The Maryland General Assembly has passed new legislation effective October 1, 2022, requiring all condominiums, homeowner associations, and housing cooperatives to undertake regular reserve ...
Read moreLauren's Blog
FHFA Recalibrates Upfront Fees for 2023
In mid-January, the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA)announced further changes to Fannie Mae’s and Freddie Mac’s (the Enterprises) single-family pricing framework by introducing redesigned and ...
Read moreHow RPAC Supports the REALTOR® Party
Since 1969, the REALTORS® Political Action Committee (RPAC), has promoted the election of pro-REALTOR® candidates across the United States. The purpose of RPAC is to use voluntary ...
Read more2022 Real Estate Sales Recap for Worcester County
2022 was a year in which we saw a shift in the real estate market: increasing mortgage rates, reduction in the volume of sales, but no increase in inventory resulting in prices ...
Read moreOctober 2022 Local Market Update
The multiple list service, BrightMLS, that provides real estate data in the Mid-Atlantic, coveringsix states (Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia and theDistrict of Columbia), ...
Read more$32 Million Awarded in Maryland Housing Project Awards
Governor Larry Hogan announced last weeknearly $32 million in project awards through the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development’s (DHCD) 2022 application round for federal Low Income ...
Read moreMortgage Rates Are On The Rise
The talk about town related to real estate right now is mortgage rates are on the rise. To provide some guidance, here’s what industry experts are saying about the present and possible future ...
Read moreResolutions to Real Estate Transaction Disputes
The National Association of Realtors explains the differences and the pros and cons to both mediation and arbitration, alternative dispute resolution options when a dispute arises from a real ...
Read moreMaryland’s SmartBuy Program Helps Homebuyers
Governor Larry Hogan announced last weekthat the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) has expanded the state’s landmark SmartBuyinitiative to address rising housing ...
Read moreAppraisal Gaps
Appraisals in a sellers’ market can be troublesome, and transactions can fall apart when appraisals come up short—creating an appraisal gap. An appraisal gap is the difference between market ...
Read more2022 Update from the Maryland State Legislature (Part 2)
In 2022, the Maryland State Legislature convened on January 12th and adjourned on April 11th. Maryland REALTORS® issues a report each year on the Maryland Legislative session to summarize ...
Read more2022 Update from the Maryland State Legislature
In 2022, the Maryland State Legislature convened on January 12th and adjourned on April 11th. Maryland REALTORS® issues a report each year on the Maryland Legislative session ...
Read moreNew Affordable Housing Opportunities in Maryland
Governor Larry Hogan announced at the end of April that more than $200 million in financing tools and new programs will be made available to create new affordable housing opportunities in the ...
Read moreThe Fair Housing Act Explained
The month of April this year celebrated the 54th anniversary of the Fair Housing Act, the landmark civil rights law signed by President Lyndon B. Johnson on April 11, 1968, that made discrimination ...
Read moreMaryland Mortgage Program Announces Two New Loan Products
The Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development’s Maryland Mortgage Program announced the launch of two new loan products to provide higher levels of down payment and closing cost assistance. ...
Read moreInterest Rates Are On The Rise
The shift in interest rates is in motion. According to Forbes.com, mortgage rates have jumped 1.5 percentage points during the first three months of this year. They further communicated that ...
Read more3 Tips To Pay Off Your Mortgage Faster
You know the old tune by Tennessee Ernie Ford: You load sixteen tons, what do you get; Another day older and deeper in debt; Saint Peter don't you call me 'cause I can't go; I owe my soul ...
Read moreEquitable Interest
What is equitable interest? An equitable interest is an "interest held by virtue of an equitable title (a title that indicates a beneficial interest in property and that gives the holder ...
Read moreThree Helpful Hints to Save on Homeowners Insurance
Homeowner’s insurance is a necessity if your home is mortgaged, and this type of insurance covers the structure of your home and your personal property, as well as your personal legal responsibility (or ...
Read moreDoc Lite Loan Program: A Local Loan Solution for Investors
It’s a hot real estate market right now, but we all remember the real estate “crash era” that began in 2008. That real estate downturn brought about many changes in financing and how loans are approved. ...
Read moreIndustry Experts Take on the Market
The number one question most real estate agents are asked right now is "What is the market doing?". The best way to answer that question is to watch the market statistics and listen to the various industry ...
Read moreProperty Reassessments & How To Appeal Them
With property reassessments going out last month for much of Worcester County, property owners might be wondering what their options are if they disagree with the values the county assessment office has ...
Read moreWhat To Expect In 2022
According to a recent article released by the National Association of Realtors, consumers can expect slower housing price appreciation, easing inflation and rising interest rates in 2022. This statement ...
Read moreReal Estate Activity in the Holiday Market
A common question from sellers is “when is the best time to sell my house?”. But, the answer to that question is multi-faceted and dependent on market conditions.Traditionally, the slowest buyer demand ...
Read moreOctober 2021 Market Analysis
Maryland REALTORS® just released real estate statistics information from the October 2021 housing market analysis. The market continued its monthly trend of a decrease in units sold, down 8,665 in 2021, ...
Read moreChoosing A Tenant
Landlords have an importantdecision to make when selecting a tenant to rent their investment propertyyear-round. Property owners have traditionally interviewed prospective tenantsin person and asked for ...
Read moreEarnest Money
Earnest money is a deposit made to a seller that represents a buyer's good faith to buy a home. This deposit money can be called an escrow deposit, good faith deposit, or earnest money. But, whatever ...
Read moreInsurance Policies For Your Condominium
Condominium associations provide master policy insurance coverage, but a master policy usually covers only the building’s exterior and common areas. To have coverage for what is inside your condo unit, ...
Read morePay Attention to Contract Details
With low inventory in our market,and a high buyer demand, we are experiencing many multiple offer situations onproperties. It’s important to pay attention to contract details to be sure thatverbal agreements ...
Read moreAdverse-market fee to start Sept. 1
Earlier this month, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac announced plans to impose a new 0.5 percent adverse-market fee on mortgage refinances starting Sept. 1.In most cases, this would cost homeowners thousands ...
Read moreAppraisal of home important part of real estate process
The appraisal of a home is an important step in the real estate process, one that can certainly make or break a deal.An appraisal is a valuation of a property done by a professional, licensed individual ...
Read moreLWB Real Estate Report: 2017 Year End Figures
Maryland REALTORS® released their Maryland Year End sales figures, and announced that in 2017, residential sales in Maryland climbed by 3.2 percent,or more than 2,500 homes across the state. Eighteen ...
Read moreInterest reduction possible with two new buying plans
The Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) announced the release of two new initiatives this week. The first is the Maryland Mortgage Program (MMP) "You've Earned It!" program ...
Read moreChanges Affecting Home Buyers and Sellers
Changes Affecting Home Buyers and Sellers: Various legislative changes and industry modifications are made throughout the year that can affect both homebuyers and sellers. Here are two of the moresignificant ...
Read moreWhat to do with your money??
Holding out to try and find the lowest price is not always the best strategy...Are your feet stuck in the sand when it comes to investing? Not sure what to do with your money in today’s economic climate? ...
Read more3 Helpful Hints to Save on Homeowners Insurance
Real Estate Report: Three Helpful Hints to Save on Homeowners InsuranceHomeowner’s insurance is a necessity if your home is mortgaged, and this type of insurance covers the structure of your home and ...
Read moreForeclosures in Our Market--What Role Do They Play?
Distressed properties—meaning foreclosures, bank-owned (REO) and short sales, where the property is being sold for less than the mortgage due—areundeniably playing a role in keeping our housing ...
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Recent Posts
- House Bill 107: A Close Look At Condo Reserve Studies
- FHFA Recalibrates Upfront Fees for 2023
- How RPAC Supports the REALTOR® Party
- 2022 Real Estate Sales Recap for Worcester County
- October 2022 Local Market Update
- $32 Million Awarded in Maryland Housing Project Awards
- Mortgage Rates Are On The Rise
- Resolutions to Real Estate Transaction Disputes
- Maryland’s SmartBuy Program Helps Homebuyers
- Appraisal Gaps
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