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Silver Spring, MD Real Estate News

By Barbara Michaluk, Leisure World Specialist / Full Service REALTOR
(Weichert Realtors | Phone Direct 240-506-2434 | 301-681-0550 office)
Is Leisure World of Maryland the Right Place For You? Leisure World of Maryland is regarded as the #1 active senior choice in the Washington, D.C. and Montgomery County areas. With 29 housing associations, a strong sense of community and safety, numerous amenities, and convenient on-site facilities, this comes as no surprise. Discover this top-choice community to determine if the Leisure World lifestyle is right for you.  Leisure World is a private, gated senior community. Built on a well-landscaped 610-acre parcel, the Leisure World community is completely fenced with three monitored gates to ensure resident safety and comfort and approve all visitors. As a senior community, resident owners must be at least 55 years of age, and any additional residents living with them must be at least...
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By Barbara Michaluk, Leisure World Specialist / Full Service REALTOR
(Weichert Realtors | Phone Direct 240-506-2434 | 301-681-0550 office)
How to Find the Perfect Real Estate Agent in Leisure World of Maryland There’s a ton of real estate information available in the news today and on the Internet. It can be extremely confusing, especially in times of uncertainty like we’re facing right now. If you’re thinking of buying or selling this year, you need an agent who can help you: Make sense of this rapidly evolving housing market Navigate everything from virtual showings to new online marketing strategies Price your home correctly at the beginning of the selling process Determine what to offer on your dream home without paying too much or offending the seller Dave Ramsey, a financial guru, advises: “When getting help with money, whether it’s insurance, real estate or investments, you should always look for someone with the he...
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By Barbara Michaluk, Leisure World Specialist / Full Service REALTOR
(Weichert Realtors | Phone Direct 240-506-2434 | 301-681-0550 office)
Featured property 14801 Pennfield Ct #403 Silver Spring MD 20906 Light and bright 1,633 sq ft. condo in desirable Villa Cortese garden style building. 3 bedrooms, 2.5 baths. All new paint and carpet. Top floor unit with lovely view. Spacious living room, separate dining room and large glass-enclosed sunroom. Private master bedroom suite with 2 walk-in closets and master bath with a double vanity, soaking tub and separate step-in shower. Indoor garage space. Conveniently located near main gate, clubhouse and easy walk to shopping center.Villa Cortese / H Model / 1,633 sq. ft. interior +enclosed sunroom3 Bedrooms / 2.5 Bathrooms / Indoor garage space #7 Click Here for More Info 
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By Barbara Michaluk, Leisure World Specialist / Full Service REALTOR
(Weichert Realtors | Phone Direct 240-506-2434 | 301-681-0550 office)
Keys to Selling Your House Virtually in Leisure World of Maryland In a recent survey by realtor.com, people thinking about selling their homes indicated they’re generally willing to allow their agent and some potential buyers inside if done under the right conditions. They’re less comfortable, however, hosting an open house. This is understandable, given the health concerns associated with social contact these days. The question is, if you need to sell your house now, what virtual practices should you use to make sure you, your family, and potential buyers stay safe in the process? In today’s rapidly changing market, it’s more important than ever to make sure you have a digital game plan and an effective online marketing strategy when selling your house. One of the ways your agent can h...
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By Barbara Michaluk, Leisure World Specialist / Full Service REALTOR
(Weichert Realtors | Phone Direct 240-506-2434 | 301-681-0550 office)
Think This Is a Leisure World of Maryland Housing Crisis? Think Again. With all of the unanswered questions caused by COVID-19 and the economic slowdown we’re experiencing across the country today, many are asking if the housing market is in trouble. For those who remember 2008, it's logical to ask that question. Many of us experienced financial hardships, lost homes, and were out of work during the Great Recession – the recession that started with a housing and mortgage crisis. Today, we face a very different challenge: an external health crisis that has caused a pause in much of the economy and a major shutdown of many parts of the country. Let’s look at five things we know about today’s housing market that were different in 2008. 1. Appreciation When we look at appreciation in the vi...
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By Barbara Michaluk, Leisure World Specialist / Full Service REALTOR
(Weichert Realtors | Phone Direct 240-506-2434 | 301-681-0550 office)
Discover Villa Cortese at Leisure World of Maryland Just from its name, the Villa Cortese community in Leisure World of Maryland bespeaks the classical elegances of Italian architecture, design, culture, and fare. In 1994-1996, Italian artisans and Leisure World developers enshrined these elements in a convenient, modern living atmosphere. A four-story garden-style development situated on Pennfield Circle, Villa Cortese allures residents not just with its exterior, but also with its heightened inner senses of community and security. The Villa Cortese buildings make their grand first impressions with flower beds in full bloom against creamy-dreamy pastel façades. Walking paths leading to piazzas provide residents with a European-esque experience amid the well-kept Leisure World landscape...
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By Barbara Michaluk, Leisure World Specialist / Full Service REALTOR
(Weichert Realtors | Phone Direct 240-506-2434 | 301-681-0550 office)
Leisure World of MD Homebuyers Want Lower Prices. Sellers Disagree. The uncertainty the world faces today due to the COVID-19 pandemic is causing so many things to change. The way we interact, the way we do business, even the way we buy and sell real estate is changing. This is a moment in time that’s even sparking some buyers to search for a better deal on a home. Sellers, however, aren’t offering a discount these days; they’re holding steady on price. According to the most recent NAR Flash Survey (a survey of real estate agents from across the country), agents were asked the following two questions: 1. “Have any of your sellers recently reduced their price to attract buyers?” Their answer: 72% said their sellers have not lowered prices to attract buyers during this health crisis.  2. ...
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By Barbara Michaluk, Leisure World Specialist / Full Service REALTOR
(Weichert Realtors | Phone Direct 240-506-2434 | 301-681-0550 office)
14801 Pennfield Cir. #403 condo for sale in Leisure World Maryland Rarely available 1,633 Sq. Ft. Condo3 Bedrooms, 2.5 Bathrooms Indoor garage parking space conveysList Price $399,900Rarely available extra spacious 1,633 sq ft., H model condo in Villa Cortese with 3 bedrooms, 2.5 baths located on the top floor of a four-story Garden style building. New neutral paint and carpet throughout. Enjoy this light and bright top floor condo with lovely view from all windows. All white table-space kitchen with large window. Living room and separate dining room with window. Large glass-enclosed sunroom can be accessed from living room or 3rd bedroom/den. Private master bedroom suite with 2 walk-in closets and master bath with a double vanity, soaking tub and separate step-in shower. A total of 8 l...
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By Barbara Michaluk, Leisure World Specialist / Full Service REALTOR
(Weichert Realtors | Phone Direct 240-506-2434 | 301-681-0550 office)
What You Can Do to Get Your Leisure World of MD House Ready to Sell  Some Highlights: Believe it or not, there are lots of things you can do to prep your house for a sale without even going to the store. Your real estate plans don’t have to be completely on hold even while we’ve hit the pause button on other parts of daily life. Tackling small projects from cleaning the corners you may normally skip to tidying up your yard are easy and necessary wins if you’re thinking of listing your house and making a move.
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By Barbara Michaluk, Leisure World Specialist / Full Service REALTOR
(Weichert Realtors | Phone Direct 240-506-2434 | 301-681-0550 office)
Rarely available extra spacious 1,633 sf condo in Leisure World MD Villa Cortese3 Bedrooms / 2.5 Bathrooms / Indoor Garage Space1,633 square feet Located on the top floor of a four-story Garden style building. New neutral paint and carpet throughout. Enjoy this light and bright top floor condo with lovely view from all windows. All white table-space kitchen with large window. Living room and separate dining room with window. Large glass-enclosed sunroom can be accessed from living room or 3rd bedroom/den. Private master bedroom suite with 2 walk-in closets and master bath with a double vanity, soaking tub and separate step-in shower. A total of 8 large closets with built-ins offers plenty of storage space. Indoor garage space and storage unit are included. This condo is vacant and ready...
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By Andrea Bedard, Fluent in Real Estate & German, M.A. ABR ASP CIPS
(Thompson Company, REALTORS® 240.593.2860)
Are you looking for a move-up home, with room to entertain and grow into, and quiet areas to work from home and unwind after? Then this terrific property in the North Sherwood Forest subdivision of Cloverly may just be the right fit! There are so many features that make this home special, the wide brick patio overlooking the landscaped front yard is only the beginning. ♥ 14349 Stilton Cir, Silver Spring, MD 20905 ♥You will be surprised by the floor plan, and bright spacious interior - it's much bigger than it looks! This Colonial sits on a premium lot, offering scenic views of the community pond & a more private back-yard. The heart of the home is the great room; with its open lay-out to the large country kitchen, wood-burning fireplace, wet bar and access to the 2-tiered deck, it's a p...
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By Barbara Michaluk, Leisure World Specialist / Full Service REALTOR
(Weichert Realtors | Phone Direct 240-506-2434 | 301-681-0550 office)
Will Surging Unemployment Crush Leisure World of Maryland Home Sales? Ten million Americans lost their jobs over the last two weeks. The next announced unemployment rate on May 8th is expected to be in the double digits. Because the health crisis brought the economy to a screeching halt, many are feeling a personal financial crisis. James Bullard, President of the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, explained that the government is trying to find ways to assist those who have lost their jobs and the companies which were forced to close (think: your neighborhood restaurant). In a recent interview he said: “This is a planned, organized partial shutdown of the U.S. economy in the second quarter. The overall goal is to keep everyone, households and businesses, whole.”  That’s promising, but ...
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By Barbara Michaluk, Leisure World Specialist / Full Service REALTOR
(Weichert Realtors | Phone Direct 240-506-2434 | 301-681-0550 office)
Leisure World of MD Looking to the Future: What the Experts Are Saying As our lives, our businesses, and the world we live in change day by day, we’re all left wondering how long this will last. How long will we feel the effects of the coronavirus? How deep will the impact go? The human toll may forever change families, but the economic impact will rebound with a cycle of downturn followed by economic expansion like we’ve seen play out in the U.S. economy many times over. Here’s a look at what leading experts and current research indicate about the economic impact we’ll likely see as a result of the coronavirus. It starts with a forecast of U.S. Gross Domestic Product (GDP). According to Investopedia: “Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is the total monetary or market value of all the finishe...
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By Barbara Michaluk, Leisure World Specialist / Full Service REALTOR
(Weichert Realtors | Phone Direct 240-506-2434 | 301-681-0550 office)
Stock Market Correction Probably Won’t Impact Leisure World Home Value With the housing crash of 2006-2008 still visible in the rear-view mirror, many are concerned the current correction in the stock market is a sign that home values are also about to tumble. What’s taking place today, however, is nothing like what happened the last time. The S&P 500 did fall by over fifty percent from October 2007 to March 2009, and home values did depreciate in 2007, 2008, and 2009 – but that was because that economic slowdown was mainly caused by a collapsing real estate market and a meltdown in the mortgage market. This time, the stock market correction is being caused by an outside event (the coronavirus) with no connection to the housing industry. Many experts are saying the current situation is ...
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By Barbara Michaluk, Leisure World Specialist / Full Service REALTOR
(Weichert Realtors | Phone Direct 240-506-2434 | 301-681-0550 office)
Leisure World Housing Inventory Vanishing: What Is the Impact on You? The real estate market is expected to do very well this year as mortgage rates remain at historic lows. One challenge to the housing industry is the lack of homes available for sale. Last week, move.com released a report showing that 2020 is beginning with the lowest available housing inventory in two years. The report explains: “Last month saw the largest year-over-year decline of housing inventory in almost three years with a dramatic 12 percent decline, pushing the number of homes for sale in the U.S. to the lowest level since January 2018.” The report also revealed that the decline in inventory stretches across all price points, as shown in the following graph:George Ratiu, Senior Economist at realtor.com, explain...
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By Andrea Bedard, Fluent in Real Estate & German, M.A. ABR ASP CIPS
(Thompson Company, REALTORS® 240.593.2860)
I would love to tell you all about our Coming Soon listings in Silver Spring, MD and beyond, while our wonderful sellers are getting their homes perfect for the market. But, I can't just yet, my hands are virtually tied.You see, we now have a new(ish) MLS rule (in effect since Nov. 2019) that is enforceable and tied to hefty fines if we are found in violation. It requires that we (REALTOR® members of the BrightMLS) enter our listings into the system within one day of advertising them publicly. That includes, but is not limited to, flyers, For Sale signs, postcards, social media announcements, and, yep, blog posts. At its core, it is a beneficial policy designed to promote and protect the best interest of our clients. But in practice, it is also twisting my arms to not tell you all about...
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By Barbara Michaluk, Leisure World Specialist / Full Service REALTOR
(Weichert Realtors | Phone Direct 240-506-2434 | 301-681-0550 office)
Leisure World of Maryland Homeownership Matters Now More Than Ever Study after study shows that no matter what generation Americans belong to, the vast majority believe that homeownership is an important part of their American Dream. The benefits of homeownership can be broken into two main categories: financial and non-financial (often referred to as emotional or social reasons.) For Americans approaching retirement age, one of the greatest benefits to homeownership is the added net worth they have been able to achieve simply by paying their mortgage! The Joint Center for Housing Studies at Harvard University focused on homeowners and renters over the age of 65. Their study revealed that the difference in net worth between homeowners and renters at this age group was actually 47.5 time...
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By Barbara Michaluk, Leisure World Specialist / Full Service REALTOR
(Weichert Realtors | Phone Direct 240-506-2434 | 301-681-0550 office)
Great Price on this 2 BR Leisure World MD Condo in Vantage E #5143200 N Leisure World Blvd #514 Condo for Salein Leisure World MD 55+ Active Adult Community – Lovely condo with 2 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms 1,035 sq. ft. Located in the desirable Vantage East Building. Living room features 9’ ceilings and a slider to a glass-enclosed sunroom with a lovely view. Separate dining area has space to entertain friends and family. The table-space kitchen has lots of cabinets, a large pass-through window and ceramic flooring. Master bedroom includes a walk-in closet with shelving plus an additional closet. Master bathroom with a large vanity and step-in shower. Washer/dryer is located in a laundry closet. New carpet in 2nd bedroom. Second bathroom with tub/shower. The Leisure World community includ...
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By Barbara Michaluk, Leisure World Specialist / Full Service REALTOR
(Weichert Realtors | Phone Direct 240-506-2434 | 301-681-0550 office)
How Your Tax Refund Can Move You Toward Leisure World Homeownership  If you’re looking to buy a home in 2020, have you thought about putting your tax refund toward a down payment? Homeownership may be one step closer than you think if you spend your dollars wisely this year. Based on data released by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Americans can expect an estimated average refund of $2,962 when filing their taxes this year. The map below shows the average tax refund Americans received last year by state:According to programs from the Federal Housing Authority, Freddie Mac, and Fannie Mae, many first-time buyers can purchase a home with as little as 3% down. Truth be told, a 20% down payment is not always required to buy a home, even though that’s a common misconception about homebuy...
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By Andrea Bedard, Fluent in Real Estate & German, M.A. ABR ASP CIPS
(Thompson Company, REALTORS® 240.593.2860)
I just switched service providers and transferred my cell phone number to a new carrier. It was on my radar for quite some time for 2 reasons: 1. customer service (I don't do rude)2. fees. What is it with all the extra fees (I'm looking at you Verizon!)? I much prefer to have one amount, and to know exactly what to expect each and every month. That's not what I was dealing with for the last few years however.. it was one "base" amount plus service fees plus regulatory fees plus account fees plus what-not fees. Sure, some of them amounted to just a few cents. And sure, I got a handy reference each month telling me what to expect the next and how my bill could possibly change. Still, I prefer one amount without add-ons. Clean. Uncomplicated. Predictable. That's the way I like it. And that...
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