If you are considering buying Laurel Md real estate, you better hurry. The government's $8000 tax credit for first time home buyers is set to end at the end of November.  In addition, the $10,00 grant for first time home buyers is running out of money. Thats $18,000 of FREE money you could miss out on if you don't buy a home soon! If you have a $300,000 mortgage, $18,000 would pay for your first nine months in the house.  Throw in your interest deduction and you are practically living in the home for FREE the first year. If you are considering buying Maryland real estate, you need to call me today! Looking forward to hearing from you. Call me at 301-604-0198 08/06/2009

Laurel Marylanddoes matter.  We are important.  To prove it Governor Martin O'Malley visited us last Friday. Speaking in Laurel Lakes with County Councilman Dernoga, Maryland Senator Rosapepe, and Maryland Delegates Pena-Melnyk and Barnes in attendance, the Governor answered questions. One of the hot topics were Maryland's budget cuts and how they might affect Laurel.  The government of Laurel has been pretty thrifty in managing their money.   However, the Governor has to make cuts and Prince Georges County will have their fair share. In Maryland, the law states the budget must be balanced.  You can make arguments wheather this is a good thing or a bad thing for our state.  Over time Laurel Md will feel the impact of these cuts. How this may affect the Maryland real estate is anybodies ... 08/04/2009

Looks like there will not be any slots in Laurel Maryland.  The Laurel Racing Association had asked the Maryland Court of Appeals to hear their case.  However, the court of Appeals has ordered the Ann Arundel Circuit Court to dismiss the case. The Laurel Racing Association  (LRA) had hoped to get slots at the Laurel race track in Ann Arundel County.  But the LRA failed to submit the required fees with their bid.  LRA's bid was rejected because of the lack of fees.   The LRA claimed they did not submit the millions of dollars in fees because they feared they would not get the money back if they were not successful. The LRA is clearly running out of options.  Right now it looks like the Laurel community will not have slots. For more information concerning Maryland communities, visit Maryl... 07/28/2009

My sister-in-law lives in Northern Idaho.  The family has a business in the city they live in.  Recently, they decided to sell the business. My sister-in-law and her husband seem to be good with money.  They have a nice home, no children, and they seem to pay their bills on time. For some reason, my sister-in-law decided to sell the family business without the help of an agent.  They didn't even call me, here in Maryland,  for any advice. Well sure enough, after a period of time, they got a buyer.  The buyer did not have an agent either.  So no agents are involved in the transaction.  They quickly agreed on a price and set a settlement date about 45 days from contract ratification.  I don't really know if the contract was ever ratified, I am just making an assumption. The forty-five day... 07/24/2009

The Laurel School of Music located in Laurel Maryland at the corner of Main Street and 7th Street is celebrating its' 20 year anniversary. Both my daughter and I have attended the Laurel School of Music.  My daughter currently is a voice and piano student at the school.  Her teachers are Laurel's own Dr. Mack Statham for piano and Rebecca O'Campo for voice. Alvin "Al" Roda has owned the school for the last five years.   According to an article in the Laurel Leader, when Al first took over the school was facing financial difficulty.   Al started an aggressive program of marketing, which included a free concert at my church, First United Methodist on Main St in Laurel. According to the Laurel Leader, Al has worked hard at getting all types of people interested in the school.  He stated he... 07/16/2009

Maryland real estate prices in Montgomery and Prince Georges Counties continue to fall.   Every month since January the average sold price and medium sold price has declined significantly. This price decrease has resulted in more sales this year as compared to last year in Maryland. First time home buyers have been coming back into the Maryland real estate market for over a year now.  Low interest rates, low prices and numerous government incentives have help to push buyers off the fence. Some markets in Maryland have seen multiple offers on homes.  I have worked with a buyer who has been beaten out on three homes in Silver Spring Maryland. Buyers are now considering foreclosure homes that need work.  The FHA 203K rehab loan is becoming more and more popular.  These homes are bought way... 07/14/2009

Laurel Maryland held its annual fourth of July parade on last Friday.  The weather was beautiful and thousands of Laurel residents lined the streets to cheer the parade.  The parade also provided residents the opportunity to see their current Maryland state senators and delegates.   Maryland State Senator Jim Rosapepe was there shaking hands and talking to his constituents. Maryland delegates representing Laurel Maryland were also there.  Long time Delegate Barbara Frush rode in a car and waved to the crowd.   Freshman Delegates Joseline Pena-Melnyk and Ben Barnes worked the crowd as well. Maryland District 1 County Councilman and West Laurel resident, Tom Dernoga was present.  Tom Dernoga will run for Maryland States Attorney next year.  Not far behind these local Maryland officials wa... 07/10/2009

The other morning I was walking through my neighborhood in West Laurel Maryland, when I noticed something odd. I was on Bond Mill Road walking south, there was a man walking on the same side of the road as me coming in my direction.   He was gesturing and talking in a very animated way. The only problem.....nobody was with him. I am very familiar with people who talk to imaginary people.  My sister was a paranoid schizophrenic.  She often talked to imaginary people. Another time I worked in a restaurant.  Often at lunch time we had a woman come in, by herself and order lunch.  As soon as the waiter took the order and left the table, she engaged in an enthusiastic conversation with an invisible person on the other side of the table. Many times these people function quite well in society.... 07/05/2009

More and more buyers are choosing to use the FHA rehab loan or 203K.  The reason for this is because so many foreclosure homes need work.  For the smart Maryland first time home buyer, FHA Rehab loans could be the way to get a great deal on a home. The FHA Rehab loan opens up the market to the first time buyer.  Now, homes that need work can be given serious consideration.  In this market, many homes need work.  Banks that own foreclosures in Laurel Maryland, do not want to do any work on any properties they hold. I just sold a home in Mayfair that the buyer is going to use the FHA rehab loan.  The buyer is a teacher who is first time buyer in Maryland.  I am helping her coordinate every move to have her home ready. If you look around Laurel Maryland community you will find many foreclo... 07/01/2009

I can't believe it, but I now have a Twitter account.  I have fought it for months, but now I have given in.  I watched several of my friends from Laurel Maryland join the Twitter wave.  Dave from my church on Main Street in Laurel was one of the first.  I ignored it.  Then I would read post about Maryland real estate and see the, "follow me on Twitter" button on the bottom of the page.  It seemed like everyone was Twittering! But the last straw came from my own camp.   My SEO guy told me to join Twitter.   My SEO guy has a great track record with my web site www.mymarylandcastle.com I do what my SEO guy says, he is the expert. Ok, so I am taking the plunge.  Wish me luck. Oh, by the way, my twitter name is laurelrealtor. 06/27/2009

Things are happening in Laurel real estate.  There are some important indicators in the Prince Georges zip codes 20707 and 20708 in Laurel Maryland.  When comparing last May of 2008 with this May 2009 in Laurel we can see some trends.  In both Laurel zip codes, prices are still coming down.  In the 20708 zip code the price declines are still dramatic at over 15% for both the average sold price and the medium sold price.   The amount of days it takes to sell a home in the Montpelier area of Laurel is almost the same from last year. In Laurel Md zip code 20708 more homes sold this May than last May. In zip code 20707 of Laurel, which covers West Laurel and historic Laurel Md, price declines were not as steep at around five percent for both the average and medium sold price. It took four w... 06/23/2009

There are two significant changes statistics to note for Prince Georges County Maryland home owners and home buyers.   In this region, the inventory of homes is shrinking and the number of days it takes to sell a property is declining as well.   Though in Prince Georges County, the number of days to sell a home have increased, neighboring Montgomery and Howard Counties that same number is almost at a stand still.  History shows, Prince Georges County eventually follows the trends of its' neighbors. Even more telling, all three counties have shrinking inventories.  Pending sales are also up as well.  If this trend continues, we will see the bottoming out of prices in the housing market. This is good news for Laurel home sellers.  Sellers have heard nothing but bad news for the last four ... 06/22/2009

If you have been watching Laurel real estate over the past several years, you know that Laurel Maryland's, Maryland City offer's great home values. Maryland City is located in Ann Arundel County,  just across the border from Prince Georges County Laurel Md.  The area is just off of Route 198 and is bordered by Brockbridge Rd and the Baltimore Washington Parkway.  From Maryland City you can walk to Target.  The subdivision is located just a minutes drive from Shoppers and Sam's Club. Maryland City in Laurel Maryland is an older commuinty.  The neighborhood is full of rambler style homes with large basements.  Many of the properties have four bedrooms and two full baths.  Most people find the large yards a definite plus.  There is a neighborhood pool as well. Ofcourse, the low Ann Arundel... 06/02/2009

About a month ago, I was visiting Savage Mill which is just about ten minutes from my home in Laurel Maryland.  My family and I visit the historic Savage Mill shopping center looking at antiques and pottery. However, this time was different.  As we were leaving we noticied an area next to the parking lot that had some structures on it.  These structures were new, they were not there the last time we visited. There was a tower and various ropes going off into the wood in various directions.  It looked like a giant adventure play land.  In fact, that is exactly what it was. A sign in front of the tower confirmed we were looking at Terripan Adventure. Terripan Adventure is a place where outdoor extreme activities for all ages.  There is the 330 foot zip line, rope climbing that extends as ... 05/07/2009

Laurel Maryland real estate in Prince Georges County is still, very much in a buyer's market. Laurel zip code 20707 has well over a year of inventory on the market.  Zip code 20708 has even more inventory than 20707 with 77 weeks of homes for sale.  This means, at the current rate of sales, it would take over a year to sell every house on the market in Laurel. This is striking, considering the lower prices, low interest rate and government incentives available to buyers.  A couple factors are contributing to the enormous inventory.  Most properties are distressed sales and take longer to get to closing.  Short sales in particular can take months to get to settlement and our often avoided by buyers. Even foreclosures, are a bumpy ride to the closing table. There are many great deals for ... 05/04/2009

According to an article in the Laurel Gazette the city of Laurel Maryland has been very good with their money. Despite much less revenue this past year, the city of Laurel finances are in good shape.  That's mostly due to the city councils proactive three percent budget cuts. The Gazette article quoted the mayor saying the lost revenue was due to reduced income from Laurel Park, slow progress on Laurel Commons Mall and the planned Hawthorne Place.  All three of these projects have been hit by the tough economic times. The city was able to save money by reorganizing the Police Department and by reducing city employees health insurance premiums.  These to items and several other financial adjustments cut cost for the city of Laurel. It is great to see the city of Laurl Maryland being mana... 04/30/2009

2009    2008    % Change Total Sold Dollar Volume: $ 6,813,045 $ 2,622,250 159.82 % Average Sold Price: $ 252,335 $ 291,361 - 13.39 % Median Sold Price: $ 240,000 $ 300,000 - 20.00 % Total Units Sold: 27 9 200.00 % Average Days on Market: 167 116 43.97 % Average List Price for Solds: $ 291,873 $ 314,300 - 7.14 % Avg Sale Price as a percentage of Avg List Price: 86.45 % 92.70 % Laurel Maryland home sales increased from nine total sales in March of 2008 to twentyseven home sales in March of 2009!  Total Sold Dollar Volume increased from just over two and half million to almost seven million.  That is an increase of almost 160%. The numbers above suggest a dramatic shift in the Laurel real estate market.  I believe the biggest reason for the increase is the affordability of homes for the ... 04/15/2009

I have been a part of Active Rain since 2007 in one form or another.  :)  I have built my business and my referral network by more than words can describe!   I have closed loans  I have learned how to blog  I have referred business out  I have received referrals  I have gained trust from potential clients  I have become known within my community as the blog girl  I have learned how to be a better loan officer  I have gained some great friends Most recently... April 3rd was my birthday and I posted a tweet about how I love George Strait and would love to see him in a concert coming up in the area.        Not even 2 days later even before the tickets came on sale to the public I get in the mail....2 tickets to George Strait concert from another mortgage lender Matthew Rosov.  Otherwise kn... 04/14/2009

Those of us who own Laurel real estate, got some good news recently.  In Prince Georges County Maryland, more homes sold in April of 2009 than in April 2008.  In fact, it was just over a ten percent increase. Average sold price was down below $250,000 and so was the medium sold price.  You can get more information on my Laurel real estate blog. The bottom is in sight.  The market will stabelize and then hopefully increase at normal rates.  I believe this will happen some time in the next six months. Falling prices, low interest rates and great government incentives have had a good impact on the market. For more information about Maryland real estate, visit Maryland homes for sale. 04/14/2009

I have lived in Laurel Maryland for the last 18 years.  In that time I have discovered some places in Laurel that I very much enjoy visiting.  The following is a list of my current top five places I enjoy visiting in Laurel Maryland. The Silver Diner on Route One.  I just love the diner atmosphere.  The clanking of dishes and silverware, the bottomless cup of coffee and good food. Sam's Club.  Something about a big warehouse full of goodies excites me. Maybe it suggest prosperity or something.  I always enjoy shopping with my wife there. First United Methodist Church on Main St.  I very much enjoy worshipping and fellowshipping with my fellow members. Books-A-Million in Laurel Center Mall.  I could spend a whole week in there.  I just love the endless topics the books cover, particularl... 04/09/2009