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$8000 Bailout Gift for Your Friends

Finally a bailout for responsible, hardworking folks who pay their bills. Last week, Congress approved an $8000 tax credit for homebuyers. And it is not just for first-time homebuyers. This applies to anyone who has not owned a home in the last three years. Some of my retired clients are planning to take advantage of this free gift. They sold their home in Ohio at the peak of the market, and have been waiting for the right time to buy in the Annapolis, Maryland area.

Who do you know who does not currently own their own home and could use an extra $8,000? Coworkers, kids, grandkids, nieces and nephews, friends, sports buddies? Let’s share the wealth with our friends! They may not know how easy it can be to own their own home, and with a little help from friends like you, they can do it today.

One of my favorite leaders in the real estate industry, Rich Levin, posted to his blog for Realtors on Friday Stimulate Somebody Today:

It’s Friday, and this week you have received a huge gift. The Federal Government gave you a winning lottery ticket. You were given $128,000 with one condition. You have to give it away. You have to give it away in $8,000 segments to first time Buyers. You have until the end of the year.

It gets better. That amount, $128,000 is $8,000 times 16 people. When you have sold 16 first time Buyer’s homes and used that first lottery win… the Federal Government will a lot you another win for as many more as you can accomplish.

So, spend the weekend celebrating this gift by calling everyone you know that may be a first time Buyer, that may be related to a first time Buyer, that may know a first time Buyer, that may employ a first time Buyer, that may run into a first time Buyer sometime this year. Hmmmm, that means everybody.

Start today. Continue this weekend. Make it a habit for the year. Talk to everyone you meet about sharing your gift. And like all of the most valuable gifts in the world, like love, the more you give it away, the more it comes back to you. The more you share this gift, the more people will admire and respect you as an Agent, use you and refer you to all the people who may be buying or selling.

I couldn’t have said it better myself. Let’s share the wealth! Contact me for details on this opportunity.

P.S. Call me today for all your Annapolis real estate needs.

Carlyn Lowery, Associate Broker, Keller Williams Annapolis : Real Estate Brokerage in Annapolis, Anne Arundel County, Maryland

RENTED! 213D Victor Parkway, Annapolis, Maryland 21403 – A Wonderful Home for Sale or Rent

213D Victor Parkway in popular Fairwinds, in Annapolis, Maryland, is a wonderful home with a perfect price. Just listed, and a great buy particularly for a first-time homebuyer or investor. It’s always a good time to buy a good piece of real estate, so if you know someone who is may be interested – perhaps someone who is renting and would like to own their own home, or an investor who would like to expand their portfolio, please let them know about this opportunity.

PLUS, did you hear about the BAILOUT for first-time homebuyers? If you know anyone who hasn’t owned real estate in the last three years, they can get $8,000 FREE from the US government. Yes, it is our taxpayer dollars. Let’s help our friends get some of them. Please introduce me to any friends who are RENTERS and may be eligible for this giveaway.

And please join us for the open house Sunday between 1 and 3 pm. Let me know if you can make it!

Click here for further details.

213D Victor Parkway, Annapolis, MD 21403

Fairwinds Community, Common Area, Annapolis, Maryland

P.S. Call me today for all your Annapolis real estate needs.

Carlyn Lowery, Associate Broker, Keller Williams Annapolis : Real Estate Brokerage in Annapolis, Anne Arundel County, Maryland

Free Homebuying Seminar in Annapolis Maryland

Are you planning to buy a new home in Maryland this year, or is someone you know? Do you want to get a good buy on a home you love, and not get ripped off or misled due to your lack of knowledge and experience?

A free seminar will be held on Tuesday evening, January 27th, in Annapolis. This is a great opportunity for you to learn exactly how the homebuying process works, and to ask questions of experts who are working in the real estate industry daily. If you would like to join us, please contact me today to reserve your spot, as seats are limited.

Maryland Schools Ranked Best in the Nation

The Maryland state school system was just ranked best in the nation . Our schools got a great report card in the study Quality Counts 2009, produced by Editorial Projects in Education, the publisher of the trade newspaper Education Week .

How Do You Find the Best Schools?

People often want to buy homes in good school districts. The question is, what makes a good school district? You can discover a great deal by doing research on line , talking to friends and neighbors, and visiting schools. It’s far better to research schools and choose the neighborhoods of interest, before falling in love with a home.

What do you think?

Do you know of some good resources for local school information? How would you suggest people size up a school to choose if it is right for their family?

P.S. Call me today for all your Annapolis real estate needs.

Carlyn Lowery, Associate Broker, Keller Williams Annapolis : Real Estate Brokerage in Annapolis, Anne Arundel County, Maryland

Happy New Year!

Annapolis Maryland Harbor and Capital Building

Happy New Year!

Best Wishes for a Spectacular 2009!

P.S. Call me today for all your Annapolis real estate needs.

Carlyn Lowery, Associate Broker, Keller Williams Annapolis : Real Estate Brokerage in Annapolis, Anne Arundel County, Maryland

Gift Ideas for Real Estate Investors and First-Time Homebuyers

Need a few gift ideas? Good stocking stuffers? If you have friends, family, or clients who are thinking of investing in rental property, help them out with one or more of the following books:

And if you know of someone who is renting their home and might like to invest in a home of their own, perhaps someone who is about to be a new graduate, here are a couple of good gift choices:

And for any friends in the real estate sales business, here’s a good one:

This is a great book, however you may want to pick it up for yourself rather than risk offending a friend with the title!

Happy shopping, and happy holidays! Let me know of other good ideas that you have, as I still have a bit of shopping to do myself.

P.S. Call me today for all your Annapolis real estate needs.
Carlyn Lowery, Associate Broker, Keller Williams Annapolis : Real Estate Brokerage in Annapolis, Anne Arundel County, Maryland

RENTED! 3891 Greenmeadow Lane, Davidsonville, Maryland 21035 – Gorgeous Home for Rent

3891 Greenmeadow Lane, Davidsonville, Maryland 21035 is a gorgeous home for rent in sought-after Davidsonville, sited on a four-acre lot in Merrywood Manor.

This is a rare and wonderful opportunity to live in an established and prestigious neighborhood for a fraction of what it would cost to own! It’s a great location for commuting to Washington, DC, Fort Meade, NSA, Baltimore, Annapolis, or nearby. So if you know of someone relocating to the DC area, or looking for a rental home in the area, please get in touch.

Click here for further details.

P.S. Call me today for all your Annapolis real estate needs.
Carlyn Lowery, Associate Broker, Keller Williams Annapolis : Real Estate Brokerage in Annapolis, Anne Arundel County, Maryland

Holy Toledo – Even the Press is Starting to Say It's a Good Time to Buy Real Estate!

It took the press several months to change its tune after the real estate market started the downturn, and while I have been saying that it’s a great time to buy real estate in this soft market, the news media has been full of gloom. Now the sentiment seems to be changing. MSNBC reports today, “Bad Economy Great Deals; Housing Crisis Presents Significant Buying Opportunities.” The Wall Street Journal has the following headlines, “Today’s bidding wars; Buyers flock to condo auction, ready to snap up bargains” and “U.S. homes now undervalued, economists say.”
It’s hard to know if this change in attitude has been driven by the dramatic stock market declines, which have created plenty of doom and gloom headlines of their own. Certainly real estate looks a lot better by comparison! People need to invest their money somewhere, and it seems like this is the market that, two or three years from now, people are gonna look back and say, “Oh my gosh, I wish I had bought then.”
If you miss this opportunity, don’t blame me! I’ve been giving you the heads up that you can take advantage of this market, and that Washington DC area real estate and Annapolis Maryland real estate offers solid value. If you are tempted to take action in the real estate market in the next few months, it’s time to get started now.
P.S. Call me today for all your Annapolis real estate needs.
Carlyn Lowery, Associate Broker, Keller Williams Annapolis : Real Estate Brokerage in Annapolis, Anne Arundel County, Maryland

Anne Arundel County Maryland Real Estate Market Statistics – November 2008

The National Association of REALTORS (NAR) reported in October that existing home sales increased over 5 and a half percent — a sign of improved housing affordability. The estimated annual volume has been revised upwards from of 4.91 million to 5.18 million units for 2008, representing a 1.4 percent increase over the previous year. The combination of lower prices, higher inventory and low mortgage rates have all contributed to the increase in sales.

“This is the first time since November 2005 that home sales have been above year-ago levels,” said NAR president, Richard Gaylord. “Credit tightened at the end of September, but the improvement demonstrates that buyers who have been on the sidelines want to get into the market to make a long-term investment in their future.”

Freddie Mac is reporting a recent drop in interest rates for the 30-year, conventional, fixed rate mortgage, averaging 6.04 percent in September, down from 6.48 percent in August. Despite the lower rates, speculative investors have not yet returned to the market, according to Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist. Yun reports, “80 percent of current buyers are purchasing a primary residence, which is a bit higher than historic norms.”

Average (Mean) Sales Price of Existing Homes by Region

Date	U.S.	Northeast	Midwest	South	West
2006	268,200	299,700	205,300	230,000	371,300
2007	266,000	307,100	200,500	225,600	365,900

07/08	253,300	307,100	196,900	221,100	322,400
08/08	245,400	300,600	196,400	220,400	294,500
09/08	234,700	284,100	180,100	207,600	298,400

Statistics from the National Association of REALTORS®

Total housing inventories were down 1.6 percent for the month of September, marking two consecutive monthly declines since inventory levels peaked in July.

Anne Arundel County figures for October 2008 are shown below.

	2008	2007	% Change
Total Sold Dollar Volume:	$ 132,330,760	$ 168,161,351	– 21.31 %
Average Sold Price:	$ 380,261	$ 419,355	– 9.32 %
Median Sold Price:	$ 320,000	$ 329,900	– 3.00 %
Total Units Sold:	348	401	– 13.22 %
Average Days on Market:	152	123	23.58 %
Average List Price for Solds:	$ 426,461	$ 454,159	– 6.10 %
Avg Sale Price as a percentage of Avg List Price:	89.17 %	92.34 %

Total Number of NEW listings
taken for the month:	771
Total Number of Properties
marked Contract for the month:	242
Total Number of Properties
marked Contingent for the month:	83
Total Number of NEW pendings
(CONTRACTS + CONTINGENTS):	325

Source: Metropolitan Regional Information Systems, Inc. – MLS Resale Data
Information is deemed reliable, but is not guaranteed.

P.S. Call me today for all your Annapolis real estate needs.
Carlyn Lowery, Associate Broker, Keller Williams Annapolis : Real Estate Brokerage in Annapolis, Anne Arundel County, Maryland

SOLD! 670 W Central Avenue, Davidsonville, MD 21035 – Beautiful Land with Home in Sought-After Location

670 W Central Avenue, Davidsonville, MD 21035 is a great find – nearly ten acres in sought-after Davidsonville, with a custom home just built in 2004. This level, wooded lot with a stream offers great potential for horses, stables, livestock, farming, nursery, kennel, and more.

If you know someone who would love to have their very own horse property, room for their animals, or a place to store all of their toys, cars, boats, etc., please let them know about this rare opportunity. Most properties with this amount of land in Davidsonville sell for far higher prices.

Click here for further details.

P.S. Call me today for all your Annapolis real estate needs.
Carlyn Lowery, Associate Broker, Keller Williams Annapolis : Real Estate Brokerage in Annapolis, Anne Arundel County, Maryland

$8000 Bailout Gift for Your Friends

RENTED! 213D Victor Parkway, Annapolis, Maryland 21403 – A Wonderful Home for Sale or Rent

Free Homebuying Seminar in Annapolis Maryland

Maryland Schools Ranked Best in the Nation

How Do You Find the Best Schools?

What do you think?

Happy New Year!

Gift Ideas for Real Estate Investors and First-Time Homebuyers

RENTED! 3891 Greenmeadow Lane, Davidsonville, Maryland 21035 – Gorgeous Home for Rent

Holy Toledo – Even the Press is Starting to Say It's a Good Time to Buy Real Estate!

Anne Arundel County Maryland Real Estate Market Statistics – November 2008

SOLD! 670 W Central Avenue, Davidsonville, MD 21035 – Beautiful Land with Home in Sought-After Location

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