1000 Boucher Ave

Listings are like your children: you get attached to them after a while. Here’s one we just sold, one I became quite attached to for a variety of reasons.

The seller, Linda, is a good friend and – not unlike some of my other good friends – a world class margarita maker. This was her childhood family home so it has a very rich and personal history she loves to share.

Too, this stretch of Boucher Ave feels like a second home because we’ve sold several other properties nearby. We’ll often get sign calls from people driving the neighborhood. The first thing they want to know is the price, which we never print on our flyer box flyers because prices adjust and it’s hard to have a life when all you’re doing is reprinting flyers and running them out to your listings.

Then they want to know how’s the neighborhood? (It looks, like much of Eastport, rather eclectic.) I tell them to knock on doors and ask around: everyone who lives here will tell you how much they love it.

Of course, we met the buyer at the settlement table this week. She’s adores the home and could not be happier…made the settlement feel like one big lovefest. (We tend to prefer that to shouting, knife throwing or table turning.)

Sorry that this one is gone. But if you’re looking for a home in the area, in Eastport or anywhere else in the greater Annapolis area, give me a call at 410-507-7222. We’ll help you find just what you’re looking for.

NOTE: To view this in a large screen format (so you can actually read the numbers) click on the icon – located between the “volume” icon and the word SCREENR – in the black frame below.

Here’s a Recap of How the Market Looks in One Bestgate Corridor Community

The previous story highlighted one local Annapolis couple and the recent sale of their home in the community of Seabreeze.

Click to see the latest market activity in Seabreeze as of Saturday, August 7th. This report includes all the active Seabreeze homes, those under contract and sold in the previous 90 days.

If you have any questions about real estate or market activity in the Bestgate Corridor, please email me at kenhaedrich@gmail.com and I’ll get back to you with the answers.

And if you own a home in the Bestgate area – or anywhere in the greater Annapolis area – and you’re thinking about selling, email or call me at 410-507-7222 and I’ll tell you what we’re doing in this market to get homes sold without delay. No pressure, just information. Thanks.

In the previous post, I mentioned two of our most recent Annapolis waterfront listings – the more expensive of the two, 1134 River Bay Rd, priced at $1,725,000.

That’s not chump change in anyone’s book, but it’s also not the most expensive waterfront home that’s currently for sale in Annapolis – not by a nautical mile.

In fact, there are 46 others priced at or above the $1,725,000 mark.

Topping the list at $11,900,000 is 1514 Whitehall Rd, a 40-acre waterfront estate on Whitehall Creek. If that’s stretching your budget, 1810 Lindamoor – a 3-acre estate with 250′ of frontage on the Severn – might be more your style.

Click here to preview the most expensive Annapolis waterfront homes.

Not surprisingly, homes in this price range don’t typically sell like hotcakes. The average days-on-market for these homes is 295. Currently, there are 4 homes in this price range under contract.

If you would care to preview any of these homes, please call me at 410-507-7222; we’d be happy to discuss your needs, make the arrangements and be your guide to the Annapolis waterfront market.

And if you’d like to get on our hotlist of Annapolis waterfront homes, just send me an email at kenhaedrich@gmail.com and let me know. We’ll sign you right up.

It’s going to be a busy Saturday for The Moss Haedrich Team of Keller Williams.

It’s National Open House Weekend – sponsored by the National Association of Realtors – and we’ve got four of our lovely listings lined up and ready to show off.

If you’re shopping for a townhome, we have two fab homes for sale in River Oaks in Edgewater, off Mayo Road (one is in the Enclaves at River Oaks.) I probably use this phrase more than I should, but both are “Pottery Barn perfect”, well priced, and in otherwise excellent condition.

If you’re searching for Annapolis waterfront, you know that it’s hard to find something spectacular for under a million. We have just such a listing – spectacular and under a million – and I’ll be at 361 Broadview Lane to show you around when you arrive. Look forward to meeting you.

Finally, we have a wonderful 4-bedroom, single family home that just “went active” last week in Revell Downs. It’s a Cape Cod, in beautiful shape, has a very large and private fenced backyard and sits in a cul-de-sac. What more could you ask for?

All of these homes will be open Saturday, April 10th, between 1:00PM and 3:00PM. We hope to see you there.

You can have a sneak peek of all the homes and find the addresses by clicking here.

What’s the Latest Real Estate Market Activity Look Like in Edgewater? Click the Links Below to Find Out More

Edgewater Townhomes $400K – $600K

Edgewater is known for some very nice townhome communities in and around the South River Colony area. Indeed, if you have between $400,000 and $600,000 to spend, you can find an awesome townhome with just about all the square footage any of the bells and whistles you might want.

Buying a townhome is largely a lifestyle choice: it’s the way to go if you like – or require – the lock-and-leave lifestyle. We sell lots of townhomes to busy couples and families, flight attendants, boaters who need a second home in the area, and professionals who travel often, among others.

If you want to see a really beautiful end unit we have listed right now, take a look at this gorgeous home at 34 Dental Dr. Give us a call at 410-507-7222 if you’d like a private preview.

And if you’d like to see take a closer look at this part of the market, click this link to see all active, under contract and sold (in the last 90 days) Edgewater townhomes in this price range.

Edgewater Townhome Hot List: If you’d like to keep a close eye on this segment of the market, sign up for our Edgewater Townhome Hot List, which covers the entire Edgewater townhome market. Just send an email to me at KenHaedrich@gmail.com and I’ll add you to our list. You’ll get updates – new listings, under contract and solds – as they happen.

Join Us Sunday, March 21st, for a Close Up Look at this Lovely Waterfront Property

Late last month I wrote a post about a new waterfront listing we have in Shoreham Beach, 3914 Bayside Drive.

Now that the weather is cooperating, we thought we’d hold our first open house at 3914 Bayside – and you’re cordially invited.

The list of features and hidden treasures – not to mention the killer water views – is impressive, so why don’t you stop in and have a look for yourself? Not only is it a gem of a waterfront home, with one of the largest lots in the community…but there’s a 36′ by 36′ suite of framed-but-unfinished rooms over the 3-car garage, where you can put your personal stamp and finish off as you please.

We hope to see you there.

——————————

Sign Up For Our Shoreham Beach/Turkey Point Hot List

Want to know what’s selling in Shoreham Beach and Turkey Point? What’s new to the market or under contract?

Then sign up for our Shoreham Beach/Turkey Point Hot List to get updates delivered to your email inbox as they happen.

Just send me an email at KenHaedrich@gmail.com and ask to be put on the list.

And if you’d like to see the latest market activity in these areas – including active homes, those under contract and sold in the last 90 days – click here.

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.

“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.

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.