Tina Beasley

Greg,

I personally feel that there are too many properties on the market currently for you to take such a risk. Think about it. Do you want to live next door to tenants that have no stake in the condition of the place that they are renting? Of course, that would be a huge negative factor to deal with when you try to sell in the future if that property is still in disrepair. Also, I have personally found that having renters as neighbors is not usually a good senario. They have no financial stake in the property and none to you as a neighbor. However, in a high rent district, you may end up with a doctor as your neighbor. Higher rent amounts normally generate better tenants, however their is no guarantee.

I would stick to finding a home that is near other homeowners just like yourself that have a financial stake in the property. At least you would hope that they will take care of their home. I also encourage my buying clients to knock on their prospective neighbor's door and just talk to them for a few minutes. A lot of time you can get a lot of valuable information from a good neighbor. I always do this when I move.

If you are not currently working with an agent, please give me a call. I would love to share some tips with you that I feel are essential when buying a home.

Tina Beasley
Real Estate Professionals, Inc.
443-243-1832 Direct
410-918-9740 Office Service - Mon Nov 3 2008, 14:59

When you point your mouse onto the dot where the property is located, the price appears at 163,900. If you are currently working with a real estate agent, they should be able to get the other information that you are seeking by having a conversation with the seller's agent. However, I always tell my buying clients that the best way to find out if your offer will be accepted is to just put one in. Actually signing on the dotted line and showing your interest is key in getting most of the answers that you are looking for. I personally feel that in this market, any contract is better than no contract.

If you are not currently working with an agent, please give me a call. I will be happy to assist you.

Sincerely,
Tina Beasley
Real Estate Professionals, Inc.
443-243-1832 Direct
410-918-9740 Office Service - Mon Nov 3 2008, 14:40

My office is in Essex on Eastern Boulevard. Essex and Middle River are adjoining communities as well as the Dundalk area. You have quite a few options for areas and being new to Maryland 5 years ago myself, I found it helpful to just tour around the different areas with your agent. Looking at the communities, homes, analyzing the prices, etc. was very helpful to me when I moved here. Baltimore City also has some great residential areas that you should check out as well. Just getting out and touring some of the areas will help you. It would be my pleasure to do just that! The market is ripe for buyers in Maryland now. Interest rates are still pretty low and it is just a great market to buy a home. I always ask my clients to talk to the neighbors surrounding the house they are considering to purchase before we write the offer. Neighbors can be a good source of information at times. Of course, in the end, doing some good research, talking to neighbors and getting a good home inspection will help ensure that you make a better decision on choosing a home. Please call me if I can be of assistance to you. - Mon Aug 25 2008, 20:32

Are you looking to sell a home as a short sale? Or are you thinking about buying a home that is being sold as a short sale? Every short sale is different in that each lender can decide whether or not they will allow you to sell your home at a price lower than what the balance on the mortgage loan is. Negotiating with the lenders is one thing that I do have experience with. If you are buying, it is up to the lender that owns the mortgage to accept or decline any and all contracts. They can take up to several weeks in some cases to decide whether or not they will accept your contract. In some cases, I feel that they are waiting to see if they can get a better contract from another individual. That is why it is important to make your best offer and stick with it. Again, negotiation is key with all short sales. I am very good at negotiation. - Mon Aug 25 2008, 19:20

Ronnie,

Are you in a contract to buy this property? If so, does your contract state that you have the right to have a lead paint test performed? If you are under contract, please ask your agent about your rights under your contract. If you are not sure that your agent has the proper information, go to the broker that the agent works for and ask them to help you. Lead paint is a serious thing for some people, especially if you have children. Years ago, it was realized that the lead levels in paint was so significant that when ingested (especially in children), could cause brain damage. You even need to be very cautious when removing lead paint as not to inhale the dust or fumes. If you are in a contract, you should have received a Lead Paint pamphlet with detailed information provided to you. That is a federal law.

If you are not in a contract to purchase this property, but are very interested, make sure that it is clear in your contract that you want to have the right to perform a lead paint test. Contact several lead paint testing contractors in the area and get pricing for these test prior to getting into the contract to purchase. That way, you have the cost of the test up front and have the right to run the test if you feel that it is necessary. Some home inspectors perform lead tests and some do not. I would make sure that you hire an inspector that does so that all of your concerns can be addressed during one appointment.

My first home had lead paint, and it was never a concern to us because we never had to do any extensive work inside the home on surfaces that had the paint on it. As Chris said below, it is more prevalent on window sills, mouldings, doors and trim work. If the sellers have painted over with latex paint which is the product that has been more widely used since 1978, the lead paint has been covered and does not pose as much of a threat until you sand or strip all of the paint off or if the paint is peeling off. That is where you get the most risk. Young children and babies tend to teeth on things and could ingest the lead paint by chewing on a window will or some trim work in the house. Just be aware of this and keep your children from doing that. It can cause a serious health risk to infants and young children.

The truth is that lead paint was a more durable product and lasted longer than the paint we use today. But the health risk it poses far outweighed it's durablity factor and was removed from the market.

Please feel free to contact me if you have any further questions. - Tue Aug 12 2008, 19:26