News still coming?
Many commentators think that the residential real estate financial crisis is nearly over—or at least nearing the bottom. Unfortunately, if one looks at the stock charts of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, one might think that the financial markets think otherwise.
To make one’s heart set a little more at ease,[Read more...]
Feel Good News
Headlines this morning from numerous financial reporters sounded good. The Fed is announcing that they will be coming out with new guidelines to help protect homebuyers, particularly sub-prime buyers from the nefarious words and deeds of the money center banks. Why the money center banks? Because that is what the Fed controls.
How many people who are looking at sub-prime loans borrow from the money center banks? Not many. So why the big headlines?[Read more...]
Smart Home Owners
Saturday I met a smart homeowner. I finished my open house and then drove by a For Sale by Owner, he was outside so I talked to him a bit and looked over the house. Inevitably, the price they were asking came up. This is what impressed me about him and his wife. The looked at the other houses in the neighborhood and then went 10,000 less. Assuming reasonably equal quality, their house will sell first…
That is good thinking. Less good thinking… was also involved. [Read more...]
Anne Arundel Counties take on Housing
Where BRAC employees choose to settle will depend on public safety, quality of public education, and available transportation.
Anne Arundel County obviously has easy access for commutes. Anne Arundel County has some of the best schools in the country if you are careful to avoid some particular locations. And public safety is likely not to be much of an issue with expected tax base growth and police force growth.
Actual housing structures [Read more...]
BRAC and Anne Arundel County Real Estate
Ask a real estate agent about BRAC and they almost always smile. Well, locally anyway.
Why because the market has been tough and the light shining brightly in the future is that demand will go up as thousands of people start new jobs in Anne Arundel County.
How many?
The number changes regularly, as different people extrapolate from the basic numbers using different assumptions. But [Read more...]
About the Annapolis Area
Annapolis, as the capital of Maryland, forms a triangle with Baltimore, the 6th largest city in the United States, and Washington DC the nations capital. So all the advantages of both tend to be available to residents of the area.
Here though you can find specific Annapolis Area Information, Fun Things for Kids to do, specific information about Annapolis Area Schools, Interest Rates and Other News.
For Home Sellers
If you are planning on selling a home in the near future, please consider me.
I believe you will find my marketing plan is the best in the area. So give me a call at 443 871 9414 or on the web.
Here are some tips for selling your house, and what a typical sales process looks like.
Also you can find out why you should Use me as your Sellers Agent
Ten things every Annapolis Resident should do
After moving here
- 1. U.S. Naval Academy.
- If you live in Annapolis you must visit what most people think of as Annapolis. There are tours to take, a visitors center, and if you really want to learn the Academy, sponsor a midshipman for a year.
- 2. City Dock.
- The heart of what has been Annapolis, is now is a summertime tourist trap, but locals still find it worthwhile, but especially in fall and winter when it feels like small town Annapolis.
- 3. State House.
- It housed the Continental Congress; George Washington resigned here. Thurgood Marshal and Roger Taney are also here. The governor in residence and the state legislature can also clog the streets in winter.
- 4. Quiet Waters Park
- The crown jewel in the local park system has free concerts in summer, ice skating in winter and untold other events. Check it out as well as nearest park.
- 5. Rennaisance Festival
- Just outside of Annapolis and one of the biggest and one of the earliest RenFairs in the country. Always a fun time with great entertainment and large crowds.
- 6. First Night Annapolis
- What was once an old Annapolis Tradition is now again an Annapolis tradition. It's better than Time's Square because it has lots of entertainment venues scattered around downtown Annapolis, without the standing-room-only crowds.
- 7. Annapolis Tours
- Its a touring company that has various themed tours around different sites in Annapolis. But there is no better way to learn about Annapolis.
- 8. Watermark Tours
- What Annapolis Tours does on land, Watermark does on water.
- 9. Navy Football or Graduation
- Six or seven times a year the pagentry is at its finest. The games tend to be more fun and the team has been good in recent years, while the graduation tends to be more poignent and interesting. One of the nations political leaders, Pres, VP, SecDef or SecNav, is usually speaking.
- 10. Boat Show
- So popular that it now has separate weekends for power boats and sail boats. If you live in America's sailing capital, you should at least see what some of the hullabaloo is about.
Places to start eating in Annapolis
Annapolis has more good restaurants per capita than any other place in the United States. The list of good places goes on for pages. The list of award winning places is longer than the list of restaurants in most towns of the size of Annapolis. So this is just a starting place to find a great restaurant that will be your favorite.
Reynold's Tavern
The oldest tavern in Annapolis and one of the oldest in the U.S, with current food awards.
Les Folies
The best French food in town.
Chick and Ruth's
Traditional Small Town Annapolis with Fabulous Sandwiches and Milk Shakes
Phillips Seafood Restaurant
On the city dock in downtown, historic Annapolis, Phillips overlooks the Harbor providing stunning waterfront views and some of the best seafood on the Chesapeake.
Buddy's
Family oriented Seafood overlooking Ego Alley. The owners have expanded to several other locations all featuring seafood and all just as good.
The Main Ingredient Cafe
They specialize in catering, but the Cafe has some of the best food in the US, recognition by Southern Living, Bon Appetit and Gourmet Magazines
Middleton Tavern
Washington, Monroe, etc ate at this "Inn for Seafaring Men." just a short walk from the Capital.
Treaty of Paris
The Treaty of Paris ended the American Revolutionary War.
Now it is an award-winning restaurant with a fine wine list, organic foods and impeccable service.
Cantler's Inn
Tourists almost never find Cantler’s, which is just fine with those of who live locally and enjoy their unmatched quality.
It is one of the last great restaurants you can tie up to enjoy a meal and then head back out for an evening on the water.
Ram's Head Tavern
A great blend of a good micro brewery, a great kitchen, and unmatched entertainment.
El Toro Bravo
It's not fancy but it has good food, traditional Mexican with the occasional Tex-Mex, reasonable prices and friendly staff. If you do not get there early, you can wait outside and wave to friends across West Street in Ram's Head's line.
For commercially available relocation information
check here if you're moving out of the area or here if you're moving into the area.
If you need to find a Real Estate agent,
here's a good place to start.
For information about the area two good place to check
here or here.