Great Big Home and Leisure Show in Waldorf Maryland on March 25, 26, 27 Spring at last!  With the arrival of Spring, my good friend and client Bill Howard with Advanced Sealcoating will soon start their first jobs of the season.  They will be kicking off the season at the Great Big Home and Leisure Show in Waldorf Maryland starting on March 25th and continuing through March 27th. Advanced Sealcoating offers professional asphalt sealcoating, repair, and preservation.  They also perform infrared pothole repairs which is a specialty that very few companies are equipped to do.  They use only premium asphalt emulsion sealcoat for maximum coverage and protection.  Professional sealcoating provides beautiful curb appeal!  And it protects against the harmful effects of U/V rays, oil & gas spill... 03/12/2011

Southern Maryland Real Estate Market Report Statistics for January 2011 is out. Southern Maryland covers counties such as Calvert County,Charles County and St.Mary's County. When we talk about the Housing Recovery,Slow and Steady is the name of the game. If there's one thing that this Real Estate Market has taught us,it is that "bubbles don't last." Pending sales in Southern Maryland increased 239 +26.5% from January 2010. 1,861 homes for sale decreased 5.4% from 1,968 in January 2010. Prices slid to $236,000 that's -12.6% from 269,990 in January 2010. Expect housing inventory level to grow as the spring market heats up. But don't expect first time home buyers that we did last year. One reason many people brought a home last year was to cash in on the $8000 home buyer tax credit. But Mi... 03/01/2011

Let's face it, selling a home right now is hard enough in a down market, and sellers find themselves competing against a plethora of foreclosures and short sales in their area. Even without the market conditions, having bad neighbors can make selling a home exceptionally tough. We've all seen at least one species of Badimus Neighborus Maximus in our neighborhoods. Some species are loud and proud, while others only come out of the woodwork when you have an open house. Bad neighbors can come in all shapes and sizes: The Hoarder Next Door (Collectorus Junkus) Everyone has seen this neighbor at least once when looking at homes. Their natural habitat isn't complete without several garbage bags strewn about and possibly enough rusted out metal in the yard to supply American Pickers for the ne... 03/01/2011

Waldorf Maryland Single Family Homes for sale. Waldorf Maryland is a city in Charles County Maryland where are a lot of families are moving to. Anybody interested in buying a Waldorf Maryland Single Family House for sale will also find many types and styles of Waldorf Maryland Houses for sale that would best suit your wants,needs and lifestyle. Why would you want to buy a Waldorf Maryland Single Family home for sale? Since 2006 Two more shopping centers,including one with high-end stores and an attractive "lifestyle" town center have been built. Some of the stores in the Waldorf Maryland shopping center includes a Target Store and Marshalls. Across the street from the Shopping center there is now a Auto Zone and Chick-Fil-A. Ground was also broken to build an office park with mid-rise o... 01/16/2011

Curious about what's happening with foreclosures, short sales, home settlements, property values, and more in Southern Maryland? Here's the latest market information in Southern Maryland related to all things real estate, put together in an easy to watch video. If you're just looking for the highlights, I'm making that easy too! Median sales price in Southern Maryland is up 4.2% from September of last year to $269,950. The number of homes for sale in Southern Maryland is down 2.8% from last year to 3,034 properties The number of pending homes sales in Southern Maryland is up 12.3% to 366 homes currently under contract Homes in Southern Maryland are currently selling for 91.2% of listing price, on average 11/08/2010

YOU might AVOID FORECLOSURE BY SELLING YOUR HOUSE AS A SHORT SALE IN CHARLES COUNTY MD This information is to tell YOU that here are options other than FORECLOSURE and /or bankruptcy, in CHARLES COUNTY MARYLAND. One of these options, to AVOID FORECLOSURE, is selling YOUR house as a SHORT SALE.  What is a SHORT SALE?  In very simple terms a SHORT SALE is when YOUR lender agrees to let you sell your house for less than the mortgage YOU owe on it.  Unfortunately it is not a simple, or a short process.  YOU will need the HELP of a Real Estate Agent. In order to qualify for a SHORT SALE YOU have to meet certain Lender requirements, including a "proof of hardship".  The final decision on the sale of YOUR house is the Lender's.  YOU need to know that in this area Lenders can pursue borrowers f... 11/01/2010

Your question is HOW DO I SELL MY HOUSE IN CHARLES COUNTY MARYLAND? If you are a HOMEOWNER WHO WANTS TO SELL YOUR HOUSE IN CHARLES COUNTY MARYLAND YOU NEED TO THINK LIKE A BUYER!!    Let me HELP YOU.       Email me at RealEstate@MargaretC.com  I'm sorry, Mr and Mrs Homeowner if YOU WANT TO SELL YOUR HOME you can no longer think of it as YOUR HOUSE!! Think of it as the HOUSE THE BUYER WANTS TO BUY!! and then SELL IT TO  THEM!! YOUR Buyer drives up to the front of your home and what do they see?  Fresh cut grass, well placed flowers and/or shrubbery, a clean or freshly painted exterior, and they say "This house has potential!" Now YOUR Buyer is at the front door, which again should be welcoming, freshly painted with updated hardware. When YOUR Buyer opens the front door he should be overw... 11/01/2010

There's a rumor going around among REO agents across the country that PNC may have frozen foreclosures across the board.  So far I have heard of four states where PNC foreclosures were supposedly halted:  Arizona, Texas, Oregon, and Florida. What's interesting is that PNC REO agents in those states have said that PNC has halted their properties, and three of those states aren't even judicial foreclosure states involved in the robo-signing drama, indicating this may be a nationwide decision. Anyone out there have more information about this?  I'd love to get confirmation from more people with direct knowledge who could anonymously confirm or deny the rumor. **UPDATE** PNC Has not made any comment publicly yet, but internal memos being sent to title companies and REO agents are now statin... 10/08/2010

     Dying at the Dentist? My trip to the Dentist today at Fort Washington MD wasn't all that bad. You are probably thinking after the day that I had I shouldn't be doing anything-You are absolutely right. I haven't been blogging here that much the past three days. Last thursday,a reunion happened (Blog coming on that very soon on that).      But today I decided to visit the place that many people fear going to. No!II am not talking about attending church. I love going to church by the way.Okay so I didn't like going to church maybe when I was young and I sometimes wished that we wouldn't go to Church so that I can watch NFL Football-Lord Please forgive me. But honestly speaking church was boring back then when I use to attend church. But the pastor not only couldn't preach but he didn'... 08/16/2010

The St. Charles Sheffield Community located in Waldorf, MD is a large community consisting primarily of single family homes but also has beautiful brick three level townhomes.        This development offers a large community center and pond. it has large walks throughout the community. In the last 6 months 23 single family homes have sold ranging from 250k to roughly 320k with closing assistance. This community is a few miles away from route 301 and St. Charles Shopping Center. Currently there are 13 single homes for sale ranging in listing price from$249,900 to 515K.   07/11/2010

     Both of my clients closed June 30th, received their 8k tax credit with USDA Rural Development, and I couldn't be happier! I sent out a video email on June 14th to the local Realtors in Southern Maryland. I said that Envoy Mortgage is closing USDA Rural Development Loans and if you call me in the next 48 hours, I believe that I will close the loans by June 30th in time for the 8k tax credit.      I got two phone calls within 1 hour and... well I did it! I had to jump through fire and practically stood on top of these loans but I closed two USDA Rural Development loans on June 30th from two phone calls I got within 1 hour of my video Woo Hoo!      So I had this buyer "John" who has been trying to get a home for almost two years and had been getting tossed around everywhere from lende... 07/06/2010

Reading through home inspection reports in Southern Maryland can make you believe that there are a MILLION things wrong with every property. However, that's not necessarily the case. Inspectors report everything they see (including minor things like missing outlet covers) to protect both the buyers as well as themselves from litigious actions. Inspection Nightmare I read someone's story recently about how their new home turned into a nightmare (see Couple Discovers Secret Room in New Home [...]). It certainly seems as though the blind cartoon character Mr. Magoo was their home inspector. Among the things he missed was a 'hidden' storage room with a small door underneath the stairs. Excited to find something so intriguing, the homeowners opened the door only to find bags of garbage cover... 06/10/2010

With the Waldorf, MD real estate market starting to look not as bleak, those super amazing deals on houses are starting to dwindle. Believe it or not, you may be put in a situation where you aren’t the only one putting a offer in on a home. If you are facing a bidding war to ‘win’ your new home, here are a couple things to keep in mind (courtesy of SmartMoney of the Wall Street Journal): Put a Cap on Your Price Multiple-offer situations create an auction-type atmosphere, and that can cause people to overspend. Ever bought things on eBay? OK, now how many times did you spend more than you planned because you really wanted to win that item? That is the dangerous competitiveness you want to avoid. Set a maximum price on how much you're willing to spend on the home with your Realtor, and do... 06/10/2010

As a Realtor in Southern Maryland, I am frequently asked by homeowners to do a comparative market analysis (CMA) on the current sales value of their home. Quite often, people are shocked to find out that their home is worth less than what they had imagined; a sign of the market downturn and overall economy at large. It's important to understand that a home's market value is really determined by the end buyer. It doesn't matter what you think the home SHOULD be worth, it matters what the buyer is willing to pay. When trying to set a sales price for your home, keep these concepts in mind to ensure your home is priced properly and is able to sell. $20,000 in Home Improvements May Not Equal $20,000 in Added Value. Thinking about spending big bucks remodeling your kitchen or adding an in-gro... 06/10/2010

Waldorf, MD SOLD Homes February2010 Houses SOLD:  86 Average LIST price:  $230,081 Average SELLING price:  $229,561 Average DAYS ON MARKET: 89 LOWEST SALE price:  $69,900 - 2 bedroom, 1.5 bath townhome home built in 1975.  Located in Oak Manot Townhouses - foreclosure HIGHEST SALE price:  $500,000 - 5 bedroom, 3.5 bath single-family home located in Heritage Crossing, built in 2003 Waldorf, MD ACTIVE listings (as of 6/6/10)                   ACTIVE Houses:  421 Average LIST Price:  $256,212 LOWEST LIST Price:  $67,500 - 2 bedroom, 1 bath single family home built in 1956.  Located in Cedarlawn - foreclosure HIGHEST LIST Price:  $1,199,900 - 5 bedroom, 5.5 baths single family home built in 2003.  Located in Zekiah valley Current Average Days on Market:  123   Waldorf, MD UNDER CONTRACT lis... 06/06/2010

Waldorf, MD SOLD Homes February2010 Houses SOLD:  92 Average LIST price:  $238,146 Average SELLING price:  $236,961 Average DAYS ON MARKET: 106 LOWEST SALE price:  $75000 - 3 bedroom, 1.5 bath townhome home built in 1980.  Located in St. Charles Wakefield- foreclosure HIGHEST SALE price:  $460,000 - 5 bedroom, 3.5 bath single-family home located in North Pointe, built in 2010 Waldorf, MD ACTIVE listings (as of 5/20/10)                   ACTIVE Houses:  421 Average LIST Price:  $261,948 LOWEST LIST Price:  $72,500 - 2 bedroom, 1 bath single family home built in 1956.  Located in Cedarlawn - foreclosure HIGHEST LIST Price:  $1,199,900 - 5 bedroom, 5.5 baths single family home built in 2003.  Located in Zekiah valley Current Average Days on Market:  124   Waldorf, MD UNDER CONTRACT listing... 05/20/2010

Securemedy Incorporated is a full scale,security services provider located in Waldorf MD Charles County,Maryland outside of Washington DC. Our services are available across the continental United States including the District of Columbia.    SERVICE OFFERED:    Securemedy Incorporated is a full scale,security services provider specializing in: Uniformed Protective Services: Uniformed security guards will be provided to detect,deter,observe and report suspicious and/or criminal activities on client facilities. Security guards will be licensed and certified as required. Executive Protection: Services are available for high level executives,dignitaries,elected officials or high profile individuals requiring added security. Security Consulting: Maintaining an integrated security infrastruct... 05/18/2010

If you live in Southern Maryland, you probably just saw one heck of a storm! From Waldorf To points south and east, tornados were seen in Waldorf, White Plains, Hughesville, La Plata, Saint Charles, etc.! I was at my office working late when it hit, and was stunned by the funnel clouds that were forming in the sky and the monsterous hail that came down! Seeing the tornados reminded me of the tornado that went through La Plata a few years ago, I hope this storm isn't as bad! As I write this I am currently sitting at home writing from my iPhone, and waiting for power to be restored. (gotta love smart phones!) What I want to know is how you fared through the storm! Anyone out there with serious tornado damage? Who's got the best pictures of the hail that came down? As soon as power is back... 05/18/2010

Southern Maryland, (and more specifically, Waldorf) developer American Community Properties Trust (ACPT) recently announced plans for a community of green, energy-saving homes right here in St. Charles. Their vision entails a 12,000 home community, complete with offices, stores, and industrial parks. ACPT is also banking on plans for a large solar energy facility and natural gas plant coming to fruition in the same area. The reported energy-saving features of the homes in the planned community include: Low flush, low flow toilets and showers Better-than-normal insulation Recycled carpets Energy Star appliances Energy-saving windows Smart thermostats What ACPT doesn’t mention is that SMECO already has a smart thermostat program! It is FREE to enroll in, and the Energy Star certified Cool... 04/19/2010

Let's face it, searching for a home can be overwhelming! Between mountains of paperwork, tons of homes on vying for your attention, and a multitude of financing options unique to Southern Maryland, the prospect of finding the perfect home to suit your needs can be very challenging indeed! The important thing to remember is this: When you're buying a home it can become easy to forget about some of the features you really need in a new home. Is storage space important to you? Your new home may have plenty of storage now, but will still have enough space for you in a few years? What about lighting and windows? Items like these can cost big bucks to upgrade later, so you may want to pay more attention to those factors BEFORE you buy your home, rather than regret it later! Some other factors... 04/17/2010