Dennis Skelly

Ashley, the first thing I would do is contact a local, experienced Realtor in your area. He/She can then go over a "game plan" to buying your first house! Probably the first thing your Realtor will have you do is speak with and get pre-approved with a Lender. There are a lot of financing programs out there for first-time home buyers with little-to-no cash. There are also gift programs such as the Nehemiah and AmeriDream program for those who need downpayment assistance. Make sure you ask about them.

Starting the process to buying your first home can be a daunting one. You have already taken the first step by asking the "how to" question here on Trulia. Take the next step and contact a Realtor. Best of luck to you!

Dennis Skelly
Ricker Realty
202.438.2091 (c)
dennis.skelly@verizon.net - Sun Jul 6 2008, 14:22

Mike, Feel free to contact me and we can talk.

Dennis Skelly
Ricker Realty
202.438.2091 (c)
dennis.skelly@verizon.net - Sun Jul 6 2008, 04:54

In this market, especially in the area you are looking, you should be able to negotiate with the builder. I can tell you from first-hand knowledge that Toll Brothers (in the new Arundel Preserve Development) is negotiating with buyers and will look at any offer. You should definitely try and speak to someone else at Ryan. I would suggest going on their website and finding the name of the sales manager that is working in that community. Then you can call and ask specifically for that individual. I would arrange a meeting to sit down face-to-face with the sales manager and discuss your options. You may even want to consider obtaining the services of a Realtor to represent you in this transaction.

Best of Luck!

Dennis Skelly
Ricker Realty
202.438.2091 (c)
dennis.skelly@verizon.net - Sat Jul 5 2008, 10:54

Earl,

It is probably worth trying to explain your situation to someone a little higher up in the chain of command at the builder's office, but if that doesn't get you anywhere you will need to contact a real estate attorney to review your contract and advise you on how to proceed. An attorney is the only one that can give you legal advice and that is what you are going to need if the builder is not going to budge. Good Luck! - Fri May 30 2008, 06:18

Monique and Carlos both provide good advice. What they don't know, because it appears that they do not practice real estate in the area, is that Odenton is a great rental market because of it's close proximity to Ft. Meade, NSA, and major communting routes into DC & Baltimore. Your best option in this case may be to rent.

Best of Luck,

Dennis Skelly
Ricker Realty
www.RickerRealtyHomes.com - Wed May 7 2008, 09:50

Ava,
It should not be problamatic at all. Any qualified, licensed general contractor should be able to give you some great ideas of other uses for the space. Do your homework on the general contractor that you use... make sure they are licensed, check references, ask for examples of previous work, check with the licensing agency to see if any complaints against the contractor have been filed, etc. All this homework on the front-end will ensure you a successful project and improvements that you can enjoy for a long time.

Good luck!

Dennis Skelly
Ricker Realty
www.RickerRealtyHomes.com - Fri May 2 2008, 04:35