Archive for the 'Buyers' Category
Davidsonville Home For Sale: 1015 Wayson Way, in Video
March 2nd, 2010 Categories: Buyers, Featured Listings, Sellers
Private, Spacious and Meticulously Maintained, This Davidsonville Home is as Lovely as it is Unique
When you sell real estate, your listings are like your children: you love them all and it’s hard to play favorites.
That being said, you can’t help but deeply appreciate the unique nature of certain homes, how special they are and confident that the next owner will feel a strong connection to the property.
This Davidsonville listing is one such home – a place where, whenever I step inside, I feel an immediate sense of calm and at-home-ness. If you’re looking for the McMansion-on-the-hill sort of thing, there are other options: 1015 Wayson isn’t even visible from the road and that, to me, is one of its greatest charms.
Sound interesting? Have a look, and if you’d like to see more, just give a call. And if you like to see more right now, here a click to the Virtual Tour for 1015 Wayson Way.
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Shoreham Beach Home for Sale: 3914 Bayside Drive, Edgewater MD
February 27th, 2010 Categories: Buyers, Real Estate News, Sellers
Our Newest Edgewater Listing Has a Host of Hidden Treasures, Panoramic Water Views and So Much More
East of Loch Haven Road to the end of the Mayo Peninsula you’ll come across some of the nicest little communities in the Annapolis area – Selby on the Bay, Ponder Cove, Turkey Point, Mayo Beach and Beverly Beach, among others.
Shoreham Beach, too, where – as with so many other local maritime communities – older cottages mingle quite comfortably, thank you, with million dollar plus waterfront homes. Indeed, many of the more expensive properties ARE old cottages reincarnated.
Our newest listing – 3914 Bayside Drive, with 100′ of frontage on Ramsay Lake – began as a cottage more than half a century ago; a series of additions and improvements over the years make up the existing home, which sits on one of the largest lots in the community (a total of four 25′ by 100′ lots, side by side.)
The home was built to the owners’ tastes with custom cabinetry, features and special touches the owner likes to refer to as “hidden treasures.” Most notably – in the colder weather – is the radiant heat in the tiled floor of the central great room and kitchen. This is especially appealing for those of us who’d rather be barefoot on the beach somewhere warm. (Following this February’s weather, that’s pretty much all of us, I imagine.)
Other “hidden treasures” include a whole house sound system, venting skylights with rain sensors, extra-tall garage doors (think storage for your boat on a trailer), a summer kitchen for crab feasts or caterers, and a framed-but-unfinished suite of rooms – measuring 36′ by 36′ – over the triple garage. Depending on your needs and lifestyle, this could become a new master suite, guest or in-law suite, you name it.
Here’s a click to the Virtual Tour for 3914 Bayside. If you like what you see and want to arrange a private preview, give us a call at 410-507-7222 and we’d be happy to give you the tour. It’s a very special home with tons of appeal for anyone looking for a well-priced waterfront home in the greater Annapolis area.
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Annapolis Real Estate 2010: Ten Trends and Predictions
January 9th, 2010 Categories: Buyers, Real Estate News, Sellers
Wondering What the Annapolis Real Estate Market is Going to Do in 2010? So Are We
“It’s tough to make predictions, especially about the future.” – Yogi Berra
I’ve spent the last couple of hours – more time than I should have – reading what every blogger and apparent expert thinks the real estate market is going to do in 2010. Some of it is rosy, like stabilizing prices and strong sales. Some it much less so: predictions of many more foreclosures and higher interest rates.
I have no idea whether or not they’re right: most of these things happen WAY above my pay grade. But we – The Moss Haedrich Team - do have our boots in the trenches selling real estate here in the Annapolis area. We notice things, we see trends, so we thought perhaps you’d like to hear about some of the trends we’ve spotted for 2010.
1. Sellers doing less costly improvements. And why not? Why put five grand into replacing kitchen cabinets when a fresh coat of paint will spiff them up just fine? We just listed a home where the seller did just that. They look beautiful. It’s still crucial to make a home look fab prior to a sale. But sellers are getting smart about where they put their dollars in these equity-squeezed times.
2. An early spring market. Maybe because we’re already so busy. Unless we get some terrible weather in the next couple of months, it should be a very active first quarter. First-time and buy-up buyers can get their tax credits if they have a contract by April, so the early rush is on.
3. Buyers getting started earlier with their searches. Each month we talk to about 150 new potential home buyers. It’s not unusual to hear that they’re still 12+ months out on a purchase. They’re researching the market thoroughly, watching home sales and figuring our where the value is. Today’s home buyer is very well educated and they’re using the internet – and Realtors – to help get the information they need.
4. Speaking of Realtors, they’ll continue to be fewer of them – here in Anne Arundel county and everywhere else. The real estate business has changed dramatically in the last few years. It’s become more competitive, technology-driven, and there’s little room for those who haven’t kept up. More and more part timers and dabblers are getting our of the business altogether.
5. The home office is king. Our buyers want them, often two of them. Makes sense: the Great Recession has found more and more people starting businesses and working from home. If you’re selling a home, stage an extra bedroom as a sleek home office.
6. Excellent deals in new construction. We can’t believe what some of the spec and model homes are selling for in the Annapolis area. These subdivisions are dying for occupancy; they’re making great deals and throwing in all sorts of upgrades to get you in. Our new construction buyers are some of the happiest buyers out there.
7. Incredible deals at the high end of the market. This is the slowest segment of the market. Many of these homes have been sitting on the market for more than a year. The prices have nowhere to go but down.
8. First floor master suites and elevators. A lot of today’s baby boomers don’t spring up the steps the way we used to. First floor masters and elevators are hot with many of our buyers.
9. In-law suites. Another sign of the recession: combined households. We just sold a home in Edgewater that had a very large in-law suite, complete with kitchen, bedroom, living room and home office. Potential buyers flocked to see it.
10. Less infatuation among buyers for short sales. Short sale buyers often think they’re going to get a steal. Quite often, they’re getting nothing but frustration. It can takes months to get an answer from a bank about an offer. Buyers are getting fed up.
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Good News Annapolis: Uncle Sam Extends the First-time Home Buyer Tax Credit
November 17th, 2009 Categories: Buyers, Real Estate News
Not Only That…He’s Added a Move-Up/Repeat Home Buyer Tax Credit That Should Provide Some Stimulus to Mid-Range Homes, Too
It’s official: after months of rumors, crossed fingers and speculation, the $8,000 First-time Home Buyer Tax Credit has been extended.
Has the credit helped? Sure it has. We’ve worked with many first-timers over the last few months who’ve taken advantage of this free money. And if you don’t believe me, talk to anyone who works for a title company: the settlements scheduled for late November – November 30 was the “old” deadline for the credit – are stacked up like jets waiting to land at O’Hare on a Friday afternoon.
Some Highlights About the “New” $8,000 Credit
- The credit applies to homes purchased on or after January 1, 2009 and on or before April 30, 2010. In cases where a binding sales contract is signed by April 30, 2010 a home purchase completed by June 30, 2010 will qualify.
-For homes purchased after November 6, 2009 and on or before April 30, 2010 single taxpayers with incomes up to $125,000 and married couples with incomes up to $225,000 qualify for the full tax credit.
The $6,500 Move-Up Tax Credit
It’s nice to see this tax credit added. Many people who already own a home – and may have lost equity in the last couple of years – have been feeling as if Uncle Sam should be doing something for them, too. Now he is.
-To be eligible to claim the tax credit, buyers must have owned and lived in their previous home for five consecutive years out of the last eight years.
-The tax credit only applies to homes priced at $800,000 or less.
-The same purchase timeframes apply as above, with one change: a binding sales contract must be signed by May 1st, 2010.
If you have any questions about either of these tax credits, please call us at 410-507-7222. Or email me at KenHaedrich@gmail.com.
Like I said, we’ve been working with a lot of buyers who are jumping on this credit. We understand the unique needs of first-time homebuyers. Best of all, remember that this is a true tax credit and it need not be repaid.
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Annapolis First Time Homebuyer Math: The Countdown Continues
August 12th, 2009 Categories: Buyers
Waiting is Not a Great Strategy if You Plan to Get a Slice of the $8,000 Tax Credit Pie Uncle Sam is Serving
Waiting is human nature. I usually wait too long between dentist appointments, wait to say my prayers until I buy a lottery ticket, wait until I’m pretty fried before I take a vacation. Most of us can relate.
But if you’re waiting to take advantage of the $8,000 tax credit that’s available to eligible first time homebuyers, you need a serious kick in the pants.
If you’re thinking the offer will be extended, don’t count on it. Uncle Sam’s pockets seem to be getting shallower by the day. All that Cash for Clunkers, you know…
If you’re waiting for interest rates to go lower, you’re probably dreaming at this point.
And if you’re waiting because you think there’s plenty of time, think again. The program ends on November 30, 2009. If you haven’t gone to settlement by that day, you’re out of luck.
Say it takes you 30 days to find your dream home. Now you’re in the middle of September. Next, figure 4 to 6 weeks to get to the settlement table. If there are any delays or glitches at all – and there often are, with loan applications, inspections, and agents whose cell phones don’t get service in Tahiti – you’re cutting it very, very close.
So, step lively. And give us a call if you really want to buy your dream home and take advantage of this credit. (Don’t forget, you’re considered a first time homebuyer if you haven’t owned a home in 3 years.)
Not only are we at The Moss Haedrich Team ready for the last minute rush of new clients…we’re offering anyone who buys a new home with us by the end of 2009 a $250 moving expenses credit at settlement. Send us an email at KenHaedrich@gmail.com or call us at 410-507-7222 and we’ll tell you all about it.
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Has the Annapolis Real Estate Market Stabilized?
August 11th, 2009 Categories: Buyers, Sellers
That All Depends On the Data You Read, How You Interpret It, and How Much – Frankly – You Really Want to Move
That’s the question everyone wants to know the answer to: has the market stabilized? Realtors hear it all the time, but any Realtor who pretends to know the answer is probably telling you something you want to hear.
Which is not to say there’s no reason for optimism both nationally and locally.
The Case-Shiller Home Price Indices released on July 28th showed home values up in 15 of its 20 tracked US markets – the first period of broad growth in home prices in 34 months. (Though on a year-over-year basis, home prices nationally are still down 17%.)
By comparison, the average home sale price in Anne Arundel County during the last 12 months is down 10.82%. That stings, but it’s a far sight better than the national average. And more good news: compared to July of ‘08, July ‘09 saw 491 homes sold in our county – an increase of nearly 20%.
People without jobs or in fear of losing one don’t typically buy homes. Here in Anne Arundel County we’ve seen a jobless rate increase of 2.8% since June of last year. But at 6.9% we are still below the national unemployment rate of 9.4% – yet another plus for the Annapolis real estate market.
So, has the Annapolis real estate market stabilized?
I think we can be guardedly encouraged by the data, so long as we don’t forget that all real estate markets are local – often down to the micro (street) level…and that home values will always reflect that.
Too, we have to accept the fact that it’s impossible to predict how events that play out on the national and world stage will impact our local market.
Data, market trends, statistics – these are important tools we use to guide buyers and sellers who work with us at The Moss Haedrich Team, to help them make good decisions.
For Most of Us, Real Estate Transactions Engage Not Just the Head, But the Heart, Too
“Waiting for the market to stabilize” makes sense, but trying to time the real estate market – like trying to time any market – is risky and may come with a price.
Sure, you don’t have to make that move to San Diego. But what have you gained if you wait 5 years to sell, hoping for the market to recover, only to miss the first 5 years of your grandchild’s life? Or – what if you wait to buy a home until prices slide a little lower, only to find yourself able to afford less home because interest rates have taken a jump?
These are all pieces of the real estate puzzle that need to be factored in when you’re considering a move.
If you’re confused about whether or not this is a good time to make a real estate move, give us a call. We’ll sit down with you, listen to your story and help you to sort things out so you can decide what makes sense for you. No pressure, no obligation. I can be reached at 410-507-7222 or by email at KenHaedrich@gmail.com.
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Here’s How We Sell All Those Annapolis Area Homes
August 6th, 2009 Categories: Buyers, Sellers
It Takes Great Pricing, Great Staging and a Persuasive Agent to Sell a Home in this Market
People often ask us how we’ve managed to sell so many homes in this very tough market.
It’s simple: we know how to price a home and make it look irresistible. And we know the sorts of things buyers need to hear.
Here’s a video of one script we use that’s proven to be quite effective. Enjoy. And if you’d like to hear about the other tools we use to get your home sold, just give me a call at 410-507-7222. We’d love to show you how we can help.
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What Do Your Annapolis Real Estate Agent and an E-ZPass Have in Common? Take a Look
July 27th, 2009 Categories: Buyers, Real Estate News
In This Video Post, Ken Talks About How to Avoid Delays on the Bay Bridge…AND on Your Way to the Settlement Table
I saw a special on TV this weekend, on Sunday morning, about animals and the “herd instinct.”
In Annapolis, the herd instinct is alive and well with the backed-up traffic at the toll on the Bay Bridge. How else can you explain the thousands of drivers who sit in line, waiting to pay their tolls, when they could have bought an E-ZPass?
In this video I share my thoughts about delays on the bridge…and in real estate transactions. If you care to share your thoughts with me – on this or anything else – just call me at 410-507-7222 or email me at KenHaedrich@gmail.com
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In Real Estate – As In Life – Breaking Up Is Hard To Do
July 17th, 2009 Categories: Buyers, Sellers, The Realtor's Life
But – Occasionally – It’s the Only Option When an Annapolis Home Seller and Agent Can’t See Eye to Eye
We parted ways with a seller client recently.
These things are never easy, though there was a time when it would have been much harder than it was: the longer you’re in this business, the more you realize you simply can’t help everyone.
Ours was much pretty much a straightforward case of an overpriced listing in a range that is VERY price sensitive. Miss the mark by a little bit and you won’t get showings. Or you’ll get them, but only from a clever agent who’s out to demonstrate the value of ANOTHER home to her buyer client (we do this all the time with our own buyers.)
Miss it by a lot, and the silence of the market will be deafening. Which is precisely what was happening.
It’s perplexing how, even with the market correction and the economy on unstable footing, homeowners will cling to the hope of a sales price that they “could have gotten” – or a neighbor did get – three years ago.
That Market No Longer Exists
Today’s market is buyer driven and ruthlessly value focused. The buyer pool is smaller, money is tighter and neither buyers - nor their agents – will so much glance at a home if it’s not priced to sell and in excellent condition. Make an offer on an overpriced home? Why bother, when you can make a better offer on one that’s priced to sell?
What sellers don’t often realize is that even if – by some strange fluke – a buyer WAS willing to pay more than market value for their home, no lender is going to finance it if the home does not appraise. And you can rest assured that it will not.
I wish it would have worked out with these sellers, I really do. But real estate agents are marketers and market experts, not miracle workers. We analyze market data for our clients, present and discuss their options and – ultimately – trust that the facts will guide our clients to do the right thing. For the most part, that’s the way it works out. Occasionally, it does not.
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June Real Estate Market Report: What First Time Home Buyers Should Know
June 30th, 2009 Categories: Buyers, Neighborhood Sales & Stats
In this Video Post, We Take a Look at June Home Sale Statistics and See What They Say About First Time Home Buyer Activity in Anne Arundel County
The official Annapolis area real estate statistics haven’t been released yet, but I just reviewed the numbers for June in the MLS and they pretty much confirm what we already knew: a lot of first time home buyers are out there buying homes.
Nationwide, the National Association of Realtors reports that about 52% of home sales right now are to first time home buyers. I think the percentage may be even higher around here. Have a look at this video, and let me know if you agree.
And if you’d like to talk about Annapolis area real estate – buying a home or selling one – give me a call at 410-507-7222 or send me an email at KenHaedrich@gmail.com. I’d love to hear from you and find out how we can be of service.
(To view the video, click on link that immediately follows, then click on the play button.) Read the rest of this entry »
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