Another One Bites the Dust: Caruso Homes Files for Bankruptcy
Supposedly they are doing this to re-structure rather than close-up shop. If it's a way for them to bring down their prices, great. Take a look at their current prices, and you'll notice that they're flat out too high. Filing bankruptcy sheds light on an interesting phenomenon: Builders profits have been cut to the core. Bankruptcy means that Caruso cannot slash their prices any further at this point without drastic measures. Will this allow Caruso Homes to drop their prices further? Definitely! At the same time, I'm sure it's going to upset the folks they owe money to. ($500,000 from 84 Lumber alone!). As soon as Caruso announces their price reductions, I'll let you guys know. Stay tuned for more on that! Related Links: KB Homes Pulls Out of Charles County Are New Construction Price Negotiable? New Homes in Waldorf, MD: Autumn Hills Subdivision "Finding it All" When Buying a Home
~Jonathan Benya Rosewick Crossing is Growing in La Plata, MD
It's amazing how much commercial growth is happening in La Plata, MD, and Charles County in general. Rosewick Crossing is the latest addition to La Plata's shopping choices. As you may or may not know, Lowe's hardware store has already opened, and construction on the Giant grocery store is wrapping up as I speak type. What I didn't realize about the shopping center is that there seems to be a ton of space for smaller retailers in addition to the anchor stores that are already in. I like the convenience that all of this new development creates, but in a way I sort of miss the "old" La Plata. (You know, pre-tornado times?) It's all part of a larger plan that includes the addition of roughly 3,000 new homes along Rosewick Rd, so I imagine that there's not going to be any shortage of shoppers for the new complex once that development gets off the ground. Related Links: Photos of La Plata, MD Town Hall, Etc. Commercial Development and La Plata, MD Real Estate Values Photos:
~Jonathan Benya
Century 21 New Millennium Charges Brought in Maryland Mortgage ScamIt looks like things are moving forward with the case against Joy Jenise Jackson (formerly known as a stripper named Night Rider), Kurt Fordham, and The Metropolitan Money Store. Remember them? They're the one's accused of "saving" people from foreclosure, while stripping their equity out from under them, and leaving the victims in financial turmoil. Well, now they've decided to press charges against 8 people, including Joy Jackson and Kurt Fordham, and (provided that the accused can be located), we may finally see some closure to this bizarre tale. It's bad enough that we've dealt with scummy lenders writing bad loans, scummy get rich quick schemes promising to pay your mortgage, and the real estate bubble bursting, leaving us with a serious foreclosure problems, but seriously, this too? It's an embarrassment to legitimate professionals to see garbage like this happening in the region. I hate the fact that a few bad apples like this can really ruin the reputation of the industry as a whole. **Correction** Multiple arrests were made thursday morning in North Carolina, including both Ms. Jackson and Mr. Fordham, among others. Related Links: Washington Post Article on Indictment ~Jonathan Benya Century 21 New Millennium <script src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/%7Es/typepad/teambenya/charles_county_real_estat?i=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.teambenya.com%2Fcharles_county_real_estat%2F2008%2F06%2Ftrying-to-save.html" type="text/javascript"></script><script type="text/javascript" src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/%7Ed/static/site-tracker.js" charset="utf-8"></script> Holiday Weekend and Wet Dog Roundup
I spent Saturday at my parent's home in Virginia(literally, smack dab in the middle of nowhere), and enjoyed the beautiful weather and some time with the dogs. They say happiness is a WARM puppy. As far as my dogs are concerned, they think happiness is a WET puppy. Perhaps my dogs made a mistake. They could have a lisp for all I know. I had a great time, aside from the smell of wet, muddy, salty dogs that I had to endure on the way home. My arm is still sore from playing fetch, and my clothes smell like fresh grass clippings. Ah, the finer things in life...
~Jonathan Benya
No, We're not the Real Estate Mafia..
I've been kicking around the idea of creating a new business image, which is an important aspect of being a Realtor. A good image makes people know that we think we're important, which is a good thing. It makes people want to work with us, or something goofy like that. I'm not really going to start blanketing the area with post cards pushing my fancy new business image and ugly mug on them, that's just obnoxious to me. Even before I became a Realtor I was placing agents postcards in the circular file, and I expect people would do the same with mine. Instead, I'm just going to post my new business promotional image on this blog, and I'll wait to see how many people notice it. Enjoy the rest of Memorial Day Weekend 2008!
~Jonathan Benya Swan Point Project Get's Board of Works Approval in Annapolis!
I attended the meeting to view first hand what Governor Martin O'Malley had to say about the project, and to voice my support for the project. I was impressed at the supporter turnout for the project. Over 2 dozen people were there to support the development, and although 3 people showed up to protest the development, only two of them decided to speak out against Brookfield Homes and US Steel's proposal. The Governor actually opposed the plan, but even without his vote the project gained the necessary approval needed to move forward! This means that the Swan Point Development Corporation is looking to break ground on the Westin Swan Point hotel by early 2009, and should be slated to open in 2011. The meeting itself was fascinating. Wayne Cooper, Mac Middleton, Sam Graves, and Murray Levy all spoke in support of the project and it's benefit to Southern Maryland, and one of the developers reps mentioned that there was projected to be a 10% overall improvement in water quality in the area due to the new development.
It really speaks volumes towards their character when they willing change and reduce their own development in order to satisfy everyone involved. Make no mistake, the goal is to develop a waterfront resort destination here, but that doesn't mean the developer can get everything they want, either. It's a relief to see a developer that is willing to be flexible with the community. Link to Maryland Independent Article on Board of Works Approval ~Jonathan Benya Interesting Buildings: The Wigwam in Waldorf, MD
They had the BEST eclairs in Maryland, the kind you just can't help yourself when you saw them. I'm a sugar junkie, and the Wigwam fed my habit. The building has been closed up for years, and it's future seems uncertain at this point. What's fascinating about this building is that it typifies what Waldorf once was: A roadside stop for truckers traveling up and down the east coast. It's a shame that old places like the Stardust Motel and Ballroom (where Sinatra and Elvis once played) are gone, because they beckon to a bygone era. Perhaps another bakery with tasty eclairs will open there again. Perhaps not. That's some prime real estate that the old building sits on, and the money it's worth will probably outweigh the memories. ~Jonathan Benya New Home Construction in Waldorf, MD Autumn Hills Subdivision
There are two different builders in that community: Ryan Homes, who has subdivisions and developments all over the Southern Maryland region, and Craftmark Homes. The Ryan Homes there are starting at $340k, and the Craftmark Homes are starting at $550k. What's nice about this community (aside from the proximity to the mall and shopping) is that all of the homes here are brick or stone front.
Craftmark is building bigger than Ryan is (hence the higher price tags), but either builder is providing great looking homes in a great location! If you're interested in possibly buying here, or in any other subdivision, our new construction experts can help you to negotiate a great deal AND protect your interests when purchasing a new home! Give us a call or email to get the low-down on New Construction in Charles County, P.G. County, or St. Mary's County!
Open House Becomes Drive Through!?!
Their car ended up hitting our Expedition that was parked in the driveway, and then trounced over the light pole in the front yard, plowed through the foliage in the walkway, and came to rest against the front stoop. Fortunately the home has a large brick and slate front porch, or else they may have ended up in the living room! Thankfully there were no serious injuries, but it gave everyone quite a scare, and certainly added some excitement to the day!
Houses for Sale in Waldorf, MD: How Can You "Find it All"?
It's a good idea to consider what it is that you want and need out of your next home, and go from there. Are you looking for a house with lots of land? A quick search of the MLS shows that there are currently 55 Homes in Waldorf that meet that criteria, ranging from $245k-$1.7 Million. That's a huge range, and it shows that your choices are really only limited by your desired price range. Another popular option is to consider searching by location. If you're looking for convenience, and want to be within walking distance to the local mall, you could search by geographic location, and find that there's currently 13 Homes for sale within a half mile of the St. Charles Towne Center Mall, ranging from $170k-286k. The great thing about trying to "Find It All" when it comes to home-buying is that there's really no limit to how specific you can try to be (If there's something on the market that matches your criteria, it can be found!). If you were to say that you wanted a home with very specific criteria, a good Realtor should be able to help you find that information! Here's a good example:
The bottom line is that in a location like Waldorf, MD and Charles County, there are a ton of options for you and your family. All you have to do is contact your local Realtor and develop a plan with them to help find the perfect house to call home! ~Jonathan Benya |
Southern Maryland Real Estate~ Jonathan Benya Waldorf, MD More about me… Century 21 New Millennium Office Phone: (301) 609-9000 Cell Phone: (301) 653-8116 Email Me ;) Links;) Tags (Tag Cloud);) Archives
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