Broker’s Open 20 Perryfalls Place Wednesday, March 10, 2010 12-2 pm

This Wednesday, March 10, 2010, please join me and my company, Keller Williams Excellence Realty, at a Broker’s Open to showcase my new listing at 20 Perryfalls Place in Perry Hall, MD.

This great townhouse has three bedrooms, one full bath, and two half baths, plus large, open living spaces on each level.

I will be there on Wednesday, along with my office colleagues as well as agents from other real estate brokerages in the area. Stop on by to have some light lunch and view this home, and share feedback with me so I can share with my seller!

Weather.com shows around 60 degrees and cloudy on Wednesday, so make sure to enjoy the warm weather and some light food on the deck off the kitchen and dining room of this great home!

20 Perryfalls Place – Oakhurst – Nottingham, Maryland
Offered at $230,000

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

Explore this wonderful Perry Hall home for sale at $230,000…

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

Read more

Melting Snow Photos 3136 Eden Drive in Abingdon

Finally enough snow has melted that I was able to take new *better* photos of my listing at 3136 Eden Drive in Abingdon, MD.

The great court location had been working against it because the plows had to put the large mounds of snow somewhere — and the large open space by this wonderful home was the place they chose.

I was able to take new front photos and put the signs in place — and you can actually see them from the road!

The new photos are on the front of the brochure.

The new exterior shots are on the virtual tour.

And I am excited!

I have felt like I couldn’t do this home its justice with marketing until you could actually see how wonderful it is from its location and its exterior. The wide open space to run in the side yard is so unusual!

The sellers are looking for photos from the spring when their beautifully manicured gardens and lawn are lush and inviting, so we can share them with prospective buyers (see tip #3 from the Top Four Inside Secrets to Selling Your Home in this Buyer’s Market).

Not only is the weather more spring-like, buyers feel it too, and I know I have a spring in my step as well.

So don’t miss out on this unusual and wonderful townhome in Abingdon. Or if you are looking for the Perry Hall/White Marsh area of Baltimore County, stay tuned, I have an inside unit in Oakhurst coming on soon!

Top Four Inside Secrets To Selling Your Home in This Buyer’s Market

Gary Keller, the owner of the company I work for, Keller Williams Realty, was interviewed this morning along with a few agents on Good Morning America about HOW to sell your home in this market.

These tips hold true in the Towson real estate market as well as others across the US.

Tip #1: When Pricing Your Home, Don’t Try to Make Money. If a similar house down the street is on the market for a certain amount, list your home just under that amount. Buyers will perceive your home as a deal, and will more likely move on yours versus others on the market.

Tip #2: Don’t Be Lazy When It Comes to Presentation. Staging is a great way to get your home to look its best. Remember, once you decide to sell your home, it is no longer *your home*. The goal is for it to be someone else’s! A Staging Professional is a good investment along with a REALTOR(R). As Gary Keller said, “Price gets you interest. Staging gets you offers.”

Tip #3: Some Photos are Priceless. When listing in winter, especially when you have feet of snow still to melt like here in Towson, share any photos you have of the yard, landscaping, etc, from when it is nice out with your real estate agent. Your agent can incorporate these into their marketing of your home. You know how great your yard is to enjoy, but when others can’t see it at the moment, they don’t know what a difference that makes in your home versus another. With these additional photos, it could make the difference.

Tip #4:Don’t Be Cheap When It Comes to Fixes. Have a faucet that drips? A floorboard that squeaks? A carpet that needs replacing? DO IT. Have older appliances? Buy new ones. Yes, new ones. They don’t have to be expensive, but more modern helps to sell!

I disagree with Tip #5 because my buyers find it extremely uncomfortable when the owner is home, and I find that they tend to not take the house seriously if the seller is there. It is good to have brochures and photos there to share information about your home, and your agent is an important facilitator in this process in speaking with the buyer’s agent and getting buyer’s questions answered. But do NOT be there for showings. Buyers want to open cabinets, closets, and feel like it could be their home. If you are there, they can’t imagine themselves as the owners there.

I hope Towson home sellers find this information useful as they prepare to sell their homes. Please contact me to help you further!

Ryland Homes Names New Chairman and New Homes To Be Built in Baltimore County

Ryland Homes Inc., a builder who has been behind many popular communities in the Baltimore area, has named Bill Jews as its new Chairman, reports the Baltimore Business Journal.

Mr. Jews was the CEO of Maryland’s own Carefirst BlueCross BlueShield and brought it back from the point of it almost shutting its doors in 1993 to a successful company by the time he stepped down in 2006.  Jews is on a number of boards in the Maryland area, including Fortress International in Columbia, Maryland, and Camden Learning Group in Baltimore.

Though Ryland Homes is based in California, they are a pillar in the Baltimore real estate community. Their developments have won awards and have shown to be well planned.

If you would like more information on new Ryland Homes in Baltimore County, Harford County, and surrounding areas, please contact me so I can help!

More Snow on the Way for Baltimore Homeowners Already Hurting From Heavy Snow and Ice

Well, of course, the snow is hurting the entire areas, but many homeowners are already having major issues with their homes due to this heavy snow and ice damming, and it appears a major amount of heavy snow may visit us tonight through tomorrow, freezing those gutters back up and re-creating problems.

The other issue that it appears we will have is high winds, which could possibly knock out power — so sump pumps and other drainage systems in homes may not work properly.

Baltimore homeowners, if they can, need to try to knock down as much ice from their gutters as they can, to free it up for when this round begins to melt.

As I mentioned in my post last week about the possibility of more storms, this is truly hurting the Baltimore real estate market.

Buyers are having trouble envisioning yards, homes as they truly are, and neighborhoods as they really are.

The mounds of snow in front of homes on cul de sacs make it difficult to even see the home from the street. My listing at 3136 Eden Drive in Abingdon, MD, has a great location — but right now it doesn’t appear that way! The snow is mounded so high in front of the house that you can’t see how nice it looks. Its location on the cul de sac is wonderful for extra yard space, more parking directly across the way, and a sense of privacy — but you can’t tell because of the snow pile up! Their yard has beautiful landscaping and shows such a pride of ownership — but you can’t tell because of the deep snow covering the gardens and plantings.

These things that would usually create such nice curb appeal and make it feel like home to a buyer are hidden behind the wall of snow. And another 8-12″ will only hinder things further.

We hope that buyers can imagine, but as my sellers have found while searching for their next home, it is very hard to do!

Here’s hoping that March will bring a little warmer weather and a LOT less snow. Our sellers and buyers need it!

1212 Maple Leaf Court – Hunters Run / Hunt Valley Station – Offered at $619,000
**Update 11/09/09 — Congratulations, Sellers, WE SETTLED!**
**Update 10/13/09 — Congratulations, Sellers, We Are Under Contract!**

• Download the Brochure (PDF) | Floor Plan and Plat (PDF)
• Schedule an Appointment
• Ask a Question

Explore this fantastic Hunt Valley Station home for sale at $619,000…

• First Floor
• Kitchen / Family Floor
• Master Bedroom Suite / Second Floor
• Finished Basement
• Exterior and Amenities
• Neighborhood

Read more

1706 Aberdeen Road – Loch Raven Village
Parkville, Maryland – Offered at $219,900
**Update 11/23/09 Congratulations, Sellers, we SETTLED!***
**Update 10/13/09 Congratulations, Sellers, we are under contract!***

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

Explore this adorable Loch Raven Village home for sale at $219,900…

• First Floor
• Second Floor
• Finished Basement
• Neighborhood

Read more

722 Villager Circle – Boston Courts Townhouse
Dundalk, Maryland – Offered at $177,995
**Congratulations, sellers, WE SETTLED 11/09/09!**
**Congratulations, sellers, we are under contract 10/10/09!**

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

Explore this fantastic Dundalk home for sale at $177,995…

• First Floor
• Second Floor
• Finished Basement
• Neighborhood

Read more

35 A Chesterfield Court – Monkton, Maryland
Offered at $599,000.00
**Update December 28, 2009 CONGRATULATIONS SELLER, YOU SETTLED!**
**Update 11/16/09 Congratulations, Sellers, You are Under Contract!**

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

Explore this beautiful Monkton home for Sale at $599,000…

• First Floor
• Kitchen/Family Room
• Second Floor
• Finished Basement
• Exterior and Features
• Neighborhood

Read more

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