Making Ugly Land Beautiful Again! - 12/30/07 02:57 PM
    Well it's about time!  Everyone who lives on the western side of Charles County knows that there is  a distinct lack of public parks and resources in the area.  The Pisgah, Maryland Park announcement, means that the Bryans Road/Indian Head area will be seeing lots of improvements!
     The new park has already gotten it's funding approval from the Maryland Board of Works, and they're planning on spending $1.87 million dollars on the project.  Remember the old Pisgah Landfill?  Well, that's where this new project is going!  It's a case of beautifying one of the uglier spots in … (2 comments)

Sex? No Thank's, We're Realtors.... - 12/27/07 01:32 PM
Just when you think you've heard it all.....  I'm convinced that it's got to be something in the water that makes people crazy, or maybe they just weren't hugged enough as children....At any rate, another Realtor has just made my list of Loony News Stories,  This time from Miami.  Turns out getting a deal to the closing table there is harder than the DC area!  The story goes something like this:Realtor X is trying get a house sold, and in walks Realtor Z with a contract on the same property.  Realtor Z gets the house sold, and Realtor X makes no … (18 comments)

George Bush and Short Sale Forgiveness - 12/21/07 03:42 PM
     Are you in the midst of a short sale, or about to do one, and worried about the associated tax burden that goes along with it?  There's so good news for you, thanks to a bill signed yesterday, the first GENUINE relief for homeowners trying to avoid foreclosure.
    Yesterday, President Bush signed H.R. 3648, The Mortgage Forgiveness Act of 2007 into law, sparing homeowners the federal tax burden associated with canceled mortgage debt.
    Prior to this action, forgiven mortgage debt due to foreclosure, short sale, or deed in lieu of foreclosure, was considered taxable income. … (6 comments)

Power Plant Plans in Indian Head Die; New Plans for Waldorf Emerge - 12/21/07 11:59 AM
     There's been plenty of debate in the last year regarding the proposed power plant in Indian Head, MD at the Naval Base.  All of that is moot now that the proposal has died due to financial feasibility, or lack thereof. 
    While the idea of putting in a coal-powered plant was unsavory to many local residents because of the potential environmental impact, it seems certain now that Alcoa, Inc's Plans won't be going through.
    However, now there seems to be a new proposal for the county, this time from another company, Competitive Power Ventures, and instead … (1 comments)

Michael Vick's Estate; the most stigmatized property in America? - 12/16/07 01:02 PM
Now here's a surprise....  Michael Vick's Virginia Home, where his now infamous dog fighting compound was located, failed to sell at auction this week.  Turns out that people weren't interested in running up the price because of it's notoriety.
 Here's the back story:  Vick sold the home for $450,000 to a real estate investor shortly after pleading guilty to dog fighting charges.  The investor, Wilbur Ray Todd Jr., spent roughly $50,000 according to his estimates on repairs related to vandals and looters, and then placed the home up for sale at auction, hoping that the property's notoriety would fuel bidding.
So..... … (17 comments)

Meet Piper, a Rescued German Shelter Pup! - 12/14/07 07:43 PM
  It's been a looong week..... so here's something utterly random and fuzzy, too!  Her name is Piper, and she's a rescued shelter rat!  She's a little mouthy when dinner's due, but she's a completely adorable, well mannered mutt!  C'mon, how can you not smile when you see a pup as cute as this!  Not only that, but she plays well with other dogs, so she gets to enjoy lots of trips to the dog park!
She came from the tri-county animal shelter in Hughesville, MD, and if you are interested in finding a great family pet, I highly recommend you … (16 comments)

Understanding the Housing Slump - 12/14/07 02:23 PM
    There was an interesting news piece this morning on NBC 4, talking about how the Maryland housing market is going to continue like this for the next year.  The report was based off of anticipated loss of tax revenues due to the housing slump, and stated that the market is not about to improve in the near future.    This got me to thinking about what exactly it's going to take in order to see any sort of market improvement.  In order to see a turn-around, we need to understand what is causing this mess in the first place. Overpriced Mark-Ups    … (0 comments)

Why Do You Love Southern Maryland? - 12/13/07 09:55 AM
I can remember moving to Southern Maryland back in the mid 90's because my parents wanted me in the school system down here rather than in PG County.  I've lived around the bay for as long as I can remember, and Southern Maryland is by far my favorite region.
Why?  Well for one thing, I love the fact that it's a more relaxed atmosphere.  I enjoy being able to go fishing and crabbing on the weekends, The proximity to D.C. and Baltimore mean that there's lots of great car shows to go see during the summer, The sailing in the bay … (0 comments)

Swan Point TIF Meeting Update - 12/12/07 01:17 PM
    I attended the county hearing on the Swan Point Tax Proposal on Tuesday 12/11/2007, and the commissioners did not make a decision on the application just yet, but the response both positive and negative, was outstanding.  It's wonderful to see county residents wanting to take an active part in the future of their county!
    I did make a comment at the meeting, which I wanted to mention here.  The question of the TIF financing is not the make or break deal for a hotel and spa to open in Swan Point.  It's the difference of HOW QUICKLY … (0 comments)

Southern Maryland Foreclosures are Big News in the Maryland Independent - 12/12/07 01:04 PM
    I recently contributed a bit of commentary to the Maryland Independent for an article they were writing on foreclosures in the region.  I was excited to find this morning that the story was in fact FRONT PAGE news and the remarks I made featured prominently.      Self promotional remarks aside, I am very grateful that the paper chose to write an article regarding current foreclosure trends to better inform the general public of what is going on in the market.  Many of my comments in the article were taken directly from a post I made recently regarding local foreclosures.     … (0 comments)

A CHRISTMAS WISH COMES TRUE FOR A MARINE AND FATHER - 12/10/07 05:41 PM
 I love seeing genuinely touch moments, and last night I was witness to a heartfelt moment I'd like to share with you all.  I was at the opening night of the Washington National Ballet's production of The Nutcracker, currently playing at the Warner Theatre, and prior to the start of the performance the artistic director, Septime Weber came out and made an announcement that brought a tear to everyone in the audience. It seems that young Ms. Isabelle Johnston, age 7, was premiering on stage in her first performance with the ballet that night, and her father, Marine Lt. Col. Frank Johnston, … (25 comments)

Charles County Maryland Market Statistics, November 2007 - 12/10/07 04:33 PM
    Charles County has been impacted heavily during the recent market downturn (although not as badly as PG County).  Sales are down roughly 33% from this time last year, average days on market is up over 85% to 132, and average sales prices have fallen as well.      Prices are down roughly 3% from November of 2006, and will continue to fall so long as we see supply exceeding demand.  117 homes were sold last month, out of almost 1600 for sale.  This is typical of the entire region, where supply exceeds demand by at least 12 months.      Also typical … (0 comments)

Saint Mary's County Maryland Market Statistics, November 2007 - 12/10/07 04:02 PM
    St. Mary's County, Maryland has a few interesting points to make note of when looking at the overall market health.  First, the average and median sales price of a home here has gone up.  While this is a very good sign, it is not the only indication that the local market is performing as well as everyone would hope.
The best indicator of how the market is doing is by looking at how many days a home is on the market (on average).  In Saint Mary's County, that time on market has risen 38%, from 92 days to 127 … (0 comments)

Calvert County Maryland Market Statistics, November 2007 - 12/10/07 01:58 PM
    Calvert County, much like Southern Maryland, is currently working through downward sales trends and coping with lackluster sales in the real estate market.  Although sales volume is only down by roughly 10% county wide, a look at the bigger picture gives a much better indication of what the local market is actually facing.
     Prices are very likely to continue to fall.  If there were 69 homes sold in November, and 996 homes currently on the market, that means that there is an overstock of roughly 14 months.  As long as supply continues to exceed demand to this … (0 comments)

Considering a Short Sale? Here's What You Need to Know! - 12/09/07 02:58 PM
    A lot of people are facing some very hard decisions right now.  Being Foreclosed on is a process that can be embarrassing, humiliating, it destroys good credit records, and is often a very traumatic experience for good people swallowed up by bad loans.
    There are options to avoid situations like this if you find you are behind on your mortgage, however, and one of those options is to consider doing a Short Sale.
     A Short Sale is a process by which the homeowner agrees to sell their home prior to foreclosure at a price that is less than … (2 comments)

Swan Point Site Plan and Tax News - 12/07/07 12:57 PM
    I found an aerial view of the proposed swan point site plan which  should give a better idea of what exactly they are planning to build out there.  Feel free to click on the photo for a larger image.     It sounds like area residents are still concerned about the expansion (I would be too!), and now there is a little bit of a concern about the taxes.     Last week the developer filed an application for the county's new tax increment financing (TIF) program, and the proposal goes something like this:
The county would use public, tax-free bonds to … (1 comments)

Homeowners See Possible relief... Pro's and Con's Abound - 12/07/07 10:45 AM
    The cat is out of the bag, and it looks like there may be help for people who are facing unmanageable ARM's.  Now *some* people with these sub-prime mortgages can get their teaser rate frozen for 5 years in order to avoid impossible payments.
    The New York Times has a good article discussing the widely varying views concerning the new proposal.  Let me first give a brief description of the plan Bush announced to help bailout homeowners.  This proposal will only work for homeowners who:
    Took out their loan between January 2005 and July 2007 … (2 comments)

Swan Point Development Info Update - 12/04/07 01:16 AM
Swan Point Info      Curious about what's happening down in Issue, MD regarding the Swan Point Development Project being proposed by U.S. Steel and Brookfield Homes?  I've put together a website to post the latest news and info on the current proposed project!  Swan Point Information Website
    Here's a brief description of what they're proposing what the status of the project is.  If you have any questions, please feel free to email me!
Swan Point
Cuckold Creek Marina Proposal- 112 slips (down from 250) Weir Creek Peninsula Proposal- 150 slips (newly proposed) Shoreline Stabilization Along The Potomac River … (2 comments)

*ATTENTION LENDERS* HOW LOW WILL THE FED GO THIS TIME? - 12/04/07 12:17 AM
    I'm hearing all over the radio right now here in suburban D.C.
    The general consensus is that there's going to be a half point drop on December 11th, and some Industry insiders here in Washington are claiming that a full 1% between now and the end of January would not be out of this world.
    I know that doesn't dictate mortgage loan rates directly, but it can and will influence them and I know a few lenders who are already anticipating the drop.
    I'd like to hear some opinions, particularly from lenders who are better versed in … (7 comments)

Baseball Swings into Waldorf, Maryland - 12/03/07 11:58 PM
     Further proof that Waldorf is not as remote as some people seem to think it is:  We're getting our own Atlantic League Baseball Team (*insert cheering here*)!    I know, it's not THAT exciting, but I am pretty happy that it's happening, nonetheless.  I've known it was in the works for years, but I refused to believe it until it actually happened.  They've yet to sign any players, but the stadium is built (I've seen it with my own eyes!), and they signed the manager, Butch Hobson (Butch Who???).     Apparently he managed the Boston Red Sox at some … (3 comments)

MORTGAGE SCAM ON NBC NIGHTLY NEWS! - 12/02/07 11:21 PM
 I'm so relieved to see this story making national news!! It seems that Joy Jackson, aka "Night Rider" to all her friends back at the strip club, was recently featured on MSNBC Nightly News (video link).  In addition, there seems to be a growing number of people interest in her and her partners current whereabouts.  Funny how people frown upon $800,000 weddings when the bride may have cheated them out of their home equity.  I highly doubt her proceeds as an, ahem, "entertainer" managed to pay for Ms. Patti LaBelle's presence there! (I also heard she gave away a Porsche, and … (6 comments)

FSBO Marketing Tips - 12/01/07 03:23 PM
    I've heard some outrageous horror stories from people trying to FSBO in Southern Maryland.  I've heard rumors of real estate agents telling homeowners "There's no way you're going to sell your home without me" or "Selling FSBO is the stupidest thing you can do", or "*insert your own snooty Realtor comment here*"
    Let me first apologize if you are trying to sell yourself and have gotten comments like this from an unfriendly Realtor.  You'll find I won't make such childish taunts, Promise!
    There are a ton of options if you are looking to try and … (3 comments)

 
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MD Short Sale Specialist Jonathan Benya

Waldorf, MD

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Keller Williams Preferred Properties

Address: 3261 Old Washington Rd, #2040, Waldorf, MD, 20602

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