Annapolis Restaurant Week - February 21-27, 2011 Gotta love living in Crofton MD!  So many fun things to do and see in all directions - from D.C. to Baltimore and, closer to home, Annapolis. With 36 of the finest restaurants in Annapolis participating in Restaurant Week, starting today and continuing through Sunday, my family expects to dine in our State Capital city several times this week.  The prices are reasonable at $15.95 for a 3-course lunch and $29.95 for a 3-course dinner.   We’ll want to visit our favorites, like Buddy’s, Carroll Creek Cafe and Yellowfin, but maybe we should use this opportunity to re-visit some old favorites we haven’t been to in recent years - The Treaty of Paris, Ram’s Head Tavern, and McGarvey’s come to mind. Of course, it’s a good excuse to try some new p... 02/21/2011

  It looks like there are 5 Open Houses scheduled in Crofton, MD for the weekend of February 19th and 20th. All of them this weekend are single family detached homes with a nice range of prices. The weather looks to be pretty decent this weekend, no major sports on television, so why not stop and take a look at some of the Crofton, MD real estate inventory. 2089 PEAR HILL CT, CROFTON, MD 21114 ML#:  AA7428306                    List Price: $364,900 Status:  ACTIVE            BR:  4 FB:  2 HB: 1 Adv Sub:  CROFTON MEADOWS Listing Company:  Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage Date:  Sunday 20-Feb-2011     Start/Ends: 01:00 PM - 03:00 PM 1921 LAYTON ST, CROFTON, MD 21114 ML#:  AA7397458                    List Price: $455,000 Status:  ACTIVE            BR:  3 FB:  2 HB: 1 Adv Sub:  CROFTO... 02/18/2011

  Crofton, MD is a wonderful destination point for buyers relocating or moving into the area. Moving up, or just rightsizing your housing needs, Crofton, MD should be on your list of communities to explore. Almost equidistant between the two large employment centers of Washington, DC , and Baltimore, sits the community of Crofton, MD. Crofton should be on the top of the list for BRAC employees relocating to Ft. Meade. Originally, a planned community, with a selection of single family, townhouse and condo’s, Crofton offers a lot to buyers in just about every price range. The inventory of Crofton, MD homes is now down to 111. This is good news for sellers in this market. The least expensive Crofton, MD home for sale is a 2 BR, 1 BA condo in Bancroft Meadows, listed at $109,500. On the upp... 02/17/2011

Try as you might, even the most Crofton, MD real estate agents can’t put a positive spin on the January real estate market statistics. It’s not like we didn't see it coming. As you can see on this first chart, the Pending Contracts for October, November and December of 2010 were at their lowest levels in quite some time. That is a leading indicator of future settlements. The fewer pending contracts, the fewer homes will be sold. January 2011 showed a decline of -23.69% from January of 2010, and a -31.37% from December 2010. That being said, the pending contracts for January 2011 were significantly higher, leading to an assumption that February and March sales numbers should improve. The median sold price has dropped to the lowest point in a year. We have to be careful here since only 1... 02/11/2011

CROFTON MARYLAND REAL ESTATE UPDATE (21114)January 2011 BUT (and it’s a BIG one)... There is one really bright spot on this chart that bodes well for 2011, in spite of otherwise discouraging real estate statistics for last month:  The number of new non-contingent contracts for January is the highest we've seen since 2007, and triple the number of new contracts we saw in January 2010.  This reflects the uptick in activity we've experienced in my office at Long & Foster and across the zipcode for the past several weeks, and it's the reason that real estate agents are optimistic in spite of the stumbling we saw in other statistics last month. Other numbers (not included in the chart) that may interest you:  There were 3 detached homes sold/settled in Crofton during January and 9 attached h... 02/10/2011

As REALTORS®, we know the importance of the “pipeline.” If there’s nothing in the pipeline, it’s going to be a lean couple of months as far as getting paychecks goes. It’s the same way with each market area. Crofton, MD stats for pending contracts jumped significantly in January, 2011. Will all of them make it to settlement? Probably not, but if there are no pending contracts, there are no sold’s in the coming months either. Is this an omen of what is to come in 2011? Nobody knows for sure yet, but January is off to a great start. PS: Please excuse the scrolling formatting. I had to do that in order to post to localism. Richard Iarossi, REALTOR®Long and Foster® Real Estate, Inc.Crofton, MD 21114 410-451-6255 Office443-995-9595 CellWeb: http://www.RichSellsHomes.comeMail: Rich@RichSells... 02/10/2011

Anne Arundel County School Superintendent Kevin M. Maxwell announced today that Nantucket Elementary School Principal, Dr. Diana Strohecker, has been named Maryland's 2011 Outstanding Technology Leader in Education. The Maryland Society for Educational Technology recognizes each year “an educator outside the classroom who has made exemplary contributions to the implementation of technology in Maryland schools.” Technology has been heavily emphasized by Dr. Strohecker ever since she was named Nantucket Elementary's first principal in 2008.   The award will be presented to Dr. Strohecker at MSET’s spring conference in Baltimore during April. Congratulations Dr. Strohecker and Nantucket Elementary School!   02/08/2011

Surprise your Valentine with tickets to Crofton's Sweethearts Ball tucked into your Valentine card or flowers.   She'll look forward to the event all week long and you'll both have a great time on Saturday, February 19, at the Blue Dolphin Banquet Room.  Tre Williams will MC; Elliot Phillips will take photos; and Crofton songwriter and recording artist Ashley Forrest will perform.    The Blue Dolphin is going "all out" with a fabulous buffet spread for this event, and there will be a silent auction in addition to entertainment and dancing.  It should be a fun evening, not to mention it will benefit the Crofton Regional Community Center.   Order your tickets today for the first ever Crofton Sweethearts Ball so you'll receive them in time to give your Sweetie on Valentine's Day. Contact J... 02/07/2011

Crofton, MD continues to have a strong real estate market here at the beginning of 2011. For the week ending 2/5/11, 7 new active listings were added to the inventory. Once again, an excellent combination of townhouses and single family detached homes. The inventory was getting a little stagnant, and these new entries should generate some buyer interest. We’re not quite at the peak of the market for new listings, and the addition of 7 last week for the second week in a row, is a little unexpected. Sellers trying to get a jump on the market in all likelihood. The rental market continues to hum along with 2 applications pending, 2 actual rentals, and 4 new rental listings. The Crofton, MD rental market continues to exceed expectations. This segment of the Crofton, MD real estate market w... 02/06/2011

Out and About Loving Annapolis     Camtin Cafe In Crofton     One of the nicest things about living in Annapolis are all the little communities nearby that have wonderful businesses to enjoy. And enjoy I did when the other day a few real estate friends and I met at the Camtin Cafe  in Crofton for lunch and an impromptu get together to discuss real estate. Now this was not our first visit to this cafe as we had met there for breakfast a few months before but it was our first lunch experience. I must say it was delightful and I would be hard pressed to say which was my favorite breakfast or lunch. Out and About Loving CroftonSmall in size but huge on taste we each enjoyed a selection from the menu that left each of us saying Wow...this is good. My choice was a veggie wrap. Brimming with a... 02/04/2011

  Unless you’re buying your Crofton, MD home for cash, without an appraisal contingency, at some point in the purchase process, an appraisal will be done. And when I say an appraisal will be done, keep in mind that it will be done for the bank, at your expense. At it’s very basic, what is an appraisal? Simply stated, nothing more than an opinion of value. The appraiser does have extensive training, and they will use recent comparable sales to back up that opinion, but it is an opinion. Since financing is always a contingency in non-cash offers, if the appraisal comes in below what you offered for the house, the bank will not approve your loan. You can walk away, or come up with the difference between the appraisal and the purchase price. You can even challenge the appraisal to try and g... 02/02/2011

Q.  I’m concerned about the Crofton real estate market because I'd like to list my home for sale.  Do you think the market will pick up in Spring?A.   If you’ve been feeling a little blue about the real estate market in Crofton and throughout this area, I understand. From December - February, sales tend to be fewer than the rest of the year for a variety of reasons beyond our control - weather conditions being the #1 culprit.   The world-famous weather-reading groundhog Punxsutawney Phil predicted from his home at Gobbler's Knob, near Punxsutawney PA, earlier today, that spring is on its way.  Soon we’ll see spring flowering bulbs and pansies peeping through the snow, green will creep back into the landscape, and real estate signs will appear all around us.  You’ll see the first sign of... 02/02/2011

All photos and written content were produced by Richard Iarossi. Copyright 2010 - All Rights Reserved. This content may not be reproduced or reprinted, except for Active Rain Re-blogging, without express written permission of Richard Iarossi, REALTOR®, Long and Foster® Real Estate, Inc., Crofton, MD. Richard Iarossi, REALTOR®Long and Foster® Real Estate, Inc.Crofton, MD 21114 410-451-6255 Office443-995-9595 CellWeb: http://www.RichSellsHomes.comeMail: Rich@RichSellsHomes.com Annapolis MD Real EstateBowie MD Real EstateCrofton MD Real Estate ©2011 - RichSellsHomes, All Rights Reserved 02/01/2011

The idea of buying or selling a home in Crofton MD, or Anywhere USA, is beginning to take shape in your mind.  Nothing definite yet... but you have some questions and you don't want to ask a real estate agent...  Finding the answer may be easier than you think. CROFTON MD HOMEBUYERS and SELLERS asked these questions in January 2011:  What do those letters mean after an agent's name? Should renters get a home inspection? How are Maryland schools? How safe is it to have a lockbox on my front door? Why do I need a buyer-broker agreement? Will you be my agent? Has the real estate market in Crofton MD turned around yet? I have hardwood flooring underneath my carpet. Should I refinish the hardwood or recarpet? After foreclosure - Can you buy another aome? Should I buy new construction or resa... 01/30/2011

The Crofton, MD housing inventory continues to shrink. Some of it is due to this time of year, where the inventory shrinks because sellers are reluctant to list during the bad weather months. Wait until March and see the inventory start to grow again. Last week, two new rentals came on the market. Both were condo's, one was a 2/1 listed for $1,200, and the other was a 3/2/1 listed for $1,700. Military orders generally come out in February, so the Crofton rental market will continue to be robust. Five applications were received on rental inventory, and two homes were rented. Five new homes were listed and became active in the MLS. The inventory shrunk though because 3 homes went under contract, and 4 went to settlement and sold. Five other homes had their status changed to full contract... 01/30/2011

  If you’re ready for your move to Crofton, MD, here is a new listing that should be at the top of your list. 1564 Eton Way, Crofton, MD 21114 AA7519677 Attractively priced at $419,000 3 large bedrooms, 2 full baths, formal living room, formal dining room, main level family room with cathedral ceilings, updated kitchen with newer appliances, hardwood floors, lower level finished, 1 car oversized garage, large, level yard, triple pane windows, extra attic insulation, newer furnace and roof, deck, copper plumbing replaced…and more. Listing courtesy of Long and Foster, Richard Iarossi, Listing Agent     Richard Iarossi, REALTOR®Long and Foster® Real Estate, Inc.Crofton, MD 21114 410-451-6255 Office443-995-9595 CellWeb: http://www.RichSellsHomes.comeMail: Rich@RichSellsHomes.com Annapolis M... 01/29/2011

Believe it or not, Crofton, MD has two Open Houses scheduled this weekend. It seems that a little bit of snow isn’t going to stop hearty buyers from attending open houses in Crofton, MD. AA7457598 1015 Murdoch Ct. 3 BR, 2.5 BA Condo - $260,999 Sunday, January 30, 2011 - 12:00 PM – 4:00 PM Courtesy Champion Realty AA7480324 2589 Ambling Circle 3 BR, 3.5 BA Townhouse - $310,000 Sunday, January 30,2011 – 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM Courtesy Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage The map below shows the location of these two Open Houses. Just click on any of the icons for detailed information on the listings. If you’re not already working with an agent to look for a home in Crofton, MD or anywhere in the surrounding area, I can help. Call Rich at 443-995-9595. Just a word of caution when you attend a... 01/29/2011

A video challenge doesn't hold much promise during January in the DC area.  Even an experienced videographer would find it difficult to make the landmarks, neighborhoods, and homes look good with perpetually overcast skies, barren trees and dirty snow.   I know my limits and never took the Flip video out of its case for the ActiveRain and Kodak Contest, but there were still challenges using a video-cam to create this video.  Some of them were no different than any other marketing piece: Selecting a topic... and title. Determining content and organizing it. Offering something of value to viewers. Making it easy on the eyes. Holding visitors' attention to the end. This video challenge did, indeed, challenge me.  I ended up with three videos on three different topics... and countless takes... 01/28/2011

Q.  I really want to buy a home in Crofton MD. Will you be my agent? A.  Thank you for asking me, Mr. Homebuyer. It would be a privilege to help you find and buy a Crofton home.  Let me just confirm that you're "ready, willing and able" to consummate a home purchase now, before we enter into a Buyer-Broker Agreement and start looking at homes.   1.  READY Do you have a home to sell before you can buy?  Are you waiting to confirm a job-transfer or to receive PCS orders to this area?  How long has it been since your bankruptcy was discharged?  Do you have an IRS lien that must be satisfied?  If you don't have any similar situations in your world, then you're probably ready to buy a home. 2.  WILLING Are you willing to take time off of work to go look at new listings promptly when they com... 01/26/2011

BRRRR… I'm cold just thinking about the Polar Bear Plunge sponsored by the Maryland State Police to benefit Special Olympics Maryland.  Participants from Crofton and across the region will literally “plunge” into the icy Chesapeake Bay at Sandy Point on Saturday, iwith moral and financial support  from their friends, relatives, co-workers and others for this important cause. So far this year, almost $1,500,000 has already been pledged (1/25/11), and there are three days to go.  Plenty of other things will be going on at Sandy Point for plungers and spectators alike on Saturday, including entertainment, food - and much of it in warm tents.  The best way to see the full schedule is to visit the PlungeMd website. While you're there, search for your favorite Crofton plunger and visit his/he... 01/25/2011