7801 Whiterim Terrace- Our Beautiful New Listing in Woodrock!

7801 Whiterim Terrace, Potomac Md 20854

MC7445431

Offered at $684,900

 3 Bedrooms

4 & 1 Half Bathrooms

3 finished Levels

Large End Unit Townhome

Thoughtful Upgrades Throughout 

Click HERE FOR HD VIRTUAL TOUR

 

Joseph Nalls Now with Prosperty Mortgage

One of our Favorite loan officers, Joe Nalls, has a new home with Prosperity Mortgage. Here is all of his new contact information- Congrats on the move and we wish you the best!
Joseph Nalls
Home Mortgage Consultant
Prosperity Mortgage Company
700 King Farm Blvd, Suite 125
Rockville, MD 20850
301-529-8611 Celll
301-230-1748 Office
joseph.nalls@prosperitymortgage.com
apply online at http://www.nallshomeloans.com/

MSNBC REPORTS: Homeowners Refinancing are Opting for Shorter Mortgage Lengths

Refinancing homeowners are going short
By Bill Briggs
Many customers take 30-year loans down to 15 or 20

After being blindsided by a job loss last spring, sales exec Ren Chirakos didn’t need his new MBA degree to calculate the scary numbers: The math got simple real fast.
Zero income + new COBRA bills + a house payment = something had to give in the Chirakos family budget. The answer: refinancing his 30-year home loan to a shorter mortgage that tapped into the trend of ever-shrinking interest rates.
“I needed to keep my house,” said Chirakos, who since has found work at a different company in Cuyahoga, Ohio. His wife is a stay-home mom who cares for their two daughters. “It forces you to look at 'OK, where is our money going?' You start looking for ways to shave fixed expenses. It really gives you cause to think.”
Chirakos was paying 5.375 percent on a 30-year loan before he became a victim of downsizing at toolmaker Snap-on Inc. As rates sank and slipped over the summer, he watched and waited. Then he pounced, locking in a 20-year, fixed-rate loan at 4.3 percent and slashing $140 off the monthly bill for his $220,000 home. With excellent credit and little debt, the re-fi cost him $900, so will pay for itself in about six months. “Every little bit helps,” he said.
For many refinancing homeowners, going shorter is suddenly more appealing. Fixed mortgages of 15 and 20 years are quickly gaining fans among those who previously held 30-year loans, balloon mortgages and adjustable rates, according to a new report from mortgage giant Freddie Mac. The number of fixed-rate, 15- and 20-year loans are at their highest level since 2004, the government-controlled company said.
 CLICK HERE FOR FULL STORY

Washington post Reports: Stairs can pose a problem as you get older, so take steps now to ease the climb

Options for Aging Homeowners In Homes With Lots of Steps

By Maryann Haggerty

Special to The Washington Post
Saturday, August 14, 2010

Eventually, the 17 steps became too much for Karl Schwengel.
Schwengel, 79, a retired business manager for a D.C. nonprofit association, has lived in his two-story Capitol Hill townhouse since 1969. Over time, his health has deteriorated, so about two years ago, he had a stair lift installed.
"It's marvelous," he said. "I couldn't imagine going down those 17 steps or up those 17 steps. It's not fast, thank goodness, but it does get between floors."
As the U.S. population ages -- or just thinks about how the knees can be the first thing to go -- more homeowners may need to contemplate what steps to take about steps.
Buyer preferences vary by region. While ranch houses are popular in many parts of the Sun Belt, the default in the D.C. region is a two-story Colonial. Some buyers, especially those with children, prefer two-story houses because they separate public and private areas. However, older buyers overwhelmingly would choose one-story living, according to a consumer preference survey by the National Association of Home Builders. While 52 percent of all buyers said they would prefer a single-story house, that number climbs to 79 percent among buyers 55 and older.CLICK HERE FOR FULL ARTICLE

NBC washington reports: Columbia Height's Million Dollar Makeover

Million-Dollar Makeover in Columbia Heights

Park Road is the latest Columbia Heights strip to get a commercial makeover.

 

Click Here for Video Blog

Washington Business Journal Reports : DC Home Price Gains Best in the Country

D.C.-area home price gains in April best in U.S.
Washington Business Journal - by Tucker Echols
Read more: D.C.-area home price gains in April best in U.S. - Washington Business Journal

The Washington area led the nation in home price gains in April.
Median prices in the Washington market rose 2.4 percent in April compared with March, the best gain of the 20 markets surveyed in the S&P/Case Shiller Home Price Index. Nationally, prices rose 0.9 percent compared with March.
The Washington area also surpassed most markets in annual gains. Median home prices in the area rose 7.3 percent in April 2010, compared to one year before. Only four cities in the index posted better annual gains, led by San Francisco where prices advanced 18 percent in the last year.
The S&P/Case-Shiller survey of 20 major U.S. cities uses the “repeat sales pricing technique” to measure housing markets. This methodology collects data on individual single-family home resales and uses the re-sold sale prices to calculate price declines or gains.
Read more: D.C.-area home price gains in April best in U.S. - Washington Business Journal

Washington home prices had the strongest growth in the country

By ADRIENNE WELSCH

Updated 4:13 PM EDT, Wed, Jun 23, 2010

Print Share Buzz up!

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Finally, some good news for homeowners in the Washington area.  Home prices throughout our region saw the strongest climb in the country in April.

The Washington Examiner reports that housing prices jumped 6.5 percent from April 2009 to April 2010, according to data from CoreLogic.

 

Click here for full article

New York Times Reports: Banks Requiring More Extensive Verification of Income

Verifying Borrowers’ Finances

MORTGAGE brokers and lenders will often caution borrowers against charging up their credit cards or changing jobs before the closing date on a home loan. Now that advice seems especially prudent.
On June 1, Fannie Mae, the government-sponsored company that establishes the underwriting standards for most of the nation’s mortgages, started requiring lenders to recheck a borrower’s finances shortly before closing the loan. If a broker or lender finds significant changes, the loan could be delayed, or in some cases, denied. Click Here for full article

Wall Street Journal Reports: Green, Pre-fab Homes

Prefab Houses Go Green

 SmartMoney Magazine by Alyssa Abkowitz (Author Archive) 

On a remote home-building site outside the small town of Charlestown, R.I., Tom Dieterich is up on a roof, ducking beneath a massive slab of wood and steel that hangs from a crane. The craggy-faced crew foreman from Blu Homes has been riding his workers hard to finish this house, since they’re already so close: The bamboo floors are down, the foam-insulated walls are up, even the energy-efficient kitchen appliances have been installed. Now, with dusk approaching, Dieterich is anxious to fix the final segment of the roof into place. After all, he and his crew—and one of our reporters—are putting up the house in a single day.

Read more: Prefab Houses Go Green - Personal Finance - Real Estate - SmartMoney.com http://www.smartmoney.com/personal-finance/real-estate/prefab-houses-go-green/#ixzz0oxSz3HNW

FHA to require tighter regulations for mortgage brokers

Mortgage Insurer Turns to Lenders to Police Brokers 
 The Federal Housing Administration, the government agency that insures a bigger and bigger portion of home loans, plans to rely more heavily on lenders to police mortgage brokers.The changes will put more of the onus on lenders to make sure there is no fraud or faulty underwriting in the loans they fund, and less on the FHA. The lenders could be held liable for losses if a loan insured by the FHA goes bad and there are signs of fraud or mistakes in the underwriting.
Wall Street Journal Reports:  Click Here for full article

How much home can you get for $450,000?

Property Values

What You Get for ...$450,000

New York Times monthly feature on how much home you can afford for $450k in three different locations around the country:  Click here for full story

Bang for your buck! HGTV on maximizing return on renovation investments

Watch episodes online of HGTV's helpful show "Bang For Your Buck"

When considering renovations, a professional opinion is always helpful on what will get the most retrun on your investment!  this HGTV show offers suggestions on all kinds of renovation projects and demonstrates exactly what kind of jobs will get the best bang for your buck!

Forbes Online Reports: How to detect shabby workmanship in home construction

Eight Dream-Home Dupes

New building exploded during the housing boom. So did lazy construction practices.

List: How To Detect And Deal With Problem Homes

In early 2009 homeowners in Florida, Virginia and Louisiana began noticing odd things. Bathroom mirrors and pipes turned black. Computers and televisions stopped functioning, their circuit boards inexplicably fried. A foul smell plagued some houses. They reported health concerns too, from respiratory problems and bloody noses to insomnia....

Click here for full article

Bethesda Home With Zero Carbon Footprint

Washington Post reports:  

A Bethesda home with zero carbon footprint

By Elizabeth Festa

Special to The Washington Post
Saturday, May 1, 2010
Architect Marcie Meditch set out to show how a highly energy-efficient home could be built for a typical market price in a dense, suburban neighborhood like Bethesda... Click here for Full Article:

New York Times Reports: Costly Tax Credit Served it's Purpose

 April 30th is the magical date that has home buyers in a frenzy and that for our company has sparked business to record levels for the months of march and april.  The New York times further discusses the costs and implications of this tax credit  from May 1st onward.

Home Tax Credit Called Successful, but Costly,
By DAVID KOCIENIEWSKI
Published: April 26, 2010
Click here for full article

Rosedale Neighborhood in NE DC

The Resurgence of Rosedale

 The "where we live" weekly section in the  Saturday 4/3/10 edition of the Washington Post   featured this great article on  Rosedale, a Neighborhood in NE DC, that has seen significant growth and positive development. Click the link to find out more about this neighborhood.

Support Our Friend, Fundraising for Leukemia & Lymphoma Research

Join us in supporting this great cause, fundraising to find a cure for Leukemia & Lymphoma, any further questions, please click this link: Leukemia & Lymphoma Fundraiser or contact our friend Santiago:

Santiago Amaral
7920 Norfolk Avenue
10th Floor
Bethesda, MD 20814
office- 240.482.4230
fax -240.482.
mobile -240.281.7823
samaral@getwellnetwork.com

New Listing! 6401 Seat Pleasant Drive

6401 Seat Pleasant Drive, Carmody Hills/Capitol Heights Maryland 20743

offered at $148,000

2 Bedrooms, 2 bathrooms Completely renovated from the inside out.  Brand New, energy efficient windows, Gleaming hardwood floors, recessed lighting,  granite counters, new & matching kitchen appliances, 2 car concrete driveway, brand new vinyl siding , walk in master closet, Brand New HVAC system, Brand New Washer/dryer & hardware for a home security system.
This is home has quality construction & value!  Sellers offering $8000 closing credit for  full price offer,  couple that with  the first time home buyer tax credit  if you purchase before April, and a first time home buyer could be looking at $16k credit!  Do not miss out on this great opportunity.  For more information  Contact: Harrison Beacher (301) 448-6569

 

 Click here for HD Virtual Tour!

Open house this sunday 2.28.10- 2707 Ross Road Chevy Chase

 Come check out our listing @ 2707 Ross road this sunday Feb 28, 2010 1pm-4pm.
 Agent holding open: Harrison Beacher 301-448-6569

Listing #: MC7248838

2707 ROSS RD Chevy Chase MD 20815

Some helpful advice for taking care of your home in the Snow storm!

Helpful info from our Friends @ JHP plumbing:

If you are one of the unfortunate 90,000 without electricity and thus no heat, or if you know someone who is, please pass this on. 
If you are planning to temporarily move out, follow theses directions


1) Turn off the main water valve

a. Open “all” of the faucets and flush the toiletsb. Turn the water heater to its lowest settingc. If you have a boiler for heat (hot water and/or steam) turn the inlet water off
i. If you do not know where it is, DO NOT do anything 
ii. DO NOT turn the heat or thermostat “off”
iii. Set the thermostat @ 68* and leave it. 

Electric Surge:
This is very important to help protect your electric equipment. Once the main power starts to try to come back on, it usually sends a surge down the line because everything is calling at once.
Here are a couple of very easy things to do that will help prevent surge damage:


1) If you have a well pump, and know where the electric switch is, turn the switch off. 
a. Once the power stops popping & off and decides to stay on,then you can power it back up

2) If you have a “Heat pump” and you know where the breaker is, turn that offa. Once the power stops popping & off and decides to stay on,then you can power it back up
3) Electric water heater see #2


FYI - Due to road and parking conditions, JH Peterson Plumbing will be operating at a very limited basis. 

JH Peterson Plumbing Heating & Well Pumps
John H Peterson
627B Sligo AveSilver Spring MD 20910
(301) 585 3006