Just Listed!

Here are some homes that are new to the market this week:  

3 Rosebay Ct #602 Germantown, MD 20874

List Price: $318,900
Gorgeous 3 bedroom/2.5 bath garage townhouse. Newly re-modeled & move in ready. Three finished levels with gas fireplace and new carpeting & flooring.  Huge Kitchen w/pantry & gas cooking. Master bedroom w/separate bath & walk-in closet. Gas heat & Hot water. Commuters dream come true, Just minutes from 270! .  Very quiet street- just waiting for you to call home!! 
For a virtual tour, click here 
For more information or to schedule an appointment to view, click here
Listing courtesy of Kevin Mahoney at RE/MAX Realty Center  

319 Wild Willow Way, Severn, MD 21144

List Price: $449,000
Spacious and lightly lived in colonial with 2 story foyer, 1st floor office, and open concept kitchen-to-family room w/gas fireplace. Kitchen has stainless steel, gas stove, island, beautiful 42" cabinets and corian counters. Master bedroom with 7x13 sitting room, walk in closet & bath w/ double sinks, suken tub, separate shower. Full finished bsmt with double doors to 18x16 media room and 28x20 rec room. 
For a virtual tour, click here 
For more information or to schedule an appointment, click here
Listing courtesy of Carol Tinnin at RE/MAX Leading Edge 

17806 Foreston Rd, Parkton, MD 21120

 List Price: $524,900
You'll think you've wandered into a model home! Beautifully maintained porch-front colonial. Large rooms, granite and ss kitchen with huge island, great room with soaring ceiling and wood burning fireplace, 4 large bedrooms and custom window treatments throughout. Situated on almost 4 gorgeous acres with views of open fields and farmland. You won't be disappointed! 1 Year Home Warranty
For a virtual tour, click here
For more information or to schedule an appointment to view, click here
Listing courtesy of Linda Dieter at Long and Foster


155 Bay View E, Annapolis, MD 21403 

 List Price: $925,000
Walk out of the house and jump right onto your boat at your new pier on recently dredged Duvall Creek. This open and welcoming floorplan is perfect for entertaining friends and family. Spacious newer home this large is a rare find in this highly desirable community that also offers a swimming pool, sandy beaches and a marina. Great price for a waterfront home with its own pier in Annapolis!
For a virtual tour, click here
For more information or to schedule an appointment to, click here
Listing courtesy of Richard Curtis PA

5328 Wapakoneta Rd, Bethesda, MD 20816

List Price: $1,050,000

5 bedroom/ 3.5 bath Cape Cod in Glen Echo Heights. Recently renovated and expanded, the home features include formal living room, two story addition of a family room and master bedroom suite, separate dining and breakfast rooms, second level home office with custom built-ins, newly added lower level fifth bedroom and bath, wooden deck w/ large backyard & more!
For a virtual tour, click here

For more information or to schedule an appointment, click here 
Listing courtesy of Hans Wydler at Long and Foster  


Feel free to contact me if you have any questions about any of these homes listed above or about renting, buying, or selling in Maryland!

Just Listed!

Here are some houses that are new to the market this week: 

8466 Rugby Rd Pasadena, MD 21122

List Price: $255,000

Well maintained home in water privileged community in Sunset Beach! Great house with 4BR and 2BA, updated kitchen and large back porch to enjoy the gorgeous landscaped yard. Water privileges include boat slips, boat ramp, fishing and swimming piers. HOA voluntary, $30 per year. HMS 1 year warranty.

For more information and photos click here.  

Listing courtesy of Nancy Phelps at Prudential PenFed Realty

 67 Fox Run Way Arnold, MD 21012

 

 List Price: $320,000

Well-maintained 3BR 2.5BA house with garage. Gleaming hardwood floors, eat-in kitchen with stainless appliances. Separate dining room and unique space on main level for office/child's play area/butler's pantry. Large living room. Ceramic tile in all baths. Finished lower level. Deck and fenced yard. Move-in ready!

For more information and photos click here. 

Listing courtesy of Pat Paul at Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage

305 Arlington Ct Severn, MD 21144

List Price: $440,000

Beautiful home in the highly desirable neighborhood of Patuxent Glen. Gleaming hardwood floors and plenty of room for entertaining. Relax in the large master bathtub after a hard day. Many updates including a new HVAC system and a resin floor in the garage. Great side yard for children and pets and sits on the end of a cul-de-sac perfect for outdoor play!

For more information and photos click here.  

Listing courtesy of Jennifer Bonk at Keller Williams Select

 

3831 Denfeld Ave Kensington, MD 20895

 List Price: $515,000

Stunning Total Remodel! Open floor plan, great for entertaining with tons of natural light. Gourmet granite kitchen and 4 bedrooms and 3 baths with beautiful tile. Hardwood floors throughout. Lower level has huge family room, office/den, plus storage. Fantastic outdoor deck with views of lush green yard year round! New roof. Hurry because this place will sell quickly!

For more information and photos click here. 

Listing courtesy of Fran Gianaris at Re/Max Metropolitan Realty

11020 Steeplechase Ct Ellicott City, MD 21042

List Price: $795,000
Elegant brick front Colonial on the most perfect cul-de-sac 1+ acre lot w/private 180-degree views of conservation woodlands! Renovations include 2 kitchen islands, stainless steel appliances, granite, ceramic backsplash, and custom range hood. Mudroom w/cubbies. Lower level theatre area, game area, and U-shaped wet bar w/granite and cherry cabs. Huge screened porch, sun deck, grilling area, and 100 sq. ft. storage shed
For more information and photos click here.  
Listing courtesy of Jean Legal at Long and Foster

Feel free to contact me if you have any questions about any of these homes listed above or about renting, buying, or selling in Maryland!

Staging 101

Staging as I said yesterday is one of the most important things you can do to boost the sale of your home.  Now you're probably wondering if I don't hire someone, can I stage it myself? 

Of course you can! Here are some of my tried and true staging tips:

1. Lose the Clutter-  Having too much stuff can make a room appear smaller than it really is. 
- Remove one piece of furniture from each room
- Remove 2-3 items from each set of book shelves
- Organize and give everything a place or throw it away!- don't stuff it in a closet- even they need to look good!
- Clean off kitchen counter tops- put all portable appliances away
- Clean off all bathroom counter tops
- Rent a storage unit if needed to remove some of the clutter from your house
   
2. De-Personalize- Take down your family photos, clean off the front of your refrigerater, put away sentimental knickknacks. Once you put your house on the market it is no longer yours.   Buyers don't want to feel like they are walking into someone's house and taking over, they want to envision themselves there. 

3. Neutralize- Tone down the bright colors!  Buyers these days are drawn to neutral wall color, neutral furniture, neutral accessories.  I'm not saying you have to go boring but maybe paint that neon green bedroom a nice taupe to appeal to more buyers. Ever seen a Pottery Barn catalog?  That's what most buyers want their dream home to look like

4. Re-purpose a Room- you might use it as junk room or a playroom but it's intended purpose is a dining room, so it's time to turn it back into a dining room.  Buyers have a hard time visualizing a room if it isn't being used for it's intended purpose.

5. Accessorize Properly- adding accesosories can change a room instantly.  Add decorative pills to a sofa or bed.  Cut and display fresh flowers on your dining or kitchen table.  Display art properly through out the house.   

6. Mini Facelifts- Don't have the money for major upgrades?  Don't worry little fixes can make a huge difference.
- Paint kitchen cabinets and add knobs
- Re-finish hardwood floors
- Paint beat up walls
- Replace outdated faucets, knobs, lights, etc

7.  Curb Appeal- the front of the house is the first thing buyers will see when they walk up is the front of the house so make a good impression
- Trim bushes
- Plant fresh flowers
- Have a new or in good condition welcome mat
- Power wash porch or steps as needed
- Paint front door and trim, and any shutters to match

8. Get rid of smells-  are you a smoker?  have a few cats or dogs?  After living in your own home for awhile you tend to not realize certain odors that may be living there, but trust me buyers will! 
If you've smoked in the house - stop immediately!!  Unless you're going to find buyers who are smokers (which is very rare these days) you're going to need to put in some work.  Most of the walls will need to be repainted and you're probably going to need new flooring just to get the smell out.  For animals try to keep litter boxes together in one area and clean them every day if needed. 

9. Visit Model Homes and Open Houses-  Need inspiration?  Not sure what colors match with what? Visit new construction model homes and open houses in your area.  It's important to try to envision your house the way that buyers do.  Models homes will give you the idea of how to make it feel inviting and homey without any personalized touches. Open Houses will either give you inspiration or will teach you what not to do!

10. Call a professional!  If this all sounds overwhelming or you don't know where to start, don't worry!  Talk to your real estate agent about helping you hire a home stager.  Many agents these days will even pay for a stager or part of the cost of one since they know just how important it is for a home to be staged.  

Once the home has been staged it must also be presented to each potential buyer in its best possible light! 

Before All Showings:
• Set the stage — Lights, music, action!
• Open all curtains and blinds.
• Turn on ALL lights and lamps.
• Put garage doors down.
• Put all toilet lids down.

Is Home Staging Really that Important?

YES! YES! YES!
When trying to sell your house, next to pricing staging is the most important thing.

Why might you ask?  Shouldn't people be willing to look past the clutter, personal photos, and knicknacks?  I mean it's my house, I have to live in it, why should I have to fix it up for other people?

 If that's how you think then let's look at a few questions:
 
-Would you buy a car that was dirty and full of someone else's trash?
-Would you buy a shirt that had a stain on the front or a big tear down the middle? 
-Would you pay for a hotel room that was dirty, full of trash, and had unmade sheets strewn across the bed?

Mostly likely you answered No to those 3 quesitons I posed above, because as a smart educated consumer you're not going to  pay for/purchase a product that isn't up to the standards you're expecting to receive.  Right?  So why should a potential buyer come into your home and love it despite the clutter, broken doors, and trash lying around?

Let's look at these photos below- which room are you more drawn to?

 Mosty likely you said the room on the right, isn't it amazing what just a few small changes can do! 

If you look closely you can see that they used pretty much everything that was already in the room, they just changed the flooring, added a rug, some accessories, and lighting and now the room has a whole new look!

Do you see the point?  When selling your home you only get one chance to make a first impression and it better be a good one.  Buyers these days are armed with more information than ever before thanks to the internet, so it's important that your home is staged and photographed to give off that correct first impression. 

Now let's look at the statistics, you can't deny the numbers!  

Homes	Avg. Days on Market
Unstaged	263
Staged	60

Homes that are staged sell in about two months while it can take unstaged homes up to 8 months to find a buyer that is willing to look past your mess and see potential!   Do you have time to wait 8 months for your house to sell?  At that point your dream house is probably gone!  

So which house do you want to be, the before house or the after house? 

Stay tuned tomorrow when I share my top Staging tips for selling your house. 

**Have a staging or real estate question?  Don't hesitate to contact me, I would love to help!**

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What Can You Get Wednesday: $300,000 in Annapolis

Ever wondered what you can get for $300,000 in Annapolis? 

 Annapolis, Maryland is not only the capital of our lovely state but also my hometown!  Annapolis is a small charming historical city located on the Chesapeake Bay at the mouth of the Severn River.  Annapolis boasts a population of 38,394 people and is located in between Baltimore and Washington, DC making it the perfect get away for those looking for a break from the bustling city.

So let's take a look at what $300,000 can get you:

2144 Hideaway Ct #29, Annapolis, MD

 

Listed for $285,000
This 1,522 square foot 2 level three year old end unit townhouse features a gourmet kitchen with 42' maple cabinets, stainless steel appliances and granite counter tops.  Hardwood floors throughout the whole house with a spacious living room featuring a gas fireplace and crown moulding.  Large master suite with whirlpool tub and garage parking for 1 car.  
For more photos and virtual tour click here. 
Listing courtesy of Jason Donovan at RE/MAX Leading Edge, Inc.

3337 Arundel on the Bay Rd, Annapolis, MD 
 
Listed for $299,250
This 1,512 square foot two story single family colonial is in the desirable beach community of Oyster Harbor. Features include hard wood floors, ceiling fans, kitchen family/dining room combo. Master bedroom with vaulted ceiling, walk in closet and full bath. 
For more photos and a virtual tour click here. 
Listing courtesy of Celeste O'Dea at Keller Williams Select 

2711 Riva Rd, Annapolis, MD

Listed for $305,900
This 1,320 square foot single family home is a freshly painted 3 BR 2 BA Starter /Investor Rancher with close proximity to Annapolis, Rt. 50, Rte 97 and within minutes to Downtown Annapolis, Annapolis Mall, and USNA.Clean but sold in "AS IS" condition. Bathrooms, Kitchen and Basement need updating but a new hot water heater was recently installed. 
For more photos and a virtual tour click here. 
Listing courtesy of Claudia Edgar at Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage  

If you have any questions or are interested in seeing any of these homes don't hesistate to contact me! 

Deal in The Downs- $599,000

Only $599,00 in The Downs!

900 Coachway Annapolis, MD 21401

Lovely Deck House with open floor plan with gleaming hardwood floors in highly sought after community of The Downs!  This home boasts a gorgeous brick fireplace in great room with sliders opening to large wrap around deck over looking beautiful wooded lot. Master bedroom on the main level with lots of closet space and en suite bathroom. Updated kitchen features granite, stainless steel appliances and fabulous built in storage closets!  Lower level has a large family room with brick fireplace, sliders opening to private wooded lot, 2 bedrooms, and full bath.

The Downs located on the Severn River boasts a community pool, community playground, and 2 community marinas!  You don't want to miss this opportunity to live in The Downs for under 600k!  For the full listing and more information, click here.



How the Other Half Live: Beyonce and Jay-z's August Rental in the Hamptons

Rumor has it that hip-hop King and Queen and their little Princess Blue Ivy have coughed up a pretty penny for the month of August to rent an exclusive home in Hamptons.   The 31,000 sq foot home that they are renting is called the Sandcastle and was built by Joe Farrell, a Hamptons developer in 2005.   The home was originally listed for $59.5 million when it was built but has been dropped to the current price of $43.5 million. 
Apparently B and J got quite a deal with this rental as they are only paying $400,000 for the whole month of August when last year it was rented to  Cheryl Mercuris, a 40-something divorcée from Tampa with a direct marketing fortune for $500,000 for 2 weeks. 

Sandcastle is about 1.5 miles from the beaches and encompasses 11.5 acres. 

Here are some features of this glamourous property:
- 12 bedrooms, 12 full baths
- double living room with 2 fireplaces
- formal dining room with fireplace
- enormous professional chef's kitchen, butler's pantry and walk-in refrigerator
- 10-seat theatre with interactive seats
- upstairs the 2800 sq. ft. master suite has an exotic master bath with honey onyx slabs sitting room, wet bar
- children's entertainment center with virtual golf, skateboard half pipe, rock climbing wall
- media room with 5 plasma TV's
- in home theater room
- squash and racket ball court
- 2-lane bowling alley, full bar and disco,
- complete spa facility- jacuzzi, steam, sauna, and massage area
- 60 foot heated gunite pool with electric cover and underwater stereo
- underground garage with hydraulic lift
- sunken tennis courts 
- baseball field

 Wow. I don't know about you all but I could use a month at the Sandcastle.  Maybe B and J will invite me to tag along?!  I could be the nanny- I'm really good with kids :)

If you have an extra $500,000 and are looking to get away click here to rent it for yourself!
 
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