This Month in Real Estate November 2011

This Month in Real Estate for November 2011 has been released!

The numbers from October, presented by Jay Papasan, showed the home sales at an annual pace of 4.9 million, down slightly from last month, but much better than September’s numbers. Median home price was $165,000, which is another drop from This Month in Real Estate October 2011. Interest rates rose very slightly to an average of 4.1% for a 30 year fixed mortgage.

The Top Story asks the question, “What are first time homebuyers looking for?” According to KW research, much of it is to stay in the same area as they were renting. 3/4 of first time homebuyers bought a single family home, and most purchased a three bedroom, two bath home.

Of course, this data is nationwide, and the Baltimore real estate market is different than any other. Many areas of the country do not have the dense, highly populated areas with rowhomes such as Downtown Baltimore in Federal Hill, Fells Point, Canton, and Locust Point. Even Baltimore County has many townhouse neighborhoods, such as Mays Chapel in Timonium, Rodgers Forge, and areas of White Marsh and Perry Hall.

In News You Can Use, Bryon Ellington discusses three things you should know about buying versus renting.

1) Equity. You can build wealth through equity. He aligns it with a long term savings account. Every month that you pay your mortgage, a portion of the mortgage goes into that “account” (your principle).

2) Appreciation. If the market where you buy appreciates, then that equity becomes even larger.

3) Make it your own. You can renovate, paint, do whatever you’d like to it!

He also points out that when you pay rent, you are still paying a mortgage. It is just someone else’s mortgage, and you don’t get the benefits of ownership.

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

Maryland High School Football Finals at M&T Bank Stadium

This week is the Maryland Public Schools Secondary Athletic Association (MPSSAA)’s football finals. This year is very exciting because not only will the games be played in Downtown Baltimore at M&T Bank Stadium, they will be televised live on TV!

The first game will be Thursday, December 2, 2010 at 7 pm between Franklin High School in Reisterstown in Baltimore County and Wilde High School in Columbia, MD.

Friday night showcases Urbana High School from Frederick County against Henry A Wise in Prince George’s County.

Saturday is a double header with the first game at noon for the Class 1A title with Paul Laurence Dunbar High School in Baltimore City taking on Havre de Grace in Harford County. The second game is at 3:30 pm with Middletown High School in Frederick taking on McDonough from Charles County.

The MPSSAA is excited for this weekend, which culminates in the Sunday night Ravens game versus The Pittsburgh Steelers. This is a huge football week here in Baltimore!

So head to Federal Hill and M&T Bank Stadium in Downtown Baltimore for a half week of great football. Support the young men playing in the championships and then the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday night!

Silo Point Baltimore Condo

Silo Point condominium in Baltimore is an amazing community located in Locust Point in Downtown Baltimore.

The amenities are abundant and spectacular. You are greeted at the front desk by staff, ready, willing, and able to help. The full service gym on the lower level has everything you could need to work out. Across the hall is a lounge with pool tables, comfy chairs, and a WINE BAR!

There are elements of the original grain silo kept throughout, making it such a unique place.

No detail has been overlooked with the variety of units from the warehouse feel to the “Roland Park” (quoted) feel of some of the larger units.

One condo even had the television in the mirror in the master bathroom!

The views are spectacular from most of the units, especially on the higher floors. You can see all over Baltimore from the Harbor to the Ravens Stadium, on a clear day even into Baltimore County north!

The Sky Lounge is a place where residents can hang out or have parties — and it is open for rent for outside groups to use as well!

Silo Point townhomes are located on the building as well, many of which are actually less expensive than some of the condo units.

I really enjoyed my tour of beautiful Silo Point. What a luxurious, fantastic piece of Baltimore real estate. If you want to buy a Silo Point condo, contact me to get started on your path to luxury!

Charm City Circulator Purple Route

The Charm City Circulator Purple Route is now running in Baltimore City.

The Purple Route runs from Penn Station to Federal Hill.

It runs through Mount Vernon, and goes through the Inner Harbor at Light Street. It runs down St. Paul Street, has multiple stops in Federal Hill and turns around at Key Highway, coming back up Charles Street.

The Charm City Circulator Orange Route, which was the first one open in March, 2010, runs an east-west route along Lombard and Pratt Streets. Now the Purple Route adds a North-South connection. The Green Route is due to open soon.

The Charm City Circulator is free bus transportation service provided by the City of Baltimore. It is designed to provide transportation around Downtown Baltimore for residents, workers, and visitors.

Baltimore Tax Free Shopping Week April 16-25

The “Unofficial” Baltimore Tax Free Shopping Week begins April 16, 2010 and runs through April 25.

Also known as Baltimore Retail Week, the focus is on local retailers offering their wares with no tax this week after you pay your government taxes!

Over 50 retailers in four shopping districts, including Federal Hill, are currently participating.

Here is the full list of Baltimore Retail Week participating stores . In most cases, when you shop, you need to mention the code “BRW” to receive at least a 6% discount on your purchases.

More local retail business owners may join, so be sure to check back to see.

What a great way to showcase local businesses and give back to the Baltimore neighborhoods that have supported them in their endeavors!

Snowpocalypse 2010 2.0 brings SnowSayCanYouSee 2010 2.0 Tomorrow in Fells Point

As I lament about what bad the Snowpocalypse 2010 2.0 brings, in Downtown Baltimore‘s Fell’s Point comes the fun snowball fight called SnowSayCanYouSee at Broadway Square at Broadway and Thames to enjoy the large amount of snow we will have on the ground.

The last one was just this last Saturday, as we are due to have the second blizzard in one week in the Baltimore area, the “fun” just doesn’t seem to end! We make history with this storm, and hopefully many will enjoy another good snowball fight.

Details are posted on Facebook for anyone who wants to join in. Date: February 10, 2010, Time: 2:30 pm

The likelihood is that roads will be closed so you need to live close enough to walk to enjoy this great time tomorrow. So if you live in or around Fell’s Point, don’t miss it!

Snowpocalypse 2010 “Snow Say Can You See” Snowball Fun in Fells Point February 6, 2010

With the “Snowpocalypse” coming tomorrow through Saturday night with predictions of snow accumulations of around TWO FEET, residents of Downtown Baltimore are ready to have fun.
On December 19, 2009, we got about this same amount, and there was a fun snowball fight in Federal Hill called “Snow Say Can You See”.
This Saturday, February 7, 2010 is Snow Say Can You See Part Two — this time in Fell’s Point at the Broadway Square at Thames and Broadway.
A great time was had by all who attended the last, and I am happy to see that they are moving across the Harbor to let more city residents enjoy!
What a wonderful idea to get people out of their houses for a safe, fun time, since attendees will walk from their houses!
Enjoy to those who get to go — and take pictures to share!

Baltimore Named One of 18 Possible Official Host Cities for FIFA 2018/2022 World Cup

Congratulations to our great City of Baltimore for being named one of the 18 possible US World Cup city hosts for the 2018/2022 game!

Now, we need to support Baltimore and sign the petition to win our bid to become the hosts!

Our own M&T Bank Stadium would be the site of the game, and as we know from Baltimore Ravens games, it is a fantastic place to hold an exciting sporting event!

Our Downtown Baltimore is such a neat, eclectic place for visitors from all over the country and world to enjoy. The Inner Harbor has a myriad of hotels, restaurants, and events to bring people in.

The Federal Hill neighborhood near the site of the game, has its own amazing amount of wonderful restaurants, boutiques and shops for visitors to enjoy — plus a Bed & Breakfast for travelers to enjoy.

So help support Baltimore in its bid to win the Host City for the games. It will bring a great stream of revenue for our hardworking folks and the City of Baltimore!

Here is how to vote:

• Click the link: http://www.gousabid.com/city/local/baltimore-md/
• On the left side of the page there is a box where you enter your email address and zip code. Enter those and hit the “Join us” button.
• A new screen will pop up asking you to invite others to join. Do it!

Thank you!

Photo courtesy of ktylerconk on Flickr.com

Baltimore Blizzard Causes Changes in Ravens Game Sunday December 20, 2009

We are officially in a blizzard warning here in Baltimore, and this has wreaked some havoc on the last Baltimore Ravens home game of the season tomorrow.

Due to the snow, the game has been officially moved to 4:15 pm start time. The snow is due to end around 6 am Sunday. This was to give the City of Baltimore more time to clear the roads around M&T Bank stadium, and make travel safe for those going into Downtown Baltimore. The stadium had 700 people stay overnight to work through the snow today and clear out for tomorrow. They were housed on the club level overnight.

The most interesting connundrum this caused is that the Chicago Bears’ flight was moved from today, Saturday, to Friday night, but due to the storm arriving earlier than expected, their flight was canceled. (Read the Chicago Bears’ official blog/story).

That’s right, the opponents for the Ravens tomorrow are still in Chicago.

What does this mean?

We are not sure yet.

The Bears may be able to fly in tomorrow morning if BWI opens the runway. The game could be delayed further for Sunday night. The game could be played Monday night.

This will be an interesting story to follow as it develops further. Right now, we are snowed in, and enjoying the pretty whiteness outside.

Baltimore Ravens vs Detroit Lions at M&T Bank Stadium in Downtown Baltimore Sunday December 13, 2009

Sundays during football season in Baltimore are interesting, exciting, and fun, as the hometown Baltimore Ravens drive their fans downtown.

This Sunday is another home game,  and M&T Bank Stadium on the edge of Federal Hill in Downtown Baltimore is the place to be. Beginning around 8:30 am Parking lot H will open for tailgating — and there will be a line to get in to get prime spots.

If you don’t have a tailgate of your own to attend, you can visit the Baltimore Ravens sponsored Ravens Walk across from the Johnny Unitas statue where there are games, food, and drink — much of it under cover.

Another pre-game specialty is held at Mothers Federal Hill Grille, where they have a Purple Patio perfect for tailgaiting fun. Their doors open game days at 8 am.

Gametime is 1 pm. Our Ravens have not been playing up to their potential, and they need their fans to be a strong 12th man.

Downtown Baltimore Sundays — where you will be engulfed in a sea of purple, excitement, and fun!

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