AnnapolisRealEstateToday » Renting

Is a Good School District in Maryland Important to You?

carlynlowery — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 16:05:20 +0000

Living in a good school district is very important to most families, and it seems like every day someone tells me how important it is to rent or buy a home where there are good public schools. This applies to both owner-occupants and investors who want to buy homes where families will stay long-term.

For information on schools, I often refer people to professionals in education, and Internet resources such as the Anne Arundel County Public Schools web site, and other sites on my Recommended Links page.

Did you hear that Education Week just ranked Maryland’s public schools best in the nation?

That’s good news for Maryland homeowners and home buyers.

Here’s a link to the article “Equipping U.S. Schools for the Global Fast Lane”

Call me today for all your Annapolis real estate needs.

Carlyn Lowery, Associate Broker, Keller Williams Select Realtors Annapolis, Annapolis Real Estate, Anne Arundel County, Maryland, 410-268-0160 or 410-972-4000 x4032

Local web sites in and around Annapolis, Maryland

Annapolis Boat Shows and Homes for Rent

carlynlowery — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 15:04:45 +0000

Annapolis Boat Show 2011

The boat shows were such fun, not only seeing the boats, also getting together with friends and clients! Shopping for water front and water privileged homes around Annapolis, we found some nice buys.

I also really enjoyed touring the yachts including some of my favorites… Hinckleys, Shannons, Nordic Tugs, and Vicems!

What was your favorite?

Beneteau Demo 360 Turn at Annapolis Boat Show

Some great new rental homes are available now. The rental market has been booming lately, as more folks are buying rather than renting, or renting rather than selling.

Check out these Annapolis area houses for rent, and let me know if you know of someone that we might do business with.

Know of anyone with a vacant house in Anne Arundel County, that would like to earn some income from it? My Annapolis property management company is looking for more good homes in Anne Arundel County, as we have increasing demand from folks relocating to the area or looking for nicer homes.

Hinckley Picnic Boat Annapolis Boat Show

Looking for waterfront property? Check out this earlier post on Waterfront Homes for Sale in Annapolis Maryland

Call me today for all your Annapolis real estate needs.

Carlyn Lowery, Associate Broker, Keller Williams Select Realtors Annapolis, Annapolis Real Estate, Anne Arundel County, Maryland, 410-268-0160 or 410-972-4000 x4032

Local web sites in and around Annapolis, Maryland

Renting vs. Buying, in Annapolis and Nationwide

carlynlowery — Fri, 13 May 2011 18:08:32 +0000

On one hand, with low mortgage rates and many homes on the market, renters have good reason to look into home ownership. Today’s historically low interest rates can create a financial advantage for buying over renting. Factoring in tax savings and long term appreciation, home ownership can make a significantly positive impact for the right buyer, without the negative impact of a large mortgage payment.

The President of the National Association of Realtors, President Ron Phipps, explains that many renters are considering home ownership to hedge against inflation. “The typical buyer today plans to stay in a home for 10 years, while rents are projected to rise at faster rates over the next few years,” he said. “As buyers gain more financial security, the advantages of home ownership become more obvious. Rents will continue to trend up, especially in comparison with a fixed-rate loan which provides financial stability and gradual accumulation of equity over time.”

Given that not everyone sees it this way, and many people are not able to buy at this time, the demand is increasing for good rental homes. Many people who could buy are choosing to rent these days. A recent Wall Street Journal feature titled A Bull Market in Rental Housing pointed out the opportunities for landlords, because in many areas such as ours, housing prices are down, mortgage rates are down, and rental demand is increasing.

Locally, this Spring, I’ve talked with quite a few people in the Annapolis area who could buy homes, yet are choosing to rent. They have been having difficulty finding quality rental homes, and good ones that are well-priced are going fast.

Call me today for all your Annapolis real estate needs.

Carlyn Lowery, Associate Broker, Keller Williams Select Realtors Annapolis, Annapolis Real Estate, Anne Arundel County, Maryland, 410-268-0160 or 410-972-4000 x4032

Free Seminars on Annapolis Area Real Estate – First-Time Homebuyers and Investors

carlynlowery — Fri, 10 Dec 2010 16:34:41 +0000

Do you know someone who is thinking about buying their first home? Or someone who is renting and would be wise to think about buying a home? Today’s market presents some amazing opportunities, and often people who are renting aren’t aware how easy it would be to own their own home, and don’t do anything because they don’t know how, and are afraid of making a mistake. Instead of buying their own home, they are buying real estate for their landlord!

So for potential first-time homebuyers (or those who haven’t bought in a while!), I will be offering quarterly first-time homebuyer seminars over the next year. Please call for a schedule, if you or someone you know is interested in learning more, so that they are ready to move forward.

Similarly, many people are considering investing in real estate, and aren’t sure where to begin, or how best to add to their existing portfolio. And there are better ways than buying a “No Money Down” seminar from an infomercial, investing with a group out of state (as someone just told me many of his neighbors are doing), or hoping to stumble across a deal in the middle of your busy workday. If you are thinking of investing and want to get more facts, please call for the dates of our next real estate investment seminar.

p.s. If you are planning to sell or buy property in the Spring, please call me to get the information you need to get ready.

Call me today for all your Annapolis real estate needs.

Carlyn Lowery, Associate Broker, Keller Williams Select Realtors Annapolis, Annapolis Real Estate, Anne Arundel County, Maryland, 410-268-0160 or 410-972-4000 x4032

1690 Coventry Place, Annapolis, Maryland 21401

carlynlowery — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 20:56:40 +0000

Beautiful home for rent in the exclusive water-privileged community of The Downs in Annapolis. Enjoy the gardens, pool, spa, community waterfront, and more.

1690 Coventry Place, Annapolis, Maryland 21401

For details, click here!

P.S. Call me today for all your Annapolis real estate needs.

Carlyn Lowery, Associate Broker, Keller Williams Annapolis : Real Estate Brokerage in Annapolis, Anne Arundel County, Maryland

Free Property Management, Especially Valuable for People Stuck with Double Mortgage Payments

carlynlowery — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 17:15:19 +0000

In today’s real estate market, more and more “accidental landlords” are emerging, as people end up with vacant homes that they can’t sell for the prices they want. Sometimes people try for months and months to get the homes sold, leaving them vacant and often with insurance lapsing, and other times they choose to rent them out.

Always looking to learn more about property management, and also looking for books to recommend to friends and clients, I just picked up a copy of The ABC’s of Property Management, by Ken McElroy.

Click here to view the embedded video.

If there were ever a book to convince you not to try to manage an extra home yourself, this is it! Full of stories of things that happen to people when they haven’t mastered the business of property management.

I discovered long ago that property management works fine if you treat it like the business that it is, but not so well if you treat it like a hobby or an afterthought. (Yes, I learned that the hard way.) Here are some handy references for those who choose to do it themselves.

Click here to view the embedded video.

And if you do it yourself, be sure to learn the Maryland state laws, as well as those of the county and city where your property is located.

Of course, it often pays to bring on a specialist. For those who’d like to team up with a professional property manager, I can make some recommendations in the Annapolis area. You need to be prepared to compensate them somehow, typically by paying a percentage of the rent. Sometimes you can negotiate a guaranteed rental payment, regardless of vacancy.

Oh, you want to know how to get it free? Some will do it for a portion of the future increase in your property’s value. Let me know if you’d like further details.

P.S. Call me today for all your Annapolis real estate needs.
Carlyn Lowery, Associate Broker, Keller Williams Annapolis : Real Estate Brokerage in Annapolis, Anne Arundel County, Maryland

Annapolis Real Estate News Available on Facebook

carlynlowery — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 22:14:33 +0000

If you like Facebook, you might enjoy reading these posts there (or maybe you already are!). To get these posts and other news on Facebook, become a fan of the Carlyn Lowery Real Estate Team

Carlyn Lowery Real Estate Team

Promote Your Page Too

Some folks read these blog posts with their favorite RSS reader such as iGoogle, some subscribe by email, some follow me on Twitter, and some find it most convenient to discover the latest news when checking in with friends on Facebook. The formatting seems nicest here, yet some of the other delivery methods are more convenient.

I’m still experimenting with Facebook and Twitter, and would love to hear how you like to use them for both work and play.

P.S. Call me today for all your Annapolis real estate needs.
Carlyn Lowery, Associate Broker, Keller Williams Annapolis : Real Estate Brokerage in Annapolis, Anne Arundel County, Maryland

RENTED! 111B Academy Street, Annapolis, Maryland 21401 – Home for Rent

carlynlowery — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 01:02:10 +0000

Live Where It’s At – Sought-After Murray Hill!!

Featured in the Washington Post “Where We Live” series – Indeed a superb location – just steps to historic Annapolis, Spa Creek, Amos Garrett Park, Maryland Hall for the Creative Arts, and more – and also convenient to Washington, Baltimore, and BWI.

This charming home for rent at 111B Academy Street is just two blocks from the Amos Garrett Park on Spa Creek with a dock and small boat ramp ideal for kayaks. And it’s just one mile to Annapolis Main Street and Church Circle.

For more details, click here!

111 Academy Street, Annapolis, Maryland 21401

P.S. Call me today for all your Annapolis real estate needs.

Carlyn Lowery, Associate Broker, Keller Williams Annapolis : Real Estate Brokerage in Annapolis, Anne Arundel County, Maryland

Annapolis Real Estate Investors Cash Flow Secrets

carlynlowery — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 15:20:39 +0000

A lot of folks would like to invest in real estate in Annapolis and Anne Arundel County, and get stuck when they can’t figure out how to make the properties cash flow. The median sales price in the county year to date is $299,999, a reduction from the $325,950 that it was last year. That nearly 10% reduction sounds pretty good. But when a house typically rents for $1400-1600, it doesn’t make much difference that the prices have come down 10%, does it?

A local real estate wholesaler called me the other day. He has a couple townhomes in Brooklyn (just north of Annapolis, between Annapolis and Baltimore) available for $75,000 and $82,000. He said the need less than $20,000 in work each, and would rent for around $1150. Those numbers are a little nicer. With 20% down, he forecasts a cash-on-cash return of 31%.

Do you know someone who invests in Brooklyn Park or Brooklyn? How do they like it? I’d love to know. And if you’d like to acquire some property like this, let me know, as these kinds of deals are being made all the time right now.

P.S. Call me today for all your Annapolis real estate needs.

Carlyn Lowery, Associate Broker, Keller Williams Annapolis : Real Estate Brokerage in Annapolis, Anne Arundel County, Maryland

Time is Running Out for $8000 Gift from the Federal Government

carlynlowery — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 14:58:04 +0000

As you know, home buyers can claim a special tax credit worth up to $8,000. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act offers qualifying home buyers a tax credit equal to 10 percent of a home’s purchase price, up to a maximum of $8,000. The tax credit is offered to first time buyers, and those who have not owned a principal residence in the past three years. To be eligible for the tax credit, buyers must meet general income requirements and close on their purchase before December 1, 2009.

Given that it often takes a first-time homebuyer 30-60 days to line up financing, learn about the homebuying process, and find a home, then 30-60 days for closing, time is running out!

Clients of ours are excited to be buying their first home in Galesville, Maryland, enjoying not only this $8000 tax credit but also 100% financing, including closing costs, due to a special program supported by Anne Arundel County, taking advantage of federal, State and County dollars for affordable housing.

Please contact me today for more details on these valuable programs. I look forward to helping you and your friends build your real estate portfolio.

P.S. Call me today for all your Annapolis real estate needs.

Carlyn Lowery, Associate Broker, Keller Williams Annapolis : Real Estate Brokerage in Annapolis, Anne Arundel County, Maryland