Choosing the Right Community for You

If you are buying a home, one of the first things your real estate professional will do before taking you on home tours is interview you to determine the type of house you want such as a 2,000-square-foot four-bedroom, split-level with a formal dining room and two-car garage. But just as important is the type of community you want to live in. Knowing what your requirements are will help narrow your home search and save time.
To expedite the house-hunting process, start by making a list of the dream home factors that are most important to you and your family’s lifestyle. Consider style, location, proximity to work and schools, yard size, children in the community, and of course, price.
Price and location generally are the key factors you’ll use to identify the communities that best suit you. If you are moving within the same city, you may want to start your community search by getting in your car and exploring. There are also resources on the Internet that let you compare communities.
You’ll want to ask yourself critical questions, such as: Do you dream of something quaint and charming that can only be found in an older area? Or, do you prefer everything new? Are you willing to sacrifice size and space for architectural detailing? What about drive and commute time to the office and schools? Will you forgo the number of bedrooms and a big yard for proximity to a lake or other recreational areas?
Whether you have children or not, buying a home in a community with good schools is important. It not only adds value to your property, but also is an attractive feature when and if you decide to sell. There are plenty of resources available to get information about schools within the communities you are considering. Various Internet sites offer school reports and profiles. They provide statistical data such as graduation rates, college-bound percentages, and standardized test scores. You can also learn about special programs the schools offer. In addition to these reports, many schools have their own Web sites you can peruse. And of course you can always talk to people in the area or take a tour of the school.
Additional factors you’ll want to consider during your community search are crime, recreational activities, proximity to shopping and restaurants, and other specific family needs.
Once you’ve narrowed your search to two or three communities that fit your price range and lifestyle, make comparisons of price and sales activity. Your real estate professional can help you determine which communities are most sales-worthy at present, and which are more likely to continue to be.
There are many factors involved in selecting the right community for you and your family. Discuss your options with your real estate professional. This will provide the information he or she needs to help you find property listings to tour. Remember, a targeted approach to house hunting is less time consuming, less expensive and more efficient.

Choosing the Right Community for You

If you are buying a home, one of the first things your real estate professional will do before taking you on home tours is interview you to determine the type of house you want such as a 2,000-square-foot four-bedroom, split-level with a formal dining room and two-car garage. But just as important is the type of community you want to live in. Knowing what your requirements are will help narrow your home search and save time.
To expedite the house-hunting process, start by making a list of the dream home factors that are most important to you and your family’s lifestyle. Consider style, location, proximity to work and schools, yard size, children in the community, and of course, price.
Price and location generally are the key factors you’ll use to identify the communities that best suit you. If you are moving within the same city, you may want to start your community search by getting in your car and exploring. There are also resources on the Internet that let you compare communities.
You’ll want to ask yourself critical questions, such as: Do you dream of something quaint and charming that can only be found in an older area? Or, do you prefer everything new? Are you willing to sacrifice size and space for architectural detailing? What about drive and commute time to the office and schools? Will you forgo the number of bedrooms and a big yard for proximity to a lake or other recreational areas?
Whether you have children or not, buying a home in a community with good schools is important. It not only adds value to your property, but also is an attractive feature when and if you decide to sell. There are plenty of resources available to get information about schools within the communities you are considering. Various Internet sites offer school reports and profiles. They provide statistical data such as graduation rates, college-bound percentages, and standardized test scores. You can also learn about special programs the schools offer. In addition to these reports, many schools have their own Web sites you can peruse. And of course you can always talk to people in the area or take a tour of the school.
Additional factors you’ll want to consider during your community search are crime, recreational activities, proximity to shopping and restaurants, and other specific family needs.
Once you’ve narrowed your search to two or three communities that fit your price range and lifestyle, make comparisons of price and sales activity. Your real estate professional can help you determine which communities are most sales-worthy at present, and which are more likely to continue to be.
There are many factors involved in selecting the right community for you and your family. Discuss your options with your real estate professional. This will provide the information he or she needs to help you find property listings to tour. Remember, a targeted approach to house hunting is less time consuming, less expensive and more efficient.

Crofton, MD - A Great Place to Live

Crofton is a planned community. On a map, Crofton is a triangle bordered by Route 3, Route 424 (Davidsonville Road) and Route 450 (Defense Hwy). It is midway between Baltimore and Washington, DC. Inside the trangle, everything is residential with the exception of the Crofton Country Club, a few churches, and Village Green...a small cluster of businesses. Crofton Parkway is a wide boulevard that is a 4 mile circle inside the triangle. Many of the homes along the parkway back to the golf course. On any given day, you will see people strolling, running, and biking the parkway.

In the past 10 years, new housing was build outside of the Crofton triangle. There are townhouses and single family homes by a variety of builders. Walden is a planned community with a golf course and country club. Housing in the newer area of Crofton is comparable to other housing built in the Washington, DC area in the past 10 years.

One of the advantages that Crofton has is location and the accessibility to transportation. Washington, DC is a 25 minute drive; Baltimore is a 30 minute drive. There is a bus that leaves Crofton every morning for the New Carrolton Metro Station (orange line). The bus returns every evening. The New Carrolton station is about a 20 minute drive from Crofton and there is parking there. The MARC train that goes to Union Station leaves from Bowie and Odenton. Both stations are within 15 minutes of Crofton.

Crofton has a beautiful park with athletic fields and an outdoor theater. In addition, there is a smaller park with a lake inside the triangle. The lake is stocked with fish, and on a summer day, many youngsters try their luck at fishingl. The other lake in Crofton put the community in the public eye a few years ago when snakehead fish were found.

A quiet residential community, Crofton has all sorts of activities. Every summer there are Sunday evening concerts on Village Green; there is an Easter Egg Hunt, a Halloween parade, and a Christmas tree lighting. There are summer ice cream socials, and every spring and fall there is a wonderful craft bazaar across from the Village Green.

Anne Arundel County Heritage

Back in the 1950's the folks in Annapolis (the capital of Maryland) made the wise decision to maintain as many of the historical buildings in the city as possible. The goal was to keep the 17th century feel, and as a result Annapolis has the largest collection of 17th century real estate architecture in the country. You can stroll through downtown Annapolis and enjoy the museums, historic sites, shopping, dining, and views of the water.

Anne Arundel County is located on the Chesapeake Bay, and there are many water activities. Every fall a week is devoted to the sail boat show, and a week is devoted to the power boat show. All of the boats are in the waterm and visitors to the shows can board the boats. Any time of the year, you can walk across the Easport Bridge over Spa Creek. Hundreds of boats can be viewed from the bridge. The U.S. Naval Academy adds to the rich maritime heritage of Annapolis.

Top Things to Do in Maryland

Planning a trip to Maryland or thinking about relocating? Here is a list taken from www.worldtravelguide.net of things you should definitely check out!

• Tour the National Aquarium in Baltimore (image below) (website: www.aqua.org), home to more than 560 species of sub aquatic life. Start your day by having breakfast with the dolphins, or sign up for a sleepover with the sharks.

• Listen to the music at the beautiful Pier Six Concert Pavilion (website: www.piersixpavilion.com) where concerts are hosted during the summer months (June to late September).

• Climb the Washington Monument (website: www.nps.gov/wamo) in the heart of Washington, DC for a panoramic view.

• Take a water taxi ride to the neighbourhoods of Fell's Point (website: www.fellspoint.us) and Little Italy (website: www.littleitalymd.com).

• Sign on for sailing lessons at the world-renowned Annapolis Sailing School (website: www.annapolissailing.com).

• Soak up the sun at Ocean City (website: www.oceancity.org), a lovely beach resort boasting an expansive white sand beach, a 5km- (3-mile-) long boardwalk, amusements, tram rides, boating and deep-sea fishing.
  

• Hike or bike the old towpath once used by mule-drawn barges in Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historic Park (website: www.nps.gov/choh), stretching 295km (184 miles) from Washington, DC to Cumberland in Western Maryland, and visit the headquarters where George Washington began his military career.

• Enjoy a variety of water-based activities at Deep Creek Lake (website: www.deepcreeklake.com), the state's four-season resort, or play 18 holes of golf on two scenic championship courses.

• Admire some of the world's best racehorses during the week-long activities celebrating the annual running of the Preakness Stakes (website: www.preakness.com) in May. It is the second event in thoroughbred racing's prestigious triple crown.

What are your favorite things to do in Maryland? I would love to hear them!

Maryland Fun Facts

Main Street (formerly Church Street) in Annapolis, Maryland, USA Photo © Hisham Ibrahim / Getty Images

Thinking about moving to Maryland? Here are some fun and interesting facts about the "Old Line State." (Taken from history.com)

• Maryland was the hometown of the Babe and the Raven: Baseball great Babe Ruth and Edgar Allen Poe lived there. Poe is also buried in Baltimore's Westminster Cemetery.

• The state sport of Maryland is jousting, a competition between two armored contestants mounted on horses in which each tries to strike the other with a lance. The sport has been enjoyed in Maryland for 300 years.

• Maryland is famous for great seafood, especially crabs. During lunch hour on Maryland's Chesapeake Bay, vendors sell almost as many crabcakes as hot dogs and hambugers combined.

• Maryland's Mount Clare Station, built in Baltimore in 1830, was the first railroad station in the United States.

• Notorious gunslinger Doc Holliday was called "Doc" because he was a dentist. Holliday learned his trade at the Baltimore College of Dental Surgery.

• Kunta Kinte, the slave ancestor of Roots author Alex Haley, arrived in Annapolis in 1767. This is now commemorated at the City Dock by a plaque and statue of Haley.

• The Mother Seton House in Baltimore and the National Shrine of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton in Emmitsburg both celebrate the life of the first American to be sainted, a Baltimore resident.

• America's first umbrellas were produced in Baltimore, beginning in 1828.

• Each year on September 17, 23,100 luminaries are lit at Maryland's Antietam National Battlefield to honor the dead of America's bloodiest one-day battle, fought during the Civil War.

• The Mason-Dixon line was drawn between Pennsylvania and Maryland in the 1760s to end a border dispute. The line is traditionally thought of as the division between America's North and South.

Remodel Your Kitchen and Bath without Breaking the Bank

It’s not surprising that two of the most popular rooms for home makeovers are the kitchen and bathroom. When potential homebuyers are searching for homes, they generally are more attracted to homes with updated kitchens and baths. These same rooms rank high in return on remodeling investment at resale, according to Remodeling Magazine’s Cost-vs-Value 2008-09 Study.

However, both can be pricey ventures. According to the same study, the national average for minor kitchen remodel was $21,246. A sample remodel at this cost includes replacing cabinet fronts, flooring, laminate countertops and oven and cooktop; installing mid-priced sink and faucet, adding wall cover and repainting trim.

The national average for a mid-range bathroom remodel was $15,899, which included replacing fixtures, installing a porcelain-on-steel tub, new shower and ceramic tile flooring.

If you’re like many consumers today, you are more budget conscious and may not be able to afford thousands of dollars on a remodeling project. Here are some alternatives that will give your kitchen and bathroom a fresh, modern look without breaking your piggy bank.

Kitchen

Cabinets—Give your cabinets a fresh look by either refinishing or refacing the fronts at a more economical cost than buying new ones. You can even take the center face out and install a glass front.

Hardware—Replacing your cabinet knobs and drawer pulls, can give your kitchen an entirely new look.

Paint—A fresh coat of paint is always a sure bet. And it is one of the least expensive ways to give a room a makeover. To further transform the room, choose more modern hues, such as a warm yellow or deep red.

Countertops—The price of natural quartz or stone countertops can quickly eat away your kitchen remodeling budget. Less expensive, yet still attractive alternatives are solid surface materials such as Silestone® or granite and ceramic tiles. An even more affordable choice is laminate, which is easy to install yourself and comes in a variety of colors and styles.
Faucets and Sinks—Add a fresh new look by replacing your sink and faucet with a high-arched spout in an updated finish, such as brushed nickel, brushed chrome or stainless steel.

Backsplash—Another option to modernize your kitchen’s look is adding a backsplash. But rather than having ceramic tiles, consider creating a mosaic with ceramic or glass or install a faux backsplash panel.

Window treatments—Switch out older valances with options that let the natural light in.
Lighting—By adding under cabinet lights or even track lighting, you can create a dramatic look to your kitchen.

Bathroom

Paint—As with the kitchen, a new coat of paint is a low-cost way to renew a room’s look. Choose a warm color to give the room an intimate feel.

Showerheads—Change out old showerheads with a new rain showerhead.

Shower Doors – If you still use shower curtains for your bathtub, you can update the look by installing glass doors. Frameless doors are preferable. However, if the walls aren’t flush to the tub area, framed doors will still give you the modernized look you’re seeking.

Hardware—Just as with the kitchen, replacing the knobs and handles can give your vanity a fresh new appearance.

Lighting and Mirrors—In addition to the vanity, the lighting and mirrors above that area can combine to make the perfect focal piece for your bathroom. If changing the vanity is not in your budget, consider swapping out your unframed glass for a more decorative mirror and add a new lighting fixture.

You don’t have to spend thousands of dollars to add pizzazz to your kitchen or bath. Just changing one or two elements can make a huge difference in its appeal to you and a potential buyer down the road.

Should Buyers Use a Real Estate Professional?

With just the stroke of a few keys, you can find myriad resources on the Internet to help you in your search for a new home. Besides property listings, you can find out about specific communities, schools and mortgage options. With this wealth of information at your disposal, do you really need a real estate professional to represent you? Absolutely.

It's like having a guide. Think of it this way, when you go to an unfamiliar place, sure you could do a self-guided tour. However, your tour is much more rewarding and enriching when you have someone who is familiar with the location to guide you along because he or she has inside knowledge on the history, culture and stories that you may not have otherwise received.
The same can be said about sales professionals. Their role is more than someone to drive you around from property to property. They can be a great resource, especially to homebuyers relocating from other communities. He or she knows the local area including home values, taxes, utility costs, and school data, and may even be knowledgeable about resources pertaining to your special interests or needs. For instance, should you require help relocating an aging parent with you, your real estate professional may be able to direct you to local services or organizations for the elderly.
Get up to the date information. These days, changes to regulations for the real estate industry are ocurring quite frequently. A sales professional can familiarize you with the processes involved in buying a home, alert you to potential risks, help you determine how much house you can afford, explain alternative financing strategies, as well as provide tremendous moral support.

Your advocate. Another benefit is having a strong advocate during the negotiating process. Sales professionals can help you objectively evaluate an offer then work to negotiate a favorable contract. During the process, he or she will review the contract and obligations before you sign, explain how contingencies and release clauses work, and so on.
Avoid risk. And something easy to overlook is our familiarity with the complexity and risks inherent in the process. It is amazing how quickly a seemingly simple transaction can grow legally complex and risky. When complex questions arise, a sales professional can help you quickly locate an attorney or other licensed professionals whose services you may require, such as home inspectors, engineers, surveyors and lenders.
Single point of contact. As your single point of contact, a sales professional can manage the entire transaction including coordinating inspections, keeping in touch with the other real estate professionals, managing the documentation for the loan process, monitoring deadlines associated with contingencies, providing applicable paperwork, estimating closing costs, and helping prepare for a smooth and uneventful closing.

If you’re about to begin the process of buying or selling a home, consider involving a real estate professional. When the stakes are high, it’s comforting to have a specialist by your side.