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Sold for $614,500!! 6684 Hillandale Rd #32 – MLS#-MC7285434

May 27, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

6684 Hillandale Rd #32, Chevy Chase, MD 20815

List Price: $599,000
Bedrooms: 3
Full Baths: 2
Half Baths: 1

This one is perfect! Living Room/Dining Open to each other, Gleaming Hardwood Floors, Deck off the DR, Large Kitchen. 3 big bedrooms, Updated baths! Fireplace too. Kenwood Forest is the community that everyone loves – walk to 2 metros&all of Bethesda.Condo fee incl. water, insurance, exterior maintenance and landscaping. Extra storage possible in attic.

SCHOOLS
Elementary: SOMERSET
Middle: WESTLAND
High: BETHESDA-CHEVY CHASE

FEATURES
Rooms: Living Room, Dining Room, Bedroom-Master, Bedroom-Second, Bedroom-Third, Kitchen, Foyer
Main Entrance: Foyer, Hall
Interior Style: Floor Plan-Open
Dining/Kitchen: Liv-Din Combo, Eat-In Kitchen
Appliances: Dishwasher, Disposal, Dryer, Dryer-front loading, Microwave, Oven/Range-Electric, Refrigerator, Stove, Washer, Washer-front loading, Washer/Dryer Stacked
Amenities: Attic-Storage Only, Built-in Bookcases, MBA/Sep Shwr, Master Walk-in Closet, Walk-in Closet(s), Washer/Dryer Hookup, Wood Floors

House Dimensions: x
SQFT-Tot Fin: 1408
Above Grade Finished: 1408
Tax Living Area: 1,408

Directions:
Directions: North Wisconsin Ave, Left on Bradley, Left on Hillandale at the light to 6684 on the right.

PARKING
Parking: Permit Required, Street, Unassigned
Parking Incl in List Price: Yes

UTILITIES
Heat System: Heat Pump(s)
Heat Fuel: Electric
Cool System: Ceiling Fan(s), Central A/C, Heat Pump(s)
Cool Fuel: Electric
Water: Public
Hot Water: Electric
Sewer Septic: Public Sewer

FINANCIAL INFORMATION
Earnest Money: $5
TOT EST CHRGS: $6,406
County Tax: $4,719
Tax Year: 2009
Refuse Fee: $289
Special Tax Assess: $1,398
Yr Assessed: 2010
Land: $177,000
Improvements: $416,610
Phase-in Value: $593,610
Total Units: 384
Possession: Settlement
Tenant Rights: None, Owner Occupied

HOA/CONDO
HOA: No
Condo/Coop Fee: $302.00/ Monthly
HOA/Condo/Coop Amenities: Common Grounds
HOA/Condo/Coop Rules: Altr/Arch Chgs, Bldg Restr, Parking, Pets-Allowed, Pets-Size restrict
HOA/Condo/Coop Fee Includes: Ext Bldg Maint, Lawn Care front, Lawn Care rear, Lawn Care side, Lawn Maintenance, Management, Master Ins Policy, Parking Fee, Reserve Funds, Sewer, Snow Removal, Water
HOA/Condo/Coop Management: Prof-Off Site, Prof-On Site

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Filed Under: Featured Homes for Sale

Rented! $2800- 4700 Connecticut Ave. – MLS#-DC7242811

May 27, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

4700 Connecticut Ave. NW #303, Washington, DC 20008

List Price: $749,510
Bedrooms: 3
Full Baths: 2

Elegant, stylish 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom condo- over 1900 sq ft., 10 ft ceilings, with hardwood floors throughout, built-ins,soaring new windows,and archways in the beautiful Parker House. New stove, dishwasher and refrigerator. Sit out in your own sunroom and sip your morning coffee in this grand home! Pet friendly. Parking and storage incl.Great front desk!short walk to metro!

SCHOOLS:
Elementary:
Middle:
High:

FEATURES
Rooms: Living Room, Dining Room, Bedroom-Master, Bedroom-Second, Bedroom-Third, Kitchen, Foyer, Solarium
Main Entrance: Foyer
Interior Style: Floor Plan-Traditional
Dining/Kitchen: Sep Dining Rm
Appliances: Dishwasher, Disposal, Oven/Range-Gas, Refrigerator, Stove
Amenities: Crown Molding, Elevator, Wood Floors
Security: Desk in Lobby, Intercom, Main Entrance Lock
Windows/Doors: Vinyl Clad

Basement: No
Handicap: Elev/Chair Lift
House Dimensions: x
SQFT-Tot Fin: 1957
Above Grade Finished: 1957
Tax Living Area: 1,957

Directions:
North on Conn. Ave from Woodley, on left between Chesapeake & Cumberland

PARKING
Parking: Garage, Prk Space Cnvys, Garage Door Opener
Garage Type: Underground
# Gar/Carpt/Assgn Sp: 1//
Parking Incl in List Price: Yes

UTILITIES
Heat System: Radiator
Heat Fuel: Natural Gas
Cool System: Wall Unit, Window Unit(s)
Cool Fuel: Electric
Water: Public
Hot Water: Natural Gas
Sewer Septic: Public Sewer

FINANCIAL INFORMATION

Total Taxes: $5,770
City/Town Tax: $5,770
Tax Year: 2009
Yr Assessed: 2009
Land: $203,640
Improvements: $475,160
Total Tax Assessment: $678,800
Total Units: 48
Possession: Settlement

HOA/CONDO
HOA: No
Condo/Coop Fee: $1,010.63/ Monthly
HOA/Condo/Coop Amenities: Comm Lndry Rm, Common Grounds, Elevator, Extra Storage, Security
HOA/Condo/Coop Rules: Elevator Use, Pets-Allowed
HOA/Condo/Coop Fee Includes: Custodial Services Maintenance, Heat, Lawn Maintenance, Management, Master Ins Policy, Reserve Funds, Snow Removal, Trash Removal, Water

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Filed Under: Featured Homes for Sale

SOLD for $800,000- 9478 Harrowhill Ln, Burke – MLS#-FX7260251

May 25, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

9478 Harrowhill Ln, Burke, VA 22015 – MLS#-FX7260251

List Price: $849,000
Bedrooms: 5
Full Baths: 5
Half Baths: 1

Over 5,000 sf of sunny space on 3 levels, this 8 yr old Arts&Crafts dream is upgraded for luxurious living. 5 huge bedr, 5 en suite baths, big kitchen & breakfast rm, adj. fam. rm, butler’s station, sep.dr, WOW! master suite w/ sitting rm & spa bath w/ tub & shower, office, rec rm w/ overhead high def projector and screen and LCD wall mount tv in exer rm – 2 car garage.

SCHOOL
Elementary: Kings Park
Middle: Lake Braddock
High: Lake Braddock

FEATURES
Rooms: Living Room, Dining Room, Bedroom-Master, Sitting Room, Bedroom-Second, Bedroom-Third, Bedroom-Fourth, Bedroom-Fifth, Kitchen, Recreation Rm, Family Rm, Library, Foyer, Breakfast Room, Attic-Unfinished, Den/Stdy/Lib, Game/Exer Rm, In-Law/auPair/Ste, Laundry-Kit Lvl, Lndry-Sep Rm, MBR w/Sit Rm, Maids Rm/Quart, Storage Room, Utility Room, Workshop
Main Entrance: Center Hall, Foyer, Two Story Foyer
Interior Style: Floor Plan-Open
Dining/Kitchen: Fam Rm Off Kit, Gourmet, Kit-Country, Kit-Family Combo, Kit-Island, Kit-Table Space, Sep Dining Rm, Eat-In Kitchen
Appliances: Cooktop, Dishwasher, Disposal, Dryer, Exhaust Fan, Freezer, Icemaker, Microwave, Oven-Double, Oven-SCC, Oven-Wall, Refrigerator
Amenities: Attach Mstr Bath, Attic-Floored, Attic-Storage Only, Attic-Strs Pull Dwn, Auto Gar Dr Opn, Bath Ceramic Tile, Built-in Bookcases, Built-in China Cabinet, Chair Railing, Crown Molding, Curved Stair, Double Vanities, FP Glass Doors, FP Mantels, Granite Counters, MBA/Sep Shwr, MBA/Sep Tub, Master Walk-in Closet, Separate Vanities, Shades/Blinds, Tub-Soaking, W/W Carpeting, Walk-in Closet(s), Washer/Dryer Hookup, Wood Floors, Wpool Jets
Windows/Doors: Bay/Bow Wind, Vinyl Clad, Dble Pane Wind, French Doors, Recessed Lighting, Screens, Sliding Glass Dr, Storm Door(s), Storm Windows
Walls/Ceilings: 9′+ Ceilings

Basement: Yes
Basement Type: Daylight, Full, Fully Finished, Heated, Improved, Other, Walkout Level, Windows
Basement Entrance: Rear Entrance
Handicap: None
House Dimensions: x
SQFT-Tot Fin: 5216
Above Grade Finished: 3840
Below Grade Finished: 1376
Below Grade Unfinished: 344
Tax Living Area: 3,999

Directions:
From 495- exit on Braddock Road. Left at Guinea Rd. Turn Right @Queens Wood Drive, take 1st right onto Harrowhill Ln to 9478 Harrowhill Lane.

PARKING
Parking: Garage, Paved Driveway
Garage Type: Attached, Front Loading Garage
# Gar/Carpt/Assgn Sp: 2//
Parking Incl in List Price: No
Parking Incl in Sale Price: No

UTILITIES
Heat System: Zoned
Heat Fuel: Natural Gas
Cool System: Ceiling Fan(s), Central A/C, Zoned
Cool Fuel: Electric
Water: Public
Hot Water: Natural Gas
Sewer Septic: Public Sewer

FINANCIAL INFORMATION
Earnest Money: $5
Total Taxes: $8,118
County Tax: $8,110
Tax Year: 2009
Water/Sewer Hook-up:
Special Tax Assess: $8
Yr Assessed: 2009
Land: $236,000
Improvements: $543,820
Total Tax Assessment: $779,820
Possession: Settlement
Tenant Rights: None

HOA/CONDO
HOA Fee: $223.00/ Quarterly
HOA: Yes

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Filed Under: Featured Homes for Sale

Check List for Final Walk Through

May 13, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

Congratulations on Your New Home!

CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR NEW PURCHASE! BUT…….Before the closing, there is one essential step that must be taken with your REALTOR®: The Final WalkThrough.

A few days before closing, your agent will call to schedule the date and time of the final walk-through. This is an important event because it is the last chance to examine the condition of the property before settlement.

The sales contract that you signed requires the seller to warrant that the central air conditioning, heating, plumbing and wiring systems on the property are in working order on the date of closing. It also guarantees you the buyer the right to a “walk-through” review of the property prior to closing.

It is imperative that every buyer do a final walk-through on the property they intend to purchase as close to the closing as possible. Many times the walk-through occurs an hour or two before the closing. You will meet your agent at your new home to review the condition of the property and then go directly to the closing. If any problems are noted, your agent will contact the seller’s agent so he/she will have time to discuss the situation with the seller and determine alternatives to address the issues.

The walk-through just prior to closing doesn’t eliminate every surprise that a new buyer might face. But it significantly reduces the chance of closing on an unknown disaster. Here is a quick guide of some of the areas to consider during a final walk through:

Final Walk-Through Guide

BRING YOUR INSPECTION REPORT AND THE AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE BUYER AND SELLER ON ANY REPAIRS TO BE PERFORMED – THEN REFER TO IT!

Double Check the Paperwork
You are entitled to receipts for the work which has been done. Are all work orders complete? Are you satisfied with the results?

Exterior Review
**Check for any changes to exterior since property went under contract. Are all the plants still there?

Plumbing Review
**Flush all toilets.
**Check all faucets for water pressure and temperature.
**Check operation of all appliances

Interior Rooms Review
**Check for any changes to interior since the contract. Is the property broom clean per the contract? Is the garage empty?

Electrical Review
**Check all lights, outlets, bathroom fans and kitchen fans.

Furnace and Air Conditioning Review
**Check operation of all systems.

Attic and Basement Review
**Check for changes in any stained, damp or wet areas. couple

The final walkthrough should be done with a complete checklist and organized plan. After a review of the home inside and out with a checklist will get you back to exciting part of that final walk-through.. Imagining yourself in your new home!

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Filed Under: Buyers Tagged With: Final Walk Through

MLS Adds Square Footage to Listings in DC Metro Area

May 12, 2010 By admin 1 Comment

Get a ruler to measure the square footage!

A very recent change to our MLS Listings in the DC metro area: Square Footage is now displayed as a matter of course. This is a big change for many agents who were reluctant to put square footage into the MLS for fear of making a mistake and having to “give” a few extra feet as a house warming gift if the square footage was overstated. Who wants to run that risk?

Unfortunately, since it is in fact impossible to “give” a few extra feet at settlement, buyers have sued either the seller or the realtors because the listing agent overstated the square footage.

With the new change, the MLS “pulls” the square footage data directly from the tax records and displays it in the MLS listing. Unfortunately the square footage reported in the tax records is not guaranteed to be accurate either. Frequently, that new addition is not included in the reported square footage. How do you know if the finished basement is included. What about the garage? The tax record may be wrong too.

Since there is no guarantee that the tax record will be correct, if you are thinking of selling – you should make sure the tax record has the correct size. Now that the tax record square footage is included in all multiple listings, it may become a filter item that buyers use to search for properties. A buyer could eliminate your property if the tax record is wrong and the reported size is not what they are looking for.

Buyers and their agents sometimes calculate price per square foot when comparing homes as a method to estimate their value. It seems to be an easy number to calculate and certainly is an easy concept to grasp. But how reliable is the number when valuing a single, unique property? Since the space in the home included in the square footage reported by the tax record may be wildly different from one house to the other, it is not a perfect method of analysis. You need to question the accuracy of the data being presented, account for the uniqueness in each piece of real estate, and be sure that you are comparing very similar properties in the process. Looking at an average price per square foot for a neighborhood and then multiplying for the home you are looking at is likely NOT a reliable way to figure its true market value.

If you are thinking of buying or selling a home in this market, you definately want an experienced agent who will guide you through changes like this one. Please give Lise Howe a call if you have any real estate questions.

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Filed Under: Buyers Tagged With: multiple listing

Don’t Sell Your Listing to the Highest Bidding Realtor!

February 10, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

Some Agents Just Keep Bidding UP

Some agents get the listing by inflating the value of your house.

Or they may simply go along with “your” unrealistic price without objection. This is what’s known in the trade as “buying the listing.” The agent figures that you’ll eventually give up and give in and place a real price on your property. If you let this happen, it’s really your own fault.

Don’t be fooled! You need for your agent to be straight with you from the beginning. This means you should receive from every agent you interview a “supportable” opinion of value based on recently sold properties in your neighborhood; exactly what you would demand if you were a buyer. An honest agent will give you a “range” in which your house should sell.

If you price your house too aggressively high it will take longer to sell and you will probably will receive less in the end. If you take too long to reduce your price, your house can get stigmatized with prospective buyers wondering what’s wrong because your house has been on the market for so long.

In the end, ready, willing and able buyers determine value … not sellers and not real estate agents. And sometimes it isn’t even the buyer who determines the price, but rather the mortgage company’s appraiser, who can come in and find a value for the property that is significantly different than the contract price.

Rather than pick an agent based on which one promises you the highest price, why not look at the agent’s marketing plan. You want an agent who understands and “gets” your house. I talk to my sellers about how I plan to tell the story of their home and to communicate that story to prospective buyers. I believe that each property has special qualities that make it appealing to buyers. In the case of a condo that I sold recently along Connecticut Avenue, the story was the old world elegance of the building and the condo itself. The website that I hosted for the property, www.2737devonshireplacenw.com, brought out that feeling in buyers and it sold within three days with a full price offer.

Does the agent plan to make a video tour of your home? We all are so conditioned to twenty second sound bites and visual stimulation! It only makes sense to put together a video tour of your home in order to hook buyers into the emotions of your home.

Don’t sell your home to the highest bidding realtor – Your home and you deserve better than that!

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Filed Under: Sellers Tagged With: Bethesda home search, Bethesda sellers, Lise Howe, Marketing DC metro homes

Why Hire A Realtor to Sell Your Home?

February 2, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

Back in the hot days of the real estate market, when sellers were secretly sure that if they wanted to move, all they had to do was put a For Sale sign in their yard, and the buyers would come flocking to them, waving vast sums of money. Times have changed, and sellers see more value in Realtors, but is this really the case? Where are homebuyers getting their information? Is a Realtor really necessary?

A recent survey by the National Association Realtors showed some surprising results in the attitude of recent homebuyers.

An eight-page questionnaire was sent out to over 100,000 consumers who had purchased a home between July 2008 and Jun 2009. They were asked to rank the usefulness of certain information sources typically used by Realtors® to market homes. When asked which information sources they found to be useful consumers ranked as follows:

Real estate agents 81%

The Internet 77%

Yard signs 42%

Open houses came out low in the ranks with 10% of buyers finding them to be very useful and 25% said that they were somewhat useful.

But where are buyers actually finding the homes that they eventually buy?

36% found their homes on the Internet
36% discovered the home from a real estate agent
12% from yard signs

Only 4% of buyers said they found their homes via newspapers, home books, magazines and television.

Many realtors still find open houses to be a good way to meet the public as well as an effective way to expose homes to buyers. But according to this latest survey – consumers, apparently, do not agree.

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Filed Under: Sellers Tagged With: Bethesda Seller, Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage, Home Seller, Lise Howe, Realtor, www.homesinche

30 Reasons to Hire a Buyer’s Agent

January 30, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

1. Analysis of your real estate needs and determine housing criteria

2. Research properties

3. Send you listings that match your needs

4. Provide information pertaining to your move or relocation

and short-term stay options

5. Educate you about home buying processes

6. Provide information on market conditions, schools,

communities, employment, and more

7. Discuss your financing needs

8. Recommend qualified mortgage brokers

9. Make appointments and show properties

10. Provide timely and professional disclosure and research

11. In car review: pros & cons of each property

12. Point out “Hot Buttons” while showing

13. Help with loan application questions

14. Follow up of loan application with your selected mortgage broker

15. Help cleaning up your credit if needed

16. Analyze purchasing timeline and needs once property is located

17. Free Comparative Market Analysis (CMA) of a property in order

to make an educated offer

18. Call listing agent to get sellers disclosure

19. Draft the offer and prepare paperwork

20. Research tax records

21. Get information on utilities

22. Explain all paperwork before signing

23. Generate net sheet

24. Write offer, collect, deposit escrow and provide verification

to listing agent

25. Submit contract and follow up

26. Negotiate contract until mutually agreeable

27. Review and explain final contract

28. Send the title company the executed contract

29. Schedule and attend the home inspection

30. Schedule and attend the termite inspection

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Filed Under: Buyers Tagged With: buyer's agent, Lise Howe

If You Snooze You Risk Losing Thousands in Increased FHA Costs

January 29, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

Those Who Wait Will Pay Thousands More This Spring.

Waiting a few extra days or weeks to purchase a home this spring could cost buyers thousands of extra dollars as the office of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) implements several changes for loans guaranteed by the Federal Housing Authority (FHA). Coming just weeks before the April 30 deadline for the Home Buyer Tax Credit and just days after the March 31 expiration of the Federal Reserve Board’s mortgage backed securities purchase program (which has kept home loan rates artificially low for over a year), these FHA changes make it even more important to act now to save big.

Here are a few reasons why: On April 5th, the cost of required up-front mortgage insurance for loans guaranteed by the FHA will increase from 1.75% to 2.25%. For a borrower purchasing a $200,000 home with a $7,000 down payment, the up-front mortgage insurance will increase by $965.

Up-front mortgage insurance is typically financed in the final loan amount so the impact to a monthly payment will be minimal but overall, the increase is still borne by the borrower both upfront and monthly. Later this spring, the amount of money that a seller can return to the buyer from their sale proceeds will be reduced from 6% to 3%. The reduction in these “seller concessions” can increase the amount of cash a buyer will be required to pay at closing by $6,000 for a home purchase of $200,000.

There is only one way to avoid being affected by all of these costly changes that lie ahead – submit all FHA mortgage applications by the last week of March.

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Filed Under: FHA Financing, Financing, Latest News! Tagged With: Bethesda home search, buyer, closing cost credit, Federal Housing Administration, FHA, FHA private mortgage premium, first time buyer, new changes at FHA, seller contribution

Five Easy Pieces Before Starting to Look for a Home

January 24, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

First Time Home Buyers – Five Easy Pieces Before Home Buying

House or Heart?

Are you ready to buy that first home? Do you know what to do? How to begin? Some say you need to find the house you want to buy. But really there are steps you need to take as first time home buyers before you begin. GET YOUR FINANCIAL HOUSE IN ORDER FIRST!

Beginning Steps for First Time Home Buyers:

You need to find out how much you can afford. Can you qualify for a loan? Do you have enough money saved for a down payment? What type of loan programs are out there? Which one is best for you? Do you talk to a bank or a broker?

THE FIRST PIECE

In order to figure how much you can afford you need to take a look at your income and expenses. Do you have enough left over at the end of the month to make a mortgage payment? If you’re renting you probably already have a certain amount of money budgeted. How does that amount correlate to a mortgage payment for the size or type of home you want? There are mortgage calculators out there that will help you estimate how much you can spend.

PLEASE BE CAUTIOUS HERE!

BEING HOUSE POOR IS NO FUN!

JUST BECAUSE THE BANK WILL LEND YOU THE MONEY DOESN”T MEAN YOU SHOULD BORROW THAT MUCH. THINK ABOUT HOW THAT MORTGAGE PAYMENT WILL FIT IN YOUR BUDGET.

PIECE TWO

The first thing in qualifying for a loan is your credit rating. Most lenders use the middle score to figure your credit rating. They get this figure by taking the credit score from all three credit reporting agencies and picking the middle one. If your credit score is too low, then you have some work to do before you go looking for that new home.

The second thing in qualifying for a loan is the ability to pay it back. So your debt-to-income (DTI) reflects whether you are a good risk or not. If your expenses are higher than your income, you need to lower those first.

THE THIRD PIECE

Look at your savings account. Do you have enough money saved for the down payment? If not, then you may need to consider down payment assistance or grants to help you. Or perhaps you may need to set up a savings plan to help you save for that down payment. FHA permits borrowers with good credit to get a mortgage with a down payment of only 3.5% of the total sales price.

THE FOURTH PIECE

Take the time to interview two or three loan officers and ask them lots of questions about the programs that they offer. Ask them which program they recommend for you and why. It is definately a good idea for first time home buyers to be educated on the different types of loan programs out there to see which one is a good fit for you. There are programs that have low down payments, ones that are best for buying in suburban areas, ones that have low interest, and many more. It never hurts to be educated. If you don’t know which loan officers to talk to, ask your realtor. I always have several to recommend to my buyers – experienced and hard working lenders who are committed to making sure my buyers have a stress free transaction that closes on time.

THE FIFTH PIECE

You will have to choose whom you’re going to use to get your mortgage. You may decide to choose the lender who gives you the best service, or the best program, or the lowest rate. Shop around and know your options. A good lender will save you money and a lower rate will save you thousands of dollars over the life of the loan.

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Filed Under: Latest News!