roy kelley: Termites, Please Come To My House! - 03/15/10 11:08 PM
Termites, Please Come To My House!
Good tips from a home inspector.


 
These days, when you buy a brick house, it is not built the same way as was a brick house 40 years ago, or so.
In "the olden days" the brick work was structural.  The wood framing inside the house was attached into the brick walls.
In todays' construction the structure of the house is the wood framing, with a brick facade on the outside.  And this brick is separated from the wood framing by an inch or two of space to allow for moisture removal.  … (1 comments)

roy kelley: Electrocutions Waiting for a Place to Happen - 03/15/10 11:02 PM
Good information for home safety.

Electrocutions Waiting for a Place to Happen...
     It is not uncommon to see outlets in light fixtures older properties in the Nashville, TN real estate market. In about 99% of the cases, these outlets are not grounded and pose a potential health and safety risk to clients.      Because Tennessee home inspection standards require inspectors to point out safety issues, I test every one of these outlets for wiring inconsistencies. While certainly not a deal killer, these unsafe outlets can be a client killer though.     The fix is relatively simple. 1) Disconnect the outlet … (0 comments)

roy kelley: Where To Find Gas Leaks - 03/15/10 10:51 PM
 Where To Find Gas Leaks
The one home inspection item that consistently causes home buyers to 'freak out' more than anything else is a gas leak. Gas explosions like the ones that recently happened in Edina and Saint Paul are probably the main causes of all the paranoia about natural gas.  Believe it or not, small gas leaks are actually quite common at old houses, and they're usually simple for a plumber to fix.  Today I'll share the most common locations for gas leaks, and I'll share my home inspection techniques for finding gas leaks in old Minneapolis and Saint Paul … (1 comments)

roy kelley: It's difficult to read when you're in the attic - 03/15/10 10:33 AM
 
It seems many people, including me, don't like lights hanging out of the ceiling.
That's where recessed lighting comes in.
Makes the ceiling look cleaner, and you can install many more lights throughout any specific room.
When I find recessed lights, especially in older homes, the back end of these lights — the can, or the part that sticks up in the attic — quite often looks like this:

 
Many recessed light fixtures require clearance around the can to allow heat to dissipate. I always caution my Clients that if they notice flickering or brownouts at any recessed light fixture, … (1 comments)

roy kelley: Clarksburg MD 20871 Real Estate - 03/15/10 08:16 AM
Clarksburg MD 20871 Real Estate    
Home owners and prospective purchasers want to know the trends of the local real estate market. The following statistics are for the past month and are compared with the same month last year. There were 25 new listings and 21 went to pending new contracts. The sold dollar volume was up 33.18% from last year. The number of homes sold was 16 from 8 last year. The average days on the market was 47 days from 148 days last year. The average sale price was 93.34% of the average list price. The median sold … (0 comments)

roy kelley: Montgomery County Board Vacancies - 03/15/10 07:49 AM
Montgomery County Board Vacancies
County Executive Isiah Leggett is committed to representation on all of the County's boards, committees, and commissions that is reflective of, and responsive to, our County's residents. Public participation contributes to the work of County government and provides an important service to the community when a variety of issues, concerns, and viewpoints are presented. Currently, there is a valuable opportunity to serve on the following:   
·  Commission on Children and Youth
·  Commission on Children and Youth (Youth)
·  Glen Echo Park Partnership for Arts & Culture, Inc. Board of Directors
·  Upcounty Citizens Advisory Board
·  … (0 comments)

roy kelley: Chevy Chase MD 20815 Real Estate - 03/15/10 07:21 AM
Chevy Chase MD 20815 Real Estate    
Home owners and prospective purchasers want to know the trends of the local real estate market. The following statistics are for the past month and are compared with the same month last year. There were 26 new listings and 19 went to pending new contracts. The sold dollar volume was up 1.99% from last year.  The number of homes sold was 11 from 11 last year. The average days on the market was 78 days from 75 days last year. The average sale price was 93.57% of the average list price. The median … (0 comments)

roy kelley: New FHA Condo Approval Process - 03/15/10 06:20 AM
Condo purchasers and their agents need to check for FHA approvals if FHA financing is to be used. A this time, many condo communities in Maryland are not yet approved for FHA financing.
Thanks to Shari Walker for this post. Check with your mortgage lender if you have questions about the process.

Previously, if a condo building had not already been pre-approved by FHA, the FHA buyer would have to go through a "spot approval" process, wherein the particular unit the buyer wished to purchase would be cleared for FHA financing.  Recently, FHA did away with the spot approval process, … (0 comments)

roy kelley: Outback Restaurant supporting our troops in March - 03/15/10 06:10 AM
Thanks to Outback for their program to support our troops.

Outback Restaurant is having a Thank you for Our Troops Program for the month of March. The concept began in 2002, with a team of Outbackers who traveled to Afghanistan to feed troops stationed there. Since then, over 100 members of the mother company, OSI Restaurant Partners, have made another six trips serving troops in Djibouti, Iraq, Kuwait and Bahrain.In March, when you order from the Red, White and Bloomin' menu it will help Outback Restaurant donate $1 million to Operation Homefront which provides assistance for our troops, their families … (0 comments)

roy kelley: Reverse Purchase Program - 03/15/10 06:06 AM
A reverse mortgage can help provide a higher quality of living for seniors that have lots of equity but a limited income. No income or credit requirements and no mortgage payments during their lifetime.

With the Spring Open House Blitz coming up I wanted to re-remind everyone about our Reverse Purchase Program.... Seniors can purchase a primary residence and obtain a reverse mortgage in a simultaneous transaction...enabling the Senior to never have to make a mortgage payment!

The qualifications are the same as a Reverse Refinance.... the Borrowers have to be aged 62 or older, and the subject property … (0 comments)

roy kelley: Rockville, MD Trustee Sales - Harvey West Auctioneers - 03/15/10 05:48 AM
Rockville, MD Trustee Sales - Harvey West Auctioneers
Harvey West, Auctioneers conducts trustee sales at the county court house entrance.
Trustee sales auctions are open to the public and all qualified bidders. These sales are foreclosures by the secured mortgage lenders. Buyers should carefully read the newspaper advertisements that appear for three weeks before the sale date.  The required deposits must be in the form of cash or certified funds. Most of the bidders use cashier's checks that are payable to themselves and endorse the checks when they are successful. Always check for cancellations before attending trustee sales. Seek professional advice if you do … (0 comments)

roy kelley: Silver Spring, MD Trustee Sales - Harvey West Auctioneers - 03/15/10 05:45 AM
Silver Spring, MD Trustee Sales - Harvey West Auctioneers
Harvey West, Auctioneers conducts trustee sales at the county court house entrance.
Trustee sales auctions are open to the public and all qualified bidders. These sales are foreclosures by the secured mortgage lenders. Buyers should carefully read the newspaper advertisements that appear for three weeks before the sale date.  The required deposits must be in the form of cash or certified funds. Most of the bidders use cashier's checks that are payable to themselves and endorse the checks when they are successful. Always check for cancellations before attending trustee sales. Seek professional advice if you … (0 comments)

roy kelley: Prince George's County, MD Trustee Sales - Harvey West Auctioneers - 03/15/10 04:07 AM
Prince George's County, MD Trustee Sales - Harvey West Auctioneers
Harvey West, Auctioneers conducts trustee sales at the county court house entrance.
Trustee sales auctions are open to the public and all qualified bidders. These sales are foreclosures by the secured mortgage lenders. Buyers should carefully read the newspaper advertisements that appear for three weeks before the sale date.  The required deposits must be in the form of cash or certified funds. Most of the bidders use cashier's checks that are payable to themselves and endorse the checks when they are successful. Always check for cancellations before attending trustee sales. Seek professional advice if … (0 comments)

roy kelley: Germantown MD Trustee Sales - Harvey West Auctioneers - 03/15/10 03:54 AM
Germantown MD Trustee Sales - Harvey West Auctioneers
Harvey West, Auctioneers conducts trustee sales at the county court house entrance.
Trustee sales auctions are open to the public and all qualified bidders. These sales are foreclosures by the secured mortgage lenders. Buyers should carefully read the newspaper advertisements that appear for three weeks before the sale date.  The required deposits must be in the form of cash or certified funds. Most of the bidders use cashier's checks that are payable to themselves and endorse the checks when they are successful. Always check for cancellations before attending trustee sales. Seek professional advice if you do … (0 comments)

roy kelley: Gaithersburg/North Potomac MD Trustee Sales - Harvey West Auctioneers - 03/15/10 03:49 AM
Gaithersburg MD Trustee Sales - Harvey West Auctioneers
Harvey West, Auctioneers conducts trustee sales at the county court house entrance.
Trustee sales auctions are open to the public and all qualified bidders. These sales are foreclosures by the secured mortgage lenders. Buyers should carefully read the newspaper advertisements that appear for three weeks before the sale date.  The required deposits must be in the form of cash or certified funds. Most of the bidders use cashier's checks that are payable to themselves and endorse the checks when they are successful. Always check for cancellations before attending trustee sales. Seek professional advice if you do … (0 comments)

roy kelley: Montgomery County MD Lender Owned Foreclosures & Short Sale Listings - 03/15/10 03:01 AM
Investor Financing: A Maryland lender is quoting 5%+1+1 for 30 year fixed rate investor financing. 75% LTV to $417,000. This lender limits the maximum number of financed properties to four, including the primary residence.
Montgomery County MD Lender Owned Foreclosures & Short Sale Listings
***Please take action now if you need to purchase by the end of April to qualify for the tax credit of $8,000 for first time home buyers or $6,500 for current home owners that are purchasing another primary residence. FHA buyers will save if they purchase before April because the front end mortgage insurance premium will be … (0 comments)

roy kelley: Short Sale Listings Outnumber Lender Owned Homes In Frederick County - 03/15/10 02:11 AM
Investor Financing: A Maryland lender is quoting 5%+1+1 for 30 year fixed rate investor financing. 75% LTV to $417,000. This lender limits the maximum number of financed properties to four, including the primary residence.
Frederick County MD Lender Owned Foreclosures & Short Sale Listings
***Take action now if you need to purchase by the end of April to qualify for the tax credit of $8,000 for first time home buyers or $6,500 for current home owners that are purchasing another primary residence. FHA buyers can avoid the increase in mortgage insurance cost if under contract by the end of March. The … (0 comments)

roy kelley: 101 Lender Owned Foreclosures In Washington County - 03/15/10 02:00 AM
Washington County MD Lender Owned Foreclosures & Short Sale Listings
***Take action now if you need to purchase by the end of April to qualify for the tax credit of $8,000 for first time home buyers or $6,500 for current home owners that are purchasing another primary residence. FHA buyers need to watch the April 5 date when the front end mortgage insurance premium will increase from 1.75% to 2.25%.***
There are 101 lender owned foreclosures (REO) available for purchase in Washington County MD Click on the listing number for full details on each property. Sort by column headings.
Click the … (0 comments)

roy kelley: Foreclosures Flood Prince George's County - 03/15/10 01:41 AM
Prince George's County MD Lender Owned Foreclosures    
***Take action now if you need to purchase by the end of April to qualify for the tax credit of $8,000 for first time home buyers or $6,500 for current home owners that are purchasing another primary residence. FHA buyers can save if under contract before April to avoid the increased cost of mortgage insurance.***  
Prince Georges's County is flooded with the high volume of trustee sales. The active listings of homes for sale include 675 lender owned foreclosures plus hundreds of pre-foreclosure short sale listings.
There are 327 lender … (1 comments)

roy kelley: Foreclosures - Homes For Sale In Prince George's County, MD - Trustee Sales - Alex Cooper Auctioneers - 03/14/10 01:43 AM
Foreclosures - Homes For Sale In Prince George's County, MD - Trustee Sales - Alex Cooper Auctioneers 
Trustee sale auctions are held at the front of the county court houses in Maryland. Home buyers are looking for bargain prices.  Trustee sales are open to the public and all qualified bidders. These auctions are ordered by the secured mortgage lenders when borrowers default on their payment obligations. The indicated deposits must be in cash or certified funds. Most of the bidders use cashier's checks payable to themselves. Prospective bidders should carefully read the newspaper advertisements that appear for three weeks before the sales dates. If you do have … (0 comments)

 


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