Your offer has been accepted... So, now what? Part III (Settlement Attorneys) 3.  You've made it through the inspection, financing is chugging along smoothly... You're on your way! So, now what? It's time to choose a settlement company.  In Maryland and DC the buyer gets to choose the settlement attorney- though keep in mind the settlement attorney will end up working for both the buyer AND seller (no taking sides here!).   Their job is to insure the successful transfer of title from seller to purchaser.  Settlement takes place on or before (as long as it is mutually agreed to) the date identified on the contract.  Small note:  4 parties need to agree on the settlement time (buyer, seller, and both agents)- so start talking timing early, before calendars get filled up.  Sometimes there ... 01/27/2010

Madonna of the Trail Did you know that our local Madonna of the Trail/Pioneer Mother monument is one of twelve identical statues throughout the US?  The idea behind the monuments can be traced back to a group of Missouri Women, who in 1912 were behind a resolution to Congress giving a formal name to the series of trails used by pioneers as they traveled West.  It was named "National Old Trails Road."  At the urging of then Judge Harry Truman, twelve statues at a cost of $1,000 each were placed in each of the twelve states along the trail.  In 1927 sculptor August Leimback was chosen to design the statues.  They feature a pioneer woman clasping a baby with her left arm while clutching a rifle with her right.  Her young son clings to her skirt. The first monument was dedicated in 1928.  T... 01/27/2010

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It is finally here! From January 25th through the 31st - area restaurants are offering prix fixe lunch menus from $12 to $15 and three course dinner menus for $25 to $30. This a great opportunity to get out and try a new restaurant on a controlled budget (especially some of those pricier ones). In order to make the best of Bethesda Chevy Chase Restaurant week you should consider the following: 1. Make reservations right away either by calling the restaurant directly or using Open Table (an online service that allows you to make reservations online). NOTE- not all participating restaurants are listed on the OpenTable website. Check 2. Verify the menu restrictions ahead of time and check out online reviews like yelp.com. 3. Consider trying out something different? Maybe a restaurant that ... 01/25/2010

Bethesda 20817  Inventory has remained low throughout most of Montgomery County (down 47.2% from 2008), while Bethesda 20817 had a substantial number of new listings (19) come on the market in December.    Twenty two Bethesda 20817 homes went under contract in December in Bethesda 20817, while an impressive number of 34 residential units sold and 125 were still active at the end of 2009. The encouraging news is that 9 more homes sold this year as opposed to 2008. These numbers are not quite as exciting as Bethesda 20814's  45.5% increase in sales but still provides us hope with a 36% increase.    What separates Bethesda 20817 from the rest of the area's local markets is the fact that with only an increase of 9 sales from 2008 to 2009 there was a staggering $14,654,150 increase in volum... 01/22/2010

9304 Chanute DriveBethesda, Maryland       Welcome to this spacious three bedroom, three bath split level located in the Parkview subdivision in Bethesda. The open flow throughout the main level features a large living room with fireplace and wonderful picture window, as well as an updated kitchen with breakfast bar opening out to the dining room. The lower level offers lots of space for everyone including a cozy recreation room, separate office/exercise room and a workshop. Please also note the oversized one car garage. The private back yard and patio is perfect for the the warmer months of the year. Centrally located, this home is conveniently located near the area’s schools, shopping, public transportation, NIH, Navy Medical, Rock Creek Park and the bike trail!   Level One: Living Ro... 01/22/2010

The sales for Bethesda 20816 are listed here. If you look at the bottom of the sheet you'll note that there are years listed. You can find the sales from 2006 - 2009. 2010 will be added as the sales begin to settle.   If you are looking to buy or sell a home in one of the Bethesda real estate communities, please start your search by calling me, a Bethesda Realtor. I'm available to help you! Josette Skilling Real Estate Professional Long & Foster Real Estate, Inc. Cell: 301-385-9213 Fax: 240-465-2168 Email: j.skilling@verizon.net http://bethesdabuzz.com   01/21/2010

  ACTIVE LISTINGS in Bethesda - 20816 Price continues to trend upwards in the active listings but it has not translated yet to sold prices achieving gains in average or median price.  The inventory is still on a downward trend from the past but the days on market are not matching the same trend.  The buyer demand is not heavy enough yet to tip the balance. Frames not supported       If you are looking to buy or sell a home in one of the Bethesda real estate communities, please start your search by calling me, a Bethesda Realtor. I'm available to help you! Josette Skilling Real Estate Professional Long & Foster Real Estate, Inc. Cell: 301-385-9213 Fax: 240-465-2168 Email: j.skilling@verizon.net http://bethesdabuzz.com   01/21/2010

01/21/2010

  If you are looking to buy or sell a home in one of the Bethesda real estate communities, please start your search by calling me, a Bethesda Realtor. I'm available to help you! Josette SkillingReal Estate Professional Long & Foster Real Estate, Inc. Cell: 301-385-9213 Fax: 240-465-2168 Email: j.skilling@verizon.nethttp://bethesdabuzz.com   01/21/2010

SOLD Listings in Bethesda -20816 December of 2009 was  a busy month.  The units sold volume was up by 50% as you can see and sales volume was way up as well.  A lot of homes went under contract at the end of the year.  Median price was flat from 2008 but average sold price was up - seven of the homes sold that month were over $1.1M which improved the average price.  In the same time frame last year there were only 3 homes sold over $1M. The median sold price is still the better statistic to watch for a general trend.       ACTIVE LISTINGS in Bethesda - 20816 Price continues to trend upwards in the active listings but it has not translated yet to sold prices achieving gains in average or median price.  The inventory is still on a downward trend from the past but the days on market are no... 01/21/2010

Ever wonder how people who work at home or offsite interact with others? Or woner how new hires are assimilated into your company so they felt like a part of it? Working at home may seem pretty isolated, but through the miracle of email, chat, Skye, and the good old telephone, people reach out to each other and connect. The personal relationships people form helps build bonds that make them feel connected with each other and with the company.  At Best Agent Business, we take this relationship building to a new level with our Triangles which generate many great ideas for our company and our clients - and have proved to be a great way to train people.   YOU might find this not only interesting but helpful! Group projects can help a company become more successful. When different people fro... 01/21/2010

DECEMBER MARKET UPDATE 2009 Bethesda, 20814 -Single Family Homes  While inventory remained low throughout most of Montgomery County (down 47.2% from 2008), this particular zip code (20814) had the highest number of new listings with a total of 25 homes. 26 homes went under contract in December in Bethesda 20814, while a staggering 32 homes settled and 85 listings remain on the market. Though we aren't seeing as many homes come on the market, the exciting news is that total number of homes sold this December was 32 as opposed to 22 in December '08. That is a 45.5% increase! With those 10 additional sales for the year in 20814 we have seen a $5,000,000 increase in volume of sales.  All of these numbers point in one direction - UP! The market is stabilizing and we are seeing accurately pri... 01/21/2010

5504 Kirkwood Drive, Bethesda, MD 20816 MC7229578 - $875,000 This house has been on the market for just a couple of weeks and I've shown it once and previewed it as well.  It's always funny to go into models I've sold in the past in other subdivisions - this same house is over on Millwood also.  The same developers worked all over the area back in the day these were built.  It's priced well considering that other splits have sold for over $900K. It's a solid, well built 1957 split level with four bedrooms on the top level and another that could be used as bedroom or den on the lower level.  All are a good size and with the split of two on one side of the house and two on the other it offers a nice way to get a little space between kids and parents or guests.  Bathrooms are "retro" but ... 01/21/2010

5001 Wyandot Ct, Bethesda MD 20816 MC7228281 - $1,250,000 I previewed this house the other day.  It has since gone under contract but there is a kickout clause because the new buyers have a home sale contingency.  So technically it's still active if another buyer wanted to make a better offer. And it's a cool house!  Very open and contemporary with a pool and large patio area out in the back yard.  The large expanse of glass that opens to the stunning back yard makes the living room sunny and so accessible to that outdoor scenery.  Tucked at the back of the cul de sac, the new buyers could add many more Leland Cypress trees and block off the back view for more privacy.  There is ample land around them to handle the everything they have going on outdoors. The kitchen and family room are... 01/21/2010

Your offer has been accepted...  So, now what? Part II (financing)  2) Financing:  Though I usually request that my buyers get approved for financing before placing an offer, there are occasions when this is not possible.  So, let's say you put in an offer on a new home and everyone has agreed to a loan contingency allowing for 30 days +/- to secure financing.  Now what?  In years past, you could sneeze and qualify for a loan (ever hear of no-doc loans?).  These days I'm afraid it's a lot tougher, regardless of your qualifications. Full document ("full-doc") loans are the standard now, and will provide ample opportunity for you to become fast friends with your mortgage lender.  Why? Because she/he will be asking you for your income, asset and debt information at the beginning of the pro... 01/21/2010

5812 Massachusetts Avenue, Bethesda, MD 20816 MC7092038 - $699,000 I have been previewing a lot of homes this week in the Bethesda real estate market and this one deserved a second look.   Since I was last in it, the house is vacant and the floors have been nicely redone.  It made a big difference!  There is no disguising that it's on Mass Ave and that it's small but Mass Ave can be blunted by the fact there is an access road right in front which offers an offset and extra parking.  As well, because Spider Park is literally right next door it's just so easy to pop over and play!  The back yard is really usable with room for playsets and b-b-q areas, nice to have in an area that can be somewhat hilly in the terrain. It is a small house but for the price it gets you into the Wood Acres s... 01/20/2010

5509 Namakagan Road, Bethesda MD 20816 MC6998813 - $1895,000   Still previewing homes this week....  This one was fun to go in and see!  It's truly lovely and has so much space.  The main level is well used space with a formal room in the front and a dining room the whole neighborhood could eat in ;)  Beautifully framed by columns and trim and painted in these soft neutrals anyone could live with.  A main hallway keeps the flow going and somewhat separated so you don't just have one big common area - a blend of great room space all together in the back of the home and more formal separated space in the front.  The kitchen area in the back flows right into the family area and the back deck, which is good for entertaining.  Not much yard left by the time this much house is built on the l... 01/20/2010

Your offer has been accepted... So, now what? You've done the legwork and finally found something you can call home.  You make an offer and lo-and-behold, the house/condo/co-op will become yours within a few short weeks (hopefully).  Are you done yet?  Not quite. In Maryland and the District of Columbia there are still a few things to be done (for the purpose of this article, we're going to assume that you are buying a property that is not in foreclosure or a short sale AND that it's currently free of tenants... that's another story and another post!): 1.  Home Inspections. During the height of the market (the build up to 2005), home inspections were either waived or done prior to presenting an offer.  Fast forward to 2010 and the climate has changed.  If you're working with me you abso... 01/19/2010

Our virtual assistants come to Best Agent Business from many backgrounds and often bring experience and perspective far beyond their credentials needed for the job..  One of recent hires from Western Pennsylvania has many unique talents - an unique perspectives - to contribute. When people ask about why I want to work from home, the first thing that flew through my head was "I can work in my pajamas!" All kidding aside, there are two reasons I have sought to work from home. The first reason is mobility.  Last year I was making preparations to travel overseas.  I have been involved in overseas missions work for 30 years and at that point I felt that if I could teach in an online school or find some sort of online work, I could then generate a bit of income that would help underwrite my t... 01/19/2010