Fort Meade - USNA - Andrews AFB: April 2009

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 have PCS orders to Fort George G. Meade in Maryland, a map of the huge D.C. – Baltimore area may seem a bit overwhelming as you try to decide where to look for a home when you arrive. 

Let me re-assure you that everywhere within this circle I’ve drawn around Fort Meade (and even some communities beyond) will be less than a half-hour commute on a normal day.  Of course, from time to time there may be weather conditions or an accident slowing traffic, but that’s very rare.

There are many neighborhoods within each of these communities, and one of them will be just right for you and your family. You can browse through home listings at your own pace (without registering), or let me know what you're looking for so I can guide you in the right direction based on the information you provide.

In the meantime, check out Fort Meade – What to Expect When You Arrive and other interesting posts included in Your Online Relocation Package for Anne Arundel County.

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Thank you for your service to our country!  I look forward to having an opportunity to serve you and your family. 

As a Navy wife, I experienced several PCS moves myself - not to mention finding, buying and moving my family into a new home while my husband was deployed. I "get" military pay and how the various allowances impact your qualifying to buy a home.  And I know how to help military families move into their own home without any cash "up front" - something you cannot do as a renter. 

I serve military families throughout the, D.C. - Baltimore - Annapolis area, specializing in Anne Arundel, Howard and Prince George's Counties, Maryland. You can contact me online or by cell/text at 301-346-2923 to help your family relocate to Fort Meade, Andrews AFB, the U.S. Naval Academy, or any other military installation in D.C. or Maryland.

Interest rates are at record lows.  Home prices are down. 

The 800-pound gorilla in the room that's keeping home sales down is buyer confidence - or should I say lack of confidence in their own financial security.  Prospective home buyers are worried about higher federal and state taxes, declining investments, higher cost of living, sacrifices in their lifestyle, and job security.

Overcoming this feeling of financial helplessness is no easy task, but "Job Loss Protection" is one solution that's being offered.  Here's what you need to know about it: 

All "Job Loss Protection" plans are not alike .

Curious to see what has been written on this topic here on ActiveRain, I did a blog search and found many different plans described.  Among them...

Mike Berrios - FREE Job Loss Insurance with Integrity Home Finance - Offered by his company, Integrity Finance, at no cost to the consumer. Read for more details.

Alan Kross - Job Loss Protection for Buyers Relocating to Virginia - Pays up to $20,000 - Pays up to $2500/m for eight months.  Read for more details.

Mayra Espinosa - First-time homebuyer's job layoff and disability Protection Program - Offered by California Association of REALTORS Housing Fund . Pays up to $1500/mo for six months.  Read for more details. 

Terry Edwards - New Buyer Protection Plan Offered By Bank Of America.  No cost to the borrower for 12 months.  Read for more details.

Just from browsing these few randomly-selected articles on ActiveRain, it's apparent that "Job Loss Protection" plans differ from state to state and company to company.  In California, for example, it appears the protection is limited to first-time buyers. In some cases it's funded by the lender and, in others, by the seller/builder.  It could pay as little as $1200/mo or as much as $2500/mo - and that's just looking at these few posts.

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Long & Foster Real Estate, Inc., the largest privately-held residential real estate company in the nation, has just rolled out "Job Loss Protection" as one offering in our BUY CONFIDENT program. 

In the press release announcing this plan last week, Mary K. Weddle, the company's executive vice president says "Long & Foster is proud to be one of the first real estate companies to offer job loss protection to help buyers and sellers make real estate decisions with a greater degree of confidence.”

Long and Foster's "Job Loss Protection" is obtained through the Rainy Day Foundation, whose mission is to "Protect Homeowners from the Unexpected."  They do this by offering programs to:

1. Keep homeowners from becoming delinquent
   
2. Make homeowners current if they are delinquent
3. Create long-term financial stability 

These are wrapped into their Homeowner Education and Loan Protection (HELP) program, which offers financial counseling and emergency relief to homeowners, including "Job Loss Protection."  This is a very brief synopsis of HELP, and I encourage you to read all the details on their website.

I know you're worried about that "800-pound gorilla" because I work with home buyers nearly daily and hear the concern in your voices, see it in your eyes.  This program will help address your concerns but don't assume it's available for every home or every buyer.

Here's What You Need to Know about "Job Loss Protection" when you buy a Long & Foster listing:

• Job Loss Protection is availabe with many Long & Foster listings, but not every listing because it is an option selected (or not) and funded by our home seller clients.
• Job Loss Protection is not an option for home buyers to purchase at their own expense. 
  
• To receive "Job Loss Protection" home buyers must be employed 30 hours+/week and not self-employed, active-duty military, or an independent contractor.
• It pays up to $1800/month for six months to eligible home buyers.
• Good for two years (first two months excluded, but claims made on the last day of coverage will be paid over the next six months).
• Primary residence, second home, or investment property eligible.
• Additional details will be provided by your Long & Foster agent.

I think it's obvious why any home buyer would want "Job Loss Protection" - it adds a level of confidence in the area that seems to be the largest obstacle to home sales today.  It helps knock out that "gorilla in the room" or at least buyers' concern about job security.

If this is something that interests you, contact me at Long & Foster REALTORS in Crofton.  I'll be happy to show you several homes that offer this "Job Loss Protection" in Annapolis, Bowie, Crofton, Crownsville, Davidsonville, Fort Meade, Gambrills, Millersville, and Odenton.

I think this a great idea whose time is NOW!

Images:  Istockphoto.com
Copyright 2009.  All rights reserved.  Margaret Woda

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Margaret Woda is a licensed Associate Broker in the Washington, D.C. - Baltimore - Annapolis area.  She specializes in Anne Arundel, Howard and Prince George's Counties, Maryland, including Fort Meade, Andrews AFB, and the U.S. Naval Academy.  If you enjoyed reading this post, check out Focus On Crofton and Your Online Relocation Package for Anne Arundel County.  

The number of "days on market" for homes sold in Crofton during March was DOWN 24% from the same month in 2008 and 40% from last month.  How's that for good news!?!

Two adjacent zipcodes have different results to report, however, proving again that all real estate is local.  In Odenton, "days on market" went UP 43% from March 2008 and, in Gambrills, the number went DOWN 58% in March 2009 from the same month last year.  That's quite a swing for three adjacent zipcodes that many people consider to be the "Greater Crofton Area."

I've been collecting statistics about Crofton real estate from MRIS, the regional MLS, and put together this table so you can see the trends from year to year:

For my analysis, just click through to Crofton Real Estate Market Update - March 2009 at FocusOnCrofton.com, my community and real estate blog for Crofton Maryland.

Margaret Woda is a licensed Associate Broker in the Washington, D.C. - Baltimore - Annapolis area.  She specializes in Anne Arundel, Howard and Prince George's Counties, Maryland, including Fort Meade, Andrews AFB, and the U.S. Naval Academy.  If you enjoyed reading this post, check out Focus On Crofton and Your Online Relocation Package for Anne Arundel County.

I can't wait for Spring to finally arrive - it has to be just around the corner, doesn't it? 

That's because lunch with friends under an umbrella outside the Sly Horse Tavern on the Village Green is one of my favorite things about living in Crofton.  It has been for years... no, decades.

Some people go to the Sly Horse for their food, but I like this restaurant more for its ambiance.  There's really no place else like it nearby.  And I can usually find something on the menu that's tempting.

In Winter, Sly Horse is the place I go for my "fireplace fix" since I live in a home without a fireplace now.  But I enjoy the relaxing environment of dining outside in such pleasant surrounds when the weather is nice.  Even when I opt for air conditioning on a blistering hot summer's day, the view of outside diners from a cozy wooden booth in this Williamsburg style tavern is very relaxing.  And I nearly always see someone there that I know from the neighborhood.

Speaking of "tavern" - My personal preference would be for a more 21st century "tavern-like" menu - you know, burgers and reubens and the like - but they feature more elaborate items such as "Marinated Grilled Salmon Topped with Dill and Cucumber Creme Fraiche."  Even though that's not my personal taste, their selections obviously appeal to a lot of other people because Sly Horse has been in business since 1985.

The Village Green, where Sly Horse Tavern is located, is just inside the main gates of "Old Crofton," across the street from Crofton Country Club in a Williamsburg-style "green" which houses small businesses and professional offices.  The restaurant itself looks much like Raleigh Tavern in Historic Williamsburg - a lovely place to hold a private party, such as a rehearsal dinner or holiday office party, and they offer a catering menu for events off the premises, as well.

If you live or work anywhere in the Greater Crofton area and haven't yet tried dining at the Sly Horse, I highly recommend it - especially on a beautiful Spring Day.  There's one just around the corner - I'm sure of it!

What's Up Annapolis

Crofton Area Restaurants and Carryouts

Margaret Woda is a licensed Associate Broker in the Washington, D.C. - Baltimore - Annapolis area.  She specializes in Anne Arundel, Howard and Prince George's Counties, Maryland, including Fort Meade, Andrews AFB, and the U.S. Naval Academy.  If you enjoyed reading this post, check out Focus On Crofton and Your Online Relocation Package for Anne Arundel County.