Fort Meade - USNA - Andrews AFB: July 2008

Jim and Ellen Crawford, of RE/MAX Greater Atlanta, contacted me a few months ago about a prospective listing in Bowie, Maryland.  We kept in touch, as weeks went by, since the seller wasn't quite ready to make the commitment to sell her home of 40 years.

Finally, the "okay" came, and I contacted the seller and her daughter, a friend of Jim and Ellen's who was helping her mother prepare for relocation to North Carolina.  My husband and I went by a few days before the scheduled listing appointment so I could take some exterior photos and we were pleasantly surprised - the home had a lot of curb appeal, and it appeared to be well-maintained.  Hallelujah! 

The listing appointment didn't go as well as I hoped, however, because they did not want to hear a word about me, my company, or my plan for selling the home, so I never got to show off my brief but brilliant new animated Power Point listing presentation.  They just wanted to know about price and what they had to do to prepare the home for sale, and they dismissed me without signing a listing. 

That's never a good thing...  did this mean I might not get the listing?  Of course, I second-guessed myself about my brutal honesty regarding pricing, but I knew I was right - I had just settled a "perfect" comp days earlier.  Jim and Ellen, the referring agents, would expect no less from me than complete candor.

A few days later, an Army officer transferring into The Pentagon who had come to me through my blogs (ActiveRain and Focus On Crofton) arrived in town to look at homes.  I had previously shown her Crofton townhomes that she picked out online, and now she wanted to see a detached home near Andrews AFB.  My prospective listing was in the same county, closer to her family, lower priced (if they followed my advice), and in better condition, so I contacted the seller that Jim and Ellen had referred to me and asked if I could show it to my client as a Buyer's agent.  Even though I might not get the listing, I could still sell it! 

My buyer fell in love with the home, but her mother did not, so the buyer went back to Fort Bragg and initiated her loan application.  The seller loved the buyer as much as the buyer loved the house - after all, who wouldn't love a beautiful young army officer who had served in Afghanistan, Kuwait and Iraq during the 8 years since she graduated from college with an Army ROTC scholarship.  When the buyer decided to make an offer by email and fax, the seller was eager to have her as their buyer - truly, a match made in heaven! 

The contract writing, presentation, and counter-offer consumed the entire day before I left for Texas, and it could not have happened without my broker-owner Ed White stepping in to show waterfront property to another blog client with whom I already had an appointment that day.  And Ed took over this case, too, when I left for a month-long vacation, meeting the home inspector and appraiser, sending his assistant to the walk-through and yesterday's settlement.

I am so fortunate to have such great support within my office (RE/MAX Vision), the seller and buyer are still amazed at the "luck" which brought them together, and Jim and Ellen earned a referral fee even though their referral never listed with me.   

The bottom line:  One ActiveRain referral (happy seller, happy referring agents) + one ActiveRain buyer (happy buyer, happy selling agent).   I'd say that's a LOT of happy people... and one very smooth military relocation!

Thank you, ActiveRain!

PHOTO:  Mwoda

I saw Momma Mia on stage at the Hippodrome in Baltimore a couple years ago, so going to the movie wasn't on my "must-do" list.  But I accepted an invitation to join my daughter and some of her co-workers at the Studio Movie Grill in Arlington, Texas, last night.  It was a hoot!

Even thouh I'd seen the show, the movie was so much fun.  Great music, well cast, full of surprises, and definately updated for the 21st century from the stage version.

It's a story about a mother of the bride and her two long-time friends, a bride in search of her father, and three entertaining candidates for walking her down the aisle. The show probably qualifies as a "chick-flick" but I suspect anyone in the audience would at least enjoy the captivating music from the 70's group, ABBA.

I don't know if this is something the critics will like, but the audience in the theater sure did!  I highly recommend it.  I'll definately be buying this on DVD when it's available, because it will always be a great mood-lifter for a stress-filled day.

Image:  http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0795421/

If you're facing relocation to the Washington, D.C. area...  If you're a current Maryland homeowner contemplating another home purchase...

Choosing where to live may seem overwhelming in such a vast area!  The first step is probably to choose between living in Maryland, Virginia and D.C. - and that choice may be easier for you after reading Education Weekly's 12th Annual Quality Counts report.

MARYLAND SCHOOLS ARE RANKED #3 IN THE NATION!

Only three states earned a "B" in this report:  Maryland, Massachusetts and New York.  Under the leadership of Maryland's State Superintendent of Schools Nancy Grasmick, Maryland has climbed from 25th in 2006 to 3rd in 2008.  The District of Columbia is on the opposite end of the chart, ranking last with a D-, while Virginia is ranked #5 with a B-.

This is how the three local state school systems compared:

Quality Counts grades schools on their performance outcomes as well as their policy efforts.  They're looking at states' efforts to align policies across the various levels of education from K-12 study and training. This year, they also considered a new set of indicators that evaluates state efforts to attract, develop, and deploy talent in education, including both teachers and school principals.

"What about LOCAL schools?", you might ask.  Well, check out these two reports I prepared a few months ago on Crofton schools:  Report Card for Crofton Middle & High Schools and Crofton Schools Report Card.  As I mentioned before, Crofton teachers deserve a lot of the credit for excellent schools in the Crofton area. 

Relocation to a new area is never easy, but this report provides some excellent motivation for choosing Maryland over Virginia and D.C.  May I suggest that you focus on the Crofton area in Anne Arundel County, Maryland?

You can view the entire report for Maryland schools in PDF format.

NOTE:  Maryland Outshines Virginia and D.C on School Report published 2/10/2008.

 PHOTO:  Istockphoto

Your Online Relocation Package for Anne Arundel County Maryland  

European settlers arrived in Anne Arundel County, Maryland, in 1649, seventeen years after King Charles I signed the Charter of Maryland granting it to Cecil Calvert.  Calvert envisioned Maryland as a refuge for Roman Catholics, but the Maryland General Assembly enacted "An Act Concerning Religion" which legislated religious protection to all Christians.

With a history so steeped in religion, it's not surprising that Anne Arundel County is home to several historic churches, including two that date to the 1600's.

ALL HALLOWS EPISCOPAL CHURCH - Route 2 and Brick Church Road, Davidsonville, MD 21035

The Church of England was officially established in the Colony of Maryland In 1692 by King William and Queen Mary, who chartered 30 parishes, one of which was All Hallows.  However, early Parish records date back to March 1, 1669, noting the first recorded baptism at All Hallows.  The building's Interior was altered extensively during the 19th century according to needs and tastes of the time. A fire in 1940, left only the walls standing, but the subsequent rebuilding efforts restored The Brick Church to its original Georgian style.         Source:  Church website

ST. MARGARET'S EPISCOPAL CHURCH- 1601 Pleasant Plains Rd., Annapolis, MD 21401

This parish was established in 1692, and the present church building was originally constructed in 1803.  The structure suffered several accidental fires and rebuilding campaigns over the course of history. In 1985, 5he church underwent a massive restoration project that restored its 1896 appearance.
 

ST. MARY'S CATHOLIC CHURCH - 109 Duke of Gloucester St., Annapolis, MD 21401 (pictured above)

Victorian-Gothic structure, consecrated in 1860. The interior displays the rib-vaulting and hand-carved altar screen typical of the Gothic Revival style.  St. Mary's is located in downtown Annapolis, overlooking Spa Creek, and my son Tim was married there about 15 years ago.

FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH  - 144 Conduit St., Annapolis, MD 21401

The sanctuary, a portion of which was originally the Hallam Theatre, was built in 1828.

ST. ANNE'S EPISCOPAL CHURCH - 199 Duke of Gloucester St., Annapolis, MD 21401

The present church, built in Romanesque-Revival style, is the third to stand on this site. Construction began in 1859, using some of the walls and the tower of the second church, destroyed by fire in 1858. The St. Anne's window, given to the church in 1839, was designed by the Tiffany studios. 

CHRIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH - 220 Owensville Road, West River, MD 20778 

Built in 1869, this is one of the county's finest examples of Gothic Revival architecture.

THE U.S. NAVAL ACADEMY CHAPEL - U.S. Naval Academy, Annapolis, MD (pictured above)

At a mere century old, this structure is the most recently built of these historic places of worship.  The cornerstone for the U.S. Naval Academy Chapel was laid in 1904, and construction was finished in 1908.  Revolutionary Naval hero John Paul Jones was laid to rest in the crypt of the Naval Academy Chapel in 1913. The chapel's copper dome is a landmark on "the yard" and in the city of Annapolis.

Check out the history of Anne Arundel County for more information about the religions struggles that defined so much of Maryland's history.

This post is included in Your Online Relocation Package for Anne Arundel County Maryland 

 PHOTOS:  Istockphoto

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.

Crofton Library is arguably the heart of the community.

Located at the intersection of Reidel Road and Aberdeen Drive, it is easily accessible to every neighborhood in Crofton, and walkable for many of them.

I remember a time when libraries were little more than a musty-smelling old building with poorly lit rows of books that could be borrowed for two weeks.  Geeky-types sat at large tables, surrounded by piles of books - doing research, I guess.  Well, that does NOT describe Crofton Library.

This is a beautiful newish facility with tall ceilings and a wall of windows.  Scheduled activities take place often, ranging from Babies in Bloom, for parents and caregivers "to bring their babies (up to 24 months) for a fun-filled half-hour of stories, songs, rhymes and fingerplays" to Book Clubs where you can "meet friends and neighbors at the library for a lively discussion about some favorite popular books."

On Thursday, July 24, visit the library for Harry Potter and the 10th Anniversary Extravaganza from 2 to 4 p.m.  Ferrando's Treasures is sponsoring the event for children of all ages to celebrate Harry's arrival at Hogwarts!  Read Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, then come in costume for crafts, games and prizes, and sign a Hagrid-sized birthday card for Harry. 

Next month, families can meet some of our local firefighters during A Visit from the Friendly Firefighters  on Tuesday, August 5 and Thursday August 7 at 10 a.m. 

My 4-year old granddaughter Meghan is a daily visitor to Crofton Library, where her mom, Christine, spends valuable one-on-one time teaching her early reading and writing skills.  During the summer months, they're joined by six-year old Matthew, and it is the highlight of their days.

My favorite library offering is Crofton's Read and Review, which they call "a happy place where the staff of Crofton Library can write about what they're reading."  These are candid reviews, offering  opinions of the readers - both positive and negative - and they have reinvigorated my interest in reading.  In fact, I went out and bought Diary of a Wimpy Kid to read before giving it to my middle-school grandson, Tim.  Here are just a few of their recent reviews:

• The Puzzling World of Winston Breen by Eric Berlin  (posted by Catherine)
• Escape from the Deep (NF 2008) - Alex Kershaw (posted by Andy)
• The Ungarnished Truth: A Cooking Contest Memoir by Ellie Mathews  (posted by CJ)
• Diary of a Wimpy Kid: a novel in cartoons by Jeff Kinney (posted by Rachel)
• Kirby: King of Comics by Mark Evanier (posted by Andy)
• High Crimes: The Fate of Everest in an Age of Greed by Michael Kodas (posted by CJ)

If you're relocating to Maryland and looking for a community with a good library, be sure to stop into the Crofton Library when you're in the area shopping for a home.  If you currently live in Crofton and haven't yet visited the Crofton Library, I encourage you to take a few minutes to stop in and see what you've been missing.  

Directions:  From the intersection of Routes 3 and 424, go south on Route 424 (Davidsonville Road) to the 3rd traffic light, Riedel Road.  Turn left on Riedel to the library on the right, located at 1681 Riedel Road, Crofton, MD 21114.

Hours:  Monday - Thursday 9-9, Friday, Saturday 9-5, Closed on Sundays

Related Posts:

• Crofton Library to Close on Sundays
• Book Reviews By Crofton Library Staff

PHOTO:  MWoda
IMAGE:  Amazon.com

This post included in Your Online Relocation Package for Anne Arundel County Maryland  

After a relatively dismal May for Crofton Maryland real estate, I'm happy to report that things were looking up in June.  Both the average and median sold prices were up slightly from last year AND from last month!

The average sold price was up just .4%, but the median sold price was up 8.48% and average list price of sold homes was up 4.07% from last year.  In fact, both the average and median sold prices were the highest in June 2008 that they've been over the 4-year period tracked in this chart:

While this is good news for Crofton home sellers, it could signal buyers that they missed the bottom of the market.  As predicted, buyers won't know for sure when prices have bottomed out until they start going up again.  We'll be watching carefully to see if June's real estate sales in Crofton are signalling a turnaround.

The inventory of homes for sale remains high, however, with Crofton homes taking 10 times as long to sell in June 2008 as they did in June 2005.  With 183 homes on the market, and just 39 homes sold last month, we have a 4 1/2 month supply of homes available.  That assumes no new listings come on the market during that same period, which is unlikely.

RELATED LINKS: 

• Previous real estate market updates for 2008, including May 2008, April 2008, March 2008, February 2008, January 2008
• Your Online Relocation Package for Anne Arundel County Maryland
• Find out how today's mortgage interest compares with the rates last week and last month 

Kauffman's Tavern, in Gambrills Maryland, is not located on the water, where you might expect to find one of Anne Arundel County's premier crab houses.  In fact, it's not even a crab house.  But boy.... do they have good steamed crabs!   You can get them any day for dining in or carry-out (in season, while supplies last) - yet Sundays are special because that's the day they offer "all-you-can-eat" crabs from 3-9 p.m. for just $28 per person. Not only that, they have live music on the patio from 2-6 p.m.

Kauffman's is located on Gambrills Road, off Route 175 between Fort Meade and Route 3.  It's kind of a road to nowhere, so you're not likely to discover Kauffman's in your daily travels - if you're a regular customer, you probably remember who first told you about their crabs.  

But crabs are not their only scrumptious menu item.  One evening, Larry and I noticed nearby diners with prime rib that looked very good, so we ordered it ourselves.  My own personal favorite place for prime rib is the Carolina Hotel at Pinehurst, in North Carolina, so I was thrilled to discover a local restaurant serving great prime rib.

There's more...

• Sunday -Jazz Brunch from 10 a.m. -2 p.m., with live music in the Sunight Garden Room
• Monday - One pound of jumbo spiced shrimp, just $15
• Tuesday - Prime rib night $15.95.  Enjoy it with select wines for 50% off
• Wednesday and Thursday - All night Happy Hour (4 p.m. - 1 a.m.) with $5 chicken basket - on the patio
• Friday and Saturday - Live music on the patio

I've never had anything at Kaufmann's that wasn't good, and the service is always good, too.   It's one of those neighborhood restaurants that only the locals know about, and you owe it to yourself to check it out.

DIRECTIONS:

From Crofton, take Route 3 North to Left on MD Route 175, Right on Gambrills Road to restaurant on the right.  (about 15 minutes)

From Fort George G. Meade, take MD Route 75 to Gambrills Road on the left to restaurant on the right.  (about 10 minutes) 

PHOTOS: Istockphoto and MWoda

This post included in Your Online Relocation Package for Anne Arundel County Maryland 

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.

If you're looking for a home in Anne Arundel County, Maryland, this is something I'll probably ask you before we step foot into a single home.

Even though price IS an object, I do want to know what you're looking for.  It's the most important step of the home-buying process! 

When two buyers are involved - a couple or partners, for example - it quickly becomes apparent where there's a difference of opinion.  It's easy to laugh about those differences, in this context.  Some buyers never even dared think about what they really want, and they become downright giddy as they describe their log cabin on acreage with a view of the Smoky Mountains or other "impossible dream." 

How does this help, when I'm working with you to find a townhome in the Baltimore-Washington area?  Good question, so let's use that example...

If a log cabin with a view is your dream home, it tells me the townhome you buy from me is probably not your "forever" one; therefore, appreciation and resale value are very important.  It also says that a view is something you will appreciate, and you will treasure whatever privacy you can get.  It may even signal that you prefer a more casual lifestyle rather than a formal one.

The next phase of this conversation is to add in some realism here.  First, of course, is to identify items for your Long Term Goals, knowing (for example) that acreage is beyond your means at this time and in this place.  But that doesn't mean we can't make a serious effort to satisfy your housing wish list, within the restraints of budget, location, and timing.

Now it's time to get down to business! 

By that, I mean separating your WANTS  from your NEEDS.  Is a fireplace a "must have" or "would like to have" feature?  Do you need two bathrooms or, if everything else was perfect, could you live with one and a half?  Knowing this helps me choose homes to show you that are likely candidates for you to purchase.  It saves a LOT of time and aggravation for both of us. 

Today's buyers often come to me with a list of homes they found online, and those are the homes they want to see. 

May I suggest that you bring the list of homes you found on the Internet, BUT also take the time to talk with me about your dream home; let's make sure we're on the same page about your WANTS and NEEDS, and review together the homes you found online.  After all, I really know the area and the inventory of available homes.  I may be able to save you time and money by suggesting other homes and communities; and some of the homes you found online may not fit your criteria at all.

You see, I'm more than a taxi-driver with a key to get inside homes that are for sale.  I'm a professional REALTOR with over 30 years experience.  My knowledge of Anne Arundel County real estate and the home-buying process will help make your home-buying transaction a smooth and pleasant one. 

RELATED LINKS: 

• Your Online Relocation Package for Anne Arundel County Maryland
• Find out how today's mortgage interest compares with the rates last week and last month 

The Ladies of the Evening Golf League is partnering with Crofton Country Club on July 16 for a fun-filled golf outing and dinner to benefit the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation.

Check-in for the 9-hole scramble begins at 3, with refreshments and an opportunity to purchase raffle tickets prior to the shot-gun start at 4:30 p.m.  The entry fee is $60 per person or $225 per foursome - No need to have a foursome to sign up, however, because event organizers will be happy to pair you with other golfers.  

Included with your registration is your cart fee, dinner, and a goodie bag containing a golf towel, a Rally for the Cure signature pink ribbon pin, a magazine subscriptions and a few surprises.  Prizes will be awarded to the first place men's, women's and co-ed teams at the banquet which follows the event.  

For more information, contact Rally organizer Sue Davis at (410) 419-5402

NOTE:  Crofton Country Club will be hosting the Maryland State Golf Association 87th Women's Championship the same week, July 14-17.

Find a Home and learn about Real Estate Market Conditions in Crofton 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.  

Crofton's location is one of the reasons many people chose to live in the community.  When the traffic gods are smiling, it's less than an hour to most places residents have to go on a daily basis.

With Route 50 for East-West travel and Route 3 for North-South travel, and both the D.C. and Baltimore Beltways within a half hour, it really is a commuter's heaven - if there is such a thing.  With so many people heading towards D.C., it's a bonus that the sun will be at your back, and not in your eyes, both on the way to and home from work.  

A prospective Crofton resident contacted me this week to ask what the commuting time would be for her husband to downtown Washington.  That inspired me to put together this little directory for anyone relocating to the area.  The origination point for these destinations is the Crofton Village Green, in old Crofton.

If you have any questions about commuting or any aspect of living in Crofton, I'll be glad to help - and you, too, may inspire a blog!

RELATED LINKS:

• A Commuting Guide for Northrop Grumman Newbies

 This post included in Your Online Relocation Package for Anne Arundel County Maryland