Lanette Branch, - Bel Air, MD REALTOR

...is Steve at Shore Thing Title.

He actually introduced himself to me as my new best friend. I had never seen him before and he comes into my office bearing gifts. Actually it was a commission check from a settlement he conducted the night before -- a settlement I was unable to attend (don't get me started on the reason for that!) w/my buyers. It was the second settlement, the second leg, actually, of a triple dip (you gotta love those).

Anyways here he comes into the office and declares that he's my new best friend and that i should keep that in mind.

Steve's the owner of Shore Thing Title based in Towson, Maryland and he's been incredible in getting us to the closing table when we did on this one particular bank-owned (don't get me started on REOs!) house.

So, we chat for a minute and he leaves.

I'll be darned if he didn't call me about 3 hours later to give me the contact info for a couple (good friends of his, actually) that was looking for a good Realtor. "I have just the lady for you," he tells me he told them and ",she'll be calling you soon."

Oh, I called them alright and now I'm looking at a double dip (you gotta love those) -- a listing and a sale (just waiting on the call from the l/a to say we're in like Flynn?).

I just met the man, for goodness sake!

Life's good for me and my new best friend.

I'm psychic, I really am.

Or, maybe it's just that certain aspects of real estate are so predictable (and I've been a real estate pro for so darn long) that it appears that I am indeed psychic?

Case in point - I get a call from my buyer who is eager to see the proverbial listing that has been on the market forever (well over a year, anyway) and time is of the essence. The buyer wants to see the property, like, yesterday since the buyer is convinced that this is The One.

So, (being the conscientious Realtor I am) I get on the phone poste-haste and get the appointment set-up. I get my confirmation from CSS, then I call the listing agent. I inform the l/a that my client is already psyched about the home, I inquire about disclosures, I ask about any current interest/offers, and I am subsequently informed that the disclosures will be faxed to my office shortly and told -- "No, there are no other offers/interest. Go ahead and show it, girl"!

Alrighty then.

I schedule it for first thing in the AM since it's already past 5; I'm scheduled to bowl at 6:30 and if I miss this quality time with the husband, I'm a dead woman.

Anyways, it's all good with my buyer. We meet the next morning to see her dream home and (I'll be darned!) turns out it actually is her dream home after all!

I love it when a plan comes together.

O.K., so now I'm in offer-writing mode. I call the listing agent to advise we'll be writing an offer. I had to leave a v-mail message since the l/a didn't pick up. I e-mail a copy of the listing to my buyer's lender and eagerly await his customized lender letter. I call county planning/zoning to get an answer to a question the buyer had. I call my inspector to run a question or two past him. Yada, yada, yada...you know the drill.

Oh, almost forgot...I scoot over to the buyer's current home to do a pre-list walk-thru since this offer will have a home sale contingency (and I'll be darned yet again; my buyer's got equity -- lots of it!)

And then, after all is said and done, I find out that the house is already under contract and was under contract when I showed it. A little birdie told me (not even the l/a!). I'm really not sure why I was surprised at the status since (dripping w/sarcasm) it was still showing as active in MLS.

After over 400 days on the market.

I must confess, I knew this was a strong possibility. I know how popular these 400+ DOM homes are (especially after the many price reductions). Moreover, since I am intuitively talented that way, I should have listened to that inner voice that told me all along that this was The One -- the one that would garner sudden and varied interest after one lil phone call from me (after nada interest for, did I mention it already, a year)?

I swear, if I could just harness this psychic ability for the greater good, the world would be a better place for us all.

Last week in Bel Air, Maryland...

10 Homes SOLD

Average DAYS ON THE MARKET (DOM) - 74

Highest priced home SOLD - $484,900

• 8 yr-old colonia
• 3 DOM
• 6 beds/3.5 baths
• $489,900 LISTED price

Lowest priced home SOLD - $159,000

• 15 yr-old condo
• 90 DOM
• 2 beds/2 baths
• $169,900 LISTED price

Above data is week beginning Sunday, September 7 and ending Saturday, September 13 for zip codes 21014 and 21015.

Bel Air is the county seat of Harford county in Maryland.

Looking for a great real estate deal in Bel Air, MD? Let's connect!

Lanette Branch, RE/MAX 1^st Advantage in Bel Air

Information is obtained from our local MLS and is believed to be accurate, but is not guaranteed.

Too Cool!

Red Robin is opening a restaurant in Bel Air and I'm pleased as punch. I've never been to a Red Robin in my life but I love their commercials. They're funny and they catch your attention, that's for sure.

Hopefully, their burgers are as good as Fuddrucker's. Now, those are some good burgers! Unfortunately, we don't have one of those in Bel Air, so I have to get my burger on more than a few miles away in White Marsh or Owings Mills.

Either way, I'm eagerly awaiting the new Bel Air Red Robin -- due to open on September 22nd at the Harford Mall.

Wanna get your sub on? How about a great place for a play date for your 5 year old? Contact me for all things Bel Air. I'd be happy to help. I'm...

Lanette Branch, RE/MAX 1st Advantage Realtor based in Bel Air, MD

Here's a quick look at what's going on in Bel Air, MD -- the seat of Harford County government.

16 Homes Sold in Bel Air, Maryland this past week (zip codes 21014, 21015)

Sales Prices ranged from $163,500 to $910,000

Average Sales Price was $388,317

Average days on the market was 102