The good news is there are houses selling in Catonsville. Your price MUST reflect the current market. In this market, buyers demand value. You must set your house apart from all of the others in your area.
Make your house sparkle! Please, Please, Please do not make any improvements without consulting a REALTOR. He or She can best advise you as to improvements that will give you the most "bang for the buck". Call a REALTOR to view your house, show you comparibles in your area and help you to determine current market value.

Fri Jun 6 2008, 06:53

My office in Perry Hall SOLD just around $9.5 Million in April, however, only 1 home was over $350,000. The price range that I really see moving right now (and the only range I see moving) is the $250,000 and under range. Hope this helps you out!

Also, you may want to check the MRIS website for a statistical breakdown of what has sold in your area during the last month. You can see it onhttp:// WWW.MRIS.COM by going to the reports and statistics and then searching by zip code. They usually update it for the previous month around the 11th of the following month (for example, Aprils stats would be available around May 11th).

Sat May 24 2008, 19:31

Brenda,
Yes houses inCatonsville are selling. Their value is down by about !2-!5% from last year . The best way of course to sell your house is to have it priced correctly. If you have a realtor already who has listed your house he should have used comparible house in the area that have sold recently. Using houses that soold in 2005 would be a mistake since that was when the real estate market was at its highest..The best advice I can give you is to have your realtor give you accurate comps and then price your home 10-20% less than the others. Your house will sell! If you do not have arealtor under contract I would be glad to assist you. My e-mail is jmitnick@cbmove.com
Hope this helps,
Judie

Wed May 21 2008, 17:02

If your house is listed with a Realtor, you trusted your judgement in hiring him/her so I'd continue to trust their advice and opinion. I'm sure they advised you when you listed that this market is slow and condition and price are the key. I don't mean to be curt, but just follow their advice. Now, if you are not listed with a Realtor then you have a more serious problem. As far as paying for an independant appraisal, I wouldn't suggest that, it's irrelevant. Market value is market value. Homes are selling!

Wed May 21 2008, 14:32

Hi Brenda:
Here are some MRIS statistics for zip 21228 for the month of April 2008.
Units sold: 35
Sold within 30 days: 12
New listings: 77
Went under contract: 41
Average sold price: Down 14.25% compared to April 2007.
Median sold price: Down 14.43% compared to April 2007.
Average Days on Market: 95 days - Up 39.71% compared to April 2007.
Active listings: 238.

Mon May 12 2008, 16:06

Hi Brenda,

I grew up in the Catonsville area and know this area very well. Houses are selling if they are listed correctly. Homes priced right should sell within 2 months. If your house is already listed and has not sold, its probably priced too high. Market values are declining steadily. You don't want your house sitting on the market over 4 months. If there is any question on what the home should be priced at, you should pay for an appraisal. Market Analysis done by Realtors is just "fuzzy math". An appraisal will give dollart values to certain amenities your home may have. You want top dollar. If your house is listed, ask your agent to see all properties that have sold within the last 3 months. This is a requirement banks are now forcing. It use to be 6 months to a year. They have really tighten their loan standards. In may appraisal practice, I've seen most home values decrease around 8 to 10%. Every month that goes by, the property is decreasing in value. The problem could also be the Realtor. The Realtor may not be marketing and pricing correctly. This is the tricky market right now and sellers have too much to lose. I wouldn't list a property without an appraisal. An appraisal will also help justify your list price to low ball offers. I'm a Realtor and an Appraiser. If you want an appraisal, please feel free to contact me. I can also be hired as a Realtor and my appraiser credentials is free. If you have any quesitons, please give me call at 410-750-7014, ejmrhodes@aol.com, or you can reach me at my website a thttp:// www.marylandreopro.com.

Always a pleasure

Mon May 12 2008, 13:50

Hi Brenda

I currently live in Catonsville and my partner and I have 6 homes on the market for sale. I watch the market closely in this area because it directly effects me and my home. The market is slowly starting to pick up but with close to 16 months of inventory - it unfortanely is going to take a while. At this time in Catonsville - charm and updates seem to be what moves. I don't like to put down other agents because everyone handles their business differently. If the property shows well and the home is clutter free and has nice curb appeal that is great but if the price is off that can be a drawback. Before you do anything you need to speak with your agent and ask them to be completely honest with you. Pricing is everything and where you make take a little less at this end you may be able to make up for it when you place an offer on another home. Be carefull to look over your agreement with your agent and see what your terms are. If you have any questions, please feel free to email me at mkesner@cbmove.com

Mon May 12 2008, 13:39

Brenda,

The short answer is yes, properties are moving in all areas. In order to give you more information, I would need more specifics. I would be happy to look over your situation and give you an opinion on price. I am not clear on whether or not you have your home already listed, or are planning to list it. Either way, I would be glad to help. Feel free to drop and email to me at ldevnew@cbmove.com.

Mon May 12 2008, 12:38