Maryland and Virginia Real Estate and Homes Blog

Real Estate in Maryland & Virginia

King George County Virginia Homes For Sale, REBATE, GRANT

August 19th, 2008 by admin

KING GEORGE COUNTY VIRGINIA HOMES FOR SALE, ACREAGE, WATERFRONT and GOOD PRICES

KING GEORGE COUNTY VA HOMES AND REAL ESTATE.King George MapKing George Map

FIRST TIME HOME BUYERS will benefit from the wonderful low prices for real estate in King George County, VirginiaBRAC in VirginiaHome buyers in King George County Va will find wonderful homes on nice home sites, many wooded and many with acreage.  The value in King George County is attractive to employees at Dahlgren, Charles County in Maryland and military and civilian personnel at Quantico Marine Base. 

Ask us about VA financing for $0 money down loans.  Military buyers often by with no money down and all closing costs paid by the seller.  All Homefinders home buyers receive a FREE One Year Home Warranty at closing.  

About BRAC Reasignment in Virginia.   

King George County is located on the shores of the Mighty Potomac River and offers well priced waterfront property. 

 

 

Property Details for listing # KG6710167
Price:  $749,900 City:  KING GEORGE
Bedrooms:  3 Bathrooms:  2 full
Type of Home:  Detached Style:  Rambler
Year Built:  1950 Lot Acreage:  1.87601
Subdivision:  ALLEN ESTATE  County:  KING GEORGE, VA 
State, Zip:  VA, 22485  Status:  ACTIVE 

Listing Office: RE/MAX Supercenter 

WATER      
Water Oriented:  Yes Body of Water:  Potomac Creek  
Water View:  Yes Water Access:  Yes Water Front:  Yes  
Water Frontage:  191 Mean Low Water:  3+ Nav Water:  Yes  
Dock Conveys:  Yes Docks:  1 Dock Type:  Pier  
Blocks To Ocean:  0 Boats-Power:  6+ Boats-Non Power:  3-5

BRAC

King George real estate is popular with military personnel and civilian employees working at Dahlgren Naval Base.   King George is also popular for military personnel, FBI, and other government employees stationed at Quantico Marine Base.   Quantico is a designated military reassignment BRAC location. 

  • King George to Woodbridge - 50 miles
  • King George to Stafford - 30 miles
  • King Geroge to Manassas - 60 miles
  • King George to Fairfax - 70 miles
  • King George to Warrenton - 57 miles
  • King George to Fredericksburg - 18 miles (Catch the VRE here.)
  • King George to LaPlata MD - 30 miles

TRANSPORTATION BY TRAIN, the VIRGINIA RAILWAY EXPRESS (VRE) TO ARLINGTON, ALEXANDRIA OR WASHINGTON, D.C. IS JUST A STOP AWAY.

Virginia Rail Express (VRE)

  • Fredericksburg to Stafford - 6 minutes
  • Fredericksburg to Quantico - 23 minutes
  • Fredericksburg to Woodbridge - 37 minutes
  • Fredericksburg to Springfield - 49 minutes - Connect to Metro Rail here
  • Fredericksburg to Alexandria - 62 minutes
  • Fredericksburg to Union Station - 88 minutes

The Map of King George Below reflects the rural nature of this lovely County in Virginia.                      

Courtesy, Lenn Harley, Broker, Homefinders.com, 800-711-7988.

 

See Water Features Below.

Property Details for listing # KG6691682
Price:  $299,000 City:  KING GEORGE
Bedrooms:  3 Bathrooms:  2 full  1 half
Type of Home:  Detached Style:  Colonial
Year Built:  2003 Lot Acreage:  0.4
Subdivision:  PRESIDENTIAL LAKES  County:  KING GEORGE, VA 
State, Zip:  VA, 22485  Status:  ACTIVE

Listing Office: Coldwell Banker Elite 

Category: King George Virginia Homes | No Comments »

Avenel, Potomac MD Real Estate Market

August 18th, 2008 by admin

AVENEL in Potomac Maryland is a popular luxury home community. 

Status: ACTIVE (16)

HOMES IN AVENEL FOR SALE AUGUST.

Status: ACTIVE (13)
    List Price Bedrooms Baths FB HB DOMM DOMP Lot Sqft Yr Built
Min $1,495,000 4 5 4 1 39 52 6,444 1989
Max $4,950,000 7 9 7 2 478 478 87,120 2008
Avg $2,114,446 5 6 4 1 195 210 18,658 1994

See Multiple Photos Here. . .

Property Details for listing # MC6627256

Price:  $1,495,000 City:  POTOMAC
Bedrooms:  4 Bathrooms:  4 full  1 half
Type of Home:  Detached Style:  Colonial
Year Built:  1989 Lot Acreage:  0.163912
Subdivision:  AVENEL  County:  MONTGOMERY, MD 
State, Zip:  MD, 20854  Status:  ACTIVE 

Descriptions
Comments:  HIGHLY DESIRED CENTER HALL “A” MODEL HOME IN PRESCOTT. HIGH CEILINGS, 4 FIREPLACES, 2 WET BARS, 4TH BDRM BEING USED AS SITTING ROOM OFF MASTER BATH, FULLY FINISHED LWR LVL WITH LARGE WINE CELLAR. WELL PRICED FOR TODAY’S MARKET. 

School Information
Elementary Middle School High School
POTOMAC HERBERT HOOVER WINSTON CHURCHILL

Home Interior Features
Amenities:  Attic-Strs Pull Dwn, Auto Gar Dr Opn, Bidet, Corian Counters, Crown Molding, Drapery Rods, Drapes/Curtains, FP Glass Doors, FP Mantels, MBA/Sep Shwr, MBA/Sep Tub, MBR-BA Full, Master Walk-in Closet, W/W Carpeting, Walk-in Closet(s), Wet Bar/Bar, Wood Flo  Basement:  Fully Finished 
Kitchen / Dining Info:  Breakfast Room, Fam Rm Off Kit, Kit-Breakfast Bar, Kit-Island, Sep Dining Rm  Other Rooms:  Den/Stdy/Lib, 2nd Family Room, Game/Exer Rm, Lndry-Sep Rm, Mud Room, Recreation Room, Storage Room 
Heating System:  Forced Air, Heat Pump(s), Zoned  Heating Fuel:  Electric, Natural Gas 
Cooling System:  Central A/C, Zoned  Cooling Fuel:  Electric 
Water System:  Public  Hot Water:  60+ Gallon Tank, Electric, Multi-tank 
Parking:  Garage   
Home Exterior Features
Construction:  Brick  Community Amenities:  Bike Trail, Common Grounds, Horse Trails, Jog/walk Path, Security, Tot Lots/Plygrd 



Agent’s Information to contact to tour this home in Avenel.



Your Agent: LENN HARLEY 
Phone: 800-711-7988  
Office: HOMEFINDERS.COM 

Listing Courtesy Of
Listing Office: Long & Foster Real Estate, Inc.

Category: Potomac Homes | No Comments »

HUD CAN’T FIX RESPA

August 12th, 2008 by admin

HUD IS INCAPABLE OF PROTECTING THE CONSUMER WITH RESPA REFORM

                                    * * * * HARD CORE REAL ESTATE TALK * * * *

HUD PROPOSES CHANGES TO RESPA that they claim would save consumers over $8 Billion a year by requiring disclosures that would help consumers shop for title insurance and settlement services. 

WHICH COMES FIRST, FINDING A HOME TO BUY OR SELECTING THE MORTGAGE COMPANY?  This is the same HUD that recommends a consumer begin their home shopping adventure by selecting a mortgage company first and a real estate agent next.  I suppose they will soon be recommending that a home buyer select:

  • First:  a mortgage company
  • Second:  a title company
  • Third:  a real estate agent

Many of the consumers who have defaulted on their mortgages and now contributed to the statistics generated by the mortgage mess did, indeed, begin their home buying process by responding to mortgage company print, TV, Internet or radio advertising.  How’s that working out?

THE HUD SOLUTION:  ONE FORM IS BETTER THAN TWO.   Most of the settlement services abuses of the consumer that I’ve witnessed over the past 25 years have been the result of affiliated business relationships.  Substituting two disclosure forms that the consumer doesn’t understand with a single form that the consumer doesn’t understand won’t stop the abuse. 

Trying to stop kickbacks within affiliated businesses is impossible.  The very existence of affiliated service providers owned in part or in whole by one company is simply one magnificent kickback scheme.  It’s the scheme that is the abuse, not the individual referrals.  So far, any regulation proposed or enacted has sought to prevent $30 kickbacks to single agents while the affiliated companies might enjoy an additional $30,000 or $300,000 or $3,000,000 in profits. 

Marketing settlement services directly to the consumer will, IMO, lead to the same abuse and profiteering in settlement services that resulted from lenders marketing mortgages directly to the consumer. 

“WHAT IS YOUR INTEREST RATE??”  HUD was and still is one of the entities that recommends that consumers begin their search for real estate services with the mortgage company rather than the real estate agent.  That has led to a proliferation of consumers tied to mortgage companies based on one feature, the mortgage ratewith no comprehension of the actual cost of that mortgage rate.  HUD assumes that the consumer understands a mortgage loan sufficiently to shop intelligently.  The average consumer understands only one component of a mortgage, the interest rate.  The consumer does not understand how origination fees, discount fees, lock in fees, etc. affect the quoted interest rate.   

“WHAT IS YOUR SETTLEMENT FEE??”  Similarly, if title services companies begin to market directly to the consumer, those same title companies will begin to advertise the “lowest cost real estate closing” just as the mortgage companies advertise “lowest interest rate for your mortgage”, neither of which is likely to be true. 

The problem is, the consumer doesn’t know what they are buying and have neither the knowledge nor experience to make intelligent choices.  There is no relief for the consumer coming out of any RESPA reforms published to date.  There is merely a shuffling of the deck of cards that are already stacked against the consumer.

IF IT’S FREE, IT MUST BE GOOD!  The affiliated companies will always be able to advertise a lower Settlement Services“settlement costs”.  the Devil is in the details.  How about this:  FREE settlements!!  The consumer is always attracted to FREE.  Does the average consumer have sufficient knowledge to shop title examination services?? I have not yet met a consumer that understood the nexus between the Settlement Fee and the Title Examination Fee.   Is there a benefit to the consumer to receive a FREE settlement meeting and then pay $500 for a title examination? 

Does the average consumer have sufficient knowledge to shop title insurance rates?  Hardly.  Most consumers don’t even realize that the title company is receiving a commission on the sale of title insurance.  Profits from settlement services are not from conducting the closing meeting or managing the settlement transaction, most of those fees, survey, abstract, etc. are simply passed through.  The profit for the title company is from the commission paid on the title insurance premium.  While it’s necessary and fair for title companies to be profitable, the public would be better served if the disclosure were honest and not diversionary.  Why focus on a $30 kick back to an agent who recommends an affiliated title company when that same title company is generating an undisclosed $3,000 commission on the title insurance premium?  Filing the title insurance rate with state regulators is not disclosure to the consumer.   Want to see a consumer’s eyes glaze over?  Hand them a HUD-1. 

THE DEVIL MADE ME DO IT.   If you are a real estate agent reading this article, the next time you accompany a buyer to settlement and the settlement officer or settlement attorney fails to disclose that they are receiving a commission from the title insurance premium, mention it and watch the expression on the settlement attorney’s face. 

Courtesy, Lenn Harley, Broker, Homefinders.com, 800-711-7988.

Category: OPINION | No Comments »

Maryland and Virginia Real Estate Market Area.

August 8th, 2008 by admin

Maryland Buyers Agents helping home buyers find homes to buy; new homes in Maryland, resale homes in Maryland, condominium, town house, single family homes in Maryland.  We cover the areas throughout Maryland from the DC to Baltimore to Annapolis areas and the Eastern Shore.  Home buyers also offers experienced real estate brokers to sell your home in Maryland and Northern Virginia.  New home buyers benefit from the Homefinders.com new home buyers REBATE, our way of saying THANKS!  We REBATE one-third of our real estate commission (up to 1% of the purchase price) to our new home buyers at settlement.

Buyers Agents in Northern Virginia helping home buyers find the best resale or new home in your price range and location of choice.  Areas include all areas from DC west to Frederick County, south to Spotsylvania, Culpeper counties and east to Westmorland.

MARYLAND and Virginia HOME BUYERS will benefit from the experience and dedication of our experienced brokers and agents.  Homefinders.com’s agent and broker partners have been representing home buyers in Maryland and Northern Virginia since the mid 1980s and have a depth of understanding of the Maryland and Virginia real estate market that gives our home buyer clients the benefit of real market experience.  We know the counties.  We know the neighborhoods.  As a home buyer, you’ll be represented by a buyer’s agent who is well trained and has experience in the area of your home search. 

Homefinders.com partners participate in on-going training to make sure we have the latest information of real estate law, contract forms, market trends, local settlement procedures, developers and builders activities in our areas, government actions that affect real estate sales throughout the Maryland and Northern Virginia market.

Category: About Homefinders.com | No Comments »

MLS Management in MD/DC/VA area making Short Sale listings easier

August 2nd, 2008 by admin

NEW GUIDELINES FOR MLS LISTINGS 

The giant MLS system, the Metropolitan Regional Information System (”MRIS”) covering Maryland, Northern Virginia and DC has promulgated new guidelines, definitions and rules for Short Sale listings.  MRIS is the largest MLS in the country and covers about 22,000 square miles.  This is welcomed news. 

“SHORT SALE” IS MATERIAL INFORMATION.  In the past, agents working with buyers have no assurance that a listing is not a potential Short Sale listing.  It is presumptuous and thoughtless when a potential Short Sale property is not disclosed in the MLS.  We have a number of relocating buyers, buyers with expiring leases, etc. that may not have an undetermined amount of time to wait for a Short Sale transaction to close.  It’s bad enough that lenders have a thoughtless contempt for the needs of home buyers.  It’s worse when listing agents do not disclose what this real estate broker always considered “material information”, i.e. that the property listed for sale, if sold, will be a Short Sale.  The knowledge that a listing is a potential Short Sale means that we can contact the listing agent and ask if there are already offers, inquire as to the status of the lender’s approval of the owner/seller position as a potential Short Sale seller. 

“CONTINGENCY” IS MATERIAL INFORMATION.  One thing is for sure, “it isn’t a short sale until the lender says it’s a short sale”.  That fact is often not understood by listing agents.  In their zeal to list properties, many inexperienced agents fail in their due diligence and, by not disclosing that a property is a potential Short Sale, may cause unnecessary financial harm to prospective home buyers and their agents.  Many listing agents have their own policy of not disclosing the potential Short Sale status of a listing.  They often fear that disclosure of this material infrormation would encourage low offers.  By not disclosing that a seller may only accept a contract with a contingency (lender approval), the seller is misleading potential buyers and their agents. 

WHY DISCLOSE THAT A PROPERTY IS A POTENTIAL SHORT SALE?  Our market is slow.  Home buyers’ time is valuable.  Buyers Agents’ time is valuable.  Our reputation is not helped by misleading the public and each other.  It’s an unfair practice to list a SECRET SHORT SALE.

SECRET SHORT SALES
MRIS has received many complaints from agent and broker members about listings that do not disclose “Short Sale” status.  The status of “Short Sale” has been available as a single keystroke for listing input for about 6 months.  Yet, many potential Short Sale listings do not show that listing status.  Without a strict policy for Short Sale listings, there was little the MRIS could do.  That all changes this week with the publication of guidelines for Short Sale listings.

Highlights of the MRIS Short Sale policy:

Definition of Short Sale.   MRIS is adopting the definition of “short sale” established by NAR - “As used in MLS rules, short sales are defined as a transaction where title transfers; where the sale price is insufficient to pay the total of all liens and costs of sale; and where the seller does not bring sufficient liquid assets to the closing to cure all deficiencies.”

Definition of Potential Short Sale.  A potential short sale describes a property that may reasonably be expected to become subject to a short sale.  Going forward, MRIS new policy is that all Potential Short Sale listings must be disclosed.  The potential for a short sale is considered a material fact.

Lender Approval.  Seeking lender approval is part and parcel of the typical short sale transaction.   The bottom line is, if lender approval is sought, then this fact must be disclosed to the potential buyer and buyer’s agent - as any offer they write might be treated as a contingent contract subject to a third-party approval. 

STATUS OF THE LISTING
This policy is one of the most important.  Often we read listing that are totally silent as to (1) the listing is a potential Short Sale and, (2) there are 1, 2 or multiple offers on the property.  Worse yet, often a fully “ACTIVE” listing does not disclose that there is an accepted contract on the property.  It’s isn’t unreasonable that the actual status of a Short Sale listing should be disclosed in the MLS just as the actual status of any listing should be disclosed by use of the CNTG/KO or CNTG/NO KO keystroke option.

With disclosure that a property listing is a potential Short Sale, it may make a difference in the lender’s letter, price offered, terms and conditions.  We would, for instance, know to avoid “drop dead” contingencies.  There is little need for a seller to receive an offer that requires acceptance or a counter offer within 24, 48, hours if the offer must be approved by the seller’s lender.  With the information that there is a contract accepted, home buyers and their agents can pursue contracts with properties that are fully available.  What a concept. 

The new guideline requirements are clear.  When a potential Short Sale listing is under contract, with or without a KickOut, that too is material information and should be disclosed.

Appropriate Status.   The status for any listing where a ratified contract is subject to a lender approval must be changed to CNTG/KO or CNTG/NO KO, indicating a third-party approval contingency.  MRIS’s perspective is that a listing broker, in such an instance, may continue to market the property and continue to accept back-up offers.  The MRIS Rules and Regulations require that the listing’s status be changed within 48 hours excluding weekends and holidays.

This policy for Short Sale listings is welcomed and will help listing agents and buyers agents conduct our business in a more orderly fashion and better serve our buyer and seller clients.

Chalk one up for “transparency in real estate transactions”. 

Category: Short Sale Listing Rules | No Comments »

About the Mortgage Mess from the desk of a real estate broker

August 2nd, 2008 by admin

IT’S A MORTGAGE MESS, NOT A REAL ESTATE MESS. A DEFENSE OF REAL ESTATE AGENTS

                                * * * *   HARD CORE REAL ESTATE TALK * * * *

Thanks to the Mortgage Pro Week in Revew: 6/30/2008 throught 07/06/2008  by Alan ‘AJ’ Nisen, I found some very good reading material by ActiveRain members from the mortgage loan industry.   

NOTE:  ADD this link to the content in this post.  It’s very interesting. 

One of the featured articles includes real estate agents in the group responsible for the mortgage mess.  Including real estate agents in the blame game for the mortgage mess appears to be a knee jerk reaction.  However, the writer doesn’t say how the real estate agents were responsible for the mortgage mess.  We know how mortgage loan officers can be responsible for approving loans for unqualified buyers.  I have yet to hear how a real estate agent can be responsible for a loan officer approving an unqualified prospective borrower. 

“Get pre-approved before selecting a real estate agent” is the advice from mortgage loan officers and HUD.  If mortgage loan officers can pre-qualify a prospective home buyer before the consumer has selected a real estate agent, how does the real estate agent become responsible for the actions of the loan officers approving loans for consumers once the consumer has an agent???  

The mortgage loan officer is not responsible for the institutional creation of the Alt-A, the Neg. Am, etc. loan instruments.  Those loans were created at a much higher level than the mortgage loan officer.  In fact, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac guidelines approved many loans that were doomed to failure.  Surely, the mortgage companies that employ loan officers have Policies and Procedures for their employees.

  • On Tuesday, Fannie Mae (nyse: FNM - news - people ) executives told analysts that 43.0%, or $946 million, of the $2.2 billion in losses incurred during the first quarter involved Alt-A loans. They also said that the company’s “Alt-A book will continue to drive an outsize portion of our overall credit losses.” Fannie also reported $344.6 billion current Alt-A exposure and a limited strategy for stemming future losses.  Forbes, May 6, 2008.
     

REAL ESTATE AGENTS ARE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE FOOD CHAIN.   I’ve read the license law in both states in which I practice real estate brokerage.  Neither have any duty on the part of the broker or agent to advise or have any knowledge of mortgage lending, rates, terms or conditions.  How can real estate agents be held responsible to police the actions of mortgage loan officers??  Not only are they not trained in the intricacies of mortgage loans, they have no authority to police the application and approval process or criteria for mortgage loan approval. 

Why does everyone try to suck the agents into this mortgage mess?  Agents have their job and loan officers have their job. 

  • Does the agent blame the mortgage loan officer when the agent fails to provide required disclosures? 
  • Does the agent blame the loan officer when a buyer closes on a home without the HOA docs?
  • Does the agent blame the loan officer when the agent practices undisclosed dual agency? 
  • Does the agent blame the loan officer when the agent provides an inaccurate CMA?

Real estate agents and brokers do have many duties for which they bear responsibility.  Mortgage loan approval is not a duty of the real estate agent.  There are many levels of knowledge and exprience of real estate agents.  However, mortgage lending is not a required competency for real estate agents.  I have always been of the opinion that it takes about 100 transactions before a real estate agent really has an understanding of real estate brokerage.  If agents are responsible for mortgage loan failures, you’ll have to add a few years experience for competency.  Few agents even attend or participate in mortgage loan applications.  If we are responsible, we would have to have been involved in the approval process.  Real estate brokerages have published Policies and Procedures for their real estate agents.  Those guidelines do not include mortgage loan approval authority. 

Loan officers often say that they wouldn’t approve bad loans for buyers if the agent didn’t “pressure” them to do so.  This statement astounds me.  Pressure from an agent is hardly an excuse for failing to follow the law or guidelines for a mortgage loan. 

All the mortgage loan officer has to do is “SAY NO”!The blame game has to stop when one sector of the real estate industry tries to suck everyone into the mess and refuses to police themselves and accept responsibility for the causes.  

 

If the mortgage loan industry is not going to accept the responsibility for making mortgage loans to consumers who didn’t meet the guidelines, the persons making those loans will continue to perpetuate this problem and the consumer will continue to be badly served. 

Consumers do not understand mortgage loans even when they shake their heads up and down and say that they understand. 

Many real estate agents do not understand mortgage loans, even when they shake their heads and say that they understand. 

Mortgage loan officers DO understand mortgage loans and if they approve a loan for an known unqualified home buyer, they may bear responsibility for their actions.  FHA and VA have “charge back” features that go a long way to prevent unqualified buyers being approved.  Loan officers know when a buyers is qualified and when they are not. 

In all the years I’ve been selling real estate, I’ve never known a loan officer who couldn’t say “NO”.

                            

                            “Good news!  I can qualify you for a loan with a 1.5% start rate.”

===============================================================

THIS MAIL HAS GENERATED SOMETHING I HAVEN’T GOTTEN IN QUITE A WHILE

I’M GETTING FLAMED!!! 

Note, that the whiners don’t have the guts to publish their views.  They primarily flame me with e-mail exhibiting a considerable level of commission envy. 

I never quite understand why loan officers complain about the “6 or 7%” that real estate agents collect at the end of a sale.  Fact is, they all have the freedom to do the same thing we do.

Take the real estate course
Pass the real estate exam
Get hired by a broker
Invest in promotion and farming for customers
Work your butt off to meet qualified buyers and/or sellers
Work your butt off to get some buyers and/or sellers to settlement
Collect the commission

It’s a free country and I suspect that anyone who can get a job as a loan officer
could get a real estate license and strive for those easy commissions.

It’s a free country.

=====================================

Wednesday 7/26, 2008

Well folks.  This has been an exciting read.  I’m not quite caught up yet and may not ever be. 

I just returned from a meeting with a loan officer and his underwriter getting caught up on their processes for approval, etc.  I like to meet with new mortgage company folks to look them in the eye. 

For one thing, it gets my calls answered or returned quickly and my folks get good care.  That’s important because I refer 2-3 buyers to mortgage companies every day. 

I’ve already sent this loan officer about 25 buyers (about 6 have been rejected) and thought it was time we met.  It was a very productive meeting.  But, I won’t be doing his job and he won’t be trying to qualify folks who don’t meet their the guidelines.  I’m not taking those buyers anywhere else. 

My agent and broker partners to whom I refer buyers will benefit from the meeting and communication will be better than if we had not had the meeting. 

The point of this comment is that real estate agents and mortgage loan officers can have a good mutually beneficial relationship working together.  Agents can’t hide their heads in the sand and try to make square pegs fit into round holes.  A buyer is either qualified or they are not. 

However, our competencies are quite different.  I do my job and the mortgage company does theirs. 

It’works very well. 

     ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thursday, July 17, 2008

As the pusillanimous “google” points out above, below, thinking he found something incriminating in one of my past posts, I did say “I don’t have a problem with 100% loans.”.  In didn’t when I wrote that post and I don’t now.

And for the record, I don’t have a problem with Alt-A, negative am, pay option, etc. loans.  Exotic?  Sure.  However, used responsibility by loan officers, they open the doors to home financing that would otherwise be closed to many responsible home buyer such as self employed persons, persons who are on an upward mobility track in a professional field like medicine.

However, I do know that the consumer should be provided with an amoritization table so they have actually seen how their payments and mortgage balances will move.  Disclosure and information would have saved a lot of consumer the anguish of foreclosure if they had simply known.  In the past 10 years or so, I have had one, just one, loan officer provide a 10 year amortization table to my buyers.  So I do it.  Am I stepping on the toes of the loan officer?  No.  I’m just letting my buyer who wants to buy a home at the limit of their qualifying range know what to expect. 

We also through the house (along with a wonderful home inspector who agrees to perform this extra service for my buyers) and let them know what to expect in the way of home maintenance and upgrade costs for the next 5-10 years.  If a buyer spends his last dime to buy a home and the air conditioner, while working new, is at the end of it’s useful life, that buyer is at risk if he has to pay $5,000 for a air conditioner and only has sufficient income to meet his mortgage payment. 

So, there is nothing wrong with 100% financing if it gets a family into a home they want and need as long as it can be established at the outset that they are prepared financially to make the mortgage payments. 

It’s very difficult for families (even a family of one) to save cash these days.  However, everyone has to have shelter and if buying a home with 100% financing is an alternative to renting, I’ll help them all I can.  However, I don’t expect loan officers to put my buyers in loans that put that buyer at risk of foreclosure. 

If, on paper, the buyer works two jobs and earns $25,000 W-2 earnings and they are approved for a $500,000 house with a 100% mortgage, that’s not one of my buyers. 

Category: Mortgage Mess | No Comments »

Luxury Home Locations in Maryland

August 1st, 2008 by admin

LUXURY HOME INVENTORY FOR SPRING 2007

Luxury Homes in Maryland

ANNE ARUNDEL HOMES  Most Luxury Homes in Anne Arundel are in the water oriented communities of Annapolis, Severna Park, Arnold and Edgewater. 

HOWARD COUNTY LUXURY HOMES are primarily in Columbia, Clarksville and Ellicott City. 

Montgomery County Maryland is known for luxury home communities in Bethesda, Potomac and Brookeville. 

Prince George’s County Maryland luxury homes means Woodmore in south Bowie, Mitchellville.  There are also luxury home communities in Upper Marlboro and Brandywine.

MONTGOMERY COUNTY LUXURY HOMESNOT QUITE COUNTRY is one way to describe Howard County. Historic Ellicott City offers luxury homes in communities with estate lots. Western Howard County luxury homes are in communities surrounded by farm land. Popular for the high ranking public schools, Howard County luxury homes can be found through out this convenient and quiet county.
GOING SOUTH MEANS PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY
UPPER MARLBORO AND BOWIE offer homes constructed on estate lots of 5 acres or more in Prince George’s County. This historically significantformer farm country is home to one of the most spectacular golf course luxury home gated communities in Maryland. The community of Woodmore means luxury homes in Prince George’s County. 
                                            * * * *
NORTH BALTIMORE COUNTY IS HORSE COUNTRY
NORTHERN BALTIMORE COUNTY is home to luxury custom built homes on lots surrounded by farms, farmettes and horse farms. Phoenix, Monkton, Lutherville, Parkton are located between the Baltimore Beltway and Pennsylvania. Small enclaves of estate homes and large estates are located throughout this rural area in Baltimore County’s luxury real estate area.

WATERFRONT PROPERTY IN MARYLAND means Anne Arundel County. Luxury waterfront, waterview, water access properties are found along the Chesapeake Bay, Severn River, South River, Magothy River and the many tributaries, coves, inlets and creeks in Annapolis, Arnold, Pasadena, Severna Park and other lovely waterfront communities in this water oriented county.

 

 

OUR MISSION 
We are here to serve YOUR real estate home buying needs. We find homes that meet YOUR criteria.  If you are looking for a luxury home in Maryland, we will work from day one to find you the very best home on the real estate market for your money. We monitor interest rates and lenders for good mortgage loans daily. We have access to the Multiple List Service database and we provide access to that data to you. You can SEARCH LISTINGS daily and keep up with new listing information.

LUXURY HOMES IN MARYLAND ON ESTATE LOTS can be found in abundance in Montgomery County real estate. Potomac Maryland has more luxury estate homes than any place in the Maryland. These communities are established with top ranked public schools, fantastic shopping, easy access to Washington DC and Northern Virginia. Luxury homes in Maryland often means Montgomery County real estate.

HOWARD COUNTY LUXURY HOMES

 

 

Category: Luxury Homes Maryland | No Comments »

Baltimore Luxury Home, Monkton Waterfront property on the Gunpowder Falls.

August 1st, 2008 by admin

Property Details for listing # BC6825321

Price:  $1,125,000 City:  MONKTON
Bedrooms:  4 Bathrooms:  3 full  1 half
Type of Home:  Detached Style:  Colonial
Year Built:  2003 Lot Acreage:  3.3
Subdivision:  MONKTON FARMS  County:  BALTIMORE, MD 
State, Zip:  MD, 21111  Status:  ACTIVE 

Descriptions
Comments:  Outstanding parcel overlooking the Gunpowder River. Landscaped to perfection. Ipe decking, exterior lighting. Tiled sunroom, two story foyer & FR, Brazilian h/w flooring, stone two story FP, luxury master bath with radiant heat. Pillared open floor plan. Huge granite & cherry kitchen. Incredible newly finished LL! Library with FR, LL theater room, game room, second FR. Must see to believe! 

School Information
Elementary Middle School High School
SPARKS HEREFORD HEREFORD

Home Interior Features
Amenities:  Attic-Access Only, Auto Gar Dr Opn, Built-in Bookcases, Cedar Closet, Chair Railing, Crown Molding, FP Glass Doors, FP Mantels, FP Screen, Granite Counters, MBA/Sep Shwr, MBA/Sep Tub, MBR-BA Full, Master Walk-in Closet, Shades/Blinds, Sump Pump, Tub-2 +   Basement:  Daylight, Full, Fully Finished, Heated, Rear Entrance, Walkout Level 
Kitchen / Dining Info:  Breakfast Room, Fam Rm Off Kit, Gourmet, Kit-Breakfast Bar, Kit-Island, Kit-Table Space, Sep Dining Rm  Other Rooms:  2nd Stry Fam Ovrlk, Attic-Unfinished, Den/Stdy/Lib, Sun/Florida Room, Game/Exer Rm, Lndry-Sep Rm, Lndry-Uppr Lvl, MBR w/Sit Rm, Mud Room, Recreation Room, Storage Room, Utility Room, Workshop 
Heating System:  Electric Air Filter, Hot Water, Radiant, Wood Burn Stove, Zoned  Heating Fuel:  Bottled Gas/Prop, Other 
Cooling System:  Ceiling Fan(s), Central A/C, Zoned  Cooling Fuel:  Electric 
Water System:  Well  Hot Water:  Bottled Gas, Other 
Parking:  Garage 
Room Dimensions

Room

Dimensions

Level
Living Room

14 x 13

Main
Dining Room

16 x 12

Main
Bedroom-Master

22 x 18

Upper 1
Bedroom-Second

12 x 11

Upper 1
Bedroom-Third

12 x 13

Upper 1
Bedroom-Fourth

13 x 12

Upper 1
Kitchen

22 x 22

Main
Recreation Rm

19 x 30

Lower 1
Family Rm

19 x 19

Main
Garage

Main
Other Room 1

22 x 18

Main
Other Room 2

17 x 14

Lower 1
Other Room 3

16 x 18

Lower 1
Library

12 x 14

Main
Foyer

14 x 15

Main
Breakfast Room

Main
 
Home Exterior Features
Construction:  Brick, Brick and Siding, Vinyl Siding  Exterior Features:  Deck, Decks-Multiple, Patio, Porch-front, Underground Utilities 
Community Amenities:  Common Grounds  Water Oriented Details:  GUNPOWDER FALLS 
Water Access:  Yes  Waterfront:  Yes 
Water View:  Yes   

Your Agent’s Information
Your Agent: LENN HARLEY 
Phone: 800-711-7988  
Office: HOMEFINDERS.COM 

Listing Courtesy Of
Listing Office: Long & Foster Real Estate, Inc.

Category: Baltimore County Luxury Home | No Comments »

Anne Arundel County Featured Home - Edgewater Waterfront

August 1st, 2008 by admin

Property Details for listing # AA5538039

Price:  $2,899,000 City:  EDGEWATER
Bedrooms:  4 Bathrooms:  4 full  1 half
Type of Home:  Detached Style:  Colonial
Year Built:  2004 Lot Acreage:  0.505051
Subdivision:  SHOREHAM BEACH  County:  ANNE ARUNDEL, MD 
State, Zip:  MD, 21037  Status:  ACTIVE 

Descriptions
Comments:  SURROUND YOURSELF WITH WATER!!! Beautiful new home with SPECTACULAR waterviews from every room, 625′ of shoreline and private pier. Totally unique and private estate home is surrounded by water but out of flood plain. Granite counters, custom moldings, hardwood floors throughout, 3 fireplaces, a separate in-law suite w/kitchen, & balconies & decks affording spectacular views of the water. 

Home Interior Features
Amenities:  Attic-Strs Pull Dwn, Bidet, Drapery Rods, Drapes/Curtains, Entry Lvl BR, FP Heatilator, MBA/Sep Shwr, MBA/Sep Tub, MBR-BA Full, Tub-Soaking, Walk-in Closet(s), Wood Floors, Wpool Jets, Granite Counters, Dual Entry Bathroom  Appliances:  Cooktop, Dishwasher, Disposal, Dryer, Exhaust Fan, Extra Refrg/Frz, Icemaker, Microwave, Oven-Self Cleaning, Oven-Wall, Refrigerator, Washer 
Kitchen / Dining Info:  Kit-Breakfast Bar  Other Rooms:  In-Law/auPair/Ste, Laundry-BR Lvl, Lndry-Sep Rm, Maids Rm/Quart 
Disabled Features:  Other  Heating System:  Heat Pump(s), Radiant, Zoned 
Heating Fuel:  Electric, Oil  Cooling System:  Heat Pump(s), Zoned 
Cooling Fuel:  Electric  Water System:  Well 
Hot Water:  Electric, Oil  Parking:  Covered Parking, Drvwy/Off Str 
Home Exterior Features
Construction:  Stone, Vinyl Siding  Exterior Features:  Balcony, Deck, Private Pier 
Water Oriented Details:  SOUTH RIVER  Water Access:  Yes 
Waterfront:  Yes  Water View:  Yes 

Your Agent’s Information
Your Agent: LENN HARLEY 
Phone: 800-711-7988  
Office: HOMEFINDERS.COM 

Listing Courtesy Of
Listing Office: Long & Foster Real Estate, Inc. 

Category: Anne Arundel County | No Comments »

Anne Arundel Real Estate

July 31st, 2008 by admin

ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY MD REAL ESTATE

So much of what makes Anne Arundel County popular today is just what made it a popular
location for settlements and growth in the 1600s, 1700s and through today in the 21st Century,
proximity to bodies of water; Chesapeake Bay, Severn River, South River, Magothy River,
Rhodes River.  The inland water ways in Anne Arundel County that provided transit for cargo
ships in the early settlement days of Maryland now provide water front communities for
Anne Arundel County home owners. 

[Anne Arundel County Map]

Popular Anne Arundel Cities and Towns include:

Annapolis, the County Seat with historic homes and government buildings as well as shops along
the waterfront offer beautiful communities and a dynamic business district. 

Luxury homes in Anne Arundel County range from historic properties in Annapolis to horse farms
in Southern Anne Arundel on acreage. 

VISIT THE HOMEFINDERS.COM LUXURY HOME BLOG FOR EXAMPLES.
Featured luxury homes in Anne Arundel County

Category: Anne Arundel County | No Comments »