realtor: What Would You Do For a Pay Raise? - 05/01/13 11:24 AM
If your employer was offering a 15% pay raise for you to get a tattoo of the company logo would you do it? Well, an NYC Realtor is doing just that. After an employee went on his own and got the company's logo tattooed on him, the owner of the company decided to give the option to all of his employees for a 15% pay increase.
It is completely up to the employee if they want it or not and there are no size or placement restrictions.
Some employees chose to get large tattoos on their arms while other chose small … (0 comments)

realtor: 35,000 Reasons to do a Short Sale - 08/10/12 08:59 AM
Thinking About A Short Sale? How Does $35,000 Sound? That's a lot of cash. For one of my clients who sold his house as a short sale in Maryland last month, that's exactly how much Chase Mortgage gave him. Why don't more people know this is possible? Odds are good that their Realtor isn't even aware! A few short years ago getting any proceeds from a short sale was harder than winning an Olympic gold medal, but then the government released the Home Affordable Foreclosure Alternatives (HAFA) program, and suddenly homeowners were seeing up to $6,000in proceeds from their lender in … (1 comments)

realtor: Find A HAFA Short Sale Realtor in Maryland - 04/10/12 10:48 AM
When you’re trying to avoid foreclosure on your Southern Maryland home, a HAFA Realtor in Maryland can help. Here we’re going to go over all of the benefits of the HAFA program for homeowners in Maryland and explain just what the HAFA program is. It’s a new twist on short sales; when lenders agree to a short sale under the HAFA program they get u to $6,000 for approving it, and home owners get to keep their dignity and avoid unnecessary credit damage.
What is HAFA?  
HAFA stands for “Home Affordable Foreclosure Alternatives”; it’s an FHA/HUD program that aims to … (0 comments)

realtor: How to Find the Right Short Sale Agent - 03/30/12 06:29 AM
Navigating a short sale is tough! You have to make sure you can wrangle the banks and your lenders, and you also have to make sure everyone comes to an agreement. With the right negotiator at your side you’ll be able to settle your debts and save your dignity.
There are many agents out there who say they’re short sale experts, but you need a short sale listing agent that can help you through the process. You want someone who’s going to fight for you, to make sure you’re getting the best deal possible, and best of all someone who knows … (0 comments)

realtor: Short Sale Help in Prince George's County, MD - 03/06/12 09:43 AM
Call Jonathan Benya at 301-653-8113 to find a Short Sale Realtor in Prince Georges County, MD or CLICK HERE TO REQUEST A FREE SHORT SALE ANALYSIS!

Maryland Short Sale FAQ’s I work with a fair number of short sales in Maryland.  Many people find the process itself overwhelming, and it shouldn’t be. I’ve put together a list of Short Sale Homeowner FAQ’s to help make the process a bit easier to understand. If you’re behind on your mortgage and need to sell your home, contact us and we can help.
What Is A Short Sale? A Short Sale is a … (1 comments)

realtor: Southern Maryland Real Estate Market Report: June, 2010 - 06/10/10 04:43 PM
Here are the latest market trends and information for the Southern Maryland Real Estate Market. Although sales have hit fantastic highs recently, current inventory supply is still at 8.5 months - still 2.5 months more than a "normal" market.
We've also seen prices creep up slightly, although not as much as we would like. If prices continue to rise while inventory continues to dwindle, we may be closer to saying that we've seen the bottom of the market come and go. Expect interest rates to remain low for the near future as lenders try to entice purchasers to continue entering the … (0 comments)

realtor: What Your Home Is (And Isn't) Worth - 06/10/10 09:08 AM
As a Realtor in Southern Maryland, I am frequently asked by homeowners to do a comparative market analysis (CMA) on the current sales value of their home. Quite often, people are shocked to find out that their home is worth less than what they had imagined; a sign of the market downturn and overall economy at large. It's important to understand that a home's market value is really determined by the end buyer. It doesn't matter what you think the home SHOULD be worth, it matters what the buyer is willing to pay. When trying to set a sales price for … (1 comments)

realtor: Finding a Real Estate Agent in Charles County: Don't Pick Your Agent by CMA - 10/27/08 11:04 PM
Choosing a Realtor is a big decision. Every Realtor (myself included) is trying to tell you why they're the greatest thing since sliced bread and why it would be a mistake to even consider working with someone else. It makes Realtors gigantic windbags, but that's a real estate agent's job: to market/promote themselves and their properties.
What's really surprising is that many people aren't looking for what really matters when it comes to hiring an agent. People look at the bottom line. Money. Cash. How much are you going to put in my pocket? Quite often, the agent with the highest … (0 comments)

realtor: An Elementary Lesson: Avoiding New Construction Fraud - 10/13/08 12:05 AM
There was an article in yesterday's Washington Post about a possible homebuilding scam in Upper Marlboro, MD. It's pathetic to see yet ANOTHER real estate scam being run in Maryland, but it underscores how important it is to do your homework when buying a home.
Take the time to learn a little more about your builder, and not just from the builder themselves.  Get in touch with people who have used them in the past, research consumer complaints, and find out what their reputation is like.  websites like consumerreports.com and ripoffreport.com are great resources.  Also, try asking on local message boards … (0 comments)

realtor: The first step to selling your home: Finding A Price ~Part 2 of the Savvy Seller Series~ - 04/24/08 01:12 PM
    The Real Estate Market in Charles County is tough right now, period.  Even experienced tried and true agents are seeing less sales, less showings, less of everything but listings!  It underscores how hard it is for people who are in the process of selling their home, or getting ready to put their home on the market.
    People often think that their home is the nicest one on the block(it's a natural bias), and it can be difficult to examine their home critically.  It's important to understand that this is a natural feeling, but selling a home is … (1 comments)

realtor: Over-Caffeinated Realtors @ Work - 04/22/08 02:20 PM
     I work very long hours in real estate.  The benefit to it is that my clients are consistently impressed with my availability and my results, turning around paperwork quickly, and constantly scheduling appointments, writing contracts, blogging, etc.  The downside is that it's very draining.      Of course I don't let my clients see how exhausted I get.  They don't want groggy, disheveled Realtors representing them.  They want perky, pleasant, and attentive agents on their side.  I don't want to disappoint them, I want happy clients, so I give them a happy Realtor.     My secret vice:  Caffeine!  I'm drinking chemicals … (3 comments)

realtor: Your Next Home Will Be Bought or Sold Online! ~Part 1 of the Savvy Seller Series~ - 04/16/08 10:57 PM
    It's true!  I'm not talking about a few clicks of the mouse to sign the settlement papers (not yet, anyways), but the home buying process has become less about flipping through the newspaper and driving around to open houses, and more about surfing the net to see what's available instead.
Even as a Realtor, it can seem overwhelming to post home information to all of the different home search sites available out there.  Which site do you use, Realtor.com?  Trulia?  Zillow? Hotpads?  Kajiji?  Craigslist??
In the land of property marketing, the Internet is King!
    Your choice of … (2 comments)

realtor: Buyers Have The Upper Hand, But Are You Holding All The Aces? - 03/21/08 10:18 AM
     Trying to decipher the current real estate market can be monumental task!  It's not just about the market reports, it's about you as an individual.  Who's side are you on?  Are you a seller trying to beat the market, or a buyer looking to cash in on a golden opportunity? 
    Today I'm here to talk about buyers.  Markets have shifted in their favor, and what's important to consider is just how much power and flexibility a buyer can actually have.  There's 3 key factors to consider when considering a purchase that can affect your strength in the … (6 comments)

realtor: Charles County Maryland Foreclosure Report: March, 2008 - 03/01/08 11:40 PM
    I'm seeing more and more foreclosures, and none of the government assistance programs seem to be helping stem the tide of foreclosures that we're currently seeing.
Do Foreclosures Affect My Home's Value?
    In Charles County in the last 60 days, there have been 12 foreclosures that have been sold, and a total of 135 (resale AND REO) homes listed and sold.  This means that foreclosures make up almost 9% of the total market in terms of sales.
    A lot of homeowners have been wondering how much of a bearing foreclosures have on their own homes … (0 comments)

realtor: Restoring Neglected Marketing Plans; Old School Methods, New School Technology - 02/10/08 08:48 PM
    I have to thank my parents for teaching me to understand and appreciate the value of time worn items.  With my mom, it was dusty old antique furniture that she found, buried in the back of musty junk shops.  She would take these battered and often broken pieces of a bygone era and restore them to their former glory.  With my father, it was forgotten, neglected old cars that nobody seemed to care about or want anymore.
    "They don't make them like they used to." He would say.  "A little time, attention, and elbow grease, and you can recreate … (8 comments)

realtor: 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)

realtor: But..... I Didn't MEAN to Sell it for $280Million..... - 11/12/07 06:00 PM
     Let me start by saying that modern information distribution is great.  Technology has been wonderful for our industry, and it's revolutionized the way we do business (Those Agents who had to keep their listings on Index Cards know EXACTLY what I'm talking about!).     But with great responsibility comes great power (I heard that someone important said that once), and it forces professionals like us (and in some cases, I use the term professional rather lightly) to be very careful about what sort of information we are disseminating.     I was looking for high-end properties this afternoon trying to find a couple … (2 comments)

realtor: Don't Ask How he Helps his Clients Save on Their Heating Bill! - 11/10/07 08:47 PM
Sad to say, there are less than reputable agents out there....     I am a firm believer in innocence until proven guilty, but there's an agent in Naperville, IL who has been arrested and charged with setting a series of fires to different homes in the area over the last 18 months.     Richard Knapp, 49 has been accused of causing hundreds of thousands of dollars in damage.  While the police have stated that they do not have a link between his job and his "hobby", if these charges turn out to be true, I can only imagine what his sales … (10 comments)

realtor: Secret Room Leads to Mold Problems - 11/04/07 10:29 AM
Imagine finding a "secret room" in your house.Jason and Kerri Brown of Greenville found a secret room in their home behind a bookcase, and what was inside was a massive mold infestation.  It seems that the bought the home from foreclosure and decided not to get a mold test done.
It seems that the previous owner left a note detailing the mold problem inside the secret room.  The note read something like this:
"Hello. If you're reading this, then you found the secret room. I owned this house for a short while and it was discovered to have a serious mold problem. One … (7 comments)

realtor: Charles County Market Report - 10/30/07 08:13 PM
I've had a couple of people ask me recently what the current market out look is in the region, so I'm putting up a quick portion of my market report to let everybody see exactly what we're facing here in Charles County.  If anybody has any questions about the charts, I'd be more than happy to answer them! 
 
… (2 comments)

 
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MD Short Sale Specialist Jonathan Benya

Jonathan Benya

Waldorf, MD

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Keller Williams Preferred Properties

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

Office Phone: (301) 632-5454 x 272

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