Thinking of remodeling your Cecil County, MD or Harford County, MD home?
Job Cost Resale Value Cost Recouped
1. Deck Addition (wood) $9,266 $7,936 85.6%
2. Siding Replacement (vinyl) $8,990 $7,651 85.1%
3. Minor Kitchen Remodel $20,221 $16,727 82.7%
4. Basement Remodel $53,519 $43,279 80.9%
5. Window Replacement (wood) $10,242 $8,226 80.3%
6. Window Replacement (vinyl) $9,391 $7,530 80.2%
7. Major Kitchen Remodel $52,659 $41,766 79.3%
8. Bathroom Remodel $14,445 $11,388 78.8%
9. Attic Bedroom Remodel $41,401 $32,635 78.8%
10. Two Story Addition $127,072 $99,464 78.3%
Worst Home Improvements
1. Home Office Remodel $25,438 $15,209 59.8%
2. Sunroom Addition $65,434 $42,025 64.2%
3. Back Up Power Generator $12,061 $8,097 67.1%
4. Bathroom Addition $33,236 $22,670 68.2%
5. Family Room Addition $70,867 $51,004 72%
I must say that I am surprised a home office scored so low. A home office would be a necessity for me.
Transferring to APG for BRAC? Military Relocation Guide to Aberdeen Proving Ground - BRAC
Relocating to Harford County, Maryland?
Harford County Relocation Guide
Relocating to Cecil County, Maryland?
Cecil County Relocation Guide
Cecil County Real Estate, Harford County Real Estate, Cecil County homes for sale, Harford County homes for sale, Cecil County Realtor, APG relocation, BRAC
Is now a good time to buy a home? Mortgage rates don't know what they want to do. The 30 year fixed mortgage rate was at a 4 year low towards the end of January. Then they went up, down and now they are inching up again. Where will they go next week? I think they may be bipolar.
Today's Mortgage Rates
30 year fixed - 6.08%
15 year fixed - 5.55%
5/1 ARM - 5.15%
30 year fixed jumbo - 6.96%
5/1 jumbo ARM - 5.85%
These are national averages.
Here is a chart of 15 and 30 year fixed mortgage rates for the past year.
This chart and rates are courtesy of bankrate
Eventhough mortgage rates in general have been inching up, I think it is a good time to purchase a home. During the 80's and early 90's interest rates were around 10% and higher. In the mid to late 90's interest rates were around 7% to 8%. The only time interest rates were cheaper was during the summer of 2003 when they were in the low 5% range.
In addition to interest rates being reasonable right now, the economic stimulus plan recently approved by Bush Jr. will raise the loan limit for Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae. The current FHA limit here in Cecil County is $292,685. It is estimated by the National Association of Realtors that the new limit for Cecil County, MD will be $385,112 for FHA and $417,000 for GSE. The new loan limits will be published by HUD on March 14th. I will post them here when they do.
It is a buyers market right now. You have a lot of options that did not exist a few years ago when it comes to purchasing a home. There are good houses on the market right now and not enough buyers. You can find that home of your dreams for a good price.
So is now a good time to buy? I say yes! Trying to time the market could be risky. "In general, it is very difficult to time the market," said Raphael Bostic, associate director of the University of Southern California's Lusk Center for Real Estate. "The real problem with that is you don't know when the floor is until after it's passed. If the floor is right now, you missed it."
Gone are the days of slapping up a for sale sign in the yard and getting multiple offers without having to do any work to your house. House prices are falling. The median sales price for Cecil County in January was $219,000. It was $275,000 last January. You still can sell your house, but now you just have to do more work.
Here are some tips to give you the edge in selling your home before the competition.
1. Hire a full service Realtor.In this market you need every advantage that you can get. A full service Realtor will not just put a sign in your yard and your home in the MLS. They are going to do a cma for you, prepare a net profits sheet, give you tips on preparing your house for showings, give you full service marketing, give you feedback after showings, keep you advised of what is happening in the market, negotiate the contract on your behalf, always have your best interests in mind and help you along every step of the way.
2. Do not overprice your home.It is very important that your home is priced correctly from the very beginning. Studies show that most of your interest will come from the first few weeks on the market. Go over the recent sales of comparable sales in your area and make sure that your asking price is reasonable. If your house is not priced correctly in this market it is just going to sit. Even if you did get lucky and someone offered you a full price contract, your home is still going to have to appraise. If it does not appraise you are going to have to drop the price anyway or take it off the market. Pricing it right from the get go will save a lot of time.
3. Finish your honey do list. To sell your home in this market your house has got to be in excellent condition. Clear the clutter, clean out the closets, put extra stuff in storage, make sure all repairs are done, touch up paint, deep clean your house, clean or replace carpet and most importantly - make sure your house has curb appeal. If your house does not look inviting from the outside no one is going to want to see the inside.
4. Keep your home in show condition. Make sure you are always ready for showings and don't turn away potential buyers. In this market they may not come back for a second showing. Also let your agent put a lock box on your door.
5. Consider offering incentives. You can offer the buyers help with closing costs, the buyers agent a selling bonus or both. Every little bit helps.
6. Don't be discouraged that it is a buyers market. Homes will sell in all markets. By following the tips above you are giving yourself and edge in getting your home sold before your neighbors.
Don't forget to file for your homestead tax credit for Harford County, Maryland real estate. Everyone should have received the homestead tax credit application with your property assessment notice by now. I just went online to fill out my application and it was pretty painless. You can go to http://www.dat.state.md.us/ and click on the Homestead Eligibility Application link on the left hand side of the page. You will need your real property account # and access number. Both of these can be found in the upper right hand side of the paper application that you were mailed. It is on page 5. You will also need to enter the social security numbers for all homeowners.
The deadline to file your application electronically is April 1, 2008. If you have questions concerning the homestead tax credit for Harford County, MD you can call the State of Maryland Department of Assessments and Taxation at 1-866-650-8783 or 410-767-2165 in the Baltimore metropolitan area.
Beginning this year, a one-time application is required to continue receiving the Homestead Tax Credit or to start receiving the credit if you are eligible on Harford County, MD real estate. Might as well take advantage of this dismal rainy/snowy day and get it taken care of.
Don't forget to file for your homestead tax credit for Cecil County, Maryland real estate. Everyone should have received the homestead tax credit application with your property assessment notice by now. I just went online to fill out my application and it was pretty painless. You can go to www.dat.state.md.us and click on the Homestead Eligibility Application link on the left hand side of the page. You will need your real property account # and access number. Both of these can be found in the upper right hand side of the paper application that you were mailed. It is on page 5. You will also need to enter the social security numbers for all homeowners.
The deadline to file your application electronically is April 1, 2008. If you have questions concerning the homestead tax credit for Cecil County, MD you can call the State of Maryland Department of Assessments and Taxation at 1-866-650-8783 or 410-767-2165 in the Baltimore metropolitan area.
Beginning this year, a one-time application is required to continue receiving the Homestead Tax Credit or to start receiving the credit if you are eligible on Cecil County, MD real estate. Might as well take advantage of this dismal rainy/snowy day and get it taken care of.
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I am a Cecil County Realtor who specializes in Cecil County home sales and Harford County home sales including waterfront, water view, water access, condos, relocation's, existing homes and new homes.
Welcome to my blog! My name is Megan McGonial and I am a Realtor who specializes in Cecil County home sales and Harford County home sales in Maryland.
When I am not doing real estate, I enjoy skiing, atving, jet skiing, camping, canoeing, spending time with family and friends and going for hikes with my dogs. I love Cecil County and the surrounding areas. We have the Chesapeake Bay in our backyard and are only a few hours drive to many ski resorts and the beach. We are a rural community located in between Baltimore and Philly. It is the perfect place for all of my outdoor activities.
Professional Affiliations/Awards/Honors: RE/MAX's 100 percent club award Past top agent for my office A Cecil County and Harford County, Dupont preffered relocation specialist Multi Million dollar producer Member of the National Association of Realtors Member of the Cecil County Board of Realtors 
I specialize in Cecil County home sales and Harford County home sales including waterfront, water view, water access, condos, relocation's, existing homes and new homes. Some of areas I cover in Cecil County, MD are North East, Elkton, Chesapeake City, Rising Sun, Perryville, Port Deposit, Colora, Conowingo and Earleville. In Harford County, MD these cities are Havre De Grace, Darlington, Aberdeen, Belcamp, Churchville, Abingdon and Bel Air. I am affiliated with Integrity Real Estate in North East, MD.
Let me put my knowledge, experience, and dedication to work for you. Give me a call today, and I will immediately get to work for you - satisfying your real estate needs.
Harford County Relocation Guide Whatever your real estate needs are, I am on top of them. Megan McGonigal, Realtor® 
Here is what some of my past Cecil County and Harford County clients have to say about me
"Megan carried the ball and went above and beyond anything I had expected. She was very professional, courteous, and caring. She offered information on services, churches, shopping, etc.. that was available in the area. The whole experience right down to settlement was an absolute pleasure. It was in my opinion what every transaction of this nature could and should be."
Frank & Nancy
"I bought a home in North East Isles through Megan McGonigal. Not only was I moving from Pennsylvania, but I was retiring also. Ms. McGonigal's professional services were exceptional from our first telephone conversation to the settlement. Everything was prepared and presented in the most professional manner, including finding a contractor to convert a storage room into an office for me. And that was completed professionally and in a timely manner. In other words, Ms. McGonigal's services kept the stress level down throught the entire transaction. I would recommend Megan McGonigal to my closest family members and friends. Think "MEGAN McGONIGAL" when
thinking of buying or selling your next home!
Christine
"Thank you so much for being our realtor. You helped us find our dream home and then sold our existing home in three days.
Through the yearlong process of finding the right home you were extremely patient and kept going when we were ready to give up. During a time of so little inventory and such high prices you were able to help us sort through it all and find a true "diamond in the rough."
After the search was over you then made the closing process seem easy. When we were being difficult you mustered the resources (including your fiance cleaning out the basement) to get it done. Finally, you finished it off by taking care of the kids during the closing process so we could sign the papers.
Thanks again for all your help. I would recommend you to anyone looking to buy or sell his or her home."
Drew & Kimberly
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