Buying a house in Frederick Part two

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In the first part of this mini series, I talked about the process that leads up to the making the offer. Well, now that offer is in the hands of the Seller’s agent and the seller. They will review the thoughtfully prepared and professionally presented offer. If they accept everything in the offer, they will sign off on all the pages that you did and it now becomes a contract. Wah..Lah!

Chances are they will make some changes. Now something to remember in negotiations…They have basically three answers to each of the items on the offer; YES, NO and I want to change this. The latter two, puts the ball back in your court. When the seller “Counters” the offer, they have rejected your offer. You now have the three choices; YES, NO or I want to change this. The latter two, you reject their offer. Duh…so Bob, why are you explaining this simple stuff to me? I just want to make it clear that once there is a change to offer from the other party…you are not obligated to proceed with offer. You can move on to the next home, but most likely you want this one.

So, what are some things that you could expect the seller to change? First and most popular is the price. They feel their house is worth more (or they need more for their next step) and you of course feel it’s worth less (basically, you want a “deal.”) They might want to change the closing/settlement date to suit their schedule. Sometimes the timeline of the inspection contingencies might need to be changed. Why would they want to do that? You see, the longer the contingency remains on the contract the longer they have to keep the house of the market waiting for you to decide if you are REALLY going to buy it. They might lose valuable time on the market. Until, the contingencies expire, the buyer has the ability to get out of the contract without any repercussions. You will lose any money that you paid for the inspections, but will not lose your “Earnest Money”

Once everyone is satisfied with what the other side has changed on the “Offer” it now becomes a “Ratified Contract” Day One starts tomorrow.

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June 30, 2007 · Filed Under Buyer, frederick real estate

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Frederick County Relay For Life Results

You may have read earlier that I was involved in the American Cancer Society Relay for Life in Frederick County this year. I started a team to raise money for Cancer awareness and support programs. Our final number turned out to be $3,632.40 a few off of our goal of $4,000. But let me share with you the goals and numbers from the whole event itself.

Here’s the infamous video:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kVCpA0jJ-KY[/youtube]

The song is “Why We Walk” by the Mamasitas. CDs are available for $5 and benefit American Cancer Society along with The Frederick County Relay for Life. You can get them through Laurie, just send her an email.A little sidebar, I will the Online Chair for next year’s event…so please stay tuned for more information on how to get involved. The more people involve the more we can reach out to those in need.

Yes, that’s Miss Maryland 2006, Brittany Lietz. She’s a cancer survivor. Read her story, it will make you think about the next time you go out in the sun.

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June 26, 2007 · Filed Under Fundraiser, video

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Movie Night at Baker Park a success

After a tough start due to the weather on Thursday, last night was a nice turn out in my opinion. It looked like about 80 families stretched out on blankets and chairs under the shadows of the Bell Tower. The cost of admission was canned goods for the food bank. A monstrous inflatable screen was the backdrop to this evenings entertainment. “Happy Feet” attracted plenty of families with small childeren…the air was filled with scream as Mumbo was chased by the Tiger Seal. The evening was a little chilly for a summer night and dampness was settling in as the night grew longer. Over all I enjoyed the evening…note to self… more blankets and snacks next time. The line was about an hour long for a fresh funnel cake. Worth the wait but still a little long. Tonight they are playing “My Big Fat Greek Wedding“ Check out the city website for future events at www.celebratefrederick.com

Have a great weekend.

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June 23, 2007 · Filed Under Food, Fun, Fundraiser

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Casual Dress Friday or is it -Staging your home

OK, Its Friday…time to poke a little fun. You have heard of the old saying “You can put lipstick on a pig, but its still a pig” I didn’t have a picture of a pig in my photo collection, so I am using a black cow. OK not just any black cow, but Black Angus Cow. No matter how you dress him up…(Yes, he is in “Drag”) He is still a cow. Since, they were marketed so well, the Black Angus Beef was the preferred Steak in your stores and restaraunts. Don’t believe me look at the shelves in your meat department and the ones that stand out are the ones that have the big seal on it that says Certified Angus Beef. Well, some farmers jumped on that wagon and started to breed “Black” Cows…not Angus, but just black cows. Why?? They were preferred!!! Beef purchasers paid more…because they “look” like Black Angus Cows.

You can do the same thing with your house. Dress it up and make it more attractive to the “Beef Purchaser” In real estate, we call it staging. By staging, you set focal points in your house to make buyers see your house through a different light. Maybe, its matching towels and floral arrangement in the Master Bathroom or rearranging your furniture and wall fixtures to maximize the usuable space in a room. In todays market as a seller, you really need to have the upper hand on your competition. It has been proven that “Staged” homes have sold for more and much quicker than “unstaged” homes. Here’s a trip outside of Frederick to Rockland County NY for example of what staging can do for you. Click Here. Maureen Henry runs a successful business helping Sellers attract more buyers. You can see what a little effort does to the home. Unfortunately, plenty of homes that I have seen in Frederick County don’t show well because of simple things like a good cleaning…and they are still on the market. Well, we aren’t in Rockland we are in Frederick. One stager I can recommend is Gigi Giles…she’s local and has a great eye for making your home attractive. Her profession is organization and Staging. You can reach her at 888-No-Clutter (662-5888) or email here at gigi(at)roomdini.com.

No cows were hurt in the making of this blog post. Bob Carney only supports local cows from Middletown, MD. Black Angus Cow #556 approves this post.

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