944 Walnutwood Road – Hunt Valley, MD
Hunters Run Townhouse Offered at $349,900.

Download the brochure or contact me today to schedule an appointment to see this home.

• Schedule an Appointment
• Ask a Question
• Download the Brochure (PDF)

Explore this wonderful Hunt Valley home for sale at $349,900…

• First Floor
• Second Floor
• Finished Basement
• Exterior
• Neighborhood

(Click on Any Picture to Enlarge)

Beautiful Townhouse in Hunt Valley, Maryland

944 Walnutwood Road is a lovely townhouse in a convenient location in Hunt Valley, MD. This beautiful home is minutes from 83N and York Road, and near Phoenix to the East.

The Hunt Valley Town Centre is nearby with a Wegmans grocery store, Best Buy, clothing stores, eateries, restaurants, fast food and more.  The Ashland Marketplace is even closer, with the popular Pennsylvania Dutch Market, open Thursday-Saturday, plus a Little Gym for kids, Hair Cuttery, and Baja Fresh.

The NCR Trail is right behind the Hunters Run community, and offers many outdoor options to enjoy.

First Floor

FOYER

• Ceramic Tile Floor
• Coat Closet
• Powder Room at Top of Stairs

HALF BATH

• Ceramic Tile Floor
• Pedestal Sink

KITCHEN  12×15

• Front Kitchen
• Ceramic Tile Floor
• Bump Out Bay Window
• Large Center Light plus Recessed Light over Sink
• Pass Through to Dining Room
• Wood Cabinets
• Cream Kenmore Refrigerator with Water & Ice
• Stainless Sink with In-Sink Erator  Disposal
• Black & Cream GE Stove
• Black GE Built-in Microwave
• Additional Counter Space with Cabinets
• Black KitchenAid Dishwasher

DINING ROOM  15×13

• Hardwood Floor
• Crown Molding
• Chair Rail
• Step Down to Living Room

LIVING ROOM  13×19

• Hardwood Floor
• Crown Molding
• French Doors to Deck

DECK & BACKYARD

• Large Deck
• Stairs Down to Backyard
• Fenced & Gated Backyard
• Backs to Trees and Other Homes

Second Floor

MASTER BEDROOM  16×12

• Cathedral Ceiling
• Ceiling Fan with Light
• Wall-to-Wall Carpet
• Large Walk-in Closet

MASTER BATHROOM

• Granite Counter and Double Sink
• Separate Shower and Beautiful Tile Work
• Garden Soaking Tub with Beautiful Tile Work
• Designer Ceramic Tile Floor and Wall

SECOND BEDROOM  11×10

• Wall-to-Wall Carpet
• Double Closet

THIRD BEDROOM  11×9

• Wall-to-Wall Carpet
• Double Closet

SECOND FULL BATH

• Cabinet Sink
• Tub

Lower Level

FAMILY ROOM  19×16

• Walk-out to Patio and Backyard
• Gas Fireplace
• Wall-to-Wall Carpet

FOURTH BEDROOM  13×11

• Wall-to-Wall Carpet
• Double Closet
• Window

FULL BATH

• Cabinet Sink
• Shower

LAUNDRY ROOM

• BRAND NEW Whirlpool Steam Front Loading Washer & Dryer 4/26!
• Ceramic Tile Floor
• Shelving and Counter

Neighborhood: Hunt Valley Real Estate in Baltimore County

The Hunters Run Community is located just east of York Road and south of Shawan.

Hunters Run is also known as Hunt Valley Station, and has both single family homes and townhouses. The neighborhood backs to the NCR Trail with hiking, biking, and more. The entrance to the park is just beyond the community entrance!

944 Walnutwood Road is located within the Huntington Manor subdivision of Hunters Run. It is located across from trees rather than other homes, so it provides for potentially more privacy and nice view from the front!

The master bathroom is gorgeous and was just done in 2011! It showcases ceramic and glass tile, granite counters, as well as a garden soaking tub.

This home is CLEAN, well maintained, and READY for a new homeowner to MOVE IN!

Come see your new Hunt Valley home on the market for $359,000!

Bunny Bonanzoo Easter Weekend at the Baltimore Zoo

The Bunny Bonanzoo is back at the Baltimore Zoo with fun activities including an egg hunt!

The Bonanzoo is April 6-8, 2012 from 10am-2pm. The event is free to members and comes with zoo admission for everyone else. (Some activities may cost money, so check with the Zoo to find out what is included! Here is a flyer on the Zoo’s website with more details)

They will have crafts, an outdoor bounce house, games, plus live entertainment. Each child that participates in the egg hunt can trade in their eggs for Mary Sue Candies chocolates.

The rest of the time, you can visit the zoo and watch the animal enrichment activities, where they will get special treats for the holiday weekend.

We went a few years ago, and my son & niece loved it.

Enjoy the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore this long weekend! It looks like it should be a lot of fun!

This Month in Real Estate April 2012

This Month in Real Estate April 2012 has been released.

Home sales activity remained at the pace of 4.6 million to be sold this year. The median home sale price rose $1,000 to $156,000 last month. The big change is that the average interest rate for home loans jumped from 3.87% in February to an average of 4.08% in March, in reviewing This Month in Real Estate March 2012.

Jay Papasan, in the Top Story, asks how much time you should spend with your agent prior to looking at homes. The buyer consultation should last approximately 90 minutes. This way you can learn the home buying process, and your agent can really learn about you and what you are really looking for in a home.

In News You Can Use, Bryon Ellington discusses what you will find out in your Buyer Consultation with your agent.

Here are questions that should be discussed during the consultation:

1) Which is more important? Location or size?

2) What are the benefits of buying a fixer-upper versus one that has been redone already? (Please note that not all loan types will allow a buyer using the program to buy a home that needs work.)

3) How do you maximize home values? (Which seems a lot like #5)

4) Is neighborhood stability a necessity?

5) What features and amenities offer the highest return in resale?

The homebuyer consultation is a time I really enjoy, because I get to learn so much about my buyers and their wishes and desires, and I feel like the session helps them to understand somewhat what they will be going through during the buying process.

For more information about buying a home in Baltimore, please contact me. I would love to help!

Baltimore Farmers Market Open for 2012

The Baltimore Farmers Market will open for the 2012 season on Sunday, April 1, 2012 — no joke!

The 35th Annual market will be open Sundays through December 23 from 7am-12pm.

New this year from the Baltimore Office of Promotion & The Arts website:

Parking
Free parking at the market is courtesy of Mercy Medical Center. The parking lot is located at Guilford Avenue and Pleasant Street, adjacent to the bazaar lot, and is accessible from Guilford Avenue.

Street Closures for 2012
The 600 block of Hillen Street and 300 block of Holliday Street are temporarily closed from 5am to 2pm on Sundays for the duration of the market from April 1 to December 23, 2012.

The Baltimore Farmers’ Market is located under the JFX at Holliday and Saratoga streets. Not only will there be farmers’ wares, the bazaar has crafts, there will be food vendors will be selling wood fired pizzas, pit beef sandwiches, omelets and more to enjoy while you browse & buy.

So get local and come to Downtown Baltimore for locally grown fruits, veggies, meats, seafood and crafts!

Easter Egg Hunts Around Baltimore

With Easter coming Sunday, April 8, 2012, Easter Egg Hunts are popping up all over town this weekend and next.

Baltimore County Schools are off next week, so many families will be looking for fun activities to do!

Here are a few Easter Egg Hunts around Baltimore. If you know of any others, please post them in the remarks, and I will add them to the list!

SATURDAY, MARCH 31, 2012

TOWSON EASTER EGG HUNTS

9:30-11:30am Central Presbyterian Church, 7308 York Rd, Towson, MD 21204. More details on their site!

1:00pm The newly reopened Robert E Lee Park, Lakeside Drive, Baltimore, MD 21209 has a Family Spring Hunt, where you can search for hints of Spring treasures! Registration is required & space limited!.$3 per person. Here is the link for more details.

10am-5pm Towson Y Family Center, Y Spring Eggstravaganza Saturday and Sunday 3/31 & 4/1. Free for Y members, $5 individuals, $10 families. Registration required & space limited. More details on their site.

TIMONIUM EASTER EGG HUNTS

11am Springlake Community Association at Pot Spring Elementary School.

1-2:30pm Easter Eggstravaganza at Timonium United Methodist Church. Details for both above events on the Springlake Community Association website.

DOWNTOWN BALTIMORE EASTER EGG HUNT

9am-12pm 5th Annual Egg Hunt at Patterson Park by the Downtown Baltimore Family Alliance. The times for hunts are different depending on the age of the child! Earliest for the littlest ones begins at 10. You can find more information and register on their site.

SUNDAY APRIL 1, 2012

LUTHERVILLE EASTER EGG HUNT

3pm  West Lutherville Park, 500 Morris Avenue, Lutherville, MD 21093. From 1-2 pm, drop off a dozen candy filled eggs per child participating, so there are enough for each! More on Lutherville Community Association’s site.

SATURDAY APRIL 7, 2012

TOWSON EASTER EGG HUNT

10am-12pm Cromwell Valley Park Sherwood Farm in Towson, 2002 Cromwell Bridge Road, Baltimore, MD 21234. Egg Hunt Times: Ages 3-4 10:30am, 5-6 10:45am, 7-8 11:00am, 9-10 11:15am. More details on their website. Reservations are not required.

DOWNTOWN BALTIMORE EASTER CELEBRATION

11am, 1pm, 3pm Not quite an egg hunt, but you can ride the rails with the Easter Bunny on Friday 4/6 & Saturday 4/7 through the B&O Railroad Museum. $3 adults, $2 kids 2-12. Info on their site.

MONDAY, APRIL 9, 2012

DOWNTOWN BALTIMORE EASTER EGG HUNT

12-2pm Druid Hill Park, 15th Annual Easter Egg Hunt at the Rawlings Conservatory and Botanical Gardens. More details here.

So join in some fun over the next few weekends, whether you celebrate the holiday or not, finding eggs with treasures is almost always a good time!

 

It is More Affordable to Buy Than Rent in Baltimore Right Now

According to a new report run by Trulia, it is more affordable to buy than rent in Baltimore right now!

Rentals are at over 92% capacity, per the United States Census Bureau, and rates are high.

Meanwhile, the percentage of home price decline from the peak of value is 20.4%, per the Federal Housing Finance Agency.

Per Trulia calculations, Baltimore’s Price-to-Rent Ratio is 8.1. If it is less than 15, Trulia says that if you plan to live in the house five years or more, it is a good time to buy. If you are planning to stay less, than if the ratio is less than 10, which ours is, it could still be a good deal depending on closing costs and moving expenses.

The calculations do take into account the additional costs of homeownership such as insurance and maintenance.

Here is an explanation of Trulia’s Methodology, per their website:

METHODOLOGY
Trulia calculates the price-to-rent ratio for 100 major U.S. metros by estimating the ratio of asking sales prices to asking rents, after adjusting for attributes of the properties and their locations. The ratio reflects the relationship between sales and rental prices for units with similar attributes in similar neighborhoods. The Winter 2012 report is based on asking prices for sale and rental homes on Trulia.com between December 1, 2011 and February 29, 2012.

Sample Price-to-Rent Ratio Calculation (after adjusting for property attributes and neighborhood attributes):

• Asking Sales Price: $200,000
• Asking Monthly Rent: $1500

Price-to-rent ratio: $200,000 ÷ ($1,500 x 12) = 11.1

So that means it really IS a great time to buy a house in Baltimore if you plan to stay in it for five years or more.

If you are ready, and would like to take this rare opportunity with both low interest rates and low prices, contact me. I am here to help!

Baltimore Named Top 10 Metro Area for Newlyweds

Baltimore Newlyweds have it good, according to a survey run by Rent.com.

The survey ask participants about how cohabiting helped or changed them, and how their city has treated them.

In the survey, over 75% responded that their quality of life improved since they moved in together. (I hope so! I am surprised it is not higher!) 62% said their financial situation improved.

As for the top 10 cities for newlyweds, here were the criteria per the blog:

…looking at cost of living, mean annual income, the unemployment rate, and rental inventory to identify 10 great cities for Newlyweds. In fact, the first five cities on the list are all performing better than the national average for unemployment rate, annual mean income and cost of living! These top picks are all wonderful places to create a fun and affordable lifestyle:

Baltimore came in at #10, with this description:

Baltimore, MD - A modern cultural center known for its hospitality, Baltimore offers a vibrant waterfront scene coupled with a laid-back attitude. This city is perfect for couples looking for the comfort of a smaller hometown with the benefits of urban living.

Now, that site focuses on rentals, but as recent studies have shown, in Baltimore, rentals are currently at about 92% capacity, and rent rates are high. Many articles have discussed how buying is actually more cost effective for many people right now, especially in areas like Baltimore.

With interest rates still at very low rates, and prices still low in many Baltimore neighborhoods, now may be the time to buy!

For more information about buying a home in Baltimore, please contact me. I would be happy to help!

Charles St Construction Right Lane Closed at Joppa Overpass

The Charles Street construction will take another hard hit at traffic when the right lane that feeds to both Kenilworth Avenue and 695 East will be closed for about 8 weeks beginning April 2, 2012.

The State Highway Administration’s site says, “This temporary turn lane closure will allow crews to safely widen Charles Street North on the approach to the intersection, which is immediately south of the I-695 (Baltimore Beltway) / Charles Street Interchange.”

My hope is that eventually this will help to lessen the length of time one sits in traffic while traveling North on North Charles Street from 3:15pm-5:30pm. The many schools that are along the Charles St create a bottleneck of traffic of people attempting to get north or to 695.

Currently, with the lane OPEN, it can often take 15-20 minutes to make it from the Baltimore County Board of Education to the light at Kenilworth, the length of which is less than a mile. That is how backed up it can become.

So you can only imagine the nightmare that this will be, running through the end of the school year.

So, buckle up, give yourself extra time, and be aware that the right lane will be closed, causing, for the time being, an even bigger traffic snarl.

7 Ringleaf Ct – Hunt Valley Station

7 Ringleaf Ct is a single family home located in Hunt Valley Station off Paper Mill Road in Hunt Valley.

7 Ringleaf Ct is on the market for $489,000. It has four bedrooms and two & a half baths. It has hardwood floors on the main level.

Ringleaf Ct is a court location off another court, so there is not much traffic. It backs to trees and has a level backyard. There is a family room off the kitchen, and a deck overlooking the level back yard.

This home is a Faust built home.

The public records show 2,234 square feet on the main two levels, and the basement is partially finished.

Currently there are no other Hunt Valley Station single family homes for sale. There are some Hunters Run townhouses in the neighborhood on the market!

For more information on 7 Ringleaf Ct or other Hunters Run houses, contact me. I know the neighborhood well!

Listing courtesy of Lancaster Realty

Wells Fargo HELOC Class Action Lawsuit

A Class Action Lawsuit has been filed against Wells Fargo due to reductions in HELOCs all over the country.

In May of 2009, I wrote about Towson Zillow Zestimates affecting a client’s HELOC loan, and how his line of credit had been reduced right in the middle of construction on the property. This is what happened three years ago:

Last week I had a client call me because his HELOC was reduced by a large amount right in the middle of construction to improve his home. He could not understand how the bank could make the determination that his Towson house value had dropped over $200,000 in the past 18 months since he opened his HELOC.

Upon speaking to the bank, the representative pulls up Zillow, and proceeds to tell him this is how they discovered the value change.

“Is this true? Has my value really dropped by THIS much? I knew we were in a depressed market, but did not think it was THIS bad,” he asked me.

Based on a true market analysis, his value has really only dropped by $25-50,000.

Well, it turns out my client was not alone in what happened. In looking at the Wells Fargo HELOC Class Action Lawsuit document he shared with me, it appears there were a large number of people affected by this seemingly arbitrary reduction in loan amount.

If you had a HELOC loan with Wells Fargo in the time period from July 1, 2008-June 30, 2011 and had it reduced, you may be eligible to be a part of the lawsuit.

To become a part of the settlement, you will want to visit helocsettlement.com to learn more. If you want to opt out of the settlement, you will need to notify in writing through a Request for Exclusion by April 5, 2012. All details should be at helocsettlement.com. The attorneys handling the lawsuit are with Edelson McGuire LLC, 350 North LaSalle, Suite 1300, Chicago, IL, 60654. You may want to contact an attorney if you would like to know your specific rights.

Wells Fargo is not admitting any wrongdoing, but have agreed to settle in order to avoid going to court over the lawsuit.

I am glad for my clients, as they may have at least part of their HELOC reinstated. Let’s hope also that other banks learn from this and will not use Zillow Zestimates or other automated valuation systems to determine value on a home, without the option of a full appraisal.

« Previous Page — Next Page »