Jim Williams and Rachel Oslund at Pillar To Post put this great fire safety list together: Residential fires take their toll every year in lost lives and destroyed property. The fact is, many conditions that cause fires can be avoided or prevented by homeowners. Taking the time for some simple precautions and preventive inspections can help prevent fire in the home - and can even save your life should disaster strike. Any electrical devices including lamps, appliances, and electronic equipment should be checked for frayed cords, loose or broken plugs, and exposed wiring. Never run electrical wires under carpet or rugs. Wood-burning fireplaces should be cleaned by a professional chimney sweep each year to prevent a dangerous buildup of creosote, which can cause a flash fire in the chimne... 08/21/2009

Income Tax Savings Because of income tax deductions, the government is basically subsidizing your purchase of a home. All of the interest and property taxes you pay in a given year can be deducted from your gross income to reduce your taxable income. For example, assume your initial loan balance is $150,000 with an interest rate of eight percent. During the first year you would pay $9969.27 in interest. If your first payment is January 1st, your taxable income would be almost $10,000 less – due to the IRS interest rate deduction. Property taxes are deductible, too. Whatever property taxes you pay in a given year may also be deducted from your gross income, lowering your tax obligation For More Valuable Real Estate Information visit: http://freereports.annapolishomes4you.com/ TOP RESIDEN... 08/21/2009

Here is so information from my monthy e-News Letter Native plants are plants that have adapted to the geography, rainfall levels, and climate of a particular region. Native plants occur in communities, that is, they have evolved together with other plants. As a result, a community of native plants provides habitat for a variety of native wildlife species such as songbirds and butterflies. Who doesn't like those? The reason you might want to consider incorporating native plants into your landscape is that they provide a beautiful, hardy, drought resistant, low maintenance area to your landscape, while benefiting the environment. Native plants, once established, save time and money by eliminating or significantly reducing the need for fertilizers, pesticides, water, and lawnmowers. Which ... 08/20/2009

The Best Investment As a fairly general rule, homes appreciate about five percent a year. Some years will be more, some less. The figure will vary from neighborhood to neighborhood, and region to region. Five percent may not seem like that much at first. Stocks (at times) appreciate much more, and you could earn over six percent with the safest investment of all, treasury bonds. But take a second look… Presumably, if you bought a $200,000 house, you did not pay cash for the home. You got a mortgage, too. Suppose you put as much as twenty percent down – that would be an investment of $40,000. At an appreciation rate of 5% annually, a $200,000 home would increase in value $10,000 during the first year. That means you earned $10,000 with an investment of $40,000. Your annual "return on inv... 08/20/2009

You might have read the online story from Business Week's June 29, 2009 issue titled Where Housing Will Be In 2012.  I was anxious to learn that the Baltimore-Towson metro area has a projected decline of 14.8% and Maryland overall has a projected decline of 12.3%. Metro: Baltimore-TowsonWhat a Home Will Be Worth in 2012: $214,692Q4 2008 price: $252,000Projected price change by MSA: -14.8%Projected price change by state: -12.3% Source: BusinessWeek - What Your Home Will Be Worth in 2012 Further drops in home prices would certainly be unwelcome by most homeowners especially those who might need to sell in the next few years. In Anne Arundel County where the Average Sold Price of a home in July 2009 was $355,099, our local housing market has declined 10.82% from this time last year accordi... 08/20/2009

Buying a home Annapolis Maryland is a great investment, possibly the largest investment you will ever make, so it seems logical that you would want to invest your money wisely when the time comes to purchase a new home in Anne Arundel County. The following report will tell you simple but often-overlooked procedures that will allow you to maximize the dollars you spend on your new home. Most homebuyers have two primary considerations when they start looking for a homes for sale. First, you want it to meet your needs and desires, and secondly, you want to get the best buy possible to obtain your new home. Successful homebuyers emerge from a sale with the features they want in their new home at the best price available in the market. For starters, you must know what you are looking for in ... 08/18/2009

Thinking of saving money, according to the Alliance to Save Energy, Department of Energy and Environmental Protection Agency, American consumers and businesses spend some $21 billion annually, on lighting alone, and could cut their costs in half with energy-efficient light bulbs and fixtures while improving the environment. Installing efficient lighting in American homes and businesses would reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 140 million tons each year--as much as eliminating all the carbon dioxide produced by the state of New Jersey! Isn't that amazing?We found a website (sponsored by the EPA and the DOE) that shows how to save money on energy bills by incorporating their energy efficiency suggestions. It's http://hes.lbl.gov/. For More Valuable Real Estate Information visit: http://fr... 08/18/2009

For More Valuable Real Estate Information visit: http://freereports.annapolishomes4you.com/ TOP RESIDENTIAL REAL ESTATE AGENT: LICENSED SINCE 1986 Pat Ogle, Associate Broker, CRS, DSAC, e-Pro, GRI, MCJ, REALTOR® Certified Residential Specialist / Certified Internet Marketing Specialist Over $73,000,000 in Settled Sales Champion Hall of Fame Best of the Best 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 National Sales Award, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 #1 in AOL, Comcast, Google and Yahoo #1 Relocation site for Annapolis, Anne Arundel County Champion Realty, Inc. 711 Bestgate Road, Annapolis, MD 21401 410.224.0660 (O) 443.569.2736 (C) 410-224-0632 (F) e-Mail PatOgle@AnnapolisHomes4You.com Visit www.AnnapolisHomes4You.com Please Don't Forget to Show Your Support for Our Troops! 08/17/2009

ANNAPOLIS RENTERS STOP paying your landlord's mortgage.  Receive a FREE REPORT that reveals how easy it is to OWN your own home. http://www.stoprentingyes.com  If you are thinking of buying or selling a home give me a call today and we'll talk about the market conditions and what your home could possibly be worth in today's market place if you are thinking of selling.  If you are considering buying a home, there is no better time than now to buy.  The tax savings and wealth building a lone is worth the plunge into todays market. During 2009 Advance Realty Anne Arundel Inc is waving administrative fees active duty military, retired military and the families of fallen military, as well as policemen, firemen and emt's.  If you enter into a contract by the New Year's eve Advance Realty Anne... 08/17/2009

A delightful city on the Chesapeake Bay that I left behind when moving to Hawaii.  Photo of Francis Avenue branching off from Main Street in Annapolis.  Search Kauai/Big Island | Search Maui | Email | About Me | Visit Website | Phone/Text (808) 651-4550 Engineering Hawaii Dreams Today--Helping Buyers Find Dream Homes & Sellers Find Buyers Visit www.KauaiRocks.com for Hawaii real estate information 08/16/2009

Here is a great post from Pat Savani Buyer's Remorse. When a buyer is not prepared for buyer's remorse they think that they are the only ones that have ever experienced it. They get cold feet and want to change their mind and declare their contract null and void! Their change of heart usually has no logical basis but is an emotional response to the decision that they made. Click here to read more! For More Valuable Real Estate Information visit: http://freereports.annapolishomes4you.com/ ------------------------------------------------ PS: You can do it and we will help you! TOP RESIDENTIAL REAL ESTATE AGENT: LICENSED SINCE 1986 Pat Ogle, Associate Broker, CRS, DSAC, e-Pro, GRI, MCJ, REALTOR® Certified Residential Specialist / Certified Internet Marketing Specialist Gary Orders, e-Pro, ... 08/14/2009

Waiting is Not a Great Strategy if You Plan to Get a Slice of the $8,000 Tax Credit Pie Uncle Sam is Serving Waiting is human nature. I usually wait too long between dentist appointments, wait to say my prayers until I buy a lottery ticket, wait until I’m pretty fried before I take a vacation. Most of us can relate. But if you’re waiting to take advantage of the $8,000 tax credit that’s available to eligible first time homebuyers, you need a serious kick in the pants. If you’re thinking the offer will be extended, don’t count on it. Uncle Sam’s pockets seem to be getting shallower by the day. All that Cash for Clunkers, you know… If you’re waiting for interest rates to go lower, you’re probably dreaming at this point. And if you’re waiting because you think there’s plenty of time, thin... 08/12/2009

That All Depends On the Data You Read, How You Interpret It, and How Much – Frankly – You Really Want to Move That’s the question everyone wants to know the answer to: has the market stabilized? Realtors hear it all the time, but any Realtor who pretends to know the answer is probably telling you something you want to hear. Which is not to say there’s no reason for optimism both nationally and locally. The Case-Shiller Home Price Indices released on July 28th showed home values up in 15 of its 20 tracked US markets – the first period of broad growth in home prices in 34 months. (Though on a year-over-year basis, home prices nationally are still down 17%.) By comparison, the average home sale price in Anne Arundel County during the last 12 months is down 10.82%. That stings, but it’s a ... 08/11/2009

  One of the most important services a real estate agent provides to the consumer is good counsel. It is not as easy as it sounds.  Being sensitive to a customer's feelings while giving honest counsel and feedback is a delicate balance of tact, and diplomacy.   Bright colors or wallpaper that express a strong statement of personal taste can get in the way of a sale an agent may encourage you to remove wallpaper and to paint the walls with a neutral color.   Different color rugs in every room can make the floor plan look like a jigsaw puzzle, re-carpeting with a neutral color may be the answer.   Household odors because of pets, smoking, cooking etc. are difficult because often the owner doesn't smell them but a prospect does.     By allowing an agent to be direct and give you the feedba... 08/06/2009

Has the local area real estate market stabilized? Now is not the seller's market of we had in 2004 and 2005. The local area real estate market in Anne Arundel County declined slightly in July continuing the buyer's market trend. Sale volume and sales prices were down month-over-month and year-over-year. And, since April, May and June are often the best selling months of the real estate cycle, the dog days of summer lie ahead. Economic stimulus continues to drive sales of the entry level priced homes (those between $0-500K) but hasn't had much effect other price points. Now that August is here the local real estate market may suddenly slump. The S&P/Case-Shiller Home Price Index for the Washington DC marketplace improved 1.3% in May. The Baltimore Metro Home Price Index for the same peri... 08/04/2009

NAVAL BAGELS near The U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis is our early-morning destination most Saturdays.  Not that we couldn't get a bagel or other breakfast treat closer to home... it's just that their bagels are amazing and worth the 15-minute weekly drive. We first discovered NAVAL BAGELS when it was a carryout location for Bagels And..., owned by Charlie and Eileen Cerniglia.  The Cerniglia's always had a plate of bagels out when I stopped by their house during the sale of their Crofton home - and those were the best bagels I'd ever eaten.  My family became regulars at Bagels And... after that. Eventually the Cerniglas sold their business to two different buyers, but we remained regular customers at the one near the U.S. Naval Academy in West Annapolis - now known as NAVAL BAGELS.   ... 07/29/2009

Rising rates usually affect home prices to some extent.  This was evident in the most recent boom when affordability was up in the 140% range, rates were low and there was a climate of optimism.  Buyers paid increasingly higher prices for properties.  Another example is in the early 80's when rates were high topping out at 17.5% prices were discounted to keep monthly obligations and affordability where buyers could afford to buy.   Having said this, today's circumstances contradict past actions.  Affordability is up in spite of historically low rates and prices are down at the same time.  Usually prices would be up as rates go down but that is not happening.   Consumer confidence and the adverse effect of short sales and foreclosures have kept prices down while rates are down.  Addition... 07/16/2009

    Buyer's Remorse.   When a buyer is not prepared for buyer's remorse they think that they are the only ones that have ever experienced it. They get cold feet and want to change their mind and declare their contract null and void!  Their change of heart usually has no logical basis but is an emotional response to the decision that they made.  All the reasons they purchased in the first place are still valid but they panic and attempt to justify the panic with logic.  Family responsibilities, finances, work obligations grow in magnitude and the home purchase may begin to overwhelm them.  This is difficult to overcome after the panic has set in.  Saying that this is not Nordstrom's, and you can't just return the property for a refund doesn't usually help.    The best way to have the buy... 07/12/2009

I wanted to share another great reason why I love Active Rain.  Last month I had a closing where we were needing a copy of the divorce decree in order to close on a purchase.  Both the client and the ex husband were out of town and were not able to get the required documents in time to close the loan.  The divorce was filed in MD and I am down in Virginia Beach, Va.  I needed it ASAP!  So I did what any Active Rain addict would do....I looked up title companies in Annapolis, MD and found Kevin Stroud with eSettle in Annapolis, MD.    I called him and he picked up the phone.  I told him my situation and he offered to get a copy of the divorce decree for me at no charge and I had in my email the next morning.  Long story short...I was able to get the loan closed on time and now I have bui... 07/07/2009

So you’ve been sitting on the fence, waiting for the perfect time to buy a home here in the Annapolis area. But when IS the best time? When home prices appear to have bottomed out? And is it even possible to time the real estate market? As you’ll see in the video here, there’s a little more to the affordability equation than meets the eye. Have a look. And if you’d like to talk me about home affordability, interest rates, buying or selling a home – just send me an email at KenHaedrich@gmail.com, or you can reach me on my cell – 410-507-7222. We’d love to hear from you.     06/22/2009