Are you a Veteran? Are you a veteran? Stop worrying about the election. It's almost over and it's time to start looking past this dreadful period. Who cares about nonsense like Hillary for Prison or Donald for an Insane Asylum? Let's talk about something which is exciting and which you can control and use. If you are a veteran and if you have not done it already, then you should seriously consider purchasing a home. Check this out. With a VA loan: --- you do not need a down payment to get a loan; --- you can finance 100% of the purchase price; --- your monthly mortgage payment will not have a mortgage insurance premium, like most loans that have less than a 20% down payment; ---- to make the deal work, you can negotiate with the Seller to pay 100% of your closing costs; --- to make the ... 10/28/2016

Baltimore County Home Affordability With today's historically low mortgage interest rates and with many down payment and closing cost assistance programs available, buying a home in Baltimore County is much easier than one might think.The various homes shown, give an indication of what type of home might be afforded at 3 different and moderate income levels.An assumption was made that the interest rate would be 3.5% fixed rate for a 30 year mortgage.The monthly payment shown in the description of each picture includes principal, interest, property taxes, and insurance.Keep in mind that the interest and property taxes can be itemized on your taxes which would lower your tax liability.If you think that your credit is too low, then you should still consult with a lender to determine exactl... 10/28/2016

A Reverse Mortgage Possibility Let's say that you have a house that is worth $250,000 and that it has no liens against it. You sell this house for $250,000. Next you purchase a house for $500,000. To make the purchase, you put 50% down, $250,000, using the proceeds from the sale of your previous home and you use a reverse mortgage of $250,000 to pay for the remainder of the the $500,000 purchase. Why would you want to do this?  I don't know, but it is a possibility that exists with a reverse mortgage. If you are 62+, then you can consider a reverse mortgage for getting equity out of your house, or you can use it to purchase a house. If you would like more information on reverse mortgages, then, please, give me a call and I will put you in touch with a local reverse mortgage specialist.   09/19/2016

What Does Completely Renovated Mean A friend of mine found a house in a state where I am not licensed. He was amazed at how much house he could get when compared to what it would cost in his home state. Not only was it a lot of house, but it was, also, "completely renovated" and "move in ready". It had freshly painted walls, new carpet, new stainless steel appliances, resurfaced kitchen cabinets, and granite counter tops. Of course, whether a house is completely renovated or even if it is new, it is still prudent to have a home inspection. The inspector found the following:  the roof had several different types and ages of shingles and nails were popping up out of the roof. the electric panel had an old style of circuit breakers, which apparently do not reliably trip when needed. the pl... 06/12/2016

Lowest and Best Offer This is a phrase that you do not hear: Give us your lowest and best offer. Obviously, you would not hear the seller saying this to the buyer, but I am not talking about the seller instructing the buyer. Rather, I am talking about the buyer instructing the seller. Frequently, when there are multiple offers expected, and, especially, on bank owned properties, the listing agents will instruct the buyers' agent to have their clients make their highest and best offer. They state that their client, the seller, is going to accept the highest and best offer from among the offers, so, please, make this your initial offer. However, one has to wonder if they are aware that an offer can be countered. Not only can an offer be countered, but if there are two, or three, or any nu... 02/14/2016

Unsubscribing From Unwanted Emails Is A Chore Unsubscribing from emails starts as a hassle, because it is something that should not need to be done, since in almost every case, the emails are for subscriptions that were never made in the first place, at least, not by the recipient or not knowingly by the recipient. Getting past the fact that it is an annoyance, then leads to what one would think would be a very simple procedure of clicking on the unsubscribe link.  However, it seems that the same person that designed the "where's waldo" pictures designed the layout for these emails as it takes a few moments before the unsubscribe link can be found.  Obviously, they do not want you to unsubscribe. Finally, after you have found the link, you assume that a quick click will have you unsubsc... 01/01/2016

Why Wait? Why wait until next year to start the search for a new home? Yes, it is true that many of you are preoccupied with that year end ritual of waiting until the last few days to find that perfect unwanted gift. And, with equal enthusiasm, you look forward to the day of exchanging gifts and expressing your best feigned excitement for that most thoughtful undesirable present that you will receive. Just as thrilling, is the eagerly anticipated day after, sometimes referred to as the biggest unshopping day of the year, which usually results in a store credit, which you never get around to using. As emotionally draining as that experience is, you will still have the energy to over indulge in delectable treats and beverages with one final blast to end the year, before waking up in the n... 12/18/2015

Take Pictures Before The Snow Arrives Are you thinking of putting your house on the market to sell in the near future? Of course, you know that winter is approaching and with that comes the potential for snow. Yes, snow can create a beautiful winter wonderland. However, snow, also, puts a blanket over that which you are trying to sell. Do you have a new roof?  No one can see it.Do you have nice landscaping?  No one can see it. Even if you are going to wait a couple of weeks before putting your house on the market, call me today so that we can get pictures of the house, which is what people are going to buy, instead of a mound of snow.  11/29/2015

Can a Seller Reject an Offer Because It is Written in Spanish? In recent times, I have seen several governments pass legislation making english the official language, or, just the opposite, repealing english as the official language. When it has become the official language, no one has said that people can not speak, write, advertise, or communicate in any form in another language. So what does it mean for english to be the official language? Perhaps the main concern is that there be one language for legal verbiage such as laws and contracts. Even though verbiage can be translated from one language to another, it might lose its true meaning or intent. Shown below, I have taken a clause, written in english, from a sales contract that I use.  I Used the google translator to convert it to ... 09/06/2015

We Liked What You Did Before; Can You Do It For Less This Time Have you had it happen to you? You do a good job for somebody. You sell their house in a reasonable time frame; you get them a price which satisfies them; you keep them well informed throughout the process; you're professionalism shows through in all of your statements and actions. They like you enough that they recommend you to others. But, a time comes in the future where they need your services again and they ask if you can do it at a discount, because they want to save some money and they wanted to use you because they liked what you did for them the last time. I did not over charge you before when you were very satisfied with my services, so why do you think that I should do it for less this time? Of course, we all want... 08/17/2015

Inclusions: Interior; Exclusions: Exterior The basic contract of sale that I use has a section for inclusions and exclusions. The actual intention of this section is to clarify which of those items, which might be considered personal property, are included and which are not included in the sale. However, I am bringing it up to demonstrate the nature of many, if not most, buyers with whom I have worked. Some clients I would recommend as participants for the running events in the Olympics, as I have seen them hop from their cars and sprint the 100 meter dash to the front door of homes that they are about to view in what must be record breaking times. They want to see the interior of the home, not the exterior. In some cases, these buyers, have contracted on a house, then accompanied the i... 07/28/2015

How Much Does A New Roof Add To A Home's Value? Maybe I should ask this question differently.  Does a new roof add value to a home in the eyes of the typical buyer? The obvious answer is that yes, of course, it adds value, or, at least makes the house more attractive versus a similar home that does not have a new roof. However, have you noticed that when you show houses to your clients that many of them will make a mad dash to the front door, without giving much of a look or much thought to the outside of the house, including the roof? If a buyer sees a beautiful and modern kitchen, this will entice them to buy more than a new roof. An old kitchen, even if it is completely functional, could be a turn off to the buyer, but the older roof will be much less of a deterrent. The buyer can en... 07/20/2015

You Took It; You Update It My client would like to either sell or rent his house. Accordingly, I placed his home on the Multiple List as a for sale listing and as a for rent listing. We were able to find a buyer, therefore I changed the for sale listing from "Active" to "Contract".  The for rent listing was changed from "Active" to "Withdrawn" and in the notes I indicated that it was sold (No need for other agents to waste time trying to get a withdrawn listing that has already been sold). So who took it, my listing? You tell me.  I am not sure, however there must be dozens of companies that take these listings and advertise them on their sites for whatever they get out of it. Once my listing went under contract, and I made the appropriate change, I stopped getting emails from the vario... 07/08/2015

Homes Near Seven Oaks Elementary School | Baltimore Real Estate by Helene Kelbaugh of Keller Williams Legacy Metropolitan in Baltimore  Let's Chat!  Sellers & Buyers: (443) 465-8443  FREE Home Valuation  Seven Oaks Elementary School9220 Seven Courts RoadBaltimore, MD 21236 General Phone Numbers:  Main 410-887-6257  Fax (Main) 410-256-0379  Library 410-887-5149 Find all for sale homes near Seven Oaks Elementary School in Nottingham, MD 21236.  Our for sale property information is a direct feed from the Multiple List Service and is updated several times daily.   Homes near Seven Oaks Elementary School in Nottingham, MD have very easy access to main highways and roads, employers, schools, parks, shopping and restaurants. Are you curious to find out what your home near Seven Oaks Elementary... 04/24/2015

Property Condition Report     An inspection is performed on HUD homes and a Property Condition Report is completed.   I find these reports to be frequently incorrect and misleading.   Based on the report, in some cases, one might be led to believe that they could get a normal FHA loan, but once they spend money on an inspection and possibly an appraisal, they find that the house does not qualify for such financing.  HUD will do absolutely nothing to correct the conditions which were inaccurately reported.   On one particular house it states:   Regarding plumbing:  The plumbing lines were checked using air pressure and no leaks were detected. Maybe they did this, but at this point in time, the copper pipes have been stolen, yet the report has not been changed. Water heater:  Water heater... 02/25/2015

Locker Room Sized Showers   What makes a house sell?   Many people will suggest that updating a kitchen or a bathroom will bring the best return on investment and will make the house sell faster.   So what happens on a renovation or in the construction of a luxury new home?   At least, in the home that has sufficient size, the bathroom will include a shower stall and a soaking tub.  The soaking tub will frequently have whirlpool and massaging jets.   It will look beautiful; it will look impressive; and it will entice you to want to buy.   The soaking tubs are extra big, presumably with the idea that two individuals could soak in it at the same time.   But, in actuality, how many people use these soaking tubs.  Most people, male and female, tell me that they take a shower, not a soaking ... 02/24/2015

What Are You Doing To Maryland, Larry?   I was traveling on the Eastern Shore and the need for a toilet arose, and wouldn't you know it, the largest fast poop company in the world, McDonalds, was nowhere to be found.   But then, I realized that I was in Maryland's Eastern Shore, the Chicken Shit Capital of the World. They spread their odorless chicken crap all over the fields. I just pulled to the side of the road and let loose.   Dumping a few extra nutrients, which will eventually work their way into the drinking water, hence allowing for the local children to grow big and strong is actually a good thing.   Of course, any extra nutrients, like the phosphorous from the chicken manure, will make their way to the Bay and help to kill off any wild life that might be swimming around at the... 01/30/2015

What Benefits The Real Estate Agent More?  A High or A Low Price?   The answer:  Neither.   The answer is neither because it is the wrong question.   It is true that a higher priced property, assuming that it sells at that higher price will typically yield a higher commission for the real estate agent, because commissions are usually a percentage of the sales price.  So, it sounds like the agent would prefer the higher price.   It is, also, true, that a higher priced property might sit on the market longer, if it is priced too high, which means that the agent would be getting no commission, which implies that the agent would like to see the price lowered in order to get a sale and, hence, a commission.  In fact, usually, the lower the price, the faster the sale, which means that the age... 01/18/2015

Why Not " No Smell"?     As I entered the home, an environment in which it was normally as fresh as the outdoors on a crisp winter day, I was immediately hit with a smell.  It was retched awful!  What could it be?   Poinsettias, which are so popular during the winter holiday period, and, which I spotted in the living room, were the first suspect.  Perhaps they had outlived their beauty and were emitting a smell of decay.  A closer examination indicated that they were as healthy as could be as they proudly displayed their green leaves and red and white petals.   Shrimp creole was to have been cooked on that day and I found out later that, indeed, it had been.  Whether one likes the taste of shrimp or not, the aroma is very enticing.  However, at this point, there was hardly a trace that ... 01/06/2015

Investors Can Now Relax   An investor finds a home at a price that will allow for renovations to be done to the house and for it to be resold such that the investor makes a profit.   Benefiting from this are, of course the investor, the buyer, who gets a renovated house, the neighborhood, which goes up in value with this improved home, and the economy, because money and goods are moving.   It is to everyone's benefit to have these things happen faster rather than slower.  You know the saying: Time is money.  There are some renovators, depending upon the property, who can do an excellent renovation to a property within a week.   One of the most popular loans that a buyer may use is an FHA loan.   Of course, HUD, in all of its wisdom, as if we actually thought that they had any, comes alo... 12/12/2014