Hill Slowinski • Real Estate: Blog: June 2009

I will hold an Open House this Sunday for this beautiful Darnestown estate 

NEW PRICE: Offered for $1,249,000 $1,099,000!!- 13520 Deakins Lane, Darnestown, MD 20874 (outside Potomac off Seneca Road between River Road and Esworthy Road).

Just imagine!  8.25 bucolic acres just outside Potomac is the site of this 1964 Colonial with an elegant marble foyer, 11′ ceiling in living room with fireplace, dining room with fireplace, paneled library, 2 Master bedrooms (one on main level).  It features a newer gourmet kit with large breakfast room with a fireplace and an adjacent family room.  Floors have been refinished.  Recreation room has a new floor!

The grounds include a trellis covered side patio with herb gardens, flagstone patio for entertaining overlooks back pasture with barn or additional equipment garage and greenhouse. 

The estate includes approximately 5 acres of woodland with a stream and approximately 3 acres of side pasture with run-in. (Appraisal: 3/09, $1,270,000)

-Hill Slowinski

WC & AN Miller Realtors, A Long & Foster Company

4701 Sangamore Road,  Bethesda, Maryland  20816

Cell: 301-452-1409  Direct: 301-320-8430  Ofc: 301-229-4000

Email: hslowinski@longandfoster.com or Hill@HillSlowinski.com

You've heard it before, the three most important attributes of real estate -- 1) Location, 2) location, and 3) location.  Real estate is local.  In these economic times, some experts will tell you that in your neighborhood or general location now is not the time to sell your home.  

But selling might be the only option if you have to move for work, are selling an unused family or vacation home, or are committed to another new home elsewhere. 

Fortunately, most clients I serve in Northwest DC, Montgomery County, and Northern Virginia are seeing stabilization in prices.  But no matter where you are, it is wise to consider the following tips to help you get the most in your transaction:

• Call me first rather than simply posting "For Sale by Owner" signs in your front yard. The commission I earn is worth its weight in the assistance and advice you'll receive in return.  I have experience selling in these markets and I offer a free Homesellers Handbook to get you started.

• You'll also want to make sure your house is priced correctly, that is, priced for the current market regardless of what you think its true value is. Although it can be tough to take a loss, your house may never sell if it's priced incorrectly. To offset this, I can help your house sell faster by being more proactive about marketing.  I use Voice Pad technology and additional Internet resources such as Craig's List and YouTube, my real estate blogs and websites, and many secondary internet sites to reach a much wider audience.

• For further assistance, you may want to think about enlisting a staging company or an interior designer. This can seem counterintuitive when money is a concern. But studies show that staged houses typically sell in less than half the amount of time as their unstaged competitors - and for more money. In other words, your small up-front investment in new paint, accessories, and landscaping can end up saving you money in the long term. I have a special list of proven contractors and vendors I and my W.C. & A. N. Miller Realtor colleagues have used for recommendations to you.  You can do a simple search for a provider in your area on our website.

• Even with the help of a staging company, however, you will still need to make any necessary improvements and repairs to your house to keep it competitive with other houses on the market. Again, I can recommend many proven, established contractors and vendors W.C. & A. N. Miller Realtor colleagues and I have used. Be sure these changes have a good return and will not cost you more than they're worth. If they do, you may want to consider offering the buyer a cash allowance toward the repair instead.

You may believe now may not be the best time to sell. But that doesn't mean good home sales aren't made every day. Contact me to help ensure your home is ready for a good offer by making smart choices.

Hill Slowinski, licensed in DC, MD, and VA

W.C. & A.N. Miller Realtors, A Long & Foster Company

4701 Sangamore Road,  Bethesda, Maryland  20816

Cell: 301-452-1409  Direct: 301-320-8430  Ofc: 301-229-4000

         Email: hslowinski@longandfoster.com or Hill@HillSlowinski.com

Early 2009 Market Results: Increased Activity for Buyers and Sellers

We are two-thirds of the way through of the 2009 Spring Market, and we have had a roller-coaster of regional activity - some areas have popped up in sales, others suddenly are flat - on both sellers' and buyers' sides.  The news on the economy swings daily from good to bad to good.  Nevertheless, I have more successful sales transactions!

The popular price ranges of interest have dropped some 20%, and sometimes more, depending on the location.  Real estate is local.  

For my clients, the real bottom line has been price, and price alone.  This month, for example, my newest listing received multiple offers and was under contract in just 7 days!  And, one of my older listings had a significant price improvement, received an offer within 3 weeks, and settled two weeks later! 

Buyers will buy homes that are priced correctly.  They have researched the market and know what is available.  Owners of homes not yet sold and whose price has remained unchanged 30+ days must make the next price change significant and noticeable to a new set of buyers as all potential buyers at the current price have passed them by and bought lower priced homes.  At the least, they have rejected the current price, and there is more inventory from which buyers can chose their next home.  Buyers can lose interest in a particular home quickly in this market.

For sellers, it is no longer a matter of ‘leaving money on the table' or ‘giving the house away'.  There is nothing on the table or being given away when there are no offers to begin with.  The market will establish the price for the home, not the seller, and not the seller's agent. 

The difficult challenge is finding the right price at which it will sell.  So I deeply research the market and listen to all comments on my listings,  and I present successful selling strategies fresh from today's market reality and experiences.   And I get results for my clients.      

 Hill Slowinski, licensed in DC, MD, and VA

W.C. & A.N. Miller Realtors, A Long & Foster Company

4701 Sangamore Road,  Bethesda, Maryland  20816

Cell: 301-452-1409  Direct: 301-320-8430  Ofc: 301-229-4000

         Email: hslowinski@longandfoster.com or Hill@HillSlowinski.com