The first-time homebuyer credit had no direct impact on real estate sales during October in Davidsonville, Maryland, since prices in this zipcode typically exceed the first-time buyer price range. Yet activity did increase last month over October of 2007 and 2008.
Other good news for Davidsonville home owners is that both the average and median prices increased over the same month last year and the days on market were nearly down to 2006 numbers. Unfortunately, the percentage of sold price to list price is still under 90% - although it went up 2% from the same month last year.
As you can see from this chart, the volume of real estate sales in Davidsonville is very low, so it's easy for statistics to take a dramatic swing up or down if just one sold property is extremely high or low.
For that reason, if asked to make a pricing recommendation to you today, I would expand my search to include both comparables and real estate trends in other Anne Arundel County communities with homes in similar neighborhoods priced in the same range. Other pricing considerations would include location, features and condition of your property.
If you're thinking of selling or buying a home in Davidsonville, Maryland, or you're simply curious about the value of your home, please feel free to contact me for a professional opinion.
Originally posted by Margaret Woda to FocusOnCrofton.com
Want to learn more about Crofton resident Kristen Becker? Just pick up a copy of today's Wall Street Journal and turn to the Life & Style section.
Or you can click on the link to When Mr. Clean meets Ms. Messy to read the article online. You'll learn Kristen's age, how many children she has, who lives in her home besides her husband and kids, and which spouse is the neatnik (and which is the slob).
Kristen, we'll be interested in learning how columnist Elizabeth Bernstein "discovered" you and your husband.
Kristen has been a member of Crofton Village Garden Club since September and she's already making her mark by volunteering as the Youth Activities Chair for the club. She's also slated to be the emcee for our Plant it Pink Fashion Show and High Tea at Crofton Country Club on May 2, 2010.
And now she's a celebrity, too, after being featured in today's Wall Street Journal.
Originally posted to CroftonVillageGardenClub.com by Margaret Woda
Don't believe everything you read about which upgrades do or do not increase your property value. All real estate is local, even hyper-local, and some general statements about real estate just don't apply in Crofton Maryland and other communities in the Baltimore-Washington area.
According to Allegra Muzillo, in a blog post earlier this month on Real Simple, it will de-value your home to convert a bedroom into a home office. Just to add validity to her point, she cites a Manhattan real estate expert who agrees, and says doing this will give you one less bedroom to advertise.
In fact, I've never seen an agent in this area advertise a home as having three bedrooms when the fourth bedroom is furnished and used as a home office. And I've never encountered a prospective buyer who couldn't imagine office furniture in a bedroom or bedroom furniture in an office.
Maybe we're just smarter in the Crofton area than folks in some other parts of the country! But what about your property value...
I don't believe it will make any difference at all in the sale price of your Crofton home, at least not in the eyes of an appraiser or assessor who is concerned with above-grade finished square footage. If the room has a closet and a window large enough to satisfy fire regulations for a bedroom, those factors will likely determine if it's a bedroom - not the furniture placed in the room or its usage.
My recommendation is very simple: Put your existing living space to work for you!
In neighborhoods like we have throughout the Crofton area, homes are similar enough that comps, market trends and condition will determine your property value. When you're ready to sell, focus on de-cluttering, cleaning, neutralizing, making repairs and staging because THAT will make a far greater difference in your selling price than whether there is a desk or a bed in one of the bedrooms!
Originally posted by Margaret Woda at www.FocusOnCrofton.com
The first-time home buyer tax credit is probably responsible for the decline in average and median home prices in Crofton Maryland since August, because first time homebuyers generally purchase at the low end of the market. Overall for the year, however, the trend in prices has been upward with the average sold price at $268,400 in January and $319,137 in October, and the median sold price increasing from $250,000 in January to $308,000 in October.
At the same time, that tax credit may be the reason more homes sold in September and October of this year than in 2008 - the only two months of this year when closings exceeded the same month last year.
My crystal ball is still fuzzy about the future of Crofton real estate because statistics are providing mixed signals. One thing is in clear focus, however: The number of new listings went down this year, and the number of non-contingent contracts went up. In fact, these two numbers are closer than they've been (for October) since 2006 - and that's something I'd like to see continue.
If we could have a few more months with the number of new contracts and new listings, I'd say we have a positive trend going and the future is bright for real estate in Crofton.
It will be interesting to see how the Crofton real estate market changes with the new expanded tax credit, which makes current home owners eligible for $6500 if they've owned and occupied a home for 5 of the past eight years. Hopefully that will give a boost to home sales in a different price range.
P.S. Be sure to click through and read Has Crofton Real Estate Bottomed Out Yet?
May I suggest you spend this evening in the company of your neighbors, as members of Baldwin Methodist Church, St. Steven’s Episcopal Church, St. Paul’s Lutheran Church and St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Parish perform Howard Goodall’s Requiem to honor our fallen service members.
This memorial service will be held at 7:30 p.m. tonight at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, 1800 Seton Drive in Crofton, off Rt. 424 near Crofton Middle School. It will be the premier of this music East of the Mississippi and the National premier of the arrangement created especially for parish performance.
Participants in this extravaganza have been rehearsing for many weeks, and they say it’s exhilarating new music with expressive colour and driving rhythms. What a wonderful way to honor the veterans in our families and local communities!
Why not take a Veteran or active-duty service member out to dinner tonight and then attend this service together?
There are specials today for veterans and active duty military at many area restaurants including Outback Steakhouse and Applebee’s. Check with your favorite restaurant.
Originally posted at FocusOnCrofton.com
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Real estate adviser and advocate for home buyers and sellers in Annapolis, Bowie, Crofton, Davidsonville, Gambrills, Odenton, Fort Meade, and other nearby communities in the D.C.-Baltimore area
When you live in Anne Arundel County Maryland, you can play a round of golf in Crofton,
go sailing on the Chesapeake Bay near Annapolis, and then attend a ballgame at Camden Yards in Baltimore
or a concert at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. - all in the same day!
Maryland home sellers will find easy access to recent home sale data on my website, and information in my Homeseller Guide about pricing, preparing your home for showing, creating curb appeal, and marketing your home. Talk to me to find out how the "BRAC Factor" could impact your home sale. A successful home sale involves a lot more than just finding a buyer, and we will work together to achieve your real estate goals. If you are relocating to another area - across town, across country, or anywhere in the world - I will find a well-qualified agent for you at your destination. Military and civilian transferees to Fort Meade, Andrews AFB, and the U.S. Naval Academy value my first-hand experience as a Naval Officer's wife. I've "been there, done that" when it comes to military moves, and I'm happy to help you with everything from buying a home to finding a local hairdresser or babysitter. You will find several links of special interest to military families in my Crofton Area Resource Guide. (NOTE: Personnel assigned to the Pentagon, Naval Station Anacostia, Marine Barracks, Walter Reed and other D.C.-Baltimore area military installations sometimes call Crofton home, too, since the commute is usually within 60 minutes.) I have truly enjoyed the privilege of sharing this journey with my clients for many years - 
Maryland home buyers, I will introduce you to the friendly suburban neighborhoods of Crofton and Odenton, rural areas such as beautiful Davidsonville, and charming water-oriented communities near Annapolis and the Chesapeake Bay. I will help you explore your financing options and refer you to other real estate professionals including mortgage lenders, home inspectors, and closing attorneys. If you are in the "research stage" for your next home purchase, you may want to search the MLS at your own pace, request a complimentary Relocation Guide, or read the helpful articles in my Homebuyer Guide. When you are ready to make a move, I will be ready to help you.
through buyers' markets and sellers' markets, inflation and recession, war and peace.
Yet I am still passionate about being the best possible adviser and advocate for my clients, from start to finish.
Nothing would please me more than the opportunity to create a real estate success story for you now -
whether you are a home buyer, seller or referring agent.
New to the area? Check out Your Online Relocation Package for Anne Arundel County, Maryland Create your own customized home search, limiting results to those that meet your own search criteria. Just click on Search for Homes
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Why Margaret Woda?
When it comes to technology, just check out my blogs here on ActiveRain and Localism, my website, my highly acclaimed community blog (FocusOnCrofton.com), online property fliers posted to several traditional and non-traditional real estate sites, market snapshots, real estate calculators, and single-property websites. You can communicate with me by cell phone, email, AIM, MS Messenger, text message or video-conference. If a new innovation comes along, you can count on me to use it in my business, to serve my clients well, to be the best possible adviser and advocate they could find. If you are comparison-shopping for a Maryland REALTOR based on real estate qualifications, why not use the same criteria as the Anne Arundel County Association of REALTORS when they chose me as Distinguished Sales Associate of the Year in 1992: Professional Knowledge, Business Success, Industry Leadership, Community Involvement, and Ethical Standards of Practice. Aren't these the same qualities you're looking for in a REALTOR who represents you? I am BOTH tech-savvy AND an experienced real estate professional, a rare combination! You can read more about me on my blog, but here are a few of my professional and personal activities, both past* and present: Professional Certifications and Licenses:
Margaret Woda is a household name in Anne Arundel County real estate circles, after thirty years in this business. But you may be looking for something more tangible, some real qualifications that help differentiate one agent from another in this tough market - evidence that the agent you choose is tech-savvy, as well as experienced in real estate.
REALTOR Industry Leadership:
Community Involvement:
Personal:
Again, please note those marked with an * are past activities. I include them here because I firmly believe in this quote from Miriam Wolfe:
This day is mine. It is unique. No one else in the world has one exactly like it.
It is the sum of all my past experiences and and all my future potential.
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Why Long & Foster?
Home sellers and buyers experience individualized attention, superior professionalism and unparalleled resources at Long & Foster. Yet clients also benefit from the prominent online presence of LongandFoster.com and the market dominance of Long & Foster in Crofton and throughout the Middle Atlantic states. I'm proud to be affiliated with a local market leader, and eager to show you how Long & Foster will make a difference in your next real estate transaction. 
Long & Foster is conveniently located in Crofton, Maryland - about a half hour from Baltimore to the north, Annapolis to the east, and Washington, D.C. to the west. I chose to work with this office for many of the same reasons that you might:
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You can count on Margaret!
Crofton real estate is synonymous with your name, and I can't imagine working with any other agent. I looked at three homes with you and would have been happy with any of them. Then you negotiated a great price and terms for me. Thank you! Carolyn Emanuele
When people ask why I decided to get into real estate, I always tell them I was inspired by my agent. Thank you for being my agent, my mentor and my friend! Latana Garvey
You left no stone unturned to get us results when our previous agent failed, and you were so pleasant to work with. Thank you for the website and all the online marketing you did for our home. Bill and Jo Mafera
You are relentless, and I'm just glad you were on my side! Jim Morrissey
I was faced with a short-sale, and Margaret knew about a program that would save my credit and satisfy the lender. As a result, I was able to buy another home. Debbie Smalle
You helped us buy in a tough seller's market, and you got top dollar for our condo when we relocated. You're the best! Ben and Jan Bachmann
Margaret was so patient as I struggled with the decision to sell my home of 26 years. Then she sold it in just one day at full price. Betty Brooks
When my anxiety level reached a boiling point, you "stayed the course" and calmed my fears. Now I have so much to thank you for - selling my home quickly at full price so I could buy my next home, and helping me find a home for my Mom. Larkin Plato
As a RE/MAX agent myself, I had high expectations when we relocated to Maryland. You exceeded them, however, with your knowledge of things that were important to us such as commuting options and community amenities, as well as real estate. I'm so glad to have you for a friend, now that we're official Marylanders. Kathy and Mac McKee
We selected Margaret for her professionalism, thoroughness and honesty. We were not disappointed! We sold two homes and bought one with her help. Dan Stachurski
Without your help, we never could have accomplished so much in such a short time. We LOVE the house you found for. Kevin and Debbie Means
We found more than a new home and community; we found a new friend in you. We can't wait to have you over after we get settled in. Tim and Alice Spinner
Three other agents tried to sell our house. Only you had the knowledge to truly make it happen. We will always be grateful. Dan and Sue Plefka
When I refer my friends or relatives to Margaret, I can rely on her quick response, intimate knowledge of the area, and financing expertise to assure that their real estate dreams are achieved. Phylis Collins
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