Ramblings of a Baltimore area Realtor

The market made some great increases this week with spring, with more buyers searching for their first or next home.  The number of new listings has increased and the number of homes going under contract has also increased.  The numbers boast an improvement in the housing market here in Maryland.  There is speculation though that this increase in market activity is just due to seasonal adjustments though rather than market conditions and the reduction in the federal lending rates.  It will be interesting to see how this all changes with the changes in the FHA and Jumbo loan limits and adjustments in the interest rates.  Overall, it's still a great time to buy.

These figures are taken directly from our MRIS system and are believed to be accurate.

Glen Burnie, MD

 New Listings       37 (increase of 13 from last week)           Total 470

Under Contract    18 (increase 9 over last week)

Settled Sales       11 (increase of 8 from last week)

Anne Arundel County

New Listings        289 (increase of 71 from last week)          Total 4308

Under Contract    120(increase of 27 over last week)

Settled Sales       74 (increase of 41 over last week)

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.

If you are thinking of buying or selling a home give me a call today and we'll talk about the market conditions and what your home could possibly be worth in today's market place if you are thinking of selling.  If you are considering buying a home, there is no better time than now to buy.  The tax savings and wealth building a lone is worth the plunge into todays market.

June Piper-Brandon, Broker - Advance Realty - http://www.gb-advancerealtyusa.com/ or http://www.homesdatabase.com/junepiperbrandon

Friday, May 2 from 11am to 8pm

Saturday, May 3 from 11am to 8pm

Washington Monument

$2 all day parking at 15 W. Franklin St. garage

http://www.flowermart.org/

Come on down to the Washington Monument in Baltimore City and buy your springtime bedding plants and hanging baskets and your Mother's Day jewelry, art glass or handmade purses and much more.  While you're there, visit the booths of the neighborhood organizations or get a massage.  There is food, fun, entertainment and of course flowers.  This is the 91st annual flowermart. 

The Washington Monument is located on Charles Street North at Monument Street between Madison and Centre Streets in the center of Baltimore City. 

This is a great day out for the family and is located about an half hour drive from Ft. Meade (about 22 miles) and about 45 minutes from Aberdeen Proving Ground.  Flowermart is a Baltimore phenomenon and has been going on annually for 91 years and is a great opportunity for those new to the area and for those relocated to Ft. Meade and Aberdeen to experience some of the wonderful things Baltimore has to offer.  Don't miss the lemon sticks which are a favorite with the kids (and adults too).

Do you like trains as much as we love trains?  Almost from birth my youngest son Liam (now almost 10) has loved trains.  In February 2003 we had record breaking snowfalls and the roof on the museum collapsed and damaged much of the display, he saw this on the news and cried and wouldn't rest until I put him in the car and drove down there so he could see for himself.  From the time he was 3 we have had a family membership to the museum and visit often. 

The museum is located on the site of the old Mt. Clare Junction railroad shops and is considered to be the birthplace of railroading in America.  It was here within the Museum's 40-acre campus that Baltimore businessmen, surveyors, and engineers set about building the B&O Railroad in 1829 - laying the first commercial long-distance track, building the first passenger station, and inventing America's unique railroad. Railroad work has been conducted at Mt. Clare for over 130 years. And it continues today. The B&O Railroad Museum collects, preserves and interprets artifacts relating to early American railroading, particularly the Baltimore & Ohio, Chesapeake & Ohio, Western Maryland, and other mid-Atlantic railroads and hosts well over 200,000 visitors a year.  The museum is part of the Smithsonian Museum and houses over 200 pieces of locomotive and rail cars from 1830 to modern times.

The museum is open daily from 10am until 4 pm Monday through Saturday and on Sundays from 11 am until 4 pm.  The museum is conveniently located at the junction of Pratt Street and Poppleton just west of Baltimore's Inner Harbor.

From April through December you can ride the rails for the price of admission to the museum.  Wednesday through Sunday when you visit the train museum you can also ride a restored train and during steam days you'll ride on an original restored steam train. 

During the year the museum hosts many events including Santa arriving on a train at Christmas.  Children can visit with Santa and also view the many exhibits.  During the Christmas season local train groups are able to exhibit displays. 

April 25 through the 27th, and again May 2 through May 4th Thomas the Tank Engine will be visiting the B & O.  Kids (and parents too) will be able to ride in Annie and Clarabel on the rails.

Throughout the year there are many exhibits inside and outside the round house.  In the yard you'll find a large scale train layout.  And, housed in a railroad car you'll find an HO layout of Baltimore harbor and rail system.  Occasionally, the restoration shops are open to tour so you will want to check the website often for events coming up.  http://www.borail.org

Once you have visited the Baltimore site, you will also want to visit the smaller site in historic Ellicott City.

To live within walking distance of the museum is an easy commute to both Ft. Meade and Aberdeen Proving Ground and homes in this neighborhood range in price from $150,000 to $500,000.  The neighboring communities are Washington Village (or Pigtown), Mt. Clare, Hollins Market, Union Square, Ridgely's Delite, Little Lithuania and others.  There are also many opportunities to purchase homes for renovation and some of the neighborhoods qualify for historic tax credits.  

If you are interested in purchasing a home in this neighborhood contact me and I'll be happy to help you out.

June Piper-Brandon, Advance Realty - http://www.gb-advancerealtyusa.com  junepiperbrandon@advancerealtyusa.com

The market has really been heating up with spring, with more buyers searching for their first or next home.  The number of new listings has increased and the number of homes going under contract has also increased.  The numbers boast an improvement in the housing market here in Maryland.  There is speculation though that this increase in market activity is just due to seasonal adjustments though rather than market conditions and the reduction in the federal lending rates.  It will be interesting to see how this all changes with the changes in the FHA and Jumbo loan limits and adjustments in the interest rates.  Overall, it's still a great time to buy.

These figures are taken directly from our MRIS system and are believed to be accurate.

Glen Burnie, MD

 New Listings       24 (decrease of 8 from last week)           Total 461

Under Contract    9 (decrease 6 over last week)

Settled Sales       3 (decrease of 4 from last week)

Anne Arundel County

New Listings        218 (decrease of 95 from last week)          Total 4223

Under Contract    93(decrease of 29 over last week)

Settled Sales       33 (decrease of 13 over last week)

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.

If you are thinking of buying or selling a home give me a call today and we'll talk about the market conditions and what your home could possibly be worth in today's market place if you are thinking of selling.  If you are considering buying a home, there is no better time than now to buy.  The tax savings and wealth building a lone is worth the plunge into todays market.

June Piper-Brandon, Broker - Advance Realty - http://www.gb-advancerealtyusa.com or http://www.homesdatabase.com/junepiperbrandon

I specialize in working with investors and have for quite a few years, they have been my bread and butter while I work with a few regular home buyers and sellers I prefer investors since they seem to be more logical and it's about the numbers not the color of the paint.

A number of my sellers purchase properties at tax sale and then foreclose on the properties and take the property to judgement and then sell the judgement with the new owner taking the property to deed.  A lot of the properties we sell at auction and occasionally they come up on the multiple list.

With all the changes in the lending industry it is getting harder and harder for investors to get loans to purchase these properties.  Now, my sellers are getting anxious.  They hadn't anticipated the market taking such a huge downturn on the investment side, nor did they anticipate it taking so long to get the judgements to sell the properties. 

Last week we had four properties go to auction and the attendance was dismal.  There were only one or two people at the auctions and none were bidding, the week before it was the same. 

The City of Baltimore has row upon row of boarded up properties and they need investors to come in and rehab these and make them tax paying properties again.  There has got to be some relief for these people. 

Baltimore is filled with lots of great opportunities for investors.  There is a huge shortage of housing for some of the non-profit housing organizations.  There are a huge number of homes that are vacant and in need of light rehab and some in need of a complete gut rehab.  The ultimate return on investment is huge since you can purchase some of these homes for as low as $15,000 - $20,000 and with as little as $20,000 in rehab in some cases you could get $900 a month for a 3 bedroom home and provide a family with shelter and a leg up to a better life. 

Arbor Day

Free Tree Give Away

in Historic Druid Hill Park

The City of Baltimore in conjunction with Parks and Rec and Tree Baltimore and Baltimore Green Week are sponsoring this years Arbor Day free tree Giveaway followed by Ecofest.

April 26, 2008

Mansion House Drive:  9-11 am

Ecofest:  11 am- 5 pm

Drop by the Mansion in the morning for trees are available on a first come first serve basis or to the Tree Baltimore display at Ecofest.  Pick up a tree to plant in your front or back yard.  Visit Ecofest and learn more about a sustainable lifestyle.  Trees are available to Baltimore City residents only.  The Ecofest event is free and open to the general public.  Come and learn about the benefits of a sustainable lifestyle. 

Visit Ecofest and visit the exhibitors and learn more about helping to keep Baltimore cleaner and more environmentally friendly for all those folks who live and work there.

Enter Druid Hill Park by Swann Drive to Mansion House Drive for morning tree pick up.  For more information call 410-396-7900 or visit www.baltimorecity.gov/recnparks

The market has really been heating up with spring, with more buyers searching for their first or next home.  The number of new listings has increased and the number of homes going under contract has also increased.  The numbers boast an improvement in the housing market here in Maryland.  How much of this is just due to seasonal adjustments though rather than market conditions and the reduction in the federal lending rates.  It will be interesting to see how this all changes with the changes in the FHA and Jumbo loan limits and the drop in the rates.

These figures are taken directly from our MRIS system and are believed to be accurate.

Glen Burnie, MD

 New Listings       32 (increase of 8 from last week)           Total 452

Under Contract    15 (no change)

Settled Sales       7 (decrease of 4 from last week)

Anne Arundel County

New Listings        313 (increase of 20 from last week)          Total 4193

Under Contract    122 (increase of 20 over last week)

Settled Sales       46 (decrease of 30 over last week)

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 love spring in Baltimore. 

Baltimore City has over 200 distinct neighborhoods and each has it's own character and personality.  In the spring they come alive with rebirth.

Ednor Gardens (pictured here), is conveniently located close to the center of the city and the streets are tree lined and flower lined through the spring and into the summer.  The homes are typically row homes, some brick, some stone and in a few different architectural styles and most have off street parking.  This community is typically a stable home owner community and affordably priced.  The homes and gardens are well maintained and it's a pleasure to walk through here on a spring day just to see and smell the flowers.  Ednor Gardens is located within the city limits of Baltimore City and an easy commute to either Ft. Meade or Aberdeen Proving Ground.  A new YMCA facility was just built very near Ednor Gardens and provides before and after school care for local children and also has a great day summer camp with before and after care as early as 7:30 am and as late as 6:00 pm for kids whose parents work at Ft. Meade or other area military bases.

You don't have to go far to enjoy the areas parks either.  Patapsco River winds through the City and in Elkridge Landing you can walk along it's banks, skip stones and hike in Patapsco State Park along it's many trails.  The park in Elkridge Landing is about 10 minutes along Route 1 from Rt. 175, therefore very close to Ft. Meade.  In years gone past Elkridge Landing was the original port in Baltimore.  You'd never know it today though since the river has silted up so much that boats can no longer go up the river that far.  Patapsco State Park encompasses over 14000 acres and has over 5 developed areas for you to enjoy.  You can canoe, camp, hike, kayak, picnic and much more.  And, there are lots of volunteer opportunities for you and for your family.

 Top 10 areas of interest you will want to enjoy in Patapsco Valley State Park: 

1. View the Thomas Viaduct - world's longest multiple-arched stone railroad bridge. (Avalon Area)
2. Hike the Grist Mill Trail - A 1.5 mile paved and accessible trail for the mobility challenged and disabled along the river. (Avalon Area)
3. Walk across the Swinging Bridge - a 300 foot suspension walkway over Patapsco River. (Orange Grove Area)
4. Hike to Bloede's Dam - world's first internally housed hydroelectric dam. (Orange Grove Area)
5. Hike the McKeldin Area trail system for beautiful views of the valley and river rapids.
6. Play on a two-acre tire playground in the Hilton Area.
7. Camp in one of our family campsites or camper cabins to enjoy the park activities or nearby Ellicott City or Baltimore. (Hollofield and Hilton Areas)
8. View the Patapsco Valley Overlook in the Hollofield Area - the only valley overlook along the river.
9. Visit the Daniels Area fish ladder to learn about Maryland's first barrier free river to shad and herring migrations.
10. Visit the Avalon Visitor Center.
11. Visit the Tire Park Playground in the Hilton Area.  There are plenty of picnic areas here and lots for the whole family to enjoy, watch the deer come out and play too.

Patapsco State Park is located a few miles from Ft. Meade and an easy day trip from Aberdeen Proving Ground.  Patapsco State Park will provide you with many opportunities to visit more than once.  You'll want to go back just to enjoy the peaceful surroundings. 

For more information about these and other areas in and around Baltimore please contact me and I'll be happy to help you find a neighborhood that is just right for you and your family.

June Piper-Brandon, Advance Realty - http://www.gb-advancerealtyusa.com/jpiperbrandon

Celebrate the arrival of spring by coming to the first plant sale of the season! The Herring Run Native Plant Nursery has a tremendous selection of native shrubs and trees, as well as a number of native perennials to choose from. This is a great opportunity to improve the landscaping and curb appeal of your home with trees and shrubs that are native to this area. 

Thanks to a grant from the Chesapeake Bay Trust and Baltimore County's Growing Home Campaign, The Herring Run Native Plant Nursery can offer exceptional deals on most of their plants. Come on out and see for yourself!

When:    Sat. April 19th  noon-3PM                    

             Sun, April 27th  noon - 3 PM  

Where:      Baltimore Municipal Golf Corp, in Mt Pleasant Golf course, 6131 Hillen Rd (North of Northern Parkway and South of Loch Raven                             Boulevard).  

Cost:    Native trees $25-$70 (50% off shade trees for Herring Run Watershed resident or 10% off any tree over $25.00)            

25 varieties   Native Shrubs:   $15-$35.00                         25 varieties  

Questions :   email dcrew@herringrun.org or call HRWA at 410-254-1577 or visit  http://www.herringrun.org/ and click on nursery link.

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