Southern Maryland Real Estate~ Jonathan Benya

If you didn't get the chance to go out and see the Veterans Day Parade in La Plata, Maryland last weekend, you missed out on a great event! I think my favorite part of the day was getting to see the Budweiser Clydesdales parade through La Plata! I've posted the photos to my flickr account so you can see the festivities first hand!

Photos on Flickr!

~Jonathan Benya- Realtor

Century 21 New Millennium

9405-A Chesapeake St

La Plata, MD 20646

301-609-9000

301-653-8116

Charles County Real Estate Blog

Talk about a boost to Charles County's local economy! Martin-Baker, a staple in U.S. fighter jets and military aircraft ejection seats, has announced plans to establish a facility right here in Bryans Road, MD! This is great news for our area, for a number of reasons!

1. The proximity of their future location to the Naval Base in Indian Head, MD, will help solidify the importance of the base. Hopefully the addition of a major defense industry manufacturer will help avoid any potential loss of jobs due to BRAC (Base Realignment and Closure).
2. This facility is projected to add 120 jobs to the local economy. In tough economic times, any news about local job increases is welcomed!
3. This facility is part of a larger industrial park, known as the Energetics Technology Center campus in Bryans Road, MD (a mouth-full, i know). Having a major defense contractor in our own back yard is sure to encourage further job and industry growth here in our county!

No word yet on when this is due to open, but the land they plan to use has already been successfully rezoned, so plans are moving quickly!

~Jonathan Benya- Realtor

Century 21 New Millennium

9405-A Chesapeake St La Plata, MD 20646

301-609-9000

301-653-8116

Charles County Real Estate Blog

Real estate sales in Charles County, MD have been on a roller coaster ride recently. Unfortunately, the last year has been more of a plunge than a climb. It's left a lot of homeowners asking "what happened?" and just as many buyers waiting for the market to bottom out. We could talk for hours about the market, but here's the gist of what's happening:

1. Average time on market, which is the amount of time it takes a home to sell, is up to almost 160 days. This is a record high, and is likely to climb as we head into the winter months. It is typical that the average time on market grows as home sales drop during the winter. After all, who wants to move when there's snow on the ground?
2. Average and Median Sales Price has fallen back to about $300,000. We saw this number a few months ago, but the rise has been largely attributed to the increase in mid to upper end homes that were sold during the summer, not an increase in actual values. I would suspect that this number will continue to fall.

   

3. The number of active listings has fallen again this month. This is good because we need to see supply drop in order to regain a sense of market stability. What's difficult to determine is if this is due to homes being foreclosed on and going off the market, or frustrated sellers just giving up as the weather turns colder.
4. The number of sold homes and pending sales have both grown to over 100 per month! This is excellent news, because we seem to be slowly climbing back up to our traditional averages. It is important to note this because it shows that buyers may finally be returning to the market, and if we continue to see this number grow over the next few months, we may be looking at the beginning of a much more positive year in 2009!

If you have any questions about the real estate market in Charles County MD, please don't hesitate to ask!

~Jonathan Benya- Realtor Century 21 New Millennium 9405-A Chesapeake St La Plata, MD 20646 301-609-9000 301-653-8116 Charles County Real Estate Blog

Vampire Manor has sorta become an institution in Charles County. Every year for as long as I can recall, Vampire Manor has existed at one location or the other throughout the county. This year is no exception, and although the opening date seemed a little late, they are officially open now through November 1st. It's a fun little haunted house, and it's certainly designed for the older kids (not the sort of place for toddlers here). If you want something fun to do this Halloween, you should check them out! Ticket prices range from $5-$10, and their hours are as follows:

• Thursday - Sunday, Oct 16-19
• Thursday - Sunday, Oct 23-26
• Thursday - Saturday, Oct 30-Nov 1

7:30-10:00 on weeknights 7:30-11:00 on weekends All of the proceeds go to the local Volunteer Fire Department and other local non-profit organizations, so it's all for a good cause! Bear in mind that there is no on-site parking, so you will need to park at the Bel Alton VFD: 9765 Bel Alton Newtown Road Bel Alton, MD 20611 They have a courtesy shuttle running to and from the Manor, so just be aware of the parking situation before you go! ~Jonathan Benya

Choosing a Realtor is a big decision. Every Realtor (myself included) is trying to tell you why they're the greatest thing since sliced bread and why it would be a mistake to even consider working with someone else. It makes Realtors gigantic windbags, but that's a real estate agent's job: to market/promote themselves and their properties.

What's really surprising is that many people aren't looking for what really matters when it comes to hiring an agent. People look at the bottom line. Money. Cash. How much are you going to put in my pocket? Quite often, the agent with the highest bottom line wins!

This method of thinking is the WORST WAY TO PICK A REALTOR!!!

Here's why:

1) An agent's job is to market your home, not set the price. Their CMA is only a recommendation of price, and you have the right to have your agent list your home at whatever price you see fit.

2) If you interview three agents, and one places a higher value on your home than the others, you need to wonder why. Are the other two agents undervaluing your home? Are they using the same comps? Or is the agent with the higher estimate OVER-valuing your home in order to get your business?

3) You need to give your home the best possible chance to sell. This doesn't mean choosing the Realtor with the highest or lowest estimate. It means choosing the Realtor with the best marketing plan. You can always negotiate fees, listing prices, etc.; but you can't make a mediocre marketer great.

When it comes to that CMA, take the advice you get from all the Realtors you interview and use that to set the price. DO NOT use it to choose the Realtor you hire.

A higher price evaluation is no measure of competency or ability as an agent. I'll do a post tomorrow on the qualities to look for in a great listing agent, and keep your eye out for a post later this week on the biggest traps to avoid when choosing an agent!

~Jonathan Benya- Realtor
Century 21 New Millennium
9405-A Chesapeake St
La Plata, MD 20646
301-609-9000
301-653-8116
Charles County Real Estate Blog