Charles County & Southern Maryland Homes

Charles County Foreclosures List Updated (May 8th, 2008)

    Foreclosures are up slightly in Charles County, and here is the latest list of properties available on the market that are bank-owned.  It includes foreclosures in Waldorf, La Plata, White Plains, Newburg, Hughesville, and all of Charles County!

Bank Owned Homes For Sale in Charles County

    If you have any questions, or would like to be added to our automatic daily updates, please give me a ring or drop me an email and let me know!

~Jonathan Benya
Century 21 New Millennium
9405-A Chesapeake St
La Plata, MD 20646
301-609-9000
301-653-8116
Waldorf and Southern Maryland Real Estate
www.teambenya.com

Foreclosure Prevention Workshop in Waldorf on May 9th!

Housing Foreclosure Prevention Workshop.

    With increasing distress over the slumping housing market and mounting foreclosures, Rep. Hoyer has announced a free foreclosure prevention workshop to brief homeowners on their financing options and assist them in taking steps to avoid foreclosure.

    The workshop, which will include the participation of many of the areas loan servicers, will be on Friday, May 9, from 9:00 a.m. to noon at the Greater Waldorf Jaycees located at 3090 Crain Highway in Waldorf.

Link to Bay Net Article

~Jonathan Benya
Century 21 New Millennium
9405-A Chesapeake St
La Plata, MD 20646
301-609-9000
301-653-8116
Waldorf and Southern Maryland Real Estate
www.teambenya.com

Waldorf Open House on Saturday, May 10th~ 10am-4pm!

For those of you who are interested, I'm going to be holding an open house this weekend!  The Open House will be at 10662 Sourwood Avenue, in Waldorf, MD and this is a gorgeous house!

Listing Information Link

Doors will be open from 10am-4pm, so don't miss your chance to see a gorgeous home for a price you can't beat!

This home is in the Autumn Hills subdivision, just 4 doors down from the model!

This Saturday May 10th, 2008 10am-4pm!!

~Jonathan Benya
Century 21 New Millennium
9405-A Chesapeake St
La Plata, MD 20646
301-609-9000
301-653-8116
Waldorf and Southern Maryland Real Estate
www.teambenya.com

Adventures in New Home Buying

    I got a call this week from a woman who had read my blog post "Are New Construction Prices Negotiable?", and she was curious about how to deal with builders in Prince George's County who seem to be playing some sort of "Shell Game" when it comes to dropping the price, charging more for upgrades, and generally causing confusion in regards to how much the bottom line is really going to be.

    I'm a firm believer that builders do this intentionally.  They're struggling for profits, and in the housing pinch they're forced to drop the prices to get you as a buyer in their door.  Once you're at their model, you're on their turf, and their job is to do everything they can to jack the final price of the home up.

    It's then taken a step further when each model representative makes it a point to brag about how energy efficient they are, or how stainless and granite is standard, blah blah blah.....

    I made a suggestion to this buyer that there may be another option to explore that might make a bit more sense if flexibility is an option.  New construction typically takes 4-6 months to complete, and in communities that have been builder for more than a year, it's highly possible that you may be able to find a short sale in the community that could be purchased for considerably less that you could have the home built for

    It allows you to negotiate the price of the house completely, not be beaten up by the builder over the cost of each individual upgrade.  It also places you in a great bargaining position with both the homeowner and the bank that's holding the note:  You're able to purchase the property for less that it was bought new, and the bank gets to avoid another foreclosure dragging on their profit margins.

    It may not be a perfect solution for everyone, but for true bargain hunters looking for a sensible, affordable alternative, this is a great option.

~Jonathan Benya
Century 21 New Millennium
9405-A Chesapeake St
La Plata, MD 20646
301-609-9000
301-653-8116 
Southern Maryland Real Estate Blog

Southern Maryland Baseball Has Finally Arrived!!!

    Charles County welcomed the new Southern Maryland Blue Crabs to the area on Friday, and local residents can now officially enjoy the national past-time right here in Waldorf!

    The Regency Furniture Stadium itself is gorgeous, and really captures the essence and flavor of the region perfectly!  I was on the fence about participating personally, but I have to say that I love how the new ball park looks and feels!  This is an excellent recreational destination, and team owner Brooks Robinson has already announced that REO Speedwagon will be playing a concert there this summer on August 11th!

    It sounds like I'm going to be heading to the stadium quite a bit this summer......

SOMD Blue Crabs Team Homepage

~Marsha Benya
Century 21 New Millennium
9405-A Chesapeake St
La Plata, MD 20646
301-609-9000
301-653-9846
Waldorf and Southern Maryland Real Estate
www.teambenya.com

111 Quailwood in La Plata, MD is SOLD!

    Anybody who says that nothing sells in this market is wrong, plain and simple!  We had a gorgeous 3 bed, 2.5 bath rambler in the Quailwood subdivision on the market for less than 75 days, and it's now officially sold!  A little bit of smart, aggressive marketing along with an intelligent price ($385,000)
got the job done, and helped another happy seller get his home sold!

Link to original listing

~Jonathan Benya
Century 21 New Millennium
9405-A Chesapeake St
La Plata, MD 20646
301-609-9000
301-653-8116
www.teambenya.com

Jose Canseco's Pad Falls to Foreclosure

    Apparently even the rich and famous aren't above the foreclosure problems that California.  Jose Canseco has lost his $2.5 Million home in Encino, CA.  You've got to love his flippant attitude towards the whole thing:

"I do have a judgment on my home and it to me is very strange because it didn't make financial sense for me to keep paying a mortgage on a home that was basically owned by someone else"

     Guess what Mr. Canseco, EVERYONE in America that has a mortgage on their home is living in a house that is owned by someone else.  That's what a mortgage is.  If you don't like it, but the house free and clear.  Signing a mortgage is agreeing to repay a debt to a lender who has agreed to extend that line of credit to you. 

    I don't want to criticize his decision to walk away (I don't agree with it, but that's his decision); but the claim that it's "strange" he was paying a mortgage on a home "owned by someone else" is no different than every other mortgaged home in America.  Like it or not, it's a financial responsibility we all bear, and celebrity does not exclude you from your agreed debt to others.

~Jonathan Benya
Century 21 New Millennium
9405-A Chesapeake St
La Plata, MD 20646
301-609-9000
301-653-8116
www.teambenya.com

Taking Time to Get a Little Dirty in Carlisle, PA

    I’ve heard people say that you need to take time out to smell the roses, but I’m not exactly what you would call a talented gardener.  In all honesty, I could kill pretty much any plant known to man.  I had a little potted cactus once, but I think it died from lack of water.

    Whoever coined the term didn’t exactly have me in mind.  I much prefer relaxing with rusty old automotive restoration projects than I do cultivating my weeds.  This weekend I managed to take a day off and Thomas and I ended up in Carlisle, PA for the annual spring car show, auction, and swap meet.

    For those of you who have had the good fortune of experiencing it for yourself, you know that Carlisle’s fairgrounds are a mecca for any true car nut, and if you haven’t been there yet, you’re missing out on the experience of a lifetime!

    We were there for 8 hours on Friday, and it was physically impossible to see all of the cars and vendors that were there in attendance.  It’s literally acre after acre of vendors, cars, parts, antiques, etc.  They have several shows a year, and you can find almost anything vehicle related at one of events up there!
 
     We managed to snag 4 Firestone tires and a new rear bumper for the 1957 T-Bird,  A 1965 Mustang wiring harness, fenders, chrome, and pretty much everything but the kitchen sink!  I even managed to buy a new metal sign for my father’s garage with his name on it!

     If you own a classic car, go!  If you like classic cars, go!  The have 8 shows a year, each themed around a different model vehicle, and the shows typically start on Wednesday and end on Sunday.  It’s also a great place to buy, sell or trade for that car you’ve always dreamed of.  If you’re ever curious about the shows, give me a ring.   I’m typically up there for 4 out of the 10 events each year, and I’ll be more than happy to help you get acquainted to the experience!

2008 Spring Carlisle Photos

Carlisle Show Schedule

~Jonathan Benya
Century 21 New Millennium
9405-A Chesapeake St
La Plata, MD 20646
301-609-9000
301-653-8116
Waldorf and Southern Maryland Real Estate
www.teambenya.com

Huge 6 Bedroom Home For Sale in Waldorf, MD at $650,000!!!

10662 Sourwood Avenue Waldorf, MD 20603

Autumn Hills Subdivision

$650,000

This is a deal you don't want to miss! This home has it all, just look at the list of amenities you'll find here!

6 Full Bedrooms

6 1/2 Bathrooms

2 Fireplaces

2 Car Garage

Hardwood Floors

Gourmet Kitchen with Granite Countertops!

Huge, Gorgeous Windows!

Built in 2006 (only 2 years old!)

2008 Tax Assessed Value:  $727,100

Asking Price: $650,000!!!!

Don’t wait on this one, real estate like this won’t last long when it’s priced this way! You couldn’t have this home built NEW at this price!!  This home is a short sale, and the owners and bank are motivated!  Call Jonathan at Team Benya at 301-653-8116 today to schedule an appointment to see your next home!

Darling Rambler in Newburg on over half an acre! Only $163,000!!

    Here’s your chance to own an outstanding starter home or investment property!  Team Benya has just listed an adorable 1 bed, 1 bath rambler situated on just over a half acre of land!  Priced at just $163,000, this home in Newburg, MD has tons of potential!

    There is a possibility to turn the bonus room into a second bedroom (just add the closet), and there’s a 14x16 sunroom in the back!  This home is being sold strictly as-is, but it’s in good shape!  Call Team Benya at 301-653-8116 today to schedule an appointment to see your new home!

~Jonathan Benya
Century 21 New Millennium
9405-A Chesapeake St
La Plata, MD 20646
301-609-9000
301-653-8116
Waldorf and Southern Maryland Real Estate
www.teambenya.com