Towson Real Estate Agent

Five Guys Burgers and Fries Opens in Cockeysville

A new Five Guys Burgers and Fries opened yesterday in the York Market Place shopping center in Cockeysville, MD.

The site is the former location of the Moe’s Southwest Grill just south of Industry Lane and just north of Cranbrook Road.

York Market Place also houses a Starbucks, a ColdStone Creamery, Gamestop, T-Mobile, Bray & Scarff Appliances, and Fuji San.

This new Five Guys joins the popular one located down York Road in Towson at 936 York Road just south of the intersection of York and Fairmount Avenue.

These stores have been shown to be very popular in all of the areas they move into. They do have vegetarian burgers for those who do not partake in meat.

I know a number of people who you may see at the new one in Cockeysville on a regular basis, so you may find me visiting them while you are there!

York Market Place and the new Five Guys Burgers and Fries, plus these other fine shops and food are located at 10015 York Road, Cockeysville, MD 21030.

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!

More Snow on the Way for Towson Monday February 15-Tuesday February 16, 2010

With Monday being President’s Day, I don’t think Towson school children will be wearing their pajamas inside out hoping for another snow day. They are already off school, and have been for a week now.

We had two blizzards in one week, and now just 5 days after the last one left us, we could have another doozy on our hands.

This complicates the issues that many of us are already facing, with heavy snow melting and water coming in, the gutter system in the front of the house about to collapse (or already have), leaks because of the ice melting in gutters from underneath.

There is a possibility of around 6″ of snow due Monday afternoon through Tuesday afternoon now. If the storm turns, we could be lucky enough to have some of it be rain, but it looks like DC may be more likely to have this good fortune.

This means we all need to be prepared again, but luckily 6″ of snow now doesn’t seem so bad after the past two weeks, does it?

So keep your eyes and ears open for leaks and just make sure to take it easy on the roads if you are out after it begins tomorrow afternoon. The heaviest is supposed to be overnight into Tuesday, and Howard County Schools have already closed for Tuesday. I am wondering how quickly Baltimore County and City may follow.

Snowpocalypse Ramifications for Your Towson Home

Today I was reminded as to the damage that heavy snow piling up can cause to your home, so hopefully these few tips can help you to minimize problems.

• The gutters above a window may be frozen solid and the heat from inside of the house is getting the snow to begin to melt. This may cause water to come in through a crack in the window frame and cause damage. Here are a few tips to avoid further damage without taking a blowdryer to your gutters:

Supplies you’ll need: a few black 30 gallon trash bags, a roll of duct tape, pots, tupperware, or bowls, and a towel.

Open the trash bag, and duct tape it across the area where the water is dripping. Place a bowl on the ground and direct the base of the trash bag into it (making a funnel). For a larger window, you may need multiple bags and bowls.

• A client of mine had their entire gutter system fall off their house due to the weight of the ice. Not that it could have been prevented, but they need to be aware of the possibility of water going into their basement so they need to keep an eye on things with towels, buckets, etc on hand, ready to go.

• If you have a flat roof (which we do over a portion of our house), you may want to shovel if you can get to it. We were so glad to have done it, for fear of the weight of almost five feet of snow and its compacting as it melts caving the roof in.

• We also had BGE out today because our power lines were being held up/down by a small tree. First of all, all of their people were very nice and wonderful. Second, they did a great job. So make sure to check out the lines coming into your house so you don’t lose power. Luckily the tree hadn’t pulled the wires away from the house. We must call BGE to come back in the spring and get the lines restrung, because the lineman said they are hanging too low to the ground.

• Finally, check those icicles. We had ones that reached from our gutters all the way down to the snow piles. They were very thick as well. The weight very well could have broken the gutters or fallen through a bay window, so we knocked them down. So LOOK UP and be careful as you are entering and exiting buildings.

This is such an unusual amount of snow and the ice build-up is immense. Please be careful when you are out, and be very cautious and conscious with your homes.

Now let’s cross our fingers that we don’t get the heavy snow predicted for Monday in Towson and Baltimore…

Please note that these ideas and opinions are just that — ideas and opinions. I am sure there are better ways to handle some of these issues, but I was working with household items while being snowed in and unable to get out or help to get in. Some are short term solutions. Also, safety first in all cases! Be careful!

Snowpocalypse 2010 2.0 Is Crazy

Well, here we are 24 hours into the second crippling storm this week and the huge piles of snow are astounding.

I was supposed to list a great new home in Nottingham (thought of as Perry Hall or White Marsh) tomorrow, but it looks like that will be out, because the likelihood of all of us being dug out in the next 24 hours is very slim.

We have what is considered a flat roof over an addition on our house. Luckily my husband shoveled it yesterday to prevent its collapse. I have a feeling he or I will be up there tomorrow to do so again. If you have one, it is a good idea to get the heavy snow off.

We have a gas furnace, so we have been checking the carbon monoxide detector and moving it to different areas to check the levels.

The snow has gotten so high 1/2 of the back door is covered.

This is unbelievable!

I hope you are safe and warm.

Snowpocalypse 2010 2.0 On Its Way

Well, we are currently buried in about 30″ of snow here in Towson, MD and just got reports that Baltimore County Schools are closed through Wednesday. I have a feeling that will be extended through the end of the week.

Why?

Snowpocalypse 2010 2.0 is apparently on its way.

Originally forecasters were calling for around 5″. Now they are saying in excess of 10″.

If you follow Foot’s Forecast, they are predicting 12-20″. You read that right. Possibly 1-2 more FEET on top of the almost 3 FEET we have on the ground.

So imagine these photos with double the snow. I will post pix once it gets here, but I can tell you, I am not happy! It’s not good for my clients who are trying to sell their homes in time for buyers to receive the homebuyer tax credit on the purchase, so they are listing earlier than they usually would.

Wish us luck!

Snowpocalypse 2010 Begins

So Snowmaggedon, Snowpocalypse2010, SnoMG has begun. We have a good 4-6 inches on the ground already, with a predicted 20-30 inches total to expect.

Here is how we look in Towson now, around 9 pm.

We expect 6-10 inches overnight. I will continue to take photos and document the progression of the grill & hot tub as long as they can be seen!
Officials have asked for people to stay off the roads, and stay at home. So I hope you don’t get stir crazy, and are able to remain at home if you are here in the Baltimore area…
Good luck weathering the storm!

Ramp from Southbound Charles Street to I-695 East to be Closed on February 4, 2010

Charles Street traffic heading south from Lutherville in Towson will be hitting another snarl beginning Thursday night around 8 pm as the entrance to I-695 East will be closed long term as part of the ongoing Charles Street Overpass construction project.

This means cars coming south on Charles Street from Seminary Avenue or the circle at Bellona Avenue will not be able to make a left to enter the beltway going east.

From the State Highway Administration’s website:

The official ramp detour route: north/eastbound Bellona Avenue to eastbound MD 131 (Seminary Avenue) to southbound MD 45 (York Road) to the York Road Interchange ramp to eastbound I-695…

Temporary traffic signs will guide motorists through the official detour route in Lutherville and the ramp closure will remain in effect until early fall 2010.

So yes, this will be a big change for those traveling south on Charles Street from the circle & Seminary Avenue, but the long term benefits should much outweigh these inconveniences!

Unexpected Snow Storm Wreaks Havoc in Towson

A large amount of snow blanketed the Baltimore area yesterday, causing major problems on roads north and south of the Beltway.

Forecasters were predicting a dusting to three inches of snow. As most of us realized yesterday, it was more like 6-10 inches.

The major problem was that State Highway Administration crews apparently were not prepared. At noon, as I was on 695 traveling east toward White Marsh, it became very clear that road crews had not been out — there was no salt, sand or plowing. Snow began around 10, and it was sticking very well to the cold roadways.

I would have thought that 95 North of the Beltway would have been better, but I was wrong.

Numerous cars spun out, down embankments, in the medians. I saw about 4 accidents and probably 13 cars spun out in my short trip to Abingdon. I have a heavy SUV and it handles very well in the snow, but even I found my wheels losing their grip as I traveled slowly north.

As I was meeting with sellers and listing a great property in the St Clair neighborhood of Abingdon (it will be online in a few days — stay tuned!), the snow continued to fall quickly. At 3 pm I went to leave.

And Route 24 was a parking lot.

It took about 35 minutes to go just over a mile on that main artery toward 95 South. Police were out directing traffic, which is the only reason things were moving at all.

Once I got on 95 South, roads were a little better than earlier. It appeared at least the left lane had been sanded, but in between lanes there was a decent amount of snow built up and the right lanes completely covered. To be safe, you needed to drive in the grooves in the snow that other cars had created. Again, though, the number of ambulances and fire engines I saw was astounding. All I could think was that maybe if these roads were treated, the EMTs, firefighters, and police officers wouldn’t have to be working so hard!

695 West was decent, but Eastbound still was not. An hour & 1/2 later I was getting to Towson and York Road was untouched by plows. Bosley was a mess with cars attempting to go uphill without traction. I am still amazed that one car did not slide back down and hit me. I saw it happening and was able to navigate my way around him (thank goodness for growing up in New England — we learned how to turn into the skid!).

By the time I got home, my nerves were shot, and I was shaking from being so tense for that two hour period of driving. I was glad to get and remain home.

I wish that forecasters had been closer or that the State Highway Administration had taken precautions and sanded “just in case” so there wouldn’t have been so many accidents.

I hope you were able to remain home, and that you remembered to check out my past post on how to Enjoy the Winter White for fun things to do. It appears roads have been cleared this morning, at least here in Towson, so we may venture out. If you do so, please be careful!

Stoneleigh Real Estate – Avondale Road

Stoneleigh has always been a very popular area when it comes to buyers looking for older homes in an established neighborhood.

Currently, there are five homes for sale with an average list price of $573,780. Two of these homes are on Avondale Road, a very small street connecting Stoneleigh Road and Kingston Road.

6901 Avondale Road is on the market for $539,000. It has a redone kitchen with stainless appliances, and is deceivingly larger than it appears from the front. Room sizes are very generous, and the home is very charming!

6905 Avondale Road is on the market for $564,900. It has a large family room off the back and also has a redone kitchen with stainless appliances.

Avondale Road is such a pretty street located in the 21212 Stoneleigh neighborhood.

Stoneleigh has much to offer, with an elementary school in the community, a swim club that Stoneleigh homeowners can join as a benefit to living in the neighborhood, and old, established homes.

The Stoneleigh Community Association is very active in keeping the integrity of the homes and the neighborhood, so no exterior changes can be made without prior approval of the Board. The Association also oversees the pool, the Citizens on Patrol, the tree replantings, recycling efforts, and the social events of the community.

If you would like more information on these two homes on Avondale or any other home in Stoneleigh, please contact me today!

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