Real Estate Information

September 24, 2010: 10:30 AM to 2:00 PM, on 5th Street, across from the Denton, Maryland, Fire House - Support the Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) for children Program. CASA will offer Beef or Pork on a roll, with chips and a drink for $8.00.  If you are really busy and don't have time to stand around and wait for preparation, call in your order (by Wednesday 9/22) to (410) 479-8301 or email in an order at Carolinecasa@verizon.net . CASA is an excellent, not-for-profit, agency that provides advocates for the abused and neglected children of Caroline County. Visit their website http://www.carolinecasa.org/ 

August 18th - Twilight Tunes at the Caroline County Courthouse Green, in Denton, MD, starting at 5:30 PM, right across the street from my Sunset Properties Real Estate Office, which is at 110 Market Street, Denton, MD, 21629

August 20th and 21st - Caroline Summerfest, Friday 5 to 10 PM and Saturday 2 to 10 PM. Fun, food, booths, musicians, entertainers, and fireworks. This is a free, annual, event.  Much of Market Street is closed to vehicle traffic. Come out and have fun!  

If you are from out of town, call me for directions or just plug my office address into your GPS and you will find these events nearby.

Many years ago, one of my heroes, Thomas Paine, wrote, "These are the times that try mens' souls." He was speaking of the turmoil in the American colonies, at the time, among our ancestors in their struggle for independence from British rule.  Because of their struggles, sacrifices, and hard-fought battles the outcome is now history . . . on July 4, 1776 the Declaration of Independence was signed and we have long since enjoyed its "unalienable rights of Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness."

Today, during all of our partying and festivities, let's not forget why we are celebrating. Please take just a couple of seconds and say a short prayer of thanks to all of those who made our great journey of "freedom, life, liberty, and our pursuits of happiness" possible.

Though our current times "try our souls" it's the 224 years of freedom which give us our sense of pride and nationalism . . . and make us so strong.

HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY ! 

A Memorial Day Tribute to Our Members in Uniform

As a retired member of the United States Air Force, I salute my fellow brothers and sisters in all the military services, past and present. Thank you, one and all, for your many sacrifices and efforts in making, and keeping, the United States of America the greatest nation on earth. Let it be known to all that the nationalism that lives deep in, most of, our souls is directly rooted in the freedoms which we love so dearly; the freedoms which our veterans valiantly won for us. Let us never forget their noble efforts!

This morning, I was reminded of the diverse lifestyles and culture on the eastern shore.  I went on a listing appointment in an area west of Dover, Delaware.  The area is heavily settled by the Amish.  I passed by an enclosed, black, Amish carriage along the way.  I went whizzing by in my car and heard the klomp, klomp, of the horse's hooves on the roadway.  I waved at the driver and I think he waved back.  I noticed many Amish farm houses in the area.  Their farm houses stand out because there are no electric lines running to them, there are no "vehicles" in their yards, and generally there "are" clothes on their clotheslines, even in the Winter months.  As I write this and reflect on this morning, I ponder just how different their plain, simple, lifestyles are in comparison to mine.  It's interesting how we can live so close to others and yet have lifestyles and cultures which are worlds apart. It's a part of what makes our country so great.  God bless America.   

Based on numbers of sales for a given area we can determine "absorption rate."  Absorption rate is an estimate of how long it will take for all of the homes currently on the market (in a given area) to sell if no other homes come on the market.  Of course more homes are listed daily in most markets so the absorption rate is fluid - changes all the time.  But, looking at an absoprtion rate, will give you a rough idea of how long a home can potentially stay on the market before selling.  That's why it's imperative to price homes properly to make them one of the first homes picked by buyers who are active in the market now.

To get the absorption rate, for the following counties, take the number of homes sold since 1/1/09 and divide that number by the number of days so far this year (103 days as of 4/13/09).  This will give you an average number of homes sold daily.  Divide that number into the total homes on the market in each county and you will get the "absorption rate" for each county based on current sales for 2009. 

The absorption rates for the counties below are over two years (yes at the rate at which homes are selling now it will take over two years for all the homes on the market to be sold in those counties).  When the absorption rate is high we are in a period known as a Buyer's Market (lots of homes to choose from and no time constraint pressures to buy them).  We are definitely experiencing a Buyer's Market right now.

Absorption rates can be pretty sobering if you are home seller.  Call me or email me and I will explain.

These stats are for Homes in Caroline, Kent, and Queen Anne's County, in MD.

Caroline County, MD - Active (A) Home Listings in all price ranges:  374

Caroline County, MD - Under Contract (UC) Home Listings in all price ranges: 41

Caroline County, MD - SOLD (S) Homes 1/1/09 to Present:  49   

Kent County, MD - A Home Listings in all price ranges:  346

Kent County, MD - UC Home Listings in all price ranges: 28

Kent County, MD - S Homes 1/1/09 to Present:  22

Queen Anne's County, MD - A Home Listings in all price ranges:  > 500 *

Queen Anne's County, MD - UC Home Listings in all price ranges: 64

Queen Anne's County, MD - S Homes 1/1/09 to Present:  63

* Results taken from MRIS multi-list.  Search only goes to 500. This figure is greater than 500.

Anyone who has ever eaten a steamed Blue Crab knows how difficult and tedious it can be to get the meat out of the crab's hard shell.  But, oh is it worth it once you do!  What a tasty treat.  But what about the cans of already picked crab meat and that used in restaurant dishes (crab cakes, crab imperial, crab soup, etc.)?  As difficult as it is to remove the meat, who does it on such a big scale?

I know someone whose mother removes crab meat out of Blue Crabs ("picks crabs") for a living.  This woman has been picking crab meat since she was a little girl.  She held her own mother's hand, as a little girl, when her mother walked to the local crabhouse to pick crabs.  Her mother did it until she was in her late 70's.  It's a hard life.  She wakes up at 3 AM, has a slice of toast and a cup of coffee, and waits for a van to pick her up and take her to the local crabhouse where she works until about 10 AM.  There, she picks the meat from hundreds of crabs and puts it into various cans (jumbo lump, backfin, or claw meat). This woman is probably the fastest picker in the crabhouse. She can pick over 30 pounds of meat per day. She also produces some of the finest and cleanest meat (hardly any shells or crab by-products) of the 15 or so women who work alongside her in the picking house. This woman is now 76 years old. This is the only occupation that she has ever had and the only job that she has ever wanted to do. It's a tough life though, standing on a usually wet, concrete, floor in a damp and very warm or very cool and drafty atmosphere day-in and day-out, hands and crab meat flying. The pay? $2.50 per pound. After a long season, ending in late November, she and her coworkers look forward to the winter respite and their seasonal unemployment checks.  Just a couple of weeks to go. 

Who is this lady who picks the meat from the crabs? I am proud to say that this lady is my mother. She has been working for Tideland Seafood, in Wingate, Maryland, for about five years now.  Before that, she worked for 42 years for a local crab company that just closed the doors one day and the owners didn't even call her or others who had worked there for so many years to even let them know that they had closed.  No gold watch, no pension, and not even a"Thank You." Ah, yes, it's a tough life. Living on the Eastern Shore of Maryland and working in the local economy that depends on the Bay is tough. I held my mother's hand, as a little boy, and went to the crab house with her. I will never forget that.

If you ever get a chance, visit one of the local crab houses and see just how fast someone can pick a crab. It will probably surprise you.  Go in the Summer time and, while you're there, buy a couple of pounds of freshly picked meat.  You won't be disappointed!

So now you know who removes the meat from the crabs. It's the hard working people like my mother who do it and who are very proud of doing that for a liviing . . .  and I'm so proud of my hard-working mother and of my eastern shore upbringing and heritage. 

In the first eight months of 2008, one hundred fifty seven (157) homes were sold in Caroline County, Maryland.  That compares to two hundred twenty four (224) homes sold during the same period in 2007 and to three hundred four (304) homes sold during the same period in 2006.  So, that equates to a drop of about 29.9% from 2007 to 2008 and about 48.4% from 2006 to 2008.  That's huge for each of the last two years! 

When will home sales pick up again?  Interest rates are still very good. The absorption rate for homes in Caroline County, Maryland, reveals that with 502 homes on the market there is over a 25 month supply of homes to be sold even if no more homes were to come on the market in the next 25 months.  Wow.  Given that there will be additional homes listed in the coming months you obviously get the picture that there is an abundance of homes on the market in Caroline County and thus . . . it's still a Buyer's Market.

Call me or email me if you would to buy or sell a house land or a farm or if you need help with planning for a 1031 exchange (buy or sell).  Mickey Hayward Cell Phone (410) 924-2277 or  Email mickey@sunsetproperties.net

Maryland increased the Non-Resident withholding tax, effective January 1, 2008, from 6% to 6.75 % for individuals and from 7 % to 8.25 % for corporations.  If you own real property in Maryland but you are not a Maryland resident you are subject to this tax.  There are some ways around it but they are few and far between.  I sold a $2,000,000 farm a while back when the tax was 6 % and the seller almost had a heart attack when he saw the withholding amount.  Maryland increased just about every tax one can think of in the past year.  Is Maryland becoming a business "unfriendly" state?  Time and the tax man will show us ! 

Has anyone heard of a Sook?  I grew up in South Dorchester County, Maryland, and my father was a waterman.  In the Fall of the year he would catch loads of female Blue Crabs that the local people call "Sooks."  Ever hear of a Sook?