Fort Meade - USNA - Andrews AFB: March 2008

I'm still laughing out loud...   Margaret Woda, Community Activist.   That's me!  

My recent Letter to the Editor of the local newspaper wasn't my first, but it is the only one to achieve prompt tangible results.  When I read Mike in Tucson's post about trying to get our names in the print media, I knew my story would be a good follow-up to that.  But let me go back to the beginning:

Like many of you, I have several Google Alerts set up, including one for my community.  It turns out there are quite a few other Croftons - one in Kentucky, another in Nebraska, one in Canada and several in the United Kingdom - and I enjoy reading about all of them, when I get an alert.  A Google Alert received earlier this month really caught my eye.  It was a series of book reviews by the staff of Crofton Library that I thought would be great to mention on my community blog, Focus On Crofton.  There was just one problem - nowhere in the banner or on this newly discovered website did it say WHICH Crofton Library.

I loved the format and content, so I decided to blog about the website and just make light of the fact that I didn't know if it was a product of the Crofton MARYLAND Library.  (Click here to read my post.)  A few hours later I was excited to see two comments - the first was written by a member of the staff indicating that YES, it is OUR Crofton Library.  I was so pleased and proud of myself for pointing our community toward this wonderful resource.  That lasted about two minutes, until I read the next comment by someone else on the Library staff informing me the library was disabling access to this website, apparently as a result of my blog post about it.

You can read my initial response in the comments to that post - but, after sleeping on it, I decided to write a Letter to the Editor of our local newspaper to challenge the decision by our PUBLIC library blocking PUBLIC access to their book reviews.  My letter appeared three weeks later in Thursday's edition of the Crofton Crier, March 27, and I received an email the next morning informing me that public access is now restored to Crofton's Read and Review.

As I said earlier, I'm still laughing out loud about this.  My upbeat and articulate letter (if I do say so myself) complimented the disabled website and mentioned my community blog, exposing it to an audience of people who probably never visited Focus On Crofton before.  The spike in visits to my blog on Thursday and Friday attest to the benefit of that exposure AND the Library's website is again available to the public.  No amount of money could have purchased such effective marketing for my blog!

I've written Letters to the Editor before - maybe once or twice a year - usually in response to an article about the local real estate market.  Periodically, people (usually agents) mention to me they've seen my letters; it certainly can't hurt my image as a knowledgeable local real estate professional, provided this strategy is used in moderation.

Sure, I'd prefer to have NBC or The Washington Post contact me for an interview but, if they don't, I can take matters into my own hands by writing a Letter to the Editor for my local newspaper.

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Find a Home and learn about Real Estate Market Conditions in Bowie, Maryland.  Check out Today's Rates, use the free Mortgage Calculator, and watch a brief video about the Power of RE/MAX.  These consumer-friendly real estate tools are provided by Margaret Woda for you to use at your own pace. 

When you're ready to go from "just browsing" to "let's get serious", contact Margaret online or call her at RE/MAX Vision - 410-451-1900 

WELCOME TO BOWIE, MARYLAND, and congratulations on your new job in the Washington-Baltimore metropolitan area!  Bowie is an excellent match for you and your family, based on its location, community lifestyle, and affordability - the top three reasons to choose Bowie for your next home.

1.  LOCATION 
      Bowie 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, Bowie, Maryland, is less than 30 minutes from "everywhere" - just 12 miles from Washington, D.C., 15 miles from Annapolis, 20 miles from Baltimore, and only 15 miles from BWI Airport.  

Access to Bowie by Highway couldn't be easier:

• East - US 50, MD 450
• South -US 301, MD 450, MD 3
• West - I495/95, US 50, MD 193, MD 450, MD 214
• North - Baltimore/Washington Parkway, MD 197, MD 3

If you're active duty or retired military, you and your family will enjoy the resources of several nearby military installations:  Andrews AFB, Fort George G. Meade, the U.S. Naval Academy, National Naval Medical Center Bethesda, Walter Reed Army Medical Center, and even the Pentagon. 

Public transportation:  If your job is in D.C. or Baltimore, you will have the option of taking the MARC train from Bowie, or take the METRO-Rail to D.C. from nearby New Carrollton. In fact, there's even a park 'n ride for commuting by bus from Bowie to New Carrollton.  And, if your job requires travel to anywhere Amtrak goes, you can hop on board in New Carrollton, just 5 miles from Bowie.

Aside from a manageable commute, you'll appreciate Bowie's location for its convenience to the museums, monuments, professional sports teams, and arts venues in Washington, D.C., Baltimore and Annapolis,Maryland - not to mention sailing on the Chesapeake Bay.   If you've never lived on the East Coast, your kids will probably be thrilled to learn that the Atlantic Ocean is only about 2 hours east of Bowie - close enough for frequent day trips or weekend getaways.  

2.  COMMUNITY 
      Bowie is poised for the future and proud of its heritage. 

The City of Bowie is home to more than 50,000 residents in an area covering about 16 square miles, including 2,000 acres set aside as parks or open space.   There are dozens of ball fields in Bowie, several community centers, swimming pools, an ice arena, theatrical playhouse, performing arts center, public golf course (6 more golf courses within 10 minutes), public library, four museums, and a gymnasium. 

While shopping centers dot the entire community, Bowie New Town Shopping Mall and Gateway Center are regional shopping meccas for the entire area, and Annapolis Mall is just 15 minutes away.  Restaurants range from fast-food to franchise to uniquely Bowie. And there's a multi-screen movie theater, the Regal Bowie Stadium 14, to keep you entertained.

If those options aren't enough, you can watch Bowie's own minor league baseball team play at the beautiful new Bowie Baysox stadium, visit Six Flags amusement park in nearby Kettering or take advantage of all that Baltimore, Washington, and Annapolis have to offer.

A little Bowie history:

Bowie is an old railroad town, dating back to the mid-1800's when a rail line was constructed between Baltimore and Southern Maryland, where large tobacco plantations dotted the area.  A spur to Washington, D.C. was soon added, and the town around the railroad junction known as Huntington was chartered as Bowie in 1880. 

This railroad access from Baltimore and Washington was a contributing factor to the selection of Bowie as the site for America's first thoroughbred race track in the early 1900's.  Nearby Belair Stable was part of the famous "Belair Stud," one of the premier racing stables in the 30's, 40's and 50's, and it has been restored now to operate as a museum for 250 years of history.

The Bowie Race Track has been closed for several years, but the train station is now a busy commuter hub.  Both the railroad and racing roots of Bowie are still celebrated each year at Heritage Day. 

In 1957, New Jersey developer Levitt and Sons acquired the original colonial plantation of Provincial Governor of Maryland, Samuel Ogle, and developed the residential community of Belair at Bowie. Two years later the town of Bowie annexed the Levitt properties and re-incorporated the now-larger area as a city in 1963.  While many of Bowie's residents live in this 60's-built community, Bowie now includes many other neighborhoods built more recently, including condos, townhomes, and even a few "McMansions".

Prince George's County Public Schools in Bowie include several elementary and middle schools and award-winning Bowie Senior High.  Pius X Regional Parochial School, other private schools and many day care centers are located in Bowie, so your family has many choices.  It's possible your children will be within walking distance of school, but they could have a short bus ride.  

3.  AFFORDABILITY
      Yes, you can afford a Bowie home.

While home prices are higher in the D.C. area than many other parts of the country, Bowie is lower than most other communities in the D.C. area.   I think you'll be pleasantly surprised to discover older 4-bedroom detached homes (like the one picture to the right) priced in the low $300,000's; a larger home, or one that is completely updated and "like new" could be closer to $400,000.  Or, if larger, newer, and higher-priced homes are your preference, there are plenty of them, as well.

I think many of those sticker-shock stories about the D.C. area are based on Northern Virginia home prices.  Bowie is a neighborhood where families can choose either a detached home or townhome and, in most cases, not have the expense of a mandatory Home Owner's Association. There's a large inventory of homes available right now, and this is a perfect time to buy a Bowie home.

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

• BEST MATCH:   Kavanaugh Lane - $329,950.  This one-level home in the popular "K" section of Bowie is located within walking distance of Kenilworth Elementary, a blue-ribbon school that makes this neighborhood a popular one for families with children.  The home features a screened porch, updated baths and kitchen, and beautiful 11,482 sq. ft. treed lot.
  
• BEST VALUE:   Starlight Lane- $355,5000.  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.  
  
• BEST PRICE:   Yorktown Drive - $310,000.  This popular 4-bedroom 2 bath cape cod style home, situated on a 7,176 sq. ft. lot, features an above-ground pool and a Loi pond.  It needs a little TLC, but expensive updates are all done for you:  recent HVAC, roof, windows and siding.  Don't miss this opportunity for a real bargain!

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

As I mentioned on the phone, it is essential for you to have mortgage loan approval from a local lender in hand before arriving for your house-hunting trip.   You will find several listed under "Real Estate Partners" on the Area Guide page of my website.  Please let me know if you have any questions about this process.

You mentioned that you want an agent who knows Bowie, knows real estate, and is tech-savvy.  The easiest way for you to determine if I'm an agent who satisfies those criteria is probably to check out my ActiveRain Blog, featuring "how-to" articles for consumers and other real estate professionals, local information for relocation home buyers, and a few random topics ranging from family to gardening.  You can count on me to work hard for you, to be an effective advisor and advocate during your relocation and home purchase, as I have done for Bowie home buyers and sellers since the 70's.

Again, welcome to Bowie!  I look forward to talking with you again and meeting you personally.

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 in the Ft. Meade and BWI areas.  This is great news for your Bowie home's future property value, since there will be huge demand for a limited supply of nearby homes!

Although Bowie is located in Prince George's County, it literally adjoins Anne Arundel County.  For that reason, I think you'll find most of the articles in Your Relocation Package for Anne Arundel County, Maryland to be equally relevant for anyone buying a home in Bowie.  I'm still working on building a similar relo package for Bowie!

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Find a Home and learn about Real Estate Market Conditions in Bowie, Maryland.  Check out Today's Rates, use the free Mortgage Calculator, and watch a brief video about the Power of RE/MAX.  These consumer-friendly real estate tools are provided by Margaret Woda for you to use at your own pace. 

When you're ready to go from "just browsing" to "let's get serious", contact Margaret online or call her at RE/MAX Vision - 410-451-1900 

Living in Crofton, Maryland, means more than convenience to Washington and Baltimore - it means being within a half hour of the University of Maryland College Park and Terps sports. 

Ours is a family of Terps fans, and we have season tickets for football; but tickets for men's basketball are hard to come by.  We never really thought about going to the women's games, but Larry and I decided to go watch the Lady Terps play in the 2nd round of the NCAA Tournament at Comcast Center earlier this week.  We saw some great basketball as the top-seeded Lady Terps beat Nebraska 76-64, following a Duke victory over Wisconsin in their game earlier in the evening. 

It was the first time I'd seen the Lady Terps play "live"- as opposed to on TV - and it surprised me how much I enjoyed the game.  I'll be watching and cheering for them again on Saturday night, too, when Maryland faces fourth-seeded Vanderbilt in Spokane, Washington for the Sweet Sixteen at 6 p.m. PT/9 p.m. ET.  If you're not really a women's basketball fan, you might want to tune in and check them out.  You, too, might be surprised as you watch some great basketball, especially from Kristi Tolliver and Krystal Langhorne.  And, of course, it's a hoot to watch coach Brenda Frese work the officials.

I was impressed at how many students turned out to support the women's basketball team - and I couldn't help wondering where they will be in 40 years.  Will they be on this or any campus watching college basketball for date night with their spouse, as Larry and I were?

Going on a date at this stage of life, with your spouse of 40 years, is so relaxing!  No worrying about what to wear or what to say... no awkward silences or trying to impress each other... complete security in who you are and who you're with.  I'll bet we enjoyed ourselves as much as anyone in Comcast, without a moment of dating drama before, during or after the evening.

It's never too late in life for date night.  We should do it more often!  And, if it happens to involve a Terps game of any kind, all the better.  I think hanging out around the 20-somethings helps keep us young!

AP PHOTO

There's more to Crofton than the subdivision you find inside the front gates. 

That community was the brain-child of Hamilton Crawford, a Louisiana developer who purchased the property in 1962 from the housekeeper who inherited the 1600 acres from her boss, E.L. Shaw.  A year later, Crawford announced plans to build a new community on the site, farmed for three centuries by Jesuit priests, slaves, sharecroppers and two prominent area families, the Duvalls and Chaneys.

Other nearby farms sold to developers after that, and Crofton soon evolved from being a subdivision inside those landmark front gates to a postal zipcode.  The greater Crofton area now includes many subdivisions as well as churches, schools, restaurants, stores, parks and even another golf course.  In fact, since Crofton is only a half hour from D.C. and Baltimore, and Annapolis is practically in our back yard, the restaurants, businesses, sports and recreation opportunities of those cities are very much a part of life for Crofton residents.

Now, to see photos of Crofton Maryland Beyond the Front Gates, click on this illustration: 

Other Crofton photo slide shows:

• Crofton Maryland:  Inside the Front Gates
• Crofton Maryland:  Homes Throughout the Area (coming soon)

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

Crofton Maryland real estate is not just about houses - it's about the community and people.  When you live in Crofton, it's a package deal!

As you drive through the front gate of "Old Crofton", located along MD Route 3 at Crawford Boulevard, you'll see Places of Worship, Crofton Country Club's Championship Golf Course, a Village Green that houses a tavern and offices for physicians, dentists and small businesses - and, of course, Crofton's beautiful homes.  Crofton is an established community with mature trees and a flag-lined street that could be a movie set for "Anywhere USA".

Crofton, Maryland, is a place where residents line the streets to watch the annual Tour de Crofton bike race, shop at the Spring and Fall Crafts Fairs, walk with their kids in the annual Halloween Parade, and participate in organized kids sports.  The people who make Crofton home tend to be involved citizens who volunteer in the community as scout leaders and coaches, and beyond the Crofton gates as advocates for responsible development in the area; they work in or near Baltimore or Washington, or right here in Anne Arundel County; they range from singles to families to retired folks - and there's an organization in Crofton for anyone who wants to "get involved".

To see a slide show of photos taken "Inside the Front Gates", click on this photo:

Coming soon -

Crofton Maryland:  Outside the Front Gates
Crofton Maryland:  Homes throughout the Area

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

Find a Home and learn about Real Estate Market Conditions in Odenton and Anne Arundel County, Maryland.  Check out Today's Rates, use the free Mortgage Calculator, and watch a brief video about the Power of RE/MAX.  These consumer-friendly real estate tools are provided by Margaret Woda for you to use at your own pace. 

When you're ready to go from "just browsing" to "let's get serious", contact Margaret online or call her at RE/MAX Vision in Crofton Maryland. 410-451-1900 

If you're thinking of selling your Bowie home any time soon, you have a lot of competition in the 20715 zipcode - there are 199 homes currently for sale.  Of those, 181 are detached homes ranging from $239,500 for an Ardsley model (Levitt cape cod) to newer large homes in the $900,000's.  Since only 13 homes sold during February in the 20715 zipcode, that's an inventory that could take 15 months to sell, assuming no new listings come on the market.

It's an understatement to say it's never been more important to have your home priced right, in GREAT condition, and listed with an experienced agent.

Here's a breakdown of homes on the market now in the 20715 zipcode:

48 - Cape cods, including "Country Clubbers" and "Ardsleys"
46 - 1-story homes - including "Devons" and "Buckinghams"
87 - 2 story colonials - Including "Gladstones" and "Cambridges"
18 - Townhomes

Here's a chart showing real estate statistics for last month:

A number of these listings are foreclosures, bank-owned, or short sales; there are several more in the pipeline that are not yet listed.

In addition to these homes, there are 720 other homes currently for sale in Bowie:

• 185 homes on the market in the 20716 zipcode (South Bowie)
• 289 in the 20720 zipcode
• 251 in the 20720 zipcode

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Find a Home and learn about Real Estate Market Conditions in Bowie, Maryland.  Check out Today's Rates, use the free Mortgage Calculator, and watch a brief video about the Power of RE/MAX.  These consumer-friendly real estate tools are provided by Margaret Woda for you to use at your own pace. 

When you're ready to go from "just browsing" to "let's get serious", contact Margaret online or call her at RE/MAX Vision in Crofton Maryland. 410-451-1900 

Inspired by my Hidden Gem in the Rain, Baltimore's Audrey Hoffman. and her Staging Girl comic strip.  They say "Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery", so consider my first few attempts at using a comic strip or cartoon to be a compliment, Audrey, although they don't hold a candle to yours. 

My first effort wasn't very entertaining, but it did add some color to an otherwise dreary real estate market report.  A few of you even commented that you liked it. Hopefully you weren't just saying that, because your encouragement lead to today's cartoon, representing today's real estate market with many home sellers trying to catch the same elusive buyer. 

In fact, Crofton Maryland's absorption rate is 8 home sellers for every buyer; the numbers are much more dramatic for many other areas across our nation, and even our state and county.  It really is like a pond with more people fishing than fish in the water!  Life isn't very pretty for today's home sellers in this buyers' market, so I plan on using cartoons like this instead of photos in my upcoming series for home sellers - just to lighten things up a bit.

I know you're going to ask how I put this together, so let me refer you to Recipe for a Custom Graphic on Your Blog.   Licenses to the images used here were purchased online (sources such as bigstockphoto.com, istockphoto.com, realestateclipart.com, stock.xchng.com, and others).  All the other steps are in that post.

Stay tuned because a vertical version of this is probably going to be the cover-page for a series I'm working on titled, you guessed it, "Making Home Sellers Smile in 2008!" 

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Buyers, Find a Home and learn about Real Estate Market Conditions in Maryland; Check out Today's Rates, use the free Mortgage Calculator, and watch a brief video about the Power of RE/MAX.  These consumer-friendly real estate tools are provided by Margaret Woda for you to use at your own pace. 

When you're ready to go from "just browsing" to "let's get serious", contact Margaret online or call her at RE/MAX Vision in Crofton Maryland. 410-451-1900 

Included in Your Online Relocation Package for Anne Arundel County, Maryland - Home of Fort George G. Meade, NSA, Northrop Grumman, BWI, and the U.S. Naval Academy

Daffodils are popping up inside the Naval Academy gates, buds are appearing on the dogwood and cherry trees, and azaleas will soon be in bloom.  If you've never toured the U.S. Naval Academy grounds in Annapolis, Maryland, there's no more beautiful time of year to do so. 

While you're in Annapolis, you might want to visit some of the Historic Homes Outside the Naval Academy Gates and these magnificent public gardens in and near Annapolis:

• Helen Avalynne Tawes Garden  
  580 Taylor Ave., Tawes State Office Building, Annapolis, MD

www.dnr.state.md.us/publiclands/tawesgarden.html

This award-winning five-acre garden represents geographic features from across the state, including everything from forested Western Maryland mountains to sandy Eastern Shore beaches.  It was created by and is named for the wife of a former governor, and its located on the property of the state office building that houses Maryland's Department of Natural Resources.

• London Town House and Gardens  
  839, Londontown Road, Edgewater, MD 21037

http://www.historiclondontown.com/

Built in 1760, this one-time tavern and inn overlooks the South River.  Now it is a museum sounded by eight acres of woodland gardens.  The house itself is a National Historic Landmark and appears on the National Register of Historic Places. 

• William Paca House and Garden
  186 Prince George Street, Annapolis, MD 21108

http://www.annapolis.org/

William Paca, a signer of the Declaration of Independence and former Maryland Governor, built this Georgian mansion between 1763 and 1765.  The two-acre pleasure garden features a Chinese trellis bridge, domed pavilion and fish-shaped pond.  This site is in a National Historic District and on the National Register of Historic Places..

 

Hanging baskets, such as this one next to the Annapolis Harbour, decorate many streets in Annapolis during the late Spring and throughout the summer. 

For more information about Public Gardens in Maryland, visit the Maryland Office of Tourism website.

For help with your own garden, the go-to place in Anne Arundel County is Homestead Gardens.  Another favorite of mine is Behnke's in Beltsville in nearby Prince George's County and just a half hour of Crofton.  Check out the Behnke's Blog. 

Here's a complete list of all Anne Arundel County Nurseries, Licensed Plant Dealers and Plant Brokers for you.

This post is included in the Andrews Air Force Base Relocation Package.

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

Find a Home and learn about Real Estate Market Conditions in Odenton and Anne Arundel County, Maryland.  Check out Today's Rates, use the free Mortgage Calculator, and watch a brief video about the Power of RE/MAX.  These consumer-friendly real estate tools are provided by Margaret Woda for you to use at your own pace. 

When you're ready to go from "just browsing" to "let's get serious", contact Margaret online or call her at RE/MAX Vision in Crofton Maryland. 410-451-1900 

In 1981, Maryland's own Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.) and Sen.Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) sponsored a joint Congressional resolution proclaiming a national Women's History Week. 

In 1987, Congress expanded the celebration to a month, and March was declared Women's History Month. 

The role of women in American history was seldom discussed before the '70's - a situation that changed in 1978 when the Education Task Force of the Sonoma County (California) Commission on the Status of Women initiated a "Women's History Week"  The rest, as they say, is history!  You can learn about Natonal Women's History Month by visiting the National Women's History Project.

The University of Maryland has made it easy for us to learn about MARYLAND women who have made a difference, so I'm going to highlight a few here in honor of Women in Hstory Month:

 

 

CARMEN BALTHROP - World-class soprano whose voice is described as "pure silver." She enjoys an internationally acclaimed vocal career spanning both modern and classical repertoire. 

 

SUSAN BRAUN - (M.A. - Health Sciences, UMD) Former Chairman and CEO of the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation.

 

EUGENIE CLARK - Known as the "Shark Lady", Pofessor Emeritus Eugenie Clark is famous for her world-renowned shark research.

 

JANE HENSON - She and husband Jim Henson developed the Muppets into a world-wide entertainment powerhouse.  Henson serves on the board of directors of the Jim Henson Foundation. In 1992 she established the Jim Henson Legacy to preserve and present Jim Henson's lifework. 

 

KATHLEEN MAGEE - Operation Smile.   Magee is both a nurse and a philanthropist. Since 1982, she has brought smiles to the faces of more than 50,000 children and adolescents around the world though Operation Smile, an organization that funds and performs oral surgery. 

 

JOSEPHINE "JODY" OLSEN  - Deputy Director of the U.S. Peace Corps. She has visited more than 80 countries around the world as a tireless advocate for the mission of the Peace Corps and the work of Volunteers, speaking at dozens of domestic and international events each year. 

 

MARY YOUNG PICKERSGILL - Flagmaker of the famous banner hoisted over Fort McHenry during the Battle of Baltimore in the War of 1812. Major George Armistead, commander of the forces at Fort McHenry, commissioned Mrs. Pickersgill to sew a flag "so large that the British will have no difficulty seeing it from a distance."

 

JUDITH A. RESNICK - NASA astronaut.  Judith Resnik was killed in the Challenger explosion of 1986. After receiving her doctorate in Electrical Engineering from Maryland in 1977, Resnik began working for NASA. She spent six days in space in 1984 on the maiden flight of the orbiter Discovery. Hall of Fame inductee.

 

BERNICE SANDLER - "The Godmother of Title IX."  She is the third recipient of the Thomas M. Magoon Distinguished Alumni Award at The University of Maryland for her outstanding work as an educator, advocate and change agent in the college experience for women of all ages. She has won numerous awards, and in 1988 was named one of the nation's 100 most important women by Ladies Home Journal. Dr. Sandler received her doctorate from CAPS in 1969.

 

MARY SHORB - Discovered a microbe which led to the commercial development of Vitamin B-12. She served as a research professor at Maryland from 1949 to 1972 in poultry husbandry.

 

HARRIET TUBMAN - Born into slavery in Maryland, Harriet Tubman freed herself, and the played a major role in freeing the remaining millions. After the Civil War, she joined her family in Auburn, NY, where she founded the Harriet Tubman Home.

 

SOURCE: University of Maryland Newsdesk:  Women's History
Maryland Women's Heritage Center
 

Home Sellers, This Is For You!

In case you've been living on another planet or just never thought about it, "FSBO" is a common acronym for "For Sale by Owner".  The term is most often used in regards to selling real estate without professional help (or with minimal professional involvement by a so-called "discount broker").

Here are a few common myths you may have heard:

1.  I WILL SAVE A TON OF MONEY (I want to keep those commission dollars in my own pocket):

It is a commonly-held belief that home owners who sell FSBO save the real estate commission.  The truth is that any FSBO buyer has every intention of putting that commission in his/her own pocket - not increasing the sellers' profit!  Selling FSBO could easily cost a seller more than that full-service commission they're avoiding.

• Just ask Mel and Ty Eanes, whose Bowie townhome I sold for thousands over full price - in a buyer's market like this; in three hours.
• Or ask Dan Stachurski, whose Severna Park home sold separately from the side yard for a net gain of many thousands of dollars. (This wasn't the only time I did that!)
• Ask Jacque Boock, whose custom modifications made her Crofton townhome very difficult to sell.  Not only did her house sell to a buyer who LOVES the property, she walked away with several thousand dollars more than expected.
• My neighbors, Don and Judy Turnball, bought from a FSBO at the market price for their home minus 6% AND the seller paid 6% closing.  This FSBO certainly didn't save a ton of money - it cost him more than working with an agent!

 

2.  I CAN FIND MY OWN BUYER (It only cost $295 to list my home on MLS with Discount Realty):

How hard can it be, you ask.  You believe anyone can find a buyer or a home on the Internet.  Yes, possibly true - assuming you know where to look.  However, I can't tell you how many buyers I've introduced to new neighborhoods they didn't know existed.  It's my job to know the area.  That's why I've been exploring the side streets and hidden neighborhoods of Anne Arundel County for 35 years!

When it comes to finding buyers... are you going to depend on luck?  Maybe those folks relocating to a new job at Northrop Grumman from Colorado will just happen to drive down your street and see your sale sign.  Or maybe they instinctively know that your neighborhood suits their needs, and that's exactly what they're looking for online.  Do you really want to chance it?

Most of today's buyers are busy people, relying upon a real estate agent to help them find and buy a home while they cope with countless responsibilities at home and work.

(Oh, by the way, finding a buyer is the easy part - the hard part is keeping the transaction together ‘til settlement!)

 

3.  I CAN NEGOTIATE A SALE (I'll hold firm with my price and terms):

A FSBO has no professional representation unless they hire a real estate attorney - who usually gets involved only after initial negotiations are complete. 

I say "initial" because a contract is only Round One in this transaction.  Still to come are the home inspection, appraisal, title examination and countless other things that trigger re-negotiation. 

Ahhhhh.  Let the games begin, with no real estate agent to help keep the sale on track.  Just remember...

You have the right to be represented by a REALTOR.  Anything you say can and will be used against you in negotiations. 

4.  I KNOW MY OWN HOUSE BETTER THAN ANY AGENT (I can do a better job of selling it):

If only it were that easy!  Knowing your home may be the least important qualification in selling real estate.

Knowing what the BUYER wants is the key factor!

An experienced real estate agent usually spends a lot of time listening to the buyer before they ever go out to look at homes.  By the time they do get into the car the first time, an agent knows the buyers' wants, needs and financial qualifications.  He selects homes accordingly, and will point out things about each home that match the buyer's wish list.

I could write several blog posts about sellers who cost themselves a sale when they pointed out something they considered an asset.  Instead, it was the pivotal moment when a buyer said "no" to that house.  For example, a seller may point out the "big yard" - and that could be emphasizing the one drawback the buyer sees in the property; or a seller may proudly show off the finished basement, which doesn't conform to the buyer's taste at all. 

Showing any home to prospective buyers is best left in the hands of an experienced real estate professional who truly "gets" the buyer's criteria and will point out features which are most likely to produce a "yes" from any possible buyer for your home.

 

In this day and age, when you can search online for an agent and conduct a virtual interview by reviewing their websites and blogs, it's never been easier to find an agent you can trust!

If you don't know where to start, let me suggest ActiveRain.  It doesn't matter where in the country you live, chances are there's an ActiveRain member in your area that you can get to know without ever leaving the comfort of your favorite chair. 

Want to find out what local agents are saying to prospective home buyers?  Checkout Localism, ActiveRain's partner site created for folks just like you who are trying to find a real estate agent in Anywhere, USA.

You might be surprised to find out how experienced, knowledgeable and hard-working most REALTORS really are.   I'm sure you've heard the saying "penny-wise and pound foolish" - Nowhere is that more true than selling real estate, especially in a market like this.  There truly is no substitute for experience or expertise, and saving the commission could easily cost you more money AND more heartache.  Go ahead, visit ActiveRain and check out the agents in your area.

P.S. - Remember, there is more to selling a home than finding a buyer (or a buyer finding you).  You want a qualified buyer who is ready, willing and able to purchase your home at a fair price... quickly... and with minimum hassle or negative legal repercussions.  Just listing your property on the mls will not do that for you.  An experienced full-time REALTOR is your best bet!

This is the first in a series of posts written especially for home sellers, beginning April 1 at http://www.focusoncrofton.com/.  SUBSCRIBE today, so you don't miss any of them.

FIRST INSTALLMENT:  Starting a Series of Blogs for Sellers 

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Thinking of selling your home in Anne Arundel or Prince George's County?  Check out some of the tools I provide for buyers because they could help attract a buyer for YOUR home:

Buyers, Find a Home and learn about Real Estate Market Conditions in Maryland; Check out Today's Rates, use the free Mortgage Calculator, and watch a brief video about the Power of RE/MAX.  These consumer-friendly real estate tools are provided by Margaret Woda for you to use at your own pace. 

When you're ready to go from "just browsing" to "let's get serious", contact Margaret online or call her at RE/MAX Vision in Crofton Maryland. 410-451-1900