Parkville Home Sales April 2012

Parkville home sale statistics for April 2012 are in, and they are down very slightly from the same period last year.

$8,814,285 changed hands this year versus $9,039,247 in April 2011. Forty-nine homes sold, with an average price of $179,883, only down 1/2 percent from April 2011. Most numbers were about even from last year, which tells me that the Parkville market may be leveling out, which is a good sign for stabilization and recovery.

There were 273 homes for sale in Parkville this April, while last April there had been 384. That is a good number to see drop!

Sixty-eight homes went under contract, and there were a total of 125 pending homes last month.

Parkville home sales for March 2012 had been up slightly with prices down a bit, so these numbers seem to continue that trend.

Here is a link to the detailed report on Parkville Home Sales Statistics April 2012.

For more details about a specific Parkville house value, please contact me.

Timonium Home Sale Statistics April 2012

April 2012 showed another increase in sale for the Lutherville Timonium area.

$18,222,201 in homes sold in 21093, up 27.87% from $14,250,350 in April 2011. Average sales price was down 7% to $414,141.

Forty-four Timonium homes changed hands last month, versus 32 the April prior. Homes stayed on the market an average of 106 days before receiving an acceptable offer.

Half of the homes that sold were townhouses or condos, so that could be part of the reason the average sales price dropped. One of the homes that sold was over $2.5 million, and another over $1 million, though, as well!

Eighty-eight homes came on the market last month, and there were a total of 164 homes for sale in 21093. Fifty-two homes went under contract, hopefully setting May and June’s Timonium home sales to be strong.

Here is a link to the detailed April 2012 Timonium home sale report.

I’ve mentioned many times how Timonium and Lutherville homes are vastly different — neighborhood by neighborhood and often street by street. This month we had home sales ranging from $150,000 to over $2.5 million. That is the perfect example of the variety of homes in 21093!

For an idea of your Timonium house value, please contact me. I would love to help.

Towson 21204 Home Sale Statistics April 2012

Towson 21204 home sale statistics were down dramatically in April 2012 from the same period last year.

Total volume of sales for April was $4,996,000, down 31.78% from last year. Last April saw sales of $7,323,000. Average sold price was also way down, $454,182, a 44.18% decrease from last year’s $813,667 average.

Eleven homes changed hands, one of which was a condo for $178,000, and three were condos that sold for an average of $76,000.  Those four sales can bring the average price down very quickly!

The average days on the market was 127 versus 125 last year.

As I have mentioned before, 21204 has very distinct areas with Ruxton hosting very large homes, while West Towson has more cape cod and rancher homes, and Downtown Towson hosting small condos.

Thirty-one homes came up for sale last month, while seventeen homes went under contract. A total of 74 homes were actively on the market in 21204.

Here is the detailed report for 21204 home sales April 2012.

For more information on your Towson house value, please contact me!

Towson and Timonium High Schools Rank High In Best High Schools 2012

Two Towson High Schools and one Timonium High School ranked high in US News and World Report’s Best High Schools edition for 2012.

Carver Center on York Rd in Towson ranked #242 nationally, Dulaney High School in Timonium #264 nationally, and Towson High School #267.

The scores are based on College Readiness (based on the number of students taking and passing AP exams,) Algebra test scores on the Maryland State exit exam, and English test scores on the Maryland State exit exam.

There are a number of Baltimore County Schools on the list, but these were the ones in the top 500! Here is a link to the report, focused here on Baltimore County.

Towson homeowners and Timonium homeowners are sure to be happy to see these numbers, because often times house values are helped by these reports.

Congratulations to these Towson High Schools and Timonium High Schools for their fantastic achievements. We are very proud to have you here in Baltimore County!

Preakness 2012

Preakness 2012 week is here, and the excitement in Baltimore is building!

There are races scheduled throughout the day on Saturday, May 19, 2012. The 137th Running of the Preakness is scheduled for about 6:19pm.

The Preakness Infield is *the* place to be on Saturday, with Whiz Khalifa at 1:20pm and Maroon 5 at 4:00pm on the main stage. A second stage has a number of shows, and there are games and activities throughout the day.

The Preakness website has all of the details to join in or follow along.

Come to Baltimore Saturday, May 19, 2012 for a time like no other!

Photo courtesy of Fisherga via Flickr CC

1429 Joppa Rd — Towson, MD
Loch Raven Manor Home for Rent — $1,550/mo.

1429 Joppa Road in Towson is a terrific semi-detached home for rent for $1,550 per month.

The owners have a plan as well, that if a tenant pays each month’s rent early via direct deposit, that a $150/mo credit can be given to the tenant — making that month’s rent only $1400!

Two car concrete parking pad, plus two grass spaces, a large, fenced yard, shed, and BBQ area are extra bonuses this home has to offer.

Upstairs there are three good sized bedrooms and a full bath, and the lower level has another full bath, plus family room and potential fourth bedroom!

The Towson Place shopping center is nearby, as are a number of other shops, eateries (Gino’s, anyone? ) and more.

Come visit, explore, and rent a semi-detached home in Loch Raven Manor. 1429 Joppa Road is the one! Contact me for your Towson home for rent today!

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Hunt Valley Home Sales April 2012

Hunt Valley home sales were up a lot in April 2012, another great sign for the 21030 real estate market.

$5,317,250 in homes settled last month, up 41.28% from the same period last year, where $3,763,600 sold. Sixteen homes changed hands both years.

This continues the upward trend from March Hunt Valley home sales, where there was a 49% increase!

Since the same number of homes sold, but there was an increase in total amount sold, the average sales price was also up 41.28% to $332,328. One of the homes that sold was over $1M, so that brought the average price up a bit.

Of the 16 homes that sold, nine were single family, and seven were condos or townhouses. The average days on market was up a little to 110.  One home sold in one week, while 3 more sold in less than three.

Thirty-nine homes came on the market in April, while 16 went under contract. The number of homes that went under contract was down over 30%. There were 97 homes for sale in 21030 last month.

Here is a link to the Hunt Valley home sales April 2012 detailed report.

For more on your Hunt Valley house value, please contact me. I would be happy to assist you!

Is This the Cheapest Time to Buy a Home?

With all of the discussions about the low interest rates coupled with the low house prices, a question keeps popping up, “Is this the best time to buy a home?”

The answer to the above question depends on your personal situation, but a better question that may be answerable is, “Is this the CHEAPEST time to buy a house?” According to data and statistics, it very well may be.

Home prices are down across the nation, and still are in many areas of our Baltimore real estate market. Though some areas have retained values better than others, they are still down from their peak. Baltimore foreclosure rates are up, and there was an increase in Baltimore foreclosure filings in February.

That being said, home prices are starting to rise, as we have seen in many areas in my monthly market updates, which compare year-to-year data. Though the amount the analysts expect is minimal (an average of about 2%, per a CNNMoney article,) rising interest rates adding to those price increases would make the same home more expensive.

So, is it the BEST time to buy a house? Maybe.

To find out if it is a good time for YOU to buy a house in Baltimore, please contact me. I’d love to help!

Baltimore Foreclosure Rate March 2012

Baltimore foreclosure rates were up in March 2012 versus the same period last year, according to an article by Inman News.

The foreclosure rate for the Baltimore-Towson area was at 3.8%, 8th highest in the select markets used in the article. This is an increase of .60% from March 2012.

There were 1,262 completed foreclosures in the last 12 months.

Also, according to the article, over 7% of homes in Maryland are 90 or more days delinquent on mortgage payments.

These numbers say to me, that in the Baltimore real estate market, we most likely will see more Baltimore short sales or Baltimore foreclosures coming through in the next year. This is not unexpected, as we saw a 41% increase in Baltimore foreclosure filings in February. Read “Baltimore Foreclosure Rates Expected to Rise.”

If you may be facing foreclosure in Baltimore, please contact me. You may have other options!

This Month in Real Estate May 2012

This Month in Real Estate May 2012 has been released.

Home sales activity reduced slightly to a pace of 4.48 million to be sold this year. The median home sale price rose $8,000 to $164,000 last month. The average interest rate for home loans jumped came back down from the average of 4.08% in March to 3.9 in April, in reviewing This Month in Real Estate April 2012.

Jay Papasan, in the Top Story, talks about how staging can help sell your home faster and for more money. According to research, spending $250 on a $200,000 home resulted in a sales price of almost 2% higher than those not staged.

In News You Can Use, Bryon Ellington discusses what updates a work may be needed in order to make your house ready to sell.

Know that if you made significant improvements to your house, you will most likely not get the full value out of them when you sell your home. Remember that you made those improvements over the years for your own enjoyment!

With the exception of changing the front door, no home improvement project gets more than 85% return on investment, guaranteeing at least a 15% loss on your investment.

Byron then continues to let sellers know that PRICE is the #1 thing to get right.

Price is is the FIRST thing buyers see. As Byron says, recently improvements can help a home make a buyer’s “short list,” but it doesn’t mean they will offer more money. Pricing your home correctly is of utmost importance.

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

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