Ramblings of a Baltimore area Realtor

Do you live in the Greater Baltimore/Greater Capital area in Maryland?  Are you a licensed Realtor?  Are you thinking about getting out of the business because you can't get enough floor duty, you can't get enough leads, you can't get enough buyers, you don't have any listings to have open houses for and you have to share 50% of your hard earned commission with your Broker? 

I have a solution for your woes.  I am now recruiting new and experienced agents who want to get more leads, who want more duty time, who want to make more money.

Advance Realty offers 70/30 commission splits or a flat fee program for more experienced agents.  We offer lots of opportunities for floor duty.  Advance also has lots of opportunities for you to hold open houses, attend first time home buyer seminars and generally receive more leads.  We also won't charge you for photocopies, color printing or phone usage and our office is wireless and we have state of the art web based programming for your website, company email, forms and presentations and we also offer in house training, online training and free continuing education.

What are you waiting for? 

For your free, no obligation cup of coffee or other beverage drop me an email today or give me a call.

http://www.gb-advancerealtyusa.com

junepiperbrandon@advancerealtyusa.com

I was inspired to write this blog by an other ActiveRainer.  In Baltimore we are blessed with several locations where you can buy recycled building materials, remixed paint, recycled cabinets, recycled counter tops, recycled hardware, recycled floors and the list goes on.  And, yes, you can build an entire house from found materials. 

The Loading Dock is located 2 N. Kresson Street, Baltimore 21224. 

Their warehouse is filled to the brim with all kinds of materials.  Not only do they accept donations from people who are renovating their homes but they also collect paint from landfill sites and remix them in 5 gallon bucks.  

The Loading Dock is a non profit building material reuse center.  For an annual membership of $10 you can shop their warehouse.  They have a great website with lots of ideas and also offer how to classes if you aren't familiar with how to do certain things. 

The loading dock makes the following suggestions to help with your shopping experience:

• keep your membership current
• bring a tape measure
• be sure you come with a way to bring your finds home
• shop with a friend to help carry your stuff
• and give yourself lots of time to roam. 

Second Chance is located at 1645 Warner Street, Baltimore, MD 21230, they also have locations in Philadelphia and Washington DC.

Second Chance is an architectural salvage yard and gives gives old buildings new life. They work with local and regional architects, builders and contractors to search out old buildings which are entering the demolition phase.

Second Chance rescues the wood, metal, marble, plaster, stone and other architectural elements that make the building special. The salvage is then stored in their warehouse where these pieces are given new lives, in new homes, in new ways, with new uses.  

Second Chance is also working with some of the low-income residents of Baltimore to train them in a wide variety of skill sets, ranging from carpentry to craftsmanship. Their goal is to create skilled workers who can make a living wage with benefits for themselves and their families truly teaching that second chances aren't just for old buildings but also for people.

Second Chance has five warehouses and each houses different types of building materials and architectural items.  You'll definitely want to give yourself enough time to roam and take in all the items you can find here. 

Many of my clients shop for items at both these locations to give interest to their renovations but also to keep items from going to the landfill and doing their part for the environment.  Not only are they helping the environment but they are also keeping the cost of their renovation down and passing that gain along to the end user, the buyer.  It is truly possible to renovate an entire house and to build an entire house using recycled materials found at either of these great locations in Baltimore.

By shopping there you are keeping items out of the land fill, using recycled materials, and providing opportunities for those less fortunate in our communities. 

http://www.gb-advancerealtyusa.com/jpiperbrandon 

The Live Baltimore Home Center is preparing to host the"Greenlight Baltimore," a Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) related relocation fair and tour of Baltimore City on Saturday, April 12, 2008. This is a free event for individuals and families impacted by BRAC and considering relocation to Maryland in the next two-four years.

This is a great opportunity for people to experience some of Baltimore's finest features and learn more about the area you are about to relocate to.

Baltimore offers over 225 individual neighborhoods and each with it's own personality.  Joining this tour will give you the opportunity to experience Baltimore through the eyes of those that know it best and love nothing better than to show off Charm City. 

Live Baltimore is a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting living in Baltimore City. Greenlight Baltimore is a one-day event designed to showcase some of the neighborhoods and quality of life amenities found in this great city of Baltimore. The day includes complimentary bus transportation from home areas in New Jersey and Virginia, a fair highlighting our neighborhoods and community organizations, narrated familiarization bus tours of city living opportunities and a closing reception.

Stay tuned for more information about this great city of Baltimore.

June Piper-Brandon, Advance Realty Anne Arundel

http://www.gb-advancerealtyusa.com/jpiperbrandon

In Maryland there are addenda that are part of the Exclusive Right to Sell contract that deal with notifying tenants that the property they occupy is for sale and also gives them the opportunity to purchase the property.  I realize it might be confusing to figure out which forms to use with the listing agreement, but it is the law here that the property owner notify the tenant and at least give them the opportunity to purchase or waive their right.  Also, if the property is occupied by tenants that have a lease the property must be sold subject to the existing lease and new owners can not occupy until the lease is over. 

A few weeks ago I got a call from a nice young couple who are wanting to buy a home in the Union Square area of Baltimore.  Union Square is a really neat area of Baltimore located on the west side and includes many large old row homes facing Union Square, a nice park bound on one side by Lombard Street and the other by Hollins Street.  The homes are typically 3 storey and over 3000 square feet in size.  Right on the square the homes are expensive and this couple can really only afford up to $200,000 so we set out to look at homes a block or two off the square. 

We went to homes on W. Pratt Street, Hollins Street, Lemmon Street and Calhoun.  There were two properties on Calhoun, one I was told was vacant and the other tenant occupied.  I couldn't get confirmation on the home that was tenant occupied so we struck it from the list.  We go up to the door of the one on Calhoun and knock and there's noise inside and a screaming voice asks who it is.  I responded with my name and company.  There's a lockbox on the door.  I waited and a young boy came to door with a shocked look on his face that his house was for sale.  I apologized and left.  Then the mother came out and asked if she could talk to me so I spoke with her.  They had just moved into the house last month to rent it and had signed a lease and no one had told her the house was for sale.  I gave her the listing agents name and phone number and suggested she call. 

I can't imagine how these people felt after being told that the home they just moved into was for sale.  And, the thing is, I'm not even sure the seller would have informed the agent that he had rented the property. 

I list a lot of vacant homes and I always visit them every week to be sure that everything is secure, that the lockbox still works, that there aren't any squatters in the house etc.. etc.. It is so important to do that to protect your clients interests in the property and to protect your commission.

I have been keeping an eye on the marketplace here in my office's home county.  There has been an increase in activity, more calls, more buyers, more listings overall and more contracts being written.  It's great for us as realtors and also shows an increase in people's confidence.

Glen Burnie, Maryland

New Listings - 29

Total Number of Active Listings - 484

Homes that went under contract - 8

Settled Sales - 3

Low Price - $175500

High Price - $575000

Anne Arundel County, Maryland

New Listings - 204

Total Number of Active Listings - 3,784

Homes that went under contract - 87

Settled Sales - 33

Low Price - $82,000

High Price - $3,150,000

Glen Burnie offers many affordable housing opportunities for those relocating to Ft. Meade and Annapolis.  Glen Burnie is located north on 97 from rt 50 or north on Rt. 2 from Annapolis Naval Academy and east along 32 and north on 97 from Ft. Meade.  It is a relatively easy commute from either base and only a couple short miles from the Curtis Bay Coast Guard Station too.

I often get asked by homeowners and sellers about maintaining their home for future sale.  Here are a few tips I recommend.

1. Change your furnace filter monthly.  This is so easy yet so important especially for energy conservation.
2. Drain your water heater at least once a year - the sediment will drain out with the water and prolong your water heater's life.
3. Clean the coils on your baseboard heating units that use hot water, this will maximize their efficiency.
4. Check your circuits - flip your breakers off and on again.  If you have a breaker that keeps shutting off with regular use then you might consider calling an electrician.
5. Watch out for drips - check under your sinks for leaks and water stains and be sure to clean your drains regularly to prevent slow drainage.
6. Be mindful of the age of your hot water heater, furnace, roof and other important components of your house.  Like everything they have a life expectancy and if you take care of them they will last a long time but if you don't they could severely compromise the value of your home.
7. Purchasing a home plan from your local utility company to regularly inspect your furnace and hot water heater could save you lots of money in the long run with expensive repairs.
8. Check your basement regularly for water or moisture.  As homes get older they often settle and you could find small cracks that might allow moisture to enter your home.  You should check for these and repair them early to prevent any further damage to your home.
9. Have your chimney inspected and cleaned regularly.  This will prevent fire hazards if you use your fireplace regularly and also help with energy efficiency.
10. Ask your realtor about a home warranty when purchasing your home or afterwards.  A good home warranty can save you money on the repair and replacement of appliances and important parts of your home.  It can also save you and trying to decide who to call to make repairs.

When I was first licensed in real estate, back in the stone age, we used to be able to take things upon their face value and accept that what was written on paper was actual fact.  So much has changed since those days.  And, I'm not sure it's for the better either. 

I received a contract on Friday on one of my listings.  It's a pretty good contract, full price but they are asking for a lot of closing help but what shocked me more was the buyer only put down $200 as earnest money deposit.  What kind of deposit is that?  If he walks away from the contract, $200 is hardly any compensation to the seller for time wasted. 

Then there's the preapproval letter.  I have come to learn that preapproval letters are generally not worth the paper they are written on and you can't trust lenders to tell the absolute truth, so help them God.  One good thing was that the letter was from a well known national lender, so at least it's worth something and they may still be in business on March 21 when we're supposed to settle.  If it were from Mom and Pop Broker I might be more concerned or one of the smaller lending institutions that reported to be in financial difficulty.  So, I called the loan officer on Friday, there's no cell phone number in the letter and the letter is really vague.  I waited all weekend, with no response, I called him again yesterday morning got his voice mail again, but then late yesterday he finally called me back.  He had verified the buyers income and credit score but not his assets.  So, I had to wait longer for him to verify that the guy had money. 

Now, more than ever, it is so important to verify the letter before your client accepts the contract.  But, even verifying the contents of the approval isn't enough anymore.  You need to be sure that your lender is going to be around when it comes time to close the transaction. 

There are so many home warranty companies out there.  How do you choose which one to recommend to your buyers, sellers and agents?  I tell my agents that they need to sell a home warranty on every transaction, it helps keep them from having to buy refrigerators, stoves etc..etc.. if something doesn't work after settlement.  But, how do you choose?

AON

AHS

HMS

Globe

Warrantech

and the list goes on from there. 

How do you choose?

Anne Arundel County - 205 new listings since February 8, 2008

                                 3783 total active listings

                                 96 homes went under contract since February 8, 2008 (123 homes the week before)

                                 33 homes sold since February 8, 2008  (44 the week before)

Glen Burnie -               16 new listings since February 8, 2008

                                  425 total active listings

                                  15 homes went under contract since February 8, 2008

                                  3 homes sold since February 8, 2008

These details are presumed to be accurate and are collected from MRIS by the author.

Glen Burnie offers many affordable housing opportunities for those relocating to Ft. Meade and Annapolis.  Glen Burnie is located north on 97 from rt 50 or north on Rt. 2 from Annapolis Naval Academy and east along 32 and north on 97 from Ft. Meade.  It is a relatively easy commute from either base and only a couple short miles from the Curtis Bay Coast Guard Station too.