Hill Slowinski • Real Estate: Blog: Maryland

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

Yes, we are handling more of these transactions in our office now than ever before.  I am finding myself more frequently in conversations with clients regarding the matter of foreclosures in our area.  They believe that the correction in the economy will necessarily generate more of these in the closer-in Washington Metropolitan region.  

I have access to a database that provides reliable information on foreclosure properties. This information is from a separate information source and not derived from the MLS listings.

What does this mean to you?  

• If you are planning to sell, I will check if any homes in your neighborhood are in process and whether that may affect our strategy for selling your home. 
• If you are buying, I will determine if any targets are in pre-foreclosure or scheduled for auction. 
• If you are interested in buying challenged properties, I will search for bank-owned properties that may be new opportunities. 
• I can help find pre-foreclosure and auction opportunities for you and investors working with you.

I can research for you properties in all stages of the foreclosure process.  The foreclosure process is complex and my research results will include foreclosure-effected properties in one of three stages: Pre-foreclosure, Auction and Bank Owned/Real Estate Owned (REO):

• Pre-foreclosure - identifies "short sales", homes on which lenders or other parties have begun the default against delinquent property owners. This can help you locate short sale opportunities.
• Auction - identifies "foreclosures", homes that have an auction date to sell the property as a result of a default and foreclosure related proceedings. This can help you locate investment opportunities.
• Bank Owned/Real Estate Owned (REO) - identifies properties currently owned by a bank, lender, or other financial institution due to a foreclosure-related proceeding. This can help you locate listing opportunities.

In addition, I will produce and email reports that include approximately 20 data fields that provide a comprehensive record of the foreclosure process.  Contact me for more information at: Hill@HillSlowinski.com or HSlowinski@LNF.com

 Hill Slowinski

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

Two recent Forbes pieces you may find interesting:

 According to Forbes magazine, in a recent article, "America's Most Livable Cities", which asks, "Looking for a better way of life? Start your search with these places", Bethesda, MD is the #2 "most livable" city in the US (See April 1,2009 story). 

 For enterprise, Bethesda is #48 of 200 "places out there that remain attractive to businesses", say Forbes in its special report,  "Best Places For Business And Careers" (See March 25, 2009 story).  

 --Hill

Hill Slowinski 

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