Eight homes sold in December versus seven in 2010, so the lower average sales price is most likely due to a very large sale in December of 2010, which December 2011 did not have.

The average sales prices for townhouses was up to $300,000 versus $236,000 the year prior, but the year prior only had one attached home settle in that month.

As I mentioned in my post about the October 2011 home sales in Cockeysville, 21030 (which encompasses both Cockeysville and Hunt Valley) does not have many sales each month, so even one or two of the smaller condos or townhouses in Cockeysville instead of a larger Hunt Valley townhouse sale can make a big difference in what the statistics show us.

Here is the detailed report on 21030 home sales for December 2011.

For a better picture of your Hunt Valley house value, please contact me. I would love to help!

The five highest home sales in Baltimore County, according to MRIS, our local multiple listing system, included a few farms, and most had a large amount of acreage.

5. 905 Hayfields Rd, Cockeysville, MD 21030. $3,475,000. Listed and sold by Krauss Real Property Brokerage. This is a gorgeous newly-built home, that was finished around Summer 2011. Including the finished lower level, there are eight bedrooms, seven full and two half baths. It has 2.28 acres off a private drive, the home overlooking Hayfields Golf Course. Beautifully appointed, and spectacular views!

4. 2700 Butler Road, Reisterstown, MD 21136. $3,750,000. Listed and sold by Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage. A “French Country Estate” home built in 2005, this is located up a hill and shared/private drive off Butler Road. Located on 53 acres, it has five bedrooms, 4 full and one half bath, and overlooks beautiful Worthington Valley.

3. 12757 Greenspring Avenue, Reisterstown, MD 21136. $3,900,000. Listed and sold by Yerman, Witman, Gaines & Conklin. This home was built in 1940, as is part of the “Vanderbilt Estate,” according to the listing. It is situated off a very private drive on over 138 acres. There are eight bedrooms, eight full four half baths. It boasts an in-ground pool, and it even has a bowling lane and full gym in the lower level!

2. 7309 Brightside Road, Baltimore, MD 21212. $4,200,000. Listed and sold by Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage. This spectacular home was built in 1880, and has been gracefully and exquisitely restored. I have been in this house a few times, and it is truly gorgeous. It showcases 11 fireplaces (yes, 11!), seven bedrooms, six full and two half baths. It has 5.46 acres in the 21212 zip code!

And the highest sale in Baltimore County for 2011:

1. 2509 Butler Road, Reisterstown, MD 21136. $9,500,000. It was listed & sold simultaneously by Krauss Real Property Brokerage, which is why there are not many details or photos about the home. It is situated on 144.49 acres near the Falls Road Corridor, and looks to be a working farm, with rolling acres, animals, and convenient location. It has four bedrooms and seven full baths.

Much of Baltimore County real estate has been holding its’ own, despite the downturn in many areas. Each neighborhood is VERY different, so general overviews are not good indicators of your value. Contact me for more details on your Baltimore County house value. I would be happy to help!

The total sold dollar volume was down over 30%, and the average sales price was down 10%.

Seven houses changed hands, two less than October last year.

The biggest difference is the sales prices for attached homes — down 44.30% to an average of $158,000 vs $285,000 last year.

Cockeysville and Hunt Valley neighborhoods are very different, and Cockeysville has a few condo communities which count in the “attached” home sales statistics. 21030 does not have many sales each month, so even one or two of the smaller condos or townhouses in Cockeysville, versus the larger Hunt Valley townhouses can make a big difference in what the statistics show us.

Here is the detailed 21030 home sale report for October 2011.

Be sure to contact me to find out more about what is happening in your Hunt Valley neighborhood. I would love to help!

Though technically it isn’t until Monday, there are plenty of things to do this weekend for Baltimore Halloween fun!

• At Hunt Valley Towne Centre, kids can trick-or-treat on Friday evening from 4-6pm. Children can come in costume and get some treats at the shops on Main Street off Shawan Road in Hunt Valley!
• The Towson Town Center mall will have a festive Halloween celebration on Saturday the 29th at 11am at the Level 1 Grand Court. They will also have mall-wide trick-or-treating on Monday the 31st from 6-8pm at participating stores for children aged 12 & under. More details on their site.
• ZooBOO! at the Baltimore Zoo / Maryland Zoo in Baltimore — 10 am – 4 pm Friday 10/28 – Sunday 10/30. Come in costume, visit the animals, plus free trick-or-treating, carnival games, inflatable slides, crafts, and live entertainment, including magic, mini-theatre, and costume contests! The event comes with your Zoo admission. Costume contests are at 11:30 & 2:30 for kids under the age of 12. There are special events with many of the animals throughout the day, so make sure to visit their website for more details.
• Port Discovery is celebrating Baltimore City’s Kids Month on Saturday from 10am-5pm for FALL-O-WEEN Festival. Activities include making your own tutu or mummy, wildlife adventure, Halloween drum jam, a moon bounce, performances and more! Visit their site for more details.
• Hallowmarine is at the National Aquarium in Baltimore from 10am-4pm on Saturday. Come in costume, there are many spooky events, including a Haunted Classroom! Aqua.org for more info.
• The Great Lantern Parade in Patterson Park is *NOW SUNDAY, 10/30 due to weather!* Saturday October 29 at 7pm. There is a pre-parade Great Lantern Parade Fall Festival from 3-6:30pm. Here is their blog with more details.
• Weber’s Farm in Parkville — Really fun Hillside Slide, pumpkin picking, scarecrow making, hay maze, “Boo Barn”, farm animals, hay ride & more. $7 admission for children, $5 for adults on weekends. Open from 9:30am-6:30pm!
• Valley View Farms in Hunt Valley is open from 7am-9pm and has its’ fantastic Halloween Display, a free haunted house, and straw maze for the younger children. We did this last weekend, and our son had a blast. They even have facepainting inside — and the main building is already their Christmas wonderland!
• Huber’s Farm in Kingsville is open 9am – 5pm and has pumpkin picking, a kids area for $5 per hour, and at night from 7:30-10pm, Creepywoods, a scary haunted wooded attraction, which is supposed to be very intense, and was named one of “America’s Best Haunts.”
• Hampden HalloweenFest — 5pm-7pm on Sunday, October 30– Trick or Treating at participating stores on the Avenue, Chestnut Avenue, and Falls Rd. 6:30 is a costume contest in front of Ma Petite Shoe on 36th St. Sponsored by the Kiwanis Club of Hampden.
• Kim’s Krypt is in a new location in 2011 on Eastern Avenue in Essex. It is open from 7-10:30pm Saturday through Monday — another haunted adventure. The “krypt” is indoors, while the line is outside.

So, as you can see, there is plenty to do for Halloween in Baltimore. I am sure there are many more — what events do YOU know of & can share?

Have a safe and Happy Halloween in Baltimore!

Total sold volume was down 37.40% to $6,125,080 from a high last August of $9,784,500. It is very interesting, and makes me look at the statistics more carefully, that only two less homes sold (18 vs 20 last year).

This means that higher priced homes moved more last August than this August, as average sales price dropped 30.44% to $340,282 from the average of $489,225. One Cockeysville condo sold for under $50,000, which could have a large part of that % drop.

The good news is that more homes went under contract his August than last year this time, with 14 new pending contracts, and a total of 19 under contract. There are a 101 active homes for sale in 21030.

See the full August 2011 Cockeysville home sale report here.

As you can see, when there are not many sales in an area, the whole zip code’s value can be brought down a significant amount by just one low sale. This is why it is important to get a true view of your neighborhood, and not rely on general statistics. Contact me for a deeper look at your Hunt Valley house value!

This is a terrific bounce back from June Hunt Valley home sales, which had seen a 40% drop.

Total sold volume was over $12 million with 9 more detached homes sold this July over last.

The average sales price was down for both Hunt Valley townhouses and single family homes. This is a trend we are seeing across the Baltimore real estate market, with many more sales happening, but with lower prices dominating.

29 houses came on the market, and 24 went under contract. There are currently 106 houses for sale in Cockeysville/Hunt Valley.

See the full July 2011 Hunt Valley home sale report here.

Each neighborhood in Cockeysville and Hunt Valley is different, and can drive average home sales prices up or down depending on where sales happen. Be sure to contact me to find out more about what is happening in your Hunt Valley neighborhood. I would love to help!

From baltimorecountyrestaurantweek.com

Many different restaurants are participating — a lot of new ones since January’s Winter edition!

Many new additions from the West Side of Baltimore County, with a number in Owings Mills, Catonsville and Pikesville, as well as Randallstown, Glyndon, and Randallstown.

On the East Side, a good showing from Parkville and Perry Hall, as well as one each in Essex and Dundalk.

Northern Baltimore County showcases the Milton Inn, who first began Baltimore County Restaurant Week last summer, Friendly Farm in Upperco, and the Grille at Peerce’s in Phoenix.

In Hunt Valley/Cockeysville: Barrett’s Grill NEW in Hunt Valley Towne Centre, Ristorante Lil’ Tony’s, The Oregon Grille, Patrick’s Restaurant and Pub, and Vito’s Cafe are participating.

Timonium restaurants have a good showing, with Basta Pasta, Christopher Daniel, Liberatore’s Ristorante (the Perry Hall one will be participating as well), Michael’s Café, and The Peppermill.

Here is the full list of participating restaurants.

Lunches and dinners will be $10.11, $15.11, $20.11, $25.11, $30.11, $35.11. Reservations are highly recommended!

Baltimore County Restaurant Week overlaps with Baltimore Restaurant Week this year by two days.

Baltimore Restaurant Week is August 5-14. So dine out in the City then go out to the County for some fantastic specialty menus!

Each Friday night from 7:30-9pm, live performances from bands will play right in the center section of Main St.

The rest of the year’s lineup is:

July 22: Ricky Olegue and the Rat Pack

July 29: Three of a Kind

August 5: The Fifth Level Band

August 12: The Bridge Trio Unplugged

August 19: Tony Sciuto Band

August 26: Checkered Past

September 2: Moonshine Society

September 9: Tall in the Saddle

September 16: Deanna Bogart

September 23: Slim Bob and the New Electrics

This year, the Hunt Valley Towne Centre’s Summer Concert Series runs all the way through September. In the past, it only ran through August! Now you’ll be able to enjoy the music even as the crisp autumn air begins to set in. (I’m dreaming now, since it will be 103+ degrees out today with heat index of almost 115!)

So come to Hunt Valley for a free concert, some great shopping, food, and more!

The 21030 zip code, which branches both Cockeysville and Hunt Valley, saw a 44.40% drop in total sales in June 2011 versus the same period last year, down to $7,109.497 from a high of $12,786,900 in 2010. The number of sales dropped from 26 to 17 as well.

Average sold price was down 14.96% from $491,804 last year to $418,206 this year. This could be partially due to location within the 21030 zip code, as some areas draw higher prices than others. Townhouses actually averaged higher than last year, while detached homes’ average dropped from $674,467 last year to $500,682 this year.

25 new homes came on the market in June, making for a total of 101 active listings for sale in Cockeysville. 18 homes went under contract.

See the full June 2011 Hunt Valley house sale report here.

Each neighborhood location within 21030 is different. Though this is an overview of the zip code, your area of Cockeysville may be different! For more information on your Hunt Valley neighborhood, please contact me. I know the areas (both large and small) well!

There are plenty of events happening in Baltimore County.

Baltimore County 4th of July fireworks will happen on a few different days in different locations.

The Baltimore County fireworks schedule, per their website, is currently:

July 2, 2011

Eastern Yacht Club
2330 Seneca Road

Jacksonville Elementary School (rain date July 9)
3400 Hillendale Road

Martin’s West
6821 Dogwood Road

Oregon Ridge Park
13401 Beaver Dam Road

July 3, 2011

Oregon Ridge Park
13401 Beaver Dam Road

Baltimore Country Club (rain date July 8th)
11500 Mays Chapel Road

The Suburban Club (rain date July 5)
7600 Park Heights Avenue, Baltimore, 21209

Woodholme Country Club (rain date July 5)
300 Woodholme Avenue

July 4, 2011

Catonsville High School (rain date July 9)
421 Bloomsbury Avenue, Catonsville

Fullerton Park (rain date July 5)
4304 Fullerton Avenue

Grange Elementary School (rain date July 5)
2000 Church Road, Dundalk

Green Spring Valley Hunt Club (rain date Juily 5)
30 Greenspring Valley Road

8101 LaSalle Road (rain date July 5)
Loch Raven Academy

July 10, 2011

Hereford High School (rain date July 11)
510 Monkton Road

Usually the Baltimore County Government’s website also has the list of parades available, but this year they don’t. Here is a compilation of what I was able to find:

Towson Fourth of July Parade
July 4, 2011 10:30am
Towsontown Blvd & Bosley Ave, Towson, MD

Catonsville Fourth of July Parade

July 4, 2011 3:00pm
Frederick Rd, Catonsville, MD

Dundalk Fourth of July Parade
July 4, 2011 8:15am
Beginning at Logan Point Shopping Center
Dundalk, Maryland

Hereford Independence Day Parade

July 10, 2011 3pm

Do you know of any other Baltimore County 4th of July parades? Let me know, and I will add them to the list!