Southland Hills and Towson University
March 28, 2011 by Marney Kirk
Filed under Baltimore County, Blog, Towson, West Towson
Southland Hills neighborhood is right on the cusp of Towson University, near the corner of Towsontown Boulevard and Bosley Avenue.
Located right behind the Old Towson Jail, which is due to become the Towson Swim Club, the neighborhood has seen a number of changes recently.
The most recent change is that Towson University Public Safety building is due for a major addition to begin this summer — much larger than the one on the master plan in 2009.
It will add much more parking and take over where the tennis courts used to be right on Towsontown Boulevard.
The big question to the nearby homeowners is whether it will affect Southland Hills house values and their current quality of life and neighborhood. That is yet to be determined, possibly unable to do so until the new TU building is finished.
Contact me for both West Towson house values and Southland Hills house values. I live nearby!
**Please note: As of March 6, 2012, the Towson Swim Club project has been terminated. Any links to the Towson Swim Club website may no longer link correctly, and there is currently no pool scheduled to be built in West Towson.**
602 Meadowridge Road Towson
February 28, 2011 by Marney Kirk
Filed under Baltimore, Baltimore County, Blog, Homes For Sale, Ruxton, Towson, West Towson
602 Meadowridge Road is a five bedroom cape cod in the Riderwood Ridge neighborhood of Towson, MD.
**UPDATE! House went under contract in less than a week on the market!**
Meadowridge Rd is a cul de sac street located just off the bridge from West Joppa Rd that crosses N. Charles St. The next street over is Greenwood Rd, where the Baltimore County Board of Education sits. It is on the cusp of both the Ruxton neighborhood and the West Towson neighborhood.
602 Meadowridge Rd had recent work done, including a large kitchen with beautiful granite counters and cabinets, and a mud room with built-in cabinets. An addition was done to create three bedrooms on the second floor, one of which is a master bedroom with bath, and laundry room.
It has a screened porch overlooking the large, level back yard.
602 Meadowridge Rd is the first house to come on the market on the street since the last house sold in 2002!
Contact me for more information on 602 Meadowridge Rd or other West Towson homes for sale. I live in the area and know it well!
Listing Courtesy of Long & Foster Real Estate, Inc.
Speedbumps on Greenwood Rd in Towson
February 27, 2011 by Marney Kirk
Filed under Baltimore, Baltimore County, Blog, Towson, West Towson
If you have driven down Greenwood Road in Towson in the past week, you may have noticed three new speedbumps along the road.
This was to slow down traffic in & out of both the parking lots to the Baltimore County Board of Education, and from Joppa to Charles St.
Two of the speedbumps are near each other near Joppa Rd, around the bend that is already very narrow, and the third is close to the newer light at Greenwood and Charles St across from the West Towson Elementary School.
So, be cautious and slow down as you drive along Greenwood, and save your car’s shocks!
Towson High School Named Blue Ribbon School of Excellence
February 11, 2011 by Marney Kirk
Filed under Baltimore County, Blog, Towson, West Towson
Towson High School was named a Maryland Blue Ribbon School of Excellence.
It was one of six named in Maryland in 2010, and is the 15th school in Baltimore County to receive the honor, and the third Baltimore County High School to do so.
According to the Baltimore County Public Schools article:
Blue Ribbon School designation is a state and national program that recognizes schools that meet rigorous standards developed by the Maryland State Department of Education and the U.S. Department of Education.
Towson High School students are 98% proficient or above in Mathematics and 99% in English, according to the Maryland State Department of Education tests, and even Newsweek has named the school to its annual list of the best high schools in the nation for the past few years. In 2010, it was ranked #334.
This could help Towson house values as many homebuyers may look to the high school’s current zoning district to try to send their children to the school.
What buyers need to be aware of, is that school districts can be adjusted at any time, as many Towson homeowners found when West Towson Elementary School was opening.
Meanwhile, CONGRATULATIONS to Towson High School students and staff! Your hard work is definitely shining through!
West Towson Pool Delayed Until 2012
January 22, 2011 by Marney Kirk
Filed under Baltimore County, Blog, Towson, West Towson
The West Towson Pool, called the “Towson Swim Club,” slated to open Memorial Day 2011, has pushed back its’ opening to 2012.
There were multiple obstacles causing the delay, including the Baltimore County planning and zoning, and the ravine that currently provides privacy to the Southland Hills neighborhood. The pool group wanted to build playing fields, while neighbors wanted to keep their privacy area.
Other obstacles included needing 200 more members to help fund the construction. The initial charter fee is $1,975. If members join prior to the pool’s construction, that charter membership can possibly be transferred when you sell your West Towson home.
The next obstacle for the Towson Swim Club is to obtain financing, which the club volunteer group says there are some interested banks.
The Towson Swim Club, along with the office space being built is breathing new life into the Old Towson Jail, revitalizing that corner of Bosley and Towsontown Blvd.
There are many memberships still available, if you want to join in advance. There will only be 400 memberships in total. More details and fees can be found on their site here.
Membership to the Towson Swim Club is not limited to Towson residents, so if you are interested but don’t live in the area, you may still join!
**Please note: As of March 6, 2012, the Towson Swim Club project has been terminated. Any links to the Towson Swim Club website may no longer link correctly, and there is currently no pool scheduled to be built in West Towson.**
West Towson Elementary Sign to be Replaced
December 29, 2010 by Marney Kirk
Filed under Blog, Towson, West Towson
The brightly lit neon-ish sign at West Towson Elementary School will be removed and replaced early next month.
Neighbors of the new school had complained to the Baltimore County Council and asked for a redesign. It is a very tall sign with LED lights that blinked information in red all day & night.
In a letter from Joe A Hairston, Superintendent of Baltimore County Schools, dated December 22, 2010, to Vicki Almond & David Marks, County Councilmembers covering the 2nd & 5th Districts, it states that the sign will be removed and replaced with one deemed more appropriate for the area, location, and neighborhood.
Charles Street is an historic “Scenic Bypass”, and some felt that the signs could threaten that designation.
The combination of the issues created a problem where a solution has now been set in motion. Thanks to Superintendent Hairston and Councilmembers Almond & Marks, West Towson Elementary School & Charles Street will be restored to a setting to which all should be happy about.
I look forward to seeing the new signs!
21204 Towson Home Sale Statistics November 2010
December 21, 2010 by Marney Kirk
Filed under Blog, Ruxton, Towson, West Towson
The 21204 Home Sale Statistics for November 2010 had both highs and lows.
The amount of sales dropped slightly, about 3%, over the same period last year. Here is the report.
The good news is that the average sales price jumped over 44% to $516,938 from $358,083. There were 17 new houses listed to bring the total to 73 currently on the market. Eight went under contract, and eight also settled.
Luckily the days on market dropped from the October Towson Home Sales Report from 292 days down to an average of 102, a huge difference in that month!
As we head into the end of the year, it will be interesting to see how these numbers flux again, and when the end of year report is ready, I look forward to sharing the results of the entire 2010!
Towson Home Sale Statistics October 2010
November 17, 2010 by Marney Kirk
Filed under Blog, Ruxton, Towson, West Towson
The Towson home sale statistics for October 2010, specifically the 21204 zip code, were down in a number of areas, compared with the same time last year.
Total sold dollar volume was down 40.91% and only four houses settled in the month, with seven settling last October. Though there were three fewer settlements, the prices on those four were up 3.4%, averaging $339,150 versus $327,986.
Twenty new homes came on the market, while ten went under contract, leaving 84 active listings for buyers to choose from. The time it is taking for houses to sell skyrocketed over last year, up 58.7% from 184 days a year ago, to 292 days now. This means it is taking, on average, the majority of a year to sell a house in 21204!
September 21204 home sale statistics were much better, which shows things are getting shakier as we head into the winter season. The October Timonium home sales report also showed a drop in number of homes sold, with prices rising a minimal amount as well.
For more details about your particular Towson neighborhood and your Towson house value, contact me!
Towson Timonium Lutherville Cape Cod Houses
November 11, 2010 by Marney Kirk
Filed under Baltimore, Blog, Lutherville, Timonium, Towson, West Towson
Traditional Cape Cod with Dormers
Towson, Timonium and Lutherville have many Cape Cod style houses.
A standard Cape Cod style home has one or two bedrooms on the first floor, and one or two bedrooms on the second floor.
The notable characteristic of most Cape Cod homes are the dormers on the second floor that are generally visible from the front of the house, like this photo on the right.
Timonium Cape Cod homes are found throughout 21093. The style was very popular in the 1950′s and 1960′s, along with split level homes in Lutherville.
There are many Towson Cape Cod homes as well. West Towson has many tucked in amongst the ranchers and colonials.
New England Cape Cod
Another type of Cape Cod home which is harder to spot is the “New England Cape”. It is harder to identify because from the street, the house looks like a rancher style home. The dormers, so noticeable on a general cape cod, are either on the side or the back of the house, so unless you know to look for it, you may assume it is a rancher.
Contact me for more information on Towson, Timonium or Lutherville Cape Cod homes!
Traditional Cape Cod with Dormers photo courtesy of taberandrew via Flickr CC
Towson Home Sale Statistics September 2010
October 14, 2010 by Marney Kirk
Filed under Blog, Ruxton, Towson, West Towson
Towson home sale statistics for September 2010 fared much better than most of Baltimore County, according to data released by MRIS, the Metropolitan Regional Information Systems, Inc over September 2009.
Focusing specifically on the 21204 zip code, which includes Towson, Ruxton, West Towson, and the Riderwood area, the numbers are very positive, while the majority of Baltimore County home sales were down 25.7%.
Average sold price was up 13.38% from $357,496 last year to $405,325 last month. The one number heading into the negative category was the average days on market, dropping from 125 last year to 64 this September. Great news!
Homes on the market are averaging 89.35 % of their list price when they sell, showing that Towson houses for sale may have two different perceived values when it comes to buyers and sellers.
Contact me for more about Towson house values.
