Southern Maryland Real Estate Blog

Are New Construction Prices Negotiable?

     I try to spend at least part of my weekends visiting open houses and new construction developments.  I like to see what the available stock is, and knowing what the models look like first hand allows me to be able to  discuss them pros and cons of a development with my clients.

I'll Give Your client $60,000 If They're Serious...

    At any rate, I was in Accokeek, MD yesterday visiting model homes, and when I asked for the price list, the developer's representative told me that she was allowed to knock $60k off of any listed model price!  I won't say that builders name here (I'm not out to get people in trouble with their clients), but let's just say I was floored by the statement!

How kind of her, I thought.  She's already doing the negotiation for me!  She knows how overpriced these models are, right?  She's just trying to be helpful and let me know how affordable they can really be if I let her "negotiate" for me and my client!

    I wonder if they tell everyone that their product is over-priced, or if it's just us Realtors?  I've noticed that most builders have become more flexible with their prices, and many have offered price drops, and they're often being forced to negotiate down from there.

     This is a big opportunity for some.  I recently had a client looking for Foreclosures in the $400,000 price range.  After looking at everything that met his criteria, we found that we were actually able to negotiate 20% off the price of a NEW home, and he was able to get the options he wanted without have to deal with the work and concern commonly associated with foreclosures.

     Obviously, this doesn't work for everyone, but given the situation and the ability to negotiate the price on a new home down so low, why WOULD you consider a foreclosure (and all it's headaches)?

     It makes a good argument for working with a Realtor when it comes to new construction, though.  Why on earth would you risk leaving money on the table for the builder to pocket if there are people who can ensure you save AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE without coming out of your pocket?

 

~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

Maryland Undervalued Properties For Sale

This was actually one of the search terms that someone used on yahoo! search this evening.  The search led them to this blog.

I had to think about this for a bit because I think everyone would love to be able to punch in a search term such as this to find fantastic real estate deals!  Unfortunately it's easier said than done.  If you were able to find bargain priced homes simply by using an automated, free, public search tool such as yahoo! or google, wouldn't we all be able to get rich and retire young?

Not that I'm against retiring rich and young, persay!  I think this sort of search term highlights the importance of working with a savvy, competent real estate agent!  Do I know of undervalued properties on the market?  Of course I do.  Am I going to start blogging about them?  Probably not. 

I have clients who are looking for the "deal" on the next property they buy.  Why would I risk my clients chances of getting the contract in first on a great investment opportunity by broadcasting it to the entire world?

If you're looking for a great investment property or even a primary residence that you could pick up cheap,  I happen to be great at finding them!  Give me a call or drop me an email and I'll be more than happy to make sure that you're the first to know when a great investment property pops up on the market! 

As a side note, if you found this website because you were using similar search terms; I highly suggest you get a Realtor to help you identify the best undervalued homes on the market right now.  I happen to know a few in my team that are great at finding those golden opportunities!

~Jonathan Benya
Century 21 New Millennium
9405-A Chesapeake St
La Plata, MD 20646
301-609-9000
301-653-8116
j.benya@c21nm.com
Waldorf and Southern Maryland Real Estate
Southern Maryland Real Estate Blog

How to get your Home SOLD in Southern Maryland!

    If the listing on your home has recently expired, you may be sensing that nagging feeling of frustration, anxiety, or irritation because your Realtor didn't get the job done.

    Let me be the first to offer you my sincere condolences; it's a tough market, and there's many people like yourself who are angry about the fact that they can't sell their home.

    It's easy to blame your Realtor, after all, didn't they tell you that they could get the job done?  People count on my knowledge and advice to get their house sold, and if that doesn't happen, then there's a problem.  Did your Realtor tell you to list it too high?  Did they tell you that you were asking too much?  If you feel that the price was right, and it still didn't sell, then maybe there's other factors involved, so consider looking at all the angles before getting to frustrated.

    It's a fact that 10% of all local agents do 80% of the local sales.  Is your agent in the top 20%?  They should be!  There's no great mystery to being able to get deals done in a slow market, but there are a few factors that you should consider.

    Sales Are Down, And Inventory Is Up- We are seeing historically high levels of available homes for sale.  This is great news for buyers, but for sellers it becomes vital to use an agent with the track record to get your home  sold!

    Internet Marketing is King- Agents that aren't tech savvy just can't compete in today's marketplace.  That's why Team Benya is a combination of mature experience that knows how to negotiate the toughest deals and technologically hip experts that understand how to market properties in the internet age!

    Internet Marketing Means A Lot More Than Realtor.Com- Is your agent spending the money to get your home marketed to more than just one website?  Understanding how to syndicate listings to dozens of different websites means your home gets more exposure than your competition down the street!  Team Benya are experts at doing this for all the Waldorf and Southern Maryland Real Estate that they market!

    You Deserve to Know What Your Agent Is Doing For You- Did your agent "list it and forget it"?  You don't have to stand for that! There is simply no excuse for a homeowner to be left out of the loop! We work hard to ensure our clients always know what is going on in the marketing and sale of their home, good or bad!  Selling real estate in Southern Maryland with Team Benya means you'll always be kept in the loop!

    Not All Agents Are Equal- We all have our own style and method to getting homes sold, and some agents are better at getting homes sold.  There's far too many agents that got their license thinking this was an "Easy Money" job.  Do you really want to risk trying to sell your home with an agent that has no experience in this type of market?

Really, the question is why are you even considering using anyone else to sell your home??  Lets look at the facts:

• We have over a decade of experience
• Marsha has proven to be a consistent top producer, constantly exceeding client expectations!
• Using a Team allows more time and resources to be dedicated to your needs than a single agent can provide
• Our knowledge and experience includes Short Sales, Foreclosures, 1031 Exchange, Land, and more!
• We've studied how to help you gain an edge in getting your house seen and sold by prospective buyers
• Your home will be seen on dozens of home listing websites and databases with multiple photos, virtual tour, internet advertisements, and blog resources available to get your home sold!
• Old School Sales Experience and New School Technology provide YOU with the best opportunity to get your home sold fast!

Don't make the same mistake twice, call us today and see how we can turn that For Sale sign into SOLD!  We work throughout the Southern Maryland region, specializing in Waldorf MD, La Plata MD, Indian Head MD, White Plains MD, Mechanicsville MD, and the rest of Charles County, St. Mary's County, Calvert County, and Prince George's County!

~Jonathan Benya
Century 21 New Millennium
9405-A Chesapeake St.
La Plata, MD 20646
(o) 301-609-9000
(c) 301-653-8116

Website

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Related Article:

What Your Realtor Is Afraid To Tell You

Search the MLS From Our Website! (No Registration Required!)

We've Done It!  Now you can search the Multiple Listing Service right from our website, without the hassle of having to register!  If you see something you like and want more info, just give us a call or drop us an email and we'll be more than happy to help!

Browse The MLS

Just one more way that Team Benya is working to make your home search even easier!

~Jonathan Benya
Century 21 New Millennium
Website
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Maryland Foreclosure Lists

    I've posted a lot of information about Southern Maryland Foreclosures, and a lot of people seem interested in what's going on locally, and curious as to what kind of a deal you can get on a foreclosed home.  I'm posting a list of current Charles County Foreclosures so that you can see first hand exactly what is available.

    In addition, I'd like to include the current lists for St. Mary's County Foreclosures, Calvert County Foreclosures, as well as Prince George's County Foreclosures.  If you have any questions or would like more detailed information on any of these properties, please give me a call!

~Jonathan Benya
Century 21 New Millennium
Team Benya
301-653-8116
Website
Blogsite

FSBO Marketing Tips

    I've heard some outrageous horror stories from people trying to FSBO in Southern Maryland.  I've heard rumors of real estate agents telling homeowners "There's no way you're going to sell your home without me" or "Selling FSBO is the stupidest thing you can do", or "*insert your own snooty Realtor comment here*"

    Let me first apologize if you are trying to sell yourself and have gotten comments like this from an unfriendly Realtor.  You'll find I won't make such childish taunts, Promise!

    There are a ton of options if you are looking to try and save money by trying to list yourself, and I'm going to share a few of my options and techniques I use as a Realtor that you might be able to use yourself.  If you do find any of this helpful, let me know!

• Online Marketing is where I see my greatest ROI of my marketing dollars- Consider this: 80%+ of all buyers start their search online.  Aside from using websites like FSBO.com, ForSaleByOwner.com, or other such sites, consider posting your home on: Craigslist.com (yes, cragislist, it does work for selling homes, too!),  zillow.com, trulia.com , the City-Data.com forum, and iggyshouse.com.  They're free to post, and at a price like that, it can't hurt to increase your market exposure.
• Ask a Realtor to give you a CMA on your property- I'm always willing to provide a CMA for a homeowner, even if they intend to list their home themselves.  Websites like Zillow.com will give a *zestimate* for free, but I have yet to find their figures very accurate.  It can't hurt to at least get a professional opinion. Email to Request a CMA
• Make Postcards to Send the Neighborhood-  Postcards are cheap to send, and it allows people to share the information with friends or relatives that may be looking to move to the neighborhood.
• Make Flyers Available in an Information Box-  Flyers are a great informational tool for people driviing by, just be prepared to refill the box often!
• Send your Flyer to Real Estate Brokerages-  If you're willing to pay a buyers agent, let agents know!  Make sure you send enough that EACH AGENT can get their own copy, rather than one per office!
• Ask a Realtor if they'd be willing to post your listing on their website-  I always post FSBO home listings on my website/blogsite FREE OF CHARGE if someone asks.  It's minimal cost to me, and I'm always willing to spread a little good will.

If you have any questions, don't be afraid to call!  I don't bite, and I don't charge fees for advice (I heard that talk can be cheap, anyways)!  I do have a full package of HOW-TO for people that want to FSBO.  Give me a call or email me and I'd be more than happy to send it out to you.  All I ask is that IF you can't sell your home yourself, consider giving me a call to see how I can assist you!

~Jonathan Benya

Century 21 New Millennium
Team Benya

j.benya@c21nm.com
cell- 301-653-8116

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But..... I Didn't MEAN to sell it for $280 Million.... I highly doubt it'll sell ma'am....

Let me start by saying that information is great.  Technology has been wonderful for our industry, and it's revolutionized the way we do business (Those Agents who had to keep their listings on Index Cards know EXACTLY what I'm talking about!).

But with great responsibility comes great power (I heard that someone important said that once), and it forces professionals like us (and in some cases, I use the term professional rather lightly) to be very careful about what sort of information we are disseminating.

I was looking for high-end properties this afternoon trying to find a couple hundred acres of land.  One of the ways I searched was by price, indexing everything listed for more than $5 million.  That's when I found it: 

Short Sale (uh-oh)


Motivated Seller (Of Course)



5 bed/2 bath split foyer on 1 acre (Hey, I might have someone interested in that...)


Asking Price- $279,900,000.00





Obviously, Somewhere, There was a Failure to Communicate....










I did give the listing agent a quick courtesy call to inform her of the error, and I'm sure she was grateful to hear that someone caught it!


Although, If anyone out there has a buyer looking for that darling little split foyer in Maryland and has a quarter billion or so to burn, tell them that the seller is motivated!

The point to all this is that you have to be careful when it comes to updating your information!  It's very easy to add or drop a zero along the way, and that can cause you serious problems, so always double check your work guys, your clients will thank you for it!

 ~Jonathan Benya- Realtor
Century 21 New Millennium
9405-A Chesapeake St
La Plata, MD 20646
301-609-9000 - office
301-653-8116 - cell

Charles County Real Estate Blog
SOMD Home Search
Southern Maryland Custom Homes & Land

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METRO DREAM HOMES- A little more information has trickled in

It's frightening to think of just how deep the bottom line has been buried in regards to Andy Williams and Metropolitan Dream Homes.

Here's the latest info- 18 companies have been determined as subsidiaries of Metro-Grapevine, the parent company of Metro Dream Homes ( aka MDH ).  over 1,000 people are financially involved.  Company assets that have been recovered include:

$150,000 in cash

50 cars- including S-Class Mercedes, Corvettes, Escalades, etc.

14 local properties- located in Laurel, Virginia, D.C.


The company liabilities are between $200-$300 Million, they are unable to pay the mortgages as promised, and are behind by several months at this point.

There was a recent article in the Laurel Leader, link is included here:

The attorney general's office is asking anyone with knowledge about the assets of POS or any of its affiliated companies, including bank accounts, property or cash, to call the office at 410-576-6360.

Anyone who would like to share their experience about MDH or Andy Williams, please email or call me directly and I will include your story to my next update.

j.benya@c21nm.com
301-653-8116

 ~Jonathan Benya- Realtor
Century 21 New Millennium
9405-A Chesapeake St
La Plata, MD 20646
301-609-9000 - office
301-653-8116 - cell

Charles County Real Estate Blog
SOMD Home Search
Southern Maryland Custom Homes & Land

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Foreclosure Lists: PG County MD Foreclosures

Just a quick update for everyone keeping an eye on Prince George's County, MD Foreclosure Information.  Here is a list of the current stats.

Number of Foreclosures for sale in PG County:
250

Number of Pre-Foreclosures for sale in PG County:
489

If anyone wants to be added to the current foreclosure or pre-foreclosure mailing lists, please let me know.

 ~Jonathan Benya- Realtor
Century 21 New Millennium
9405-A Chesapeake St
La Plata, MD 20646
301-609-9000 - office
301-653-8116 - cell

Charles County Real Estate Blog
SOMD Home Search
Southern Maryland Custom Homes & Land

Join The SOMD RE Blog Community and get free news and updates via email!

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Yes, We DO Have Foreclosure and Pre-Foreclosure Lists! (and no, we don't charge any fees for the information!)

   There seems to have been some confusion regarding foreclosure and pre-foreclosure lists in the region.  Yes, I do have them, Yes, they are free, and Yes, I update them daily!

    If you are looking for foreclosure or pre-foreclosure lists or information, please give me a call (301-653-8116) and I can send that info out to you.  I have been inundated with email requests for the lists and often times the email-based requests are too broad to send accurate information to.

     So here it is, a partial list of regions that I can send this information out to!

Anne Arundel County

Calvert County

Charles County

PG County

Prince George's County

St. Mary's County

Saint Mary's County

Southern Maryland

Northern Virginia

King George County

Arlington County

Alexandria City

 ~Jonathan Benya- Realtor
Century 21 New Millennium
9405-A Chesapeake St
La Plata, MD 20646
301-609-9000 - office
301-653-8116 - cell

Charles County Real Estate Blog
SOMD Home Search
Southern Maryland Custom Homes & Land

Join The SOMD RE Blog Community and get free news and updates via email!

Enter your Email


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