Brendan Cooke

According to this report just out on CNN, it looks like we are getting pretty close to at least an extension of the First time homebuyer credit:

http://www.cnbc.com/id/33493223/

I have a lot of buyers that have scurried to get in under the November 30 deadline, and although THEY might be slightly annoyed, I personally think that extension and expansion is necessary. There is some talk that the credit could be expanded to include all buyers, as long as it is a primary residence. Although I think that is a long shot, it would come a whole lot closer to accomplishing the goals that the tax credit was designed to do. It would certainly get our industry a little more active! It would make for a pretty great time to "trade up." Those who are in "first time homebuyer" type houses, could more easily attract buyers if the credit were extended, and they could use the credit to help with some expenses involved in "trading up."

Compelling idea...I wish it were more likely!

For years, my business partner and I have specialized in marketing listings. Buyers, we'd work with as a "favor" to a friend! We prided ourselves on our "ahead of the curve" marketing techniques that would make our listings stand out. Today, although we certainly haven't given up, it seems that the only thing that will get a house to move is the right price....fancy websites and videos can only do so much.

The silver lining to all this, is a chance to reconnect with why I got in this business to begin with. It is quite rewarding to work with a first-time homebuyer, to guide them through the steps of buying a home, to go to bat for them in negotiations, and to help them stretch every dollar. This is the best opportunity that we've had to make "clients for life" as long as I have been in the business. Sellers (some!) are starting to be reasonable about pricing, and repairs, the government is rewarding first time homebuyers with $8k, there is a TON of inventory to look at (increasing the chances of really finding that dream home). It's almost too easy!

Yes, there are some pitfalls, financing can be a little more challenging...helping buyers make a decision when there is so much inventory can be challenging, we certainly put more miles on the car...but...I wish that two years ago, I wasn't offering (even jokingly) to trade you five buyers for one seller. This is where the personal connection is...this is what gets me out from behind the video-camera and the computer...and incidentally, in five to seven years...these are our listings!

The entertainment budget in our household (as well as many others I'm sure) has been slim as of late. Thank goodness we live in Charm City! This is the first of a series of posts which will document how easy it is to enjoy Baltimore on a budget. I will chronicle ten outings, in and around Baltimore, and I am giving myself a whopping budget of fifty bucks! Wish me luck!

My first event took me to Baltimore's Homeland neighborhood. This fantastic North Baltimore neighborhood, close to Loyola University and the College of Notre Dame is home to some of Baltimore's most beautiful homes, and to the breathtaking Cathedral of Mary our Queen, where I was lucky enough to spend a few hours last evening.

The Cathedral which was dedicated in 1959, and took over five years to build, is truly one of Baltimore's most beautiful landmarks. I have the pleasure of visiting this awesome structure twice a week, as a section leader in the Cathedral Choir, but I sincerely appreciate any opportunities to visit this awe inspiring space when I am not "on the clock."

Yesterday evening was one of those occasions. As part of the Cathedral Music Series, Daniel Sansone gave a recital of organ music on the brand new Cathedral organ, completed one year ago by the Schantz Organ company, of Orville Ohio. Although I am rather educated in classical music, my knowledge of the organ repertoire is blissfully limited. This allows me to truly "unplug," rather than being in "work" mode. I spent ninety minutes bathed in glorious sound as I enjoyed the inspiring architecture of the Cathedral. The recital began just as the sun was setting in the stained-glass window on the western wall above the altar. Mr. Sansone chose to play the first selection (Bach's Fantasy in G Major) from the front console, giving the audience a unique perspective, one couldn't help but feel as though they had just stepped into the cockpit of a jet, with the four keyboards and myriads of controls...thank goodness this organist knows how to fly! The majority of the recital was played from the gallery, which features 104 Ranks, and 75 stops, a truly impressive instrument that was handled with virtuosic flare. The highlights of the program for this listener were the Toccata, Fugue and Hymne sur "Ave Maris Stella" by Flor Peeters, and the Sonata in G Major of Sir Edward Elgar, which closed the program. As I sat there in this remarkable space, I reflected on the great deal of work that went into creating such beauty...the countless man-hours spent building and maintaining this limestone miracle known as the Cathedral of Mary our Queen, the ornate stone and woodwork, the miles of stained glass, the mamouth task of building the new cathedral organ, the hours that went into planning this recital not to mention the lifetime of devoted practice that allows the organist to bring this music to life. All of this work, which inspires the cathedral's parishoners (whether consciously or not) on a weekly basis, provided me with ninety minutes of pure relaxation, reflection, decompression...joy.

An added bonus, this great evening didn't effect my entertainment budget in the least...the Cathedral Concert series is free to the public (they do accept a free-will offering, but for the purpose of my project, we're calling it free~) Check the cathedral's website for a schedule of upcoming events...and stay tuned for more posts!

I had the opportunity yesterday to tour Turner Development's newest project in Baltimore's Locust Point neighborhood yesterday, and the day before. I feel that I need to consult a thesaurus prior to making this post, as I don't think that my feeble vocabulary is stocked with enough superlatives to describe this truly amazing project. I want to be clear, that I have been skeptical of this project since its inception, but am truly blown away by the progress, and with the finish line is sight, the end result. I originally and naively thought that it would be crazy to build a luxury development like this in South Baltimore, without the businesses in place to cater to the residents, but now firmly believe that Silo Point is about to be the anchor that turns Locust Point into one of the premiere neighborhoods in Baltimore.

Silo Point is a 228 unit development is a conversion of a 1920's grain elevator silo, nestled in perhaps the most attractive piece of water-front in Baltimore, near Fort McHenry. The northern side of the building has absolutely stunning views of the Baltimore City Skyline, and the Inner Harbor. The neighborhood has building restrictions in terms of height, but Silo Point is grandfathered, meaning that nothing is going to block these truly extraordinary views.

To me, this project redefines luxury. The insdescribable views aside, this development offers every amenity one could look for. I found myself speechless at the level of workmanship that went into the conversion of this structure, retaining much of the original concrete (especially breathtaking are the columns in the main lobby) while bringing all of the modern amenities one could want, including AMX touchpad technology, closets by closet innovations, a myriad of available floor-plans (I think 30 at my count), terrific restaurants, a concierge, 24hr gym, and the list goes on.

My clients and I stopped in on Sunday afternoon while we were touring other properties in the area and were met by very friendly staff, and a stunning sales center. Sadly, we were unable to take a tour that day, but quickly rescheduled for the following day. We were met the next afternoon by Scott, the very personable and extremely knowledgeable sales manager. We viewed a number of different floor-plans and models, and were impressed by just about everything, including the price (most of what we looked at was under the $750k mark). There was a flurry of activity, with workmen everywhere as they get ready for an opening event in the coming weeks.

If city living is your thing, take a look at Silo Point...here I am, publicly "eating crow," I was wrong...way wrong...Congrats to the folks at Turner Development, this project is a home run (did I mention you can see Camden Yards)

We've known for a long time that Baltimore's Mount Vernon neighborhood is super convenient for DC commuters, but today we decided to put it to the test! My partner, Catrin Davies, agreed to start in "ms. davies takes the train," a video short showing the ease of the Marc Train commute.  Just one of the many things that makes Baltimore City, and Mount Vernon a terrific place to live!