RichSellsHomes

Can you face criminal charges for cutting down a tree in the Chesapeake Bay Critical Area Zone?

Riarossi — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 13:08:57 +0000

You can if you live on the water, or within 1000 feet of tidal water in Maryland, you had better be aware of restrictions imposed within this Cheasapeake Bay Critical Area. For instance, if you cut that tree down on your property to get a better view of the water, you could face both civil and criminal charges. Yes, that wasn’t a typo…criminal charges.

A homeowner was recently sued by the State for cutting down trees on his waterfront property to get a better view. He was sued simultaneously in both Civil and Criminal Courts.

His fine in Civil Court exceeded $10,000, and he got lucky in Criminal Court with a Probation before Judgement. He is also required to get permits for the work he already did, as well as plant trees and shrubs to replace the missing ones. Along with his legal expenses, this was a very expensive lesson.

Recent State laws now allow for prosecution of offenders in both Civil and Criminal Courts. Anne Arundel County is being particularly aggressive with this stance.

Maryland waterfront homeowners, and any homeowner in the Critical Bay zone, should take heed that any activity involving trees, shrubs and underbrush should be reviewed with the County beforehand.

According to the County website, “Except for routine grass cutting and maintenance of existing garden and landscaped areas, removal of any existing natural vegetation within the Critical Area buffer or protected forests or woodland is subject to prior approval through the Code Compliance Division. Call (410) 222-7441 for information on obtaining a standard Buffer Management Plan or Forest Management Plan.”

Plan to err on the side of caution before making any landscaping changes to your waterfront property…call the County first to see if the work you’re planning on doing is legal.

Are permits required for fences in Anne Arundel County?

Riarossi — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 10:43:34 +0000

Does Anne Arundel Country Maryland require building permits for fences?

Generally speaking, according the the County website, fences under six feet, and located completely within the property lines, do not require a building permit. You should check with the County if the property is located on a corner lot, or waterfront, since some restrictions do apply here.

Keep in mind too that many properties in Anne Arundel County are subject to Home Owners and Condo Association restrictions. At minimum, you should review your HOA or Condo documents, and call the Architectural Committee or Property Manager.

If you have any questions about fences and permits, you should check with Anne Arundel County at their website, or call 410-222-7000.

Trash pickup schedule for Anne Arundel County residents to change in June, 2012

Riarossi — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 05:25:53 +0000

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, MD Active Listings at Lowest Point in 5 Years

Riarossi — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 05:43:54 +0000

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.

If you’re looking for a home in Crofton, MD or the surrounding area…I can help. Call me on my cell at 443-995-9595.

Crofton MD–CCA General Membership Meeting, January 17, 2012

Riarossi — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 19:57:16 +0000

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

What do you do if you receive multiple offers on your Annapolis home?

Riarossi — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 04:52:07 +0000

Admittedly, multiple offers happened with more frequency a few years back, but they are coming back for some homes in this market. These are the ones that are priced right, in good condition, and marketed effectively.

For many sellers, the first reaction is to take the one with the highest dollar amount. This may, or may not be a good strategy. The contracts in this area can run upwards of 40 or more pages. Your agent will help walk you through all the details and nuances of the offer, before you make a decision. Some of the things you might have to think about, besides the dollar amount are:

Financing. This is one of the biggest factors you, as a seller, should understand about the offer. Not all financing is the same, and your agent should be contacting the bank who submitted the pre-approval letter to assess the strength of the buyers capability to get the loan. Financing is the main reason that deals fall through.
Inspections. Do both offers ask for the same inspections, or does one ask for the entire buffet of inspections. Is the home inspection addendum written to allow the buyer to escape the contract if anything is found on the inspection?
Settlement Date.
Appraisal. Just because someone offers you more money in a multiple offer situation, the house still has to appraise for the higher amount. If it doesn’t appraise, the “additional” money you thought you were going to get could very easily disappear.

These are a few of the items that you should take into consideration when reviewing multiple offers with your agent. Of course, the offer price is important, but you should never forget the “intangibles.” In my experience, every offer has a flaw, or flaws in it somewhere. It’s up to you and your agent to uncover them.

If you’re not already working with an agent to buy or sell a house…I can help. Call Rich at 443-995-9595.

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Short Sales and your Annapolis, Bowie, Crofton MD home

Riarossi — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 21:16:14 +0000

Due largely to the economic downturn, the real estate market in this area, and many areas of the country, have been hit with short sales. A short sale is one where the owner/s of the home owe more on it, than it is worth, and the bank/s agree to take a loss on the sale.

A common mis-conception with short sales is that the bank owns the home, they don’t. In the case of a foreclosure purchase, the bank does own the home, and while they don’t in a short sale, they must approve the sale since they’re taking a loss.

Not everybody can short sale their house just because they owe more on it than it’s worth. One criteria for a short sale is that a hardship must be present. Some types of hardship that are acceptable are:

Loss of employment for either one or both owners.
Death of a spouse.
Health issues.
Relocation for a job.
Divorce/separation.
Inability to pay due to debt.
Military service.

If you’re interested in buying or selling a home in this area, including Annapolis, Bowie, Crofton, give Rich a call at 443-995-9595.

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Crofton MD – Real Estate Statistics for November, 2011

Riarossi — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 14:26:36 +0000

The Crofton, MD real estate market had a pretty good November 2011, compared to last year, and last month. Two of the most important sales statistics, Sold Dollar Volume and Closed sales, increased nicely. The median sold price has dipped since last year, but this is affected greatly by the types of housing sold in any given month. Considering that Crofton, MD has homes in the $100K price range, and all the way up to $700K, a few extra sales in the lower price ranges affect the median and average sold prices.

Days on the market compared to October 2011 showed a pretty large increase of 41%…not particularly good news for sellers. The average for November is close to four months now.

Moving forward, this is a pretty interesting chart. In November, 2011 the pending contracts outpaced new listings. Pending contracts is an early indicator of future performance. The more pending contracts, the more sales in the coming months. With pending contracts up, and new listings down, this is an indication that the Crofton, MD inventory will shrink. Good news for current sellers, and a great motivator for buyers to get off the fence.

Crofton MD Real Estate–Homes for Sale in Crofton, MD, 11/23/11

Riarossi — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 06:00:45 +0000

Crofton, MD continues to remain a destination community for buyers relocating into the area. This shouldn’t be a surprise since Crofton has excellent schools, a fantastic location, and a decent selection of single family homes, townhouses, and condos in all price ranges.

Buyers shouldn’t wait too long though since the number of listings has now dropped below 100, for the first time in a while. Despite that, there are still quite a number of opportunities for buyers to grab a deal on a Crofton home, while interest rates are still low.

The map below shows all Crofton, MD homes for sale. Click on any of the icons to get detailed information, and pictures, of all active listings.

If you’re not already working with an agent to find a home in Crofton, MD, or anywhere in the surrounding area call Rich at 443-995-9595.

Crofton MD Real Estate–Crofton MD Rentals, October 26, 2011

Riarossi — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 03:03:01 +0000

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.