Real Estate Information Archive

Calvert County:

Chesapeake Beach Fireworks - Wednesday, July 3 @ Dusk, Chesapeake Beach Waterfront

Fireworks Cruise Aboard the Wm. B. Tennison - Thursday, July 4 @ 8 p.m. until... Calvert Marine Museum 14200 Solomons Island Road South, Solomons

Solomons - Riverwalk, Solomons, Maryland. The waterfront community hosts an afternoon street fair and fireworks. Street Fair begins at 3 p.m. Fireworks at 9:30 p.m.
 

Solomons Fireworks - Thursday, July 4 @ 9 p.m. Solomons Island-wide

The Solomons Business Associations proudly sponsors the annual Solomons Independence Day fireworks display, to be held on Thursday, July 4th at approximately 9:15 - 9:30 pm (after dusk). Fireworks will be shot from a barge in the Patuxent River and can be viewed from the Riverwalk. Celebrate our nation's birth, and show your colors all day long! The Fireworks will be preceded by activities throughout Solomons, sponsored by individuals and businesses.

- Stop by the tent at the Chesapeake Biological Lab campus for an afternoon of family activities - hands-on science, fishing games, nature crafts and more!

Rain date: Friday, July 5th. All efforts are made for the display to be held July 4th. If weather factors force a last-minute delay or postponement in order to maintain the safety of the crew and spectators, the fireworks will take place on Friday, July 5th.

Traffic: Vehicular traffic on the island will be restricted. Please park in designated areas only. Parking is available at Glascock Field across from the Calvert Marine Museum, at the museum, in the public lots behind Our Lady Star of the Sea and the Solomons Medical Center. Parking at Glascock Field is $10; proceeds support the fireworks fund and SYB Optomists. The public is asked to respect private property.

St. Mary’s County:

Hollywood Volunteer Fire Department - Saturday, June 29
24801 Three Notch Road, Hollywood
On Route 235 just north of the Leonardtown-Hollywood Rd (Rt 245) intersection

Independence Day celebration featuring entertainment provided by R&R Train.  Carnival rides and games starting at 5pm, food available for purchase. Fireworks begin at dusk. Parking is $5, no coolers or pets allowed.  301-373-2900. Hollywood VFD Web site: www.hvfd7.com.

St. Mary’s College River Concert Series - Friday, July 5
Near the Townhouse Green Residences
College Drive, St. Mary's City

A Star Spangled Night with a Musical Tribute to the Sea featuring vocalist Jennifer Page.  Enjoy fireworks to the patriotic music of John Phillip Sousa. River Concert Series Web site: riverconcertseries.org

Dennis Point Marina - Saturday, July 6
46555 Dennis Point Way, Drayden, MD

The return of Fireworks to Dennis Point has been a great success and we look forward to doing it again for the 2013 season. This year the fireworks will be held at Dennis Point Saturday, July 6th. Make your reservations early, we expect large crowds this year. There will be events all day starting with the annual golf cart parade. Rick's Riverside Restaurant will be open all day. Rick has special plans which include restaurant specials, outside deck specials, vendors serving a variety of dishes along the waterfront and activities all day. Come early and enjoy Independence Day at Dennis Point. Thank you for being a part of the new Dennis Point Marina & Campground.

Charles County:

Town of Indian Head 4th of July Celebration & Fireworks - Thursday, July 4
The Village Green and Pavilion
100 Walter Thomas Road, Indian Head

The Day kicks off with a Patriotic Opening Ceremony at 3:30pm; there will be amusements, live entertainment--with Rockin Roger DJ, and food available for sale. No pets of any kind or alcoholic beverages permitted. No flea market on Sat., July 6th.
Free admission.  For more information call 240-375-4061 Visit the Town of Indian Head Web site: www.townofindianhead.org

Celebrate Charles - A Fun Filled Fourth - Thursday, July 4 @ 4:30 - 9:30 pm
Regency Furniture Stadium
11765 St. Linus Dr., Waldorf

The general public is invited to attend this family-friendly event.  Local businesses, artisans and food establishments will be showcased in the "Best of Charles County" and kids of all ages can enjoy amusements in the Celebrate Charles Family Fun Zone. Guests will enjoy live music performed by John Luskey and Three Sixty. A fireworks display will top off the evening at 9:30 p.m. Admission is free. There are fees for food and product purchases. Family Fun Zone wristbands are $5.

Guests will also be able to enjoy the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs baseball game against the Camden Riversharks. Game time is 6:35 p.m. and tickets can be purchased by calling 301-638-9788 or visiting http://www.somdbluecrabs.com . Guests who purchase a ticket to the game will receive a complimentary wristband for the Celebrate Charles Family Fun Zone.

For more information, go to http://www.CharlesCountyMD.gov or contact Ms. Rachel Reynolds, Promotions Specialist, at 301-645-0601 or [email protected]. Citizens with special needs may contact the Maryland Relay Service at 711, Relay Service TDD: 800-735-2258.

Town of La Plata Independence Day Watermelon Bash - Thursday, July 4 @ 11 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Grounds of the La Plata Town Hall
305 Queen Anne Street, La Plata

Join us for hot dogs, games, wet fun, and plenty of watermelon! Event is wheelchair accessible.Town of La Plata web site: www.townoflaplata.org

I am pleased to announce that the Maryland Association of REALTORS® (MAR) launched an initiative on Tuesday, November 28th known as the League of Maryland Homeowners (LMH). LMH will give homeowners and aspiring homeowners a voice in Annapolis and build an online movement for housing affordability along with the efforts of our Realtor® members.

  The goal of the League of Maryland Homeowners is to give homeowners a voice in the public discussion about how to address the challenge of keeping housing affordable. LMH will provide information to the public and tools to help them communicate with elected representatives at the State and local levels about housing affordability policies.

Signing up with the LMH is easy.  Go to http://www.leagueofmarylandhomeowners.org and follow the prompts. Once you sign up, you will receive emails from the League with information about housing affordability issues, or asking you to take action such as writing or phoning your elected representatives about issues. This website communications tool is similar to a version of the Legislative Action Center that the Maryland Association of Realtors uses.

This effort is an opportunity to create a grassroots coalition of advocates for housing affordability issues across party lines among the general public. I encourage you to visit and explore the LMH web site and to help to spread the word to family and friends.  I believe it will be productive for both REALTORS® and the public.

SEARCH FOR HOMES

With more listings coming on the market than there are buyers, it is time to get serious about competing in a buyers market.  Over the last several years, anyone who wanted to sell a house just needed to put a “For Sale” sign in their front yard, and buyers would come in droves.  What a change of events during 2006. So, what can a home seller do to get their home sold for the most money in the least amount of time?  Here are a few tips:

1. Get your home in tip-top shape.  Some of the small tasks can go a long way to getting your home noticed. Start on the outside of your home.  Take a look at the curb appeal from a different perspective. Do you need a fresh coat of paint, do windows need rescreening, could you use new shrubs or mulch? All of these items are low cost fixes that will dramatically improve the look of your home.

1. Clean & declutter.  You will be amazed at how many home sellers don’t do the basic household chores.  This is one step that, if you do it, will give you a major leg up on the competition. Remember to clean ceiling fans and vents, and get rid of piles of paper and old magazines. The fewer knick-knacks you have around the better your home will show.  If you need a fresh coat of paint, do it. If you know you need new carpeting, do it.  Offering a decorating allowance does not cut it. Most buyers cannot look past the work that needs to be done. Also remember to organize cupboards and closets.  Buyers will look inside all of them.  Your going to have to get organized before you move, you may as well do it before you have showings. Click here for a list of 25 Easy Fix-Ups.

1. Hire a great real estate agent.  The market has been flooded with new agents over the past several years, most of them looking to make a quick buck, and offering very little service.  Before you hire a real estate agent there are a number of essential question you should ask. Make sure you are in the best possible position from the beginning.  A good agent is going to know how to price your home right the first time.

1. Be open to offering buyer incentives. In a buyers market, a seller will most likely be looking at offers with terms that favor the buyer. You will most likely offer closing assistance, up to 5% of the contract price. You will more than likely need to be flexible with the settlement date. Expect the buyer to have a home inspection, or have a home sale contingency.

1. Be open to offering agent incentives.  If you are not getting showings on your home, you will probably resolve the problem by offering agent incentives, ie higher commission and/or a selling bonus.  When you are looking at comparative properties that have sold in your home, take note of any agent incentives. This is an area in which many home sellers don’t realize they are competing for agents to bring buyers. With so much inventory on the market, it is easy for a prospective listing to go unnoticed. Do something to get their attention.

SEARCH FOR HOMES