Fort Meade - USNA - Andrews AFB: September 2007

ATTENTION HOME SELLERS

A buyer's agent is NEVER your friend.  Anything you say to the buyer or the buyer's agent can and will be used against you in negotiations. 

Representing your best interests in negotiations is one of the many services your listing agent provides.  In many cases, you will never know the problems your agent anticipates and avoids or the objections she answers, as she puts her training, knowledge, and experience to work for you. 

Do you know how to get buyers to choose your home?

Do you know what it takes to sell a home during periods of inflation or recession, war or peace, seller's market or buyers' market, winter blizzards or summer heat waves?

Would you know how to handle it if someone alarms your prospective buyer by telling him a stream runs under your home?  If the appraisal comes in below your sale price, do you know how to save the sale of your home?  Do you know how to increase your bottom line after all selling expenses?  Your agent does. 

She has sold starter homes and retirement homes, brand new homes and run-down older homes, teeny little condos and huge executive homes...  homes in urban, suburban and rural areas...

She has sold hundreds of homes like yours for people who are a lot like you - folks who want or need to sell their current home, who would like to have a smooth and pleasant home-selling experience for their families and enjoy the most possible $$$ in their pockets.  She DOES know how to get buyers to choose your home.

Do you want more money for your home?

Sure, you might sell your home "for sale by owner" and save the commission.  But you could end up with less money in your pocket than you would with your agent working for you.

Just ask the sellers who listed their rental property with your agent via email and fax, without ever meeting face to face, and sold it for $6,000 more than they expected - in less than three hours.  Ask another seller, who listed his home with your agent, and she recommended selling the side yard separately - for a total of $35,000 more than he expected.  Most of your agent's listings have sold at TOP DOLLAR - many of them in less than a week.

Do you know how to get your home ready for selling?

Should you paint the basement walls, or will that look like you're trying to hide something?  Should you replace the carpet, or just clean it?  Should you turn on the lights, or leave them off?  Should you re-arrange some of your furniture to make the rooms look larger?

Any wrong decision could cost you money, or even a sale.  Do you have the experience to really know what's necessary and what's not to make a buyer say "yes!" to your home!  Your agent DOES know. 

Beware of Buyer's Agents!

Since most of today's qualified home-buyers are busy people with demanding jobs, family commitments, long commutes, and other responsibilities, they hire a buyer's agent to help them find and buy a home.  The buyer's agent will always advocate for the buyer and protect the buyer's best interest - NEVER YOURS!

Your most casual and innocent conversation with an experienced buyer's agent may provide valuable information to help the buyer take advantage of you in negotiations.

Yet, it is very likely that any offer you receive will be conditioned upon YOU paying the fee for the buyer's agent, usually about 3-4% of the sale price.  And there may be other conditions in the offer that are unfavorable to you.  Will you even realize the impact of language in the small print of the offer?   Your agent DOES know, and will explain it to you.

Sellers, your agent does more than install a sale sign in front of your home and place a lockbox on your door; she does more than create a multiple listing report.  She is your advisor and advocate at every step of your home sale.

If you prefer high-speed on the water, you probably prefer power boats over sail.  Then again, maybe you just don't want to have to depend on a breeze to even move on the water, to get from one place to another.

The Annual Fall Power Boat Show in Annapolis, Oct. 11-14, will offer you plenty of options - all power, and all new.

Thursday, Oct. 11, 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Press/VIP Day($30)
Friday-Saturday, Oct. 12-13, 10 a.m.-7 p.m.
Sunday, Oct. 14, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.

General admission tickets are $16 for adults and $8 for children under 12.  You can order your tickets online or purchase them on-site.

Spend the day boarding and inspecting new power boats, and take advantage of the opportunity to learn about financing, insurance, electronics and anything else you could ever want to know about power-boating including:

• Power boats ranging from racers and catamarans to trawlers, houseboats and yachts
• The latest navigation technology
• Boating products, accessories, equipment and gear
• Information about services such as marinas, insurance and maintenance

Do you want to live near the water?

There are more than a thousand homes on the market in Anne Arundel County that are located on the water or with water access.  Prices range from the $200.000's to $16 million dollars - surely there's one that's right for you and your boat.  If you would like to look at some of those properties while you're in the area for the Power Boat Show, contact Margaret Woda for a list of available homes in your price range, including addresses, prices, and maps.

NOTE:  The Annual Sailboat Show takes place a week earlier at the Annapolis Harbor

If it's fall, it must be time again for (drum roll, please)...  

THE ANNUAL SAILBOAT SHOW AT THE ANNAPOLIS HARBOR - A tradition since 1970, when it opened as the first in-water sailboat show.  The boats are all new, and all "sail" - power boats will have their own exclusive show a week later. 

Annapolis is known as "Sailing Capitol of the World" - and you'll see why October 4-8, as the city is overtaken by sailors and those of us who just like to soak in the ambiance.

Boat show schedule and tickets:

• Thursday, Oct. 4 - Press/Trade/V.I.P.  (Tickets $30)
• Friday-Sunday -  Oct. 5, 6 and 7, 10 a.m.-7 p.m.
• Monday, Oct. 8, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

You can order your tickets online, or purchase them on-site:  Adults $15 and Children under 12 $8.  Parking is available at the U.S. Naval Academy stadium, off Rowe Boulevard, with shuttle buses to downtown Annapolis.

Here's what to expect, if you've never been to this event before:

• The "hottest new racing and cruising boats"
• Boats of all sizes, ranging from dinghies and inflatables to trailerable day-sailors and yachts fit for a king
• The world's largest multi-hull displays
• How-to seminars, Thursday-Sunday
• Sailing equipment, rigging, accessories and maintenance products/services

Weekend days are when you'll really feel "electricity" in the air, but Friday and Monday are good days for serious shoppers.  In fact, we bought our first sailboat on a Monday, a small day-sailor that the vendor just didn't want to haul back home, so we got a GREAT deal.

The Sailboat Show is a no-brainer, if you're already a sailor or interested in becoming one.  But even if you're NOT, this is a fun way to spend a fall day... mingling with the sailors while you visit Annapolis restaurants, scenic Main Street, and the historic colonial sites of Maryland's state capitol.

For more information and photos of past boat shows, visit the official website of the Annapolis Boat Shows - and be sure to mark your calendar.  This is one of those things that you just won't experience in most other parts of the country, so come and enjoy!

Live near the water! 

There are 435 waterfront homes for sale in Anne Arundel County as of 9/23/07, ranging from an Annapolis condo for $275,000 to a $16 million dollar 8-year old home on 45 acres, and everything in between.  If you would like to check out some of them while you're visiting Annapolis for the Boat Show, Contact Margaret Woda for a list of homes and condos on the market, including detailed descriptions, prices and maps.

My, what a difference a year or two can make, when it comes to selling your home!

If you bought your Anne Arundel County home in the past five years, it's likely that you paid full price - perhaps OVER full price.  You might have waived a home inspection, and even an appraisal.  Your offer was probably in competition with many others so you resorted to little "tricks" like personal letters to the seller to convince them you were the most worthy buyer for their beloved home.

That was a seller's market, when conditions were highly favorable to home sellers:  Fewer houses available than buyers, good interest rates, and an urgency on the part of competing home buyers.  Those days are gone, for now.  Just when you want or need to sell your home...

No wonder you're frustrated...  It's a buyer's market!

Now it is home buyers who find market conditions more favorable to them, not sellers.  So, you ask, what EXACTLY does that mean?

There are more homes on the market now in Anne Arundel County than there are buyers.  The basic economic law of supply and demand is forcing down home prices, as homes take longer and longer to sell, and homeowners are feeling an increasing sense of urgency about selling their homes .  Homes DO still sell, but negotiations now favor home buyers.

FIVE SECRET INGREDIENTS are required for selling your home in Anne Arundel County (or anywhere) in a Buyer's Market:

1. Pricing - Price your home at the low side of the right range, maybe below competing homes for sale with comparable features, condition, size and location.  
2. Terms - Offer attractive compensation to selling agents AND buyer incentives such as closing help, pre-paid condo fees, one-year swim membership at Crofton Country Club or Walden.
3. Effective marketing strategy- Decide what one word or phrase best defines your home to consumers, and hammer it in your marketing  (Best Value in Davidsonville, Biggest Lot in Shipley's Choice, or Best Landscaping in Crownsville). 
4. The "right" agent - Choose an experienced agent who has been successful in previous buyer's markets, one who uses ALL of today's technology in combination with traditional real estate strategies and tactics.  This is extremely important because you will rely upon your agent to advise you at each step along the way and to break through the buyer's market barriers on your behalf.
5. Flexibility - This begins with allowing buyers to see your property at THEIR convenience, and not yours.  It means that you have a place to move on short notice, if a buyer wants quick occupancy.  You are not going to tie up any home sale with a seller's contingency on finding another home.  You're willing to settle whenever the buyer is, and you'll negotiate on price and terms.

Market conditions are just one of many factors affecting home sales in Anne Arundel County.  We still have single digit interest rates and a relatively strong economy, so the market could be a lot worse. For example, if Governor O'Malley's proposed state tax increases pass in the next legislative session, they are likely to have a negative impact on Maryland housing (20% increase in sales tax, increased corporate taxes that will drive or keep businesses out of Maryland, etc.).  

Without a crystal ball, I wouldn't wait to sell, if I were you.  Now might be the best time for selling your Anne Arundel County home in spite of the buyer's market.

Facts about the Anne Arundel County real estate market:

• Anne Arundel County Sold Prices
• Anne Arundel County Absorption Rate
• Anne Arundel County Days on Market

Check out this beautiful Anne Arundel County home:

• 3427 Blandford Way, Davidsonville, MD

Photo by Larry J. Puckett, from U.S. Geological Circular 1225--The Quality of Our Nation's Waters--Nutrients and Pesticides

NOTE:  This is an entry in the ActiveRain Buyer Challenge - While these buyers are fictional, the facts about Crofton, Maryland, would interest most people relocating to the area.

Dear Michelle and Tom:

Welcome to Maryland!  Tom's new job at the National Security Agency sounds like an amazing once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.  I'm sure that's a very competitive position and a great honor for you to be selected.  Congratulations!

It is an honor for me, as well, to help with your relocation to Maryland.  Let's get started right away by focusing on the top three reasons Crofton is a good match for you, based on the priorities Michelle mentioned in her email - location, community, and availability of affordable 4-bedroom, 2 bath homes with 1200-2400 sq. ft., within walking distance of elementary school for your two children.

1.  CROFTON IS 30 MINUTES TO EVERYWHERE YOU WANT TO GO - 

You know what they say about the most important things in real estate - Location, Location, and Location.  When the traffic gods are smiling, Crofton is only about 30 minutes to NSA, Annapolis, Baltimore's I-695, D.C.'s I-495 and BWI Airport.  As an Air Force retiree, Tom, you and your family will enjoy the resources of several nearby military bases within an hour of Crofton:  The U.S. Naval Academy, Ft. Meade, Andrews AFB, National Naval Medical Center Bethesda, Walter Reed, and even the Pentagon.  If you accept the job offer in D.C., Michelle, in addition to driving, you have the option of taking the MARC train from Odenton or METRO-Rail from New Carrollton.

Aside from commuting time, you'll appreciate Crofton's location for its convenience to the museums, monuments, professional sports teams, and arts venues in Washington, D.C., Baltimore and Annapolis, not to mention sailing on the Chesapeake Bay.   Michelle, I know you're wondering about shopping - Annapolis Mall is just 15 minutes away, but groceries and other everyday shopping needs will be met without leaving Crofton.  Your kids will probably be glad to learn that the Atlantic Ocean is only about 2 hours east of Crofton - close enough for a day trip or weekend.  You'll find links to many of these in my Crofton Area Resource Guide.

2.  LIVING IN CROFTON IS A LOT LIKE LIVING IN A SMALL TOWN - 

It's no surprise to anyone in Crofton to see our community listed in Money Magazine's 2007 Top 100 Best Places to Live.  You'll soon see why! 

American flags fly over Crofton Parkway, mounted on light posts above the many walkers, joggers, runners and bikers that travel its 3.5 mile route.  Flowering cherry trees line some of the streets, creating a spectacular splash of spring color.  Holiday wreathes magically appear on windows, doors and light posts at the Crofton Village Green (with a little help from the Crofton Village Garden Club).  

Crofton residents enjoy many annual traditions such as Spring and Fall crafts fairs, free summer concerts on the Village Green, the Tour de Crofton bike race, Santa's arrival and Christmas tree lighting, and parades for Halloween, Armed Forces Day, and Opening Day for the youth baseball season...  There are ongoing community activities for every age and interest including organized athletics, scouts, garden clubs, civic organizations, service groups...   Recreation facilities include two golf courses, tennis courts, parks, playgrounds... There are several places of worship, small businesses, medical offices, shopping centers, restaurants and a recently-built library...  No chance of getting bored, when you live in Crofton!

And yes, your children will probably walk to elementary school from their Crofton home!  There is a middle school in Crofton, as well, but your children will have a short school bus ride due to the school being on a busy street.  (Link to Anne Arundel County Public Schools)

CROFTON PHOTOS:  Inside the Crofton Gates and Outside the Crofton Gates

3.  YES, YOU CAN AFFORD A CROFTON HOME -

While home prices are higher in the D.C. area than Little Rock, where you are now, Crofton is lower than the Travis AFB area, your duty station prior to retiring from the Air Force.   I think you'll be pleasantly surprised at how low Anne Arundel County property taxes are, too - as much as $100 less per month than other nearby Maryland and Virginia counties for a home in your price range.  This difference enables you to spend more for your Crofton home while still keeping your monthly payments affordable.

I think many of those sticker-shock stories about the D.C. area are based on Northern Virginia home prices.  Crofton is a place where you can still find a detached home in the $400 thousands.  Given the nature of today's buyer's market, Michelle and Tom, it is highly likely that many of them are negotiable.

Here are three Crofton homes that I plan to show you, assuming they're still available when you arrive. 

• BEST MATCH:   1736 Trent Street- $467,950.  I think you will enjoy life in "Old Crofton", the heart of the community and its many activities, walking distance to Crofton Woods Elementary, Crofton Country Club, Crofton Swim and Tennis Club and Swann Park.  This one-level home has everything you're looking for including 4 large bedrooms, 2 baths, a famiy room with fireplace, screened porch, updated baths and kitchen, and beautiful 11,482 sq. ft. treed corner lot.
  
• BEST VALUE:   1424 Knights Bridge Turn- $449,000.  No mortgage payments for the first three months on this awesome designer-decorated home, just reduced $12,000.  This colonial style 2-story home features 4 bedroom, 2.5 baths, wood floors, upgrades everywhere, tile flooring in baths, family room with brick fireplace and slider to the patio, and a large 9,957 sq. foot treed level lot.  Crofton Woods Elementary, Crofton Country Club, Crofton Swim and Tennis Club and Swann Park are just a bike ride away.
  
• BEST PRICE:   1737 Linkwood Lane- $420,000.  This split-foyer style 4-bedroom 2 bath home, situated on a 7,176 sq. ft. lot, features a beautiful 18x36 in-ground pool and Loi pond, but just one garage.  There are lots of upgrades including recent HVAC, fireplace liner, and leafless gutters/downspouts.  Other updates include ceramic tile throughout the lower level and updated kitchens/baths.  Your children will walk to Crofton Meadows Elementary School and Crofton Library from this home.

Click on this link for a sneak preview of other homes for sale in Crofton, including photos, prices and brief descriptions.  

CROFTON PHOTOS:  Homes (An online tour of the neighborhood, but these homes are not for sale)

I look forward to introducing the Snyder family to some of your future neighbors when you visit next month.  In the meantime, be sure to check out Focus on Crofton, for my blogs about Crofton News, Events, Businesses, People and Real Estate.   

A list of other real estate professionals who may have a role in your home purchase is attached, in case you want to contact them before you arrive for house hunting.   See you soon - I'm eager to meet you and get started!

Sincerely,

Margaret Woda
Associate Broker, RE/MAX Vision

P.S.  I almost forgot to mention the "BRAC Factor" - 

Thanks to the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure Report, 22,000 new jobs are expected in the next five years at Ft. Meade.  This is great news for your Crofton home's future property value, since there will be huge demand for a limited supply of nearby homes!

Relocating to the Baltimore-Washington area?  Check out Your Relocation Package for Anne Arundel County, Maryland.

______________________________________________

ATTACHMENT -

Since you're new to the area, I'm providing you some local contacts who have served my clients well in the past - mortgage lenders, real estate and title attorneys, insurance agents and home inspectors.   Maryland law is very clear that the choice cannot be dictated by me or any home seller, including builders.  Therefore, this list is provided as a service for your convenience, and is not intended as a referral to or recommendation of these companies or individuals.

Mortgage Lenders:

• FNMC Mortgage, Chris Washburn
• Wells Fargo Mortgage, David Wilhelm
• 1st Metropolitan Mortgage, Lou Colletti

Real Estate and Title Attorneys:

• Capitol Title, Kim Williams
• Village Green Title, Ed White
• Vintage Settlement Services, Barry DesRoches

Insurance:

• Nationwide, Ed Reilly
• Allstate, Dennis Stackhouse
• State Farm, Alicia Popham

Home Inspectors:

• Amerispec, Chris Hanson
• The Home Biz, Jim Schreiber
• Showalter Property Consultants, Stephen Showalter

You know what they say... "Perception is Reality."

THINK DR. PHIL.  There's nothing magical about his advice that makes it any better than the same advice from another therapist with comparable training.  He doesn't have an exclusive lock on knowledge or experience in his field.  Yet, without ever saying "I'm an expert", Dr. Phil is perceived as more than an expert - he's often considered THE expert when it comes to family therapy.  He does this through a marketing model known as one-to-many marketing.

Long before Dr. Phil became Oprah's consultant and attained celebrity status, he offered information about family therapy to multiple consumers at one time through seminars and public speaking, promoting himself as the "go-to" guy in his field.  Then came television appearances, books, and his own daily show.  While he doesn't have any secrets or greater expertise to offer, he delivers his message differently than other therapists who meet one on one in their offices with one patient at a time.  Dr. Phil has, through his one-to-many marketing, created the perception that he is THE expert.  And you know what they say about perception...

Just for fun, let's imagine Dr. Phil trading in his therapist credentials for a real estate license.  Do you think Realtor Phil would be advertising Free Market Analysis in local newspapers or mailings, trying to generate one phone call from one prospective client at a time? Of course not!  (With all due respect to real estate trainers, that strategy is so "yesterday".)

It's very likely that Realtor Phil would apply the same marketing model that works for Dr. Phil, i.e. one-to-many marketing.  He probably would conduct home buyer and seller seminars, speak to community groups and, of course, blog on ActiveRain and elsewhere - dispensing high-quality advice to many people at one time, promoting the perception that he is THE real estate expert, without ever saying "I am an expert".

One-to-many marketing, then, is how to be perceived as a real estate expert - at least one of the ways.  Each content-rich blog you post adds to the perception that you are THE real estate expert in your market.  And "Perception is reality" in the eyes of consumers.

P.S.  - If showcasing your expertise in a blog promotes a perception of you as a real estate expert, then blogs that are void of quality content create the OPPOSITE perception in this one-to-many marketing model.  Saying "Have a Happy July 4" in 50 words or more on a real estate blog leaves readers scratching their heads and saying NEXT AGENT, PLEASE.  You may pick up 200 points on ActiveRain, but the perception is that you have nothing of value to say about real estate, and "Perception is reality" in the eyes of consumers.

Please read these excellent recent posts about quality blogging: 

1. What ActiveRain Can Do For All of Us,
2. Raising the Bar on ActiveRain:  Let's Bring It Up a Notch,
   Why Are You on ActiveRain?

IT'S RAINING CLIENTS!

You've heard it before:  There are two things you can count on in life - death and taxes.  Well, we all know there are other certainties in life.  Here are just a few:

• Wash your car, and it will rain.
• Carry an umbrella, and it will NOT rain.
• Go away, and business appear from nowhere. 

I'm reminded of this because I'm in Texas now - an unplanned trip to stay with my daughter who had emergency surgery Friday. Of course, this occurred on the heels of my taking a new listing which needed processing that day - after a week's lull in business.  In the five days since then, there have been eight showings.  Can you imagine that?  In this market, eight showings on an $800,000 house!  I'm almost afraid to go home because this activity will surely come to a stop.

Then today I heard from another seller with whom I met several weeks ago.  NOW he wants to list... now that I'm out of town, not last week or month, not next week or month.   Fortunately, a trusted colleague covers for me and I cover for her, as the need arises.

I hate not being there to take care of these clients personally.  On the other hand, I probably wouldn't have them without going away for a few days.   New business ALWAYS appears from nowhere when I go away.  In fact, I've been known to go away just to make it happen - it's a foolproof strategy that has worked for me over 30 years!

So here's my advice if you're in a slump, agents:  Go on vacation.   

It sounds simple enough... Between June 14 and September 3, catch one of the 63 specially tagged stripped bass known as "Diamond Jim" to win a cash prize or any of the 60 specified species in waterways statewide to win other prizes. 

The Maryland Department of Natural Resource's 2007 Maryland Fishing Challenge is the third annual event intended to promote recreational fishing and promote Maryland as a great destination for sport fishing.  224 anglers across the state did catch citation-worthy fish in Maryland's mountain streams, the Chesapeake and Coastal Bays and the Atlantic Ocean. 

Now they are eligible for a drawing at the finale on September 22 at Sandy Point State Park to win one of two grand prizes - a 2007 Toyota Tundra 4x4 pick-up truck from Central Atlantic Toyota or a 591 Nitro boat with a 115 HP Mercury outboard and a trailer from Bass Pro Shops. 

It turns out that catching "Diamond Jim", to win a cash prize AND possibly a $5,000 diamond from Smyth Jewelers or a $5,000 merchandise certificate from Boater's World, was not so easy after all.  The 63 specially-tagged "Diamond Jim" stripped bass remain free.

Congratulations to all the anglers who qualified for the 2007 Fishing Tournament Grand Prizes.

Anyone who arrives at Sandy Springs State Park on Sept. 22 and registers by 9:30 a.m. will have a chance to win dozens of door prizes including a two-day speed boat rental, two-day pontoon boat rental, two-family fishing tours, gift cards, rods, reels, a depth finder, and other fishing equipment valued at more than $5,000, donated by Bill's Outdoor Center in Oakland. 

Live on or near the water.

If you love fishing and would like to live on or near the water, there has never been a better time to make that happen.  In Anne Arundel County alone, there are more than 400 waterfront properties on the market at this time.  For a list of waterfront, waterview, and water access properties for sale in your price range, contact Margaret Woda.  The list will include property addresses, prices, descriptions and maps.