Howard County Happenings

Tax Assessments

Gretchen Conley - Howard County MD Real Estate (Keller Williams Realty Centre) — Tue, 08 May 2012 05:49:53 -0700

“Anyone may arrange his affairs so that his taxes shall be as low as possible…for nobody owes any public duty to pay more than the law demands.”
Judge Learned Hand

This opinion refers to federal income tax but the logic and spirit can easily be applied to any tax including property tax. Most property tax is based on a valuation called an assessment placed on the property by a government taxing authority.

When property values rise due to appreciation, the assessments usually rise. However, when values decline as they have done in many areas in the past few years, the assessments should follow accordingly.

Click here for local Howard County contact information on the government website.

If you don’t believe your assessment reflects market value, put together proof to support your position. Recent comparable sales, similar in size, condition and location are very persuasive. Check to see if the square footage on the assessment is accurate. If the home is not in good condition, take pictures to show that.

As your real estate professional, I can supply the comparables, filing deadlines and other pertinent information needed to make a challenge. Lowering your assessment will result in lower property taxes and more money in your pocket.

Best regards, Gretchen

Gretchen Conley, Realtor® "Your Transition Specialist"

Keller Williams Realty Centre * Cell 443-676-1625

Questions about the neighborhood, the community, the market? I'm always happy to help - Give me a call!

About the Author...This article was provided by Gretchen Conley, a Nationally recognized Realtor, Certified Residential Specialist, and Certified Short Sale & Distressed Property Specialist. Gretchen can be reached via e-mail at Gretchen@GretchenConley.com by cell phone or text message at 443-676-1625. Gretchen has helped many people buy and sell their home. For Maryland real estate and homes see www.GretchenConley.com. If you need to Short Sale your Maryland home please contact me for more information.

Investor Wednesday Weekly Value Alert Howard County 2 29 2012

Gretchen Conley - Howard County MD Real Estate (Keller Williams Realty Centre) — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 13:28:19 -0800

Looking for Howard County MD good investments? Here’s your Wednesday Weekly Value Alert! Have questions? Need more information? I’m just a call away!

Click here for link: Investor Wednesday Weekly Values 2 29 2012

Happy Househunting!

Best regards, Gretchen

Gretchen Conley, Realtor® "Your Transition Specialist"

Keller Williams Realty Centre * Cell 443-676-1625

Questions about the neighborhood, the community, the market? I'm always happy to help - Give me a call!

Howard County Horse Haven!

Gretchen Conley - Howard County MD Real Estate (Keller Williams Realty Centre) — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 16:06:09 -0800

This is a truly charming 6.11 acre lot with a cozy comfortable environmentally-friendly home, complete with pathways leading down through the trees and connecting with Benson Branch Park. Bring your horses or your walking shoes and enjoy nature to your hearts' content in western Howard County! For more information, go to www.3557LakewayDrive.com or call me directly at 443-676-1625, email Gretchen@GretchenConley.com.

Gretchen Conley, Realtor® "Your Transition Specialist"

Keller Williams Realty Centre * Cell 443-676-1625

Questions about the neighborhood, the community, the market? I'm always happy to help - Give me a call!

Credit Strategies for Today's Buyers

Gretchen Conley - Howard County MD Real Estate (Keller Williams Realty Centre) — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 14:47:22 -0800

“It’s not far, if you know the way.” Maybe it is an obvious statement but there are some definite steps that will improve your success in buying a home in today’s market.

Know your credit score – the best mortgage rates are available to borrowers with the highest scores. Unless you know what your credit score is at all three major bureaus, you don’t really know what rate you’ll have to pay.
Clean up your credit – it is estimated that about 90% of credit reports have errors. Some are not serious but others could affect a borrower from getting the best loan terms. It is your responsibility to know what is on your different reports and correct them if possible. You’re entitled to a free copy of your credit report each year from Experian, Trans Union and Equifax.
Get pre-approved – Taking the time to make a loan application with a qualified lender even before you start looking at homes will provide peace of mind, make sure that you are looking at the “right” homes and may help you negotiate the best price on the home you select.
Do your homework – when you find the home that meets your needs and desires, research the tax assessments, school ratings, crime activity, possible zoning changes and comparable sales in the area.

As your real estate professional, I can definitely help you with these important strategies to invest in a home to call your own, raise your family, feel safe and secure and share with your friends. Call for a recommendation of a trusted mortgage professional; there really is a difference.

Best regards, Gretchen

Gretchen Conley, Realtor® "Your Transition Specialist"

Keller Williams Realty Centre * Cell 443-676-1625

Questions about the neighborhood, the community, the market? I'm always happy to help - Give me a call!

Howard County Home Sellers – The 5 Best Uses of Your Time and Dollars – #4 – Walls and Floors (Cost: Low; Return: High)

Gretchen Conley - Howard County MD Real Estate (Keller Williams Realty Centre) — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 07:17:08 -0800

What do your neighbors, the Joneses, have? Or the listing down the street or around the block? The recent neighborhood comps? If you don’t know, check with your Realtor. Buyers will be looking at your house and at the other active listings, and will naturally compare them. Appraisers will look at the recent market activity, the condition of the homes and the updates to the homes.

While you don’t want to overspend in your area, you do need to know what’s standard, so that you’ll know what buyers are comparing your home with, and ensure your home comes out on top. Don’t be the last homeowner on the street to remodel; buyers will surely pass up your home for the one that has the remodeled kitchen and bathrooms, and then your house may languish on the market for months, and will then sell for less as time goes by.

Where will you get a good return on your money, and get your house sold? Let’s get the powder room, kitchen and master bath updated. Focus on keeping your updates neutral, clean, and classic. Lighting fixtures, towel bars, and fresh towels can make a big difference. For the kitchen, consider new cabinet doors and drawer fronts, cabinet hardware, stainless steel appliances, new countertops, new flooring if it’s worn, and a neutral wall color. The kitchen remains one of the biggest selling points, and making it sparkle will bring the buyers in and keep their attention focused on your house.

Have specific questions about updating your home? Give me a call. I’d be happy to show you what your neighbors have been doing too!

Best regards, Gretchen

Did you miss the First Four Best Uses of Your Time and Dollars for Howard County Home Sellers? #1 Decluttering | #2 Cleaning | #3 Curb Appeal | #4 Walls and Floors

Best regards, Gretchen

Did You Know? A professional stager is an awesome investment at any point in this series. Call me today at 443-676-1625 if you’d like to receive a free home staging consultation with a professional home stager. (Limited time offer.)

Gretchen Conley, Realtor® "Your Transition Specialist"

Keller Williams Realty Centre * Cell 443-676-1625

Questions about the neighborhood, the community, the market? I'm always happy to help - Give me a call!

Housing Stats for Maryland, by County - Fascinating Differences, County by County

Gretchen Conley - Howard County MD Real Estate (Keller Williams Realty Centre) — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 13:49:26 -0700

Well, Here they are, the May 2011 County Housing Stats for Maryland.

Typically, six months' inventory is considered the breakeven point, between a buyers' market (over 6 months inventory actively available) and a sellers' market (under 6 months inventory actively available.)

The highest inventories, Somerset, Garrett and Kent, show a marked difference between the lowest inventories, Montgomery, Frederick, Prince George's, and Howard.

If you'd like more local information on a particular county or neighborhood, just let me know.

Best regards, Gretchen

Gretchen Conley, Realtor® "Your Transition Specialist"

Keller Williams Realty Centre * Cell 443-676-1625

Questions about the neighborhood, the community, the market? I'm always happy to help - Give me a call!

Howard County Home Sellers – The 5 Best Uses of Your Time and Dollars - #4 – Walls and Floors (Cost: Low; Return: High)

Gretchen Conley - Howard County MD Real Estate (Keller Williams Realty Centre) — Thu, 24 Mar 2011 07:56:09 -0700

Howard County Home Sellers – The 5 Best Uses of Your Time and Dollars - #4 – Walls and Floors (Cost: Low; Return: High)

Remove/Repaint/Replace: Remove wallpaper; Repaint walls; Replace carpet

Have wallpaper? I’ll bet you loved it when you first selected it and put it up; you may still love it. But what are the chances that a home buyer today, walking into your house, will have the exact same taste, especially several years later? Take it down.

We want your buyers to be able to envision themselves in this house, with their tastes, their colors, and their furnishings.

Liked vivid colors on your walls? Haven’t painted in years? What? Still have the old faded builders’ off-white somewhere? A fresh coat of paint, neutrals, will really enhance the way your home shows. A gallon of paint is worth $20 in the can and $1000 on your walls. Bright, light homes sell faster and more often than dark and dreary homes. They feel more spacious, which is important to today’s pool of home buyers.

Carpet. I know. It seems like a lot of trouble. It would be easier to wait and let the buyers pick out what they want. You think they can visualize new carpet? Usually, they’re busy noticing all the wear and tear, and wondering how well the rest of the home was taken care of, and believe the carpet’s condition is an indication. Don’t believe for a minute that having buyers note wear and tear is a good way to get your house noticed.

Let’s go for clean freshly painted walls and clean carpets, leaving the buyers’ full attention focused on the space in the home, the views, how they’d use the rooms, and where their furniture would fit best.

Did you miss the First Three Best Uses of Your Time and Dollars for Howard County Home Sellers? #1 Decluttering | #2 Cleaning | #3 Curb Appeal

Best regards, Gretchen

Did You Know? A professional stager is an awesome investment at any point in this series. Call me today at 443-676-1625 if you’d like to receive a free home staging consultation with a professional home stager. (Limited time offer.)

Gretchen Conley, Realtor® "Your Transition Specialist"

Keller Williams Realty Centre * Cell 443-676-1625

Questions about the neighborhood, the community, the market? I'm always happy to help - Give me a call!

Howard County Home Sellers – The 5 Best Uses of Your Time and Dollars - #3 – Curb Appeal (Cost: Low; Return: High)

Gretchen Conley - Howard County MD Real Estate (Keller Williams Realty Centre) — Wed, 23 Mar 2011 13:17:38 -0700

Howard County Home Sellers – The 5 Best Uses of Your Time and Dollars - #3 – Curb Appeal (Cost: Low; Return: High)

Curb Appeal: You knew it was coming, didn’t you? Howard County Home Sellers should know that curb appeal matters. I always let my buyers know that it’ll be very helpful to them to DRIVE BY the homes they see on their internet searches, past the home, through the neighborhood, and at different times during the day and/or week, to get a feel for the area. So take my word for it, you will definitely have more buyers IN your house, contemplating buying it, if you get them OUT OF THE CAR and THROUGH THE FRONT DOOR!

TO the Front Door:

Paint the front door, along with the door and nearby window trim.
Replace the door hardware, house numbers, and weary porch lights. Ensure your door opens and closes easily and that the locks work properly. You don’t want the agent to have to struggle with the front door lock in order to get inside.
Powerwash and/or sweep the front steps and sidewalk.
Trim the bushes, mulch the flowerbeds, and add some flowers – and then keep them watered.
Go out to the street, imagine where your potential buyers will park, and then follow their walk up to your front door. Ensure it’s a pleasant one!

THROUGH the Front Door:

So you’ve walked up to your front door. Now open it, walk in just a step or two and then stop and look around. Try and see your home with new eyes.

Is it welcoming?
Is it sparkling clean?
Is it uncluttered?
Is it light? Neutralized? Freshly painted?
Could a buyer imagine themselves and their furnishings in your house?

Need someone to look for you? Give me a call. It’s much easier to look with someone else in order to see what a buyer might see. I’m happy to help!

Did you miss the First Two Best Uses of Your Time and Dollars for Howard County Home Sellers? #1 Decluttering | #2 Cleaning

Best regards, Gretchen

· Did You Know? A professional stager is an awesome investment at any point in this series. Call me today at 443-676-1625 if you’d like to receive a FREE home staging consultation with a professional home stager. (Limited time offer.)

Gretchen Conley, Realtor® "Your Transition Specialist"

Keller Williams Realty Centre * Cell 443-676-1625

Questions about the neighborhood, the community, the market? I'm always happy to help - Give me a call!

Howard County Home Sellers – The 5 Best Uses of Your Time and Dollars - #2 – Cleaning (Cost: $0; Return: High)

Gretchen Conley - Howard County MD Real Estate (Keller Williams Realty Centre) — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 08:46:10 -0700

Howard County Home Sellers – The 5 Best Uses of Your Time and Dollars - #2 – Cleaning (Cost: $0; Return: High)

What would Martha Stewart do? Clean and Organize! Or as I like to tell my Howard County Home Sellers, “You need to Martha Stewartize this linen closet.”

Clean:

Windows: Wash inside and out. Twice, if necessary.
Bathrooms: Re-caulk your tubs, showers and sink; bleach grout if stained; polish faucets and mirrors; fresh towels.
Kitchen: Clean out the refrigerator, oven, stove top, the dishwasher.
House-wide: Dust – cobwebs, ceiling fan blades, light fixtures; replace worn rugs.
Daily upkeep: Vacuum, sweep front steps, clean front door, storm door fingerprints, bathroom mirror splashes, and wipe down sinks and countertops.

Rearrange:

If the contents of your closets and cabinets are neat, clean, and well-organized, they’re sending a message that YOU are neat, clean, and well-organized – and that you take care of the REST of the house just as carefully. Good message to send potential buyers!

Repair: Minor repairs not handled again send a message to buyers, so:

Check that all doors and drawers open and close easily and latch properly.
Patch and repaint holes in the walls or doors.
Fix leaky faucets and ensure drains close properly.
Replace burned-out light bulbs – and replace them with the highest allowable wattage.

Buyers notice if something doesn’t work properly, and then they start to look for other issues in the house. As I’ve pointed out in previous posts, choosing a house is a process of elimination. A buyer could easily eliminate your home from their list of top choices if they think it hasn’t been well maintained. After all, if minor issues weren’t addressed, it could easily be construed that larger, unknown issues exist as well. Don’t let the fear of the unknown scratch your house from the top of their list!

Did you miss the First Best Use of Your Time and Dollars for Howard County Home Sellers? #1 Decluttering

Best regards, Gretchen

Did You Know? A professional stager is an awesome investment at any point in this series. Call me today at 443-676-1625 if you’d like to receive a FREE home staging consultation with a professional home stager. (Limited time offer.)

Gretchen Conley, Realtor® "Your Transition Specialist"

Keller Williams Realty Centre * Cell 443-676-1625

Questions about the neighborhood, the community, the market? I'm always happy to help - Give me a call!

Howard County Home Sellers – The 5 Best Uses of Your Time and Dollars - #1 – Decluttering (Cost: $0; Return: High)

Gretchen Conley - Howard County MD Real Estate (Keller Williams Realty Centre) — Mon, 21 Mar 2011 09:11:32 -0700

Howard County Home Sellers – The 5 Best Uses of Your Time and Dollars - #1 – Decluttering (Cost: $0; Return: High)

Really, you’re going to have to pack up your Howard County home sometime in order to sell it, so start now.

We’re getting ready to market your home, and your intention is to sell quickly for a good price. We want to make sure everything possible is done to attract buyers, so let’s get started.

Room by room, what do you want to keep? What is ready to go to someone else? Need resources? Call me. Craigslist, Freecycle, Vietnam Veterans of America, Lupus Foundation, I’ve got lots of contacts for you. If you’re don’t love it and you don’t use it, let someone else have it now, rather than packing it up and moving it to your next home with you.

Remove family photos, heirlooms, fragile items and pack them now. I’ve shown houses to lots of buyers who peer into the photographs, wondering about the owners, trying to sort out who they are and what their story is. Help the buyers stay focused on the house itself, thinking instead about how they would use the space and the layout, and where their furniture would fit in the rooms. We want them to be able to picture themselves living here.

Pack at least half of: your books, your linens, your kitchen appliances, you plastic storage containers.

Pack ALL of: your knickknacks, your family photographs, any draperies, chandeliers, or other attached fixtures that you’re taking with you to your new home.

Pack or put away: everything on the kitchen counter.

Remember: every bit of this sorting and pre-packing will make your move go more smoothly later on!

Consider renting a storage unit. Less furniture in the house is usually good, again, making it feel more spacious. And all those boxes you’ve pre-packed will have a place to go as well. Attic or garage full? If you don’t have time to sort through it all now, at least get it into the storage unit until you have time. You can order pods delivered right to your house, fill them, and then have them picked up and taken to storage, so that you don’t have to rent a truck and move everything from one location to another. That way, you can move onto your next step!

Best regards, Gretchen

Did You Know? A professional stager is an awesome investment at any point in this series. Call me today at 443-676-1625 if you’d like to receive a FREE home staging consultation with a professional home stager. (Limited time offer.)

Gretchen Conley, Realtor® "Your Transition Specialist"

Keller Williams Realty Centre * Cell 443-676-1625

Questions about the neighborhood, the community, the market? I'm always happy to help - Give me a call!

Howard County MD Property Tax Reassessments

Gretchen Conley - Howard County MD Real Estate (Keller Williams Realty Centre) — Sat, 19 Mar 2011 11:02:50 -0700

Just purchased a Howard County home and wondering about the current property tax reassessment requirements? On page 9 of the Maryland Association of Realtors' Residential Contract of Sale, is paragraph 51, entitled "Property Tax Notice - 60 Day Appeal." And it reads, "If any real property is transferred after January 1 and before the beginning of the next taxable year to a new owner, the new owner may submit a written appeal as to a value or classification on or before 60 days after the date of the transfer."

There is a lot of information in these contracts. With a standard number of addenda, there can easily be 60+ pages. And just when a homebuyer's done digesting it, there are frequently HOA (Home Owner Association) docs and/or Condo docs, to go through next. It's sometimes hard work being a good consumer, but it's worth it! Make sure you understand the process of buying your home, and then the process of living in it. (HOA and condo regs, property taxes, etc.)

So back to your 60 Day appeal process for your property taxes. Given that Howard County property values have decreased over the past couple years -- and this is not all bad news - it means the homebuyer could purchase more home for less money - property taxes, based on assessed value, should have also decreased. However, they follow the market trends rather than leading them.

In Howard County, properties are reassessed every 3 years, so if a homeowner buys mid-cycle, it could be some time before the assessed value is changed, thus changing their property taxes, and paragraph #51, with the 60 Day Appeal period, is to their benefit.

The Maryland Department of Assessments and Taxation does a good job of listing out the Assessment Appeal Process:

For purchasers of a property settling between January 1st and June 30th, the home buyers have a 60 day appeal period, in which to go forward and submit the assessment appeal paperwork.
The paperwork, the Petition for Review of Real Property, can be submitted and the new home owner can either ask that the appeal process be completed in person, over the phone, or in writing.
Additionally, for current homeowners who have not recently purchased, when you receive your Notice of Assessment (once every 3 years), you have a 45 day period from that day in order to follow the Assessment Appeal Process as well.

An appraisal of the home will not be necessary to include with the Petition. Rather, recent neighborhood sales comps should be sufficient to justify the decreased assessed value. If you would like assistance in identifying comps, let me know; I'd be happy to help.

Best regards, Gretchen

Gretchen Conley, Realtor® "Your Transition Specialist"

Keller Williams Realty Centre * Cell 443-676-1625

Questions about the neighborhood, the community, the market? I'm always happy to help - Give me a call!

Staging - 5 Reasons I Believe In Staging - Reason #5

Gretchen Conley - Howard County MD Real Estate (Keller Williams Realty Centre) — Fri, 18 Mar 2011 08:31:45 -0700

Staging - 5 Reasons I Believe In Staging - Reason #5: You Can Relax

Let’s work together to get your list of To-Dos for your Howard County home done quickly, so you can hit the ground running and sell your home for the highest price, in the least amount of time. Let’s inconvenience you for as short a period of time as is possible, attracting serious buyers right from the start.

If you’re selling in order to buy, this will be the time that you can focus on being a Buyer, knowing that you’ve done everything necessary to best show and sell your home, and can now focus on Part Two of your transition.

Are you ready to get started? Let me know if you’re interested in referral information for a professional home stager for your Howard County home.

Did you miss the first 4 Reasons I Believe In Staging? Step 1 | Step 2 | Step 3 | Step 4 |

Best regards, Gretchen

Gretchen Conley, Realtor® "Your Transition Specialist"

Keller Williams Realty Centre * Cell 443-676-1625

Questions about the neighborhood, the community, the market? I'm always happy to help - Give me a call!

Staging - 5 Reasons I Believe In Staging - Reason #4

Gretchen Conley - Howard County MD Real Estate (Keller Williams Realty Centre) — Thu, 17 Mar 2011 07:54:14 -0700

Staging - 5 Reasons I Believe in Staging - Reason #4: The Competition

Howard County Buyers are looking at a lot of Howard County houses – Comparing, eliminating, choosing. I saw three homes today with my buyer, very similarly priced. It was clear, walking into the 2^nd, that the 1^st was only going to help sell the 2^nd. The 1^st was not decluttered, not staged, not freshly painted or carpeted. I had to look at the two prices again, just to be sure! The house that’s NOT ready to be seen/sold is helping the OTHER Sellers. Ask yourself: Do you want to sell YOUR home, or do you just want to help sell your neighbors’ homes, while your home sits on the market? Believe in Staging!

And once your home is ready to be seen, decluttered, neutralized, freshened, and staged -- PLEASE make sure your Realtor is taking multiple photos! Once again, you can work to get YOUR home sold, or you can help sell the homes of your neighbors. If you only have a couple photos, dimly lit, yellowed, or just one exterior shot, or worse yet -- NO PICTURES – Buyers absolutely wonder what’s wrong with the house, and PASS IT BY!

The vast majority of Buyers begin their search online. And they sort the homes to look at by THE NUMBER OF PHOTOS! REALLY! Do not let your home be eliminated from their list of possibilities before they even see it. And ask yourself again, do you want to sell your house, or just list it?

Did you miss the first 3 Reasons I Believe In Staging? Step 1 | Step 2 | Step 3 |

Best regards, Gretchen

Gretchen Conley, Realtor® "Your Transition Specialist"

Keller Williams Realty Centre * Cell 443-676-1625

Questions about the neighborhood, the community, the market? I'm always happy to help - Give me a call!

Staging - 5 Reasons I Believe in Staging - Reason #3

Gretchen Conley - Howard County MD Real Estate (Keller Williams Realty Centre) — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 08:18:14 -0700

Staging - 5 Reasons I Believe In Staging - Reason #3: Sellers and Buyers Have Difficulty Visualizing

For Homeowners, it can be exceptionally hard to see your own Howard County home as a buyer would. We tend to overlook what we see each day in our own homes. And because it’s so difficult to see our homes objectively, we have trouble packaging the home as a “product” for potential buyers. Having a professional stager in, who will take the time to go through it from top to bottom with you, will absolutely open your eyes to seeing your home as a buyer would. As a Seller, having a professional stager, actively working together in the housing market with your Realtor, provides you with the reassurance that you have a strong comprehensive team watching out for your best interests selling your Howard County home.

And while Sellers often have trouble seeing their home as a Buyer might, Buyers also have a great deal of difficulty visualizing a home’s potential. While you, as a Seller, might see your overcrowded living room and know that it would feel bigger if you decluttered and rearranged, and that it might be easier (in the short term) to sell it as-is and hope the Buyers might know it would be bigger if you took Aunt Wanda’s extra sofa set out, generally Buyers just get a picture in their minds of the room feeling too small.

So look at it from the Buyers’ point of view. They’re seeing 7 or 8 homes in an afternoon, trying to keep track of them all, and are absolutely operating in a process of elimination. We don’t want your home to be eliminated! So declutter now. Put extra furniture in storage. Box up the family photos and knickknacks now, which will also make the move simpler for you once your house sells. Know that they’re doing the best they can, trying to make sense of house after house, and that you too, may well be going through the same process shortly.

Did you miss the first 2 Reasons I Believe In Staging? Step 1 | Step 2 |

Best regards, Gretchen

Gretchen Conley, Realtor® "Your Transition Specialist"

Keller Williams Realty Centre * Cell 443-676-1625

Questions about the neighborhood, the community, the market? I'm always happy to help - Give me a call!

Staging - 5 Reasons I Believe In Staging - Reason #2

Gretchen Conley - Howard County MD Real Estate (Keller Williams Realty Centre) — Tue, 15 Mar 2011 06:06:56 -0700

Staging – 5 Reasons I Believe In Staging -Reason #2: Your House Will Sell Faster

Ensuring that your Howard County home is shown in its best possible light is an important factor for attracting the largest number of qualified buyers to your home, potentially resulting in receiving a satisfactory offer on your home more quickly.

The National Association of Realtors (NAR) has reported that the longer a home remains on the market unsold, the lower the final sales price drops. If a home sells in the first 4 weeks on the market, the final price averages 1% over the list price. If the home is sold 4-12 weeks on the market, it averages 5% less; 13-24 weeks, 6.4% less; 24+ weeks, 10% less.

Sellers should insist on their agents posting multiple attractive photographs of clean lines, a decluttered, depersonalized clean slate, where the potential buyers can imagine living themselves. Listen to your Realtor’s advice, and consider consulting with a professional stager. – Your Realtor will probably have a stager they’ll recommend.

Along with averaging more money, the faster a home sells, the less stress on the seller, most of whom have to go out of their way to ensure their home is always “showing appointment ready” and that they have a long enough list of “to-do errands” to run off to each time a showing is scheduled when they’d hoped to be home.

Did you miss the first Reason I Believe In Staging? Step 1 |

Best regards, Gretchen

Gretchen Conley, Realtor® "Your Transition Specialist"

Keller Williams Realty Centre * Cell 443-676-1625

Questions about the neighborhood, the community, the market? I'm always happy to help - Give me a call!

Staging – 5 Reasons I Believe In Staging – Reason #1

Gretchen Conley - Howard County MD Real Estate (Keller Williams Realty Centre) — Mon, 14 Mar 2011 05:22:34 -0700

Staging – 5 Reasons I Believe In Staging – Reason #1: You Will Make More Money

The National Association of Realtors (NAR) who tracks these sorts of things, says that the average staging investment is between 1-3% of the home’s asking price, and that investment generates a return of between 8-10%.

For example, let’s say your Howard County home should sell for about $400,000 – Say you invest 2%, or $8,000 – update the lighting, the bathrooms, curb appeal, maybe a kitchen counter, some paint. For this, you could anticipate a return of $24,000+. What’s not to like? And for a $700,000 home, perhaps an investment of $14,000, and a return of $56,000.

And keep in mind, there’s a whole range of important staging items that cost little to nothing in terms of money – decluttering, neutralizing, and deep cleaning, for instance.

Here’s another way to look at the “cost” of staging: In a HomeGain survey in 2007, they found that staging typically provides a 343% return on investment. – In other words, a $10,000 staging investment would return over $30,000 – So there is, in essence, NO COST. Rather than a “cost” of the initial $10,000, there was then a net increase of proceeds of over $20,000! Not staging is like giving away your money.

Best regards, Gretchen

Gretchen Conley, Realtor® "Your Transition Specialist"

Keller Williams Realty Centre * Cell 443-676-1625

Questions about the neighborhood, the community, the market? I'm always happy to help - Give me a call!

Most Expensive Homes Sold in Howard County MD in February 2011

Gretchen Conley - Howard County MD Real Estate (Keller Williams Realty Centre) — Sun, 13 Mar 2011 08:33:00 -0700

Interested in Howard County real estate? Here are the homes with the highest sold prices in February 2011, as reported in MRIS for the month. These 5 had list prices of over $1,000,000, and 4 of the 5 sold for over the $1,000,000 mark.

In total, 137 Howard County homes went to settlement in February.

MOST EXPENSIVE SALES:

3621 Black Walnut Lane, Glenwood MD 21738, Sold for $1,350,000 on Feb.11th, a 4 BR 3 FB French Provincial on 3.5 acres in Cattail Creek, stone construction overlooking the golf course.
12107 Mayapple Trail, Marriottsville MD 21104, Sold for $1,170,000 on Feb. 8th, a 6 BR 5 FB Nantucket on 3.04 acres, stacked stone fireplace surround, inground pool, waterfall and koi pond.
11352 Liberty Street, Fulton MD 20759, Sold for $1,130,000 on Feb.18^th, a 5 BR 4 FB Colonial builder home on .46 acres in Maple Lawn Farms, stone patio and lower level media room.
11644 Whitetail Lane, Ellicott City MD 21042, Sold for $1,050,000 on Feb. 4^th, a 4 BR 4 FB custom-built Greenfield Colonial on 1.28 acres in Quarterfield, set on a spectacular private lot.
5520 Smallwood Court, Clarksville MD 21029, Sold for $938,000 on Feb. 28^th, a 5 BR 5 FB brick Colonial on 6.29 acres with 2 MBR, pool, pond, screened in porch and detached 3 car garage.

Wondering what’s still available? Out of the 1,195 homes actively available on the market today, here are some of the most expensive homes in Howard County listed:

MOST EXPENSIVE HOMES AVAILABLE TODAY:

3100 Roxbury Mills Road, Glenwood MD 21738, Listed for $2,999,900, a 7 BR 6 BA Manor home on 7.84 acres, built in 1830 and beautifully renovated, with an inground pool, and train.
7031 Pindell School Road, Fulton MD 20759, Listed for $2,475,000, a 5 BR 6 BA French Country home on 3 private acres, which can be combined with another lot for a total of 13.5 acres, with geothermal heating and cooling.
15475 Old Frederick Road, Woodbine MD 21797, Listed for $2,200,000, a 7 BR 4 BA Farm House on the 78.35 acre Witching House Farm, a 2010 Decorator Show House with inground pool, 3 barns, tennis court, pond, and race track.
13000 Brighton Dam Road, Clarksville MD 21029, Listed for $2,199,000, a 4 BR 2 FB Contemporary home on 10.47 wooded acres, cedar siding, stream, nature paths, subdividable property.
11517 Winchester Lane, Ellicott City MD 21042, Listed for $1,975,000, a 4 BR 4 BA Villa home in King’s Gift on 5.53 acres, 2 MBR, au pair and 4^th BR suite, arched windows and breathtaking views.

Have questions or wondering about other homes? Call or email me and/or Search Available Homes Here. Happy looking!

Best regards, Gretchen

Gretchen Conley, Realtor® "Your Transition Specialist"

Keller Williams Realty Centre * Cell 443-676-1625

Questions about the neighborhood, the community, the market? I'm always happy to help - Give me a call!

5 Steps to Avoid Foreclosure in Howard County - Step 5

Gretchen Conley - Howard County MD Real Estate (Keller Williams Realty Centre) — Fri, 11 Mar 2011 07:12:42 -0800

Step 5 – Consider Tax and Future Ramifications

So you’ve researched, Realtored, and worked together quickly as a Team. (Steps 1-4) It’s also very important that you consider the tax and future ramifications of the short sale of your Howard County home.

When this short sale phenomenon began a few years back, there was a lot more push back from the lenders, who wanted to retaining the right to pursue a deficiency judgment against you for the balance of the monies they didn’t get back as a result of the short sale. You will want your Realtor to ensure negotiations with the lender result in the lowest future liabilities possible.

Additionally, your Realtor should be able to refer you to a qualified tax attorney or CPA. Tax implications would be the other future liability we want to make sure are negotiated with the lender. Depending on the specific circumstances, you will likely be released from any future tax implications due to the short sale, but it is again, a matter which should be negotiated and understood by all during the short sale process. We want to make sure there are no surprises for you afterwards.

Our ultimate goal is that you can move on from the housing situation you’re in now, knowing that you’re in a good position to move forwards with your life. More questions? Give me a call.

Did you miss the first Steps to Avoiding Foreclosure? Step 1 | Step 2 | Step 3 | Step 4

Best regards, Gretchen

Gretchen Conley, Realtor® "Your Transition Specialist"

Keller Williams Realty Centre * Cell 443-676-1625

Questions about the neighborhood, the community, the market? I'm always happy to help - Give me a call!

5 Steps to Avoid Foreclosure in Howard County MD - Step 4

Gretchen Conley - Howard County MD Real Estate (Keller Williams Realty Centre) — Thu, 10 Mar 2011 07:34:16 -0800

Step 4 – Fully Participate

Help your Howard County Realtor help you get your house sold. Selling a house, whether it’s a short sale or not, is really a team effort: the Sellers and the Realtor working together to achieve the same goal. So when you hire an experienced short sale agent, listen to them.

Do what your Realtor says is necessary to get the house ready to sell – decluttering, staging – time spent here will REDUCE the time spent waiting for an offer.
Understand that the pricing strategy will be different than for a regular sale; the price has to attract a buyer who is willing to wait for a longer period to get to closing.
Make it easy for buyers to get in and see the property, and make sure it shows well.
Keep the lines of communication open with your Realtor, as they help to move you towards a ratified contract, obtaining third party approval from the bank(s), and then your closing. Communication is key!

Here in Howard County MD, we have not borne the brunt of the country’s recession, being partially protected by our location between two major metropolitan areas, Washington DC and Baltimore, a government and government-related (contractor and support) job base and BRAC, and a top-of-the-line school system. Choose a Howard County Realtor who will put all of those factors to work for you, so that the Seller/Realtor team effort can achieve your goals!

Did you miss the first Step to Avoiding Foreclosure? Step 1 | Step 2 | Step 3

Best regards, Gretchen

Gretchen Conley, Realtor® "Your Transition Specialist"

Keller Williams Realty Centre * Cell 443-676-1625

Questions about the neighborhood, the community, the market? I'm always happy to help - Give me a call!

5 Steps to Avoid Foreclosure in Howard County MD - Step 3

Gretchen Conley - Howard County MD Real Estate (Keller Williams Realty Centre) — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 06:16:09 -0800

Step 3 – Call Today – Don’t Delay!

Every day counts in terms of getting the short sale process started and beginning to negotiate with your mortgage company(ies). Don’t wait! Get a Realtor involved immediately! (Need a Realtor? See my last blogpost on Finding a Realtor.)

First, your Realtor will need to get your house listed, just like in a regular Howard County MD home sale. And hopefully, fully marketed, photographed, staged, the works. Maximum exposure immediately in order to attract a buyer and bring forth an offer to present to the bank.

At the same time, you’ll be authorizing your Realtor to communicate with your lender and negotiate with them on your behalf. We need the time to work with the banks and ensure all necessary paperwork is submitted and received. We need to know who all the parties are (first mortgage, second mortgage, home equity line of credit, etc). It is imperative that your Realtor has assembled a complete and thorough short sale package, complying with each individual lender’s requirements. Many lenders will now accept these packages up front, so that when an offer is received, everything else had already been documented and the process can move along more quickly from that point.

And then as soon as an offer is received, and becomes a viable ratified contract between you, the Seller, and the potential Buyer, it can be submitted to the lender(s). Generally lenders will hold off on foreclosure if they can see these steps are being taken and they receive a contract they can work with.

So don’t tie our hands in the process of trying to help you avoid foreclosure. We can help you, and we want to help you, but call today, so that we have the time from the bank to do our jobs. If you are behind on your mortgage payments, or even if you’re not, but you know you will be, it’s not too early to get started. And the sooner you get started, the higher the chance of success for a successful short sale. Far too many homeowners do NOT reach out for help, and simply let their homes go into foreclosure. Hiring an experienced Realtor is a viable option in your situation, protecting your credit record, protecting security clearances, protecting your future. And then you can put this behind you and move forwards.

Did you miss the first Step to Avoiding Foreclosure? Step 1 | Step 2 |

Best regards, Gretchen

Gretchen Conley, Realtor® "Your Transition Specialist"

Keller Williams Realty Centre * Cell 443-676-1625

Questions about the neighborhood, the community, the market? I'm always happy to help - Give me a call!

5 Steps to Avoid Foreclosure in Howard County MD - Step 2

Gretchen Conley - Howard County MD Real Estate (Keller Williams Realty Centre) — Tue, 08 Mar 2011 07:02:21 -0800

Step 2 – Find A Realtor

This is key. It is truly important that you find a real estate agent that has done a short sale before and taken the time to do some of the intensive short sale training out there, one who is truly familiar with the process. And, as the short sale adventure has moved and twisted and changed, that they’ve kept up with those bumps and turns.

A Realtor who has completed the Certified Distressed Property Expert® (CDPE) training has a thorough understanding of complex issues in today’s turbulent real estate industry and knowledge of foreclosure avoidance options available to homeowners, providing solutions, specifically short sales, for homeowners facing market hardships. Homeowners regularly proceed without guidance of any kind through the often financially and emotionally devastating prospect of foreclosure. Speaking with a well-informed, licensed real estate professional is the best course of action for a homeowner in distress. Through comprehensive training and experience, CDPEs have the tools and knowledge to help homeowners find the best solutions for their unique situations and to avoid foreclosure through the efficient execution of a short sale.

Additionally, you’ll want an agent who will actively market the home, ensuring that no stone’s left unturned in presenting it to the buying public. Go online and look at listings with only one photo – or even worse, none. Ask yourself how you feel about that home and if you’d go and take the time to see it, with all the other homes on the market to choose from. That’s exactly how buyers feel. Be sure your home’s marketing measures up – because it’s a short sale – or even more so – So make sure the Realtor you choose is on the same page as you in regards to the importance of marketing. Remember, you don’t want to just have your home listed, you want it to be sold – And an experienced short sale agent will give you the best shot at successfully short selling your home so that you can move on with your life.

Did you miss the first Step to Avoiding Foreclosure? Step 1 |

Best regards, Gretchen

Gretchen Conley, Realtor® "Your Transition Specialist"

Keller Williams Realty Centre * Cell 443-676-1625

Questions about the neighborhood, the community, the market? I'm always happy to help - Give me a call!

5 Steps to Avoid Foreclosure in Howard County MD - Step 1

Gretchen Conley - Howard County MD Real Estate (Keller Williams Realty Centre) — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 09:53:29 -0800

Step 1 – Do Your Research

Things not going well? House value upside-down? Can’t see a way out? Unfortunately, you’re not alone. But more unfortunately, many Howard County, Maryland homeowners go straight into foreclosure, rather than seeking and receiving help from their lender and a local, knowledgeable Realtor. Don’t let this happen to you!

Here are some of the UNNECESSARY possible complications of going to foreclosure, rather than hiring a Realtor to short sale your house:

Credit Score: A foreclosure will lower your credit score 250-300 points, affecting your credit score for over three years. A short sale, best case, could only lower your score 50 points, but definitely less than the foreclosure, and for a shorter period of time.
Security Clearance: A foreclosure would require your security clearance be revoked in most cases, quite possibly resulting in your termination. A short sale is NOT an issue for most security clearances.
Deficiency Judgments: In foreclosure situations, the bank will NOT receive as much money paid back on their debt, and will therefore be MORE likely to pursue a deficiency judgment on the balance due. In a short sale situation, there will be a lower deficiency, and your Realtor will negotiate with your lender to reduce or eliminate it altogether, along with working to convince the lender to give up the right to pursue any deficiency in the future.

UNNECESSARY COMPLICATIONS Why? Because more and more, lenders ARE willing to work with you. Contacting a Realtor to work on your behalf with your lender, to get your property listed and marketed, to bring you an offer and to work with the bank to get it to closing, is a GOOD, SOLID, VIABLE OPTION!

I’m not saying the process is easy, but it has come leaps and bounds over the past couple of years. It’s definitely worth the effort, in order to protect your credit and your career options in the future.

The short sale option is widely used now, becoming more and more viable as the banks get on board. All it takes is a phone call or an email to a Realtor who understands the process and what the next steps are. Look online, and check out the CDPE (Certified Distressed Property Expert) site, the SFR (Short Sale and Foreclosure Resource – NAR’s designation) sites.

Call someone. Call today.

Best regards, Gretchen

Gretchen Conley, Realtor® "Your Transition Specialist"

Keller Williams Realty Centre * Cell 443-676-1625

Questions about the neighborhood, the community, the market? I'm always happy to help - Give me a call!

5 Steps to Selling Your Howard County Home in 2011 - Step 5

Gretchen Conley - Howard County MD Real Estate (Keller Williams Realty Centre) — Sat, 05 Mar 2011 07:37:08 -0800

Step 5: Repairs, Pre-Packing and Making your Home Sparkle.

It’s time to go through your house, like a buyer, and make a list of all of those little repairs that have (or haven’t!) been nagging at you for the longest time. Call your favorite handyman (or call me for a referral; I’ve got some great ones!) and give them the list. Sticking doors, loose doorknobs, broken doorbells, broken tile, repainting, deck power washing and staining, curb appeal, you know the drill. Taking care of those items will make your home show very differently. Little superficial items that need work tend to indicate to buyers that no one’s been taking good care of the home – and then they wonder if there aren’t worse issues that are hidden.

Having your home in tip-top condition makes a HUGE difference when buyers are seeing a days’ worth of homes. You want yours to stand out. So after the list of fix-ups, it’s time to declutter, depersonalize and clean. Pre-pack your home, putting the majority of your personal items in boxes now, both to help you with the moving process, and to help buyers visualize the home as their own, without your family photos and knick-knacks clouding their view. And then the cleaning – Sparkling clean windows, floors, light fixtures, light switch plates, door frames, you name it. And ask your Realtor if you need help or a referral for staging. Professional staging brings back a huge return on the minor dollar investment, providing you not only more money, but a faster sale. Really!

Ensure your home is in its best possible condition, so that the potential buyers coming through will be able to visualize themselves in your house. And chances are, you’ll be looking at other people’s homes at this point too, trying to visualize their house as your next home!

Did you miss the first four Steps to Selling a Howard County Home in 2011? Step 1 | Step 2 | Step 3 | Step 4

Have more questions about getting ready to put your home on the market? Give me a call; I’m here to serve you!

Best regards, Gretchen

Gretchen Conley, Realtor® "Your Transition Specialist"

Keller Williams Realty Centre * Cell 443-676-1625

Questions about the neighborhood, the community, the market? I'm always happy to help - Give me a call!

Broke a Board Yesterday

Gretchen Conley - Howard County MD Real Estate (Keller Williams Realty Centre) — Fri, 04 Mar 2011 12:22:00 -0800

They were there, through the afternoon meeting, drawing our attention away from our speaker, three stacks of pine boards, about a foot square each, on the table to our left. We knew we were each supposed to break a board at the end of the day, that they'd explain how to do it, that most people manage, that it's not unsurmountable. Heck! I'd seen my daughter break several in tae kwan do class a couple years ago. But me? Really?

And all I can say, REALLY, is that WE DID IT! I DID IT! WOW!

If one day you get an opportunity to focus your attention completely and break a pine board with your bare hand, you can be nervous, but DO IT!

Yes, if one day you find yourself in the same position we were in, pay close attention, do what they tell you, know that most who have gone before you have managed it as well, and then breathe deeply, exhale when you strike, and know that, wow, it happens

in a flash! FAST!

It would have TOTALLY been worth videotaping, if I’d thought of it beforehand! – And I would have posted it here for you to see too!

And in case you’re wondering, NO, my hand doesn’t hurt. Amazing. Really. Who knows WHAT I'll do next?!!

As always,
Best regards, Gretchen

Gretchen Conley, Realtor® "Your Transition Specialist"

Keller Williams Realty Centre * Cell 443-676-1625

Questions about the neighborhood, the community, the market? I'm always happy to help - Give me a call!

5 Steps to Selling Your Howard County Home in 2011 - Step 4

Gretchen Conley - Howard County MD Real Estate (Keller Williams Realty Centre) — Fri, 04 Mar 2011 08:51:46 -0800

Step 4: Pre-Plan Marketing with Your Realtor.

Your Realtor should have a written detailed marketing plan for your Howard County home. You’ll need to determine what repairs, etc., need to be done before the house goes on the market, the date to go “live”, the listing price, and the showing instructions for the appointments. Arrangements will have to be made for photographs and signs and flyers.

But beyond that, there should be a Plan B: If your home is not priced correctly, it’ll be apparent by the number of (or lack of) showings. And after a certain number of showings, by the number of (or lack of) offers. That’s the market talking to you. Work with your Realtor on this in advance. Make plans ahead of time, writing them directly into your listing agreement, that if your house sits on the market in 4 week increments with no offer, that you’ll lower the price by a set amount. And even if you’re not ready to make that decision upfront, keep it in mind in case the weeks go by.

Plan C with your Realtor could include other incentives, including a seller credit towards the buyer’s closing costs, an interest rate buy-down (Your Realtor can have this charted out by a local lender for the buyer’s benefit.), including your flat screen tv, already mounted over the fireplace, or making a reverse offer to an interested buyer who just won’t write an offer.

And pay attention to the buyer agent feedback that comes in. If you get comments about worn carpeting, old appliances, wallpaper, or pet smells, for instance, pay attention. Chances are many more buyers felt the same way, but didn’t bother to report it back to you. These condition issues are your responsibility again, as the seller; get your Realtor’s advice and then follow it – That’s why you hired them. – And remember, you want to sell your home, not just list it!

Did you miss the first three Steps to Selling a Howard County Home in 2011? Step 1 | Step 2 | Step 3

Best regards, Gretchen

Gretchen Conley, Realtor® "Your Transition Specialist"

Keller Williams Realty Centre * Cell 443-676-1625

Questions about the neighborhood, the community, the market? I'm always happy to help - Give me a call!