June Piper-Brandon CDPE, CIAS, ePro, Assoc. Broker

Morrell Park, Baltimore, MD - Market Trends Report

Morrell Park is one of those neighborhoods that most people don't think about when they think about affordable housing in Baltimore. Morrell Park is located in south west Baltimore and according to the Live Baltimore website is encompassed by Hollins Ferry Rd., B&O Railroad Tracks, Gwynns Falls to Wilkens Ave. to Caton Ave. to Patapsco Ave. to C.S.X tracks, back to Hollins Ferry Road and is located in Zip Code: 21230.

From Morrell Park it's easy to get to I95, I695 and into the city by way of Washington Blvd.

In Morrell Park you'll find a mix of single family detached homes and older row homes. The average age of homes in the area is 74 years. The average home price for row homes is $60,090 ranging from $22,900 to $139,900 during this last 6 month period. For single family detached homes the average home price is $89,430 ranging from $36,900 to $180,500.

This table shows home selling activity since June 1, 2011. The information was taken directly from the multiple list service and believed to be accurate.For the same time period one year ago there were 6 single family detached homes sold for an average price of $137,225, 2 of which were foreclosures and 4 were fair market sales, there were no short sales settled at that time.

For the same time period one year ago there were 16 town/rowhomes sold for an average price of $53,894, 9 of which were foreclosures, 1 was a short sale and 6 were fair market sales.

It looks like the average price for homes sold has increased slightly over this time last year, while the average price of detached homes has dropped and the number of foreclosures has dropped and the number of short sales has increased therefore increasing the average price of homes sold.

Baltimore Winter Restaurant Week

The culinary event of the year returns and they're making some changes!

From January 20-29, 2012, you can enjoy three-course dinners for $30.12 or $20.12. Also, select restaurants will be offering two-course lunch menus for just $15.12. See below for a list of participating restaurants.

I would recommend making reservations before heading out. Many of the restaurants fill up during this event.

Baltimore Restaurant Week Supports The Journey Home

This winter, restaurants participating in Baltimore's Restaurant Week have committed to support The Journey Home, Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake's plan to make homelessness rare and brief in Baltimore City. For more information about The Journey Home, please visit

Some restaurants participating in this year's Restaurant Week are (These are all restaurants that I have eaten at before and the food is good):

Cafe Hon - 1002 W. 36th Street, Baltimore, MD 21211 - Phone: 410-243-1230

Della Notte Ristaurante - 801 Eastern Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21202 - Phone: 410-837-5500

Mo's Crab and Pasta Factory - 502 S. Albemarle Street, Baltimore, MD 21202 - Phone: 410-837-1600

Petit Louis Bistro - 4800 Roland Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21210 - Phone: 410-366-9393

The Oregon Grille - 1201 Shawan Road, Hunt Valley, MD 21030 - Phone: 410-771-0505

The Prime Rib - 1101 N. Calvert Street, Baltimore, MD 21202 - Phone: 410-539-1804

For a complete list of participating restaurants please visit.

Baltimore County Restaurant Week Ends January 21, 2012

Baltimore County's Restaurant week has been running from January 12 through January 21, 2012. This is a great opportunity to try out a local restaurant and pay less!!

Lunches and Dinners:

Five Factors Involved with Homes That Fail To Sell

1. Location: Over history it has been said the three things to look for in buying a home are 1. Location, 2. Location, 3. Location. There are positive and negative factors to almost every location. Let’s pretend your home is right next door to a fire station (like mine). You need the kind of marketing professional that can sell the benefits of not having to worry about your new home burning down, or perhaps the savings on fire insurance. Seriously, no matter where your home may be located, there is a ready, willing and able buyer in the marketplace. You just have to be creative and sell the benefits of the home and the community it is located in.

2. Condition: Making a good first impression is important in getting a property sold. Painting the front door and trim, making sure the doorbell works, putting furniture and clothing in storage, and cleaning off counter tops are just a few of the little things I suggest to my customers and clients to make properties more marketable. I would be more than happy to provide you with a Merchandising Review free of charge. A Merchandising Review is a list of 18 factors that cause properties to sell. I spend the extra time necessary with every client to assure all the little details are taken care of. It’s that attention to detail that sets me apart and enables me to get properties sold. I have allied myself with Staging Professionals who would be happy to meet with you and assist you with staging your home to get it sold for faster and for more money.

3. Price: How soon you want to sell has a direct relationship to the price you receive for your home. A very important statistic to look at when pricing your home properly is the average sales price to list price percentage. This gives you a realistic guideline as to what is really happening in the marketplace. It may not be what you want to hear, however, for an honest market trends analysis of your home, call me and I will share with you the price I honestly expect you to receive in today’s real estate market.

4. Terms: Are you flexible as to possession dates? Many times serious buyers that are relocating to an area only look at those homes that offer immediate possession. Are you willing to assist the buyer with financing? Sometimes a seller who is willing to assist with financing will help a home to sell. Are you buying another home? If you are willing to consider trading part or all of your equity for another property, that makes your home more attractive in the marketplace. Making your home easily accessible for buyers to see is also important. Call me directly for a complete analysis of all the terms you could offer to make your home more attractive to home buyers.

5. The Agent and Company You Select: Century 21 Associates is the #1 Century 21 office in Maryland. We are part of the largest relocation network in the country and we assist more people move around the corner and around the world than any other company in Maryland. I pride myself on selling homes that other agents couldn’t sell. I understand the frustrations involved when sellers are not able to accomplish their real estate goals. If you are serious about selling and not just listing your home, call me today. I will give you an honest evaluation of what it is going to take to get your home sold. I will share with you my proven marketing systems that have enabled me to help so many sellers accomplish their goals.

Think Twice Before Leaving Your Car Warming Up in Your Driveway

This morning when I woke up there was frost on my car and on the roofs of the homes in my neighborhood in Lutherville. A lot of folks do this, they go out and start their car and leave it idling in the driveway or in front of their home to warm up while they finish their morning preparations. And, as we move deeper into winter the temptation will be greater to get into a warm car. A woman I used to work with used to have this gadget for her car that she could push a button that would start her car in the parking lot just before she was ready to leave so when she got out there her car would be all warmed up. Well, Baltimore County residents need to think twice about this. ABC news this morning posted an article that the Baltimore County Police Department wanted to warn residents that leaving your car unattended to warm up is not a good idea. In the past week, 5 cars have been stolen for this reason.

Not only could this lead to your car being stolen, but it's also illegal. If you leave your car unattended and running, you could get up to a $70 and 1 point against your driving record. If your car just so happens to slip in to gear (and this happens periodically) and hit another car, that's a $110 fine and 3 points towards your record.