Ramblings of a Real Estate Agent

 I don’t know about other agents, but I’m exhausted just trying to keep my sellers informed and on track.  The reality checks have been grueling.  There was a ray of sunlight last week when one of my sellers accepted an offer that was about $50,000 below initial asking price.  They sat back and looked at the bigger picture and determined that for every month they had been in their home, they had experienced a $1,000 appreciation!  Wow, I’m determined to use that in my business when I need to from now on.  Now, they’re the happiest clients that I have and they’ll get to go on knowing that their home will be appreciated by the new owners.  The fact that they were at home when it was shown and they felt comfortable with them (buyers) didn’t hurt either.

Note to Sellers: During the past few years when values were increasing rapidly, it’s important to keep in mind that most of that appreciation was artificial – on paper only. You purchase a home for shelter and for long term investment. If you have been in your home more than 6 years, please sit down and note your purchase price and then your current estimated value. Unless you used your equity for other reasons with an equity line of credit or a 2^nd mortgage or refinanced and took money out, you should see that you have experienced a perfectly acceptable rate of appreciation. You can’t lose what you never had! So get real with your pricing and let your Realtor do the job they were hired to do.

You may have been one of the lucky homeowners who did sell when the market values were high – but you also paid more for your replacement home than you would today.

There are, regrettably, those of you who got caught up in the whirlwind of home values and now you owe more for your home than you can sell it for today. You used your “artificial” equity and now you’re stuck. Perhaps you just purchased within the past 3 years and now you need to sell but can’t get what you owe because your loan was close to or even 100% of the appraised value. You have the option of asking for a “short sale” from your lender if your situation poses a hardship. This would be preferable to foreclosure. I feel sorry for you, but your choices are limited.

Hey, I can’t retire next year as expected and I’m certainly not alone there. I feel a little better now.

Patuxent River Appreciation Days

Patuxent Appreciation Days – Solomons Island, Md. 20688

Reconstructed at Calvert Marine Museum

October 11-12, 2008

Patuxent River Appreciation Days (PRAD) is a festival in recognition of the economic, social, recreational, cultural and historical impact of the tributaries and environs of the Patuxent River and the basin through which it flows. The festival is held annually on Columbus Day Weekend on the Calvert Marine Museum grounds.

The festival brings together community, county and state government agencies, the Calvert Marine Museum, the Patuxent River Naval Air Station, and other historical and environmental groups, which share a desire to preserve the Patuxent River and to celebrate its positive influence on the area’s quality of life, in the past, present, and future.

Sample some of our local specialties and fresh seafood. Listen to some good music and visit our local merchants for great information and crafts. See more information and get the full schedule at www.pradinc.org/schedule.html

Small in Size, Big on Life

While Calvert County is the smallest county in the state, its standard of living is one of the highest.  Over 5000 companies conduct business in Calvert County alone and employ almost 2 million residents in information technology, defense contracts, administrative services and tourism.  Chesapeake Bay provides the eastern border of Calvert’s peninsula while the Patuxent River provides its western border.  There are plenty of creeks in Calvert County to provide beautiful scenery, a place for wildlife to roam free as well as great areas for fishing and boating.  The beauty of the bay and river provide a spectacular backdrop that invite visitors from all over the world.  Summers in Calvert County tend to be hot and humid while the winters tend to be mild, which helps make it such an inviting place to visit anytime of the year.

See why Kay Trimbath is Anything But Ordinary in Calvert County real estate.