Build a better dry cleaners and people will come. Dry cleaning is dry cleaning, right? Sure, but the business model that Zips Dry Cleaners uses is different than competing dry cleaners in the Crofton, MD area. I believe its one of the things that is contributing to their success. Zips Dry Cleaners is located in the Princess Shopping Center, 2510 Conway Road, Gambrills, MD 21054, just over the Crofton border. What makes Zips Dry Cleaners different? They accept only one form of payment, and its up front. Cash is king at Zips. They even have an ATM machine in the lobby if you need cash. When you bring your laundry or dry cleaning in, you pay up front. Since they only accept cash, they don't have to worry about paying a certain percentage to a credit card company. No returned checks either.... 03/21/2010

Crofton MD Market Statistics - February 2010 Crofton MD gave back a little in some sales categories comparing February, 2010 to February , 2009. Sales volume and units sold decreased -24% and -30% respectively. The base is low, making it difficult to determine an accurate market assessment based on units alone. While the decrease year over year was significant, Crofton typically sells around 20 homes per month, on average. Winter months are always difficult to project because of severe weather fluctuations and relatively low number of sales. Remember, there were two major snow storms in February, causing vast fluctuations in the real estate market. Several other indicators can help to see what's going on in the Crofton, MD real estate market. The average days on market decreased -9% yea... 03/14/2010

Crofton MD Foreclosures by Category Although Crofton, MD is not a hotbed of foreclosure activity, they do occur. As you can see from the table below, three are only three Active foreclosures in Crofton, MD today. You can view these three foreclosures by clicking the link here. Foreclosure Categories Bank Owned 3 Preforeclosure 17 Auction 16 If you're interested in seeing any Crofton, MD foreclosure, or any listing in Crofton, MD, I can help. 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 Annapolis MD Real Estate Specialist Bowie MD Real Estate SpecialistCrofton MD Real Estate Specialist ©2009 - RichSellsHomes, All Rights Reserved   03/07/2010

The Crofton MD rental market continues to be robust. With the high military presence and relocating employees into the area, quality rental listings can be difficult to find. You have to act fast to identify the best rental opportunities for you in this market. You can search and sign up here to receive an email when new rental listings come on the market for any community in Maryland. Every time a new rental is entered into the Multiple Listing Service, you will be notified by email the next morning. How easy is that? If you're not already working with a REALTOR® to find a Crofton, MD rental, I can help. 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 A... 02/28/2010

Crofton, MD 21114 If you're searching for a home in Crofton, MD, you have a wide variety of homes to choose from in many price ranges. Whether you're a first time home buyer, or a move up buyer, Crofton, MD should be one of your search destinations. Price Range Inventory Under $100,000 0 $100,000 - $149,999 1 $150,000 - $199,999 12 $200,000 - $249,999 36 $250,000 - $299,999 18 $300,000 - $349,999 14 $350,000 - $399,999 5 $400,000 - $449,999 4 $450,000 - $499,999 5 $500,000 - $549,999 7 $550,000 - $599,999 8 $600,000 - $649,999 4 $649,999 - $699,999 2 Over $700,000 0 If you're not already working with a Realtor, I can help you find the perfect Crofton home. Richard Iarossi, REALTOR® Long and Foster® Real Estate, Inc. Crofton, MD 21114 410-451-6255 Office 443-995-9595 Cell Web: http://www... 02/27/2010

THE GOOD... Through the kitchen window, a view of our backyard with the new-fallen snow.                               THE BAD... 34 inches of snow followed by 10 more inches of snow two days later makes for a LOT of shoveling - even after a week of melting.  Thank goodness our daughter Susan recently moved back to Maryland from Texas.  She was a huge help.  By the way, she's 5'7", so that will give you an idea of how high our sidewalk was piled.                 THE UGLY... It doesn't take long for the snow to get dirty and ugly.  We're all looking forward to having it go away.   By the way, we have a winter storm warning for tomorrow night and Thursday...  Oh no!    (Still time for it to veer off in a slightly different direction...  cross your fingers...)     02/23/2010

Crofton MD Foreclosures by Category Foreclosure Categories Bank Owned 5 Preforeclosure 19 Auction 14 Crofton MD Bank Owned Properties For Sale Address Price BR/FB/HB Listing Courtesy 1923 Encino Dr. $140,000 2/1/0 Keller Williams 2408 Lizbec Ct. $173,900 2/1/0 Century 21 1621 New Windsor Ct. $170,000 3/1/1 Champion 2537 Windy Oak Ct. $319,000 3/2/2 Keller Williams 1745 Leisure Way $152,500 2/1/0 Exit Realty If you're interested in seeing a Crofton MD foreclosure, I can help. 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 Annapolis MD Real Estate Specialist Bowie MD Real Estate Specialist Crofton MD Real Estate Specialist ©2009 - RichSellsHomes, All Righ... 02/21/2010

Crofton MD Market Statistics - January 2010 As you can see in every sales category, Crofton MD did extremely well comparing January, 2010 to January, 2009. Sales volume and units sold increased 205% and 160% respectively. The base is low, making it difficult to determine an accurate market assessment based on units alone. While the increase year over year was significant, Crofton typically sells around 20 homes per month, on average. Winter months are always difficult to project because of severe weather fluctuations and relatively low number of sales. Several other indicators can help to see what's going on in the Crofton, MD real estate market. The average days on market decreased -47% year over year. On average, in January 2010, Crofton homes for sale were taking about three months. ... 02/21/2010

  If you own rental property in the Greater Crofton Area and want to get rid of it, now might be a good time for doing that.  Chances are good that you can cut your losses and get the property sold during the next few months while the first-time buyer and repeat-buyer tax credits are still going strong.  After those tax credits expire, I suspect we might see a lull in the local real estate market - and that’s probably right about the time your lease expires again.  You don’t want to wait 'til then.  (Early End Likely for Spring Home-Buying Season) In fact, it’s possible your current tenants would consider purchasing the property.  Have you asked them?   Five reasons your tenants might want to buy your rental property, their current home: 1.  Since they already live in the home, your te... 02/18/2010

Market Report - Homes for Sale in Chapman Farms, Crofton, Maryland, 21114 (Anne Arundel County, Maryland) As of today, February 17, 2010, there are 3 homes for sale in the Chapman Farms community in Crofton, Maryland. There are 2 homes under contract and 7 homes sold in the last 90 days. The average list price is $506,616. The average sold price is $485,843. View Homes for Sale in Chapman Farms, Crofton, Maryland 21114 in a larger map Homes currently for sale include: 2713 Elton CourtOffered at $525,000 1524 Chapman RoadOffered at $529,900 1601 Twigs CourtOffered at $550,000 Homes currently under contract include: 2807 Tellier CourtOffered at $400,000 2701 Elton CourtOffered at $535,000 Homes that sold recently include: 1618 Chapman RoadSold for $434,900 with a $12,000 subsidy 1505 Sage... 02/17/2010

Good news for home owners in Crofton MD...  The number of homes sold in January 2010 was UP 160% from the same month in 2009.  This year's magic number was 13 compared to only 5 units sold in January 2009. Unlike some other months, when there was just one item of good news to report, we have other positive indicators for real estate in Crofton - at least for January 2010: AVERAGE SOLD PRICE - Up 17.57% from $268,400 (2009) to $315,552 (2010) MEDIAN SOLD PRICE - Up 16% from $250,000 (2009) to $290,000 (2010) AVERAGE LIST PRICE OF SOLD PROPERTIES - Up 13.39% from $297,360 (2009) to $337,169 (2010) UNITS SOLD - Down 47.65% from 164 to 86.  Now THAT is good news!   It was fairly easy to explain a similar increase in "units sold" for November, given the fact that November 30 was initially th... 02/15/2010

Crofton MD Real Estate - Status for Week Ending 02/06/10 The current inventory for Crofton, MD homes is 128. 19 of these are rentals and 109 are homes for sale. As you can see from the chart below, ten new listings came on the market in Crofton MD last week. These were a good combination of offerings for anyone from first time home buyers to move up purchasers. Six of the new listings were priced below $250,000, a nice price range for first time home buyers for Crofton, MD. The largest of the new listings was a 3 br, 2.5 bath house in the Crofton Highlands section listed for $550,000. Three new rental listings came on the market and one had applications registered. Six homes completed the rental process and were marked Rented. The current rental market is very robust and competitive in ... 02/07/2010

Crofton MD Real Estate - Status Week Ending 01/30/10 As you can see from the chart below, twelve new listings came on the market in Crofton MD last week. These were a good combination of offerings for anyone from first time home buyers to move up purchasers. Four of the new listings were priced below $250,000, a nice price range for first time home buyers for Crofton, MD. The largest of the new listings was a 5 br, 3.5 bath house in the Walden section listed for $569,900. Six new rental listings came on the market and three had applications registered. Six homes completed the rental process and were marked Rented. The current rental market is very robust in Crofton, MD. Five properties moved into some sort of Contract status. This is a future indicator of settlements to come in the near... 01/31/2010

Crofton MD Real Estate - Status Week Ending 01/23/10 As you can see from the chart below, ten new listings came on the market in Crofton MD last week. These were a good combination of offerings for anyone from first time home buyers to move up purchasers. Two of the new listings were priced below $200,000, which is pretty rare for Crofton, MD. The largest of the new listings was a 4 br, 3.5 bath house in the Walden section listed for $575,000. Five new rental listings came on the market and five had applications registered. Right now, the rental market is very robust in Crofton, MD. Seven properties moved into some sort of Contract status. This is a future indicator of settlements to come in the near future. If you're looking to purchase or sell a home in Crofton, MD or the surrounding ... 01/24/2010

“Updated kitchen” and “updated bath” are key phrases in any MLS listing for Bowie and Crofton, signaling to buyers that the home decor is probably good – i.e., no longer a relic of the 60’s or 70’s featuring original pink bathroom fixtures and tile or aqua kitchen appliances and metal cabinets.  But wait… that’s not necessarily the case any more, as “retro” becomes more and more popular in homes of that period.  One of my clients was the lucky recipient of my original pink bath fixtures when we finally remodeled our bath last year – one of many people who asked for them.  Just goes to prove that one person’s trash is another’s treasure.  If you want a “Retro Redo” for your Bowie-Crofton area home that preserves the original 60’s and 70’s features, check out Retro Renovation, an online r... 01/20/2010

Crofton MD, 21114 December 2009 2008 % Change Sold Dollar Volume $4,012,300 $6,964,900 -42.39% Average Sold Price $308,638 $331,666 -6.94% Median Sold Price $305,000 $291,000 +4.81% Total Units Sold 13 21 -38.10% Average Days on Market 59 94 -37.23% Average List Price for Solds $328,776 $366,824 +10.37% Crofton, MD, what a difference a month makes. Last month, zip code 21114 had an enormous increase in sales. Over 150% in November 2009 compared to 2008. December 2009 shows Crofton, MD with a decrease in sales of -42.39%. Some of it can be attributed to the bad weather which plagued December. Snow and cold weather tends to keep home buyers inside, and Crofton, MD had plenty of both in December. At the end of December, Crofton, MD had a total inventory of homes for sale of 119. Eighteen n... 01/11/2010

The current housing inventory for Crofton MD, zip code 21114, stands at 95 homes for sale. $148,750 - $199,999     11 Units for sale $200,000 - $299,999     33 $300,000 - $399,999     20 $400,000 - $499,999     15 $500,000 - $599,999     11 $600,000 - $699,999     5 Of the 95 homes for sale in Crofton MD, 5 of these are bank owned foreclosures and 14 are potential short sales. Whether you're a first time home buyer, or a move up buyer, there is a good selection of homes to choose from, in several price ranges. If you're not already working with an agent searching for a home in Crofton, MD, or the surrounding area...I can help. Richard Iarossi, REALTOR®Long and Foster® Real Estate, Inc.Crofton, MD 21114 410-451-6255 Office443-995-9595 CellWeb: http://www.RichSellsHomes.comeMail: Rich@Ri... 01/10/2010

As you're probably aware, it has been a buyers market since sometime around the second half of 2006. Although we're seeing more balance right now between being a buyers and sellers market, most agents would still tip the scale to buyers. That may change in the coming months and years. If you're thinking about putting your Crofton MD home on the market, here are just a few tips that you can use to prevent possibly sabotaging your sale. PRICING TOO HIGH: There certainly was a strategy a few years back that encouraged sellers to start out high, so they have plenty of room to negotiate. You might have even heard this from friends and family members. That might have worked in the past, but today's buyers are much more sophisticated, and have access to a great deal more information than in th... 01/08/2010

Time is of the essence can relate to a couple of things as it pertains to buying a home in Crofton, MD. Certainly, it can pertain to making an offer and getting the home of your choice. The market is changing here in Crofton and buyers shouldn't wait too long to make an offer. While you're waiting and thinking, someone else is working with their Realtor and the home you thought you were going to get will be gone. For purposes of this post though, lets talk about a clause in the contract of sale that pertains to "Time is of the Essence." In the Maryland Residential Contract of Sale, the Time is of the Essence clause is right at the top of the contract. Its pretty hard to miss because its located before any of the paragraphs, and is outlined with a border. The clause says: "TIME IS OF THE... 01/05/2010

You’ll find plenty of things to celebrate and do in the Crofton area during January 2010, whether you’re a Crofton area Newbie or Old-timer. Why not begin the month by turning to someone nearby tp say “thank you” because January is National Thank You Month. It’s also National Eye Care Month, Hot Tea Month, National Book Month and National Volunteer Blood Donor Month – just in case you were wondering about that.    The following information was gathered from countless websites so you won’t have to.  Please contact me at mwoda@mris.com or call me at 301–346–2923 if you would like to see your organization’s events added to this calendar:    1 - Happy Birthday Betsy Ross (1752) and Paul Revere (1735) 2 - Professional Bull Riders Invitational, Baltimore (through 1/3/10) RSVP Deadline (Crofto... 01/02/2010