Meeting My Neighbors - Through Blogging

My blog about Crofton Maryland Community and Real Estate Information has introduced me to some GREAT people!

And I'm not just talking about incoming contacts from people who read my blog.  I've also discovered some neighbors I never would have met, if it weren't for my blog.

A few weks ago, for example, I received a google alert for "Crofton Maryland" and clicked through to read about Art Huseonica, a mountain climber from Crofton who was training for an expedition that begins next week.  I contacted him for permission to use some of the material in my blog and asked for additional information about his pending climb of Mt. McKinley; he followed up with a phone call and a visit to my office. 

I'll update you periodically when the climb begins next week, if you're interested.  Be sure to click through on the links, because that's where you'll find most of the interesting information.

Crofton resident Art Huseonica recently completed a trip to the Grand Canyon, where he and Prescott, Arizona's Ray Bellam climbed "rim-to-river and back out in one day."  For photos and more about their adventures, read Denali Ice Agers Train in Grand Canyon.

The Ice Agers are a team of mountain climbers preparing for the Denalis West Buttress Expedition, scheduled to climb Mt. McKinley May 19-June 12.   For anyone who doesn't know, that's the highest peak in North America.  It sounds like Art's Grand Canyon excursion was a training climb for the upcoming "big one" in Alaska.

For more information, check out the American Alpine Institute website and their Climbing Blog.  Between now and May, I'll try to catch up with Art for his input on what we should be watching for, as we follow the excursion online.

Art teaches for University of Maryland University College and works for SchoolMart.com when he isn't climbing mountains.

RELATED LINK:

My UMUC Story:  Art Huseonica Aims High

You can read my follow-up tomorrow (May 10 after noon) by clicking on FocusOnCrofton.com.

An interesting footnote to all this is that Art is the newly elected President of the Greater Crofton Council.  It's an organization that I don't belong to (I live in the area represented by the Crofton Civic Association), so this connection could potentially provide me an opportunity to meet other new interesting people in my community.  Who knew...  I was just looking for blog topics that my neighbors would enjoy reading!

I have photos, but the ActiveRain photo upload tool isn't working for me now.  Neither is spell-check.  I'll try again later before I go out of town for five days. 

Another Reason I Love ActiveRain - Katerina Gasset

Over the weekend, I wrote a post titled Three ActiveRain Leads Equal One Busy Week.  And yes, the new business generated by ActiveRain is reason enough to love this community.  But here's another:

Last week, I received an email from Wellington Florida REALTOR EXTRAORDINAIRE Katerina Gasset, with a link to Anne Arundel County Maryland on the Forbes Magazine list of Top Ten Places to Get Ahead.

Katerina not only saw it and thought  "Oh, that's the place Margaret Woda writes about all the time" - which would be wonderful in itself - she took the extra time to send the link to me so I wouldn't miss the article.   And, by the way, I DID miss it until she sent the link to me.

As Katerina probably expected, I knew what to do with that information... it's included in a post that will appear May 7 at Focus On Crofton, and I'll be linking that to my online relocation package here on ActiveRain after it's published.* 

Katerina Gasset was the first person to regularly comment on my Localism posts...poor lonely Localism posts that I suspected were lost somewhere in cyberspace until she took the time to comment on them.  That was the beginning for one of my most treasured friendships on ActiveRain.  I can't tell you how many conversations with my husband or other agents in my area start with "My friend Katerina, in Florida..."

I can always count on Katerina for good advice, a candid opinion (she doesn't hesitate to respectfully disagree with me), and comments on my blog posts.  We've enjoyed talking on the phone a number of times and she even sent me a hand-written note a few months ago.  Her husband, Nestor, has been a big help, too, sharing his words of wisdom when I had the opportunity to identify a commercial property for a multi-million dollar investor. 

There's a reason Katerina has over 500 subscribers.  She's earned them, one at a time, by being a friend to more than 500 former strangers across the country.

I love ActiveRain... and Katerina Gasset, the Wellington Florida REALTOR Extraordinaire.  

* Thanks to the miracle of blogjet, several posts that have already been written are scheduled for publishing automatically on my specified schedule for FocusOnCrofton.  The post inspired by Katerina's email will appear on Wednesday May 7.  

25 Mistakes Home Sellers Sometimes Make

Home sellers, you have every reason to be concerned about making mistakes when you sell your Crofton home.  And you wouldn't be alone if you did make a few mistakes.  In fact, avoiding mistakes is one of the reasons many home sellers give for hiring a REALTOR to help them.

Here are a few mistakes you should  be careful to avoid:

  1. Leaving home for a few minutes and missing buyer calls.

  2. Failing to get a showing appointment when a buyer calls.

  3. Not showing your home when it's convenient for a buyer.

  4. Spending more time/money than necessary preparing
      your home to sell.

  5. Spending too little time and money.

  6. Spending time and money on the wrong things.

  7. Overpricing your property.

  8. Underpricing your property.

  9. Not accurately identifying the right target market.

10. Creating an ineffective marketing message.

11. Spending too much on marketing your home.

12. Spending too little on marketing.

13. Marketing in the wrong places.

14. Showing features the buyer will consider a disadvantage.

15. Showing unqualified buyers... or unscrupulous buyers.

16. Showing your home while your family is there.

17. Appearing anxious when you follow-up with prospective
      buyers.

18. Not following up with prospective buyers.

19. Making unnecessary selling concessions.

20. Not making necessary selling concessions.

21. Failing to make required disclosures for lead and other environmental concerns.

22. Failing to disclose material facts.

23. Inadvertently discriminating against someone in a protected class (do you know what
      they are?). 

24. Not hiring a real estate professional to represent your interests.

25. Hiring the wrong real estate professional to represent your interests.

 

There's a reason why Maryland requires licensing for anyone assisting home sellers and buyers with a real estate transaction.  After all, a home sale is a complex business transaction governed by complex federal, state and local laws with potentially costly liabilities.  Not only that, but most states require many hours of continuing education for real estate licensees, regardless of how many years experience they have, to ensure they keep up with ever-changing real estate laws.  And that doesn't even begin to address the ongoing practical training most REALTORS obtain through their brokers and professional organizations. 

Someone who has never sold a home before, or only a few homes, can't be expected to avoid mistakes or know how to address the many issues that can arise in a real estate transaction.  Fortunately, you don't have to. 

I'll follow up later this week with some suggestions for choosing the "right" REALTOR to represent you in your home sale - your best bet for avoiding, or at least minimizing, those potential mistakes. 

In the meantime, check out Jason Crouch's featured post today Adventures in the Grocery Store - A Real Estate Allegory - a totally different approach on the topic of home-seller mistakes.

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Find a Home online and learn about Real Estate Market Conditions in Crofton and Anne Arundel County, Maryland.  Check out Today's Rates, use the free Mortgage Calculator, and watch a brief video about the Power of RE/MAX.  These consumer-friendly real estate tools are provided by Margaret Woda for you to use at your own pace. 

When you're ready to go from "just browsing" to "let's get serious", contact Margaret online or call her at RE/MAX Vision in Crofton Maryland. 410-451-1900 

Three ActiveRain Leads Equal One Busy Week

THANK YOU, ACTIVERAIN! 

As I've mentioned many times before, my first two ActiveRain listings came from my first ActiveRain post ever, and there have been many others since then. 

This week alone, I met with three prospects who came to me through ActiveRain, specifically Your Relocation Package for Anne Arundel County, Maryland, created for the Local Expert Group contest in February:

RELOCATION BUYER -

Last weekend, a prospective buyer contacted me after someone told her about the Maryland real estate agent who specializes in helping Northrop Grumman employees.  Apparently her friend found my two ActiveRain posts, A Commuting Guide for Northrop Grumman Newbies and Welcome to Northrop Grumman in Maryland.

A few days later, her husband came to Maryland for a job interview of his own, and I took him out to see homes in the Crofton area.  I don't know if they'll take the job offers and relocate to Maryland, but I do know they found me through ActiveRain - they're buyers I would never have met without ActiveRain.

I showed property today to waterfront buyers who looked online for a waterfront agent.  They must have come across posts I created for the Local Expert Group Relocation Package Contest on that very topic and others I added to the relocation package after the contest ended:  Waterfront Homes for Sale in Anne Arundel County, Maryland Waterfront Property - Questions to Ask Before You Buy, and 20 Places to Buy Waterfront Property in Anne Arundel County.

We do have a buyer-broker contract and hopefully I'll find something for them.  Wish me luck!  (By the way, I'm referring them to ActiveRainer Patricia Kennedy for a possible listing.

MILITARY RELOCATION

'Not what you think - these are not transferring military personnel.  They are home owners relocating to Florida who believe that Naval officers transferring to the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis are likely buyers for their home.  What made them think I could help, even though I've never posted a word about homes in their area?

Yes, you're right, it was posts written for transferring military personnel that these prospective home sellers found on ActiveRain:  Historic Homes Outside the Naval Academy Gates, Public Gardens Outside the Naval Academy Gates, Navy PCS Relocation - Real Estate Directory. 

Will I get the listing?  Well, whether I get it or not, the opportunity to compete for it came through ActiveRain.  And who knows... maybe a buyer for that house will come through ActiveRain, too.

That's my week, folks.  Thank you, ActiveRain, for keeping my business alive in this market.  Now it's up to me to help these people achieve their real estate goals.  Wish me luck!

P.S. - I have three ActiveRain listings right now, in addition to these three prospects and several others.   I LOVE ACTIVERAIN!

 ________________________________________

Find a Home online and learn about Real Estate Market Conditions in Crofton and Anne Arundel County, Maryland.  Check out Today's Rates, use the free Mortgage Calculator, and watch a brief video about the Power of RE/MAX.  These consumer-friendly real estate tools are provided by Margaret Woda for you to use at your own pace. 

When you're ready to go from "just browsing" to "let's get serious", contact Margaret online or call her at RE/MAX Vision in Crofton Maryland. 410-451-1900. 

Core Values to Help You Survive this Market

This is the voice of experience speaking...    Maybe that's why so many real estate agents ask me about survivng today's market.  Yes, we've had plenty of ups and downs in the real estate market since I started four decades ago.  I survived them all, with varying degrees of success and profitability, and I plan to survive this one, too. 

Real estate today feels a lot like the 1970's market when we had 17-18% interest rates - buyers had a tough time getting loans and, therefore, home owners couldn't sell very easily.  The truth is that the same Core Values apply today that got many of us through that market and the bubble of recent years:  Integrity, Service, and Excellence. 

Let's break these down and talk about how we might apply them daily in our business:

INTEGRITY -

• Honest communication with our clients and consumers as to the state of the market, the likely selling price of their home, their qualifications for buying a home. 
  
  They deserve to know the truth even if we lose a listing because the seller doesn't want to try in this market or a buyer wants to wait for "the bottom" of the market.  If we're honest, those clients WILL come back to us when they're ready - assuming, of course, we keep in touch with them in the meantime.
  
  
• Accurate presentation of our listings to consumers - i.e., no exaggeration or implying a property is something other than what it is.  Yes, present the benefits of our listings, take photos from the most flattering angles, but don't do NOT overstate them and don't even think about hiding material defects.
  
  Pricing a property at or near market value is important, too.  Buyers will avoid agents with over-priced listings, and sellers will have unrealistic expectations of selling.  Sometimes this is hard, and sometimes it costs us a listing, but it's the price of having integrity.
  
  
• Accurate representation of our clients' qualifications - i.e., no exaggeration of our clients' qualifications to purchase a property.   
  
  This could mean encouraging some prospective buyers to rent, rather than buy, because not everyone has the job and income security to take on the long-term responsibility of home ownership.  It means carefully selecting properties to show buyers, based only on their wants, needs and qualifications.  And it surely means NOT misleading sellers/listing agents about buyers' ability or commitment to purchase their property.
  

SERVICE -

• Clients first - Serving your clients comes first, and a commission check will follow.  The more people you serve successfully, the more money you will earn.  If you put that commission ahead of your client, you will lose in the long run.  I promise!
  
  In other words, choose the best property for your buyer-clients, not the one with the highest commission rate.  (Yes, I know that God and Family come first - this refers to the choice of clients vs. commission check.)
  
  
• Identify the services you will perform for your client - Make it part of your listing or buyer-agent contract.  Don't be ambiguous about what you will do to earn your fee - spell it out in writing so there are no questions. 
  
  In these tough times, maybe you need to tweak your list - for example, cut back on out-of-pocket expenses for marketing... let your buyer-client do the driving... schedule appointments before or after lunch so you won't feel you have to buy for everyone.
  
  
• Do it!  If you tell a buyer you're going to send them new listings daily, do it!  If you tell a seller you'll advertise their property in the Homes Magazine, do it!  You get the gist of this, right?  In a way, I guess this goes back to the "integrity" mentioned earlier.

Should I mention the word "timely" in this context?  Return calls promptly; respond to consumer inquiries promptly; perform promised tasks on schedule, as promised.  Present offers quickly and promptly communicate to the other party in negotiations.  Let's hope "timely" doesn't need further explanation becuse that's how you "do it."

EXCELLENCE -

• Quality - If you have to cut back, cut quantity - NOT quality.  Make and mail 100 quality fliers promoting your listing instead of 150, if that's what it takes to manage your expenses.  In fact, maybe you want to take "mailings" off your list of services and instead flood every free website you can find on the Internet with a Postlets or v-flyer promotion of your listings.  But do NOT use black and white photocopies of fliers to promote your listings.
  
  
• Go the extra mile- Don't just email listings to prospective buyers or feedback to sellers; do use email stationery.  Don't hand your clients a wad of listings held together with a paper clip; do organize them neatly in a folder or notebook.  Don't put your listing in the MLS and forget it; do submit it to Craig's List and other Internet sites - and update them as often as necessary. 
  
  
• Enhance your own professionalism - Continuing ed, superior website, updated mailing list - they're ALWAYS important.  But a down market is the perfect time to invest a lot of time in these, time you don't have in a busy market.  
  
  Harness your frustration about the market and channel your energy into re-organizing your filing system, calling your old clients and contacts, taking lots of photos of your community during the beautiful Spring blooming season - you can use them all year long.  This is a great time to work on being "all you can be."

If you took the time to read these, instead of just skimming the bold headings, you saw a few suggestions of things you can do to tweak your business practices for surviving this market:  let the buyers drive to view houses, shedule appointments after lunch, make fewer fliers, use free marketing on the Internet.  You may also decide to work from home instead of renting that private office or work on a commission split instead of your broker's 100% plan; at home, you may discontinue your cable TV upgrade, eat out less often, or get your hair done every 6 weeks instead of every 4 weeks. 

This is really another topic that deserves its own blog, because it's tough (if not impossible) to survive a poor market for anyone in commission sales without alternate income (such as a spouse) or without planning ahead to preserve resources for the down days of real estate.  Maybe another day.

In the meantime, your core values will help guide your business through this market.   When downs in real estate pass, the pent-up demand released during the ups of the market will reward you ten-fold. 

Will you be ready?

________________________________________

Find a Home online and learn about Real Estate Market Conditions in Crofton and Anne Arundel County, Maryland.  Check out Today's Rates, use the free Mortgage Calculator, and watch a brief video about the Power of RE/MAX.  These consumer-friendly real estate tools are provided by Margaret Woda for you to use at your own pace. 

When you're ready to go from "just browsing" to "let's get serious", contact Margaret online or call her at RE/MAX Vision in Crofton Maryland. 410-451-1900 

Can You Solve This 5th Grade Math Challenge?

The Washington Post has a feature called PAGE THREE / Homework Headaches.  Readers submit homework assignments they were unable to help their children complete.  

I'd like to share today's column with you - a "puzzling encounter with 5th grade math"  - because there's a moral here for us in the real estate business.

The instructions were "Write operation signs in the following number sequences to make every equation true.  The first problem is done for you."

No peeking at the answer yet - give it a try. 

Applying this lesson to real estate

When we explain different financing options or other real estate matters to our clients, do our explanations sound a bit confusing, like the instructions in this 5th grade assignment?  Do our clients smile, nod their heads and just pretend to "get" it?  Are we sure they're not feeling a bit like we do as we look at this assignment and re-read the instructions a couple of times? 

Just a little food for thought. 

Next time you're explaining your client's options to them, let this graphic flash before your eyes as a reminder to take a deep breathe, slow down, and sincerely inquire if they understand.

 

Okay, the answer is at the bottom of this post.  Be honest - did you figure it out on your own or have to look?

(Someone on ActiveRain could probably write a long tutorial on how to solve this homework problem!  Tongue in cheek, of course, because it would probably be me.)

The answer to this is not so much a math problem as a matter of spacing.

Tips for Moving Your Hi-Tech Equipment

Included in Your Online Relocation Package for Anne Arundel County, Maryland - Home of Fort George G. Meade, NSA, Northrop Grumman, BWI, and the U.S. Naval Academy.

There's more to moving than packing up your belongings and transporting them in a truck to your destination location.  Getting your life back to normal means hooking up your electronic equipment to make it functional again. 

Moving your piano is nothing, compared to this challenge.  After all, the movers perform all the heavy lifting, while the electronics hook-up is in your own hands and at the mercy of your time availability.

There's no way around it, a job transfer or PCS military orders mean you have to dis-connect your computer, printer, and other electronic equipment to relocate.  There's a risk of losing your data; you know how time-consuming it was to set up your computer and other equipment previously; and you cringe at the prospect of having to do it all over again at your destination.  

To avoid the risk of data loss and minimize the hassle of re-connecting your hi-tech equipment:

1.  Back-up all your data files. 

Store your computer data on a USB device, external hard drive, CD, DVD, or online; or create a hard-drive image back-up.

2.  Separate your back-up data from your computer. 

For example, if your computer is packed on a truck with your household goods, carry the back-up data in your car or mail it to your destination.  (I would probably make two or three back-ups, in an overabundance of caution.)

3.  Map your computer components.

Photograph your setup to help you remember it when you arrive at your destination; color-code or label cables and jacks; sketch a diagram of back panels on the equipment and label both switches and jacks for future reference.  (Again, I would probably make two or three copies of any photos or sketches.)

4.  Carefully pack and label your cables, copies of your diagrams and instructions, and small computer components.

Bundle together your cables and pack them with any diagrams and small components in a single box or container; then, clearly label it and designate which room to place it in at your destination.  Don't leave this up to professional packers, who surely will pack five cables in five separate boxes and your diagrams in another.

5.  Repeat steps 3 and 4 for your TV, VCR, Tivo, Stereo and any other electronic equipment.

Don't rely on your memory.  Again, color code cables and jacks; sketch a diagram of panels on the equipment and label your switches and jacks.  Bundle cables together and pack them with the piece of equipment or, if they're packed separately, be sure to identify them clearly.

 

There are other things to consider, as well, since it's likely you'll have different options available for Internet, phone and cable connection at your destination than you do now.   It might be a good idea for you to do a little detective work on your future options prior to your move - possibly even arrange for service to begin promptly when you move in to your new home. 

Determine if FIOS, DSL, cable or broadband service are available and find out if they're bundled with other services offered by the local cable or telephone company, since that could be a cost-cutting consideration.  Decide in advance if a wireless connection is something you want.  Think twice before changing your email address, as that could present other issues.

Then, of course, there are possible wiring issues at the next house.  When you have your home inspection or pre-settlement walk-through, make a sketch of existing wiring and jacks for Internet, Phone and Cable connections and ask the seller who their Internet, Phone and Cable providers are.  If you're comfortable with maintaining the same level of service they have, that may be your easiest option to get connected quickly.

A little preparation up-front, before you make your move, could go a long way towards expediting electronic hook-up at your new home. 

________________________________________

Find a Home online and learn about Real Estate Market Conditions in Anne Arundel County, Maryland.  Check out Today's Rates, use the free Mortgage Calculator, and watch a brief video about the Power of RE/MAX.  These consumer-friendly real estate tools are provided by Margaret Woda for you to use at your own pace. 

When you're ready to go from "just browsing" to "let's get serious", contact Margaret online or call her at RE/MAX Vision in Crofton Maryland. 410-451-1900.

A Day in Maryland with Thomas the Tank Engine

Check out Your Online Relocation Package for Anne Arundel County, Maryland - Home of Fort George G. Meade, NSA, Northrop Grumman, BWI, and the U.S. Naval Academy. 

WHO HOO!  ALL ABOARD!

Calling all kids!  (Kids of all ages) 

Sir Topham Hatt, the Controlloer of Thomas Railways,  will be on hand when you and your kids arrive at the B&O Railroad Museum in Baltimore for a ride aboard Thomas the Tank Engine this weekend (April 25-28) and next (May 2-4). 

After your 25-minute train ride, your kids will want to watch the Thomas and Friends videos and enjoy the story-telling; then visit Imagination Station for arts and crafts.  Other themed activities included with your ticket are building with LEGO® DUPLO® bricks, temporary tatoos of Sodor and friends, and a few surprises.

While you're there, explore The B&O Railrod Museum, arguably the oldest and most comprehensive American railroad collection in the world.  In fact, this Baltimore site is considered the "birthplace of American railroading."  It's a great opportunity for you and your kids or grandkids to bring together your memories of playing with trains as a kid and today's phenomena, Thomas the Train. 

If you're not already well-acquainted with Thomas, take a few minutes to explore the web site. In fact, if your kids or grandkids have not already introduced you to Thomas and Friends, you'll probably have more fun playing on this website than you have since you were a kid playing with your own toy trains.

CLICK ON THE TICKET to order your tickets online or call 1-866-468-7630.  Advance purchase is recommended.

Downtown Baltimore is located just 20 miles from Fort George G Meade and 30 miles from the U.S. Naval Academy, two major landmarks in Anne Arundel County, Maryland.

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Find a Home online and learn about Real Estate Market Conditions in Anne Arundel County, Maryland.  Check out Today's Rates, use the free Mortgage Calculator, and watch a brief video about the Power of RE/MAX.  These consumer-friendly real estate tools are provided by Margaret Woda for you to use at your own pace. 

When you're ready to go from "just browsing" to "let's get serious", contact Margaret online or call her at RE/MAX Vision in Crofton Maryland. 410-451-1900 

Maryland is for Crabs - At a Price

Check out Your Online Relocation Package for Anne Arundel County, Maryland - Home of Fort George G. Meade, NSA, Northrop Grumman, BWI, and the U.S. Naval Academy.

Let me assure you that slogan does not refer to the attitude of Maryland residents or visitors.  It refers to blue crabs from the Chesapeake Bay.  In fact, Maryland is a very friendly place!

Maryland is for Crabs became an official tourism slogan of the State in 1989 when the Callinectes sapidus (blue crab) became Maryland's "State Crustacean".  By the way, Maryland is not the only place to have blue crabs in their waters; you'll find them in Virginia (also on the shores of the Chesapeake Bay), North Carolina, Louisiana, Florida, and Texas. 

Maryland Governor O'Malley and Virginia Governor Kaine recently appeared together to announce new regulations they hope will save a declining crab population in the Chesapeake and its tributaries.  To make a long speech short:  Crab harvesting will be severely limited in the foreseeable future. 

You know what happens when supply goes down:  prices go up.  Why not start your crab feast earlier in the day by going crabbing with your guests to catch your own crabs.  It might be fun!  No license is required when you crab from the many docks, piers, bridges, boats and miles of Maryland shoreline using dip nets or hand-lines. 

But keep in mind these new restrictions on recreational crabbing:

• No harvesting of female crabs, except for soft crabs.
• A limit of 4-5 dozen crabs per individual (must be licensed).
• A limit of 10-12 dozen crabs per boat (2 or more licensed crabbers on board).
• No crabbing after sunset on the Bay and tributaries.
• One-hour difference between recreational and commercial trotliners.

With this beautiful spring weather, what Marylander isn't already thinking CRAB FEAST?  Just be prepared to pay a pretty penny, if you don't catch your own.

________________________________________

Find a Home online and learn about Real Estate Market Conditions in Crofton and Anne Arundel County, Maryland.  Check out Today's Rates, use the free Mortgage Calculator, and watch a brief video about the Power of RE/MAX.  These consumer-friendly real estate tools are provided by Margaret Woda for you to use at your own pace. 

When you're ready to go from "just browsing" to "let's get serious", contact Margaret online or call her at RE/MAX Vision in Crofton Maryland. 410-451-1900 

When Your House Bleeds Sewage - Insurance & Warranty Provide Relief

BOWIE MARYLAND HOME BLEEDS SEWAGE 

An eye-catching title or living a nightmare, depending on whether it's your house or someone else's.  

The same people I introduced to you a few weeks ago in another blog - Tenants Faced With Foreclosure - Lives Turned Upside Down - are now renting a nearby home in Bowie, Maryland, that is literally bleeding sewage:  Sewage seeping up between the planks of wood flooring, sewage coming out of the walls, sewage backing up through the toilets and drains, sewage seeping outside between the slab foundation and structure of the house.

So much for the hoped-for blog about everything turning out fine for this family - it hasn't yet.

Mom and the kids have evacuated with the clothes on their backs to a hotel, and Dad hasn't slept in over 24 hours, as he's been tied up communicating with the landlord, the property manager, and the City of Bowie, and overseeing plumbers, Bowie Public Works Department employees, and insurance adjusters.

 

Do you or your clients ever question the need or value of a limited home warranty at the time of a home sale?

• The landlord purchased this property within the past year, and their American Home Shield Warranty (AHS) is in effect, providing a plumber who worked at the house six hours before concluding that the cause of sewage flooding was NOT internal plumbing or even exterior sewage lines on the property.

The plumber then consulted with his supervisor and City of Bowie Emergency Services employees at 3 a.m. before leaving the property, with sewage still bleeding from the floors and walls.  (And the Supervisor of the Public Works Department saying they'd get to it during the normal business day, six hours later - so much for emergency response by the City of Bowie.)

Do you or your tenants/landlords ever question the need or value of renters' insurance?

• The tenants' State Farm Renters Insurance, will cover the cost of the hotel room last night, replacement clothes and shoes for those that have been contaminated, and temporary lodging until the home is habitable again.  

The tenants could not find enough ways to say "Thank God for Renter's Insurance" and "I Love Alicia Popham!", their State Farm Agent.

I spoke with Alicia this afternoon, and she told me that coverage for sewage backup and flooding is an optional rider for renters insurance, one she always recommends.  She also indicated it is the most frequent item for which she sees claims in the Bowie area, due to many old trees whose roots have a magic way of finding and penetrating the water and sewer lines.

It turns out to be a blockage in the city sewer; I was there when they reached the sewer pipe and cut it.  Nothing came from the street end, but raw sewage gushed in a fountain for 10 minutes from the pipe that ran from the house - it had been backed up into the house where a pipe finally burst, under all this pressure, in the wall between the living room and family room.  I will spare you the photos I took inside and around the foundation because they might ruin your appetite.

It remains to be seen what the total extent of the damage will be, and how the City of Bowie and the landlords' insurance will come through in addressing the collateral damage.  Truth is, this seems to be only the second episode of an on-going soap opera.  (The first being when their previous landlord was foreclosed upon.)

UPDATE 4/18: 

• State Farm (Renters Insurance) has been to the property, cut the tenants a check to purchase replacement clothes and shoes for the short-term, and told them to call when they need anything else.
• Allstate (Landlord's Insurance) has been to the property and said, in effect, we won't cover repairs because the cause of the problem was city sewer.
• City of Bowie:  Big Yawn.  Even though their adjustor was out yesterday (photo to the right), while the work was ongoing and while the City of Bowie Public Works Supervisor was there AND reported blockage was in the middle of the street, they are completely unresponsive.  They won't authorize any clean-up.   If you live in Bowie, you need to know this is how your city responds.

ServiceMaster has been to the property and reports that it is a bio-hazard, that they can't do anything without authorization from City of Bowie; they say property needs at least 2 feet of wallboard and all flooring removed to see how much further the "water" damage extends. (not to mention the bacteria)

In the meantime, Agents, PLEASE encourage your buyers/sellers and renters/landlords to buy good insurance and a home warranty.   With a picture-perfect house like this, one could never have anticipated this problem -but it happened. 

If you're a Bowie homeowner or tenant, take note - do you have a rider for sewage backup?  If not, you should know that statistics indicate this is more likely to happen to you than a fire, theft, vandalism or other event covered under the standard policy.  The on-site representative from the City of Bowie Public Works Department confirmed there is a sewer back-up about three times every week.