Our New Potomac Listing Getting Some Positive Feedback on Another Blog!

 A Google search of the neighborhood turned up  this  blurb about our new listing featured HERE on our blog.  8221 Buckspark lane, in Potomac.


Heres what  a fellow Blogger had to say about our new listing:

"My favorite section of the "East Gate of Potomac" subdivision is on the south side of Democracy Boulevard. These homes were built in the mid-1970's and did not follow the contemporary bent of the rest of East Gate. With great schools, location and the Potomac zip code - the community is a winner.
This home is larger than it looks from the outside. The home is currently being spruced up for sale and looks great from the curb. The foyer is large with nice hardwood floors which carry throughout the main level. Updated powder room and nicely re-done kitchen will save time and money for the new owners. Granite counters and island open into a breakfast area and the family room. A slider leads to a large deck overlooking a lovely backyard.
The upstairs has 5 bedrooms and 3 full baths. The baths have been updated but not fully renovated. The yellow, blue and pink tile in these baths remind you the homes were built in the 1970's. The cabinets and fixtures HAVE been updated and do not need immediate attention. Overall a great upstairs.
The basement is large and freshly carpeted. Plenty of space here to utilize in any way you like. A half bath and "bedroom" can house overnight guests and a separate storage area has plenty of room for shelves and boxes."

Frank Lloyd Wright house in Bethesda now belongs to architect's grandson

 Washington Post Feature: Inhabit

 

 

 

By Nancy McKeon

Special to The Washington Post
Saturday, August 21, 2010

It was just the kind of building site that Frank Lloyd Wright loved to tackle: The steep piece of land in a heavily treed corner of Bethesda was generally thought to be unbuildable. The driveway, a nearly straight drop from the wooded road above, was daunting. In addition, the only flat area was small, certainly not enough for a big house.   Click Here for Full Article

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

NBC washington Blog: Foreclosure Rates Rise in D.C., NoVA

Metro Area Foreclosures Rise:

Foreclosure rates in the District and northern Virginia rose slightly over the last year. Though foreclosure rates in D.C., Arlington and Alexandria fall below the national average, rates in each municipality rose a fraction of a percentage point.

The foreclosure rates in the District of Columbia rose from 1.56 to 1.85 percent between June 2009 and June 2010. Over the same period, foreclosure rates in the broader region -- including D.C., Arlington and Alexandria -- rose just slightly, from 2.15 to 2.16 percent. Click HERE for full Article

Local Family wins "Living Like Mad Men" Competition -Washington post

With Silver Spring home, family wins Washington Post's Mad Men Look contest

By Elizabeth Razzi

Special to The Washington Post
Saturday, July 24, 2010

"It's the first time in our lives we've been hip. And it came to us -- we didn't go to it," said Melissa Talley, 51, winner of The Post's Mad Men Look contest.
Clck here for full Article

NBC Washington Reports: More Help For Homeowners in Trouble

Homeowners Hope for Mortgage Help

Thousands of struggling homeowners, hoping to get a break on their mortgage payments, started lining up outside the Washington Convention Center early Friday morning.

They were waiting for the start of the Save The Dream tour. The Neighborhood Assistance Corporation of America has brought together lenders, financial counselors and homeowners in danger of losing their houses.
Over the next week, many homeowners will be able to negotiate lower interest rates. Some may also be able to lower the principal on their homes.Click Here for Full Article

New Listing! 2406 St. Albert Terrace, Olney Maryland

Beautiful Manor Oaks Townhome
2406 ST ALBERT TER
olney, MD 20832
Price: $ 449,000

MLS #: MC7384643

 Click HERE for HD virtual Tour

Are Energy Star Certifications on Appliances Legitimate?

U.S. agencies try to restore faith in Energy Star appliance testing

By Sonja Ryst
Washington Post Staff Writer
Saturday, July 10, 2010

When you buy something with an Energy Star label on it, are you getting ripped off for trying to be green?
The Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Energy have been fighting to end such worries in recent months. They are taking steps to reassure consumers that the blue and white stamp really means what it says, namely that the product is highly energy-efficient, and they are revamping the way they certify products that bear the label.
This comes after the Government Accountability Office flayed the Energy Star certification process because manufacturers could exploit it. GAO investigators said in March that they set up Web sites, mailboxes and cellphones for four bogus manufacturing companies and then used that contact information on Energy Star commitment forms. The bogus companies received Energy Star partnership status within two weeks. When the GAO investigators filled out forms describing 20 bogus products, 15 qualified for Energy Star labels, including a gas-powered clock radio and a feather duster attached to a space heater.
Click Here for Full Article

Washington Business Journal Reports: Refinances are up?

Wednesday, July 7, 2010, 12:19pm EDT  |  Modified: Wednesday, July 7, 2010, 2:45pm

Mortgage refinancing jumps to highest in a year

 Washington Business Journal - by Jeff Clabaugh

The number of applications to refinance an existing mortgage jumped to the highest level in more than a year last week, even as home sales slow, according to the D.C.-based Mortgage Bankers Association.
The trade group’s weekly report says overall mortgage applications rose 6.7 percent last week. Applications for purchases fell 2 percent from the previous week, while applications for refinancing rose 9.2 percent. Refinance applications reached the highest level since May 15, 2009, the Mortgage Bankers Association said.

Read more: Mortgage refinancing jumps to highest in a year - Washington Business Journal

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

How Low Can They Go? Mortgage Rates Down even more

Mortgage rates at lowest point since mid-1950s

National average for a 30-year fixed loan dips to 4.69 percent

 

Mortgages are cheaper today than they've been in a half-century. If only most people had the job security, the credit rating and the cash to qualify for one or refinance.

The average rate for a 30-year fixed loan sank to 4.69 percent this week, beating the low set in December and down from 4.75 percent last week, Freddie Mac said Thursday. Rates for 15-year and five-year mortgages also hit lows. Click here for full article

Open Houses this weekend

Harrison is holding his brand new listing open today from 1-4pm
7310 Joplin St Capitol Heights Md 20743. Offered at $220,000
Click image for virtual tour




















 Tom Is holding  his listing in Columbia Maryland open today also, 1-4pm
9038 Phillip Dorsey Way, Columbia Md, 21045, Offered at $489,000
Click image for virtual tour

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

CNN Money Reports: Politicians Pulling for Tax Credit Extension

Homebuyers could get more time for tax credit

By Tami Luhby, senior writer

 NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- First-time homebuyers looking to land an $8,000 federal income tax credit may have a little more time to close on their purchases if a Senate amendment unveiled Thursday makes it into law. Click HERE for full article

Brand New Listing in Rock Creek Forest! First Open Sunday 5/16

Check out Barbara's New Listing:

2702 Colston Drive, Chevy Chase Maryland, 20815

MC7338390

List Price:  $710,000

 First open  Sunday 5/16- 2pm-5pm

Click Here For HD virtual Tour

Washington Business Journal Reports: DC housing prices up

Tuesday, May 11, 2010, 10:49am EDT

D.C.-area housing prices up 4.7%

Washington Business Journal - by Jeff Clabaugh

The latest read on Washington-area housing prices shows strong year-over-year gains, according to the National Association of Realtors.
Its quarterly report says the median price of a single-family home in the Washington region in the first quarter was $292,600, up 4.7 percent from a year ago.

Read more: D.C.-area housing prices up 4.7% - Washington Business Journal:

Click here for full story

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

Spruce up the exterior of your home, before summer heat

CNN Money's Real Estate section reports:

The best outdoor jobs to tackle now

 

 

 

 

 

 

By Josh Garskof, Money Magazine contributing writerMay 3, 2010:

(Money Magazine) -- You probably know that boosting your home's curb appeal is one of the most important ways to maximize its value. But that doesn't mean you need to take on a pricey job like replacing the windows or installing a blue-stone walk. In fact, you'll probably get a bigger bang for your buck with upkeep that costs a few hundred dollars at most -- like touching up the paint, mulching planting beds, and staining fences and decks. "A lot of buyers expect to invest in big projects to customize the house, but no one wants to deal with deferred maintenance," says Rick Wohlfarth, a realtor in Cundy's Harbor, Maine. 
Click here for full article.