I was a Best Real Estate Blog Finalist!

Well, voting has ended and while it was interesting – my blog, MetroBaltimoreRealEstate.com came in 5th.

Maybe, I’ll do better next year. Until then keep tuning in I will attempt to keep you entertained and informed as to information pertaining to the Greater Baltimore Metropolitan Area and the real estate market.

Below are the final results:

1st – realtormarney.com/topics/blog/ 45.59%
2nd – baltimoresun.com/realestatewonk 30.18%
3rd – baltimorerealestateinvestingblog.com 15.73%
4th – hibanism.com 5.42%
5th – metrobaltimorerealestate.com 2.13%
6th – livebaltimorecity.com 0.64%
7th – homesbyhannon.com/real_estate_blog 0.21%
8th – baltimoregrows.com 0.11%
9th – wassermanteam.com/blog/ 0%
10th – ngrealtygroup.com/Blog 0%

Home Inspections… for Sellers

Most people think a home inspection is something that happens somewhere between making an offer and before closing on a home. But for a number of reasons, more homeowners are choosing to have their own home inspected before putting it on the market.

The reason is simple: uncovering problems early on enables you to fix them, often making it possible to add value to your sale price. An inspection is designed to reveal any potential problems a house may have—and that’s true for both buyers and sellers. Sellers may benefit from gaining this kind of detailed information about their home, so that they can choose to handle problems long before the negotiation process is underway.

Many sellers also report that their buyers feel more comfortable when the information from a pre-sale inspection is shared early on, even if the buyers choose to have their own home inspection as well.

In short, a pre-sale inspection can reduce the chance of a surprise and help speed the closing process, which would otherwise have been delayed by scheduling repairs and having the buyers confirm they were completed properly. Because for buyers, making an offer contingent upon a home inspection is about saving expenses and trouble—not to mention providing confidence in what may well be the biggest investment they ever make.

Even if you’re not a buyer making an offer, or a seller thinking of listing a home in the next few months, a home inspection can provide homeowners with a thorough to-do list for maintenance—or even a little peace of mind. If you have any questions about inspections, please don’t hesitate to call or email.

Get Me Off These Lists!

The Do Not Call list was created in 2003. 137 Million have signed up for it not because of privacy, but because frequent calls were an intrusion.

Now the success of do-not-call created a new industry of Opt Out resources.

A consumer can now opt out of the standard practice of their banks or loan companies selling their information to others. While most of the opt-outs are intended to make life less annoying, they can also have the side effect of protecting personal information that can be misused by identity thieves or unscrupulous merchants.

Here are some ideas & resources to get you off the List!

PHONE SOLICITATIONS: To stop them, go to www.donotcall.gov Or call toll free, 1-888-382-1222, from the number you are going to restrict. Remember to register if you get a new phone number. You can register cell phone numbers as well. A listing is good for five years.

JUNK MAIL: You can try to opt out of direct mail solicitations, but it will probably not work very well. A private organization, the Direct Marketing Association, handles that list and not member uses the list. It is worth a try.Write the association: Mail Preference Service at P.O. Box 643, Carmel, N.Y. 10512. There is an online form at www.the-dma.org/consumers/offmailinglist.html.

E-MAIL: Whatever you do, do not respond to an unsolicited e-mail message when it gives you the option to opt out of receiving more e-mails. That is a trick used by spammers to confirm they hit a live address. Once that happens, your address goes to a prime list and is sold to other spammers. So how do you prevent spam? Unfortunately, other than spam filters, there really is no good way.

CREDIT CARD OFFERS: Billions of offers sail through the mail system every year, so many in fact that Congress is looking to slow the use of targeting those who can not handle credit. Call 1-888-567-8688, but be ready to give out some personal information like your Social Security number. The major credit bureaus, like Experian, Equifax and TransUnion, which collect information on your borrowing habits let you opt out of what they call pre-screened offers of credit at https://www.optoutprescreen.com

CREDIT FREEZE: If you opt for a credit info freeze, companies can not look at your credit history before they offer you a “deal” on a new credit card. In the end if they don’t know your past they are not going to “bank” on your future”.

Who has the best Baltimore real estate blog?

Zillow is holding a “best real estate blog” contest, and the Metro Baltimore Real Estate is one of the nominees for Baltimore.

The voting, which is already underway, continues through August 11th @ 3pm, Plus you can vote once per day!

I hope you like this blog enough to vote for it. I would greatly appreciate your vote.

Clicking on the banner below will take you to the poll.

Please vote Daily – Thanks Hon.

NAR June Sales Report – National Assocation Of Realtors Home Sales Data

* 5.1% Decrease in home sales.
* $183,700 Medium Price
* Inventory UP 2.5%..nearly 9 month supply of homes…NAR reports as VERY HIGH.
* NAR, expects a continued INCREASE in inventory. Agents, this will drive prices down even further. NOTE: Any of you still doubting a housing double dip, doubt no longer.
* Distressed sales, 32%…short sales increasing. Of all the sales in June 1/3 were..Short Sales and REOs.
* First time buyers, 43% of ALL Sales.
* Cash Buyers, 25%. of ALL Sales.

Here is the CNBC Video:

Congress Approves Extension of the Homebuyer Tax Credit Closing Deadline

Congress approved late Wednesday an extension to the June 30 closing deadline for the home buyer tax credit, hours before it was set to expire. The move will give would-be buyers who signed a purchase agreement by April 30 more time to close on those deals and receive the credit that is worth up to $8,000. The new deadline is Sept. 30.

The Senate approved the measure unanimously on Wednesday, one day after the provision sailed through the House of Representatives with little opposition. The President is expected to sign the measure soon.

The Senate had failed to pass the provision last week when it was included in a bigger package that would have extended jobless benefits, among other measures. On Wednesday, an effort to reinstate unemployment insurance failed, and the Senate opted to pass the tax credit provision by itself.

In recent weeks, lenders and real-estate companies have warned of bottlenecks that could lead thousands of potential buyers to miss out on the credit that they thought they were getting. The probably is particularly acute for short sales, where a lender allows a home to sell for less than the amount owed. Banks and the federal government have stepped up efforts to encourage short sales as an alternative to foreclosure, but the deals take longer to approve because they require note holders to reconcile losses.

Congress first created a tax credit for homeowners in 2008. It was extended and expanded twice during 2009. The last extension, approved last fall, said that house purchase contracts would have to be signed by April 30, and home buyers would have until June 30 to close on those sales. The extension is only good for those buyers who were under contract by April 30. Someone who signed a contract after April 30 and buys a home by Sept. 30 isn’t eligible for the tax credit.

The Senate also passed an extension of the federal flood insurance program until Sept. 30. The change is retroactive to June 1, when the program had lapsed.

Good Scents

People often ask me how to make their homes more appealing to guests as well as the people who live there. One thing that makes a home inviting and comfortable is a pleasant fragrance.

Smells have strong, subconscious effects on the brain and can be used to accentuate your home’s warmth and appeal. To fill your home with a warm, inviting scent, boil a pot of water on the stove, then pour in a teaspoon of vanilla and add some cinnamon or cloves. Or try a little baking–the aroma of fresh bread or cookies can’t be beat!

Just as certain smells create positive images, other smells create negative ones and should be eliminated. Many excellent products are on the market to enhance your home’s olfactory appeal. But nothing works better than a good cleaning. Consider using lemon polish on the furniture for a fresh smell. Prevent pet odors from lingering by giving your house and carpets a thorough periodic cleaning.

Cigarette or cigar smoke hanging in the air or in furniture or draperies can make even a clean house feel dingy. To absorb and eliminate the smell of smoke, place a small bowl of vinegar in the room, let it sit for a few days, and then discard it.

Does Landscaping Add Value?

Whether you live in a condominium or a single-family house, landscaping can certainly make your home easier to sell. But will attractive landscaping add value? It depends.

Potted plants, freshly edged green lawn, and weed-free garden areas will make your home more attractive and appealing. The more appealing the home or condo, the more marketable it is and the faster it will sell.

Well-manicured landscaping helps frame other elements of curb appeal. It is considered a value-added feature because it helps create a positive first impression. Most buyers, however, will not pay extra for trees and lawn, flowers and shrubs.

But you can almost always get a return on your investment in decks and patios. As decks have become more desirable, their resale value has continued to increase.

In the yard and garden of your single-family home or in pots on your condo deck or patio, use plants, trees, and other landscaping elements freely to make your home more appealing and help you sell it more quickly when the time is right.

If you have any real estate–related questions, please call or email me. I am always happy to help.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day

Happy Saint Paddy’s Hon!

Baltimore has a large populous of Irish and wanna-be Irish.

Throughout March there are many “Irish” events planned some that happened this past weekend.

On Saturday there was the annual St Patrick’s Day Shamrock 5K Race followed by the Parade.

Next Saturday, there is the annual O’Malley’s March. Governor Martin O’Malley leads his Irish band in concert at the Recher Theatre (512 York Rd.) in Towson starting @ 8 pm. Note: Tickets are $20

Below I have provided a brief list of some of the local Irish Pubs/Restaurants:
Have fun, enjoy but stay safe!

Claddagh Pub in O’Donnell Square [Canton]

James Joyce Irish Pub and Restaurant [Inner Harbor]

Life of Reilly Irish Pub [Butcher's Hill]

Tir Na Nog Irish Bar & Grill [Inner Harbor]

Slainte Pub [Fells Point]

Mick O’Shea’s [Mount Vernon]

Patrick’s Pub [West Side]

Maggie Moore’s Irish Pub and Restaurant [Downtown]

Ryan’s Daughter [Belvedere Square]

An Poitin Stil [Lutherville-Timonium]

Oh, by the way, I am truly of Irish decent.
Learn More about St. Patrick’s Day

Facebook disabled my account

On Wednesday, March 10th I received notification that my Facebook account was disabled. There was no reason given. No explanations, no email, nothing.

Rather unsocial for a social network!?

I’m still trying to find out why – All I can figure is that I was adding friends too quickly? Maybe it was my having too many friends, being too active, running so many Fan Pages and groups? Not certain still awaiting word – and hopefully be reactivated?

I’m taking it in stride, however it seems some of my “friends” are panicking:

“I miss your daily listing updates!” one emailed me.

“Where are you birthday greetings?” wrote another.

“Just open up another account?” another advised.

I suppose I could do that. Just use a different e-mail address, (everyone knows I have thousands at my disposal!) Then I could reconnect with friends, family, classmates, clients and business associates, but with over 3000 already set up – that would take time – therefore I’ll just be patient and await word.

It is rather sad though – on Wednesday it was my Father’s 66th B-day and I was trying to get some of the relatives to contact him – those that I don’t have email or phone # for. Facebook is a great way to keep up those communications as well. Also, my wife, Carolyn, finally set up an account – but I lost mine

Rather Ironic…

I sent Facebook an email (disabled@facebook.com & appeals@facebook.com) – but I realize that I am only one of 30 million plus visitors they must have, additionally Facebook certainly has its hands full, with the phishing scams and accounts being hacked, etc.

Some who’ve been through the same experience were still waiting for Facebook’s reply weeks after they made original contact.

As I’ve repeatedly pointed out, networking is a must for everyone and social media sources like Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and others make this possible.

After what happened with my Facebook account, I still think that FaceBook is an incredible useful tool. If they could fix the glitches on their scripts and system, they would be so much better. I’m hopeful that they will restore my Facebook account after reviewing my account. But right now, all I can do is wait for their reply and hope for the best. So it may be a while before I am back – Oh well, if they don’t get to me immediately it is understood…