April 17, 2011 By Leave a Comment

It’s a beautiful sunny day here in Crofton, MD, and there are several Open Houses for buyers, and anyone interested in real estate, to attend. I haven’t seen it before, but there is actually a rental Open House today as well. All of the Open Houses, and scheduled times, can be found on the link below.

CROFTON, MD OPEN HOUSES – SUNDAY, APRIL 17, 2011
A cautious REMINDER for anyone attending an Open House without their agent. The agent at the property is representing the SELLER, and not any potential BUYER. Also, they are not allowed to solicit your business for any other property while you are at the Open House.

If you’re interested in any property in Crofton, MD, or the surrounding area…I can help. Call Rich for Buyer Representation at 443-995-9595.

 

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Zillow estimates and your Annapolis, Bowie, Crofton, MD home

April 5, 2011 By Leave a Comment

By now I’m sure that many of you have heard of Zillow, a real estate portal that’s been around for a couple of years. Zillow may not be the busiest real estate website, but it is ranked right up there in the top performers.

One of the “innovations” Zillow brought to the industry is their “Zestimate.” This is an Automated Valuation Methodology used to come up with the price of a home. Keep in mind that Zillow doesn’t actually visit any of the homes where they offer an opinion on price. They do it using a mathematical formula. There are a lot of neighborhoods in Annapolis, Bowie, Crofton and the surrounding area where a “formula” isn’t going to work all that well.

Updated kitchens and baths…Zillow wouldn’t have a clue. Same goes for Harvest Gold appliances, wallpaper, carpet stains, etc. You get the picture.

What buyers and sellers need to understand about Zillow is that it should be used as a starting point, not a be all, end all. Zillow even publishes their error rates by State and County. You can actually click here to see what it is for Anne Arundel County, MD.

Yesterday, I heard another Realtor® say, “If Zillow provides Zestimates, Realtors provide Zactimates.” That’s it pretty much it in a nutshell. Contact a local Realtor, who is familiar with the market, for a comparative price analysis on your home. Don’t depend on an automated evaluation method.

 

Filed Under: Annapolis MD, Bowie, Crofton MD, Featured

Those pesky real estate signs around Crofton, MD

April 4, 2011 By Leave a Comment

It’s that time of year where real estate signs are going to be dotting corners all around Crofton, MD. It should come as no surprise, since this is that time of year when real estate is at it’s peak. New homes for sale are coming on the Crofton, MD market every day now.

As a real estate agent here in Crofton, MD, I know how important signs are in the overall marketing of a home for sale. The temporary directional signs point prospective buyers to the semi-permanent signs, usually located on the front lawn.

The directionals are temporary because there are specific rules as to their placement and time. Here in Anne Arundel County, directional signs can’t be placed before 3 PM on Friday, and they must be down before 9 AM, on Monday. If not, they are subject to removal by the County.

I know that there are some residents who really hate real estate signs being placed, even legally. I know because I’ve heard them yelling at me from their cars as they drive by. Maybe they’ll be selling their house someday and will realize the temporary inconvenience is worth it.

Filed Under: Crofton MD, Featured

Crofton MD Homes for Sale – Cedar Grove Sub-division

April 3, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Crofton, MD home prices are not out of the reach of most buyers. This is true even if you’re a first time homebuyer. One of the affordable sub-divisions where you can purchase a home is Cedar Grove.

Cedar Grove is ideally located right off of Rt. 3 North, near the KMart Shopping Center. All of the condo’s in Cedar Grove are what are called piggy back style. The two upper levels are one unit and there is a separate unit below.

Right now the prices in Cedar Grove range from $169,900 to $219,900. Extremely affordable for this area. The Cedar Grove sub-division has a pool and a community center.

Today, there are only 6 homes for sale in Cedar Grove, Crofton, MD. Clicking on any of the icons on the map below will bring up a page where you can view detailed descriptions of all homes for sale in Cedar Grove at Crofton.

If you’re not already working with an agent to buy or sell a home in Crofton, MD, or the surrounding area, I can help. Call Rich at 443-995-9595.

 

 

Filed Under: Crofton MD, Featured Tagged With: , , ,

Crofton Middle School Student wins Anne Arundel County Spelling Bee

February 27, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Congratulations to Emily Durell, a student at Crofton Middle School, and the winner of yesterday’s Anne Arundel County Spelling Bee. Emily outlasted 26 other students from around the County. The word that catapulted her to the win…Execration. This is something she doesn’t do, since it means the act of cursing, or denouncing.

You made your family, and the entire Crofton community proud Emily. Congratulations on the win, and much success on the next step.

Filed Under: Crofton MD

23rd Annual Anne Arundel County, MD, Spelling Bee

February 24, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Spelling BeeTwenty seven students from public and private schools, including one home school student, will compete this Saturday in the 23rd annual Anne Arundel County, MD, Spelling Bee. The winner gets the honor of representing the County at the National Scripps Spelling Bee, in June, 2011.

Crofton will be represented in the County Spelling Bee by Emily Durell, an eighth grader at Crofton Middle School.

The Spelling Bee will be broadcast on AACPS-TV, at 10 AM, Saturday, February 26th, 2011. County cable residents can find the broadcast on Comcast channel 96, and Verizon channel 36.

Best wishes to all the participants. It is a huge accomplishment to get this far, and you should all be commended for your hard work and studies.

I made sure I used spell check when writing this post ;)

Filed Under: Anne Arundel County Maryland, Crofton MD

Crofton MD Real Estate, Open Houses for Weekend of 2/20/11

February 18, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Crofton MD Main Gate

It looks like there are 5 Open Houses scheduled in Crofton, MD for the weekend of February 19th and 20th. All of them this weekend are single family detached homes with a nice range of prices. The weather looks to be pretty decent this weekend, no major sports on television, so why not stop and take a look at some of the Crofton, MD real estate inventory.

2089 PEAR HILL CT, CROFTON, MD 21114
ML#:  AA7428306                    List Price: $364,900
Status:  ACTIVE            BR:  4 FB:  2 HB: 1
Adv Sub:  CROFTON MEADOWS
Listing Company:  Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage
Date:  Sunday 20-Feb-2011     Start/Ends: 01:00 PM – 03:00 PM

1921 LAYTON ST, CROFTON, MD 21114
ML#:  AA7397458                    List Price: $455,000
Status:  ACTIVE            BR:  3 FB:  2 HB: 1
Adv Sub:  CROFTON TOWNE/PARK
Listing Company:  Weichert, REALTORS
Date:  20-Feb-2011     Start/Ends: 12:00 PM – 04:00 PM

1604 PETES CT, CROFTON, MD 21114
ML#:  AA7522369                    List Price: $495,000
Status:  ACTIVE            BR:  5 FB:  2 HB: 1
Adv Sub:  CHAPMAN FARM AT CROFTON
Listing Company:  Long & Foster Real Estate, Inc. , LNG102
Date:  20-Feb-2011     Start/Ends: 01:00 PM – 03:00 PM

2011 CAMBRIDGE DR, CROFTON, MD 21114
ML#:  AA7531184                    List Price: $334,500
Status:  ACTIVE            BR:  4 FB:  2 HB: 1
Adv Sub:  CROFTON MEADOWS
Listing Company:  Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage , CBRB43
Date:  20-Feb-2011     Start/Ends: 01:00 PM – 03:00 PM

1809 STARK DR, CROFTON, MD 21114
ML#:  AA7527152                    List Price: $474,950
Status:  ACTIVE            BR:  4 FB:  2 HB: 1
Adv Sub:  EVALEI
Listing Company:  Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage , CBRB30
Date:  20-Feb-2011     Start/Ends: 01:00 PM – 03:00 PM

REMEMBER: The agent working at the OPEN HOUSE is representing the seller and cannot solicit you, or discuss other properties while at the OPEN HOUSE. If you need representation as a buyers agent, give me a call at 443-995-9595 and I can help.



Filed Under: Crofton MD

How do real estate agents get paid in Crofton, MD?

February 16, 2011 By Leave a Comment

I get the question from time to time, “how are real estate agents getting paid.” In this area, it’s customary for the seller to pay both their agent, as well as the agent for the buyer. This is the prevailing method in most real estate markets throughout the country.

Some agents will quibble about whether it’s the buyer or seller who is actually paying the commission. The thought process there is that the commission is built into the home purchase price, so in reality the buyers are paying. Frankly, it’s a distinction without merit.

The commission, and how it’s split between the listing agent, and the selling agent, is outlined in the listing agreement with the seller. Since the seller is paying out of their proceeds of sale, my take on it is that the seller pays both sides of the commission.

Most brokerages in this area do charge the buyer a fixed fee in the range of $300-$500. Pretty small in comparison to the check sellers are writing at settlement.

An interesting point to note, is that sellers don’t really pay anything unless the house is sold. Very few brokerages charge an upfront fee to the seller. So in effect, the agent can do an awful lot of work, but if the house doesn’t sell, they have to eat the loss.

If you’re looking to buy or sell a home in Crofton, MD, or anywhere in the surrounding area, I can help. Just call Rich at 443-995-9595.

Filed Under: Crofton MD

Appraisals on your Crofton, MD home

February 2, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Crofton MD Main Gate

Unless you’re buying your Crofton, MD home for cash, without an appraisal contingency, at some point in the purchase process, an appraisal will be done. And when I say an appraisal will be done, keep in mind that it will be done for the bank, at your expense.

At it’s very basic, what is an appraisal? Simply stated, nothing more than an opinion of value. The appraiser does have extensive training, and they will use recent comparable sales to back up that opinion, but it is an opinion.

Since financing is always a contingency in non-cash offers, if the appraisal comes in below what you offered for the house, the bank will not approve your loan. You can walk away, or come up with the difference between the appraisal and the purchase price. You can even challenge the appraisal to try and get that opinion of value turned around.

Unless the house is priced so far out of range, homes in Crofton, MD don’t usually have a difficult time appraising…ifthey are priced right. There are plenty of comparables, and there are very few truly unique homes, which can be difficult to appraise.

In the end, it’s always a good idea to use a local, full time REALTOR®, when structuring your offer to purchase a home in Crofton, MD. You want to make sure that you’re protected to the greatest degree possible, just in case that home doesn’t appraise. Also, your buyer agent will provide comps to you before any offer is written, and any of your money spent.

Richard Iarossi, REALTOR®
Long and Foster® Real Estate, Inc.
Crofton, MD 21114

410-451-6255 Office
443-995-9595 Cell
Web: http://www.RichSellsHomes.com
eMail: Rich@RichSellsHomes.com

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Crofton MD Real Estate – Crofton MD Foreclosures for Sale

February 1, 2011 By Leave a Comment

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