Archive for January, 2011
East Bethesda- Homes for Sale 1/28/2011
Update for 1/28/2011: Nothing new to report. No new listings, no price changes, no withdrawals, no nothing! Just a few more days on the market.
All the homes in this article are currently for sale within East Bethesda. The top of the list features the newest listings, while the bottom showcases those that have been on the market for quite some time. I’ll be updating this post every Friday, so be sure to check back to see what’s new, what’s gone, & what might be coming (and check out the date up top… if it’s not current, neither is this information!). I’ve lived in East Bethesda for over 15 years. I’ve sold real estate in East Bethesda for over 11 years. I know it like the back of my hand. While all of this information is available to you on the various search engines, I’ve taken the time to inject my opinion on the condition, pricing, and likelihood of each property selling… or not. I hope you’ll give me a call if you have any questions. I have loved living here over the years, and I want to share it with other enthusiastic people!
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8507 Halston Way, $1,170,000
This townhouse features 4 bedrooms, 3 full baths and 2 half baths. 4-levels of living, including a 2-car garage. Granite in the kitchen, and private deck with a fig tree! The last townhouse to sell on Halston Way sold in 2007 for $1,045,000. Days on Market: 8
4620 S. Chelsea, $773,500
This cute Cape was on the market back in 2005. Boy, what a difference. The house has been cleaned up and given a bit of a face lift, and it’s looking pretty good. The kitchen, while dated, opens up to a good sized, sun-drenched family room which opens to a deck. While it’s advertised as a 5BR house, two of ‘em are a bit funky (one “L” shaped, the other with two entries). Still, it’s clean, inviting, and Read the rest of this entry »
How to sell an estate in Bethesda, MD (and beyond…)
Families really don’t live in the same town any more. My family is spread out on two different coasts, with a few tossed in the middle. While we make a very good effort to see each other, we are by no means close, distance-wise.
As a society, because we are now so fragmented, when a parent, a favorite uncle, or anyone out of town dies, it can be hard to know were to start, especially if you live elsewhere. If you are the person in charge of dealing with the estate, knowing where to begin can be a challenge. Obviously, the estate lawyer will serve as a guide. And while there are a lot of issues that come up when dealing with the disbursement of an estate, the one I will focus on involves the preparation and eventual sale of a property. Some common real estate challenges for the executor include:
- The relatives have been by, and all of the items that were going to be claimed have gone. But there’s a lot left over. You don’t want to throw it out, but Read the rest of this entry »
Staging your Bethesda Home
Once an empty living room...
Great news! You got a promotion, they want you in Seattle yesterday, you have to leave town pronto because school starts next week, and that’s o.k. because the house needs a paint job. But, you’re now in the unfortunate position of having an empty house to sell. And, empty houses typically don’t do as well as their furnished counterparts. Take a deep breath.
An obvious solution is to stage your home. But staging can run a bundle… I have an old client who paid Read the rest of this entry »
The Evers & Co 2010 End-of-Year Real Estate Report
The year 2010 had two dramatically different halves: the dollar volume of sales in the first half of the year averaged an increase of 23% per month, but the market declined in July, because of the end of the First Time Homebuyer’s Tax Credit, and sales through the end of the year averaged a negative 9% per month. The year ended with a modest gain of 7% dollar volume of sales over the previous year.
The positive news was the consistent gain in prices in the close-in Washington Metro area, which led the nation in price increases that started in 2009 and continued throughout 2010, ending with an average monthly price gain of 7.17%, indicating a strong and steady recovery in our market. Projections for next year are even higher; the expectation is that 2011 will show the biggest gains in sales and price nationwide since the beginning of the recession, with our Washington Metro area leading the way.
For a more in depth view of Bethesda/Chevy Chase/DC 2010 statistics, read my 2010 Wrap Up.
*Statistics are taken from the Metropolitan Regional Information System for three areas: Washington, D.C.; Montgomery County, Maryland; and Fairfax County, Arlington, Alexandria and Falls Church in Virginia.
Can I call this a Bedroom?
A few years back I took over a listing from another agent who was unable to sell it. The owners weren’t terribly happy. They had spent a lot of money staging the place, and as absentee owners, they were bleeding money for 4 long months. So what was the problem? Expectations were too high. You see, the previous agent called it a 4 bedroom house (and priced it as a 4BR house), when it was anything but. Anybody coming into that house expecting a lot of room was going to be immediately disappointed, and probably leave grumbling about their wasted time, instead of focusing in on the positive aspects of the house.
So, what defines a bedroom? Within the metropolitan DC market, including Montgomery County, MD, a bedroom can be defined as such:
- Bedroom must measure a minimum 70 sq. ft.
- It must have a heat source.
- At least one Read the rest of this entry »
East Bethesda- Homes for Sale 1/21/2011
All the homes in this article are currently for sale within East Bethesda. The top of the list features the newest listings, while the bottom showcases those that have been on the market for quite some time. I’ll be updating this post every Friday, so be sure to check back to see what’s new, what’s gone, & what might be coming (and check out the date up top… if it’s not current, neither is this information!). I’ve lived in East Bethesda for over 15 years. I’ve sold real estate in East Bethesda for over 11 years. I know it like the back of my hand. While all of this information is available to you on the various search engines, I’ve taken the time to inject my opinion on the condition, pricing, and likelihood of each property selling… or not. I hope you’ll give me a call if you have any questions. I have loved living here over the years, and I want to share it with other enthusiastic people!
If you would like to receive a weekly e-mail update about new listings & weekend open houses within East Bethesda, please let me know via the comment section below, or send me an e-mail, and I’ll get it set up.
This week… one new listing and two price reductions.
8507 Halston Way, $1,170,000
This townhouse features 4 bedrooms, 3 full baths and 2 half baths. 4-levels of living, including a 2-car garage. Granite in the kitchen, and private deck with a fig tree! Days on Market: 1
4620 S. Chelsea, $773,500
This cute Cape was on the market back in 2005. Boy, what a difference. The house has been cleaned up and given a bit of a face lift, and it’s looking pretty good. The kitchen, while dated, opens up to a good sized, sun-drenched family room which opens to a deck. While it’s advertised as a 5BR house, two of ‘em are a bit funky (one “L” shaped, the other with two entries). Still, it’s clean, inviting, and Read the rest of this entry »
I want to put a bid on a house, but I’ll be out of town
The gee whiz moments in life have actually stepped up over the past few years with the advent of i-phones, i-pads, smart tags and what not. My recent favorite actually helps me in my real estate career. YUP. I’m a new convert to Docusign. Docusign allows me to work with traveling clients as long as they have access to the internet and a computer. There’s no need for printing documents at your hotel, and there’s no need to chase down a fax machine while vacationing in Bimini. Everything is done on the computer via “electronic signatures” … it’s fast, it’s convenient, and it’s legally binding* (*in most cases…I’ve had issue with an out of state relocation company, but that’s about it). I just signed up for this service about 2 months ago, and it has already come in handy on numerous occasions.
So, if you’ve finally found your Bethesda dream house, and the offer has been accepted, but there are still a few loose ends that need tying up, and you’re leaving the next day for a 3-week family vacation out of the country (whoa- I’m exhausted just setting up this scenario), have no fear. No need to cancel your plans, or hole up in your hotel room waiting for paperwork to materialize.
Docusign is here to save the day! Kind of like a super hero, huh?
NYC Bus to Bethesda
There are now two bus lines that go directly from mid-town NYC to downtown Bethesda, MD. They are cheap, convenient, fast, and mostly quite pleasant. And the good news is you don’t have to schlep to catch the often delayed train, nor do you have to contend with driving on 95, which always leaves me a little harried at the end of the day. I love it.
I’ve taken a few trips on the Vamoose Line. They take reservations. The trip takes about 4 hours to Bethesda (4.5 if you’re headed to Arlington). They have about 9 buses heading from NYC to Bethesda/Arlington on the weekends, and about 3-6 departures Monday-Thursday. It’ll cost you $30 each way. If you sign up for their frequent traveler program and travel 4 times, the 5th ride is free. The bus will drop you off at 7409 Waverly Street in Bethesda… steps from the Bethesda metro. If you feel like splurging, they also offer a gold line for the promise of 50% more leg room and wider, leather seats. It’ll run you Read the rest of this entry »
Why should I work with a local Bethesda realtor?
Every once in a while I’ll start working with a client after they’ve worked with another agent. And not in the “mistress” kind of way. There’s no cheating going on here. Rather, I’m the “second wife”. Why? It usually has to do with where I live. Yup. I’m the local agent.
I’m amazed at the agents out there who claim to work in multiple counties, let alone dozens of towns. Me, I get lost driving over the Potomac into Virginia. I do have colleagues with active dating lives who genuinely know multiple markets like the back of their hand thanks to this boyfriend or that. But that’s not me. I tend to focus in on the markets I know best. In this case, Bethesda, Chevy Chase and the middle and northwest parts of DC are my specialty.
I recently googled “Bethesda Realtor”. As you can imagine, a lot of names popped up. Read the rest of this entry »
AU Park/Tenleytown 20016 Market Report- December 2010
In December of 2010 there were 35 homes that closed within the month for zip code 20016 in the District of Columbia (AU Park/Tenleytown/ Palisades). This was an increase of 0 units, as there were 35 homes that closed in December of 2009.
The average list price for homes that closed in December 2009 was $1,409,317.
The average list price for homes that closed in December 2010 was $840,783.
The average sale price for the homes that closed in December 2009 was $1,297,900.
The average sale price for the homes that closed in December 2010 was Read the rest of this entry »
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