Here at The Moss Haedrich Team, we like to say that we have the best clients in the world. Maybe it’s the Law of Attraction at work or something, but the homebuyers and sellers who find us and work with us – by referral, through this blog, or whatever – are just a real pleasure.

Take this happy couple here, John Haines and Dina Duncan. We’d been working with them for about six months to help them locate and preview homes that would fit their needs and lifestyle. When we finally had the opportunity to show them this one – 101 St. Ives Drive in Severna Park – they knew right away it was “the one.”

Says Dina, “My favorite style is Mid Century Modern and it was amazing to find such a great example of this architectural style.” Chartwell’s family-friendly reputation was a big draw, according to Dina, as was the home’s proximity to The Severn School, which her children will attend.

Great as it is, John and Dina have a vision for the home that will make it even more modern, unique and personal. They’re already working with local a local design-build firm – LangKuhn of Arnold – to make some changes. Says Dina: “We have a wonderful canvas to work with. The size of the rooms and the amount of natural light – we’ll maintain these great features as we update.”

John, who grew up in Severna Park, and Dina (whose Atlanta area home is featured in the post below) say that they’re very excited to be part of the Annapolis area community for years to come. We’re certainly excited to have them here.

By the way, if you’d like keep an eye on the Chartwell real estate market, just send me an email at KenHaedrich@gmail.com and ask to be put on our Chartwell Hot List. You’ll be notified each time a new home in Chartwell comes to market, goes under contract or is sold.

Here’s a video about a guy who makes sure our returning servicemen and women get a sincere thanks and welcome when they come home. I love hearing about people like this, regular folks with big hearts who try to make a difference just because it’s the right thing to do – not to win votes, impress others or make a buck. We need more people like this fellow.

You could do worse than to have Tony DiCello as your real estate agent. Not only has he earned the distinction as one of the top agents in the country, and one of the top 3 in the Denver area during the 90’s. He’s also coached some of the top producing agents in the country, one of whom sold just under $1,000,000,000 a year in real estate.  Today, he’s the “head coach” for Keller Williams agents across the country.

After listening to him speak to a packed house of Keller Williams agents last week at the University of Maryland, it’s easy to see how he could have achieved legendary status. He’s forceful, articulate, and knows the real estate industry inside out. And he’s a straight shooter, straight as they come. Among other things, he’s fond of saying, “Always tell your clients the truth about price, no matter how uncomfortable.”

If Tony DiCello told you your home was not selling because it was overpriced, you would not argue. If you did, he’d probably thank you for your time and hand you a list of agents who’d be happy to take an overpriced listing. He says there are plenty out there.

The following is a collection of Tony DiCello-isms, culled from his recent talk, writings, and other seminars. Whether you’re a home seller, buyer, or agent, you should listen up:

• To sellers who want to list too high: “If you went to a doctor and the doctor knew you had a terrible disease, would you want him to tell you? Or would you rather he said, Go home and enjoy. Well, I’m like that doctor and I’m telling you the market shows we need to price it right. Otherwise you’re going to have a terrible disease called No Showings!”
• Or this: “If you don’t price your home correctly, Realtors will show your home. But they’re going to show it to sell another home, using your home as a comparison. They’ll say to their client “If you think this home is nice, I can show you one that’s just as nice for $20,000 less.”
• The National Association of Realtors tracks statistics for us and they state that ten showings, no offers, or 2 weeks without a showing means the home is overpriced.
• In a buyer’s market, real estate becomes a commodity. Buyers walk through home, after home, after home and they look for the one that offers the most features and benefits for the least amount of money. (My note: We spoke to one agent recently who had shown 83 homes to the same couple over a 4-day holiday weekend. He looked very tired.)
• A well-conditioned, well-priced home will still sell immediately.
• Pricing is nothing more than an understanding of the law of supply and demand.
• Everyone keeps talking about the fact that there are no buyers out there right now. But there are plenty of buyers! What’s missing are the sellers – realistic sellers.

(Shameless plug: If you’re thinking about selling a home in the Annapolis area, and you’d like to learn about the pricing and marketing strategies we use to sell our clients’ homes, pick up the phone and give me a call. We’ll be glad to sit down with you and have a no-pressure, no-obligation talk.)

You could do worse than to have Tony DiCello as your real estate agent. Not only has he earned the distinction as one of the top agents in the country, and one of the top 3 in the Denver area during the 90’s. He’s also coached some of the top producing agents in the country, one of whom sold just under $1,000,000,000 a year in real estate.  Today, he’s the “head coach” for Keller Williams agents across the country.

After listening to him speak to a packed house of Keller Williams agents last week at the University of Maryland, it’s easy to see how he could have achieved legendary status. He’s forceful, articulate, and knows the real estate industry inside out. And he’s a straight shooter, straight as they come. Among other things, he’s fond of saying, “Always tell your clients the truth about price, no matter how uncomfortable.”

If Tony DiCello told you your home was not selling because it was overpriced, you would not argue. If you did, he’d probably thank you for your time and hand you a list of agents who’d be happy to take an overpriced listing. He says there are plenty out there.

The following is a collection of Tony DiCello-isms, culled from his recent talk, writings, and other seminars. Whether you’re a home seller, buyer, or agent, you should listen up:

• To sellers who want to list too high: “If you went to a doctor and the doctor knew you had a terrible disease, would you want him to tell you? Or would you rather he said, Go home and enjoy. Well, I’m like that doctor and I’m telling you the market shows we need to price it right. Otherwise you’re going to have a terrible disease called No Showings!”
• Or this: “If you don’t price your home correctly, Realtors will show your home. But they’re going to show it to sell another home, using your home as a comparison. They’ll say to their client “If you think this home is nice, I can show you one that’s just as nice for $20,000 less.”
• The National Association of Realtors tracks statistics for us and they state that ten showings, no offers, or 2 weeks without a showing means the home is overpriced.
• In a buyer’s market, real estate becomes a commodity. Buyers walk through home, after home, after home and they look for the one that offers the most features and benefits for the least amount of money. (My note: We spoke to one agent recently who had shown 83 homes to the same couple over a 4-day holiday weekend. He looked very tired.)
• A well-conditioned, well-priced home will still sell immediately.
• Pricing is nothing more than an understanding of the law of supply and demand.
• Everyone keeps talking about the fact that there are no buyers out there right now. But there are plenty of buyers! What’s missing are the sellers – realistic sellers.

(Shameless plug: If you’re thinking about selling a home in the Annapolis area, and you’d like to learn about the pricing and marketing strategies we use to sell our clients’ homes, pick up the phone and give me a call. We’ll be glad to sit down with you and have a no-pressure, no-obligation talk.)

Victor is from El Salvador and he’s been painting homes here in the United States for more than 30 years. For some reason he always calls me Mr. Ken – not Mr. Haedrich – and I’ve long since stopped correcting him because it’s sort of cute and has grown on me.

Victor is reliable, reasonable and does good work. That’s important, but that’s not why I like him so much. What I like is his attitude. He’s always doing great, and he’ll tell you so. He seems to love his work, and he has a wonderful smile, too, as you can see.

On 60 Minutes the other week there was a segment on the happiest countries in the world. The people of Denmark ranked highest on the happiness scale. America came in something like number 26. They should have talked to a few more people like Victor.

Incidentally, here’s a photo of the home whose interior Victor is painting, a listing we have in South River Colony.

It’s located just across the South River from Annapolis, in Edgewater. If you’re shopping for a Colonial-style home in a beautiful, amenity-rich community, you’ll want to check out this area. Generally speaking, the homes here start in the mid-$800’s and go up from there. If you’d like to preview this gorgeous 5 bedroom home, just give us a call. We can also put you in touch with Victor.