Recycle all things Halloween. Yes, even your perishables!
I wrote a post for the Crofton Village Garden Club website about this time last year that was a brief "how-to" for re-purposing one's Halloween pumpkin. I was reminded of that today in a conversation with a colleague about this very topic.
So before you throw away or put away all things Halloween, let me share this with you:
PUMPKIN:
Turn your pumpkin into a decorative container for a fall flower arrangement:
It's as simple as that!
Wouldn't the arrangment in the photo look beautiful on your dining table or sideboard?
Home sellers take note because this would be a nice touch to help buyers fall in love with your home.
CANDY:
Who says you have to eat Halloween candy from now until you're sick of it, however long that might be? Here are a few ideas you might consider:
Recycling doesn't just have to be about newspapers, bottles and cans.
'Would love to have your ideas, too, so please add them in your comments.
(Photos: istockphoto.com)
For the next few weeks, I'm going to share with you weekly photos of the wetlands on the west side of Route 3 in Crofton, Maryland. Enjoy them while you can because the property owner has somehow managed to obtain a permit from the Maryland Department of the Environment to develop this natural wetlands area into a site for a big-box store.
Community residents and activists successfully drove Walmart away and assumed the issue was dead. Little did we know that the permit process continued. Even if we had known it, who could have imagined that our state Department of the Environment would allow development of this 20-acre parcel along the Little Patuxent River.
It is, after all, within the bounds of a designated State Scenic River, in the critical area, and it is a part of the Patuxent Greenway System established to protect “important” lands.
Many thanks to Dick Lahn for this description of the area and to Kathryn Para for her photo. More information and more photos will follow over the next 4-6 weeks.
By the way, if you click through to this Letter to the Editor by Dick Lahn, you will see his two photos of this area 30-40 years ago, when it was known as Walch's Grove. The difference between then and now really is mind-boggling - but not as much as it will be if this area is paved over in concrete for future generations.
Long and Foster agents in Crofton, Maryland, jumped into action when I told them about Operation Christmas Stocking, just five days ago.
There were so many bags and boxes of goodies in my office, two days later, that I could barely make a path to my desk. Yesterday, several agents and family members showed up to fill 101 holiday gift bags!
Toiletries, toys, playing cards, puzzle books and pencils, notepaper and pens, candy and lots of other things overflowed the holiday gift bags, along with a hand-wrtten Christmas card to say "thank you" to the gift bag recipient.
I'd like to say "thank you" to my office for responding so quickly and generously. You're amazing!
Crofton Maryland homeowners want to know, “Is the real estate market stabilizing in Crofton?” Using statistics from the five most recent years, I’ll do my best to answer that for you.
Good news:
My daughter-in-law, Christine, prepared this chart so we can see a five-year trend in all the areas tracked by Metropolitan Regional Information Services (MRIS). I think this expanded look at the Crofton real estate market is necessary to get a true picture of any trends occurring in the Crofton Maryland real estate market:
Not all Crofton real estate news is good, however:
Looking at all these numbers, that last bullet point is the one things that best answers the question, “Is the real estate market stabilizing in Crofton?” As long as new listings outnumber new non-contingent contracts, we will have a supply and demand problem in Crofton Maryland real estate.
Right now, if you divide the number of September listings (155) by the number of new non-contingent contracts (17), you will see a 9+ month absorption rate. The scariest thing about that may be the fact that we don’t know how home values may change during that 9+ month period – they could go down. For that reason, I encourage anyone putting their home on the market now to be aggressive in pricing their home so it sells sooner rather than later.
This chart and my commentary are based on figures for the entire 21114 zipcode. If you’re thinking of buying or selling a home in the near future, you will want information that’s specific to your neighborhood, or at least to the type of home (detached vs. townhome, for example).
Contact me any time for this information or, if you prefer, you can request a MARKET SNAPSHOT online.
P.S. Thanks, Christine, for preparing this chart of Crofton Maryland real estate statistics for September 2009.
It's not too late for you and your office to participate in Operation Christmas Stocking, the nationwide mega-effort to provide Christmas stockings or gift bags to deployed troops. However, time is getting short, since they have to be received in the Salt Lake City warehouse BEFORE NOVEMBER 1.
Just purchase some stockings or holiday gift bags at your local dollar store and ask other agents, lenders, closing attorneys, and even past clients to drop off goodies for filling them. Items don't need to be expensive. We found it efficient to have only about 3 or 4 people actually stuffing the bags, or dividing into teams might be a good option if enough people are participating in the stuffing effort.
Here are some ideas for filling the bags:
Hard candy, socks, games, toileties (toothbrush and toothpaste, deodorant, shampoo, sunscreen, hand cream, etc), yo-yo, playing cards, harmonica, inflatable beach ball, hand sanitizer, pen, paperback books, puzzles, bug spray, chapstick, etc.
Shipping is free, as long as the budget holds out. Here are the shipping instructions.
For more information, visit Operation Christmas Stocking - and get started today. If you're anywhere near Crofton, Maryland, I could use your help. Call me at 410-721-1500 for more information.
PHOTO: Melissa Slye stuffing holiday gift bags for the troops in October 2008.
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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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