Anne Arundel County Real Estate

Here in Anne Arundel County, landscaping season is upon us.

I’ve been to both the Lowes in Bowie and one of the Home Depots in Annapolis this past week and one thing is clear - they are stocked and ready for spring and summer.

As a speaker with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation Speaker’s Bureau I give a presentation with a little run-down on what each of us can do in our own back yards to help rebuild the bay.

Here is my list of the Top 10 things you can do for a Bay-Friendly Backyard.

1. Test the soil.
You can find a soil test kit at one of your favorite home supply stores (both Lowes and Home Depot carry them), or you can send a test away to one of these laboratories (PDF) recommended by the Anne Arundel County Soil Conservation District. In any event after testing your yard, you may find you don’t need to add any chemicals or fertilizers to your soil at all. By reducing the amount of fertilizers and chemicals you add to your yard, you’re reducing the amount of nutrients that eventually reach the bay. A lot of people apply excess chemicals, and these usually just run off in the first rain storm and end up in the bay.

2. Plant Native Trees and Shrubs
A soil test can also help you determine how acid/alkaline your soil is - and which plants will survive and thrive in your current soil conditions. Usually this is a mixture of indigenous trees and shrubs. In the mid-Atlantic area we’re lucky to have a good mixture of plants that can give your yard a lot of bio-diversity. This helps your yard have less pests, disease and weed problems. And it provides food, shelter and cover for birds and small animals. Any of our local nurseries can help you pick out good plants for your yard.

3. Use Less Fertilizer (or none at all)
As mentioned above, a lot of people over fertilize their yards and this contributes to the excess nutrient loading that pollutes the Bay. After testing the soil, use minimal amounts of fertilizer - and only if needed. And in spite of what else you might hear, fertilizer is usually only needed once per year.

4. Grass Clippings are a Great Fertilizer
With so many mulcher-mowers out there, everyone should be doing this. Grass is a great natural fertilizer and it returns a lot of nutrients back to the soil as it decomposes.

5. Use Compost as a Fertilizer
Another great natural fertilizer is compost. A nice compost pile that reuses food waste (no fat or proteins), grass clippings, dead leaves, yard waste and other natural ingredients is a fantastic addition to any yard. The mineral-rich compost can be added back to the lawn or flower and vegetable beds. And best of all - compost is cheap - virtually free.

6. Reduce or Eliminate the Use of Pesticides and Herbicides
Toxic chemicals can poison your yard’s balanced ecosystem by killing the natural predators and native plants that keep your yard a well maintained diverse collection of organisms. Adopt integrated pest management systems around your home so you can reduce or eliminate the use of chemicals in your yard. In addition to your yard, these toxic chemicals eventually make their way to the creeks, rivers and bay - creating havoc along the way. Use chemicals as a last resort.

7. Mow your Lawn at the Proper Height
Set your mower blade to a height of 3 inches and make sure to keep the blades sharp. A lot of people cut their grass way too short, and this keeps the grass from getting ahead of the weeds. It also prevents the grass from establishing a firm root structure which will help sustain it through a drought.

8. Reduce Your Overall Lawn Size
There is a difference between your yard and your lawn. Most of us want a big yard - but that doesn’t necessarily mean a big lawn. Figure out how much lawn you really need and reduce the grassy area to the smallest amount necessary. Replace the rest with a buffer of native trees and shrubs and gardens. These areas will prevent soil erosion and soak up excess nutrients before they reach the bay.

9. Use Less Water
Grass lawns in our area naturally go dormant during the drier parts of the summer season. When the rain returns, your lawn will green right back up again. Some of the above tips will also help you to cut back on the amount of water you use. Make sure when you water your lawn, you do it rarely and thoroughly - until water can no longer be easily absorbed into the soil - but not so much that the water starts to run off. Whenever possible, water later in the afternoon or at night. And if rain is coming in a day or two - you might want to hold off all together.

10. Provide Wildlife Habitat
Wildlife such as birds, chipmunks, squirrels and other animals need a source of food, water and shelter - especially in areas where development has taken away their natural sources. These animals all play a vital part in our ecosystem. By giving them an area in your yard to thrive - you’ll be helping to boost the ecosystem of the region as a whole.

Here is a list of helpful tips for all of the above:

Anne Arundel County: Yard Waste, Yard Cycling and Backyard Composting

Guide to Composting

Compost Guide

Chesapeake Bay Foundation

So, here’s the deal:  as part of the new economic stimulus plan, yesterday the FHA has raised the limits on what the loans they’ll guarantee.  You can read more about the story on bankrate.

What this means is in the long run is the following: It is easier for FHA loans to be resold - because they are guaranteed by the government.  Since the limit in Anne Arundel County has been raised to $560,000 for a single-family-home - more people will be able to get FHA guaranteed loans to purchase their homes.  Previously, the FHA limits were too low to mean anything for a lot of people in our area.

This also means that once all of the shake-out is done with these new limits - a lot of loan companies will raise the limit where they’ll consider a loan a jumbo loan, and this could be a reduction in the mortgage rates for higher-priced homes.

Dogs are wonderful pets and often do their part to keep your home safe - and fun.   But unfortunately they can cause trouble also.

1/3rd of all homeowner insurance claims are related to dog biting.  According to insurance industry statistics, dogs bite nearly 5 million people every year - accounting for 800,000 injuries - and 70% of the attacks happen on the dog owner’s property.

In today’s world - where people (and lawyers) are anxious to sue - homeowners (and renters) who own pets should review their insurance policies to makes sure they are covered in the event of an unfortunate accident.

But not all pet-related claims are for bites.

For instance, if your pet causes someone to trip or fall and they end up breaking a bone - you may be held responsible.

A Texas case awarded a bike rider $1.8 million for severe injuries when a dog darted in front of him.  The dog wasn’t attacking and no bite was involved, but the dog did cause the accident.  In this case the insurance claim was split between the dog owner and the home owners association (which was part of the lawsuit because they had not enforced their own leash laws ).

Check with your insurance provider to see how much coverage you have for pet damage.  And keep your dogs safely leashed for themselves and others.

Here is a quick checklist to keep your house dry:

√ Monitor your water pressure and know where the shut-off is for the water coming into your house

√ Inspect hoses leading to indoor faucets, the dishwasher, washing machine, water heater and ice makers.  Repair or replace if necessary.

√ Recaulk around tubs, showers, sinks and counter-tops as necessary.

√ Check the caulk and seals around windows and doors

√ Conduct a roof check once a year (fall is a good time ~ when you are cleaning out gutters or putting up Christmas lights)

√ Don’t leave home while the dishwasher is running.  The dishwasher drains into the sink and if the sink drain is clogged, the dishwasher will overflow the sink.

√ Repair little leaks before they become big leaks.

I found this today in the LA Times while checking out some other real estate related info:

Robert J. Bruss, an author, investment expert and syndicated real estate columnist whose advice appeared in newspapers across the country for more than two decades, died Wednesday at his Burlingame, Calif., home, according to Inman News, the Emeryville, Calif., news service that distributes his column. He was 67.

The cause of death was cancer, said Bradley J. Inman, his friend and publisher.

Bruss, who began writing his column 23 years ago, was sometimes called the “Dear Abby of Real Estate” for his straightforward, knowledgeable writing on questions that often perplex consumers. He wrote about such matters as how to prepare a house for sale, whether vacation homes were good investments and how to choose a Realtor or home inspector.

I’ve been a fan of Bob Bruss for awhile. You can’t do too much real estate blogging or real estate news reading without coming across something he wrote. His contributions to educating the public about the real estate industry are immeasurable.

The glut of unsold homes and condos is turning many owners into landlords, often to the consternation of their neighbors.

Owner-occupants in many condo complexes or neighborhoods that suddenly have a high number of renters are fearful that too many renters will result in homes falling into disrepair, overcrowded streets and driveways, rising crime and increased noise.

Also, many lenders won’t give the lowest mortgage rates to buildings with too few owner-occupants. (For example, in most cases Freddie Mac buys mortgages only for buildings with at least 60 percent owner-occupancy. Individual lenders often have more stringent requirements.)

Home owners in these communities are organizing to ensure that landlords maintain their properties and tenants behave themselves. Some developments are even requiring owners who want to rent their properties to register and capping the percentage of rentals at 10 percent to 25 percent.

Other communities are banning rentals altogether during the first year of ownership.

Source: The Wall Street Journal, Ben Casselman (09/21/2007)

From the Office of the Attorney General

Chapter 606 - Sale of Property Encumbered by a Conservation Easement
(Effective Date: Oct. 1, 2007):

The seller of property that is subject to a conservation easement must give the purchaser, on or before entering into a contract of sale for the property, or within 20 calendar days after entering into the contract of sale, a copy of all conservation easements encumbering the property.

The contract of sale must also contain a specified disclosure (set forth in the attached bill). Failure to comply with these requirements gives the purchaser the right to rescind the contract of sale.

From the Real Estate Center at Texas A&M University we have this little news story:

COLLEGE STATION, Tex. – If universal design sounds like another controversial approach to teaching grade school science, guess again. It is actually one of the latest, most practical trends in home design and one that is gradually gaining widespread support.

Universal design refers to buildings that are made to be accessible for people of all ages, regardless of their physical condition. A growing number of cities across the country now require that homes be constructed with this principle in mind.

For example, according to the most recent issue of Tierra Grande, the quarterly journal published by the Real Estate Center at Texas A&M University, many homes now feature smooth ground surfaces at entryways, wide interior doors and hallways, handles with levers rather than knobs, and at least one full bathroom with maneuvering space on the first floor.

It’s all a part of what is known as ‘visitability,’ says Dr. Jennifer S. Evans-Cowley, assistant professor of city and regional planning at Ohio State University.

“If a home meets visitability standards, people with mobility impairments can live in or visit the home without encountering obstacles and inconveniences,” she said.

Incorporating these features allows a person with a sprained ankle to recover in the downstairs of a home without having to climb stairs to use the restroom or sleep. A grandmother’s visit is made easier by an entrance with no steps and wide doorways that accommodate a walker or wheelchair.

While visitability does not guarantee complete access within a home, Evans-Cowley says it does ensure that public spaces — entrances, hallways, bathrooms — are accessible to someone in a wheelchair. It would also allow a nondisabled person to continue living in a home if he or she became disabled.

Evans-Cowley points out that people without disabilities can also benefit from these standards. For example, wide, level entrances make moving furniture in and out of buildings easier, and doors with lever handles make it much easier to enter a house with an armful of groceries or while carrying a child.

“Whether it’s an entire home or just a kitchen or bathroom, incorporating universal design and visitability improves living spaces for all people throughout their lifespans,” Evans-Cowley said.

Dealing with pre-foreclosure is not something that you want to go through. After all, there is nothing good about this situation. But with that being said, pre-foreclosure is not quite as bad as the actual foreclosure process. When your home is in pre-foreclosure you still have a chance to make some changes before things get too bad on you. Of course, you need to be aware of your options before you can take advantage of them.

For many people, pre-foreclosure is seen as the last time that they have to get out without losing everything. In other words, if your home is in pre-foreclosure the lender does not have the right to take it back just yet. For this reason, you will want to look into selling your home during pre-foreclosure. This is more than likely your best bet for one very important reason. Simply put, when you sell your home during pre-foreclosure you will have the chance to get recoup some of the money that you would have otherwise lost. You may still end up getting the bad end of the stick, but when you sell during pre-foreclosure you will at least get something out of the deal. This is much better than the foreclosure process when your home will be taken off of you, and you end up with nothing.

To learn about your pre-foreclosure options, get in touch with your lender. There is a good chance that that will be willing to work with you in order to set up the situation that is best for both parties. Although you may not want to listen to what they say, it will do you a lot of good in the long run. The fact of the matter is that your bank does not want to go through the foreclosure process either. For this reason, they will do whatever it takes to help you do what is best during pre-foreclosure.

As you can see by now, pre-foreclosure is not quite as bad as when your home goes into foreclosure. But you need to remember that pre-foreclosure is only one step away from that happening. This means that you need to act fast, no matter what you decide on. If you wait around too long, your chance at every pre-foreclosure option will be lost, along with your home.

Dealing with a contractor is not always the easiest thing to do. After all, they have their own way of doing things, and you have to respect that. But with that being said, since you are the buyer, you need to make sure that you get what you want. If you leave every last decision up to your contractor there is a good chance that you will be disappointed with the end result. When it comes down to it, their tastes may be much different than yours. You need to know how and when to deal with your contractor so that the two of you can stay on the same page throughout the project. When you succeed in doing this, you will surely end up with something that you are proud of.

The first time that you will have to deal with your contractor is when you hire them. It is very important that you get off to a good start, so make sure that you are professional from day one. If you have any questions early on, make sure that you ask. It is much better to ask questions of your contractor early in the process so that they know what you are expecting. Remember, your contractor will not be able to read your mind. They will rely on you for feedback, input, etc.

During the project, it is very important that you let the contractor do their job. The biggest mistake that you could make is to constantly call your contractor in order to get updates, or worse yet, complain about the job. Although contractors will not have any problems talking with you throughout the project, you need to make sure that you are not taking this overboard. Your contractor is going to work on the job as specified, and you need to respect that.

Of course, if you think that there is a problem, it is your right to touch base with your contractor. But when doing this, make sure that you are not confrontational. Simply explain your position to your contractor, and ask them for an explanation. Chances are that they will be able to give you an answer that will suit your needs.

Dealing with your contractor should be a professional relationship from day one. You are paying them to do a job, and you have every right to want it done right. As long as you give your contractor the space to finish the job, you should be pleased with the end result.