The Understanding Agency form in the state of Maryland defines the following distinctions in agency representation:Agents who represent sellersSeller’s Agent: A seller’s agent works for the real estate ...

Agency discussions can be a little confusing to the consumer with listing agents, subagents, dual agency and buyer agency. But if you are a buyer, understanding the buyer’s agent role is key.A buyer’s ...

In the past two week’s article, we reviewed the Maryland General Assembly new legislation requiring all condominiums, homeowner associations, and housing cooperatives to undertake regular ...

In last week’s article, we reviewed the Maryland General Assembly new legislation requiring all condominiums, homeowner associations, and housing cooperatives to undertake regular reserve studies ...

The Maryland General Assembly has passed new legislation effective October 1, 2022, requiring all condominiums, homeowner associations, and housing cooperatives to undertake regular reserve ...

Consumers can get confused when it comes to dual agency in real estate. The Maryland Real Estate Commission describes dual agency below: The possibility of dual agency arises ...

According to the National Association of Realtors (NAR), single women comprise the second largest group of homebuyers. As of 2023, single women made up 17 percent of all homebuyers. Contrastingly, ...

Anyone who sells a property in Maryland, but is a “non-resident” of the state of Maryland, must pay a withholding tax. Recently the Maryland Association of Realtors released information on various ...

The National Association of REALTORs reports that real estate wire fraud continues to be one of the most prevalent cybercrimes in the U.S. About 13,638 people were victims of wire fraud in the real estate ...

The National Association of REALTORS (NAR) website, www.realtor.org, has information on county median home prices and monthly mortgage payments across the country. NAR applies the House Price ...

The Maryland Department of Housing and The Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) administers a State of Maryland tax credit for residents of the state who ...

The COVID-19 pandemic kicked adaptations into overdrive, so the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) recently provided a report called Adopt to Adapt, with insight into ...

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) offers a Forest Conservation and Management program and there are approximately 1,300 agreements in effect covering approximately 84,000 ...

 Since 1969, the REALTORS® Political Action Committee (RPAC), has promoted the election of pro-REALTOR® candidates across the United States. The purpose of RPAC is to use voluntary ...

The National Association of REALTORS®’ 2022 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers report shows that first-time home buyers have dropped to their lowest numbers on record. NAR further ...

2022 was a year in which we saw a shift in the real estate market: increasing mortgage rates, reduction in the volume of sales, but no increase in inventory resulting in prices ...

Back in the beginning of October, Maryland REALTORS® rolled out changes to its statewide forms library, which contains contracts, disclosures and addenda that members of Maryland ...

C-PACE is the acronym for Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy. C-PACE programs provide private financing for commercial property owners to upgrade buildings with energy, resiliency, and environmental ...

The State of Maryland has announced three new Sustainable Communities and one of them is located here on the lower Eastern Shore. The Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development announced last ...

The multiple list service, BrightMLS, that provides real estate data in the Mid-Atlantic, coveringsix states (Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia and theDistrict of Columbia), ...

The National Association of REALTORS®’ conducted the 2022 Appraisal Survey, and the results were published showing forty-seven percent of real estate professionals say they have had a transaction fall ...

Last year, Governor Larry Hogan issued a proclamation that October 30th is Weatherization Day in Maryland. The Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) is marking ...

The Department of Housing and Community Development in Maryland (DHCD) offers a program called the Maryland WholeHome Program which can help homeowners make valuable repairs ...

Governor Larry Hogan announced last weeknearly $32 million in project awards through the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development’s (DHCD) 2022 application round for federal Low Income ...

The talk about town related to real estate right now is mortgage rates are on the rise. To provide some guidance, here’s what industry experts are saying about the present and possible future ...

The National Association of Realtors explains the differences and the pros and cons to both mediation and arbitration, alternative dispute resolution options when a dispute arises from a real ...

A recent Zillow report is showing that with sales up and values up during the pandemic real estate boom, more homes are selling for over the $1 million mark. The report also detailed that the typical ...

Governor Larry Hogan announced last weekthat the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) has expanded the state’s landmark SmartBuyinitiative to address rising housing ...

Condominium associations provide master policy insurance coverage, but a master policy usually covers only the building’s exterior and common areas. To have coverage for what is inside ...

The National Association of REALTORS®’ released their annual Member Profile report for 2022 recently. Based on a random sampling of NAR's membership, the Member Profile strives ...

A well-planned open house allows potential buyers to picture how life in this home would be, and in the summer, people tend to be more relaxed; it’s the time of vacations and lazy days. So making ...

Maryland REALTORS® released information on statewide June home sales. Their release states that home sales continued to slow down as prices continued to rise, according to ...

Every house has a unique architectural style. Sometimes the architecture is a blend of more than one architectural style due to additions. The National Association of Realtors explains that ...

The National Association of Realtors provides a monthly home showings report based off showing information taken from Sentrilock lockboxes, which are used by the majority of real estate agents ...

Appraisals in a sellers’ market can be troublesome, and transactions can fall apart when appraisals come up short—creating an appraisal gap. An appraisal gap is the difference between market ...

In 2022, the Maryland State Legislature convened on January 12th and adjourned on April 11th. Maryland REALTORS® issues a report each year on the Maryland Legislative session to summarize ...

In 2022, the Maryland State Legislature convened on January 12th and adjourned on April 11th. Maryland REALTORS® issues a report each year on the Maryland Legislative session ...

Governor Larry Hogan announced at the end of April that more than $200 million in financing tools and new programs will be made available to create new affordable housing opportunities in the ...

One of the important steps during a real estate purchase is conducting a title search. The title search is just one of the buyer’s closing cost expenses and is usually ordered ...

The month of April this year celebrated the 54th anniversary of the Fair Housing Act, the landmark civil rights law signed by President Lyndon B. Johnson on April 11, 1968, that made discrimination ...

The Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development’s Maryland Mortgage Program announced the launch of two new loan products to provide higher levels of down payment and closing cost assistance. ...

The shift in interest rates is in motion. According to Forbes.com, mortgage rates have jumped 1.5 percentage points during the first three months of this year. They further communicated that ...

You know the old tune by Tennessee Ernie Ford: You load sixteen tons, what do you get; Another day older and deeper in debt; Saint Peter don't you call me 'cause I can't go; I owe my soul ...

Solar panels on a home can be a great selling advantage, one that provides very affordable utility bills. This type of technology is called a solar photovoltaic (“PV”) panel system or“Solar ...

What is equitable interest? An equitable interest is an "interest held by virtue of an equitable title (a title that indicates a beneficial interest in property and that gives the holder ...

In real estate, there are three levels of licensure: Salesperson, Associate Broker and Broker. Licenses are issued bythe Maryland Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation, which is the licensing ...

Homeowner’s insurance is a necessity if your home is mortgaged, and this type of insurance covers the structure of your home and your personal property, as well as your personal legal responsibility (or ...

The number one question most real estate agents are asked right now is "What is the market doing?". The best way to answer that question is to watch the market statistics and listen to the various industry ...

With property reassessments going out last month for much of Worcester County, property owners might be wondering what their options are if they disagree with the values the county assessment office has ...

According to a recent article released by the National Association of Realtors, consumers can expect slower housing price appreciation, easing inflation and rising interest rates in 2022. This statement ...

Maryland REALTORS® just released real estate statistics information from the October 2021 housing market analysis. The market continued its monthly trend of a decrease in units sold, down 8,665 in 2021, ...

FEMA is changing the way it views flood risk and prices flood insurance. The National Flood Insurance Program’s (NFIP) new rating methodology, Risk Rating 2.0, and FEMA says it will deliver rates that ...

Most buyers know they need to save for both a down payment and closing cost money. Buyers also need to pay down their debt to be sure their debt-to-income ratios are under the various thresholds for USDA, ...

There are a few options in our local multiple list system (MLS) for letting the public know about a property for sale. These different statuses can become confusing as they are disseminated across the ...

Buyers usually pay most of the closing costs associated with a purchase, of which, transfer and recordation taxes are one piece of the total closing costs. Customary in the state of Maryland is a split ...

Purchasing a condominium differs from buying a single-family home in more ways than the obvious. Of course, condo ownership offers buyers the convenience of maintenance free living—but when looking into ...

Last week, we discussed the current sellers’ market and how it is difficult to get offers accepted when facing multiple offer situations. The article last week detailed using appraisal waivers, but additional ...

The state of Maryland offers a unique program called Maryland SmartBuy, which can help buyers with student debt attain homeownership. This program can also significantly increase a buyer’s purchasing ...

Lack of inventory, rising prices, multiple offers on new listings—all confirmation that we are indeed in a sellers’ market. Finding a home in today’s market is challenging for buyers, but there are ways ...

In a strong real estate market with lower inventory, we are experiencing numerous multiple offer situations, especially on the lower price point category of homes that first-time homebuyers would be seeking.So ...

Homeowners in the state of Maryland should be aware that as of Jan. 1, 2018, there were new residential smoke alarm requirements put into place, as per a bill passed by the Maryland General Assembly in ...

The National Association of Realtors Chief Economist, Lawrence Yun, released a video report that dissects the latest homes sales numbers, talks about what could make the market even stronger, and forecasts ...

Below is a summary of the 2020 legislative session of the Maryland General Assembly on items that were passed and put into legislation affecting the real estate industry as it relates to affordable housing ...

Are you looking to buy a home in Wicomico County? The Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development, in partnership with Wicomico County, is providing attractive financial incentives to help ...

With low inventory in our market, and a high buyer demand, we are experiencing many multiple-offer situations on properties.It’s important to pay attention to contract details to be sure that verbal agreements ...

Listing inventory is at record lows both around the country and in our local area, and buyer demand is coming back as the country eases restrictions, so it’s a great time to sell if you have been considering ...

The National Association of Realtors® sent out a press release last week commending the Department of Housing and Urban Development for finalizingnew Federal Housing Administration condominium loan policies. ...

Purchasing a new home is normally the biggest investment you’ll ever make and once you’ve bought a home, it’s a decision you can’t easily reverse.Contracts of sale offer various contingency clauses that ...

Customary in the state of Maryland is a split of transfer and recordation charges between a buyer and a seller. Section 14-104(b) of the Real PropertyArticle, Annotated Code of Maryland provides that, ...

The local multiple list system is called Bright MLS. Bright tracks how long a listing has been active with the use of Days on Market (DOM) and CumulativeDays on Market (CDOM). The DOM provides a look ...

Residential home prices rose in June compared to the same period of 2017, according to Maryland REALTORS. Average home prices rose by 2.9 percent forthe fifth month in a row, while median prices increased ...

Real Estate Report: Millennials, age 18 to 35, are now the largest group of homebuyers, according to the National Association of Realtors. With this in mind, it’s importantto know what it is they are ...

 Most people want to own their own home—it gives a sense of security and stability. It also allows for more flexibility in personalizing and renovatingyour home to make it your own. Most importantly, ...

Real Estate Report: Title Insurance Most commonly used in the state of Maryland to protect a buyer, and ensure that title to a property is clear and marketable in a real estate transaction,is the ...

 Real Estate Report: If you are in the market to buy or sell a home, you are probably going to retain the assistance of a real estate professional. Practitioners in the fieldof real estate can hold ...

Real Estate Report: The majority of buyers search online when looking for homes, in fact 95% of homebuyers use online websites, and 72% use a mobile or tablet app to assistin their home search, based ...

Real Estate Report:With the Federal Reserve raising interest rates last week by a quarter of a percentage point and signaling that the central bank is on track to raiserates twice more in 2018—homebuyers ...

Many renters want to become homeowners, but they are afraid that low credit score, debt or student loans may prevent them from their dream. Understandingcredit scores, and what factors credit reporting ...

Real Estate Report: As of January 1, 2018, there are new residential smoke alarm requirements in the state of Maryland, as per a bill passed by the Maryland General Assemblyin 2013. Maryland REALTORS® ...

Maryland REALTORS® released their Maryland Year End sales figures, and announced that in 2017, residential sales in Maryland climbed by 3.2 percent,or more than 2,500 homes across the state. Eighteen ...

An important affordable loan product for the Ocean Pines area is in jeopardy—the 100% financing USDA loan. The U.S. Department of AgricultureRural Development Maryland/Delaware State Office has ...

There is a Federal Housing Administration program that allows for the financing of a mobile home. It is called the Title I program, and it allows FHAapproved lenders to make loans from their own funds ...

 Many homebuyers focus on a max purchase price when searching for a new home. This number is usually based on how much a lender has told them they are approvedfor and/or a total monthly payment that ...

Contingencies Provide Buyers an Important Check and BalancePurchasing a new home is normally the biggest investment you’ll ever make and once you’ve bought a home, it’s a decision you can’t easily reverse.Contracts ...

The Maryland Association of Realtors has issued a new brochure for the public entitled “Get to Know the Role of Real Estate Agents”. The brochure coversthe role of agents and agency relationships and ...

Most real estate agents are Realtors®, which means they are members of the National Association of Realtors (NAR). By belonging to NAR, all memberRealtors are bound by NAR’s Code of Ethics. But beyond ...

The relationship between a real estate agent and the parties involved in a transaction is not exactly simple. If you've ever viewed property with a licensed Realtor, you should have been presented with ...

In a recent news release issued by the National Association of Realtors (NAR), it was reported that Realtors continue to invest in new technology for theirbusiness and have spent more than they did in ...

So you want to buy a home, but don’t know where to begin. Many prospective homebuyers call an agent to see a property before figuring out what they reallywant in a home and also before the other crucial ...

Real Estate Report: "Move Up" Buyers Stuck in Mud Our real estate market is missing an important element these days. Many homeowners who would like to upgrade to a larger home, commonly referred to asthe ...