All Blog Entries by Marjorie Dick Stuart

Please stop by...OPEN 1-4pm Saturday, June 25th

3901 Langley Court #B554

Super sunny, updated 2 level, 3 bedroom with 2 full baths and 2 separate entrances. Fabulous eat-in kitchen, windows on three sides, wood floors & central air. Pool, BBQ areas, tot lot, public tennis, dog park, garden & playground. Around the corner from the new Cathedral Commons Shopping Center. Grocery, pharmacy, restaurants and more. 1 dog plus 1 cat or 2 cats permitted. Parking available for $35,000, monthly maintenance $42.41.

Monthly condo fee: $783.65 includes management, general maintenance of common areas, landscaping, trash & snow removal, master insurance policy, reserves, gas, water & sewer.

Some Highlights:

 According to NAR's Profile of Home Buyers & Sellers:

• 88% of buyers look for their new home online.
• Using a real estate agent can net you $39,000 more than FSBO'ing.
• There is a long list of people that you will have to negotiate with when you decide to sell your home, using an experienced professional can help ease the process.

That headline might be a little aggressive. However, as the data on the 2016 housing market begins to roll in, we can definitely say one thing: If you are considering selling, IT IS TIME TO LIST YOUR HOME!

The May numbers are not in yet, but the April numbers were sensational. Jonathon Smoke, Chief Economist at realtor.com, explained:

“We had a triple crown of April home sales reports, so 2016 is in the pole position to earn best year of home sales in a decade.”

And Freddie Mac also expressed a tremendous optimism regarding home sales for the rest of the summer:

“Home sales typically rise in the spring and summer months, and we anticipate acceleration in home sales that will surpass 2007’s pace by late summer.”

The only

Yesterday, we reported that according to CoreLogic’s latest Equity Report, nearly 268,000 homeowners regained equity and are no longer underwater on their mortgage in the first quarter. Homes with negative equity have decreased by 21.5% year-over-year.

A study by Fannie Mae suggests that many homeowners are not aware of how their equity position has changed as their home has increased in value.

For example, their study showed that 23% of Americans still believe their home is in a negative equity position when, in actuality, CoreLogic’s report shows that only 8% of homes are in that position. 

The study also revealed that only 37% of Americans believe that they have “significant equity” (greater than 20%), when in actuality, 74% do!

CoreLogic’s latest Equity Report revealed that 92% of all mortgaged properties are now in a positive equity situation, while 74% now actually have significant equity (defined as more than 20%)! The report also revealed that 268,000 households regained equity in the first quarter of 2016 and are no longer under water.

Price Appreciation = Good News for Homeowners

Frank Nothaft, CoreLogic’s Chief Economist, explains:

“In just the last four years, equity for homeowners with a mortgage has nearly doubled to $6.9 trillion. The rapid increase in home equity reflects the improvement in home prices, dwindling distressed borrowers and increased principal repayment.  

These are all positive factors that will provide support to both household

In today’s market, with home prices rising and a lack of inventory, some homeowners may consider trying to sell their home on their own, known in the industry as a For Sale by Owner (FSBO). There are several reasons why this might not be a good idea for the vast majority of sellers.

Here are the top five reasons:

1. There Are Too Many People to Negotiate With

Here is a list of some of the people with whom you must be prepared to negotiate if you decide to For Sale By Owner:

• The buyer who wants the best deal possible
• The buyer’s agent who solely represents the best interest of the buyer
• The buyer’s attorney (in some parts of the country)
• The home inspection companies, which work for the buyer and will almost always find some

5115 Cape Cod Court, Bethesda, MD 20816

Large, elegant & updated 6 bedroom, 5.5 bath brick colonial with 2 car garage on cul-de-sac in Westmoreland Hills. Great house for entertaining.  2 story foyer, curved stairway, gourmet kitchen & breakfast room with wall of windows, living room with fireplace, large dining room opens to patio, grand family room opens to back deck & office with built-in book cases.  Lower level rec room with fireplace, exercise room & kitchenette. Convenient Mass Ave corridor, just over the DC line.

Please stop by...OPEN 1-4pm Sunday, June 19th

3901 Langley Court #B554

Super sunny, updated 2 level, 3 bedroom with 2 full baths and 2 separate entrances. Fabulous eat-in kitchen, windows on three sides, wood floors & central air. Pool, BBQ areas, tot lot, public tennis, dog park, garden & playground. Around the corner from the new Cathedral Commons Shopping Center. Grocery, pharmacy, restaurants and more. 1 dog plus 1 cat or 2 cats permitted. Parking available for $35,000, monthly maintenance $42.41.

Monthly condo fee: $783.65 includes management, general maintenance of common areas, landscaping, trash & snow removal, master insurance policy, reserves, gas, water & sewer.

Some Highlights:

• According to CoreLogic, the national foreclosure rate dropped to 1.1% of all homes with a mortgage. This is the lowest percentage experienced since October 2007.
• April marked the 54th consecutive month of year-over-year declines in foreclosure inventory.
• Only 3% of homes in the United States are in serious delinquency. More and more homeowners are escaping negative equity as prices rise.