My Video Wants to Be Like This When It Grows Up - 05/30/09 01:13 PM
After months of floundering around with my no-longer-new Flip camera without a real plan, I've found a role model for my real estate video.  It will look like this:
It will feature me in the role of concierge or hostess, and I will provide the voice-over for a video and still-shot tour of the area or home featured in the video.  It will include live testimonials, and never feel like an ad.  It will leave my viewer feeling good and wanting to see more.
That's what the Washington D.C.: Up Close and Personal video on YouTube did for me when I … (27 comments)

Using Crossword Puzzles in Your Blog - 05/28/09 09:09 PM
I discovered a free online tool tonight for making crossword puzzles... so of course I had to try it.  You can see  how I used the puzzle in a post on my community and real estate blog at Focus On Crofton, but let me share with you just how easy this is:
1.  Visit Crossword Puzzle Maker
2.  Enter the name of your puzzle and your name
3.  List words and their clues
Crossword Puzzle Maker does the rest.  And they even save your puzzles for you up to two months.  Of course, you can make a screen shot of them, … (86 comments)

If You Love Reubens, You'll Love Rip's in Bowie - 05/28/09 09:37 AM

We no longer order a Reuben anywhere else because we know it will not measure up to those at Rip’s in Bowie. 
In fact, Rip’s is always on the list of favorite local restaurants I give to relocating homebuyers, along with the notation “World’s Best Reuben.”  But I’m not hesitant to try something different at Rip’s, and I’ve never been disappointed.  My other lunch-time favorites include their Crab Melt Sandwich and their Quiche, while Larry likes Eggs Montoya. 
Check out their menus for Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner online – you’ll see their prices are as good as their food.  And speaking of their food, everything is made from … (14 comments)

Help Me Honor Anne Arundel County Heroes on Memorial Day - 05/25/09 11:35 AM
Before you light up the grill today for your annual Memorial Day cook-out, please take a moment to honor these Anne Arundel County heroes who have lost their lives in Iraq and Afghanistan, including one from Crofton, MD:
 
Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Eric W. Herzberg of Severna Park was killed in Al Anbar Province, Iraq, in October 2006.
Army Staff Sgt. Christopher Swanson of Rose Haven was killed in an ambush in Ambar, Iraq, in July 2006
Army Pvt. Eric Kavanagh of Severna Park was killed by a roadside bomb in Baghdad, Iraq, in September 2006.
Army Sgt. 1st Class … (10 comments)

Flags Over Crofton for Memorial Day Weekend - 05/23/09 08:28 AM
Flags fly over Crofton's "main street" year round, not just on holiday weekends like Memorial Day and July 4.  This beautiful tradition was the brainchild of former Crofton Civic Association President Ed Dosek, a retired Brigadier General in the U.S. Army who knew how to get things done.  Crofton community organizations, businesses and other individuals contributed to the effort and continue it now, a decade later.
 

 
Honoring our country comes easy to Crofton residents... many of them are civilian employees and military personnel, both active duty and retired.  We're literally surrounded by the U.S. Naval Academy, Fort Meade … (11 comments)

Ideas for Spending your $8,000 First-Time Buyer Tax Credit - 05/22/09 06:28 AM
BACKGROUND
In case you haven't heard, anyone who purchases their first home before December 1, 2009 will receive an $8,000 "tax credit."  Even if you don't pay that much in taxes, you'll still receive the $8,000.  If you're already getting a refund because too much was withheld by your employer or you estimated too much, you'll get your refund PLUS the $8,000.  No kidding!  It's literally a gift from the Federal Government, funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act signed into law during February.

Someone who purchased their first home between April 1, 2008 and January 1, 2009 are … (19 comments)

Blog Radio Today on Google Indexing vs. "Scraping" Online Listings - 05/19/09 12:49 PM
It's a hot topic that lots of people in our industry are talking about.  If you're not, you should be!  For goodness sake, at least read about it on...
Agent Genius NAR ActiveRain (one of MANY posts on this topic) Better yet, tune in to BlogTalkRadio today (Tuesday) at 6 p.m. to hear Paula Henry and Jay Thompson first hand as they talk about this issue and their experience discussing it with the leadership at NAR.
I think the confusion and subsequent problem exists because leadership in the State and National Association of REALTORS, though well-intended, is completely in-articulate when it … (5 comments)

Making Activerain More User-Friendly - 05/14/09 10:26 AM
Casey Wright’s featured post today, 5 Ways to Make ActiveRain Quitters Take a Second Look, is a thoughtful piece with concrete suggestions.  ‘Not surprising it has garnered a lot of comments endorsing and debating his ideas.  My own comment was growing way too long, so I edited it (shorter) and decided to piggy-back on his post, not focusing on activerain quitters as he did, but on one factor that I believe impacts both consumers and members who never become engaged in activerain - its user-friendliness.
It’s not unusual for me to take a really good idea and kill it with too much … (40 comments)

Experience or Technology - How's a Consumer to Decide? - 05/12/09 07:50 AM
Real estate old-timers talk a lot about having real estate "experience."  As a member of that club, I probably over-use the term myself because experience DOES set me apart from agents who bring little to the table except their license, the enthusiasm of being new, and - oh yes - technology know-how that makes them a better choice than any "old pro."  (Implied here: anyone over fifty prefers dial telephones, doesn't know how to turn on computers, and isn't accessible.)
WRONG!  There's absolutely no guarantee that an inexperienced agent has more technical skills or is better connected through technology than an … (62 comments)

So You Want to Get Paid for Blogging... - 05/05/09 12:31 PM
BLOGGING FOR BUCKS

 
"Make Tech Easier" is looking for three co-bloggers for their team.
Their website says "Make Tech Easier is a tech blog that covers tutorials for various operating system, cool software reviews and plenty of tips and tricks for the popular web apps. We are in the process of expansion and are looking for writers to help us turn this site into something bigger and better."
The first requirement:  Expertise and experience in Windows, Linux or Mac.   And, of course, there's a list of other qualifications and job requirements you'll find by clicking through to Write … (24 comments)

Greater Crofton Area - Calendar of Events for May 2009 - 05/04/09 06:52 AM
As the Cherry Blossoms and Pear trees fade out along Crofton Parkway, Dogwoods and Azaleas are coming into bloom throughout Gambrills and the Greater Crofton area.  No doubt about it - Spring is here!
It's that time of year again for Preakness Week in Baltimore, Commissioning Week in Annapolis, and school field trips to the Nations Capital.  Here are some other things to fill your May calendar:

There’s much more to celebrate in May, however, (if you’re looking for an excuse to party) and here are a few of those occasions:

Did you know that May is Asparagus Month, Asthma … (7 comments)

Melanie Montague, the Amazing Co-op Agent - 05/03/09 08:37 AM
Here's to Melanie Montague, the Amazing Co-Op Agent, and all the other real estate agents out there like her - knowledgeable professionals who hang in there through thick and thin to represent the best interests of their clients while working tirelessly to bring the transaction to closing. 
Who says REALTORS don't bring value to a home sale?  This transaction would never have settled without two agents working very hard together to make it happen for our clients!  One could not have done it alone.
Melanie is everything that any of us would hope to encounter in a co-op agent.  During my … (57 comments)

 
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Margaret Woda, Maryland Real Estate & Military Relocation Services

Margaret Woda

Crofton, MD

More about me…

Long & Foster Real Estate, Inc., Crofton, MD 21114

Address: 2191 Defense Hwy., #120, Crofton, Bowie, and Davidsonville, MD, 21114

Office Phone: (410) 721-1500

Cell Phone: (301) 346-2923

Email Me

Real Estate and community information for home buyers and sellers, military transferees, and rookie agents in the greater Crofton area, including Bowie, Davidsonville, Fort Meade, Gambrills, Odenton, and the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis.

EHO



Margaret Woda




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