Dana Scanlon GRI

At a recent "lunch and learn" session at the Keller Williams market center in North Bethesda, Settlement Attorney Robert Moses from Home Team Title, presented the assembled realtors with some useful knowledge on HUD-1 settlement sheets, title insurance costs and a host of other data important to informing our clients before getting to the settlement table... and protecting their interests once there.

Among the very useful data he presented, was a chart comparing settlement costs in the various jurisdictions that make up our market in the Greater Capital Area.

For the sake of the comparison, he chose Mongtomery County in MD, and Fairfax County in VA, to compare with Washington DC. With his, permission, I am reprinting his chart regarding state and county transfer and recordation taxes.

In this example the sales price is $400,000 and the loan amount $300,000. Numbers have been rounded to the nearest dollar.

As you can see from the above, buyers and sellers of real estate pay the highest premium in transfer/recordation taxes in DC, followed by Montgomery County, with Fairfax VA being on the lower end.

If you need a great settlement attorney, who will ensure your clients understand every detail of what they are signing (attention, first time home buyers, this is really important!), and oversee the implementation of the contract, I can recommend Robert Moses and Home Team Title. Phone: (301) 468-0080.

For many of you, the answer to that question is a definite yes!

If you have just received your property tax assessment in the mail, and are surprised to see a high valuation, its probably time to appeal. There is no reason to pay more taxes than necessary. The tax assessor may be looking at values from two years ago and assuming a continuous rise in property values. So plan to make a written appeal, and if successful, that could save you some bucks.

To do so, you will need to prove that the market value of your property is significantly below the assessed value. I can help you in that process because I can access comparable property sales figures from the last few months which will show the current market value of your property, which is to say actual sales price of similar properties in the same neighborhood.

If you would like such data, in the form of a Comparable Market Analysis, I can provide this to you on a complimentary basis. For properties located in Bethesda, Chevy Chase, Kensington, Rockville or Silver Spring, or any part of Montgomery County, just send me an email, with your property address. Be sure to include a description of the home's condition, list improvements or upgrades you have made, etc, and I will email back with the CMA in a form that you can use for the appeal.

To obtain more information on the appeals process, check out the following web site:

http://www.dat.state.md.us/sdatweb/appeal.html

To download the form needed for the appeal, click here http://www.dat.state.md.us/sdatweb/petitnrv.pdf

I am here to help, so give me a call at 301-575-4915 or email me today!

Recently, some clients of mine arrived from France, with an interest in investing in USA real estate and possibly relocating here on a permanent basis. I put them in touch with a Washington DC attorney and friend of mine, who specializes in visa programs for foreign nationals wishing to resettle here.

No Realtor should give advice to a client about who qualifies for what US Visas, but it can be useful to have a basic knowledge of some of these programs. Details on some of these visa programs were also addressed at a recent CIPS class that I attended.

At the National Association of Realtors mid-year convention in Washington DC last month, a panel discussion took place on this topic, and was addressed by Stephen H. Davis, an immigration lawyer based in Florida, who has developed a specialty in these programs. He jokes that he is just "a country lawyer", because he devotes so much of his time with clients from other countries.

One of the programs that the US government (US Citizenship and Immigration Services) has revamped in recent years is a program intended to attract foreign investment capital into the US, for job creation, in specific zones known as Regional Centers. These visas are part of the Regional Center EB-5 Program, known as "the investment visa". Investors must have at least $500,000 to invest in a commercial enterprise, the specifics of which vary by geographic center.

For example the Washington DC Regional Center is composed as follows: Legal boundaries of the District of Columbia (Washington, DC) and the contiguous adjacent areas of Montgomery and Prince Georges Counties in Maryland, Arlington and Fairfax counties in Virginia, and the city of Alexandria, VA.

In the DC Center, projects must be in: mixed hotel, retail, office and residential space, a soccer stadium, conference center space and industrial space.

In exchange for participating in the program, the foreign national is allowed to own property anywhere in the US, travel in and out of the country, obtain green cards for themselves, their spouse, and unmarried children under 21.

Another visa that may appeal to some is the E-2 "treaty investor visa" which might apply if one is buying a franchise in the US. Over 70 nations have such treaties with the US, including France, Germany, the UK, Canada, Japan, Korea, Australia --just to name a few. The investor must own at least 50% of the business and the business cannot be the investor's sole source of revenue (ie, such as being a shop-keeper).

As with all investments, there is a risk, so potential applicants should review these programs carefully, do their due diligence, and consult with a specialized attorney before embarking on this journey to America.

While I cannot give an applicant investment or immigration advice, I have developed the resources to help put the whole package together, and can supply real estate services in the entire Washington DC Metropolitain area including Maryland and Virginia. I can refer clients to competent real estate professionals in other parts of the country as well.

You can contact me by email for details.

REUNION d'INFORMATION - GRATUIT ET EN FRANÇAIS

COMMENT ACHETER UN BIEN IMMOBILIER AUX ETATS-UNIS

Jeudi le 12 mars 2009 à 19 heures - North Bethesda

L'immobilier et Wall Street en crise. Les prix en baisse. Qu'est ce que cela veut dire pour l'acheteur d'un bien immobilier dans notre région ?

Si vous songez à faire un achat ou un investissement, venez à ce séminaire afin de comprendre:

•· l'historique du marché immobilier aux Etats-Unis et dans la région de Washington DC

•· l'impact de la crise, et les mesures du gouvernement pour inciter les achats

•· Qu'est-ce qu'un « short sale » ? un « foreclosure » ? comment fonctionne une vente aux enchères

•· avantages et désavantages d'un achat

•· les secrets du « FICO credit score »

•· toutes les étapes à franchir.

Ouvert à tous, en français. Présentation faite par Dana Scanlon, Realtor®, agent immobilier franco-américaine.

Le jeudi 12 mars 19 heures au bureau Keller Williams, 11333 Woodglen Dr, Rockville, Suite 100 - près du White Flint Mall, parking libre.

Pour réserver votre place (RSVP) et pour toutes questions

(ou une consultation confidentielle)

contacter Dana au 301-575-4915 ou par email

Votre « French Connection » pour l'immobilier à MD - DC - VA

Pour faire vos recherches, toutes les propriétés en vente dans la région de Washington,

Maryland, et la Virginia allez sur www.immobilier-usa.com

One of the factors that contributes to the strength of a local real estate market is the quality of its public schools. Fair housing laws prohibit realtors from giving their opinions on matters such as this, but there are a multitude of studies available that we can let our clients know about, so they can be informed buyers. One such study was just published in Newsweek magazine.

Not only is the Washington DC metropolitain area a great place to live, but many of the area schools are rated tops in the nation by Newsweek. While such measurements of school performance are sometimes controversial, its one of many barometers buyers may want to be aware of.

Note that, Newsweek moved Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in Alexandria, VA from the Top Public High Schools list to the The Public Elites list for being "the best of the best." US News and World Report additionally ranked Thomas Jefferson High as the #1 public high school in the nation based on AP test scores.

For the complete national list click here.

From the Newsweek rankings of top 100 U.S. public High Schools