Therre are 52 homes for sale in Germantown’s zip code 20876 as of January 21, 2010.  Prices on these homes range from $89,900 for a condo on Gunners Branch to $807,370  for a brand new home built by Mitchell & Best in a gated community off Davis Mill Road.  Click here to search Germantown homes for sale.

The neighborhoods with the most activity are Brandermill with 7 active, 20 under contract and 3 sold; Milestone with 4 active, 13 under contract and 4 sold and Fox Chapel with 2 active, 8 under contract and 2 sold.

 Short Sales and Foreclosures in Germantown Maryland’s 20876

Out of the 52 homes for sale, 21 are short sales and 7 are foreclosures (54% requiring 3d party approval).  Buyers have been decreasing the inventory of foreclosures and short sales in the last couple of months, since out of 86 homes currently under contract there are 60 that are short sales and 15 in foreclosure (87%).  Properties that have settled since December 1, 2009 total 23 homes, with 0 being short sales and 9 in foreclosure (39%).

What is Happening to Germantown Home Values?

Germantown MD home values will continue to be impacted by the large number of short sales and foreclosures.  Are you curious what your home is worth – use this cool ‘app’ that will generate a Snapshot of the Real Estate Market in Germantown in your neighborhood – it is fast and free.

The average sold price of properties that sold in December 2009 was $256,050, up slightly compared to last year, with 67 average days on market compared to 100 days last December.  Sellers are getting 95.8% of their asking price (but that doesn’t reflect the price reductions and seller subsidies).

The spring market is about to begin, it promises to be better than last year with interest rates being low and the tax credit being extended and expanded.  Let me know if you would like a free, no-obligation competitive market analysis for your Germantown home.

Bob Myers, Graduate, Realtor Institute, is a member of the Re/Max Hall of Fame and has served buyers and sellers for 24 years in Montgomery County.  Visit Bob’s websites for a virtual tours of properties and for more information on Montgomery County MD Real Estate.  Bob leads The Myers Team and is affiliated with Re/Max Realty Services, 15020 Shady Grove Road, Suite 400, Rockville, MD, 20850.  Office phone is 240-403-0400 and you can always reach Bob on his cell phone at 301-910-9910.

As of  January 21, 2010 there are 163 homes for sale in Germantown neighborhoods in zip code 20874.  Prices on these homes range from $85,000 for a condo in Gunners View to $1,980,000 for a home in Darnestown which shares this zip code with Germantown.  Click here to search for Germantown homes for sale.

Short Sales and Foreclosures in Germantown are the Big Story

Out of these 163 homes for sale, 63 are short sales and 27 are foreclosures (55% requiring 3d party approval).  Buyers have been snapping up foreclosures and short sales in the last couple of months, since out of 196 homes currently under contract there are 124 that are short sales and 39 in foreclosure (83%).  Properties that have settled since December 1, 2009 total 109 homes, with 19 being short sales and 37 in foreclosure (51%).

The neighborhoods with the highest number of sold homes since December 1 are: Germantown Town Center with 18 properties (16 are townhomes, of which 8 were short sales or foreclosures), Gunners Lake Village with 11 sales (4 were short sales or foreclosures), Germantown Park with 7 sales (5 short sales/foreclosures), and The Ashmore condos with 6 sales (4 short sales/foreclosures).

What is Happening to Germantown Home Values?

Germantown MD home values will continue to be impacted by the large number of short sales and foreclosures.  Are you curious what your home is worth - use this cool ‘app' that will generate a Snapshot of the Real Estate Market in Germantown in your neighborhood - it is fast and free.

Properties that sold in December 2009 had an average sold price of almost $300,000, with 68 average days on market (better than last year's 125 days on market!).

The spring market is about to begin, and with interest rates being low and the tax credit being extended and expanded it promises to be a great selling season.  Let me know if you would like a free, no-obligation competitive market analysis for your Germantown home.

Bob Myers, Graduate, Realtor Institute, is a member of the Re/Max Hall of Fame and has served buyers and sellers for 24 years in Montgomery County MD and Northern Virginia.  Visit Bob's websites for a virtual tours of properties and for more information on Montgomery County MD Real Estate To search the MLS in Gaithersburg, Germantown, Rockville, Clarksburg, Potomac and other great Maryland and Virginia communities visit http://www.searchmontgomery.com .  

Bob is affiliated with Re/Max Realty Services, 15020 Shady Grove Road, Suite 400, Rockville, MD, 20850.  Office phone is 240-403-0400 and you can always reach Bob on his cell phone at 301-910-9910.

In my previous blog post I talked about the benefits of using a collaborative divorce team.  I have received this training and can attest to the benefits.  I recently listed a home in Rockville's Rockshire neighborhood whose owners were divorcing and participating in the collaborative divorce team process.

This sale benefited from this process in several ways:

•-         obviously the attorney fees are lower overall in this process,

•-         the collaborative model emphasizes communication and full disclosure, so the spouses were totally aware of all aspects of the situation and cooperated fully in getting the home ready for sale,

•-         emotions were managed as part of the team process with mental health professionals facilitating the teamwork and creating a plan,

•-         Realtors and financial professionals serve as neutral experts,

•-         there is a much higher level of long term satisfaction with the agreed upon settlement.

My role as a neutral expert was to make this a win-win for the divorcing spouses.  In other divorce cases I have run into roadblocks with the spouses not sharing information or unable to agree on a listing price or terms.  The collaborative process works to support the most positive outcome possible in the difficult situation of divorce.

Success is measured by how well we have achieved the clients' mutual goals, not how much one spouse gets vs. the other.

I have seen this process work well and recommend it to all who are in the unfortunate position of getting a divorce.  You can see more at http://www.collaborativepractice.com or please call Geoff Platnick of Shulman Rogers at 301-231-0927 or visit his website at http://www.shulmanrogers.com/attorneys-178.html.

Bob Myers, Graduate, Realtor Institute, is a member of the Re/Max Hall of Fame and has served buyers and sellers for 24 years in Montgomery County and Prince Georges County MD and Northern Virginia.  Visit Bob's websites for a virtual tours of properties and for more information on Montgomery County MD Real Estate

Use my other website to search the MLS for MD Homes for Sale in Gaithersburg, Germantown, Rockville, Clarksburg, Potomac and other great Maryland and Virginia communities.  Bob is affiliated with Re/Max Realty Services, 15020 Shady Grove Road, Suite 400, Rockville, MD, 20850.  Office phone is 240-403-0400 and you can always reach Bob on his cell phone at 301-910-9910.

This 2 BR 2 BA condo is located in the back on the lower level, with a private, walkout patio.  With bedrooms at opposite ends of the home and baths ensuite, this condo offers 1,013 sq ft of living space, a separate laundry room and an open layout. 

The dining room and kitchen combination is large and features a gas stove, built in microwave and tile floor in the kitchen.   With recessed lighting, the large living room also has a slider to a private covered patio with a wooded view.  The private patio is a unique feature of this home.  The large owner bedroom has a bath ensuite and plenty of closet space.

Just outside the front door of this building is a large tot lot.  The condo has plenty of parking, and you can walk to the pool and shopping.  The Fountain Hills community has it all - an excellent pool complex that is just steps away, and it is a short walk to Kingsview Village shopping center.  It is in very close proximity to major commuting routes and points of interest in Germantown, including the Community Center a block away and just minutes to Metro and Marc trains.  This home overlooks a park area maintained by MNCPPC, including two ball fields, basketball court, tennis courts and tot lot. 

See more photos of the community at http://www.fountainhillscondominium.org/

Total est 09 taxes: $2164 Fountain Hills Condos back to trees and feature tot lots, ball fields, pool, Germantown Community Center and a short walk to Kingsview Village shops.

Asking $185,000

Bob Myers, Graduate, Realtor Institute, is a member of the Re/Max Hall of Fame and has served buyers and sellers for 24 years in Montgomery County and Prince Georges County MD and Northern Virginia.  Visit Bob's websites for a virtual tours of properties and for more information on Montgomery County MD Real Estate

Visit this website to: search the MLS in Gaithersburg, Germantown, Rockville, Clarksburg, Potomac and other great Maryland and Virginia communities. Bob is affiliated with Re/Max Realty Services, 15020 Shady Grove Road, Suite 400, Rockville, MD, 20850.  Office phone is 240-403-0400 and you can always reach Bob on his cell phone at 301-910-9910.

This lovely end unit townhome in Rockville's Woodmont Place is totally updated and upgraded in the last few years: kitchen cabinets, stainless steel appliances, tile, doors, windows, garage door, bathroom vanities and tile; high efficiency HVAC and much more. 

Featuring three bedrooms, 3.5 baths and a finished walk out lower level plus patio and deck - you are getting alot of home for the money.  Vaulted ceilings in the bedrooms and a two story family room on the lower level are just two of the unique features of this home.  This home also features hardwood floors on the main level and a deck that backs to country club greenery. 

Sited on a cul de sac in a neighborhood with no through streets and backing to Woodmont Country Club, you will enjoy this quiet enclave of homes just minutes from Metro, shops and other Rockville points of interest.  Located in the prestigious Richard Montgomery School cluster.  Total 09 est tax: $6687

Asking $519,000

Bob Myers, Graduate, Realtor Institute, is a member of the Re/Max Hall of Fame and has served buyers and sellers for 24 years in Montgomery County and Prince Georges County MD and Northern Virginia.  Visit Bob's website for a virtual tours of properties and for more information on Montgomery County MD Real Estate 

To search the MLS in Gaithersburg, Germantown, Rockville, Clarksburg, Potomac and other great Maryland and Virginia communities.  Bob is affiliated with Re/Max Realty Services, 15020 Shady Grove Road, Suite 400, Rockville, MD, 20850.  Office phone is 240-403-0400 and you can always reach Bob on his cell phone at 301-910-9910. 

I have begun serving clients as part of a collaborative divorce team of legal, financial, mental health and real estate practitioners.  Collaborative practice focuses on negotiation, de-escalating conflict, improving communication and assisting clients in making decisions outside of the usual divorce litigation process. 

This means that each spouse has their own representation, but that they are client-centered rather than litigation centered.  The process emphasizes sharing information and mutually agreeing upon solutions that benefit the entire family.  It is more than a friendly negotiation, it is a defined process that attorneys and other collaborative professionals adhere to and become trained in. 

This process is very good at reducing the negative emotional and financial outcomes of divorce.  Since your home is usually your largest asset in a marriage, having a process to agree on all the financial decisions, with a financial planner, Realtor and mortgage professional plus mental health practitioners all trained in the collaborative process results in a smoother transaction.

There is special training that team members attend to understand the process and help the spouses manage all the legal aspects of ending their marriage.

If the spouses do not adhere to the collaborative agreement, then the divorce ends up in court as a regular divorce proceeding.  Since most divorces end up with a negotiated settlement anyway, often right before they go to court, this process is preferable in so many ways.

If you are interested in learning more about this process, feel free to visit the http://www.collaborativepractice.com website, or call Geoff Platnick at the law firm of Shulman Rogers at 301-237-0927 or visit his website at http://www.shulmanrogers.com/attorneys-178.html

In my next blog, I will talk about the role of the Realtor in a collaborative divorce.

Bob Myers, Graduate, Realtor Institute, is a member of the Re/Max Hall of Fame and has served buyers and sellers for 24 years in Montgomery County and Prince Georges County MD and Northern Virginia.  Visit Bob's websites for a virtual tours of properties and for more information on Montgomery County MD Real Estate at http://www.bobmyers4homes.com To search the MLS in Gaithersburg, Germantown, Rockville, Clarksburg, Potomac and other great Maryland and Virginia communities visit http://www.searchmontgomery.com .   Bob is affiliated with Re/Max Realty Services, 15020 Shady Grove Road, Suite 400, Rockville, MD, 20850.  Office phone is 240-403-0400 and you can always reach Bob on his cell phone at 301-910-9910.

This lovely updated 3 level split has 3 bedrooms and 2 baths, plus a rough in bath on the lower level.  Sited on a cul de sac, the fenced level yard of a quarter acre features mature trees, a deck and patio.  Upgrades include hardwood floors, custom paint, updated kitchen, large laundry/mud room, a brick fireplace and molding.

The Rockshire neighborhood features Woottons Mill Park, the Millenium Trail - a paved 10.6 mile loop around Rockville, the Rockshire Pool and Swim Team and Wootton schools.  This home is a two minute drive to I-270 and close to shopping and Rockville Town Center.

The main level offers large living and dining rooms, tastefully painted, with dentil molding and recessed lighting.  The spacious kitchen has plenty of counter and cabinet space, plus a pantry.  Undercabinet lighting is another nice touch in the kitchen.  There is an entry foyer with a coat closet.  Hardwood floors run throughout the main level.  There are French doors to the deck.

Hardwood floors continue through the lower level family room, with wall mural, wood burning fireplace with brick hearth and access to the laundry/mud room.

The upper level of bedrooms includes a linen closet and pristine hall bath.  The owner suite has plenty of closet space and a bath ensuite.  The other two bedrooms are painted and get plenty of natural light.

This extra large laundry/mud room has a rough in for a bath, hidden storage space and two 'bonus' areas to stretch your space.  There is a door to the backyard, making this a convenient 'mud' room.

The spacious fenced back yard features a patio, a deck plus two doors into the home.

Rockshire residents enjoy Woottons Mill Park with its garden plots, basketball and tennis courts, fitness trail, hiking/biking trail and picnic areas.

Esimated property tax a new owner would pay in 2009: $6256.

Asking $499,900 - Call Bob for a showing at 301-910-9910.

Bob Myers, GRI is a member of the Re/Max Hall of Fame and has served buyers and sellers for 24 years in Montgomery County and Prince Georges County MD and Northern Virginia.  Visit Bob's websites for a virtual tour of this property and for more information on Rockville MD Real Estate and to search the Maryland MLS in Gaithersburg, Germantown, Rockville, Clarksburg, Potomac and other great Maryland and Virginia communities.   Bob is affiliated with Re/Max Realty Services, 15020 Shady Grove Road, Suite 400, Rockville, MD, 20850.  Office phone is 240-403-0400 and you can always reach Bob on his cell phone at 301-910-9910.

Sited on a cul-de-sac, this 5 bedroom, 3.5 bath colonial has many upgrades: hardwood floors throughout, gourmet kitchen with granite counters, marble floor in a dramatic two story foyer, a large private deck, finished walkout lower level with bedroom, den, rec room, full bath and a kitchenette too! The owner suite has a large bath with a soaking tub.  The large yard is fenced in back and features a deck with privacy screen.  There is also a two car garage.

This home is located just off Layhill Road in the Middlebridge community that includes a swim club.  Just minutes to shops, commuting routes, and Wheaton Regional Park and Brookside Gardens. 

Nonsmokers preferred, pets on a case by case basis.  Available immediately.  Asking $2,750 per month.

Bob Myers, GRI is a member of the Re/Max Hall of Fame and has served buyers and sellers for 24 years in Montgomery County and Prince Georges County MD and Northern Virginia.  Visit Bob's websites for a virtual tour of this property and for more information on Montgomery County MD Real Estate and to search the MLS in Gaithersburg, Germantown, Rockville, Clarksburg, Potomac and other great Maryland and Virginia communities.   Bob is affiliated with Re/Max Realty Services, 15020 Shady Grove Road, Suite 400, Rockville, MD, 20850.  Office phone is 240-403-0400 and you can always reach Bob on his cell phone at 301-910-9910.

Offering for lease, this gorgeous colonial in the Montrose Village neighborhood, just off Montrose Road in the Walter Johnson HS cluster is in excellent condition.  Asking $3,500 per month.

There are 4 bedrooms and 3.5 baths. This spacious home is freshly painted and ready for you to move in.

Featuring a great kitchen with a Viking stove, an atrium window and breakfast nook, which is open to the large family room.

The dramatic two story living room with an overlook from the second floor is sun filled and great for entertaining.  It features a curved divider to the dining room.

The large owner suite has a whirlpool soaking tub and two walk in closets.  Another large bedroom has a deck and wet bar.

There is also plenty of space in the fully finished basement, with den, rec room, laundry room and bath.

There is a fenced private yard and 2 car garage.

Fantastic location off Montrose Road - visit my website for more information about Rockville MD Real Estate and Homes for Sale. Nonsmokers preferred. Pets on a case by case basis. One to two year lease.

Please call Bob Myers at Re/Max Realty Services at 301-910-9910 for a showing and more information.

Re/Max Realty Services, 15020 Shady Grove Road, #400, Rockville MD 20850, 240-403-0400.  EHO

This upgraded home with 4 bedrooms and 3.5 baths has many designer touches, plus a fenced wooded back yard and a fully finished lower level.  Designer upgrades include: custom paint, beadboard paneling, hardwood floors and designer window treatments.  Asking price is $400,000.

Architectural upgrades include a two story foyer, first floor library, bumpout window in the dining room, cathedral ceilings in the owner suite, vaulted ceiling in the owner bath, a two tiered deck, and an upper level laundry room.

The kitchen features a double oven, built in microwave, large refrigerator with ice and water dispenser, silestone counters, center island with pot rack, pantry, recessed lighting, breakfast bar and plenty of cabinet space. 

The fully finished lower level includes a separate den with storage, a recreation room with two distinct areas, a full bath, and extra storage.

The neighborhood of Seneca Park North is within walking distance of Plumgar Park and the Seneca Creek Greenway Trail in the Great Seneca Stream Valley Park.  Located just off 355, it is just minutes to shopping and 270.  Located in the Clarksburg HS cluster, including Fox Chapel Elementary School, home of the Center for Highly Gifted.  This home is a short sale, subject to 3d party approval.

Visit my website to find out more about Germantown MD Real Estate and Homes for Sale.  Click here to seach for Germantown MD Homes for Sale. 

Offered by Bob Myers, RE/MAX Realty Services, 15020 Shady Grove Road, #400, Rockville MD, 20850.  Call me at 301-910-9910 for a private showing.

My listings have an unfair advantage -

•·        the broadest, most effective internet marketing in the business on dozens of top websites.

•·        full color home brochures,

•·        a true panoramic virtual tour that tracks viewings,

•·        professional staging,

•·        my team of excellent, reasonably priced contractors,

•·        and my 24 years of experience in pricing, negotiating and preparing homes for sale. 

Call me today to find out what your home is worth - 301-910-9910.