Dare We Say, Sellers Market?

It's not official, but times are shifting here in the DC Metro area. Pockets of Montgomery County, Maryland, and some neighborhoods in Washington, DC, are seeing signs of a sellers market. Now, other agents in my office, our McEnearney managing brokers, and I do not necessarily see the situation running amok, but inventory is incredibly low and has been for an extended period. We discuss buyer client needs frequently in weekly business meetings, trying to find upcoming listings from other agents in my office. In some neighborhoods, there are many buyers for each house or category of housing.

Might more sellers emerge, ready to make a move themselves? If you are considering a move or just plain need to, for whatever reason, give me a call.  I can give you some data and input on your specific situation, house, and neighborhood.  Even if I don't specialize in your area, I can refer you to someone who does. There are many ways I can help.

Why Termite Inspections Matter

There are very good reasons why termite inspections are strongly encouraged as part of a real estate transaction in many parts of the country, and why including regular termite treatments and inspections is sound preventive maintenance.  Termites destroy wood, and thus, homes.  A friend from Bethesda recently shared this photo with me and said I could share it with my blog readers.  Her story goes like this.

On weekends and in nice weather, her family was typically away from their primary residence.  Despite living in their home for over 30 years, they never once observed any telltale swarms of emerging termites.  Last year, they were horrified to learn that the entire back of their home, all three levels (basement plus two stories above ground) was destroyed by termites. Fortunately the insects had not yet reached the attic and the trusses of their roof.

The board on the left is a typical 2x4 board. On the right is what the wood looked like after termites had feasted on it. She said it was like paperboard, crumbling in her hands.  Contractors had to spend months removing the drywall, insulation, studs, electrical and plumbing from the back of their home and replace everything including the tiles in their kitchen. They were able to salvage their kitchen cabinets and some other appliances.  The cost was over $70,000.

So don't waive your right to a termite inspection prior to purchasing a new home and don't overlook regular treatments and monitoring for termites in your existing home.

Gardening, In the Winter?

Gardening ... in the winter, you might ask?  It is cold here in Maryland right now, although we don't have snow on the ground like Wisconsin and other places north.  I was just sitting here at my desk in my home office, tidying up a bit, organizing brochures from homes I've seen into my new expandable file folders (the binders requiring three hole punches were a deterrent to filing), planning for more showings and previews, planning another Real Estate and Refreshments event at the end of January, and dreaming of warmer days weeding in my yard. Dreaming of weeding??  Strange but true.  

My family members and I, with varying degrees of enthusiasm and time allocation, spent many hours weeding and pruning last winter.  Here in the DC Metro area, we had a very mild winter last year so it was pleasant enough to be outside working in the garden.

We have a different type of yard, not one with sweeping expanses of finely trimmed, lush, green lawn and beds of sun-loving perennials.  No, we live in the forest, in a wonderful neighborhood of Bethesda called Woodhaven.  True to its name, it is a haven, with lots of trees.  We also live on a hill so there are terraces nicely landscaped by previous owners.  It took some adjustments and now our girls enjoy the great hide-and-seek spots, the Harry Potter classrooms and Great Hall they've imagined, the tree bark forts for Lego people.

And I love the progress I've seen by removing extensive beds of invasive, non-native ivy, trimming back overgrown bushes, pulling down weeds that had climbed up all our massive tree trunks.  I look forward to doing more this winter and early spring.

In my tidying indoors, I just found an article from the Local Living section of the Washington Post by gardening columnist Adrian Higgins from last July titled "Member of the wedding party."  My favorite quote from the article is:
Look out for poison ivy, get your tetanus booster shot, and recognize that it may take three years to create the garden you want.

I have two more winters/springs to go. Can't wait.

QOTD: Mark Twain on Homes, and Cats

Quote of the Day, taken from page 47 of my new copy of The Home Owner's Journal: What I Did and When I Did It, a Christmas gift from Mom to help us document updates, upgrades, and paint colors in our current home.

A home without a cat—and a well fed, well petted, and properly revered cat,—may be a home, perhaps, but how can it prove title?
-Mark Twain

Not sure why, but this amused me. 

Different Open House Customs

My family and I frequently travel to Wisconsin to visit family. I grew up in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, and have always enjoyed checking out open houses when I am visiting.  Because it was Christmastime during this most recent visit, there were limited offerings on that Sunday, and it was about 19 degrees outside, and there was a Packers game on TV, so I had other priorities.  Go Pack Go!

Browsing the listings in the local paper reminded me how real estate practices, in addition to local and state laws and regulations, differ across the country.  In Maryland and DC and much of this region, the typical public open house is Sunday, 1-4 p.m.  Occasionally an agent will hold a property open on a Saturday for a couple of hours, say 1-3 p.m. or 2-4, but I cannot recall seeing an open house for less than 2 hours.

In Oshkosh, open houses are typically one hour long.  So one agent, let's call him Charlie, can hold House A on Westhaven Drive open 10:30 to 11:30 a.m., then scoot over to Listing B on Grove Street from noon to 1:00 p.m., and finish off the afternoon's work at House C on Mount Vernon Street from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m.  That schedule makes me exhausted just typing it.  Then again, that fictitious agent Charlie might shudder at the thought of staying in one house for three solid hours.

I enjoy thinking about these different practices and customs. I wonder what buyers think?