Ken M. posted an article on The MD Suburbs of DC - Nov 26, 2009, 6:57 am
In my neck of the woods, it’s a foggy, damp morning.  It’s has stopped raining, though, as it has been for the past three days.  I’m thankful for that. There’s really a lot ...
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Ken M. posted an article on The MD Suburbs of DC - Nov 25, 2009, 10:16 am
I sat through a 90 minute presentation yesterday on the new RESPA (Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act) guidelines that are due to take effect January 1, 2010.  If I were a betting man, I would wag...
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Ken M. posted an article on The MD Suburbs of DC - Nov 24, 2009, 8:05 am
You may have heard that the October 2009 existing home sales numbers shot up, once again, this time by a staggering 10.1%.  That’s a big number. You can read more about the details at this art...
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Ken M. posted an article on The MD Suburbs of DC - Nov 23, 2009, 6:56 am
Fact:  There are a huge number of foreclosures on the market Fact:  Many/most of these foreclosures need a lot of work Fact:  If you’re not well-versed on the “ins and outs” of the FHA 203(...
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Ken M. posted an article on The MD Suburbs of DC - Nov 22, 2009, 5:58 am
Winter has always been a slow part of the real estate business.  As I have written about in a previous post, there is just too much going on for people to really be out there looking for houses.  So...
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Ken M. posted an article on The MD Suburbs of DC - Nov 19, 2009, 7:55 pm
The 20707 zip code for Laurel, MD isn’t all historic. There is a good portion, though. Historic Main Street Tastee Diner There is also access to the local MARC train which is the commuter t...
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Ken M. posted an article on The MD Suburbs of DC - Nov 17, 2009, 12:20 pm
This may not come as a surprise to anyone but the Winter real estate market is normally a “slow” time.  It doesn’t really matter if you’re living here in the MD Suburbs of DC ...
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Ken M. posted an article on The MD Suburbs of DC - Nov 14, 2009, 1:09 pm
You may have heard that there has been a recent spike in home sales. Not to be confused with a spike in home prices. Some people say that this is a sign of the economic recovery.  Others think is m...
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Ken M. posted an article on The MD Suburbs of DC - Nov 12, 2009, 4:15 pm
I’ve been going to The Dental Group in Riverdale, MD (about a mile south from College Park, MD on RT 1) for awhile.  Mostly the normal stuff like getting my teeth cleaned and the occasional cav...
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Ken M. posted an article on The MD Suburbs of DC - Nov 11, 2009, 6:18 am
Just a short blog post today to remember and honor all the men and women in our Armed Forces.  These men and women voluntarily sacrifice time away from their family and friends to defend our country....
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Ken M. posted an article on The MD Suburbs of DC - Nov 7, 2009, 4:24 pm
Yay! The tax credit got extended and…now hear this…expanded to include existing home owners that want to buy another home.  Yep. That’s right. if you have lived in your home 5 conse...
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Ken M. posted an article on The MD Suburbs of DC - Nov 5, 2009, 3:19 pm
Good news?  You bet. Both houses of Congress have passed the extension for the $8,000 first time home buyer tax credit and have expanded the credit to include current home owners that have lived in ...
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Ken M. posted an article on The MD Suburbs of DC - Nov 4, 2009, 7:46 am
We all know that the November and December holiday season is the make or break season for retailers everywhere.  They’re really gearing up for the holiday sales and, this year, it looks like it...
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Ken M. posted an article on The MD Suburbs of DC - Nov 2, 2009, 6:52 am
Here’s something that’s a little bit on the counter intuitive side.  Sitting down?  Feet firmly planted on the floor? If you have equity in your house and you have a desire to sell it, ...
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Ken M. posted an article on The MD Suburbs of DC - Nov 1, 2009, 8:56 am
I run into it all the time. “I’m in no hurry to sell.” “I don’t really need to sell right now.” “I need dollars to be able to sell.” “I’ve ...
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Ken M. posted an article on The MD Suburbs of DC - Oct 30, 2009, 2:53 pm
Well, it looks like the extension of the home buyer tax credit is gaining steam. It seems like the House of Representatives is poised to pass it and that the Senate, after more deliberation, may very ...
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Ken M. posted an article on The MD Suburbs of DC - Oct 28, 2009, 3:23 pm
There was  a time when the hard working Realtor® knocked on doors, did some cold calling (”Sorry to interrupt your dinner, Sir.  Do you know anyone interested in buying or selling a house?...
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Ken M. posted an article on The MD Suburbs of DC - Oct 25, 2009, 9:04 am
In a disturbing article in today’s Washington Post, writer Christine Whelan, describes the death of three and injury of more than a dozen others who participated in a self help “Spiritual ...
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Ken M. posted an article on The MD Suburbs of DC - Oct 24, 2009, 9:04 am
Some time ago I met up with some clients that eventually bought a home in Silver Spring, MD.  They had been living overseas for awhile and before they went they had been living in a home in Clinton, ...
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Ken M. posted an article on The MD Suburbs of DC - Oct 22, 2009, 6:38 am
Here’s a quick visual of the market in College Park, MD. It looks like: median sales prices continue to fall Days on Market have been increasing but look like they may have leveled off Inventor...
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Ken M. posted an article on The MD Suburbs of DC - Oct 19, 2009, 7:54 pm
I was recently reading the Sellsius real estate blog which is written and maintained by someone I would like to consider a friend – Joe Ferrera.  He’s been at this awhile and it’s o...
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Ken M. posted an article on The MD Suburbs of DC - Oct 17, 2009, 12:20 pm
It’s bad enough when it’s nasty and rainy and the sun isn’t shining.  Like it’s been in the MD Suburbs for the last four days and with no end in sight. There is nothing worse ...
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Ken M. posted an article on The MD Suburbs of DC - Oct 13, 2009, 2:36 pm
This blog post is a little on the personal side.  It has a slight real estate angle but only if you hold it up to the sun and look at it a certain way. Piling On The Debt Like most people, my wife ...
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Ken M. posted an article on The MD Suburbs of DC - Oct 8, 2009, 4:58 pm
I’ve been partnering with a bunch of self-described data geeks at Altos Research to provide real time real estate market data for ten zip codes in the MD Suburbs of DC.  Now, the great people a...
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Ken M. posted an article on The MD Suburbs of DC - Oct 6, 2009, 1:59 pm
In the age of Internet searches, Virtual Tours and buyer’s agents that can provide your own personal tour of a house at your convenience it seems amazing that the Open House is still as popular ...
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Ken M. posted an article on The MD Suburbs of DC - Oct 5, 2009, 6:11 am
This month’s Client Spotlight shines on Matt & Lisa Lindeman. I forget how I actually met Matt and Lisa about five years ago.  They were looking for their first home and they wanted it to be withi...
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Ken M. posted an article on The MD Suburbs of DC - Oct 4, 2009, 4:25 am
I’ve written before on how appraisals can affect the sale of your home. In yesterday’s Real Estate section of the Washington Post, Renae Merle writes an interesting article about the new ...
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Ken M. posted an article on The MD Suburbs of DC - Oct 1, 2009, 8:11 pm
Planning a vacation when you’re in the real estate business is kinda hard to do.  Planning it when you’re a sole practitioner with no team to back you up when you’re gone is really ...
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Ken M. posted an article on The MD Suburbs of DC - Sep 27, 2009, 4:23 am
I’ve been trying to plan a little bit of a vacation for months.  You see, real estate, unlike many other professions or j-o-b-s does not have a predictable flow.  You can go for stretches of t...
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Ken M. posted an article on The MD Suburbs of DC - Sep 26, 2009, 6:24 am
In a front page article written by Dina ElBoghdady entitled Clock is Ticking for FIrst Time Home Buyers, the Washington Post is joining is with the multitude of others reminding first time home buyers...
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Ken M. posted an article on The MD Suburbs of DC - Sep 21, 2009, 7:46 am
“25% off!” “Buy One, Get One Free” Hey, we’ve all seen the promotions and the screaming headlines tempting us to buy this, that or the other.  More likely, the headlin...
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Ken M. posted an article on The MD Suburbs of DC - Sep 18, 2009, 5:29 am
It’s easy to sit back and read the blog and say to yourself, ” That’s just Ken spouting off. What does he know?” Every now and then I come across something in the mainstream p...
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Ken M. posted an article on The MD Suburbs of DC - Sep 17, 2009, 6:31 am
Most people get a certain picture inside their head when they hear “inside the Beltway”.  It’s about Washington, DC.  Not the city, itself.  Although, the city has more than it...
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Ken M. posted an article on The MD Suburbs of DC - Sep 16, 2009, 5:37 am
After two and a half days of almost non-stop workshops and meetings, it is time to head back home.  No more time on the beach.  Although, to be honest, I never really got time to hang out on the bea...
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Ken M. posted an article on The MD Suburbs of DC - Sep 15, 2009, 5:20 am
There is a saying that goes something like this: “A bad day at the beach is better that a good day at work.” This may be true but it begs the question: What if you work at the beach?  So...
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Ken M. posted an article on The MD Suburbs of DC - Sep 14, 2009, 7:26 am
It’s true. Time is running out on the $8,000 First Time Home Buyer Credit.  If you haven’t owned a home within the last three years, you qualify if the home you purchase will be your pri...
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Ken M. posted an article on The MD Suburbs of DC - Sep 13, 2009, 9:59 pm
There is an old saying that goes something like this: “If I have a broken arm I don’t go to my accountant to take care of it.”  The concept is that you see the professional (in this...
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Ken M. posted an article on The MD Suburbs of DC - Sep 10, 2009, 5:55 am
As a Realtor, I’m supposed to be filled with nothing but happy talk (”Now is the time to buy!”  “No better time to sell!”) or a screaming advocate for the causes of the ...
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Ken M. posted an article on The MD Suburbs of DC - Sep 7, 2009, 1:14 pm
In the current housing environment, there  are lots of home buyers, especially first-time home buyers, that are looking for bargains.  They’ve been told by the media that foreclosures are at r...
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Ken M. posted an article on The MD Suburbs of DC - Sep 6, 2009, 3:59 pm
Labor Day weekend is always a lot of great fun.  It’s a long weekend with most people having the first Monday in September as a holiday. It’s the end of summer — the last blast of time ...
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Ken M. posted an article on The MD Suburbs of DC - Sep 4, 2009, 7:36 am
This month’s Client Spotlight shines on Ric Conn and Kathy Cook. I’ve known KC for a long time.  We used to hang out together with a group of people that, er, liked to have a good time.  We’v...
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