This morning I attended a walk-through in Southern Maryland (Waldorf, to be exact) on new construction for a first time home-buyer of mine that is due to settle this week. Typically, people do not feel a need to pay for an inspection when they're buying a new home. The thought is that if the home is "new", then there shouldn't be a need for the extra expense.
My buyer wanted the assurance that comes with having a professional home inspector go through the property, and it turned into a very wise investment.
So what made it worth hiring a home inspector?
For starters, the threshold at the front door was water damaged. The builder rep offered to have it painted and sealed, but the inspector stated that due to the water damage, it needed to be replaced. Suddenly the idea of hiring an inspector started to make sense...
Next, the furnace filter access was blocked by wiring, and was in accessible. Our inspector, Kevin Curry from Amerispec, caught the issue and stated that the wiring needed to be moved. Imagine buying a home and finding out a year after-wards that you can't change the filter!
Third, there was insufficient insulation in the furnace, and there were drafts being created. This is the sort of issue that only a home inspector would be able to catch, but the work completed by the builder was insufficient.
In addition, the rear sliding door wouldn't lock, the carpet was cut too short on the sides of the staircase, the kitchen needed a final coat of paint, and there was trim work that was cut too short.
You would think that builders would be a bit more mindful, but the bottom line is that if you as a buyer are paying for new construction, you should not be willing to accept anything less than perfect.
There were issues at the inspection that needed to be addressed, and the builder is perfectly willing to correct them, but without an inspector, there was no way to catch all of the issues at the walk-through. It's proof that it really pays to have a Realtor and Inspector on your side when buying new construction!
~Jonathan Benya- Realtor Century 21 New Millennium 9405-A Chesapeake St La Plata, MD 20646 301-609-9000 - office 301-653-8116 - cell
A common complaint among home sellers is that photos that are taken to market their home look less than stellar. I know how to take a good photo, but my brother knows how to take a GREAT photo. I know my limitations, and I leave the photo taking up to him.
I saw a wonderfully terrible photo in a listing recently, and it reminded me of just how many factors come into play when photographing real estate. They say a picture is worth a thousand words, and this one says more than that. It's a perfect example of things to AVOID when marketing a home!
~Jonathan Benya- Realtor Century 21 New Millennium 9405-A Chesapeake St La Plata, MD 20646 301-609-9000 - office 301-653-8116 - cell
When you're putting your house on the market, there's obviously a lot that needs to be done in preparation, such as rearranging, cleaning, and landscaping in order to maximize your house's interior and curb appeal. But in today's market, perhaps touching up the paint and making the minor repairs isn't quite enough to make your house stand out.
This is why sometimes it might be best to upgrade when you're putting your house on the market, especially when it comes to home lighting.
This might seem counter intuitive at first; why buy additional lighting that you won't be using and that might be removed or altered by the eventual buyers? Certainly both points are valid, but a few changes can drastically help improve the appearance of your house and might in the process enable you and your Realtor to sell it at the asking price.
How to Get the best "Bang for your Buck"
When upgrading your lighting in this manner, it is worth noting that you want your upgrades to be based on functionality, not style. After all, you don't want to purchase lighting based on what looks good to you but rather what you think would work for any future occupants.
Above all it is important to find lighting that will illuminate areas that previously didn't have much light cover, as you don't want to turn on your lights when showing your house only to have some unappealing dim spots. A few simple and inexpensive ways of rectifying this would be upgrading your vanity lights for your bathroom or purchasing kitchen island pendants and under-cabinet lighting for your kitchen.
You also need to consider the exterior of your house as well. Flood lights do an excellent job of accentuating the front of you house at nighttime, while path lighting can help highlight your landscaping while also providing safe and easy access to the house.
Both of these types of lighting will also make your house easier to find for the prospective buyers and will help its curb appeal as well.
Don't forget about Sunlight!
Lastly, it is important not to overlook natural light, as this can be important during daytime visits. In this case, the littlest things, such as cleaning your windows and keeping all curtains and shades drawn up, can make a huge difference. Sunlight is always more appealing than artificial lighting, so it is important to utilize it whenever possible.
It goes without saying that the better you present your house, the better the chances of being able to sell it the asking price. Maximizing both artificial and natural lighting goes a long way in creating the right look and atmosphere for potential buyers.
~Jonathan Benya- Realtor Century 21 New Millennium 9405-A Chesapeake St La Plata, MD 20646 301-609-9000 - office 301-653-8116 - cell
For years now, the old art-deco movie house has stood as a testament to a bygone era. Aside from the occasional movie premiere, filling the 900+ seat theater has been a challenge. Competition from your big 24 screen multiplexes is more efficient, and the Senator Theater in Baltimore, MD has had trouble paying it's bills recently.
1st Mariner Bank of Baltimore is now planning on Foreclosing on the historic theater at 10am on April 20th, 2009. This is not the first time the Senator has faced financial difficulties, and as of March 16th, the theater has stopped showing movies until a resolution can be made.
In the meantime, the theater's management are desperately angling to save the theater. Please donate to The Senator Community Trust, which is working to raise money to bring the loan current and eventually purchase The Senator. The Senator is a cultural and historical landmark for Maryland, and it needs to be preserved! ~Jonathan Benya- Realtor Century 21 New Millennium 9405-A Chesapeake St La Plata, MD 20646 301-609-9000 - office 301-653-8116 - cell
For years now, there has been a proposal to create a bypass road for Route 301. The bypass would create an alternative way to get through Waldorf, MD without having to actually suffer through the long traffic lights and delays that local commuters know all too well.
A proposal like this will provide a huge relief for the arduous morning commute, but there is a lot of concern for the potential environmental impact it will have. Hopefully this long term plan will benefit the residents of Waldorf and Charles County by reducing travel times to and from DC! ~Jonathan Benya- Realtor Century 21 New Millennium 9405-A Chesapeake St La Plata, MD 20646 301-609-9000 - office 301-653-8116 - cell
Unfortunately, sometimes things just don't go according to plan. Bad apples exist everywhere, especially in the real estate market. You do your best to avoid them, but the problem with bad apples is that they may look great on the outside, and there's no way to know about that worm waiting for you to bite!
I have a client who recently purchased a foreclosure as an investment. The deal itself was straightforward. He was paying cash, could close immediately, and wasn't asking for closing help.
The bank was insistent that we use their particular title company. It's not uncommon to see that, banks often like to work with one company over and over because the processors are familiar with each other, and (in theory) it should help move the transaction along quickly.
The problem was that the title company was one of those bad apples. They forgot to show up for settlement, and in order to get the closing done we ended up hiring a notary to sign all of the paperwork and have it hand delivered to their office, which was 70 miles away.
We were fortunate to have a notary that was able to get the settlement paperwork notarized in the absence of a title officer. We were more fortunate that they were able to deliver the paperwork to the title company that day!
The biggest lesson for us was that we will never in a million years do business with that company if we can avoid it! The title company that dropped the ball does a LOT of business, and I had never heard a complaint about them before, so we didn't realize how disorganized they really are. The important thing about discovering a bad apple is knowing better than to continue eating once you find half a worm! ~Jonathan Benya- Realtor Century 21 New Millennium 9405-A Chesapeake St La Plata, MD 20646 301-609-9000 - office 301-653-8116 - cell
If you're looking for a great deal on a home in Mechanicsville, MD, this is it! This home is listed at just $230,000, and is sitting on 2.15 acres! The back yard is fenced in, and the rear multi-tiered deck is made of trex decking!
The home is located in the Country Lakes subdivision, and although it does need a little minor TLC, the roof, gutters, siding, windows, and garage door have all been replaced within the last six years. The heat and AC were replaced less than 3 years ago!
The home has 2 bedrooms, 2 full baths, and best of all, this is NOT a short sale or foreclosure! Sold As-Is.
If you would like to view this or any other property in St. Mary's County, give us a call and it would be our pleasure to make the appointment!
Patience pays off! I have a client and very dear personal friend that I have been working with for roughly 2 years to help her buy her first home in Waldorf, MD. Other agents have been ribbing me for awhile now about not convincing her to write a contract on the 78 or so real estate properties that we had seen. To them, this was about more than just her finding the perfect home, my reputation as a Realtor seemed to be at stake here!
Fortunately, I took it all in good stride. I hate having people force decisions down my throat, and I don't ever want to be "That Realtor Guy" who pushed someone into buying a home they didn't love; especially when that someone is a friend of 14+ years!
With the current economic downturn and low interest rates guiding us, we finally found a fantastic option! We had been looking at every foreclosure and short sale imaginable, but in the end we actually decided on new construction!
This is her first home, and she's excited that the idea of being a homeowner will soon be a reality! I'm excited that she's decided to purchase without being pressured into something she doesn't love, and here's the best part!
Guess how much her townhouse is going to cost:
$275,000?
$260,000?
$250,000?
$240,000?
Would you believe me if I said that it was less?
I can't disclose how much our contract for these new construction townhouses is for due to client confidentiality, but here's what I can tell you:
For a 3 bedroom, 2 bath, 3 story Townhouse with brick front and a 1 car garage, prices are starting at $230,000!!! for that price we've been looking at foreclosures in need of serious repair! Less than $250k can get you brand new construction in Waldorf, complete with your own garage!
I know I've got other clients who are now looking at buying a new townhouse rather than struggle with foreclosures that "need work" ("needs work" is a polite way for Realtors to say "prepare to hire a general contractor"!)
If you're looking for new construction in the Waldorf or Charles County are, give me a call and I can help you find and negotiate great deals on your new home!
If you're looking to buy land in Southern Maryland, you might just want to check out SOMDLand.com. The website has just launched, and it's designed to help people find both raw land and ready-to-build lots in Southern Maryland.
One of the nice features is the interactive google map search for lots and parcels available in Southern Maryland. The site is also designed to help people understand how to go about building a custom home in Southern Maryland/Charles County region, and all of the resources to do so will be available there! Check it out and let me know what you think!
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.
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