhn of Arnold - to make some changes. Says Dina: "We have a wonderful canvas to work with. The size of the rooms and the amount of natural light - we'll maintain these great features as we update."

John, who grew up in Severna Park, and Dina (whose Atlanta area home is featured in the post below) say that they're very excited to be part of the Annapolis area community for years to come. We're certainly excited to have them here.

By the way, if you'd like keep an eye on the Chartwell real estate market, just send me an email at KenHaedrich@gmail.com and ask to be put on our Chartwell Hot List. You'll be notified each time a new home in Chartwell comes to market, goes under contract or is sold.

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Spring Time is Here!!

With the arrival of spring it is a great time to get the kids and yourselves out of the house. Kinder Farm Park in Millersville is a great place to go. The park borders the city of Severna Park and the several communities.

Kinder Farm Park is a part of the Anne Arundel Parks and Recreations so if you have a park's pass it is free to get in. Kinder Park hosts a variety of activities for the young and old alike. There are trails both paved and dirt for hiking, bicycling and even horseback riding. A huge playground in located at the parks center and the farm offers many different animals that the kids love to look at.

For those of you who love gardening, Kinder Park Farm offers community gardens for rent. It is a great place to come and try your hand at growing some of your favorite vegetables or flowers.

Kinder Farm Park also has a 4-H Livestock Club. Children can join between the ages of 8-18.

Living around Kinder Farm Park gives you a wonderful opportunity to enjoy the park throughout the year. Communities in Severna Park and Millersville have many entrance points to access the park.

Communities such as Chartwell and Kilmarnock and Brittingham border the park. As of March 2009 the average sales price of Severna Park homes were $464,328. Home prices have steadily declined in recent months and are beginning to show signs of stabilizing in this Spring market.

For more information on Kinder Farm visit their website at http://www.aacounty.org/RecParks/parks/kinderfarm/livestock.cfm

For real estate information on Severna Park and Millersville please contact:

RE/MAX Summit Realty

Now that we have the first quarter statistics for the Severna Park, MD market, let's look at some of the revealing and not so revealing numbers.

A total of 29 homes have sold in the Severna Park area. It has taken anywhere between 2 - 7 months to sell. The average price is a number that can be greatly skewed by the sale of a $1 million dollar home, so we'll leave that statistic alone. The Average Sale Price as a percentage of Average List Price over the 3 month period ranges from 80% - 95%. It's called a contract sales price. It does NOT take into account factors such as closing costs or closing help (if any). In other words, sellers should expect to get between 80% - 95% of their asking price. A most compelling statistic in the Severna Park, MD market is the increase in number of active listings that have come on the market in the $500,000 - $599,999 range. At the beginning of the year, there were 201 active listings in Severna Park. At the end of March, there were 217 active listings. That's an increase of 16 active listings for the year. Consequently, there were 35 active listings between $500,000 and $599,999. At the end of March, there were 42. That's an increase of 7 active listings in that price range. Doing the math, 44% of the increased active listings that have gone on the market in Severna Park, MD are priced between $500,000 - $599,999. Equally as curious is the percentage of active listings that range between $350,000 and $599,999. At the end of March, there were 109 active listings in that price range from a total of 217 active listings. Another way to say this is that 50% of the active listings in Severna Park fall between $350,000 - $599,999.

If you're a first time home buyer you should take a serious look at the numbers here. The interest rates for loans are outstanding, the first time buyers credit is out there, and there has been an influx of active listings in a great price range.

Source: Metropolitan Regional Information Systems, Inc (MRIS)

Never forget that freedom is not free. There are many men and women who are sacrificing for us at this very moment. Some have made the ultimate sacrifice, while others are recovering from injuries sustained fighting overseas. Here's one way you can help these heroes: http://www.anysoldier.com. Thank you to all the men and women at Fort Meade, The Naval Academy, Andrews Air Force Base, and everywhere around the globe for your patriotism and sacrifice.

Rich is a licensed assistant to Michelle Bowman of Keller Williams Select Realtors in Severna Park, Maryland. To learn more about Michelle Bowman, including contact information, please visit her website at www.michellebowman.com.

Market Statistics for Severna Park, MD in March 2009:

Number of Homes Sold - 8

Average Sold Price - $464,328

Median Sold Price - $456,750

Average Days on the Market - 64

Average Sale Price as a percentage of Average List Price - 95.28%.

Source: Metropolitan Regional Information Systems, Inc (MRIS)

I'm not a big fan of Average and Median Sold Price Numbers. Many variables can skew the data. A large sale ($1-$2 Million Dollars) can raise the average sold price but not be characteristic of what's going on throughout the entire market. In March, 8 homes sold. 4 of those homes sold between $300,000 to $399,999 range.

We know that the market has significantly slowed down but it bears repeating with the help of numbers. As you can see, it took an average of 64 days to sell these 8 homes in Severna Park, MD. 7 homes sold in less than 120 days on the market and 1 sold with more than 120 days on the market. The main theme I want to say here is that homes are still selling! No matter how "bad" the media or others say the housing market is houses will sell. It may take close to 60 days in Severna Park, MD to sell them, but houses are selling.

So what's the 95.28% mean? Well, it means that a house, in March 2009 in Severna Park, MD, sold for 95.28% of the original asking price. In other words, if a house is listed for $100,000 it sold for $95,280 in March. It's called a contract sales price. It does NOT take into account factors such as closing costs or closing help (if any).

All this adds up to the simple fact that we all know....it's a buyer's market. If you're a seller, you need to be prepared to understand that you may not receive the full price you're looking for and you may need to entice buyers with incentives. If you're a buyer, you're looking at great deals with great interest rates.

One last thing to mention - we get it. Michelle and I understand that there are sellers who have put a lot of blood, sweat, and tears into their home and we want to help them, realistically, get all they can for the price of their home. If you're a buyer, we understand that you're sitting and waiting for the bottom of the market to hit before you buy. Question is, when will you know when the market bottoms out? Answer is, when the market makes a comeback and it's too late for great deals!

Never forget that freedom is not free. There are many men and women who are sacrificing for us at this very moment. Some have made the ultimate sacrifice, while others are recovering from injuries sustained fighting overseas. Here's one way you can help these heroes: http://www.anysoldier.com. Thank you to all the men and women at Fort Meade, The Naval Academy, Andrews Air Force Base, and everywhere around the globe for your patriotism and sacrifice.

Rich is a licensed assistant to Michelle Bowman of Keller Williams Select Realtors in Severna Park, Maryland. To learn more about Michelle Bowman, including contact information, please visit her website at www.michellebowman.com.

Have You Ever Done a Transcation With This Agent?

We know who these agents are, $100 Gazillion in sales last year, Lifetime Achievement Award, Hall of Fame, blah, blah, blah blah blah! How is it that agents like these are still kissing themselves in the mirror attempting to convince the public how great they are?

In difficult markets like the one that we are currently in, we must remember to do business with other agents in the same manner we would like to be treated. Return phone calls, emails, offer showing feedback when asked, and carry a transaction through as "time is of the essence."

Here's to a fantastic Spring!