Bowie, MD has been one of those areas in Suburban Maryland that has been hardest hit by foreclosures. Homes that complete the foreclosures process become bank owned properties and are listed with a local real estate brokerage for sale. The purchase of a bank owned property isn't much different than a normal resale. Bowie, MD has had 619 homes sold between January 1, 2010 to July 31, 2010. 227 of these homes have been bank owned (foreclosed properties). So far this year 37% of properties in Bowie, MD have been foreclosures. Bank owned properties are usually sold "as is," and the offer has to go to someone in the bank for a approval. A few extra addenda here and there and you can be the owner of a bank owned property. Right now there are seventy one bank owned properties for sale in Bowie... 08/03/2010

Complete the checklist below to help determine whether you may benefit from professional home staging. 1.  Will the house be vacant? 2.  Does the seller live out of town? 3.  Does the seller have more than one collection displayed (hats, magazines, cars, dolls, etc.)? 4.  Does the seller have or used to have free roaming pets? 5.  Has the seller NOT had walls painted in over 5 years? 6.  Does the house have an open floor plan (living/dining combo), loft, or other bonus rooms? If you answered yes to 2 or more of the above items then you may benefit from consultation with a professional home stager. Other subjective factors that should be considered when deciding to call a home stager include competion, listing price and overall condition of the home.  Staging consultations and pricing va... 08/01/2010

  Bernard Slade's Same Time, Next Year opened this weekend at Bowie Playhouse and runs through August 14. Bowie Playhouse - known for many years as Bowie Theatre in the Woods - is located near Belair in Bowie, in Whitemarsh Park off southbound Route 3, between Routes 50 and 450.  It's a 150-seat indoor theatre owned and operated by the City of Bowie. According to Director Linda Kirby, Same Time, Next Year takes place in a country inn in Northern California, where a chance meeting takes place in 1951 that will forever change the lives of George and Doris.  Even though they're both married to someone else and each have three children, this is the beginning of a love affair that lasts for the next 25 years, with an annual reunion at the same time and place. The story of George (played by ... 07/31/2010

    Prince George's County Maryland Real Estate Market Report for June 2010. People are buying and selling homes for sale in Prince George's County MD. Anybody who is talking NOT THINKING-(There is a difference)about buying or selling a house should always review Real Estate Market Reports in your area of interest.     Local PG County MD Real Estate Market Reports is a good barometer to aid you in making your home buying or selling decision. Just like Investors and Foreign Investors study the NASDAQ,AMEX,NIKKEI 225 (Japenese Stock Market) and S&P500 charts to determine whether they should buy,sell or hold a stock,the same applies to the Real Estate Market. This is a great time to buy a house in PG County MD.    In June 2010,867 homes for sale in Prince George's County MD SOLD compared t... 07/28/2010

Below is the Maryland Foreclosure process.   Stop Maryland Foreclosure Quick Facts -  Judicial Foreclosure Available: Yes -  Non-Judicial Foreclosure Available: Yes, with restrictions -  Primary Security Instruments: Deed of Trust, Mortgage -  Timeline: Typically 90 days -  Right of Redemption: No -  Deficiency Judgments Allowed: Yes In Maryland, lenders may foreclose on a mortgage or deed of trust in default using either the judicial, assent to decree, or non-judicial foreclosure process. Judicial Foreclosure In cases where the security instrument contains neither a power of sale nor an assent to a decree, a lender must file a complaint against the borrower and obtain a decree of sale from a court having jurisdiction in the county where the property is located before foreclosure procee... 07/28/2010

  Whether you are buying a Single Family Woodmore Bowie MD house for sale or a Three bedroom,two bath townhouse for sale in Temple Hills,MD you want to know your current PG County MD Tax rate. Here is the update Current PG County Tax rate for 2011-2012.           Berwyn Heights 0.8 2.126 2.126 0.516 1.365 1.365   Commercial R.P.       0.516     Bladensburg 0.803 2.06 2.06 0.74 2.09 2.09 Bowie 0.808 2.073 2.073 0.4 1 1 Brentwood 0.932 2.339 2.339 0.382 1 1 Capitol Heights 0.816 2.068 2.068 0.392 1 1 Cheverly 0.806 2.068 2.068 0.48 1.1 1.1 College Park 0.946 2.369 2.369 0.322 0.805 0.805 Colmar Manor 0.842 2.146 2.146 1.028 1.65 1.65    Commercial R.P.       1.25     Cottage City 0.825 2.109 2.109 0.488 1.29 1.29 District Heights 0.804 2.064 2.064 0.73 1.21 2 Eagle Harbor 0.96 2.4 2.4 0.... 07/27/2010

Making home afforable-Help for PG County MD and Charles County MD homeowners. This video is from the Making Home Affordable-US Department of the Treasury. This video is for any homeowner in any city and state who is experiencing some kind of hardship and feel that they can no longer make the payments on their mortgage. The good news is there is a solution to your financial situation. So if you are a homeowner who needs help,please seek out. Call your Lender today. Or go to www.makinghomeaffordable.gov. People are here to help you. PLEASE AVOID FORECLOSURE!   07/26/2010

Many times home-buyers are looking for homes based on specific schools they are interested in.  It can sometimes be a maze to try to figure out which homes zone to which schools. Here in PG County, figuring out what homes go with which schools is easy.  Step 1:  Visit PG County School Finder Step 2:  Enter the first few letters of the street the home is on Step 3:  Select the correct street from the list Step 4:  Click See Schools This will give you the elementary, middle, & high schools.  This will also give you a chance to view each school's performance reports.  There will also be a list of the alternative schools, special programs, and public charter schools that are available.   If you want information about neighborhoods in Prince George's County give me a call. 07/19/2010

Bowie, MD has been one of those areas hardest hit by foreclosures. Homes that complete the foreclosures process become bank owned properties and are listed with a local real estate brokerage for sale. The purchase of a bank owned property isn't much different than a normal resale.  Bowie, MD has had 562 homes sold since January 1, 2010. 208 of these homes have been bank owned (foreclosed properties). So far this year 37% of properties in Bowie, MD have been foreclosures.Bank owned properties are usually sold "as is," and the offer has to go to someone in the bank for a approval. A few extra addenda here and there and you can be the owner of a bank owned property.Right now there are sixty two bank owned properties for sale in Bowie, MD. Details on each of them can be viewed on the map be... 07/18/2010

Bowie sales increased last month –  but prices fell.   When the tax credit ended in April, I expected Bowie MD home sales might drop off dramatically this summer.  Sales statistics for June have proven differently –  at least for the number of “units sold”.  Prices, on the other hand, have declined in Bowie. Bowie MD is a very large area, with four primary zipcodes, and you can’t really generalize about the Bowie housing market because sales statistics can differ widely from one zipcode to the next.  Take a look at these numbers for June 2010 in Bowie, compared to June 2009:   UNITS SOLD: 20715 –  Up 83% to 33 20716 –  Up 33% to 24 20720 –  Up 44% to 33 20721 –  Up 81% to 53 MEDIAN SOLD PRICE: 20715 –  Up  3% to $255,000 20716 –  Up  17% to $228,400 20720 –  Down .03% to $349,900 20721... 07/15/2010

One of the important aspects of Selling Your Home will be its presentation to potential buyers. It  to present your home in its best condition at all times. Here are some simple techniques to for staging your home to sell; 1.) Remove excess furntiure from the living room. Present this area with the maximum space possible, I do not care if it is 50 sq ft or 5,000 remove any unnecessary furniture from Uncle Ted's Moose head to your husband's 1967 zebra print standing bar, let it go. 2.) Take down Personal photos- This is always a tough one but many buyers will spend more time looking at pics & personal effects then the home "Hey, he looks like my friend Bill" or I went to the University of Maryland too!   3.) Remove Clutter- take down the magnents from all the family trips on the fridge, ... 07/14/2010

The Balk Hill community located right off 202 in Bowie, Maryland 20721 with a zip code is still a development in progress. The community is still building some single family homes, and just began offering townhomes. Soon the community will have a Wegan's, Costco and Best Buy as their anchor stores near by as well as brand new Fire station.  Currently, the community has 9 active single family homes for sale and three under contract with prices ranging 385K-650K. 22 homes have sold in the last 6 months, many of them short sales. The builder's are Ryan Homes and DR Horton. Are you looking to Buy or Sell your home?  07/11/2010

Fairwood, Bowie MD SOLD Homes January - June 2010 Houses SOLD:  42 Average LIST price:  $382,014 Average SELLING price:  $383,252 Average DAYS ON MARKET: 69 LOWEST SALE price:  $238,900 - 2 bedroom, 2 bath condo built in 2006 - foreclosure HIGHEST SALE price:  $705,000 - 4 bedroom, 5.5 bath single-family built in 2008   Fairwood, Bowie, MD ACTIVE listings (as of 7/11/10) ACTIVE Houses:  24 Average LIST Price:  $425,352 LOWEST LIST Price:  $229,900 - 2 bedroom, 2 bath condo built in 2006 - foreclosure HIGHEST LIST Price:  $929,900 - 6 bedroom, 6.5 bath luxury single-family home built in 2008 in gated section of Fairwood Current Average Days on Market:  131   Fairwood, Bowie, MD UNDER CONTRACT listings (as of 7/11/10) UNDER CONTRACT Houses:  31 Average LIST Price:  $408,653 LOWEST LIST Pr... 07/11/2010

Woodmore, Bowie MD SOLD Homes Jan-June 2010 Houses SOLD:  6 Average LIST price:  $465,346 Average SELLING price:  $430,650 LOWEST SALE price:  $283,000 - 4 bedroom, 2.5 bath singlefamily home built in 1954 - foreclosure HIGHEST SALE price:  $700,000 - 4 bedroom, 3.5 bath single-family built in 1985 Average DAYS ON MARKET: 213   Woodmore, Bowie, MD ACTIVE listings (as of 7/10/10) ACTIVE Houses:  10 Average LIST Price:  $669,770 LOWEST LIST Price:  $319,999 - 3 bedroom, 2.5 baths townhome, built in 1987 HIGHEST LIST Price:  $1,675,000 - 7 bedroom, 6 full, 3 half bath single-family home to be built Current Average Days on Market:  138   Woodmore, Bowie, MD UNDER CONTRACT listings (as of 7/10/10) UNDER CONTRACT Houses:  2 Average LIST Price:  $771,000 LOWEST LIST Price:  $667,000 - 4 bedroo... 07/11/2010

Bowie, MD SOLD Homes June 2010 Houses SOLD:  122 Average LIST price:  $291,901 Average SELLING price:  $286,811 Average DAYS ON MARKET: 78 LOWEST SALE price:  $73,500 - 2 bedroom, 2 bath condo located in Vistas at Lake Arbor built in 1990 - foreclosure HIGHEST SALE price:  $650,000 - 4 bedroom, 4.5 bath single-family located in Westwood built in 2009 - new constuction    Bowie, MD ACTIVE listings (as of 7/7/10) ACTIVE Houses:  523 Average LIST Price:  $339,222 LOWEST LIST Price:  $99,000 - 2 bedroom, 1 bath condo located in The Vistas at Lake Arbor built in 1988 - short sale HIGHEST LIST Price: $1,695,000 - 5 bedroom, 4.5 bath single-family home located in Mount Oak Estates built in 2009 - new construction Current Average Days on Market:  124  Search all Bowie, MD Homes for Sale Bowie, ... 07/07/2010

CITY OF BOWIE July 4th Celebration   Bowie, MD - June 17, 2010 - Celebrate our nation's independence on the Fourth of July.  Festivities will be held at Allen Pond Park, beginning at 5:30 p.m. with the music of Diamond Alley, one of the area's premier variety bands. The fireworks display begins at 9:15 p.m. Please remember to leave your pets at home on July 4th.  Pets are not permitted in Allen Pond Park on the Fourth of July due to humane concerns. For more information about the July 4th festivities, please call the City of Bowie at 301-809-3011 or view our brochure. Visit www.cityofbowie.org for more information         07/03/2010

The ultimate place to watch the fireworks is to head to DC to see the National Fireworks Display. However, if you would rather hang closer to home there are many wonderful places in Prince George's County Maryland to watch July 4th fireworks and celebrations. Fort Washington National Harbor - fireworks start at 9:30pm.  This is a popular event so get there early for parking College Park University of Maryland - event starts at 7pm Mitchellville Six Flags America - fireworks begin at dusk Bowie Allen Pond Park - event starts at 5:30, fireworks at dusk Prince George's County Stadium - fireworks begin after the Bowie Baysox game Greenbelt Buddy Attick Park - entertainment begins at 4pm Laurel Granville Gude Park - Parade & Car Show on Saturday July 3, 2010 beginning at 11am. The National ... 07/02/2010

I must confess, I am addicted to Rita's . For those do not know Rita is home to the italian Ice and homemade custard.  http://www.ritasice.com The kids love i, and if your enjoy lines of people waiting there are plenty!  The best part is that the ice cream or the ice is a couple of bucks for you & the family, and you can make a dollar donation to the  Alex's Lemade stand to fight pedatric cancer. https://www.alexslemonade.org   06/27/2010

Have you ever been driving around and thought to your self "I wonder how much that house costs?" Now, I can help!   Text DOC to 87778 to search all homes on your cell phone.   You can search using GPS features where it will give information on all homes for sale close to your current location or in a particular area.  Refine the search using price, # of bedrooms, bathrooms, etc.   You can view a home's price, features, maps, estimated mortgage payments, and more. When you find one you like just click to see it and I'm available to answer any questions or we can set up an appointment to see it.   Text DOC to 87778 to give it a try.   06/27/2010

If you have ask yourself whether it is good time to continue to rent or buy a home here a few steps that could help you decide or you can visit www.akilsellshomes.com for information on buying vs renting from Resmedia   1. What will monthly costs be, and can I afford the payments? Keeping mortgage payments under 30 percent of your monthly income is a good rule of thumb. If you can't keep mortgage payments below that, you may be better off renting for awhile. 2. What other debt do I have? Total rent or mortgage payments plus credit obligations should not exceed 35 to 40 percent of monthly income. 3. What is my credit score? Can I qualify for a good interest rate? A high credit score indicates strong creditworthiness, and that qualifies you for better interest rates on a mortgage. Maxing ... 06/26/2010