Making Connections: The Nonprofit Sector in Prince George's County - 10/26/07 07:49 AM
October 31, 2007        11:00 AM10201 Martin Luther King, Jr. Highway, Bowie, MD2nd Floor Community Room(In Vista Gardens Marketplace, opposite Home Depot)
Join us for the first public release of the new research report on the nonprofit sector in Prince George's County. 
Speakers include:
Peter Berns, Executive Director, Maryland NonprofitsMiyesha Perry, Grants Manager Morris & Gwendolyn Cafritz FoundationHeather Iliff, Staff Consultant, Maryland Nonprofits
Receive a copy of the full report at the Briefing.
For more information:Contact:  Heather Iliff, Staff ConsultantMaryland Association of Nonprofit Organizations301-565-0505 x 17Hiliff@mdnonprofit.org
Note:  Heather Iliff is also a member of the Prince George's County Board of Education … (0 comments)

Realtor.com - Enhanced Listing Package - 10/25/07 08:39 PM
A while back a Seller was really adamant that I make sure their home was on Realtor.com "with the yellow border".  Well, I went ahead and got the Realtor.com Enhanced Listing Package (at no small expense) and also their Featured Home package for one zip code (also not cheap).
The idea was that my listing would get soooo much more exposure and I would be able to customize my listings with additional photos, virtual tour, scrolling text, custom text description and more.
I'm wondering if it was worth it.  I haven't gotten any good calls as a result of Realtor.com.  What I do … (14 comments)

Proposed Legsilation about "Mansionization" in Prince George's County - 10/24/07 05:52 PM
There seems to be a trend that people are "upsizing" their homes by tearing down the existing structure and re-building a new house that is much, much bigger.  Many times, these new "McMansions" are way out of character for the neighborhood and really don't do anything good for property values.
I got another e-mail from Brian Madison who is in the Constituent Services office of County Councilwoman Ingrid Turner and this time he sent along a copy of the proposed solution to this problem.
If you would like to read the proposed legislation, in detail -- Click here
… (2 comments)

Quick and Simple -- What's for Sale in Prince George's and Montgomery. - 10/21/07 08:30 AM
I was just looking at a "down and dirty" number about how many homes were currently in Active status (available for sale) and this is what I found out:Montgomery County, MD --
1,200 condos (this includes Leisure World which is an age restricted community)prices range from a low of $99,000 (in Germantown) to a high of $2,249,000 (in Potomac)
4,595 single family homes or town housesprices range from a low of $160,000 (in Germantown) to a high of  $7,200,000 (in Potomac)
Prince George's County, MD --
713 condosprices range from a low of $39,900 (in  Temple Hills) to a high … (2 comments)

Realtors and their Photos - 10/20/07 10:30 AM
Below is a question posted on the Blog for the tech support guy over at AdaptiveBlue  He was kind enough to feature me on the BlueBlog and it was there that he asked this question by providing a link to here.
AdaptiveBlue has great widgets and an interesting service.  You should check it out. 
It's a question I've always been curious about myself. Below is his question.  You can check out all the responses/comments on his Blog by clicking this link.
"I'm a curious guy. I often try to figure out why some random thing is the way it is.
Lately (and I'm not kidding here) … (7 comments)

5438 Taylor Street, Bladensburg, MD 20710 - 10/16/07 08:21 PM
Here's a nice starter home in a great location.  You can go to www.5438Taylor.com for more photos and a great Virtual Tour of the house.
3 bedrooms (one of the bedrooms in on the main level)2 full baths large unfinished basement with lots of space for storage or build it out for more roomsspacious backyard perfect for cook-outs and playing aroundextra long driveway for lots of off street parkingpriced at $284,900 -- a single family home for less that a lot of townhousesclose to the Baltimore/Washington Parkway, New Carrollton Metro station, buslines     Your New Home!!                  … (5 comments)

Come out, come out, wherever you are! - 10/15/07 05:16 PM
Are all the buyers playing hide and seek or are they all just scared out of their wits?  Is it the mortgage industry that keeps buyers from showing themselves?  The home prices too high?  The media?
I put what I thought was a well priced, single-family home son the market in Bladensburg, MD about 18 days ago (see www.5438Taylor.com for all the photos and Virtual Tour).  It is not the least expensive home in the Bladensburg zip code.  It is, however, 4th from the bottom.  Of course, numbers 1,2 and 3 at the bottom of the price range have been on the … (5 comments)

Free sites and a good VA - 10/09/07 04:41 PM
I need to admit that I am not the most tech savvy, internet surfin' Realtor out there so when I heard about Postlets and how they syndicate to lots of sites I was impressed. 
However, because of Active Rain and a wonderful VA my listings have been posted to no fewer than 10 additional free sites.  My guess is that some of the sites are pretty obscure but, hey, anyway to get the listing posted to one more site and my URL out in one more place is OK in my book especially if someone else is doing it for me.
Barbara … (1 comments)

14613 Peach Orchard Road, Silver Spring, MD 20905 - 10/06/07 03:51 PM
You can see ALL the photos and a Virtual Tour of this beautiful custom Rambler/Ranch at www.14613PeachOrchard.com.
Completely renovated and expanded in 1995one acre lot15' x 22' Family Room and a Master Bedroom almost the same size4 bedrooms, 3 full baths Gourmet kitchenIdeal commuting to DC or Columbia/Baltimore Two-zoned heating and A/CIn-wall sound system throughout with separate controls in all roomsFinished basement           Exterior Front                                                      Back Yard
          Family Room                                                      Kitchen
This is just a … (3 comments)

Blogging -- In Extremis - 10/06/07 02:42 PM
I saw this great YouTube video on a great productivity website called Dumb Little Man under a post entitled Simply Said...How to Blog.
It's a great 60 second viewing.  It's not me. I swear it!  :-)

… (4 comments)

Yours, Trulia - 10/05/07 11:29 AM
I recently became aware of Trulia -- a real estate website geared mostly to consumers -- and was amazed at some of the postings by my fellow real estate professionals.
Trulia allows consumers to ask questions of one sort or another and this one question posted in a zip code I have a listing in wondered if this was a good time to sell.  Imagine my surprise when 4 out of the 5 responses by "Real Estate Pros" (as defined by Trulia) to the consumers quesitons were not to sell if he [the Seller] didin't have to.
There is no question that it … (2 comments)

Keep Debt in Check - 10/04/07 06:30 AM
As most of us know, the easiest way to get a good mortgage with a preferential interest rate is to have a good credit score. One way to get a higher credit score is to have a low debt-to-income ratio. That is, low or no debt compared to how much you bring in. I found a great Personal Finance Blog with great tips for reducing and eliminating debt. It is a personal Blog (not mine) but it has loads of good information: No Credit Needed - Living Debt Free and the series on how to become debt free 33 Days and … (3 comments)

Affordable Single Family Home in Historic Bladensburg, MD - 10/03/07 07:52 PM
Life doesn't get any better than this -- a single family home with 3 bedrooms and 2 full baths. It has an unfinished basement that has tons of potential and lots of storage space. There's a big back yard for those back yard cook-outs or plenty of play area. Click on the link below for more information and a Virtual Tour of the house..... … (1 comments)

Montgomery County, MD -- Custom Rambler with all the Bells and Whistles! - 10/03/07 07:45 PM
According to Jim Cramer of Mad Money fame, Montgomery County, MD is one of the three areas in the United States where it is still safe to buy a house (money-wise). This custom Rambler was completely renovated in 1995 and sits on one acre along a quiet, tree-lined street in the north part of Silver Spring, MD. Check out more information and the Virtual Tour of the entire house by clicking on the link - … (7 comments)