Just had to pass along this little ditty to all my friends and family. You know who you are...
Did you know that your kids can bowl free all summer long at AMF bowling centers?
No? Didn't know that?
Well...now you do!
Just go to KIDSBOWLFREE.COM and sign your child(ren) up. I did it for my two girls and they've been enjoying bowling since the beginning of May.
The program goes throughout the summer ('til early September) and it's for children 15 and under. There is the option for a family pass (I'm guessing this is how they make money off this deal...) where parents (grandparents, sitters...) can join in the fun as well. It's quite a deal at $24. You don't have to purchase this to take advantage of the 'kids bowl free' option, though.
I've really enjoyed bowling with my girls. I'm imagining those pins are annoying buyers; the kind that want to see all 54 of the hits off the MLS.
This weekend.
Great stress-reliever. I'm averaging nearly 200. BaHa...
Did I mention it was for the entire summer?
Go on over to the site, find a center near you, and sign up, y'all.
LANETTE BRANCH EARNS PRESTIGIOUS DESIGNATION TO HELP HOMEOWNERS IN DANGER OF FORECLOSURE
Lanette Branch of RE/MAX 1st Advantage in Bel Air has earned the prestigious Certified Distressed Property Expert (CDPE) designation, having completed extensive training in foreclosure avoidance and short sales. This is invaluable expertise to offer at a time when the area is ravaged by “distressed” homes in the foreclosure process.
A short sale allows the cash-strapped seller to repay the mortgage at the price that the home sells for, even though it is lower than what is owed on the property. With plummeting property values, this scenario is all too common. A successful short sale can save a homeowner from foreclosure and even bankruptcy. More and more lenders are willing to consider short sales because they are much less costly (for the lenders) than foreclosures.
In the Bel Air area, a huge number of homes are in danger of foreclosing . It is happening in all price ranges and local experts say that even higher-priced “luxury’ homes are not immune.
“I’m pleased to have gained such extensive training in the area of distressed properties; this CDPE designation has been invaluable as I work with sellers and lenders on complicated short sales,” said Branch. “It’s a true pleasure to be able to help sellers save their homes from foreclosure and their credit from its devastating effects.”
Alex Charfen, founder of the Distressed Property Institute in Boca Raton, Fla., said that Realtors® such as Branch with the CDPE designation have valuable training in short sales and can offer the homeowner much better alternatives to a foreclosure which virtually destroys the credit rating. He further detailed that these experts also may better understand market conditions that can help sellers through the emotional aspects of foreclosure.
The Distressed Property Institute opened in January 2008 and provides training for the CDPE -- the premier designation for Realtors helping homeowners in distress and handling short sales.Less than 1% of the nations real estate professionals have attained this coveted designation.
“Our goal is to educate as many people as possible so we can help as many homeowners as possible,” Charfen said.
For more information contact Lanette Branch by phone at 410-893-1349 or 410-258-0663, email at Lanette@BranchSells.com , , or on the web at BranchSells.com.
RE/MAX 1st Advantage is home base to Realtor Lanette Branch and is conveniently located in Bel Air, Maryland at 1204 Agora Road, 21014 in the Amyclae Shopping Center. Bel Air is the county seat of Harford County and is in close proximity to Aberdeen Proving Ground, BRAC location for military families relocating from Ft. Monmouth, NJ.
Here’s the week in review for Real Estate Activity in Harford County’s Bel Air, Maryland
(zip codes 21014 and 21015):
For the week beginning Sunday, May 17th and ending Saturday, May 23rd, the following statistics apply*—
Listings • There were 24 (47) new listings that came on the market. • List prices ranged from $129,000 to 550,000 ($139,900 - $679,975). • 0 (24) are currently under contract and/or sold • 13 (24) are single family properties, 5 (11) are townhomes , 5 (12) are condos.
Sales • There were 14 (17) homes sold for the week listed above. • Sales prices ranged from $150,000 - 695,000 ($147,000 - $575 ,000). • 10 (10) were single family, 4 (4) were townhomes, 0 (3) were condos
If you’d like more information and/or have any questions about the Bel Air area give me a call or drop me a quick line at Lanette@BranchSells.com. I’m sold on Bel Air and surrounds** I’d be pleased as punch to sell you on Bel Air as well!
It’s a pleasure to be of service,
Lanette Branch, REALTOR
RE/MAX 1st Advantage Realty, Inc. 410-893-1349 Office direct 410-258-0663 Mobile
*Information was obtained from our local MLS-Metropolitan Regional Information Systems, Inc (MRIS) and is believed to be accurate, but should not be relied upon without verification. Accuracy of square footage, lot size and other information is not guaranteed.
**Surrounds includes ABERDEEN/ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND, ABINGDON, BELCAMP/RIVERSIDE, CHURCHVILLE, EDGEWOOD, FALSTON, FOREST HILL, and JARRETTSVILLE.
Selling your home in today's marketplace is hard. Selling your overpriced home in today's marketplace is downright MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE.
You're doing yourself, your home, and your agent a huge disservice by overpricing your home in the current buyer's market. Overpriced homes get shown last, if at all, and they sit un-sold much longer than homes that are priced right. You think that old strategy of pricing higher than your absolute minimum acceptable sales price will work because now you're adding some ‘padding'?
Seriously?
You think that's a good strategy?
Uh...no, it's not.
It's a terrible strategy and it absolutely does not work in today's market. Moreover, you're doing a great thing for your neighbors' agents. You see, by pricing your home too high, you are helping to sell your competition's homes -- hard pill to swallow, but oh-so true.
Today's market is not the market of just a few years ago and your home will sit on the market while the seasons change, the well-priced competition goes to settlement, and the days roll by.
Do yourself a favor and listen to your well-informed, professional real estate professional. This is what we do. As Realtors we research your specific area and give you a price range that reflects myriad factors affecting your home's saleability. We listen to your needs, your wants, and your motivation in order to create a marketing plan specific to your home.
Personally, I spend lots of money out-of-pocket on the marketing of your home and I won't touch your home with a 10-foot pole if you and I are not on the same page when it comes to pricing. Why bother? Why waste time, energy, and MY money? A broke Realtor + a frustrated Seller = 1 Hot Mess.
You want sell your overpriced home? -- change that ACTIVE status to PENDING and then SOLD? Realize the gold mine you have at your disposal. Your agent did the hard work, researched the information you needed to make a decision, and provided that information to you quickly and efficiently, right? Now, the onus is upon you to use that information to make a well-informed decision and price your home right the first time. Don't get caught ‘chasing the market'!
What's ‘chasing the market', you ask?
Well, ‘chasing the market' is...another blog altogether!
Following is a synopsis of my newly revised Homebuyers Workshop. We cover a lot of information in the workshop and it's divided into 13 sections. Hmmm...where are my Triskaidekaphobians?
Agents, feel free to borrow/use whichever portions you need for your own Workshop/Seminar!
Buying a House...It Ain't For The Faint Of Heart
Subtitle: Wimps need not apply
•1. So, you want to buy a house?
•2. Homeownership, it ain't for everyone
•3. It's a mindset, Baby
•4. Choosing a Lender
•5. Whoa! When's the last time you paid that bill?
New Jersey Realtor, Amber Noble-Garland is a girl after my own heart. If you think 'Buyer's Market' means you as a buyer can get any house you want at any time you want for whatever price you want, think again...
Recently I received one of those dreaded calls that none of us as Realtors ever want to get; "Uh Amber, I don't know how to say this but um..."
Needless to say, my breathing paused for a secone and I felt like my heart dropped to the floor.
The agent on the other line continued with something along the lines of "my sellers have decided to take a different offer."
So of course my next question was...
Is the other offer for the full price listing amount?"
He said it was not a full price offer but much better than our agreed to offer and it was an ALL cash deal.
There hadn't been any "action" on this home in the nearly 6 months it had been listed, so they did another price reduction.
Now that I brought in qualified buyers, with no contingencies, nothing to sell in order to get a mortgage in order to buy this home and a 30% down-payment, the home was finally going to sell but not to my buyers.
This should've been a piece of cake, right? I mean it IS a "buyers market" right?WRONG!
At first I was really annoyed by it all; I mean think about it, this guy gets no traffic on a home he has listed for a long time, I bring him A+++ buyers, buyers & sellers agree and sign-off, paperwork goes to the attorneys and we're in New Jersey mandated 3-day attorney review period. After 3 days (or as soon as all parties agree), we'd officially be "under contract."
I have a great rapport with my buyers, and am confident I will sell them something else when the right property comes along.
The feelings of frustration didn't last very long, because as much as I disagree with how things happen in the real estate biz at times, "business is business...never personal."
The greatest sense of disappointment I felt was having to call my buyers. It killed me to hear the sound of defeat in my client's voice when I told him he'd have to tell his wife that the dream house he promised to purchase for her no longer within reach. They are such wonderful people, and I'd never want to let them down. The husband resigned to the belief that it must not have been meant to be, but I could still hear that he was bummed out about it; not with me, but with the idea that they lost out on the house.
Here are the 3 lessons for ALL home buyers to be learned from this:
1. Any true financial wiz will tell you the name of the game is to "buy low and sell high." So when your Realtor tells you that there are a lot of buyers in the market right now I stronly encourage you to give that some serious thought. Interest rates are at a nearly 40 year low and buyers are coming out in droves to purchase homes. Don't believe it? Checkout this story for proof.
2. Please DO NOT assume that no one else is able to actually get a mortgage but you. There are tons of people with great credit scores over 740 and money in the bank looking at houses everyday in this current climate. Often times they are cash buyers. As we've all been told, CASH IS KING!
3. The one-size fits all generalized notion that it's a "buyers market" is FALSE. While there are plenty of "so-so" houses to go around in many areas across the country, in New Jersey where I specialize in selling homes(especially in towns like Manalapan, Marlboro, Freehold, Old Bridge) there ARE NOT enough drop-dead gorgeous, appropriately priced houses on the market right now to go around. This NOT a "put-on"...this is the truth!
Therefore when really HOT houses pop on the market (especially once the price gets reduced), you have a bunch of qualified buyers ALL vying to purchase the same house. It's like a bunch of people fighting over the last new video game in the height of the holiday shopping season at Target.
In fact we're seeing the reemergence of multiple contracts being presented. This means that it's not necessarily the buyers having the upper hand on the sellers anymore, but rather the "buyers" battling it out with "other buyers."
4. Never take anything for granted or assume you're the only one eyeing a particular house. If YOU really LOVE a house, chances are there may be other qualified buyers lurking who LOVE it too! Please don't get YOUR heart broken. If it feels like the right house, it probably is the right house. Have your agent write an offer ASAP before someone else does.
Above and beyond the myriad spokesmen and/or mascots used, the fact that many were used at the same time is what elevated GEICO above the average advertiser for me. I’ve really applauded their novel, creative ideas.
But, this?
The money with the eyes?
How in the hell did that one slip through marketing?
Just plain creepy, if you ask me.
People are talking about it (I wrote a blog about it, wanna to read it?) but, is this the kind of attention GEICO’s looking for? Is it a case of any kind of attention is better than none at all?
I’d never aspire to cause a buzz for my business just for the sake of causing a buzz.I want positive, awe-inspiring, funny issues associated with my brand***, not creepy things.
So, GEICO, take it from a loyal customer of many years, get a grip and pull the creepy eye-on-the-money thingee.
RE/MAX 1st Advantage, located in Bel Air, Maryland, proudly announces the opening of its new Property Management Division. Headed up by Broker Sharon Crossett, the new Property Management Division meets the needs of investors and owners alike who desire hands-on management of their properties. This full-service property management company offers a variety of services ranging from rent/lease collection to eviction services and everything in between.
Because of the division's symbiotic relationships with inspection, pest control, maintenance, and insurance professionals, the division ensures proper safeguarding of the client's property.
The division serves both property owners and tenants alike by offering outstanding Maryland home rental services.
RE/MAX 1st Advantage Property Division assists their clients with the various facets of property management from selection of the property to completion of essential paper work. Additionally, the division helps to secure financial funding by helping clients navigate through the maze of available loan programs to find the one that matches perfectly with the client's needs.
RE/MAX 1st Advantage is home base to Realtor Lanette Branch and is conveniently located in Bel Air, Maryland at 1204 Agora Road in the Amyclae Shopping Center. Bel Air is the county seat of Harford County and is in close proximity to Aberdeen Proving Ground, BRAC location for military families relocating from Ft. Monmouth, NJ.
Did everyone I sold a property to in the last few years default on their mortgage?
No?
Then...if they haven't defaulted yet, are they about to?
I'm serious here. It's all too much for a girl to bear. I get a phone call or two each month now with a former client on the other end. Most times these calls are asking for guidance on what to do now that they need to sell their home -- the home they just bought 2 or 3 years ago.
That's not good, because these are not investors; they were in it for the long haul -- or so I thought.
I have to tell them the cold, hard facts about today's world of real estate. They probably owe more on the house than the house is worth.
I'm really tired of saying this over and over again.
I wish I didn't have to.
I've morphed into an HRC (Home Retention Consultant) the latter part of 2008 and I ain't gettin' paid extra for that!
Listen up, guys. If you absolutely, positively have to move (job relocation, no income to pay any mortgage, etc.) then call me to sell your home. I'll start the short sale process poste-haste and hope like hell your lender isn't Countrywide (or Popular or People's First).
But --
If you can stay in your home, please do just that.
Stay and pay (your mortgage, that is) and grow your equity the old-fashioned way -- with time. Maybe a loan modification is in order? I'm well-versed in that process and can certainly help you on your way. That's where the HRC part comes in. The past is just that and the wacko double digit appreciation we enjoyed just a relatively short time ago is gone, gone, gone.
This ain't your Mama's real estate reality, that's for sure.
It's 2009 and guess what?
I'm still standing -- but I'm starting to take it all personally, too.
Average Days on the Market (DOM) for houses sold - 159 (OUCH!)
Average Sales Price for houses sold - $297,444
Highest Sales Price - $380,000 originally listed at $409,900
19 yr-old BRICK Colonial on 1/4 acre
4 Beds/4 Full
116 DOM
Lowest Sales Price - $217,500(originally listed at $205,000)
21 yr-old Condo
3 Beds/1 Full, 1 Half Bath
132 DOM
Above data is for week beginning Sunday, December 28th and ending Thursday, December 31st for zip codes 21014 and 21015. Actually, it's not even the entire week since the year ended on a Thursday!
Happy New Year!
Interested in more information on what's happening in Bel Air or looking to buy or sell some real estate of your own? Contact Lanette and let's get started.
Information is obtained from our local MLS and is believed to be accurate, but is not guaranteed.
Just my take on Real Estate (and whatever else comes to mind) in Bel Air (and the world). Nothing more, nothing less. How's that for detailed and concise?
Disclaimer: ActiveRain Corp. does not necessarily endorse the real estate agents, loan officers and brokers listed on this site. These real estate profiles, blogs and blog entries are provided here as a courtesy to our visitors to help them make an informed decision when buying or selling a house. ActiveRain Corp. takes no responsibility for the content in these profiles, that are written by the members of this community.
Recently I received one of those dreaded calls that none of us as Realtors ever want to get; "Uh Amber, I don't know how to say this but um..." 
The greatest sense of disappointment I felt was having to call my buyers. It killed me to hear the sound of defeat in my client's voice when I told him he'd have to tell his wife that the dream house he promised to purchase for her no longer within reach. They are such wonderful people, and I'd never want to let them down. The husband resigned to the belief that it must not have been meant to be, but I could still hear that he was bummed out about it; not with me, but with the idea that they lost out on the house. 
1. Any true financial wiz will tell you the name of the game is to "buy low and sell high." So when your Realtor tells you that there are a lot of buyers in the market right now I stronly encourage you to give that some serious thought. Interest rates are at a nearly 40 year low and buyers are coming out in droves to purchase homes. Don't believe it? 
Posted by 
;)
;)
