Renovating Your Home for Resale

Shane Tallant
Host, HGTV's Designed to Sell
Thursday, February 21, 2008; 2:00 PM
Washington Post

Thinking about selling your home? Need tips on how to make it stand out from others on the market? You've come to the right place. Thinking about selling your home? Need tips on how to make it stand out from others on the market? You've come to the right place.

Shane Tallant, host of HGTV's "Designed to Sell," along with a crew of design and real estate experts, helps homeowners get the most bang for their buck during resale.

This is a great transcript...It may help some of you sell your home faster AND for more money!

ENJOY

Angela Jones
AngelaJonesRealEstate.com

Ailing Economy's Lower Rates Provide Opportunity to Refinance

When should you refinance?
By: Ilyce R. Glink and Samuel J. Tamkin
Washington Post
Saturday, February 16, 2008

Do not do it to go on vacation, buy shoes or go out to dinner. Do not mortgage your house for something like that.

If you're going to pay off your credit card and cut it up, or if you need to do it so you do not go into default on your loan, then, absolutely, you should refinance.

You should never do a mortgage refinance just to get a tax deduction.

Do not refinance to lower your payment but lengthen your loan, unless you are facing possible foreclosure.

When you refinance, the goal should be to lower the amount of interest you're paying, either by lowering the interest rate or shortening your loan term.

This is just a tiny glimpse of the larger picture, there is so much wonderful information in this article...please click here to read the entire Washington Post article...you will be glad you did!

Angela Jones
AngelaJonesRealEstate.com

Romance in the Nation's Capital...Who Said Washington Was Not For Lovers

Valentines Day is February 14th and approaching very quickly. Are you looking for some ideas of ways to express your love to someone special? Here are some helpful ideas for a romantic night including some special events for Valentines Day in the Washington, DC area.

Dining out is popular, and DC has some fine romantic spots that offer gourmet meals in stylish, cozy settings. Georgetown's historic row houses provide a wonderful backdrop for couples to stroll and browse galleries, book shops and boutiques or eat at a cozy cafe.

The posh Four Seasons hotel is a wonderful spot for a Valentine's weekend get away. Many couples will dine out over the Valentine's Day weekend but how about making the entire weekend special or prior to a romantic night out, why not treat your special Valentine to a full spa day?

The Washington DC area is a town rich in theaters, art galleries and monuments, and time spent among them can provide romance combined with culture for a spectacular Valentine's Day treat.

Remember, when giving gifts this Valentine's Day, less is often more. It is alway the thought that counts!

Click Here for more details on these wonderful ideas and to read the entire DCPages.com article.
By:Leslie Yezerinac of the
Washington DC City Pages


Without love, the rich and poor live in the same house. ~Author Unknown

Angela Jones
AngelaJonesRealEstate.com

Appealing Possibilities: If the Housing Slump Doesn't Lower Taxes, a Challenge Might

If you are like many people in Montgomery County, you have recently received a property tax assessment. Some homeowners were stunned by what they saw prompting them to adopt new strategies and question their assessments.

In Maryland, assessments are rotated among neighborhoods every three years, so those receiving notices this year have not been assessed since 2004. The lag time means some residents will see an increase in their assessments despite a recent drop in local home prices.

This year, the state issued assessments to 728,185 homeowners, who will see an average increase of about 33 percent. Meanwhile, in other parts of the Washington region, assessments may not be declining as quickly as some homeowners expect.

In Maryland, for the first time, homeowners have also received an application for their homestead exemption along with their property tax assessment. They must return the application to document that their home is their principal residence and not a vacation or rental property. The homestead-exemption qualifies homeowners for a cap on property tax increases.

Homeowners who want to appeal their assessments have limited time to act; the deadlines are set by law. There are a few things that you can do to get the ball rolling.

Begin by making sure the local assessor has the correct physical description of the home, including the proper square footage and the correct number of bathrooms and bedrooms. Mistakes can happen, and they can change the assessed value of a property significantly.

Homeowners should also compare assessments and sales records for nearby homes. It's all public information and is usually available online.

The trick, experts say, is to present the assessors with facts and not emotional complaints about the numbers. Sometimes the assessments may have been set before a recent spate of sales in the neighborhood that illustrate further declining prices.

This is just a small excerpt from Renae Merle's Washington Post Article that appeared in the Saturday, February 2, 2008 issue.

Click Here to read the entire article
"Appealing Possibilities: If the Housing Slump Doesn't Lower Taxes, a Challenge Might"


Angela Jones
www.AngelaJonesRealEstate.com