ONLINE RELOCATION PACKAGE

Homestead for the Holidays is a magical place in Davidsonville, Maryland, that seems to attract as many visitors on a winter weekend as it does a busy Spring day during planting season.

Your children can visit Santa at Homestead Gardens on Saturdays, 10-4, or Sundays, noon-4.  Or they can watch the trains any day - there are even benches and tables nearby, along with a refreshment stand.

Homestead nursery plants are always the highest quality, and they have a beautiful selection of everything from colorful poinsettia plants to houseplants to holiday wreathes and greens.  During the holidays, however, the entire place turns into a magical holiday wonderland, with visitors from any corner of the D.C. - Baltimore area, as well as Anne Arundel County. 

For another post about Homestead Gardens by my friend, Martha Brown, check out her post.  'Guess there's some truth to the saying that "great minds think alike."

If relocation to Maryland is in your short-term future, you may be considering a house-hunting trip during the week between Christmas and New Year.   No doubt Anne Arundel County is on your short list if your new job is anywhere in the D.C. - Baltimore Metropolitan area, including Fort Meade, Andrews Air Force Base, BWI Airport, or Annapolis.

While you're here, you may want to stay at a Bed & Breakfast in Historic Annapolis, where you can experience both history and modern-day Anne Arundel County.  There are more than a dozen locations within walking distance of the U.S. Naval Academy, the Annapolis Harbour, and Eastport - not to mention the wonderful restaurants and shops.  Or perhaps you'll want to try one of the Historic Inns of Annapolis - for a meal, if not to stay.  And, if you're planning to be here for New Year's Eve, check out Sailing into 2009 - a celebration of the Arts and Community in downtown Annapolis. 

If you plan to focus your home search in the Bowie or Crofton area, Comfort Inn and Conference Center is the closest place to stay for your house-hunting trip.  It's located in Bowie, at the intersection of Rt. 50 and Rt. 3 - about 2-3 minutes from my office at Long & Foster in Crofton, 15 minutes from Annapolis

 

The holiday season is actually a great time to buy a home.  Homes on the market are usually beautifully decorated for Christmas, so they're fun to inspect, and home-sellers are extremely motivated.  If they weren't, they would have taken their homes off the market until after the first of the year. 

Give me a call before you head to Maryland so I can have some relocation materials ready for you when you arrive.  In the meantime, check out your Anne Arundel County Online Relocation Package and use the following links to browse through home listings at your own pace.

CROFTON HOMES FOR SALE             BOWIE HOMES FOR SALE            ODENTON HOMES FOR SALE

When you do come for your house-hunting trip, be sure to bring the information you'll need for loan application - names and addresses of lenders, account numbers, names and addresses of employers, and names and addresses of current landlord or mortgage company.

'Looking forward to meeting you soon!

 

There are not a lot of new home communities on Fort Meade's doorstep, but there are plenty nearby.

Since builders make it so easy for you to walk in and purchase directly from them, home buyers often are not aware that it cost no more to be represented by a real estate professional in their home purchase.   When I'm sitting in a builder's model with clients, I often have a million questions that my client never thought to ask.  And, as the builder's representative goes through the multi-page contract, I sometimes interrupt to ask my clients "Do you understand what that means?" and offer a more detailed explanation.

As you prepare for your first house-hunting trip to Maryland, I know you'll want to check out the new home communities online, as well as resale listings and established neighborhoods.  That's why I put together this list for you, including links to the builder's website:

$200,000-$400,000

• Tanyard Springs - Townhomes, Glen Burnie
• Stony Run - Townhomes, Hanover
• Villages of Dorchester - Townhomes, Hanover
• Admirals View - Townhomes, Annapolis

$400,000-$600,000

• The Residences at Park Place  - Condos, Annapolis
• Colonial Woods - Detached Homes, Severn
• Arundel Preserve - The Enclave - Townhomes, Hanover
• Grandview - Condos, Annapolis
• Heron Cove - Detached Homes, Edgewater

This barely touches the surface, but it will get you started in your online research.  There are many others, including more expensive homes and over-55 communities, which are not included here.  However, I tried to focus on new home communities that are most likely to appeal to civilian and military personnel relocating to Fort Meade. 

When you arrive in Maryland for your first house-hunting trip, be sure to meet with your agent before visiting new home communities.  You agent will be familiar with them, their locations, and the builder's reputation - information which may help you decide which communities meet your goals.  Remember, if you go on your own, your agent will not be able to look out for your best interest in the purchase.

A few years ago, one of my relocating clients did exactly that - she and her father sat down without me to buy a home from a builder whose reputation was less than stellar among local real estate agents.  At the walk-through, she found that the floor in her master bath was not level - dramatically so - and there had been a plumbing leak which soaked the living room carpet. 

She was nearly hysterical when she contacted me for help in resolving these issues before settlement, but I was unable to step in and negotiate a resolution because I had not represented her in this home purchase.  Builders worry far less about one "upset" buyer than they do about a whole real estate office or company talking negatively about them, so chances are I could have used that to help the buyer obtain satisfaction.

In today's economic climate, there are many "good deals" for homebuyers, both resale and new construction.  Most builders and individual homeowners in this area will accept VA financing and even pay some of your closng costs, so there's a good chance you can get into a home with no money out of pocket, or very little.

So, if you're relocating to Fort Meade and want to check out communities nearby, check out the new home communities listed above and the homesearch links on my blog, www.FocusOnCrofton.com

Just three months and one day ago, I posted They Love Me After All - and it Feels So Good! after taking a new listing.  Today, we went to settlement.

To get the whole story, you can read the earlier post or, by way of brief background, the sellers were former clients who strayed from my fold for a while.  They finally listed their home with me after 254 days on the market with a relative. 

During those 8 months, property values dropped continually and inventory kept growing.  Not a single person viewed the property, and the sellers did their own staging and marketing when their agent didn't get results.

On the other hand, I put together a quality brochure, posted several blogs about the property and community, created a real estate show, generated showings, and (drum roll please) represented them in negotiations when a contract came in - the same month our entire economy crashed.  The selling price is almost 25% lower than the likely selling price of nearly a year ago - that's $80,000+. 

Who says it doesn't matter which agent you choose, that all real estate agents are alike? 

'Twas December 1, and all through the community, everyone was stirring to get ready for Christmas...

 

 

 

Little elves (members of the Crofton Village Garden Club) scurried around the community, decorating light poles, the Front Gate, schools and the Crofton Library with holiday wreathes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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The Garden Club finished in plenty of time for evening festivities in front of Crofton Country Club at 6:30, where a record-breaking crowd gathered for a sing-along, the Christmas Tree lighting and Santa's arrival on the top of a fire truck.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You can see that my granddaughter, Megan, was pretty excited when she saw Santa atop the firetruck.  That's my husband, holding on to her so she doesn't run right over there.

Then, she and her brother Matthew finally got a turn to sit on Santa's lap.  Matthew gave Sants his wish-list first, and then Megan had her turn.

 

 

 

 

 

For future holiday events in and around Crofton, be sure to visit my earlier blog post, Holiday Events Beyond Fort Meade Gates.