Most Maryland home owners won't be affected by the new tax bill signed by President Bush yesterday, but anyone who purchased or refinanced their home in the past 2-3 years could be, if the loan balance is higher than today's selling price.  That situation is known as a "short sale".Homeowners were taxed on any amount forgiven by a lender in a short sale negotiation or foreclosure, in the past, creating a tremendous financial burden.  Now, under The Mortgage Relief Act (click here), the loan amount written off by your lender will no longer be considered taxable for debts forgiven between Jan. 1, 2007, and Dec. 31, 2009.   To find out how this legislation could affect you, please follow this link:Crofton Home Sellers - Relief for Short Sales   ________________________________________Find... 12/21/2007

Included in Your Online Relocation Package for Anne Arundel County, Maryland - Home of Fort George G. Meade, NSA, Northrop Grumman, BWI, and the U.S. Naval Academy.   VA Home Buyers, arm yourself with a Certificate of Eligibility and a loan pre-approval Just two or three years ago, you had to settle for a conventional loan, because sellers weren't willing to pay slightly higher closing costs for a VA buyer, and they didn't have to because they had multiple offers on their property. Now, they're giving you another look. If you bought your home in that environment, at a higher price than it would sell for today, you may not have enough equity in that home to help you buy again.  But don't worry... just rent your current home and use your VA eligibility now.  If you've never used VA before... 12/16/2007

By Larry Woda, USN Ret. Even as a kid, I was awed by Arlington National Cemetery when my parents took my sisters and me to Washington, D.C. from our home in Ohio.  It's not just the landscape that's impressive, but realization of all the history represented by those thousands of headstones which seem to stretch on forever.  If you never visited Arlington National Cemetery, let me describe it to you:  rolling hills, winding roadways, clusters of mature trees, and small groups of people reading headstones here and there.  Other than the sound of Taps being played at yet another funeral, it's a quiet place - a place for reflection and prayer, like any cemetery, but exaggerated by its pure magnitude and your awareness of the heroes resting here who each contributed in their own way to the f... 12/15/2007

Sellers WANT you now, after years of shunning VA buyers! It's true, home sellers are eager to accept your offer on their home, even though your choice of financing may cost them more than a conventional buyer.  'Truth is, they may even pay some or all of your closing costs.  Home sellers felt quite different, just two or three years ago, as two or ten or more home buyers competed to see who could win a seller's favor in the recent sellers' market.  Cash purchases and conventional loans ruled then.  Home buyers rule now!  As the home market has tightened on sellers, buyers have been flexing their muscles, and VA loans have been making a comeback.  In Anne Arundel County, Maryland, where my office is located, the percentage of VA loans is up for the fifth consecutive month: Source:  Metro... 12/15/2007

Home Sellers - VA can help sell your home.  Here's why:FACT #1:  There is a huge inventory of homes for sale (How many other sellers are you competing against in your area?)FACT #2:  Buyers are few and far between (Just look at the drop in 'number of homes sold' and the increase in 'days on market' in your area!)FACT #3:  Incoming transferees are highly motivated to buy - in fact, they MUST find a place to live.FACT #4:  Incoming transferees may be cash-poor, because they can't sell their current home to pull out equity for a down-payment and closing costs here.FACT #5:  VA-eligible borrowers may not need to sell their current home to buy yours.  Wouldn't you just love to have a non-contingent buyer make an offer on your home? Fortunately, we have a great source of buyers in this area: ... 12/15/2007

There's a little bit of Deja Vu, with this post, my 200th on ActiveRain.  My very first post was Crofton Maryland - Market Report for February 2007.  A few days later, a consumer who saw that post called to list her Crofton home with me.  Needless to say, that's all it took to convince me that ActiveRain is an excellent vehicle for communicating with consumers.  ------------------------------------As I looked at the statistics released this week by Metropolitan Regional Information Systems, Inc. (MRIS) for Crofton, one thing jumped out and grabbed me:  The number of units sold in November 2007, compared to November 2006, was down 54%.  That may be the most dramatic drop we have seen all year, to the lowest point of 2007.  This is very disappointing after an increase in units sold last m... 12/11/2007

No matter how ugly, obsolete, or smelly a house may be, a buyer is out there somewhere.  My job, if I choose to accept the listing, is to find that buyer!I was reading Patricia Kennedy's post this morning, Too Bad They Couldn't Stage The Neighbor's Yard, and I thought about all the listings I've sold IN SPITE OF something that seemed like a huge obstacle.   The one I mentioned in my comment to her post was a lovely home with a next-door neighbor who had four junk cars lined up in the front yard.  The buyer didn't seem to be bothered by this, and I soon discovered why - their yard didn't look much better, within months of occupying the home.  Something I find undesirable about a property may be the very thing that appeals to the "right" buyer!Some agents walk away from listing a home tha... 12/10/2007

Crofton real estate and homes for sale  The secret lives of homesellers, like those of the Desperate Housewives on Wisteria Lane, aren't always what they seem.  The "for sale" signs may all look alike, but... Those homesellers down the street may be (and probably are) just neighbors who decided to move to a bigger or smaller house, perhaps closer to work or family.  Let's call them an "Average Homeseller".Or they may be a "Desperate Homeseller" - A home owner who is highly motivated to sell because of a divorce, lost job, or a large increase in monthly payments for their adjustable-rate mortgage.  The seller could even be a bank, selling a property that has already gone to foreclosure - or, if the property value is less than the amount owed, the bank's approval may be required for any s... 12/09/2007

Posted to Localism and Focus On Crofton, Dec. 2007. December in Crofton is always special, with the huge lighted tree in front of Crofton Country Club, beautiful decorations at the front grate, and wreathes hanging from every lightpost on the Village Green.  If you know anyone in the Crofton Village Garden Club, be sure to thank them.  They have been decorating Crofton for the holidays for more than 30 years!Here are some other things that are going on in December:                            ________________________________________Find a Home and learn about Real Estate Market Conditions in Crofton and Anne Arundel County, Maryland.  Check out Today's Rates, use the free Mortgage Calculator, and watch a brief video about the Power of RE/MAX.  These consumer-friendly real estate tools ar... 12/05/2007

There is good news to report about the Crofton real estate market!Statistics released by MRIS, the regional multiple listing system for this area, indicate that homes took less time to sell in October 2007 than they did in the same month last year.  Days on Market were down 11.54% to 69.Additionally, 42 homes sold in the 21114 zipcode last month - 7.69% more than October 2006.  Take a look at these charts:                  All the news wasn't good - the average sold price was down 14.48% to $327,400 from $382,846 in October of 2006.  Unless you bought in the past year or two, it simply means your profit would be less to sell than if you had sold a year ago.  However, if you did purchase your home in the past two or three years, it could mean that selling your home for enough to cover yo... 11/16/2007

  Crofton loves Ledo's at Eddie's Place, that's for sure!  Several months ago, I held a pizza contest on another website and invited people to post a comment about their favorite place for pizza in Crofton.  Ledo's won, hands down over Dominoe's, Pizza Hut, and Papa John's.  Louise Lear was the lucky winner of a drawing for pizza at her favorite pizza restaurant or carryout, and she just happened to be a Ledo's fan. Many of us have enjoyed a long love affair with Ledo's, having fond memories of our late-night visits to the original restaurant in Adelphi, near The University of Maryland.    Even if you have enjoyed Ledo Pizza for several years, though, you may not know these interesting facts: * Ledo's slogan, "We're square because we don't cut corners!" comes from the use of rectangular... 11/14/2007

 If you missed the school canned food drive and still want to give this season, RE/MAX Vision is accepting non-perishable food items at their office which is located at 1662 Village Green, across from the Crofton Country Club.They are also collecting winter coats, hats, scarfs and gloves.  These items will be donated to Sarah's House which is a shelter for battered women and their children.If you are in the Crofton area and would like your donations picked up, just give us a call at 410-320-0242 and we'll stop by to save you a trip.These are good giving opportunities to set an example for our children and discuss helping our community and those less fortunate.   I'm looking for ways this season to help my children focus less on their wants and more on those who don't have enough of even... 11/12/2007

On this Veteran's Day, there are many ways that people all over the country are reaching out to say "thank you" to veterans.  The Crofton Village Garden Club uses flowers.Instead of having a speaker at the November meeting, we hold a workshop to create red, white and blue flower arrangements for wounded veterans who are recuperating at the Veterans Affairs Rehabilitation and Extended Care Center nearby in Baltimore.  120 arrangements were created by club members, this year, and delivered to in-patients at the Center, which also provides medical treatment and rehabilitation on an out-patient basis.There is a lot of "heart" in this project, since many garden club members are spouses or widows of military personnel who fought for our country during World War II, Korea or Vietnam.  Others h... 11/11/2007

 Crofton real estate and homes for sale If you use the School Locator on my website, you’ll only get part of the story.  Today’s school assignments may or may not be an accurate reflection of which Crofton-area school your child will attend in 2008–2009.  With the construction of a new elementary school on Nantucket Road (now referred to as Gambrills Elementary, although the school is located in Crofton), you can expect to see shuffling in some school boundaries next year.   Redistricting is a lengthy process that takes into account many factors including overcrowding in existing schools, neighborhood boundaries, and assignments for middle and high schools.  While a final decision will not be made until Spring, a Redistricting Committee of parents with children in the affected schools v... 11/02/2007

Crofton real estate and homes for sale  Thinking of selling your Crofton home in Spring?  If so, it's more important than ever for you to pull your green thumb out of your pocket and take care of these Fall Garden Must-Do's.  They will reward you with a beautiful lawn and garden when the growing season begins in Spring - just in time to put your home on the market!You could say that spring curb-appeal begins today! 1. Bulbs - Now is the season for planting your spring-flowering bulbs, such as tulips and daffodils.  It's also time to lift or "harvest" tender bulbs from your garden for next season, including gladiola, dahlia and tuberous begonia bulbs.  Place them in a sheltered place, leaving the foliage intact, for two or three weeks - except begonia stems, which should dry until they a... 11/01/2007

The highlight of Crofton's November calendar is the Annual Christmas Tree Lighting at Crofton Country Club on November 26 and the arrival of Santa on Engine # 7.  Festivities will include refreshments, entertainment, and photos with Santa.                          CLICK HERE to check updates, since new events may be added throughout the month.  To receive timely notices about new posts to FocusOnCrofton.com, SUBSCRIBE NOW. 11/01/2007

Crofton Meadows is a great place to celebrate Halloween and go trick-or-treating!  Each year the displays get more and more detailed.   This house is fabulous, families that live over on Crofton Parkway come here each year to see the displays and the new items that are added.  From flying goblins and ghosts to skulls, skeletons, tombstones and lights, it is absolutely fabulous.  The smoke machine starts before dark and gives a spooky appearance to the court when the sun goes down.  Some of the littlest trick-or-treaters chose to not go down to the end of this court, but the older kids love it as do the adults.          This year there was also the guy from the Saw movies and "pig face" to greet the trick-or-treaters.  They jumped out when the older kids came by and gave them quite a fri... 11/01/2007

Keep the REAL spooks out of your children's Halloween night by taking these precautions when they go trick-or-treating in Crofton MD (or anywhere): 1.  Accompany children when they go trick-or-treating - If they're a little older, stand back so you're not "lurking", but don't let a pedophile take advantage of this great opportunity to troll for vulnerable kids.  Remember, adolescents are not too old to be at risk on Halloween or at any other time. (You might want to check the Maryland Sex Offender Registry, and avoid those residences when you take your children trick-or-treating.)   2.  Encourage children to go trick-or-treating in small groups.  If the group is too large, you might lose count if one is missing.  My grandkids love it that their parents dress up in costume, too, but othe... 10/30/2007

Crofton Downs is a very nice neighborhood, right off Reidel Road and Johns Hopkins.  To get to it you drive down Rt. 3 into Crofton and turn on Johns Hopkins and then Left on Reidel Road.  The Downs is on both sides of Reidel.  Many people aren't aware of this neighborhood as it is rather small and much of it is tucked away.  Crofton Downs consists of single family homes, some are partially attached because of zoning - they'll be attached with a "T" between them so they are not townhomes but they aren't technically detached either, but really are single family homes.  They are more affordable than in other areas of Crofton.  When doing searches, this area is also referred to as Crofton Village, which is actually the townhomes the next street over.  To the left of this photo and behind t... 10/23/2007

EFFECTIVE OCTOBER 1, 2007 FOR PROPERTY TRANSFERS AFTER DECEMBER 31, 2007 Let's start by answering your question, "What is the Maryland Homestead Tax Credit?"  The Homestead Credit helps homeowners deal with large assessment increases by limiting the increase in taxable assessments.  You can check this Listing of Homestead Caps for Each Local Government, to find out the fixed amount where the property is located.  The Homestead Credit is calculated on any property tax assessment increase exceeding 10% (or the lower cap enacted by local governments - 2% in Anne Arundel County, for example) from one year to the next. The credit is calculated based on the 10% limit for purposes of the State property tax, and 10% or less (as determined by local governments) for purposes of local taxation. In... 10/17/2007