The era of two times a week trash collection is coming to an end in Anne Arundel County, MD. Beginning in June, 2012, trash pick-up will be reduced to one day a week. The day where trash and recycling will remain, and the day where trash only was picked up, will be eliminated.
Besides the savings, which is anticipated to be returned to taxpayers, the County also anticipates that recycling will also increase. It seems that many recycled items are thrown in the regular trash, on the trash only day. The County Executive expects that the current recycling rate of 40% will increase with the changes being made in the pick-up cycle.

The slight decrease in convenience for some County residents should be more than offset by the increase in efficiency and recycling.

Crofton remains one of the preferred destination points in Anne Arundel County, MD. We are perfectly situated between the large employment markets of Baltimore and Washington, DC. Ft. Meade, home of the NSA, and a growing military installation, is just minutes away.

I have to say though, unless the Active listings get replenished soon, sales could be affected. The market is robust right now and buyers are out looking. While the reduced inventory is good for sellers at the moment, I believe that most REALTORS® would like to see a few more Active listings added to the inventory.

Crofton, MD residents can join their friends and neighbors at the Crofton Civic Association on January 17, 2012 at the Crofton Elementary School. The meeting will start at 7:30 with the appropriate Pledge of Allegiance.

The AGENDA for the meeting will include:

• President’s Message – Steve Grimaud
• Presentation of the FY 2013 Budget
• Other business
• Citizen comments

If you like how Crofton is being managed, or if you have some recommendations for change, come on down to the Annual Meeting and let your voice be heard. Looks like the recommended budget for FY2013 is $1,350,882.

Hope to see you there.

Snow date is January 23, 2012

The Crofton MD rental market remains strong, and has been strong since the beginning of the year. This is primarily due to the fact that many of the employees coming into Ft. Meade, as a result of BRAC, are renting, rather than purchasing.

This has put continued pressure on the rental market in the entire area. As a result of the low inventory, you’re also seeing pretty heady prices as well. Today, rental prices range from $1,400/month for a 2 br, 1 ba condo, all the way to $3,200/month for a 5 br, 4 ba single family detached house.

The link below points to all of the current active Crofton, MD rentals, today October 26, 2011.

Crofton MD Rentals

If you’re looking to rent a home in Crofton, MD, or the surrounding area…give Rich a call at 443-995-9595.

I can tell you that Crofton REALTORS® are trying to figure out what’s going on with the real estate market in the last two months. No, we don’t always have the answers. After a great start to the year, the market seems to have stalled, especially when viewed by the declining market in August and September sales in zip code 21114.
With interest rates still very low for qualified buyers, and prices in Crofton now at an affordable rate, throw sellers willing to negotiate into the mix, and you’ll understand why the market activity numbers are puzzling. September was down -33% from September of last year, and down 24% over August 2011. What’s going on?
If I had to put my finger on it, I would say that buyers are fearful of the economy in general. Buying a house is going to be one of the largest financial transaction they’re going to make in their lifetime, and the general economic malaise that has been suffocating the country is still here. Crofton, MD, and several other communities, are being affected by larger economic issues. Those too will pass.
One positive indicator is pending contracts. While they aren’t trending up, they aren’t trending down either. From the looks of it, we’ll be sliding sideways in market activity as we go into the Fall and Winter months.
As you know, when sales goes down, other indicators take a hit as well. The median price is down slightly, and the average days on the market has jumped. These indicators generally track pretty closely with sales.
Buyers, I hope you can see an opportunity to get into a great Crofton, MD house before competing buyers make the connection.

If you’re not working with an agent, and would like to get into a great Crofton, MD home…call Rich at 443-995-9595.

This Sunday, October 2, at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church in Crofton Maryland, the annual ceremony of Blessing of Pets will happen. This ceremony is associated with the feast day of St. Francis of Assisi, a Catholic saint, held on October 4th.

The blessing will occur, rain or shine, after the 11 AM mass, at the back of the church. All participants are encouraged to bring along a pet food donation, which will be given to the ASPCA.

Dogs, cats, birds, hamsters…bring them all. The lineup and sprinkling of holy water will occur outside, at the rear of the church.

The actual Blessing in honor of St. Francis goes like this:

“Blessed are you, Lord God, maker of all living creatures. You call forth fish in the sea, birds in the air, and animals on the land. You inspired St. Francis to call all of them his brothers and sisters. We ask you to bless this pet. By the power of your love, enable it to live according to your plan. May we always preach you for all your beauty in creation. Blessed are you, Lord our God, in all your creatures! Amen.”