OVER 55 - and loving it!

There's no place like Leisure World - especially at the unbelievably low price of $239,900. Where else in the D.C. area can you find a home this nice AND this affordable?


Just imagine life in a gated community, where you can feel safe going for a walk. Not only that, but you can step out your back door onto the "Broadwalk" - a paved walking path that winds through the community.

The golf course, swimming pool, and one of two club houses are located just blocks away. If you want, you can eat in the club house once or twice a day and never have to cook. And you could use your own golf cart to get around the community (you have your own private golf cart parking pad next to the screened porch). Places of worship are located in and adjacent to the community, there's a community medical center, and Leisure World Shopping Plaza is just outside the front gates.

Home maintenance is easy - everything is included in your monthly co-0p fee, even repairs and replacements of appliances and mechanicals. You won't have any separate utility bills, property tax bill, or first mortgage payment. This is a dream come true for people who hate to sit down and pay bills!

This home is ready for you to move in - fresh paint throughout, new carpet throughout, new flooring, several new appliances, updated lighting... even new doorknobs. What more could you want?

If you like to travel, or if your permanent home is in another State and you live here when you work in the D.C. area, this community makes it possible for you to be gone for long periods of time without worrying about your home.

Take a look today. Contact me at mwoda@remax.net.

January update: Property sold for $210,000. All cash. Settlement in 3 weeks.

More information about this home, Leisure World of Maryland, Leisure World News, AARP, Olney, MD, Senior Housing - What You Should Know, Our Lady of Grace Church

Feedback or more information:

• Email: mwoda@remax.net
• Website: www.MargaretWoda.com

Over 55 - and loving it!

Crofton Maryland Real Estate

Copyright 2006. All rights reserved. Margaret Woda

Real Estate Market Trends

August 2006

Look to the experts...

What is the saying... something to the effect of "Opinions are like belly buttons - everybody has one". While that may be true, some opinions are based on greater expertise, and these are the ones that matter to me when I advise my real estate clients:

NAR Economist Predicted Higher Interest Rates Would Slow Market - by Blanche Evans, Realty Times Correspondent

Housing Market Returning to Normal - Margaret Kelly, RE/MAX CEO

Two sides of the Coin - David Lereah, Chief Economist

Real Estate's Battle of the Bulge - Ken Fears, Economist

The Forecast - Lawrence Yun, Senior Research Forecaster

Existing Homes Sales Down with Softening Prices - Walter Moloney, National Association of REALTORS.

Market Conditions - Carla L. Davis, Realty Times Columnist

Far better for you to look to experts like these, than to rely on media reports that interpret the experts with their own "spin" - seldom are such articles accurate! Remember, the media needs to sensationalize every story with the goal of catching the attention of consumers and selling newspapers, NOT accurately informing the public.

While I don't pretend to be an economist or an expert, I do know where to find their reports. I try to keep my website up-to-date with Market Trends, so you can always look there for links to reports like you see here - www.MargaretWoda.com.

Look to the experts for real estate market trends!


Sources for the above reports:
RE/MAX, National Association of REALTORS, Maryland Association of REALTORS, Realty Times, Metropolitan Regional Information Systems, Inc. (MRIS)

Feedback or more information:

• Email: mwoda@remax.net
• Website: www.MargaretWoda.com
• Crofton Maryland Real Estate

Real Estate Market Trends

All rights reserved. Margaret Woda

HOMES FOR SALE - Crofton, MD

LAKE LOUISE
In the Baltimore/Annapolis/D.C. triangle

$344,999

You can just move in and start enjoying this charming home, conveniently located within walking distance of the Village Green and Crofton Country Club.

As you step into the foyer, you’ll notice beautiful wood floors that continue through French doors into the living room and dining room. The view from the living room is so lovely that the current owners couldn’t resist placing their desk in front of the window. The kitchen was recently re-done with an old-time diner motif, including new cabinets, countertops, and flooring. But that’s not all - the 3 full bathrooms and half bath have been updated, as well!

New carpet will tickle your toes upstairs in all three bedrooms, each tastefully decorated with a unique look that might easily be found in a magazine or on HGTV. Lighting, ceiling fans, interior doors, and even door hardware have been updated recently. The spacious lower level opens to a fenced brick patio that is nicely shaded in the summer by nearby trees. There’s even a wet-bar off the family room and plenty of storage in a separate area.

This home is very low-maintenance with brick front and back, and new windows on the back of the home. So start packing, and move your family to this lovely Crofton home in time to enjoy the beautiful fall leaves from your windows and patio.

Related links:

• More information about this home
• Search for other Crofton area homes
• What's YOUR home worth?

Feedback or more information:

• Email: mwoda@remax.net
• Website: www.MargaretWoda.com
• Crofton Maryland Real Estate

HOMES FOR SALE - Crofton, MD
Copyright 2006. All rights reserved. Margaret Woda

7 Home Seller Mistakes to Avoid

You're getting ready to sell your home. You want top dollar, perfect timing, and minimum hassle. That's not too much to ask, is it? Yet your success in achieving these goals is easily derailed by making a single mistake. Here are seven big ones to avoid:

1. Overlooking a critical detail

Good preparation is essential for a successful home sale. That includes gathering all the facts about your home and the marketplace BEFORE putting it on the market for sale. Be prepared to answer buyers' questions about the square footage, the property taxes, the average utility bills, the type and age of roofing, the local schools, community covenants, and more. Make sure your home is clean, uncluttered, in good repair, neutral, and "staged" for showing at its best. The more time you spend preparing to sell, the less time it will be on the market.

2. Relying upon open houses and print

A buyer must know your home is available for sale before he will purchase it. A good real estate agent will create an accurate and effective buyer-profile for your home, and will target marketing efforts to those buyers. Face it, if a qualified and motivated buyer spots the sign in front of your house or calls on your ad, it will be pure luck!

3. Being unavailable to show your home

No one is going to buy your home without first seeing it. Buyers must be able to inspect your home at THEIR convenience, so you should make arrangements with your employer for a more flexible schedule until your home is sold. If you list your home with a licensed real estate agent, he or she will handle all inquiries and appointments while you maintain your normal routine.

4. Allowing "anyone" into your home

How will you minimize the possibility of unqualified or unscrupulous strangers coming into your home? I address this concern by requiring my buyer-clients to be pre-approved by a lender-member of my professional team who verifies the prospective buyer's identity, home address, employer, and financial qualifications. I'm optimistic that most axe-murderers, rapists and robbers are not going to allow this vigorous personal scrutiny.

5. Overpricing or underpricing your home

Pricing your home is both an art and a science. The science of home pricing begins with gathering data about recent sales in your area. (For a snapshot view of recent sales near your home, visit http://www.margaretwoda.com/hvalue.shtml.) The art of home pricing involves the many other factors in today's marketplace: politics, economy, weather, season, and competition, for example. You need to balance the home sale data with these other factors to determine the likely selling price for your home.

6. Appearing too anxious when you follow-up

I could share countless stories with you of sales that resulted directly from my follow-up calls after a buyer inspected my listing and initially ruled out the property. You MUST obtain feedback from any prospective buyers and agents who inspect your home. Yet you must be careful not to sound too highly-motivated, because that could compromise your position in any negotiations. For this reason, it is helpful for a third party handle the follow-up.

7. Making unnecessary selling concessions (or failing to make necessary ones)

You must determine in advance what your bottom line is on price, timing, inclusions and exclusions. Then you must decide how flexible you can be on any of these considerations. You must know the line you cannot cross without seriously compromising your home-selling goals. You must not be afraid to counter-offer. At the same time, you must strongly advocate for your own best interests and know when it's "best" to let a buyer walk away.

Remember, you will be competing with thousands of professional real estate agents as well as other home owners. You can't afford to make mistakes in your home sale. If you have any questions about selling your home, you may find answers on my website. Or feel free to contact me - whether you live in Maryland or Anywhere, USA.

Feedback or more information:

• Email: mwoda@remax.net
• Website: www.MargaretWoda.com
• Crofton Maryland Real Estate

7 Home Seller Mistakes to Avoid
Copyright 2006. All rights reserved. Margaret Woda

Where have all the buyers gone?

There weren't enough homes to go around this time last year. Sellers expected multiple offers within days, even hours, of going on the market. Many of these offers were above full price and without any contingencies, even so-called standard ones like appraisals and home financing. That was then.

This is now: Homes setting on the market for weeks and months without any prospective buyers even walking through. Low-ball offers that sellers are glad to see. Real estate agents dropping out of the business.

Yet there have been no huge interest rate increases. Traditional motivations for housing changes are still there - growing families, shrinking families, new families, relocation, different needs. This is a puzzle for all of us, consumers and professionals alike. I have a theory, based on my 33 years experience and my observations.

It's the media's fault! Seriously!

The ol' story of record-breaking housing sales had lost its sizzle. The housing boom that was fueled by fear of price increases became "ho-hum". So it was time for a change to keep the real estate story alive. Media reports chose to quote the negative-thinking experts instead of the postive-thinking ones. (Both are ALWAYS out there.) They predicted a housing bubble and pending crash. And a lot of people DO believe what they read. After months of pushing the "housing bubble" theory, the story became self-fulfilling. 'Truth is, the factors which typically impact housing sales didn't change significantly from last year to this.

It doesn't really matter who's fault this is, however. Home buyers have retreated to wait for ..., well - I don't know exactly - but I'm going to venture a guess: an experienced real estate professional to lure them back into the market place.

It's true. Home sellers need an experienced real estate professional more than any time in the four decades I've been selling homes. Notice the emphasis on the word "experienced". Real estate agents who have been in the business for five years or less have never sold homes in a buyer's market. Buyers have come to them. Agents haven't had to prospect for buyers. Agents haven't had to SELL buyers. Agents haven't had to MARKET homes for sellers. This is no time for any home seller to base their agent selection on whom they like, regardless of qualifications. Home sellers need to focus on choosing an agent with home-selling experience in a buyer's market. It will make the difference between success and failure in their home sale.

Experience is defined as "the act of living through something" and/or "knowledge and skill developed through repeatedly doing the same thing". Fewer than 50% of licensed real estate agents in most market areas have been in the business more than 5 years, so home owners can't risk their home sale to just any agent. When you interview agents, don't just ask about their recent business accomplishments; ask about the sales strategies and tactics they used in the last buyer's market. Find out how many homes they sold in previous buyers' markets.

A real estate agent must be pro-active with an accurate buyer-profile, creative and consistent marketing, exceptional service, and patience to literally coddle them long-term until they make a buying decision. Home buyers are out there to be found, they're even willing to come out of their hiding places with a little courting, and they do still appreciate a home that is priced "right" and in good condition. But those are topics for another day.

Today's lesson is this: If you want buyers to find your home, choose an experienced real estate professional to represent you in your home sale.

Feedback or more information:

• Email: mwoda@remax.net
• Website: www.MargaretWoda.com
• Crofton Maryland Real Estate

Where have all the buyers gone?

Copyright 2006. All rights reserved. Margaret Woda

Why Margaret Woda?

EXPERIENCE (ek-spir~-e-ens) 1. The act of living through an event 2. Knowledge and skill gained from doing the same thing repeatedly.

You'll benefit from my 30+ years of real estate experience and training when you choose me as your real estate agent. Here's my promise to you:

• An efficient and pleasant experience for you - Proven real estate systems and partners who are dedicated to a standard of excellence that you and your family deserve.
• Negotiating advantage - Unwavering advocacy and professional representation of YOUR best interests.
• Expert advice - In-depth knowledge of local real estate customs, practices and laws, based on thousands of hours of advanced training.
• More choices and options - A wide range of services to meet and exceed YOUR wants and needs. Be sure to ask for more information.

Feedback or more information:

• Email: mwoda@remax.net
• Website: www.MargaretWoda.com
• Crofton Maryland Real Estate

Why Margaret Woda?

Copyright 2006. All rights reserved. Margaret Woda