Fort Meade - USNA - Andrews AFB: November 2008

Fort Meade families enjoy many holiday offerings on post, ranging from a holiday concert by the U.S. Army Field Band to Meade Club's New Year's Eve Dinner Party.  But why not venture beyond those gates to participate in some holiday happenings in nearby communities?

Here is a list of local events published yesterday at www.FocusOnCrofton.com:

NOVEMBER 28 - 30 -

• Festival of Trees- Kennedy Krieger Institute, at the Maryland Fairgrounds in Timonium - More than 500 decorated trees!  (For information, www.festivaloftrees.kennedykrieger.org)
  

NOVEMBER 29 -

• Christmas Tree Lighting at Park Place in Annapolis, 5-8 p.m. 
• Annapolis Family Christmas, Maryland Hall for the Creative Arts in Annapolis, 3 p.m.
• The Elves Who Saved Christmas, Children's Theater of Annapolis, 11 a.m. (For information, call 410-757-2281.

DECEMBER 1 -

• Christmas Tree Lighting and Santa's Arrival in front of Crofton Country Club, followed by photos with Santa inside the clubhouse, 6:30 p.m.  (No charge and no tickets required)

DECEMBER 4 -

• National Christmas Tree Lighting and Pageant of Peace on the National Mall, 5 p.m.  (For more information)

DECEMBER 6 -

• Jingle Bell Hayride, Kinder Farm Park in Millersville, 10:00 a.m. (For tickets, call 410-222-6115 by Dec. 5) 
• Santa Stumble, Dock Street Bar and Grill and including pubs along Main Street in Annapolis
• It's a Wonderful Life, presented by Pasadena Theater Company, Anne Arundel Community College in Arnold, 8 p.m.  (Buy tickets online at www.PTCShows.com)

DECEMBER 7 -

• Holiday Spectacular, Anne Arundel Community College Concert Band,  Pascal Center for Performing Arts in Arlington, 3 p.m.
• Bel Canto by Candlelight, Annapolis Opera at the First Presbyterian Church, 171 Duke of Gloucester St., 3 p.m. (Buy tickets online at www.marylandhall.orgor call 410-280-5640)
• Christmas from Dublin, starring the Three Irish Tenors, Ciaran Nagle, P.J. Hurley and Kenneth O'Regan, Maryland Hall for the Creative Arts, 801 Chase St. in Annapolis, 7 p.m. (Buy tickets online at www.marylandhall.org or call 410-280-5640)
• Holiday on West Street - Live music, performances, reindeer rides, visits from Santa and specials at all the shops, restaurants, boutiques, galleries and theaters, from Park Place to Church Circle in Annapolis. (For more information, visit www.goweststreet.com)
• Sound the Bells Holiday Concert, U.S. Army Field Band at Meade Senior High School, 6 p.m.
• Holiday Crafts Fair, Fort Meade Officer's Wives Club, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. (For more information, visit http://www.fortmeadeowc.org or call 410-465-5604)

DECEMBER 10

• 18th Century Greens Show and Sale at the Hammond-Harwood Housein Annapolis, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Dec. 10-14.  Each room is decorated for the holidays by a local garden club including Crofton Village Garden Club.  (For tickets, call 410-263-4683, ext. 13)
• Candlelight Preview Party, Hammond-Harwood House, 6-8 p.m. ($15 tickets, 410-263-4663)

DECEMBER 11 -

• Midnight Madness - Historic Annapolis' shops along Maryland Avenue, Main Street and West Street will stay open late for shopping, musical performances, refreshments and holiday cheer! 6 p.m. - midnight.

DECEMBER 13 -

• Wreathes Across America - Join volunteers to place donated holiday wreathes at the graves of America's military.  In addition to Arlington National Cemetery, there are two local locations: Annapolis National Cemetery - Annapolis and Crownsville Veterans Cemetery Crownsville.
• Crofton Holiday House Tour, featuring seven homes decorated for the holidays, including historic Linthicum Walks, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. (For tickets, call Sally Moore at 301-261-6818)
• Breakfast with Santa, The Courses Clubhouse at Fort Meade, 8 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. (Tickets required.  For information, call 301-677-1437)

DECEMBER 19-20 -

• Ensemble Galilei by Chamber Music Annapolis, Great Hall at St. John's College, 8 p.m. Desserts will be served at a candlelight reception.  (For tickets, call 410- 849-2494)

DECEMBER 21 -

• Messiah and Carols for Families, by the Annapolis Chorale, Annapolis Chamber Orchestra and guest soloists performing Part 1 of Handle's "Hallelujah Chorus" , at St. Anne's Episcopal Church in Annapolis, 3 p.m. (For tickets, call <SKYPETMPTAG6/>)

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Maynard Hendershot is not your average school volunteer.  In fact, he was recognized by the Anne Arundel County Public Schools as November VOLUNTEER OF THE MONTH.  Congratulations, Mr. Hendershot!

Where would our public schols be without the hundreds of class moms, parent organizers, and fundraisers in schools across the county?  Yet even among these volunteer "stars" in the lives of children in our county, Mr. Hendershot stands out as a "professional, tireless, and priceless volunteer."

According to a press release by Anne Arundel County Public Schools, Maynard Hendershot volunteered to man the doors of Odenton Elementary each morning and afternoon to help keep the students safe.

He has been the official "greeter" in the main hallway for three years, always taking extra time to communicate with students, teachers, and staff, as well as visitors.  In fact, he's their go-to person for anything they need at Odenton Elementary!

Thank you, Maynard Hendershot, for being such a great neighbor.   You help make Odenton a great place to live. 

ODENTON HOMES FOR SALE

I walked in a buyers' shoes this weekend, and came home with some lessons learned as well as a new car from Adams Jeep of Maryland.

1. A personal referral is the best possible introduction.
2. If a buyer walks through the door, he/she probably wants to buy - not just try.
3. Listen to the buyer's wants and needs.
4. Know your inventory well, so you can promptly present buyers with something that matches their wants and needs.
5. Know the financing options well, so you can quickly calculate the required cash up front and monthly payment.
6. Buyers want EASY, so don't drown them in details unless they ask (or the information is a required disclosure).
7. Don't insult the buyers by talking down to them.
8. Buyers are not automatically raving fans.
9. Thank buyers for their business.
10. Follow-up after the sale may determine if buyers will be raving fans.

For the past year, my hairdresser has been a "raving fan" for the car dealership where he purchased his vehicle.  That's why my husband and I drove 75 minutes to find out what made that dealer so extraordinary.  We didn't drive all that way, passing many other car dealerships en route, to window-shop. We wanted to buy a car from someone who would value our business and provide great service during and after the sale. (1 and 2)

The sales person to whom we were referred listened to what we said, pulled out the paperwork on a car that fit our wants and needs, and worked out two financing options for us on that car - one with their rebate, and another with 0% interest.  (3, 4 and 5)

Satisfied that a purchase was doable within our parameters, we were ready to go for a test drive in the car the salesperson had identified - he was right, it did satisfy our wants and needs.  We didn't feel compelled to look at any other vehicles or financing, even though they had a parking lot full of cars and probably a whole menu of financing options and lenders. (6)

We were having one of those "raving fans" experiences ourselves until they sat us down at a table to watch a video about taking care of your new car and warranty options.  About 2 minutes into it, I moved beyond restless to annoyed and then started to feel insulted.  Really, at that point, I was ready to walk without buying.  We did buy, but those few minutes undid the warm fuzzy feelings we both had about this experience, and that mis-step could cost this dealership our repeat or referral business. (7 and 8)

When everyone in the dealership said "Congratulations" as we left, it seemed a little misguided.  Instead, I felt they should have been saying Thank you for your business and saving their "high-fives" for themselves after we were out of sight.   I didn't feel the slightest bit appreciated for driving 75 minutes to their dealership and being an "easy sale" for them in this buyer's market.  (9)

Can they redeem themselves?  They were going great until Items 9 and 10, so I guess good follow-up is their best hope for restoring our positive feelings about doing business with this individual or company.  I wonder... will there be a hand-written note from the salesperson and/or manager in our mailbox on Monday?  Will their Service Department be worth the drive past all those other Jeep dealers, including the one we've used for the past 12 years? (10)

One thing is certain, we came home with more than a new car...  By the time we got back to Crofton, I already had pages of notes about what I learned from walking in the shoes of a buyer.  At the top of my list:  Pull Raving Fans off my bookshelf and re-read it this weekend.  In 2009, I'm going to tweak how I do business to make sure MY clients have a "raving fan" experience from start to finish and beyond - without any of the pauses my husband and I experienced at Adams Jeep of Maryland in Aberdeen.

8 out of 10 is not a "bad" score - in fact, it's pretty good - but I know I can do better than that!  

Bottom line:  "Satisfied customers and clients" are good to have, but I prefer to earn "raving fans."  Walking in a buyer's shoes provided me a fresh perspective to evaluate whether my business practices are on target for that. 

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P.S.  If you haven't already entered, check out A Contest So Easy that Even A Consumer or ActiveRain Newbie Could Win.

In case you've missed it, the latest "MeMe" making it's way around the Rain is actually a NON-MeMe - and I've been tagged by the Thom and Ray Team in Midtown Atlanta. 

"Real Estate For The Urban Lifestyle"....means we Live in Midtown, Work in Midtown and KNOW Midtown Atlanta! A dynamic, ever-changing part of Atlanta...and an exciting place to live, work and play!!   They are definitely on my Top 10 ActiveRainers list, so I'm hoping the Terps will get a bid for this year's Peach Bowl and give me an excuse to go to Atlanta and meet them.  By the way, their NON-MeMe was a tough act to follow!

The great thing about a NON-MeMe is that we don't have to come up with anything original or creative to say about ourselves.  AND we don't have to think of a topic for today, because the NON-MeMe is it. 

Here are the rules passed on to me by Thom and Ray:

1. Grab the nearest book.
2. Open the book to page 56.
3. Find the fifth sentence.
4. Post the text of the next two to five sentences.
5. Don't dig for your favorite book, the cool book or the intellectual one. Pick the Closest.
6. Tag five people to do the same

*The one book that this can not be is the Bible*

At my office, the closest book might be a zip-code directory, or one on appraising golf courses.  However, I'm fortunate to be sitting right next to a bookshelf in my living room, and the nearest book is SWEET REDEMPTION- How Gary Williams and Maryland Beat Death and Despair to Win the NCAA Basketball Championship.  Okay, here's the fifth sentence on page 56...

To that end, friends of the coach who belonged to the prestigious Congressional Country Club appealed to the club's board to grant Williams an expedited membership.  Though club policy traditionally had a five-to-seven year wait for applicants, Williams was accepted "faster than anybody ever got in," Marvin Perry said.

A random book, a random page, a random sentence... and the three lessons/reminders I took away from this excerpt are probably longer than the two original sentences:

1)  It's not what you know but WHO you know

2)  Networking creates opportunities you never even dreamed of

3)  Your surrogates may overcome objections and obstacles on your behalf that you could never do on your own

Lucky for me the assignment was not to find an inspirational passage because I probably would not have chosen this book, page, or sentence.   Yet it turned out to be a winner, don't you agree?

With that in mind, I'm going to pass the ball (couldn't resist the basketball analogy) to these five ActiveRain friends:

Brian Block, who just closed his biggest deal ever. 

Donna Yates, in the North Georgia Mountains - Check
out the beautiful photos on her AR profile.

Karen Luke, my partner in the Makeover to Takeover Contest.
Calling Karen... where are you?  

Bob Carney, I miss your ActiveRain posts.  Here's 
 an excuse to return for at least a day
.

David Fox, my AMAZING tech guy. 

Islam is the light - yep, that's what this Fisher Price Little Mommy Real Loving Baby Cuddle and Coo doll says. 

Before you buy one for your child or grandchild, you should know that the doll says more than "coo" and "momma" - But don't bother looking on the Fisher Price website or doll packaging because you won't find anything that indicates what the doll really says.

I heard it myself today at my granddaughter's fifth birthday party, as this doll was passed around from adult to adult so we could each check it out for ourselves - and there is no doubt about it.  Among the garbled baby-talk is one clearly enunciated phrase:  Islam is the light.

Still don't believe it? When I got home from the party, I went online to see if anyone had posted about this, and here are some of the videos I found:

Fisher-Price has NOT recalled these dolls, but several stores are reportedly taking them off their shelves. Frankly, I think responsible adults should simply purchase toys from other manufacturers this holiday season so that Fisher Price will "see the light."

I know this is off-topic, but an ActiveRain search turned up only one post about this matter. I was fairly certain you'd want to know about it if there's a little girl in your life. 

NEWS FLASH!  We have just gotten an "okay" to make this an OFFICIAL ActiveRain contest with PRIZES! 

500 points to the winner and 250 points to the runner-up.  Deadline will be November 30 at 9 p.m., ActiveRain official time.  Let's put a limit of 3 entries per person, each in a separate comment.  If you follow through with a blog post to go with your prize-winning topic/title (including a link in the comment below and putting it in the new Group), it will be featured.

UPDATE:  A Contest So Easy a Consumer or ActiveRain Newbie Could Win

Here's my original post, when this was "just for fun" and not OFFICIAL:

Much has been written on ActiveRain about how to come up with topics for your posts, and many months ago I wrote one about some of mine that were inspired by photos.  Many have been the FREE IMAGE OF THE WEEK from Istockphoto.com, my favorite source of photos and images.  In fact, my accountant was dumbfounded by my frequent istockphoto subscription purchases throughout 2007, and she suggested I would save money by getting a larger subscription for a reduced per-image cost. 

Unfortunately, that post was so long ago that I can't even find it to provide you a link.  Too bad, since it was quite an impressive list of varied posts!  (Note to self for another blog topic:  The importance of effective tags for your posts.)

Anyway, I'd like to propose an informal contest - NOT an official one... no points or prizes, just the fun of reading all the creative topic ideas inspired by this week's istockphoto FREE IMAGE OF THE WEEK.  Are you game?

If you decide to follow through and actually write a post inspired by this photo, be sure to include a link in your comment.  

Sound like fun?  Actually, it will be YOUR blog topic ideas in the comments that will make this interesting and enjoyable.

EDIT:  Okay, I decided to start a Group for posts that are Inspired by a Photo.  It will never be a mega-group, but it might be fun to see what creative posts are inspired by a photo.  At this moment, I am the one and only member, and this is the one and only post.  Click on the photo to the right to join this new group.  (I know, I know...  don't we have enough groups?)

I've been on the receiving end of some diligent follow-up for the past few weeks, and yesterday I experienced first hand the cross-over from FOLLOW-UP to HARASSMENT.  It's a shame, really, because I am a prospective buyer and I respect/appreciate good follow-up.  But there's such a thing as too much, too little and "just right." 

For several months, I've been thinking of upgrading my Top Producer package to the Market Builder.  That's their post card program that works in concert with their Market Snapshot, which I already have on my websites.  The primary thing holding me back is that I haven't taken the time to work the math to confirm the cost factor is fair (I'm sure it is, but I don't make $1200 decisions without some due diligence), and I've been a little busy with all the the collateral "damage" that comes with changing to a different real estate company - Not to mention life itself and some income-producing business. 

On the flip side, I did spend an afternoon assembling my list of 400 homes to receive the Market Builder quarterly mailing.  You see, I'm moving at MY pace - apparently not the same as Tammy's (the diligent salesperson).

When I received that "one too many" inconvenient follow-up phone calls yesterday, Tammy lost me.  I still expect to buy the Market Builder program when I get around to it, just not from her.  I'm sure she felt she was doing her job, but her follow-up crossed over into harassment the moment she failed to graciously accept that
I was walking into a meeting and she kept talking.  

This reminds me to re-examine my own follow-up to make sure it is exactly that - follow-up, and not harrassment.  The last thing I want to do is too much or too little.  It needs to be "just right" to be effective.

Copyright 2008.  All rights reserved.  Margaret Woda
Image:  Istockphoto.com

CROFTON HOMES FOR SALE     GAMBRILLS HOMES FOR SALE     ODENTON HOMES FOR SALE

Each month, between the 10th and 15th, I carefully review statistics published by our regional multiple listing service, MRIS.  I usually find that numbers mirror anecdotal information shared by local real estate professionals, but I dutifully review them for the purpose of sharing accurate information with you through my blog.

In October, I was very surprised to see a spike in the average sold price, up almost 20% from October 2007, and the median sold price, up 18.16%.

Most homes which settled in October probably went under contract prior to that, so these numbers don't reflect all that occurred in the financial world in October.  

The number of homes that settled in October was down over 60% from 42 in 2007 to 16 in 2008. 

After the banking crisis and bailout in October, only 9 homes went under contract during the month, so look for "units sold" to go down in November and December.

Days on Market were actually down from last month, but up nearly 15% from the same month last year.  Overall, in 2008, Days on Market have been greater than last year, except for January.

As I've mentioned in earlier Real Estate Updates, one of the things I look to for an indicator on what the future holds for real estate in Crofton is the absorption rate.  With only 16 sold homes and 147 active listings in October, it looks like  it would take almost 10 months for the existing inventory to be absorbed - and that's assuming no new listings for 10 months, which isn't going to happen.

The true effect of the banking crisis and the October economic bust, in general, will probably take a while to shake out.  Be sure to check back between the 10th and 15th of each month for an update.  And, if you prefer to see more statistics laid out in a single chart, visit FocusOnCrofton.com this weekend, when I'll be posting an update in that format.

CROFTON HOMES FOR SALE     GAMBRILLS HOMES FOR SALE     ODENTON HOMES FOR SALE

Source of data:  MRIS
Charts:  Margaret Woda

After all that disruption in the national and world economy in October, I expected the worst when October real estate statistics for Odenton were released.  While things certainly didn't improve, the decline wasn't nearly as drastic as I expected, and it could have been much worse.  Twenty-three homes did sell, in spite of concerns about the stock market, unemployment and the banking debacle, including new restrictions on mortgage financing qualifications.

The Average sold price in Odenton is down from last month, and lower than every month this year.  But it's down less than 10% - "only" 7.26% - from last year - not as bad as I expected in these difficult economic times.

Median prices are down 6.24% from October 2007.

The number of units sold in Odenton declined during October, as well, but the total is not lower than it was in January.  As you can see from this chart, the units sold declined last year from June-October, as it did this year. 

Comparing October of this year with last, the decline was 32.35

The Days on Market went up in Odenton during October, but April and May were even higher - and those are supposed to be the prime real estate selling months of the year.

That's one of the reasons I'm relatively pleased with October real estate sales, given the world economic situation. 

Absorption Rate:  As of October 31, there were 217 active listings in Odenton; only 23 homes sold during the month.  At this rate, it would take nearly 10 months for today's inventory of homes to sell - assuming no other houses come on the market in Odenton.  I think we all know that won't happen.

As I said in the beginning, I didn't expect "good" news from last month's statistics, but you may agree with me that the potential was there for much worse.  I'll be eager to see if things bounce back in November.

Source of Data:  MRIS
Charts:  Margaret Woda

Meet Ray Farrell, the son of a widowed Irish immigrant who came to the United States to escape the potato famine in Ireland.  

The armistice ending World War I might not have been signed at the Palace d'Versaille on November 11, 1918, if it were not for him and the men he led. Their role was less prominent than that of the top negotiators, but it was a key factor in securing the peace.

A little world history refresher:

Negotiations for ending World War I began in January 1918, with 70 delegates from 27 nations participating, excluding the defeated nations of Germany, Hungary and Austria - and Russia, who had negotiated their own treaty.  Each participant had its own agenda, and discussions were often quite heated.  For example,

• French Prime Minister Georges Clemenceau wanted to cripple Germany economically, politically and militarily so they could never invade France again.
• Britain's Prime Minister David Lloyd George supported reparations, but to a lesser extent than the French, and sought compensation for the many widows, orphans and men crippled during the war and unable to work.
• U.S. delegate Edward Mandell House sought to extricate the U.S. from European affairs while encouraging a Germany that would be a strong trading partner in the future.  And, I might add, President Wilson excluded the Republicans in Congress from any policy discussons regarding
  these negotiations.

Okay, back to my story...

Ray Farrell was the Chief Clerk of the Supreme Allied War Council, a shorthand reporter himself, in charge of all the shorthand reporters who created a record of the procedings for participating nations (and history).  In 1918, there were no audio recording devices, so every session was painstakingly recorded with pencil in shorthand notes, and later transcribed and reconciled by those shorthand reporters.

When a final product finally evolved, calling for fighting to end on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month, Ray Farrell devised a plan for securely communicating the armistice back home to the United States for Congressional approval.  He divided the document into several small sections and transmitted each separately by telegraph.

For example, one transmission might include line 10 from several pages, so it would make no sense to anyone who intercepted it.  However, when collated with another transmission that included line 9 and yet another including line 11...

In the end, Congress did not ratify the Treaty because of their objections to forming a League of Nations, but they did approve the armistice which ended fighting on November 11.

On the first anniversary of the armistice ending World War I, President Woodrow Wilson issued a proclamation expressing pride in the heroism of those who had fought during the war.  All business stopped and two minutes of silence was observed, beginning at 11 am.  Several states made Armistice Day a state holiday in the 1920's and 30's, and Congress declared it a federal holiday in 1938.  Then, in 1954, the name of the holiday was changed to Veterans Day to honor those who served in World War II and Korea.  Today, all veterans are honored on November 11.

Many thanks to the Real Estate Shows for the "Instant" Show, which I modified with a few different pictures and different text.  You made it very easy for me to get started, but I had to include the Navy since I'm just a half hour from the U.S. Naval Academy (not to mention I'm married to a retired Navy Captain.)