Craig W. Barrett - Hughesville MD Real Estate

The Alice Ferguson Foundation's 20th Annual Potomac River Watershed Cleanup will be held on Saturday, April 5, from 9 a.m. until noon. Volunteers are needed at numerous sites in Charles County for this annual event, which is held rain or shine. Adopt-a-road and community clean-ups in the watershed are also encouraged.

The Potomac River Watershed Cleanup is the largest single watershed cleanup in the area. Through a cooperative effort, Federal, State, County, and City governments work with environmental and civic organizations, Scout troops, school groups, and concerned citizens to clean up along the Potomac River and its tributaries in Maryland, Virginia, Washington, D.C., West Virginia, and Pennsylvania.

For a complete list of cleanup sites or for more information on the cleanup or how to volunteer visit the Potomac River Watershed Cleanup website.

February saw increased movement in both the Resale and New Construction Hughesville markets. I spoke to some of the New Construction representatives in the area over the last several weeks. I wanted to get their take on their market. They showed me accounts of increased foot traffic and interest. Some of them have started including lot premiums again and in one case I saw price increases on a couple of their models.

The resale market has seen increased buyer activity as well. Showings are up and I think that can be attributed to pricing on resales coming down in recent months. The pricing appears to be at a level that has sparked buyer interest.

Even with the increased under contracts and traffic, with six new resale listings and eight new construction listings, market absorption appears to have changed little. We'll keep on eye on it as the spring market progresses.

Resales were priced between $264,900-$1,399,000. New Construction was priced between $369,900-$989,900.

Includes: Benedict Plantation, Bryantown Estates, Cameron Ridge, Carrico Mill, Carriage Crossing, Country Road Estates, Eastern Hills, Indian Creek Estates, Lake Jameson, Oakland Acres, Pine Grove Estates, Sandy Level Estates, Scouts Trail, Stoneleigh, Swanson Creek Landing, Walnut Hills, Willow Creek, Woodlawn Manor

Includes: Benedict Farms, Bucks Run, Carriage Crossing, Crystal Lake, Forest Run, Herbert Fields, Lake Jameson, Maple Brooke, Naylors Reserve, Ole Field Estates, Stoneleigh, Swan's Rest.

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When buying or selling a home in Hughesville, MD and the surrounding area, you deserve local expertise and advice. Craig W. Barrett provides professional Real Estate services to home buyers and sellers in the Maryland areas of Hughesville, Charlotte Hall, Benedict, Waldorf, La Plata, Mechanicsville, Aquasco, Baden, Croom and the Virginia areas of Leesburg, Ashburn, Aldie, Oak Hill, Fairfax, Montross and King George.

I am running in the 2008 Charlottesville Marathon in Charlottesville, VA with Team Semper Fi and am raising money for injured Marines and their families. My goal is to raise at least $250. You can help by making a contribution, please use the link below to donate online quickly and securely.

The donations will go to the Semper Fi Fund. You will receive email confirmation of your donation and I will be notified as soon as you make your donation. If you prefer to make an offline donation, the link below explains how to do so. Just let me know your donation amount, so I can add it to my total. I thank you in advance for your support, and truly appreciate your generosity.

Click here to Donate

My next race following Charlottesville is the Marine Corps Historic Half in Fredericksburg, VA May 18th. My last marathon on February 16 in Myrtle Beach, SC was very successful, please help me continue the success. While a donation would be fantastic, words of encouragement to those in our Armed Forces are always appreciated!

UPDATE - Charlottesville is a tough run. If you ever are looking for a challenging marathon, Charlottesville is a good one. The course is hilly, the scenery beautiful, the volunteers friendly and the race is well run. I'll never forget the sweet smell of honeysuckle everywhere.

Thank you all for the support!

Craig W. Barrett, Hughesville, REALTOR®

Hughesville, MD Real Estate

http://www.hughesvillehomes.com/

Six of Forbes.com “Best Places To Get Ahead” are in the Washington, DC Region with three of the Southern Maryland Region and the other four in Northern Virginia.

To determine the best places to get ahead, Forbes.com compiled income and job data from the U.S. Census and Department of Labor Statistics. They looked at every county in the U.S., starting with data from the year 2000 and ranked where median income was rising the most quickly. They limited their list to counties where the median income was at least $75,000 in order to highlight places where people are well-off and getting ahead, as opposed to counties that went from low income to average income.

Then, to further highlight places where paychecks are earned, as opposed to places that are bedroom communities or retreats for the rich, they took into account job growth data going back to 2000. That allowed them to measure where jobs, and local economies, have boomed.

"The places that experienced prolonged income and job booms since 2000 are often satellite economies of larger cities. Within a metropolitan area, the central city is typically the driving force of the economy. But as suburban counties develop, they often turn into secondary economic centers with their own industry and jobs."

With Washington, DC the Federal Government, peripheral and related businesses within a "reasonable" commuting distance, the increased popularity for telecommuting and expansion of business, each of these counties have not only attracted those who work in the District and surrounding areas, but have made noted progress towards building vibrant local economies.

It's also important to note these counties are a little further out and have a lot of open space. I think sprawl is a concern for everyone in these areas. Development that is fiscally, environmentally, and economically smart and includes land-use and long-range planning enhances local communities and economies. Where there's money and job growth, there's increased opportunity for prosperity.

The counties, rankings and what Forbes.com had to say:

Stafford County, VA Ranked First

"It's not in the immediate vicinity of Washington D.C., but Stafford County is within the metropolitan area. It may not be as well-off as nearby counties like Arlington or Loudoun, but the steep curve of economic growth makes it a quickly developing business center. The median income is $85,014, up 27% from 2000, and jobs have increased at just under a 6% clip over that same period of time."

Calvert County, VA Ranked Third

"The median income for Calvert County--located to the Southeast of Washington D.C., closer to Annapolis, Md., than to Baltimore has boomed since 2000. Incomes are up 28% to $84,891, due in part to a 3.5% average job growth over that period of time."

Loudoun County, VA Ranked Fourth

"Part of the old guard in Northern Virginia, Loudoun County is one of the D.C. suburbs of choice for government contractors and local high earners. Incomes climbed 23% from 2000, to a median income of $99,371. Jobs climbed an impressive 5% as the county continues to become its own independent business locale."

Charles County, MD Ranked Fifth

"A Maryland suburb county to the south of D.C. and close to the Chesapeake Bay, economic activity in Charles County has been on the upswing since 2000. Jobs have climbed a modest 2.3% a year and incomes are up 29%, to $80,179. The combination of rapid income growth and slow job growth suggests that economic gains from D.C. commuters moving to the area have affected the data."

Prince William County, VA Ranked Sixth

"In 2000, the median income in Prince William County was $65,960, which, while high for the time, didn't make it one of the wealthiest counties in the country. But the 22.5% boost it's had since, to a median income of $80,783, along with a 4.2% per year job rate increase, has turned it into one of the more affluent counties in the country."

Anne Arundel County, MD Ranked Seventh

"Not as affluent as some of its neighbors, residents in Anne Arundel County have felt a big boost in their wallets since 2000, as a steady 2.5% job growth rate and a 28% income hike has changed the profile of the county to one where the median household has an income of $79,160."

Thank You to my friend Leesa L. Finley, REALTOR® - Wake Forest, NC, for pointing this article out to me. She sent me an email this morning suggesting I blog about this. You gotta love the power of the Rain!

Craig W. Barrett, Hughesville, REALTOR®

Hughesville, MD Real Estate

http://www.hughesvillehomes.com/

While on my long runs over the last couple of weeks or so, I've come across several "things" that have caught my eye. And as my mileage increases, I've run down new streets to get my time in. Some say I take my life in my own hands as I run down Route 231. However, I have notice cars and trucks give me plenty of room and I do stay well off away from traffic.

Those of us that use it knows traffic has increased quite a bit over the years. Hughesville is the geographical center of Southern Maryland and Route 231 is a popular route between Route 4 in Calvert County and Route 5 in Charles County.

Several years ago, I tried to get a large parcel for a developer client of mine. The parcel had been inherited and my guess is it needed to be sold fairly quickly to avoid some pretty hefty taxes. It was a 330+- acre parcel and would have been a nice sale. As I was running, I wondered what had happened and ran down the road to take a look.

As I ran down the road, I saw signs of progress. Orange flags hanging off tree branches, wood stakes in the ground, and orange spray paint on the road marking public utilities. From Route 231, you never would have guessed anything was happening back there, there was no advertisement or directionals.

I got to a fork in the road where I had been a couple of years back and saw a sign up ahead. I knew this parcel as well. It had been sold to a local developer and was 300+- acres or more. I was surprised to see how much infrastucture work had been done. It looks like they aren't too far off from delivering lots.

Since then, I've run back down that was and taken pictures. I now take my camera with me on my long runs and get shots of things in Hughesville as I see them. So, if you see a crazy guy running down Route 231, Route 381, Teagues Point Road, Maxwell Hall, or Oliver Shop Road with a camera in hand, it's just me getting pictures for my blog.

It's amazing how much more you see when you're on your feet moving at 7mph. You never would have seen this if you were in your car. There's no indication from the main road anything is going on back there.

When you are out looking to buy new construction in Hughesville, are you sure you're seeing everything?