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  The for rent listing was changed from "Active" to "Withdrawn" and in the notes I indicated that it was sold (No need for other agents to waste time trying to get a withdrawn listing that has already been sold).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 wretched 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 it had... 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

Use Lots of Photos Unless . . . .   My broker would like for agents to use at least 20 photos on all of their listings.   Of, course, this makes sense, especially when most people are doing the majority of their home searches on line.   There are some shoppers who will go right past a listing if it does not have more than one photo.   I am told that the more photos that a property has, that the higher it will rank on sites like realtor.com.   But, what if the property is not deserving of lots of photos or if they are too difficult to take?   An investor called me about a property which he was going to list.   I asked if I could have the key to go to the property to take photos and measurements and such.   He said that I would not need a key; that I could just look through the window.   ... 10/23/2014

See ALL real estate of the active homes for sale for Ridgelys Choice in Nottingham, MD from Mike Klijanowicz click: http://www.isellmdhomes.com/Ridgelys_Choice_Homes_for_Sale/page_2624477.html 10/16/2014

Jennifer Fitze, Realtor, Keller Williams American Premier Realty Direct: 443-504-7830, Office: 443-512-0090, Website: http://www.JenSellsMD.com   Another home Just Sold by Jennifer Fitze of Keller Williams American Premier Realty   6 Knaves Court, Nottingham, MD 21236 Just Sold in 46 days!   Homes for Sale in Nottingham and Perry Hall   6 Knaves Court in Nottingham MD Just Sold!! This semi-detached townhome located in the Hallfield Manor community off Belair Rd and Slater Avenue sold in 46 days for $197,000 with $5,910 in seller paid closing costs.  Recently used as a rental, 6 Knaves Court was given a stunning makeover! The Sellers had the entire home professionally painted using Certa Pro Painters in Bel Air, MD. They also had all the carpet in the home replaced with a neutral shade. ... 09/29/2014

Do We Have An Impact On Nature?   This is not a discussion about how we may or may not impact the earth's climate, although that is certainly an issue of concern, but rather it is about more simple things and how they impact us.   The trees and bushes need to be trimmed and pruned and while we are at it we might as well take out those birds' nests. What's that flying around?  It's a bat!  Give me the broom!  Swoosh . . . Swoosh . . .  I got him! Look at all of these ants crawling around.  Stomp . . .Stomp . . . Stomp . . . Get me some bug spray ; I'll take care of them. Spider webs, spider webs, they are everywhere.  I need a mask.  Where are my gardening gloves?  Smash . . . Smash . . . They won't be building any more webs around here. That brush at the back of the yard needs to be cle... 09/13/2014

My Listing Is Going To Be On TV . . . . In 6 Months   It sounds like a good idea.  They will bring in a potential buyer to look at the house and will film the experience of the buyer, for a later episode of their "reality" television program, hence giving your listing free exposure.   In this case, the buyer already had an agent representative, which is fine, and, per the show's producer, the buyer would be making a choice from among three properties, which makes it sound like the odds were very good that my listing could have been the one that they selected.  The buyer already having an agent means that I did not get to be on television, which is fine because I didn't want them to powder my face anyway.   Three houses?!  Even the "Bachelor" or the "Bachelorette" have more chance of mak... 08/31/2014

If an Agent Is Not Part of the MLS, Do I Need to Pay That Agent?   Most real estate agents subscribe to the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) for the region where they are licensed and do their business.   If a real estate agent is not a subscriber to the MLS and that real estate agent represents the buyer in a contract of sale on a real estate property in which the other real estate agent, or the agent representing the seller, is a subscribing member to the MLS and has listed such property on that MLS, where the offered commission is stated, then does the listing broker necessarily owe a commission as stated on the MLS, assuming a successful sale, to the buyer's agent?   The contract of sale is between the buyer and the seller and, hence, does not, or should not include terms for other pa... 08/22/2014

Maryland: Agents Must Verify Recommended Provider License Status   Effective August 18, 2014,  real estate agents, in the state of Maryland, must verify, at least, once a year, the licensing status of recommended service providers.   Under the rule, if an agent chooses to recommend service providers in conjunction with the real estate transaction, the real estate licensee must:   Verify that the recommended individuals are licensed to perform those services by checking their licensing status; Give the customer or client an electronic link to the licensing information and the date on which the service provider’s licensing status was verified.  (Most licensing information can be accessed at http://www.dllr.state.md.us/license/ and then choose the respective industry/profession on the righ... 08/16/2014

Subscribe Confirmation: We are glad to see you join! Please take a moment to tell us why you chose to subscribe.   NO!  That is not how it happens!  Some how or another I get subscribed to emails to which I never personally subscribed. And, these email providers want me to give them a back up email or my phone number (for security purposes).  Are they crazy! 08/05/2014

Get Your House Sold With a Professional Ron Trzcinski will provide FULL SERVICE at the most reasonable rates in the industry!  Almost immediately, Ron will have the following marketing tools working for you: Listing on the Metropolitan Regional Information System to expose your home to thousands of Agents throughout the Mid-Atlantic Region;   Listing on numerous web sites, including realtor.com, homesdatabase.com, all of the major realty firms' sites in the region, and a few sites to which Ron will personally add your home;   Signage and brochures at the property to capture those drive-around shoppers;   Open Houses, not just the typical Sunday afternoon variety, but also Saturday and mid-week evenings to make certain that all potential buyers have an opportunity to see your home;   Rec... 07/30/2014

Buying a Home?  Do It Right Ron Trzcinski will make buying your next house a very easy process.  With Real Estate Brokerage, Management, and Sales Experience of over 15 years, you can rest assured that your purchase will go just right. Ron will help you with all aspects of the Home Buying Process, including assisting you in obtaining financing, finding the house for your needs, providing an evaluation of the physical property and of its price, negotiating the contract, coordinating inspections and appraisals, and going through settlement and beyond. Call today and do it right with Ron Trzcinski. 410-935-5844 Direct or ront@mris.com   07/30/2014

Realty Workshops: Educate First, Then Buy or Sell Do not blindly enter the real estate market.  Ron Trzcinski will provide the knowledge and training that you need to buy or sell a home. Real Estate Seminars and Workshops From an individual consultation to a conference room group, Ron Trzcinski will provide informative seminars and workshops on topics such as: Buying a Home, Selling a Home, Investing in Real Estate, and  Managing Your Credit. Ron Trzcinski brings the experience and training of several large brokerages, including his own realty brokerage. Additionally, Ron Trzcinski has a solid education in engineering and business, with Bachelors and Masters Degrees from Loyola University in Maryland. Contact Ron at 410-935-5844 directly or at ront@mris.com.   07/30/2014