This is the season for family and friends.  Please don't forget about the folks who are less fortunate in our community.  This has been a difficult time for many.  We need to pull together as a community to make sure no one is forgotten.

In an effort to help, RE/MAX Realty Group in Gaithersburg, Maryland has started a food drive to support the Maryland Food bank. 

During the month of November you can drop your nonperishable food items off to the RE/MAX Realty Group office or at the designated Open Houses held by RE/MAX Realty Group Agents. 

If you have any questions please contact Me, Audrey June-Forshey or the RE/MAX Realty Group Office if you would like to drop off or have donations picked up.

RE/MAX Realty Group Drop Off

Happy Blessed Holidays to all.

This information and research was done by my friend, Yvette Smith in the Williamsburg Virginia area.  I thought it was such good information I wanted to share it with my readers as well.  Thank you Yvette for such a great post on such an important topic!!

Wishing everyone a Happy Halloween.  The local weather in Gaithersburg  is supposed to be good for trick or treaters. 

I hope to see all the kids, big and small out celebrating.  I will be taking pictures at my home in Darnestown.  Most of the kids head up to the Kentlands to trick or treat. 

 I think some kids think it is too much work to come to Darnestown where all the houses are on 2 acre lots or more.  The Kentlands have smaller lots and they get a bigger bang for the buck.

If you have photos that you would like to share, please email them to me and I will post them on my blog to share with everyone.

Stay safe, have fun, see you tomorrow.  I will have my cameral waiting for you!!

You can email your photos to AudreyForshey@gmail.com

Active Rain is a more important business tool than you may think.  Only being here since January of this year I had not the first clue.   For me, I had a website, email, cell phone and thought that was enough.  I thought blogging was done by political types and media types.  Boy, was I wrong.

Being a part of Active Rain not only helps your exposure as far as the public goes, the relationships are very important as well.  They are important for personal reasons, but also business reasons.

Here is how much interaction I have had in the last week or two because of Active Rain;

• My old assistant, Maria, as some of you know moved to Florida.  I was very sad to see her go, but that is the way things go.  I actually had an agent from the Daytona area of Florida contact me to talk with Maria about potentially working for them.  Will keep you posted on outcome.
• I have been in touch with Anne Marie Malfi to see what we can do together to see if we can work on some projects together. 
• I had a settlement last week from a buyer that found me on AR.
• I got an email from Sara Homan about possible referring a buyer to me.  It was not my area of Maryland, so I emailed her and told her that I believed Michael Klijanowicz worked that area.
• A past client of mine has a friend moving to the Annapolis area.  I told him I had the perfect person for him so I emailed Margaret Woda.  I hope that turns into something for Margaret.
• I got a new listing for $600,000 in my area.
• My Friends, Kathy McGraw, Nannette Saunders and Liz Moras all checked in with me to make sure I was okay since I had not posted recently - Twitter, you know.  How great does that make you feel that people are really here for you. 

I don't know about you, but I think that is  a lot of activity because of my relationships here on Active Rain?  If you are new to Active Rain I would say this to you, be a part of the community.  Don't just put your name and email and phone number on a page and think you did something.  You can write whatever you like, within the ARCommunity Guidelines, it might not be perfect - no one is at first - you need practice to "find your voice".  You will be amazed at the positive affect it will have on your business and personal life.  You find support from other members who understand your rant or could be a shoulder to cry on. 

The other part about being a "part of the community" here at AR is that you develop relationships, find help, but also share your talents with us so that we all can thrive together in our industry.  Please don't be one of the folks that just post listing after listing and copy and paste information.  Part of getting referrals from the folks here at Active Rain is that we get to know you and know that we want to hand our dear precious clients over to you.  We want to know you.

Yes, blogging is work, but you can do it in the comfort of your home, listening to music, news enjoying the beverage of your choice.  Bantering with friends.  Learning about the newest fun tech gadget or how open house strategies have worked for some agents.  The value is endless.

Please, come and join us, but be a part of the community as well, you will only benefit yourself.  Besides, you will get to learn what a TLW is! How's that for some link love?

I often have people ask me if I ever rode the Carousel at Glen Echo Park as a kid?  Unfortunately I did not grow up here and never had the privilidge of riding the carousel. The carousel is the  Dentzel Carousel built in 1921.  The Park was formed back in 1891 and was used for Arts, science and literature mostly.  In the early part of the 1900's it became an amusement park that most local Washingtonians grew up with until 1968.

The Federal Government took the land over as part of the park service, but in 2002 Montgomery County Maryland took the park back.  It has been set up as a non profit organization and still today it remains true to the Arts, science and literature as started in 1891.  The park sits perched above the Potomac River.

You can still ride the Dentzel Carousel.  It opens in the Spring and runs through the fall.  It is scheduled to open May 2, 2009.

Apart from the amusement park Glen Echo Park has so much to offer.  From Mid November through January 2009 the Annual Holiday Art Show and Sale will be held in the Popcorn Gallery.  The works featured will be from the artists in residence at Glen Echo Park.  Admission is free.

In addition to the amusment park and the art gallery, there is a children's museum and gallery, the Spanish Dance Hall which had a complete renovation.  You can reserve the dance hall for special occasions.  There are classes you can sign up for in pottery, glass making, you name it you can fill your art indulgence to your hearts content. Glen Echo Calendar of Events.

Many Washingtonians have kept Glen Echo Park memories in their hearts from their childhood years and now they can continue the tradition with their families through their adult years.

To read the rest of the post Click Here

This is one of the toughest things to get across to the consumer.  A purchaser has spoken to a lender and the lender says that the purchaser is "approved" up to a certain price.  So the buyer will go shopping, letter in hand, only to find that they did not really qualify for the loan.  There are disclaimers on the letter.

A listing agent and seller will look at the letter and believe that this buyer, who has made a commitment to purchase their home is qualified.  Please take note of the information my friend Yvette Smith has complied in her blog post.

Thanks Yvette!

The 20876 section of Germantown is smaller than 20874 so the volume numbers are typically smaller.  There were a total of 18 sales in Septmeber. The dollar volume is down from last year at this time about 10%.  The average sales price is down by 25%. 

The interesting part is that the percentage of contract price is almost the same.  It is 94% this year and was 95% last year. 

Metropolitan Regional Information Systems, Inc.   ZIP Code Statistics - <$100K to >$5M Format

ZIP Code: 20876 Germantown, MD
From: 09/01/2008 to 09/30/2008                Statistics generated on: 10/08/2008

Source: Metropolitan Regional Information Systems, Inc. - MLS Resale Data
Copyright 2008 - Information deemed reliable, but is not guaranteed.

These are the statistics from the sales information the agents provide to MRIS.  As you can see 76 homes sold during September.  The good news is those numbers are up over 53% in dollar volume from the  same time last year.  The average sold price is down from $329,000 to $306,000.

The average days on the market is higher for 2008, it went from 67 days on average to 97.

One of the most important numbers I think the consumer should pay attention to is what percentage of the asking price is to contract price.  In 2007 sellers got 95.57% of their asking price as their contract price.  Now in 2008, sellers are getting 91.91% in zip code 20874.

If you have any questions about this information, please do not hesitate to contact me at Audrey@audreyjune.com.

Metropolitan Regional Information Systems, Inc.   ZIP Code Statistics - <$100K to >$5M Format

ZIP Code: 20874 Germantown, MD
From: 09/01/2008 to 09/30/2008                Statistics generated on: 10/08/2008

Source: Metropolitan Regional Information Systems, Inc. - MLS Resale Data
Copyright 2008 - Information deemed reliable, but is not guaranteed.

The following information is compiled from our sales provided to the MRIS system.  You can see that a total of 60 units sold for the month.  18 of the properties sold within the first 30 days of being on the market.

The good news is the dollar volume for the month of September is up 48% from September of 2007.  The average sales price is down from from $485,000 to $420,000.  The other number I think is important for consumers to pay attention to is the percentage of the price sold to the price asked for a home.   In 2007 sellers got almost 95% of the asking price as a contract price and in 2008 that is down to 92.55%

Please let me know if you have questions in regard to this information.  You may contact me at Audrey@audreyjune.com  or my office direct  301-921-2672 .

Metropolitan Regional Information Systems, Inc.   ZIP Code Statistics - <$100K to >$5M Format

ZIP Code: 20878 Gaithersburg, MD
From: 09/01/2008 to 09/30/2008                Statistics generated on: 10/08/2008

Source: Metropolitan Regional Information Systems, Inc. - MLS Resale Data
Copyright 2008 - Information deemed reliable, but is not guaranteed.