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612 Creswell Road, Baltimore, MD 21225
Central A/C
1 comment • June Piper-Brandon, CRIS, ePro, Broker • April 24 2009 11:30AM1197 Convey Harbour, Pasadena, MD 21122
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1 comment • June Piper-Brandon, CRIS, ePro, Broker • April 24 2009 11:11AMEarth Day 2009 is April 22 - 10 Things You Can Do to Help Your Environment
Check out your neighborhood and see what is going on to celebrate Earth Day on April 22, 2009. Here are 10 super easy things you can do to help your environment. Share this list with your clients and fellow realtors, there are lots of things here we can all do to help.
- Decrease the margins on your standard print setup on your compuer. If you decrease your margins by just 1/2 inch you will use 5% less paper.
- Exchange all your incandescent light bulbs for compact Fluorescent bulbs.
The price of these has really come down over the last few years. They use 60% less energy and last longer. We changed as many bulbs as possible in our house a 2 years ago and only two bulbs have had to be replaced. Our electric bill also dropped by $50 the first month. Home Depot now has a package of four on sale (latest flyer in Maryland) for $5.98 which isn't that much more than regular incandescent bulbs. They come in different wattages and for those lamps with three settings too. - Change out your old thermostat for a programmable thermostat. During the
day you can set your temperature higher (in summer) or lower (in winter) during the day when no one is home and similarly at night after people have gone to bed and will be under the blankets. We added this last year and further reduced our energy bill every month. These too have come way down in price, an affordable thermostat is now about $50 and you will recoup this the first month. Our local gas and electric supplier (BGE) has a special offer now with special pricing. This program is called the Peak Rewards program. It is a component of the BGE Smart Energy Savers Program, which allows customers to conserve energy, save money, and help the environment. 
Stop buying bottled water. Buy a water bottle (or get one for free as a promotional) and fill it up with water yourself. If you are like me you are probably drinking 3 or 4 bottles of water a day. If you buy one, you're keeping 4 bottles a day out of the landfil. My office has a water cooler, DeerPark picks up the old bottle, recycles it and redelivers it to another office. - Replace your shower head with a low flow shower head with a turn off button. So, while you are lathering up the shampoo in the morning you have the water turned off. Turn it back on when you are all soaped up and save some water.
- Check your car tires and make sure they are properly inflated. You could save up to 3% of your gas mileage by doing that.
- Change your washer to warm or cold setting. Clothes will get clean in warm or cold just as well as they will in hot water and you are saving energy.
- Run your dishwasher on the energy saving setting every time and be sure you run it only when it's full.
- Most people have their hot water heater set on 140 degrees. It will be just as efficient if you turn it down to 120 degrees.
- In the winter turn your thermostat down just two degrees and in the summer turn it up just two degrees and save on the energy you use to heat and cool your house. Last summer our air conditioner stopped working. We still haven't gotten it fixed. We installed ceiling fans and window fans in our house and really cut down on our energy costs.
These are just ten really easy things that anyone can use to save on your energy costs, save our planet and save towards buying a home!!
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 alone is worth the plunge into todays market.
During 2009 Advance Realty Anne Arundel Inc is waving administrative fees active duty military, retired military and the families of fallen military, as well as policemen, firemen and emt's. This is a $350 savings. If you are thinking about buying or selling a home give Advance Realty Anne Arundel a call and receive full service real estate assistance from an experienced agent. Our office is open 7 days a week and we can be reached at 410-761-1550.
June Piper-Brandon, Broker - Advance Realty Anne Arundel Inc.
5 comments • June Piper-Brandon, CRIS, ePro, Broker • April 19 2009 07:31PMSpeechless Sunday - A Few of my Favorite Things
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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 alone is worth the plunge into todays market.
During 2009 Advance Realty Anne Arundel Inc is waving administrative fees active duty military, retired military and the families of fallen military, as well as policemen, firemen and emt's. This is a $350 savings. If you are thinking about buying or selling a home give Advance Realty Anne Arundel a call and receive full service real estate assistance from an experienced agent. Our office is open 7 days a week and we can be reached at 410-761-1550.
June Piper-Brandon, Broker - Advance Realty Anne Arundel Inc.
7 comments • June Piper-Brandon, CRIS, ePro, Broker • April 19 2009 10:39AMGoing to Settlement - Things You can Do to Help Your Client
Oh Happy Day!! Today is settlement day. But, I'm not doing the happy dance just yet. We still have to sign all the paperwork and get our checks.
As a listing agent some things you need to tell your seller:
- do pay your water bill on time, you don't want to go to settlement and find out the county has turned the water off
- do not turn off the utilities - an appraiser may not sign off on an appraisal if the utilities aren't on at the time of the appraisal, unless it's a foreclosure property. Very rarely do you think about this particular item, but this morning underwriting said they wouldn't give the clear to close because the power was off. But, the power was on this morning for the final walk through and the house was in excellent condition the Lender gave a waiver.
As a buyer's agent, there are some things you can do to help:
- if the lender doesn't do their homework and tells your buyer that they qualify for an obscure grant program, makes them take the class only to find out a few days before settlement he doesn't qualify because he makes too much money, you can insist that the bank/lender pay it anyway. This particular transaction was supposed to settle on the 10th, but it had to be postponed so the buyer could take this home buyer workshop, only to find out that he didn't qualify anyway. The lender should have known this. It's not about what you know, its about what you SHOULD have known and you can be held responsible for this. If they don't, ask to speak to the manager and insist. Your buyer is entitled to this.
- Be sure you keep on top of the details working up to settlement. Don't assume everything is fine. You should get the HUD-1 the day before settlement, not the morning of or at the settlement table. Make sure you are accessible the day before and the day of settlement for those last minute details.
- Go through the HUD-1 be sure that all the items are where they are supposed to be. The title company is running a deal on this closing that all the title charges were supposed to be $495 if the buyer purchases title insurance. But tucked down in the middle of "Additional Title Charges" is Abstract/Title Search which is a Title Charge line item that's supposed to be covered by the $495. Just saved the buyer another $200. But, do check and double check that your commission and administrative fees are correct and present.
There are some small details that you can do that will make your sales and settlements move along just a little smoother.
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 alone is worth the plunge into todays market.
During 2009 Advance Realty Anne Arundel Inc is waving administrative fees active duty military, retired military and the families of fallen military, as well as policemen, firemen and emt's. This is a $350 savings. If you are thinking about buying or selling a home give Advance Realty Anne Arundel a call and receive full service real estate assistance from an experienced agent. Our office is open 7 days a week and we can be reached at 410-761-1550.
June Piper-Brandon, Broker - Advance Realty Anne Arundel Inc.
2 comments • June Piper-Brandon, CRIS, ePro, Broker • April 17 2009 12:51PMThe Confident Rookie Series - SECRET NINE - Admit That You're New
What great advice for new agents. Check out Jennifer's other blogs about the Confident Rookie Series.
June Piper-Brandon, Broker - Advance Realty Anne Arundel Inc.
Via Jennifer Allan, Author of Sell with Soul (Sell with Soul):
Here we are - the second-to-last installment of the Confident Rookie Series!
A lot of new agents worry about being taken advantage of by experienced agents, if the experienced agent were to find out that they're new. So the obvious solution is to pretend that they aren't new, right?
Unfortunately, no. The thing is - if you're new, it will almost certainly be obvious to the agent on the other side of the table, whether you own up to it or not. And the more you try to fake experience, the more obvious it will be. When I'm on the other side of a transaction from a rookie agent who is trying to pretend she knows what she's doing, she almost always embarrass herself. However, if the rookie agent tells me upfront that she's in her first year and to bear with her if she goes overboard crossing her t's and dotting i's... I'm a lot more willing to make the experience pleasant for her.
And I think you'll find more agents with this mindset than not. Yes, there are some amazingly jerky people in our business and if you happen to run into one of them early in your career, they may very well make that transaction miserable for you... but the good news is that - think about it - you'll only have a handful of "first deals" so chances are good you'll have a decent agent on the other side. Just be upfront with them about your lack of experience, confidently, and they may even go out of their way to help you. The same goes for inspectors, appraisers, attorneys, closers and lenders.
However, what if you do run into a jerk on your first or second sale? I did - my third sale actually and 12 years later I still remember him vividly. He was abusive and condescending and said some pretty nasty things to me - you can read about him in Chapter Eleven of Sell with Soul. And he did intimidate me to the point of embarrassing myself in front of my client. Turned out that he later checked into a mental facility for "anger issues."
An abusive agent is going to abuse everyone he comes in contact with - it's not just you and it's not personal. He'd abuse me, he'd abuse Johnny and he probably abuses his mortgage brokers and title reps on a regular basis. Keep your cool, follow your instincts and you'll get thru it.
But this doesn't mean that your inexperience as a new agent won't be used against you, even by a nice-guy opposing agent. That other agent has a duty to represent his client's best interests, so don't believe for a second he's going to help you negotiate against him or his client. If you don't know how to help your buyer determine if a listing is overpriced, if you don't know how to get your buyer what he wants at the inspection, if you don't know how to appeal a low appraisal, the other agent will definitely take advantage of you. It's his job.
So if something sounds fishy to you - AT ALL - ask for help from someone in your office. Even if it doesn't sound fishy, have someone review what you've done... or better yet, what you're getting ready to do before you do it!
It's not too late to register for Saturday's
"Representing Your Buyer in a Short Sale" teleseminar with Janie Coffey.
Details and Registration here.Next Week...
The Art of Commission Negotiation
Details and Registration here.
The Confident Rookie Series:
- Know Your Systems
- Practice with Your Printer (sounds silly, I know)
- Preview, Preview, Preview
- Drive Your Route Ahead of Time
- Cheerfully Waste Your Time
- Find a Handyman
- Let Your Seller Prospect Do Most of the Talking
- Get Comfy with Your Commission
- Admit that You're New
- What to say when you don't know the answer
Stay tuned...
2 comments • June Piper-Brandon, CRIS, ePro, Broker • April 17 2009 08:44AMBaltimore for Less Weekend
Has the current economic crisis hurting your pocket book? Has it got you in a slump? Would you like to get away for the weekend but don't think it's in your budget? Why go out of town when you can have a fabulous fun-filled weekend with your family right here in Baltimore? Lift your spirits and head downtown April 25-26 for the BaltiMORE for LESS Weekend. It's your chance to be a tourist in your own town and take advantage of special discounts at some of your favorite attractions and museums. And, if you're thinking about moving here in the near future, it's a great opportunity for you to see what Baltimore has to offer.
The Baltimore Area Convention and Visitors Association (BACVA) invites you to enjoy Baltimore's treasures for less. There will be discounted parking and reduced admissions to some of your favorite local attractions, there is no excuse not to bring your family for an affordable, fun-packed weekend.
There are a variety of family activities are scheduled downtown on both Saturday and Sunday, many of them will be free (you heard right free!!). From a weekend of cultural events in Mount Vernon and free family programming around the Inner Harbor to a music festival in Station North, visitors will find lots to do downtown, and there's something for everyone and every age.
On Saturday, April 25, from 10:30 a.m. - 6:30 p.m., Carnival Cruise Lines will be "taking over Baltimore's Inner Harbor" and providing FREE entertainment. On Sunday, from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m., the Waterfront Partnership of Baltimore will host FREE family events on the West Shore Park, including a free Mommy/Daddy and Me Yoga class with Charm City Yoga, a petting zoo, RTTs (kid's roots rock band), and children's crafts.
To celebrate the fifth anniversary of the Baltimore Visitor Center, BACVA will host a birthday celebration including a free Inner Harbor scavenger hunt, face painting, balloon artists and a create-your-own postcard station outside of the Baltimore Visitor Center.
BaltiMORE for LESS Weekend - there's even MORE for you to do, for a whole lot LESS.
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 alone is worth the plunge into todays market.
During 2009 Advance Realty Anne Arundel Inc is waving administrative fees active duty military, retired military and the families of fallen military, as well as policemen, firemen and emt's. This is a $350 savings. If you are thinking about buying or selling a home give Advance Realty Anne Arundel a call and receive full service real estate assistance from an experienced agent. Our office is open 7 days a week and we can be reached at 410-761-1550.
June Piper-Brandon, Broker - Advance Realty Anne Arundel Inc.
0 comments • June Piper-Brandon, CRIS, ePro, Broker • April 16 2009 09:28PMAdvance Realty Moves up the Top 500 Broker List
Company News
| Advance Realty Named One of the Top 500 Power Brokers of 2009 Date: 04-09-2009 By: Jessica Gardner/Advance Realty Email: Jessica@advancerealtyusa.com Baltimore, MD-4/09/09-Advance Realty Named One of the Top 500 Power Brokers of 2009 Advance Realty was recognized in RIS Media's April 2009 Issue of the Annual Power Broker Report Survey. The Annual Power Broker Survey aptly described the hardships of 2008 but also shed some much needed light by naming those who remained strong. These Top 500 real estate companies kept pace in a constantly changing market, remaining positive despite the odds. Out of 950 responses nationwide, Advance Realty ranked a solid #358 for transactions and #382 in sales. Among their competitors were RE/MAX, Coldwell Banker and Keller Williams. Even though the total number of transactions from all brokers in this year's report had dropped from 2,322,210 to 1,925,374 and most real estate firms had 550 less transactions on average, Advance Realty's ranking went up nearly 100 slots from last years place of #451 in sales and #456 in transactions. With an optimistic mindset, future-forward technology platform and full service model, Advance Realty has managed to increase their numbers by focusing on growth, development, and strengthening the support network. Recently two new offices were opened, one in Cape May, New Jersey and the other in Baltimore, MD, with more on the horizon. Harry Blondell, CEO states; "Our brand has proven itself to be very stable because of our full service discount model as we have now recorded continual growth in the best and worst of markets and the current economy has driven consumers more than ever to find more value for their money. Our strategy for development in 2008 met with great success and we are entering our next phase with two new locations and four more to announce by the end of the second quarter. 2008 was a tough year in the real estate industry and we continue to apply sound business practices along with a model that gives our brokers the flexibility to adapt with a changing market." Advance Realty, known for its low 1.75% fee and consumer-driven programs, was established in 2001 in Baltimore Maryland. Within the last three years, Advance has moved into five states with many locations based in Maryland. Through the "List more, sell more" system, agents are offered the most incentive rich, income-generating programs available in the trade and the most long-term profitability. Advance Realty, "The Full Service Discount Experts" offers complete real estate services and money-saving programs to clients in addition to numerous agent benefits including profit sharing, integrated real estate technologies and comprehensive training. |
Advance Realty Anne Arundel Inc continues to seek new and experienced agents to join our team. We offer a number of commission models, including a flat monthly fee model. Do you want to work for a company continuing to grow in a declining market? Do you want to work for an office that is supportive and creative in how we grow and support your business? Are you thinking about making a change? Call me today or drop me an email to see how Advance Realty Anne Arundel can advance your career to the next level.
June Piper-Brandon, Broker - Advance Realty Anne Arundel Inc.
0 comments • June Piper-Brandon, CRIS, ePro, Broker • April 15 2009 08:35PMHerring Run Nursery Sale Day - April 19, 2009
Herring Run Nursery Sale Days
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.
Choose from our tremendous selection (and affordable pricing) of native perennials, shrubs and trees. Expert volunteers will help you select the right plants for your yard's conditions. Help make a difference in the watershed. All sales benefit the NONPROFIT, HRWA.
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: Sunday, April 19, 2009
Time: 11:00am - 3:00pm
Where: Baltimore Municipal Golf Corp, in Mt Pleasant Golf course, 6131 Hillen Rd (North of Northern Parkway and South of Loch Raven Boulevard).
Questions : email dcrew@herringrun.org or call HRWA at 410-254-1577 or visit http://www.herringrun.org/ and click on nursery link.
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 alone is worth the plunge into todays market.
During 2009 Advance Realty Anne Arundel Inc is waving administrative fees active duty military, retired military and the families of fallen military, as well as policemen, firemen and emt's. This is a $350 savings. If you are thinking about buying or selling a home give Advance Realty Anne Arundel a call and receive full service real estate assistance from an experienced agent. Our office is open 7 days a week and we can be reached at 410-761-1550.
June Piper-Brandon, Broker - Advance Realty Anne Arundel Inc.
2 comments • June Piper-Brandon, CRIS, ePro, Broker • April 12 2009 10:01AMMarket Update for Glen Burnie, Anne Arundel Co.,Maryland for the week ending April 4, 2009
The market remains fairly stable despite record low interest rates. The number of new listings has remained stable we are still seeing a similar number of homes going under contract and settling. I'm surprised I'm not seeing more individuals making the decision to buy with so many great deals available. The weather has started to warm up, the robins are back and spring flowers are poking through the ground. Many people have put off their home buying for the seasonal activities of Christmas, Hannukah and other festivities. Now with the economic stimulus changes and low interest rates it will be interesting to see how this all changes. Overall, there has never been a better time to buy, than right now.
These figures are taken directly from our MRIS system and are believed to be accurate.
Glen Burnie, MD
New Listings 33 (increase of 10 from last week)
Under Contract 20 (decrease of 6 from last week)
Settled Sales 10 (increase of 4 from last week)
Anne Arundel County
New Listings 236 (increase 28 from last week)
Under Contract 141 (increase 39 over last week)
Settled Sales 102 (no change 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, as well as being commutable to DC whether you ride the MARC from Odenton or drive.
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.
During 2009 Advance Realty Anne Arundel Inc is waving administrative fees active duty military, retired military and the families of fallen military, as well as policemen, firemen and emt's. If you enter into a contract by the New Year's eve Advance Realty Anne Arundel Inc. will waive the admin fee at settlement. This is a $350 savings. If you are thinking about buying or selling a home give Advance Realty Anne Arundel a call and receive full service real estate assistance from an experienced agent. Our office is open 7 days a week and we can be reached at 410-761-1550.
June Piper-Brandon, Broker - Advance Realty Anne Arundel Inc.
0 comments • June Piper-Brandon, CRIS, ePro, Broker • April 11 2009 10:31PMContent © 2009 'Frequent Contributors'. Design © 2009 ActiveRain Corp.
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