All Real Estate is Local

We are One-stop Shopping

noreply@blogger.com (Dave C.) — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 13:51:00 +0000

I just got my latest copy of Realtor magazine and saw an article by Robert Freedman "One-Stop Shopping" about one-stop shopping for real estate. The Brokerage I belong, Real Estate Teams in Frederick, MD, llc provides that one stop shopping experience. I have been told that people want that experience however, no client has ever told me that's what they want. Now I know why. People don't know about one-stop shopping for real estate. Over 70 percent of those surveyed did not know about one-stop real estate.

Freedman stated " A lot of home buyers don’t know that at some real estate brokerages they can get their mortgage, title insurance, home warranty, and other settlement services under one roof. But when they learn of the option, they want it, a survey of recent and future home buyers conducted in February by the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® and Harris Interactive found."

Freedman goes on to say "More than 70 percent said the attraction of one-stop shopping, at least as they perceive it, is the chance to close the transaction more quickly and conveniently, at less cost and with fewer missteps, than if all the services had to be cobbled together by the sales associate or someone else."

Ready to sell your home? Ready to start your dream home search? We are one-stop shop. Contact us and we can guide you on finding the perfect home in Frederick to suit your lifestyle and needs.

For More info. go to www.DaveAndKarenChapman.com

Trulia Q and A

noreply@blogger.com (Dave C.) — Tue, 27 May 2008 03:13:00 +0000

Recently I discovered Trulia.com. It a real estate search engine that helps you find homes for sale and provides real estate information at the local level to help you make better decisions in the process. A real estate agent can put together a profile answer questions from buyers and sellers and ask questions from other real estate agents. So, I put together a profile for Karen and myself and starting answering some questions. Here are a couple of questions and the answers I gave.

How can I market my home to a wider field of potential buyers. I live in 5 canyons my home is now for sale

Asked Fri May 23 2008, 18:46 by Nancy - 94552 - Home Selling - 5 answers

Dave and Karen Chapman answered:

Nancy,

You said it is listed with an agent. Is it a full service brokerage? If so, I suggest you set down with your agent and ask them what are they doing to get your home sold quickly. What is their marketing plan? Where are they advertising your home? I also suggest that you discuss what your alternatives are if it does not sell before your new home is ready. The reality is you may need make to 2 mortgage payments for a period of time. Are you willing to rent it out for a year? You might want to talk to your agent about a rent to own program. That might attract more buyers. Or if you don't get any showings you need to reduce the price even further. We live in Frederick, Maryland. It was a hot market a couple of years ago, over 20% appreciation a year. These days it is just the opposite. Now, we tell our sellers if it doesn't sell in 30 days and you don't get regular showings they need to reduce the price by 1% and continue to reduce the price every thirty days by 1% until it sells. The percentage in you area may be different , but you need to stay ahead of a falling market. One other idea that comes to mind is if your house can qualify for FHA you can give a gift to a buyer through a program like Nehemiah. The web site for Nehemiah is www.getdownpayment.com. With a program like Nehemiah and FHA you can get a qualified buyer to buy your home for no money down. That might attract buyers. I hope that helps - Fri May 23 2008, 19:53

what's the right amount to offer for a home and have it not be considered a low ball offer?

Asked Tue May 13 2008, 21:54 by Lupita Calam… - Savannah - Home Buying - 9 answers

Dave and Karen Chapman answered:

Lupita,

To add what has already been said, if you really want to buy the house make sure that you do not go too low. You want the sellers to respond to your offer and if you go too low they will feel insulted and just not respond to you. If you don't care if you get the house are not go as low as you want because you don't care if the seller doesn't respond to your offer and you just move on to the next house. - Fri May 16 2008, 11:28

That is just a couple of questions I answered so far You can see all the questions I have answered and look at our profile here at Trulia.com.

Dave Chapman
www.DaveandKarenChapman.com

How's the Frederick real estate market?

noreply@blogger.com (Dave C.) — Tue, 13 May 2008 00:22:00 +0000

Rain, rain go away! How is the Frederick real estate market doing this May? It has been raining for days here. It is suppose to stop tonight and sunshine tomorrow. Let's look at the latest real estate stats for Frederick,MD to see if the sun is about to shine on the real estate market here.

Monthly housing reports for Frederick County, MD for April, 08.

In the report for single family homes (including townhouses) the total number of settlements was 160. That's down 18.4% from April a year ago and settlements are down 29.8% year-to-date. The number of new listings is down 20.1% over the same period last year. The total number of listings was 1887 for April 2008 and that was up only 3.5% over April 2007. The median price for a single family home is now $300,000 down 11.7 % from a high in 2006 of $335,000 and the average price is now $338,043 and that was down10.5% from high of $377,700 in 2006.

Next, the condo report . There were 9 Condo settlements for April. That was down 47.1% from April a year ago and down 50.0% year-to-date. The total number of condo listing now stands at 167. That number was up 15.2% for April 2008 over April 2007. The median price is $197,750 down 10.25% from a high in 2006 of $218,000 and the average price of $214,766 is down4.5% from high of $224,327 in 2006.

The good news from that data is the inventory is stabilizing . The fact that the single family homes inventory today is basically the same as is was at the same time last year to me is good news. The prices are down but, if you are a seller just remember that if your home sells for 10% less than it would have 2 years ago, the same thing will happen when you buy a new home. That new home will cost 10% less or more than it would have 2 years ago.

Ready to sell your home? Ready to start your dream home search? Contact us and we can guide you on finding the perfect home in Frederick to suit your lifestyle and needs.

For More info. go to www.DaveAndKarenChapman.com

Frederick County Building Moratorium. Good or Bad?

noreply@blogger.com (Dave C.) — Mon, 05 May 2008 13:24:00 +0000

On March 19th the Frederick County commissioners voted 3-2 to put in place a 2 year moratorium on new residential construction.

According to the Frederick News Post(FNP) in a March 19th. article -

"the board approved exemptions for projects that had either Adequate Public Facilities Ordinance(APFO) approval or a signed letter of understanding by Jan. 8. The board also included language to exempt nonresidential construction in mixed-use developments.

The moratorium makes clear developers with time-sensitive permits will not be penalized. More than 10,000 houses under construction will not be affected, according to the county."

So, what what are the details. The Gazette paper in a article back on Jan 10th I think explains it best.

"The county’s 12 municipalities would not be subject to the suspension. Roughly 43 percent of Frederick County’s new home construction is located within municipalities.

Subdivisions with five or fewer housing units are also excluded from the moratorium, as is commercial construction.

‘‘We expect building will continue,” County Commissioner Jan Gardner(D) said. ‘‘Development will continue and move forward. Building will not slow down.”

During a press conference Tuesday, commissioners said the halt to home building is necessary to allow them time to update a 1998 document outlining the future of housing growth in the county. The board said they also need time to make changes to the county's growth-control policy. The county's adequate public facilities ordinance (APFO) requires developers to ensure that roads, water, sewer and schools are adequate to meet the needs of new residents before building.

Commissioners want to add stipulations to that ordinance to include adequate fire and rescue services.

Commissioner David P. Gray (R) said he thinks the moratorium is ‘‘an extremely responsible thing to do. We need an overall look at the county. You can only stay with the old plan for so long.”

Since the county’s comprehensive growth plan was adopted in 1998, the county has seen an explosion of new residents. This has led to an increase in traffic congestion and a higher demand for water and sewer service. School enrollment has increased by about 5,000 students as well.

Commissioners said Tuesday that now is the time to adopt new growth polices that better promote a better quality of life for all residents.

‘‘It’s time to step back and pause,” Gardner said."

So, what does this mean? Is it a good thing or bad? I thought it was a bad thing when I heard about the moratorium. I thought it would drive builders out of the county and people would be attracted to the surrounding counties instead of Frederick County. The moratorium would put a burden on the roads in the future without the tax base to pay for the infrastructure needed to support the people just " driving through". Also, county commissioner Lenny Thompson(R) is for this and to me he is very anti-growth.

But, after researching this I'm so sure. I do think 2 years is too long. A year should be enough time. Of course, we are dealing with government here. With the market down, I do think if the county wants to look at the overall development this is a good time for it. My only concern is, if the market turns around before the 2 years is up what will happen? We will see.

Ready to sell your home? Ready to start your dream home search? Contact us and we can guide you on finding the perfect home in Frederick to suit your lifestyle and needs.

For More info. go to www.DaveAndKarenChapman.com

No money down is NOT dead!

noreply@blogger.com (Dave C.) — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 23:14:00 +0000

If you listen to the news media about the mortgage market these days, you would think everyone needs at least 10 percent; may be 20 percent down payment to buy a new home. As a matter of fact, I was listening to CNBC and the person being interviewed stated that the housing market would not turn around any time soon because the need for a large down payment. Well, that person couldn't be further from the truth. No money down is alive and well.

Now, is the mortgage market back to the way it was before the housing turn down? No. Before you needed a pulse to get a loan and nothing else. Now, you do need documentation, you really need to live in the home you are going to buy and fairly good credit. If you have those things you can indeed get in to a home with no down payment. But, how you may ask?

Well, here are 3 loan programs that can get you in to that new home for mo money. The great thing is all 3 of these loans are using government backed loans.

First, if you are a veteran there is the VA loan. It is a tried and true way to get in to a home for no money down. As a matter of fact, I bought my first home that way in 1981 using a VA loan with no money down. The maximum eligibility for each veteran is $104,250 and the maximum loan amount with no down payment is now $417,000. For more info, check out www.va.gov

Next, thinking about moving to the country? Well, how about a loan from Farm Credit. You don't need to buy a 40 acre farm and get some pigs and chicken to qualify. I understand there are income restrictions for this loan and you can't buy in the middle of Frederick City but, it just another way to buy a owner occupied home for no money. For more info for this program in Maryland go to www.midatlanticfarmcredit.com

Lastly, a loan program that hasn't been used a lot lately but, has made a big come back. That is FHA Loan program. Now that congress has raised the lending limit to over 700, 000 dollars, why wouldn't you get a FHA loan. But, wait you say. Don't I need a down payment for FHA? Yes, you do but, that down payment up to 6 percent can come in the form of a gift from organizations like, The Nehemiah program. It is a great program to help buyers get the down payment and in that new home for no money down. For more information go to getdownpayment.com.

I just showed you 3 ways to buy that new home for no money down and I'm sure there are more. So, don't listen to the nay sayers out there. Get in touch with your Realtor or mortgage lender to make that American Dream of home ownership possible for you.

Ready to sell your home? Ready to start your dream home search? Contact us and we can guide you on finding the perfect home in Frederick to suit your lifestyle and needs.

For More info. go to www.DaveAndKarenChapman.com

New Housing Starts. Good or Bad News?

noreply@blogger.com (Dave C.) — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 15:06:00 +0000

The Federal Government's New Housing starts and New Housing permits data for March came out last Wednesday. March housing starts were 947K and permits were 927K. The numbers were the lowest they have been since 1992. The lowest in in 15 years! Now is that good or bad news? I think it is both.

This data is bad for the economy. The means that workers in the construction will be hurting. It also means that companies that supply the construction industry will be affected. Add in the problems in mortgage market and it make the news even worse. But, the down turn is necessary for the housing market to get healthy again. So, what is the good news?

The good news is that this down turn in housing starts will help work off the existing inventories out there. That will in turn, I think, help to slow down the depreciation in existing housing prices. That is good for sellers. What is also good for sellers of existing homes is that the builders will not be as big a competitive factor when selling there home. It's also good for buyers because this data tells me there is still a lot of housing inventory out there. It's still a buyers market.

So, are are we at the bottom of the real estate market? I don't know. I don't think anybody knows and since real estate is local it may get better in Frederick, MD long before it gets better in say Cleveland, OH. We will just have to follow the market,especially the local market and wait and see.

For addition information on the the housing starts data go to Briefing.com

Ready to sell your home? Ready to start your dream home search? Contact us and we can guide you on finding the perfect home in Frederick to suit your lifestyle and needs.

For More info. go to www.DaveAndKarenChapman.com

Where's the Bottom? Does Anybody know?

noreply@blogger.com (Dave C.) — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 17:11:00 +0000

Have we hit the bottom of this real estate market turn down? Well, I have the answer. I don't know? When will the bottom happen? Again, I don't know. I don't think anybody will know until after it happens. Things like calling a bottom in a market only seem to happen in hind sight. With that said let's look at some stats. On a national level the housing indicators are still negative.

	CURRENT		PREVIOUS
Existing Home Sales	4.89m	▼	5.00m
New Home Sales	604,000	▼	634,000
Housing Starts	1.006m	▼	1.173m
Building Permits	1.068m	▼	1.162m
HMI	19	▲	18
Existing Home Prices	$208,400	▼	$221,600 (06)
New Home Prices	$219,200	▼	$244, 700 (06)

Ok, but all real estate is local. The local market can turn around before or after the national market. So, let's look at Frederick County. Has that turned around?

Inventory is up 25% over last year. Settlements are down by 37% over last year and the average price of a Single Family home is down approx. 8% from the peak in 2006.

Doesn't look like its turned from those stats? No, not yet. So, we will just need to keep a close eye on the market and call a bottom after it happens.

FSBO. Nowadays!

noreply@blogger.com (Dave C.) — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 17:11:00 +0000

I dropped off my kids at their house in Urbana, Maryland the other day. I had been noticing it for a while. It is a very nice house on the corner. It is For a Sale by Owner(FSBO). That sign has been out in front the front yard for a while. I started wandering why would anybody want to try to sell their home themselves in this down market. Sellers are having enough trouble selling their homes in general and Urbana particularly. What makes it even harder is the builders are still building. So, I asked myself why would a seller try to sell it themselves?

My guess is they feel they need to get penny they can for their house. They might even be upside down on the house. Most people think it is easy to sell a home. I believe that use to be the case when there was a hot market a few years ago. Many agents during the good times didn't need to do much work to sell a home. Well, times have changed. Why then not get some professional help. If the seller owes more than the house is worth then, get the agent to work with their lender to help with a short sale. That's an agent's value add . It's working with the lender, negotiating with buyers, getting the home to closing, pricing for the market and reducing the seller's liability. That's why you hire an agent. Not to put out a sign and run an ad in the paper.

Now, do we work with FSBOs ? Only if they come to us. I have found it had hard convince a person that only sees the sign, MLS and ad side of the real estate business. My suggestion if you are considering selling a home without agent representation, do your research and talk to some agents. Ask them what is their value add? Understand the market you are in. Then decide.

Ready to sell your home? Ready to start your dream home search? Contact us and we can guide you on finding the perfect home in Frederick to suit your lifestyle and needs.

For More info. go to www.DaveAndKarenChapman.com

To stay or walk away.

noreply@blogger.com (Dave C.) — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 16:31:00 +0000

It is being reported that there is a group of home owners out there that are just walking way from their home and letting it go to foreclosure. They are doing this because they can't make the payments and they have no equity in the home. My opinion is that each owner needs to make that decision but, before they do they need to exhaust every resource available to them. Walking away from the home not only does damage to the owner but, their neighbors, their local community and the community at large.

I would ask if you are thinking off walking away from your home that you first review your situation with a accountant, lawyer and or real estate agent. There are personal, financial and legal consequences from walking away from your home that your accountant or lawyer can answer. Then, if you decide to leave a real estate agent can work with you to sell the home may be for less than you own. But, you say"I got in to this with no money" or "The payment went way up and I can't make it". The fact is the bank does not want the home back, especially in today market conditions.

You need some to negotiate for you. Someone to help you get out of your situation be it your lawyer or your real estate agent. Why have someone negotiate for you? Because it is alway better to have someone else negotiate for you. Look at athletes, movie stars and union workers. They all have someone else negotiate for them. It help take the emotion out of it. It helps to get the home sold. The banks are more willing to work with people today than they were a few years ago. At least try to work something out with the bank before you go.

Should you walk away from your Home? I say not without a fight. Get help. Stay if you can. Sell if you must. Fight to the end but, just don't walk away.

Ready to sell your home? Ready to start your dream home search? Contact us and we can guide you on finding the perfect home in Frederick to suit your lifestyle and needs.

For More info. go to www.DaveAndKarenChapman.com

Rent to Own. Ready for a come back?

noreply@blogger.com (Dave C.) — Sun, 09 Mar 2008 18:21:00 +0000

Will “Lease/Purchase” or “Rent to Own” make a comeback? Rent to own has not been popular over the past few years because of the easy mortgage money that was available, the hot real estate market and the no money down type of loan. How have times changed. We as real estate agents need to find creative ways of helping buyers and sellers in this new type of market and “Rent to Own” is one of those ways. I feel that there are advantages for the buyer, the seller and the real estate agent to use a Lease/ Purchase in this down real estate market.

Let’s start with the buyer. For the Buyer a Lease/Purchase or Rent to Own is perfect if you want to enjoy your own home rather than rent or your bank doesn’t love you because you have a temporary credit problem that you need time to repair or you need time to save for a down payment. A rent to Own is actually a perfect solution to get back on your feet and on the road to home ownership. With all the mortgage restrictions now in place a buyer still wants an easy way into the housing market. A Buyer wants their money to do more than just pay your rent. Rent to Own is NOT credit driven but, it is not just for those with poor credit. Rent to Own is a very good way to go for someone that has been turned down by every place around or for those that don't have the means to make the traditional payments with a bank. The most obvious advantage of rent to own is that you don't have to worry about harsh rates for down payments and closing costs. Buyers need to keep in mind that if you are late with a payment the rental agreement can be canceled and any equity or money put forth as earnest money will be lost. Even if you as a Buyer abide by all of the terms and conditions of the lease, there is still a chance that you won’t be approved or can’t quality for a mortgage at the end of the lease. You must educate yourself by understanding your credit and how to improve it, determine your financial ability and do not over-extend yourself, understand what is required to be approved for a mortgage, understand your legal documentation or hire a lawyer to help you understand it, and most importantly of all, treat the Rent To Own transaction with the same importance that you would a home purchase.

So, what does the seller get? The seller gets their home sold. May be not today but, it does get someone in your home who wants to buy it in the future. The seller gets someone who will cover some or all of the seller’s existing mortgage payment. The seller also gets someone who will treat the home as theirs and not like a renter who sometimes doesn’t care how the property is treated.

Lastly, what does the real estate agent get? The agent gets a happy client, referrals and more business. But, wait. What about the commission? When does the real estate agent get paid? The agent does not want to wait 12 to 18 months to get paid and if the buyers can’t get a mortgage at the end of the term and leave, then what? The answer for the agent is to be paid at least a part of their commission upfront with the balance due at closing. That way the agent receives compensation for what has been done and has an incentive to work with buyer and seller to help ensure the home does go to closing in the future.

If you would like to know more about lease options, I suggest you get up a copy of “Investing in Real Estate With Lease Options and "Subject-To" Deals” by Wendy Patton.

Here a Short Sale. Ther e a Short Sale. Everywhere a Short Sale.

noreply@blogger.com (Dave C.) — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 20:19:00 +0000

We just got back from our investment home for sale in Florida that was finished last summer. The market is really down in Florida and there is a lot of inventory on the market. So, we went down there to stage the home with hope that would help it to sell faster. While we were there, our listing agent came over and showed us the other homes in our area that were also for sale. Many of them were listed as short sales and were priced well below market. So, I started thinking, Is our house way over priced at 274k when other houses of the same model are listed as short sales for a lot less? Well, my answer is no.

Short sales are an agreement between the lender and the property owner that allows a home to be sold for less than the amount owed. Short sales are not, on the whole, short. Almost unknown for the past two decades, short sales are making a comeback as a way out for cash-strapped homeowners who can't keep up on their mortgage payments. Short Sales are allowing sellers to bow out gracefully after being put in a no win situation. They are one of the most effective techniques for discounting loans in real estate. Short sales are a common practice within the mortgage industry and are determined on a case-by-case basis. They are games of give and take and they often get delayed or fall apart. Short sales are most widely accepted during a buyer’s market when home sales are dragging, home values are declining, and inventories of available properties are growing to the point that the lender basically is just throwing up its hands and saying some money for the house is better than no money at all. I'm curious to know from the Realtors out there how many of their short sales are closing?

My conclusion is still our house is listed at the right price based on cost and present market conditions. Here a short sale, there a short sale. Well, not everywhere a short sale. No short sale here. At least for now.

Pictures?

noreply@blogger.com (Dave C.) — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 04:30:00 +0000

Multiple pictures or only one picture? That is the question.

The internet is an important marketing tool for real estate agents. There are many free online real estate sites today that a buyer can search for the home of their dreams. But, many agents do not use the latest technology to their client’s advantage. A simple thing as putting multiple pictures or a virtual real estate tour gives a client a competitive advantage.

I still haven’t figured out why all listing agents don’t post multiple pictures with their listings. Unless, a home is in really bad shape if you are a seller, I think you should insist that your listing agent posts multiple pictures or have a virtual real estate tour.

A virtual real estate tour is a pre-packaged group of images. From a listing agent’s perspective a virtual home tour is something they can point to, and show their clients that they are putting every effort possible to sell their home.

Many times a buyer will ask us to see a particular home just because the home had multiple pictures on the internet. Pictures don’t tell the whole story and they can be misleading when you finally see the house in person but, if it peeks a buyer’s curiosity enough to see the home with many pictures over a home with just one picture then the listing agent is doing their job. The more people that want to see your home that you are selling the better.

Multiple pictures or only one picture? There is only one answer. Multiple pictures or virtual tours should always be the answer.

Should I Stage a Vacant Home?

noreply@blogger.com (Dave C.) — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 03:18:00 +0000

Staging a home has become a "must do" for anyone selling residential real estate today. These days more people are turning to home staging, where the goal is to create a scene that entices buyers and helps them make an emotional connection. Staging a home can be done at a variety of levels and when the property is successfully staged, a buyer’s focus will be on the properties finest selling features. Staging a home provides a market advantage. Your home will look better than competing homes for sale. Staging your home will allow buyers to mentally move into your home and visualize living there. But do you need to stag a vacant home?

The answer is yes. As a matter of fact Karen and I are heading to stag a new vacant home we own and are trying to sell in the Tampa, Florida area. Why does a staged home look better than a vacant home?

Well, you want to create an inviting home for potential buyers. In most cases, your home can be staged in just one day using furniture and decorative items you already own, or by adding a few touches to complete the look. Empty homes typically do not show as well because buyers are unable to visualize what it would look like with furniture. If you're selling a vacant house, consider renting furniture to create a homey atmosphere. If your home is vacant, consider renting furniture for key rooms, but don’t go overboard. Buyers need help visualizing what can be done with the space, how will their furniture fit in rooms and give them an idea of a scale.

As the real estate industry often stresses, the first impression is the key factor in selling your home. Many home buyers will pass on a vacant property because it's photos portray a cold empty-feeling house that lacks warmth and curb appeal.

Staging a home has become a "must do" for anyone selling residential real estate today. Staging a vacant home can change a homes atmosphere that appeals to home buyers and which may bring a higher price and accelerate market time. Staging a vacant home may or may not get the sellers a full-price offer, but it's certainly going to put them ahead of the competitive curve.

Buying a Home? Hire a Buyer 's Agent.

noreply@blogger.com (Dave C.) — Sun, 10 Feb 2008 03:15:00 +0000

Buying a home is a big event, especially if it is your first home. There will be many things you don't know, simply because you haven't been through the home buying process before. A common question of first-time home buyers have is whether they need to hire a buyer's agent.

You can find homes for sale on your own and work directly with the listing agent. There is nothing that requires you to hire a buyer's agent. The problem with that is that the listing agent has the seller's best interests in mind. His job is to get the highest possible price for the seller, and is in fact contractually bound to do so. He is also obligated not to share any confidential information about the seller's situation with you.

A buyer's agent on the other hand is an advocate for you the real estate buyer. Working with a buyer's agent gives you the advantage of having a knowledgeable and experienced agent looking out for your best interests. A good buyers agent will help you find property that meets your needs and after you find a home, he will assist you in negotiations to help you get the lowest possible price. Even if you are looking to buy a brand new home from a builder, I recommend using a buyer's agent because usually the builder will pay the buyer's agent's commission.

In picking a buyers agent you need to determine whether or not the agent will listen to your needs, and whether the two of you will be able to get along. An agent is not legally bound to keep information, such as the highest price you would pay for a property, confidential until you sign a contract with him. If he is acting a dual agent that also represents sellers and you want to buy a home that belongs to one of his clients, he has to share that information with you.

A buyer's agent is not necessary when you are buying a home, but having someone with experience on your side can make your home buying experience a more pleasant and potentially less expensive one. Almost all of the time the seller will pay the buyers agent commission. That means that you can have your own agent without having to spend more money.

Ready to sell your home? Ready to start your dream home search? Contact us and we can guide you on finding the perfect home in Frederick to suit your lifestyle and needs.

For More info. go to www.DaveAndKarenChapman.com

Local Frederick Stuff

noreply@blogger.com (Dave C.) — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 18:05:00 +0000

When I started to Blog about real estate I though I would follow the templates I saw from other Realtors, making blog entries about local market conditions, the local real estate news, etc. , so when you are ready to buy or sell in this area you chose Dave and Karen Chapman because of the great info you get from Dave's blog. But, after blogging for a little while at my original blog (frederickcounty.realtyblogging.com) I decided to start over and write more about the real estate market in general but, from my view point. Now, occasionally I feel I need to something about my local area here Frederick. So that's what I'm doing here. I feel the best think I can do is give you the websites where you can find the info you need first hand and not just rehashed by me.

With that said here we go.

Frederick County Tourism site - Info on Shopping, Restaurants, Golf and Points of Interest
Frederick Public County Schools - Local school info.
City Of Frederick - City Gov't site
Frederick County - County Gov't Site
Frederick County Board of Realtors(FCAR) - Here you can get local housing info and you can read the FCAR monthly newsletter. Regular reading what is on this site will keep you up to date on the local real estate market as well as I could ever hope to do.

Finally, the shameless plug. The best website out there if you are buying or selling a home in Frederick County, MD is Dave and Karen Chapman.com.

Here you can see and search for any home that is in the MLS and it is up to date because it is information pulled directly from the MLS. So, check it out.

Don't Ask Me. I'm the Real Estate Agent.

noreply@blogger.com (Dave C.) — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 22:26:00 +0000

Being a real estate agent, I get asked questions that I can't answer. It's not because I don't have an answer but, its because I can get in legal trouble if I give you an answer. I will give you some examples.

Is this a good neighborhood?
Is this neighborhood safe?
Are the schools good?
What school would my son/daughter go to?
Is this a quiet neighborhood?
How is the traffic around here?
Is this a good deal I am getting?
Will that view always be there?

So, if I can't answer those and other questions, what do I do? I help the client find the answer.

Let's take the first one.

Is this a good neighborhood?

Mr/Ms. buyer, good is a relative term. Only you can make that decision. I will show you everything in your price range based your criteria( #bedrooms, #baths,single family home, etc.) you have to decide if the neighborhood is right for you, not me. If you like this home drive around without me and talk to the neighbors.

How about," Is the neighborhood safe?"

Mr/Ms. buyer, safe is a relative term. Only you can make that decision. I will show you everything in your price range based your criteria( #bedrooms, #baths,single family home, etc.) you have to decide if the neighborhood is right for you, not me. I do suggest that you call the police dept. to get information about the area's crime rate. Do you need the phone #?

Are the schools good?

Mr/Ms. buyer, good is a relative term. Only you can make that decision. I will show you everything in your price range based your criteria( #bedrooms, #baths, single family home, etc.) you have to decide if the schools right for you and your children, not me. I do suggest that you call the school board to get information about the area's schools. Do you need the phone #?

Are you starting to see a theme here? I can't answer your questions and make your decision for you. I can show you how to get your questions answered, but you need to decide, what is most important to you. No home is going to be perfect. You may choose a townhouse over the single family home you originally wanted for what you feel is a quieter neighborhood, or better school or closer commute.

Don't ask me my opinion on a home or a neighborhood. Do ask me where I can get the answer. I'll be glad to help.

Ready to sell your home? Ready to start your dream home search? Contact us and we can guide you on finding the perfect home in Frederick to suit your lifestyle and needs.

For More info. go to www.DaveAndKarenChapman.com

My Blog Disclosure Policy

noreply@blogger.com (Dave C.) — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 17:47:00 +0000

I found this and thought it was a good thing so I wanted to put it on my blog. I'm still new to this blogging thing so I thought I would just post this here. If anyone know of a different place to put this, please let me know and I don't mean where the sun don't shine.

This policy is valid from 29 January 2008

This blog is a personal blog written and edited by me. For questions about this blog, please contact dave@daveandkarenchapman.com.

This blog accepts forms of cash advertising, sponsorship, paid insertions or other forms of compensation.

This blog abides by word of mouth marketing standards. We believe in honesty of relationship, opinion and identity. The compensation received may influence the advertising content, topics or posts made in this blog. That content, advertising space or post will be clearly identified as paid or sponsored content.

The owner(s) of this blog is not compensated to provide opinion on products, services, websites and various other topics. The views and opinions expressed on this blog are purely the blog owners. If we claim or appear to be experts on a certain topic or product or service area, we will only endorse products or services that we believe, based on our expertise, are worthy of such endorsement. Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer or provider.

This blog does contain content which might present a conflict of interest. This content may not always be identified.

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Sellers. Just Leave!!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Dave C.) — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 15:47:00 +0000

You are trying to sell your home and a potential buyer comes by. What do you do? Leave. Just Go. Why? Because it makes the buyers uncomfortable if you are at home and you could lose getting your home sold because of it.

Recently, we were showing homes to our buyers and we had several homes to see that day. We tell clients if you don't like the house just say so and we will go on to the next home on our list and today with all the homes on the market, a buyer wants to look at all the homes that look" interesting" from the pictures see on our website, www.DaveandKarenChapman.com. So, we went to a home. The buyers walked in. They saw the entrance and they knew they didn't like it but, the sellers were home. So,what did we do, we said thank you and we left. Now, how did the sellers feel? Probably bad. Should we fell guilty? NO. But, I did anyway. But, you say "If they weren't there would our buyers had like the house better?" No. Then, if that's the case what difference does it make?

An even more extreme case happened with same couple looking at a different home. Not only were the sellers at home, they followed us around. Not only did it make our buyers very uncomfortable, it made Karen and I uncomfortable too. Did the couple buy that house? No way! We all couldn't wait to escape. How are those sellers ever going to sell their house like that?

Buyers want to picture themselves living in the house and how can they with the seller standing there reminding them who owns the house now. Also, buyers want to look at a house with a critical eye. The carpet is dirty; the paint is the wrong color; what were they thinking and the owners have been watching way too much HGTV. Buyers feel they can't express themselves without being overheard by the sellers. Also, a buyer doesn't want to feel rushed. You can't have that feeling when the seller is at home waiting for you to leave.

Well, did the couple I'm talking about find a home? Yes, they did , a very ice home and guess what. They looked at the home several times before they put an offer in on it and not once was the seller at home.

So, sellers, take you agent' s advice and don't be at home during a showing. Will that alone get your house sold? No, it is just one more piece of the puzzle. A very important piece.

Ready to sell your home? Ready to start your dream home search? Contact us and we can guide you on finding the perfect home in Frederick to suit your lifestyle and needs.

For More info. go to www.DaveAndKarenChapman.com