Another Crofton Regional Community Center FUNdraiser is scheduled Saturday, June 26, 2010 at the skateboard park in Bowie, beginning at 9 a.m.   This all-day roller-blading and skateboarding event is being planned by The Family Bike Shop of Crofton and Owens Ski and Sport of Gambrills, with the help of CRCC volunteer and UMBC student Eric Tedrow.  It's free, but please bring your checkbook so you can make a donation to the CRCC.   Music will be provided by Mountain of Make Believe, Dakota Red, and Left Hand Out.  Concession stands will be open for refreshments, and you will see demonstrations throughout the day by several groups and individuals.  These include the Baker and Vox skateboarding teams and rollerbladers Justin Tilman, Dan Brewer, Ryan Timms, Tim Phang, Nick Psiciotta, and Da... 06/24/2010

Crofton, MD is a wonderful destination location for buyers, in all price ranges. Uniquely located between the large employment markets of Washington, DC and Baltimore, and only minutes from the Capitol in Annapolis, MD. Crofton is about fifteen minutes from Ft. George G. Meade, the location for many relocating as a result of the Base Realignment and Closure initiative, BRAC. Crofton MD offers a range of styles, including condos, town houses and single family homes for sale. First time home buyers and move up buyers will find a decent inventory to choose from in Crofton. Crofton MD has 175 listings for sale and they can all be viewed on the map below. The most affordable home in the Crofton inventory is a 2 br, 2 ba condo located in the Crofton Meadows sub-division. The most expensive ho... 06/20/2010

Homes in Crofton Highlands rarely change hands. This small neighborhood of 50 homes, located on the North side of Rt. 424 (Davidsonville Road), is across from Old Crofton and backing to Crofton Meadows.  Washington, DC and Baltimore are easily accessible via major commuting routes, and major employers such as Fort Meade, NSA, Andrews AFB, Northrop Grumman, BWI, USNA and Maryland State Government offices in Annapolis are within a half hour.    When I mentioned "rarely change hands", I wasn't exaggerating... Only five new families have purchased homes in Crofton Highlands since 2006. This seems like a pretty good indication that anyone living here probably loves their neighborhood and doesn't want to leave.  Relocating families often don't have the option of living in Crofton Highlands, s... 06/20/2010

Crofton Maryland resident Art Huseonica is one of the Denali Ice Agers, a group of "senior" mountain climbers who will embark on the adventure of a life-time today when they arrive by air taxi at the southeast fork of the Kahiltna Glacier.  From base camp (at 7,200 ft.), they will travel 16 crevass-riddled miles via the West Buttress to reach the summit at 20,320 ft.  Along the way they will establish four more camps, and we will travel along via blog.   As an east-coast suburban gal, everything I "know" about mountain climbing I learned from Alison Levine, the mountain-climber and keynote speaker at the 2007 RE/MAX Convention,  Her presentation was both entertaining and inspiring, and it's the reason a google alert caught my eye a year later when this Crofton resident, training for an ... 06/19/2010

No kidding... HGTV is planning to kick off the second season of My First Home Sale in the fall with an episode filmed right here in the DC area.  And that includes Crofton, Maryland - easily within their limit of 90-minutes by car from the target city. They're looking for "fun, high-energy people who are just starting the process of selling a home for the first time" to share all the "trials and tribulations, stress and success of prepping for sale, pricing, negotiating and ultimately selling a home for the very first time." If you didn't see any episodes during the first season, take a look at this video snippet of My First Home Sale - Denver so you'll have some idea of what to expect. Prospective home sellers who want to audition can start by applying online to appear on this HGTV hit... 06/14/2010

June 14 is Flag Day in the United States, a time for celebrating and respecting the American flag and its history.  That is something we do every day here in Crofton MD, a community where the American flag flies over Crofton Parkway year-round.     With so many active duty and retired military families living in Crofton MD, it's not surprising that lots of residents practice good "flag etiquette", but it never hurts to share these reminders: The American flag should be displayed only from sunrise to sunset on buildings and stationary flagstaffs outdoors. The flag may be displayed outdoors round the clock, however, IF it is properly illuminated in the dark.  Do not display the flag in inclement weather unless it is an "all-weather" flag. Do not let the flag touch the ground. Do not fly t... 06/13/2010

Crofton MD Market Statistics - May 2010 Crofton MD real estate had a great May, 2010, compared to May ,2009. Sales volume increased a respectable 18.40%. At 25 units sold, that averages out to more than one every business day, just in Crofton, MD alone. Most of the sales were as expected, in the price range for first time home buyers.  Several other indicators can help to see what's going on in the Crofton, MD real estate market. The average days on market decreased -6% year over year. The average list price for homes sold also increased +14.76%. This was unexpected since there is still a good deal of first time home buyer activity in the market now. Another significant data point is the Average Sale Price as a % of Average List Price. Higher percentages favor sellers. This figure rema... 06/13/2010

The Crofton MD Real Estate Market was showing signs of improvement in early spring, but no one dared celebrate.  We suspected Crofton real estate sales figures might go into a free-fall after the tax credit expired. Surprise!  Information released yesterday by MRIS, our regional multiple listing service, wasn't all bad.  The results are much better than most people expected (and certainly better than many other areas of our state and country).   ANSWERS TO YOUR QUESTIONS ABOUT THE CROFTON REAL ESTATE MARKET (May 2010) 1.  How many homes sold in Crofton during May 2009? The Number of Homes Sold was UP 1% in May 2010 (25) from May 2009 (24), and I consider that a small victory, yet a victory.  A 24% drop occurred in new sold units from April 2010 (31), before the tax credit ended, so that... 06/11/2010

Crofton MD tends to have a vibrant rental market for condos, townhouses and single family homes. Situated between the large Washington, DC, and Baltimore employment markets, Crofton, MD is graced with an ideal location for home buyers and renters. With Ft. George Meade only about fifteen minutes away, there is also a significant transient military rental market in Crofton, MD. As with many rental markets, the available inventory varys greatly from month to month. Today, June 6th, 2010, there are only seven rentals available. Two single family homes and five townhouse/condo units. Even for the robust Crofton, MD rental market, this is a very low inventory. The map below shows all seven units. Just hover over the icon for a picture and price, click on the icon for full details. If you're ... 06/06/2010

Sunday, June 6 – Summer Concert at the Crofton Village Green, 6–8   Bring your own lawn chair and a cooler on Sunday for the first concert of the summer, featuring local band, The Pocket Change.  There’s plenty of parking available on both the north and south sides of the Village Green, or maybe you just want to ride your bike or walk from home. The price is certainly right! A whole series of concerts will follow throughout the summer, featuring local bands including Bay Jazz Project next Sunday (June 13) and Baywinds on Sunday, June 27. It's been my experience that summer showers sometimes interfere with evening plans at this time of year, and several of the scheduled concerts have been canceled in past years due to weather.  For that reason, I'm going to suggest you check the weather... 06/05/2010

The Hair Experience will host a “cut-a-thon” at 2411 Crofton Lane (#18 Chelsea House) tomorrow (6/6/10) to benefit the planned Crofton Regional Community Center (CRCC). The salon will offer cuts and blow-dries from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday, June 6, with half of the proceeds going to CRCC.  Walk-ins are welcomed, but a call to 410–721–1313 today for an appointment could save you time.  If you do have to wait, you’ll enjoy the snacks and drinks they'll have available. "I believe it’s important to give back to the community that’s been so good to me,” said Sherene Collins, owner and hair stylist.  “I fully support the building of the Crofton Regional Community Center,” she said, urging others in the greater Crofton community to “support a great cause…” The CRCC is in its infancy, with m... 06/04/2010

What is it about the appearance of a home that makes a potential buyer say "Honey, Stop the Car... I LOVE that house!" Your Crofton home doesn't get a second chance to make a good first impression, so let me ask...  If you were a buyer, which of these homes would inspire a comment like that from you or your spouse?  I thought so... and potential homebuyers would probably agree.   These two homes are located on the same street, a block from each other.  They are the same model, built by the same builder.  They have the same basics - 2 bedrooms, 1.5 baths, full basement, and they back to the same field - but they have vastly different interior updates. Which home do you suppose has granite counter tops?  Stainless steel appliances?  Hardwood floors instead of linoleum squares covered by c... 06/04/2010

The Village Green, located right on Crofton Parkway in Crofton, MD, is the location for the much awaited Summer Concert Series. Grab your chair and come down to the Green on Sunday evenings between 6 - 8 PM, for music and friendship. This wonderful music series, featuring local bands of every persuasion,  has been going on for as long as I remember. As an added bonus...it's free. This years free music offerings include: June 6 - The Pocket Change Band June 13 - Bay Jazz Project June 27 - Baywinds July 11 - Ruth Capobianco July 18 - Big Band Caliente July 25 - The Annapolis Bluegrass Coalition Remember, the Village Green is a mosquito free zone :) Richard Iarossi, REALTOR® Long and Foster® Real Estate, Inc. Crofton, MD 21114 410-451-6255 Office 443-995-9595 Cell Web: http://www.RichSells... 06/03/2010

Homebuyers relocating to the D.C. - Baltimore - Annapolis Triangle, including military families headed to Fort Meade, Andrews AFB and the USNA, often discover the greater Crofton area for the first time when they start digging into the quality of schools throughout the region.  It's hard to find anything "not to like" about Arundel H.S., South River H.S., and their respective feeder systems in Crofton, Davidsonville, and Gambrills. Of course, any school or even classroom is only as good as the individual principal and teacher at that moment, so you're bound to find some exceptions anywhere, but I can't imagine better public schools overall in any community. Locate Your School is a favorite page on the Anne Arundel County Public Schools website for relocating families because they can q... 06/03/2010

IF YOU LIVE IN OLD CROFTON, BELAIR AT BOWIE, FOUR SEASONS ESTATES or any other older community in the area, this is important for you to read: A new law went into effect on April 22, 2010 that will impact any work you have done on your home, if it was built before 1978.  That describes a lot of homes in the greater Crofton area... maybe even most of them. According to the Environmental Protection Agency website, “Common renovation activities like sanding, cutting, and demolition can create hazardous lead dust and chips by disturbing lead-based paint, which can be harmful to adults and children.” To protect against this risk, on April 22, 2008, EPA issued a rule requiring the use of lead-safe practices and other actions aimed at preventing lead poisoning. Under this rule… Beginning April... 06/03/2010

Dear Crofton Homebuyer, The seller accepted your offer, your home inspection is complete, the appraisal has been ordered... now the fun of renovating and furnishing that home begins!  But wait... Don't go shopping yet for furniture, appliances, and contractors. Right before closing, your lender is required to check your credit again. Any credit inquiries could lower your credit score and raise your interest rate. In other words, don't go window-shopping for new appliances, replacement windows, bathroom upgrades or new furniture because the vendor may do a routine credit inquiry to make sure you're qualified to buy their product or service. Even if you don't make the purchase or you use cash to pay for it, that credit inquiry could be enough to change your loan terms.Needless to say this... 06/02/2010

Crofton, MD is not immune to foreclosures, despite having an average family income higher than the national average. Foreclosed homes become bank owned properties and are listed with a local real estate brokerage for sale. The purchase of a bank owned property isn't much different than a normal resale. Bank owned properties are usually sold "as is," and the offer has to go to someone in the bank for approval. A few extra addenda here and there and you can be the owner of a bank owned property. Right now there are six bank owned properties for sale in Crofton, MD. Details on each of them can be viewed on the map below. If you're not already working with an agent, I can show you any active listing in Maryland...including those bank owned foreclosures. Richard Iarossi, REALTOR® Long and Fo... 05/30/2010

The tax credit for homebuyers ended April 30, 2010.  What does that mean for Crofton homesellers? Home sales have dropped in the greater Crofton area and throughout the country, now that the tax credit is behind us.  A quick glance at local home sales for the first 15 days of May 2010 vs. the first 15 days of April :     Fortunately, there do seem to be some homebuyers still out there, but we're not likely to see another month like April 2010 for quite a while.  The tax credit did what was intended, i.e. encourage people to buy homes, but it's my theory that most of them would have purchased anyway - their timing would have been different.  If I am right, many of the folks who might have been expected to buy a home in May and June have already done so.  What does this mean to you? Homes... 05/26/2010

Despite having an average family income approaching $100,000, Crofton, MD is not immune to homes being foreclosed on by bank's. Technically, these are bank owned properties for sale by a real estate brokerage. The foreclosure process having been completed and the properties have reverted back to the bank who held the defaulted mortgage. Right now, there are six properties in Crofton, MD that have been foreclosed on and are available for sale. They can be seen on the map below. If you're not already working with an agent, I can show you any Active listing in Maryland, including those owned by banks.   Richard Iarossi, REALTOR® Long and Foster® Real Estate, Inc. Crofton, MD 21114 410-451-6255 Office 443-995-9595 Cell Web: http://www.RichSellsHomes.com eMail: Rich@RichSellsHomes.com Annapo... 05/24/2010

The greater Crofton area, which I consider to be the four adjacent zipcodes of 21114 (Crofton), 21035 (Davidsonville), 21054 (Gambrills) and 21113 (Odenton) looks a little different when we compare real estate statistics by the month, instead of the year. Since January 1, Crofton and Odenton have been relatively stable when it comes to Average Sold Price. while the same cannot be be reported for Davidsonville and Gambrills.  I think this is largely because we have a much larger number of sold homes in both Crofton and Odenton, so one very high or low-priced home doesn't throw off the average the way it can in Davidsonville and Gambrills. The same is true for Days on Market... Again, Crofton and Odenton statistics are more stable than Gambrills and Davidsonville, although Davidsonville's... 05/14/2010