Why Do Some Houses Sell While Others Stay on the Market?

Why do some houses sell while others stay on the market?

A very good question. The answer is rather simple: price & condition.

In a Towson neighborhood where there could be 3 houses that have been on the market for months, a new one comes on. There is a flurry of activity, and the house goes under contract quickly.

Why this one? Why not the others?

The likelihood is that this Towson homeowner had their home in a staged, beautiful condition, and it was priced RIGHT. The other three may have overpriced when they first listed in an attempt to “test the market” or their house isn’t in top notch showing condition.

This video, from Jay Papasan, Vice President of of Publishing for Keller Williams Realty, and co-author of a number real estate best-sellers, demonstrates why some houses in the same market sell while others may not. His graph is a great visual of understanding!

Contact me, your Towson Realtor, to find out true Towson house values.

New Safeway in Towson is Open

The new Safeway in Towson is now open! On Thursday, August 19, it opened its’ doors to an enthusiastic crowd of people.

I finally was able to get over there today, and it is GORGEOUS! The staff was so polite and helpful — the food selection great, including fresh fruits, vegetables, and meats.

The funny part is that my May 6, 2010 post about the New Safeway in Towson in the Old CompUSA and Linen N Things Building has been wreaking a bit of havoc on my office since Thursday.

Since the Safeway is so new, it is not up on the Safeway website, nor is it on the Local Business Results in Google yet. The reason this has caused some issues, is that my blog post comes up at the top of the Google Search engine. People have been clicking on my blog and calling the only phone number they can find — my Keller Williams Timonium office. Needless to say, my office has been getting numerous calls from people trying to get more information about the Towson Safeway!

I ended up going back and changing that post, since we called the Parkville Safeway and they gave us the number for the new Towson one, so that people could call the right place to get the information they need.

Though I love the new Towson Safeway, I don’t have the answers they need — but I can help with Towson real estate!

Realtormarney.com is Baltimore’s Best Real Estate Blog on Zillow

Realtormarney.com was voted by readers as Baltimore’s Best Real Estate Blog on Zillow!

Though I have my issues with Zillow and the very incorrect Towson Zillow Zestimates, it is still an honor to be nominated for best Baltimore real estate blog, and even more so to have the voters choose my blog to win!

The race was very tight between myself and Jamie Smith-Hopkins from the Baltimore Sun. To have it be a close one between a full time professional writer and myself made it even more exciting to me!

The night before the final votes, I had been down a lot, and thought the contest was over. I used Twitter and Facebook to put a call out for help — and my online friends and “fans” came through to help me win with 46% of the votes!

It shows how powerful these social media sites are, and what connections you can make and relationships you can build.

I want to thank each of you who voted and got the word out to vote for me, and the amazing amount of support I received. I am overwhelmed and grateful.

THANK YOU!

Don’t forget to contact me for your Baltimore real estate needs. I am here & ready to serve!

Timonium Condo FHA Approval

At the end of 2009, HUD changed its’ condo approval process for FHA condo financing.

No longer can a community be given a “spot” approval when a unit goes under contract if a buyer desires to use FHA financing.

Condominium developments must be approved in advance of an FHA sale and the approval is only for a certain amount of time.

Many Timonium condo buildings have been approved already.

Luckily HUD has set up a website to check whether a condo development has been HRAP or DELRAP approved.

I entered the Timonium zip code 21093 to see all approved units. You can do this for any zip code if you are unsure of the condo development’s name!

Contact me if you are considering selling or buying a Timonium condo. I can help you navigate these tough waters!

Baltimore Zillow Best Blog Nomination

Zillow has named its’ top 10 real estate blogs in Baltimore based on traffic, and realtormarney.com is one of them!

I am proud to have been nominated, and the hard work I put into my Towson real estate blog is being noticed.

You can vote every day until August 11, 2010 at midnight, so please stop by daily (click the photo to take you to the poll) and vote for me!

Either way, don’t worry, I will continue to provide in depth Towson real estate information, as well as activities and homes for sale in Hunt Valley and surrounding areas!

I appreciate the nomination, despite my issues with Towson Zestimates and their inaccuracies. The site has many great tools, but close valuations in our area is not one of them.

Thank you for your continued support and readership. If you have any Baltimore real estate topics you would like to see me cover, please contact me!

What is a Broker’s Open?

What is a Broker’s Open?

Here in Baltimore County, Wednesdays generally are “Broker’s Open” day. There is a fairly small area where Broker’s Opens tend to be highly successful, and that is in the Towson, Lutherville, Timonium, and Hunt Valley neighborhoods.

A Broker’s Open is where a real estate agent and their brokerage invite agents from their own and other brokerages to come view a new listing they have to showcase. Generally, they provide lunch or snacks to the agents, to thank them for taking their time to come. Visiting agents then give the listing agent feedback on what could be done to make the house more appealing to buyers, about the price, etc, to help the listing agent.

Buyers and neighbors are usually welcome to visit the home, as they would a regular weekend open house.

Please contact me if you would like to learn more about a Baltimore County Broker’s Open and how it may help to sell a home.

Towson is CNNMoney’s #14 Top Affluent Singles City

Towson was named CNNMoney.com’s #14 Top Affluent Singles City!

CNNMoney.com named the top 25 cities for highest income per single households, and Towson, MD was #14 in their list.

This is due to the median family income of $102,302, and the 35.4% rate of singles versus married households. Many Towson professors at the nearby Towson University and Goucher College live close to the schools.

Towson Feet on the Street is noted as a big plus for singles living in Towson, as well as the restaurants and bars along Allegheny Avenue.

If you are considering living in Towson, contact me today!

Home Valuation Code of Conduct (HVCC) to be Eliminated

The Home Valuation Code of Conduct (HVCC) will be eliminated, thanks to a bill signed into law by President Obama.

HVCC was enacted in 2009, and has been a big issue in the appraisal battle many home sales have been experiencing.

In June last year, Tasha Linton and I wrote about how HVCC Could Negatively Affect Towson Home Values , because the appraisers assigned are the lowest cost one available, not necessarily from the area. Real estate is very local — for example, Towson neighborhoods are very unique — sometimes even street-by-street! An appraiser from outside of Washington, DC will not understand the neighborhood nuances, and this could tremendously effect an appraisal value.

The HVCC going away is a huge relief to many in the real estate community, and homeowners should be very pleased as well.

HVCC will be phased out over the next 90 days, with the end of October closing this sad chapter in real estate housing history.

New Traffic Light at Charles Street and Greenwood

There is a new traffic light going in a Charles Street and Greenwood in Towson.

It will be a big adjustment for those coming north on Charles St from the West Towson area, because it is around a curve where many people drive quickly.

The reason for the light is the new West Towson Elementary School, which is located at that intersection. This will make it easier for crossing guards helping children cross the very busy Charles Street, and for parents dropping off and picking their children up at the brand new school.

It should really help slow the flow of traffic through this point, and hopefully help with the delays seen now around the time of dismissal from the multitude of schools in the area.

The West Towson Elementary School will open for the 2010 school year at the end of August.

Students from Rodgers Forge Elementary and Riderwood Elementary schools have been redistricted to the new school on Charles Street.

Contact me for more information on West Towson real estate and how these marked changes are welcome to the West Towson neighborhoods!

98 Maryland High Schools Rank in Newsweek Survey

98 Maryland High Schools ranked in a Newsweek survey out of 27,000 high schools across the country.

Only 6% of all high schools (about 1,600) make the list.

Baltimore County Public Schools had 12 schools on there!

The Baltimore Sun reported on the list, stating the Baltimore County Schools that made it and their ranking:

Dulaney, 253; Towson, 334; Carver Center for Arts, 470; Eastern Tech, 564; Pikesville, 590; Hereford, 632; Catonsville, 951; Western, 1,179; Owings Mills, 1,240; Loch Raven, 1,302; Franklin, 1,457; Perry Hall, 1,525.

Towson High School was ranked at # 334, and Dulaney High at 253. Many Towson homes are in the Towson High School district, and many Cockeysville and Hunt Valley homes are in the Dulaney High school district.

To be certain of a particular Baltimore County home’s school district, www.bcps.org has a link to discover what schools a particular home is set to attend. One thing to be aware of, though, is that homes can be redistricted at any time.

If you are considering buying homes based on Baltimore County school districts, these scores are a great beginning to discover what may be a good fit for you.

Contact me today for Baltimore County real estate.

Next Page »