Real Estate Information Archive

HISTORIC PORT TOBACCO offers the perfect setting for this fully upgraded home, with ample rooms for entertaining family and friends, and a gourmet kitchen that would make any chef in the house proud! It sits just seconds from popular Historic venues, that feature quaint small-town events such as the popular CRMC Wine tasting, scenic bicycle rallies and educational tours. This is a MUST SEE!!

A LIFESTYLE MOST PEOPLE DREAM ABOUT BUT RARELY EXPERIENCE! This upscale Colonial is nestled amongst the trees on 3 acres just off of a scenic country road, popular to bicyclists. It includes water access to the Port Tobacco River, making it perfect for the boat or jet ski owner! With multiple levels, and a great room bump-out, spaciousness abounds. It's loaded with upgrades, built-ins & more!!

Click here for more interior photos!

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The title sounds like the start of a riddle, and yet the answer is simple and can be complex.

Those of us (agents) that have been in the real estate industry for a long time all know each other.  We grew up together, attended high school and college together, our kids play together, we are friends, family, roommates, and in some cases spouses that work for different real estate brokerages.  Our local agent network is really not that large.  And we work and learn with each other, daily!

Often we all hear the same question from prospective clients; "What is the difference between real estate brokerages?" or "Why should I go with your company over XYZ National Brokerage?" When it comes down to it, what benefits do consumers have using one brokerage over another? What's the difference?  The difference is "nothing and everything".  Sorry to be so paradoxical about the answer, because it is so simple.  The difference is not in the brokerage. The difference is in the individual agent.

As agents, we choose the place where we are most comfortable hanging our hat, where the work place is inviting, nurturing and productive. I have also known real estate agents who have been affiliated with almost every local real estate brokerage at one time or another.  And the service they provided at one brokerage was no different than the service they provided at another.

It used to be that an agent would choose a brokerage over the tools it offered to make their jobs easier and more manageable, or the quality of in-house training programs. Quite frankly, now, the training is the same, and in some cases, the EXACT same. Just today I attended a class sponsored by Exit Realty, and have attended classes put on by Keller Williams, Remax, Century 21 and Coldwell Banker. The Webinar has also changed the playing field, creating an even opportunity for every agent regardless of if they are with a national franchise or an independently owned real estate brokerage.

Sometimes agents choose one company over the other because of the technological support. Again, another area where the Internet has created the same opportunities for all agents to take advantage of.  The same tools are available to every real estate brokerage regardless of if you are with Remax in Maryland or Century 21 in California. They are the same tools with a different label. 

The truth is most real estate brokerages are set up to support the agents, not the consumer.  It is the agent that makes the difference.  If a brokerage offers all kinds of marketing tools and the agent chooses or fails to utilize them, is that the brokerages fault?  Real Estate Agents are independent contractors.  They are a self contained businesses within a franchise name.Ten agents in the same brokerage are going to conduct business in ten different ways.  The important factor here is work ethic, know-how and results.

If you hire an agent with a strong work ethic, who is knowledgeable about their field, and has a track record of success, it does not matter if they are with Keller Williams Realty, Remax, Century 21 or any of the thousands of franchises, or if they have their own brand. 

Word of mouth used to be a popular method for finding a good quality agent. In Today's technology-driven world, it is fairly easy to identify who the hard-working, successful agents are.  And savvy home buyers and sellers will tell you, they "take to the net" and find out what other home buyers and sellers experiences are like by looking through feedback sites like Trulia, Zillow, Google, Yelp, Facebook,RateABIZ and dozens of others. Check out the testimonials.   No longer can an agent hide from a dissatisfied client, and likewise, when a real estate transaction has gone especially well, consumers will let you know.

The difference is as unique as the individual agent. 

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Don DeHanas, Broker of DeHanas Real Estate Services in Waldorf introduced Kris Zaccarelli as the newest member of the DeHanas Team.  “I am proud and pleased that Kris has joined us.” Says DeHanas.  “Our families have known each other for years. Kris’ husband Dominic and my brother played football together in high school. The Zaccarelli’s have played a big part in the community and in the Charles County Public School system, and Kris brings the same enthusiasm to real estate that has made her successful in her previous 25 year career.”  Zaccarelli says, “I decided to affiliate with DeHanas Real Estate because of the family atmosphere, and professional work environment. DeHanas has an excellent reputation in the community, and I am excited to join them.”

Kris is a Southern Maryland native growing up in La Plata, and then raising her own family in the same location. She is a charismatic wife, loving mother of three- and wonderful “Grammy” to her sweet granddaughter. She is ecstatic to begin her Realtor career after 25 years serving families all over Southern Maryland in her daycare business. She enjoys getting to know a family and doing everything she can to meet their needs. She looks forward to making the home buying process an exciting one. As a local Kris is able to provide excellent information on the different areas of Southern Maryland and can help match families to homes based on their expectations.  Let Kris help you find the perfect home for you and your loved ones

DeHanas Real Estate Services is owned by Rachel DeHanas and her son Don. They have been helping families move to and from Southern Maryland, Washington DC and Northern Virginia for more the 15 years, specializing in residential home sales, property management, Bank owned homes, short sales and property investment.

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Buying and selling a home has certainly been a roller-coaster experience over the recent past, and I predict will continue to be full of interesting twists and turns in the near foreseeable future.  Certainly the anticipation of political changes has brought transactions like short sales to a snails pace.  Congress has yet to make a call on the extension of of the Debt Forgiveness Act of 2007, and the short sale process has not gotten any easier since they first became popular 6 years ago. It is doubtful we will see much progress after the election as the lack of bi-partisanship continues to negatively effect the pace at which recovery is happening. Even with the slow pace of short sales, they continue to be the most responsible way a homeowner can avoid Foreclosure.

There are a number of indicators which tell us that the market we are currently in is likely to remain much the same with regards to the number of short sales and Bank owned sales. But also signs that a slowing may be on the horizon, and even predictions of a decline in home values.

I have noted that in the past 30 days I am seeing a softening of the local market.  September is certainly not running at the same rate in terms of real estate activity, as July was. My peers from all across the country are experiencing similar happenings. August stats for the Nations resales and new construction are also down over last year.

On September 18th, 2014, a former Goldman Sachs executive delivered an 18 page report to the White House that has many banking institutions alarmed.  He warns of an adjustment in the current home values by as much as a 15% decrease over the next three years, which could wipe out all of the gains we have seen in the current recovery.  Here is a link to the article.

http://dsnews.com/news/09-18-2014/analyst-predicts-home-price-decline-report-white-house

This report follows a recent CoreLogic report indicating the past several months of national home prices has hit a plateau.  Plateaus of this type can also signify a warning of a correction in home values might be imminent.

By itself, I would say these are the kinds of things we continue to hear, and then the next week, we see good news, however, there does appear to be multiple sources of independent opinions all coming to the same conclusion.

There is a projection this could lead to a resurgence of short sales and foreclosures all across the country, and unfortunately the State of Maryland has not made significant recovery in this area to date. Because Maryland is a Judiciary State, the backlog of homes facing Foreclosure has us ranked 4th in the Nation in terms of the quantity of homeowners having missed making a mortgage payment in 90 or more days.

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DeHanas Real Estate Services and NFM Mortgage are teaming up to provide new and prospective home buyers with the information they need to make their home buying experience a smooth transaction.  Buying a home might seem complicated, but with DeHanas Real Estate Services and NFM Mortgage, it doesn't have to be.

Join us on Thursday May 15, 2014 at the Hilton Garden Inn located at 10385 O'Donnell Place Waldorf, MD 20603 (Near the St Charles Towne Center Mall)

Doors open at 6:00 PM and the seminar begins promptly at 6:30 PM.

RSVP by Friday May 9th by emailing [email protected].  Please include your name, contact number and how many will be attending in your party.

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The Southern Maryland Association of Realtors recently announced to its Realtor Members, the Charles County Government is increasing excise taxes on new home sale beginning July 1, 2014.  Any NEW  home sold after this date is subject to the following taxes for Fiscal year 2015:

Single Family Home = $13,366

Townhome = $12,677

Multi-Unit Dwelling = $ 9,646

This tax lien will appear on the purchasers tax bills and is due payable over a ten year period.

If you are considering buying a new home, call DeHanas Real Estate Services FIRST at 301-870-1717.  Buyer Representation is free!

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Although the rental market is strong all year long, Springtime has arrived, marking the beginning of the rental season.  It is this time of year that the inventory increases and is generally matched by consumer demand.  The Southern Maryland area has held a very consistent rental market, in terms of statistics, for the past several years.  However, with home prices where they are, compared to the growing cost of renting, home ownership proves to be the best bet for your wallet.

In fact, Trulia released a report on Rent Vs Buy, measuring costs in the top 100 metropolitan markets, and explains that the cost of home ownership remains cheaper than renting by an average of 38%!  To put that into perspective, a $1500 a month payment at 3.75% interest could get you a home loan around $240,000.

The other interesting findings in the report include:

• Even though prices increased sharply in many markets over the past year, low mortgage rates have kept home ownership from becoming more expensive than renting.

• Some markets might tip in favor of renting this year as prices continue to rise faster than rents and if – as most economists expect – mortgage rates rise, due both to the strengthening economy and Fed tapering.
• Nationally, rates would have to rise to 10.6% for renting to be cheaper than buying – and rates haven’t been that high since 1989.

Buying a home now makes sense. You can lock in a mortgage payment before home prices and mortgage rates rise as experts expect they will. If you rent, your housing expense will only continue to increase.

Additionally, while we are still finding some mortgage companies continue to maintain a tight control over credit requirements, others are offering programs more consistent with the kinds of credit the average American is maintaining.  You can now get an FHA or VA loan with a credit score as low as 580.  This is huge news as we move into the renting and buying season, as many renters will now have options they never knew existed to them.  For more information, on this program, call DeHanas Real Estate Services at 301-870-1717.

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As we pass through the New Year and all of the holiday festivities, the Real Estate Market is beginning to heat up once again. The National Association of Realtors is forecasting a 15% to 20% increase in sales, and at a time when the housing inventory is at an all time low.  One segment of inventory that has remained consistent over the past couple of years is the supply of rental property.  Fueled by a combination of investors jumping into the market and homeowners unable to sell homes due to underwater mortgages, rental properties have held their own when it comes to supply vs demand, and as a result rental pricing has remained relatively stable.

Consumers on the move have plenty of hoops to jump through when it comes to buying a home because the mortgage industry continues to tighten its prerequisites for obtaining a mortgage, and if you are contemplating purchasing a home that is a short sale or Bank-owned, you better be prepared for a long wait that statistically results in more disappointments than wins.  As a result, many prospective home buyers end up renting.  But is this the best financial choice?  Home buying just might be worth a little "hoop-jumping" for some consumers.

In most cases, because of the low mortgage rates, a home buyer will pay $500-$600 per month less for the same home that a tenant is occupying.  And with home values finally stabilizing and heading in a more positive direction, the prospect of future equity certainly out weighs paying for someone else's mortgage. 

For those interested in a better understanding of the cost of renting verses the cost of buying, I came across this link featured in the New York Times: http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/business/buy-rent-calculator.html

Of course if you have any questions regarding buying, selling, renting or investing in real estate, DeHanas Real Estate is here to help!  Call us at 301-870-1717.

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We are happy to report that Charles County has received an additional $100,000 in State Neighborhood Stabilization Program funds in order to re-open the Charles County Neighborhood Conservation Down Payment Assistance Loan Program (NCI DPA).

The Charles County NCI DPA program encourages affordable housing in neighborhoods most affected by Foreclosure and sub-prime lending. The program provides down payment financial assistance to qualified home buyers. The program is administered by Charles County Department of Community Services Housing Authority.

For more information, or to see if you qualify for this program, please call DeHanas Real Estate Services at 301-870-1717, or email us at [email protected].