Real Estate Information Archive

This excerpt was provided to area real estate brokers regarding the difference between sales of off-MLS properties compared to properties sold on MLS. Today, Bright MLS released the findings of a two-year study comparing sale prices for homes promoted through the MLS with comparable homes sold off the MLS via FSBO or other off-MLS methods.

As a Bright MLS Broker, you are part of a powerful network of 95,000 subscribers. Cooperation amongst the Brokers and agents who are Bright subscribers is one of the pillars of our organization. The findings in this report conclusively demonstrate the power of this cooperation, and the benefits of an efficient and accessible market.

Our review of 442,829 transactions across the Bright footprint shows homes marketed on the MLS sold for substantially more than comparable homes, netting a median sale price of 16.98% higher overall.

If you are looking to sell a home, please call DeHanas Real Estate Services at 301-870-1717.

The first half of 2020 was heavily influenced by gloom and doom predictions that have left the economy in shambles, and the economic outlook highly uncertain. But another catastrophe is looming that very few folks are talking about; THE EVICTION TIDAL WAVE & HOMELESSNESS. The LA Times reported, back in March of 2020, that The Mortgage Bankers Association is anticipating nearly 15 million mortgages would go into default as a result of the economic decline caused by COVID-19. With some additional data behind us, I have seen revised predictions as low as 1.5 million, still a significant number.

On top of this, is the number of rental properties in default. As reported by the Maryland Independent, locally, in Southern Maryland, property management companies are seeing approximately 30% of their rentals in default, which is alarmingly high. But there is more. The end is not anywhere in sight. The Charles County Government has indicated they will not be holding Landlord-Tenant Court until after September 1, 2020, and many other local Governments are doing the same. By this time, there will be tenants that are 6 months or more behind on rent payments, and the back-log of cases is certain to be enormous, and will take some time to filter through the court system with evictions anticipated to begin sometime during the Fall of 2020 and continue in the Winter of 2021.

What are the signs of impending housing issues? You don’t need to look any further than the homeless camps popping up and growing all over the County……yes, they have already begun growing without evictions even being initiated. Behind our office on Smallwood Drive there are 3 camps with an estimated 40-50 people living in them, including families with kids. There are many other camps popping up all over the area. In our interaction with these families, everyone’s story about how they came to be in their situation, is unique. One thing is for sure; without help, it is very difficult to climb out of homelessness.

DeHanas Real Estate Services recently began an out-reach program charged with helping to make the homeless more comfortable, and feeding the hungry. On a Wednesday evening in May, 2020, we served hot meals to 1000 people from our office in Waldorf. Going into this event, I honestly could not have imagined that we would have gone through 1000 meals!! This scenario is being played out all over the region. One of the charities we participate with is Our Place, Waldorf, a local soup kitchen. On a normal (pre-COVID) evening, there are 70-80 folks there for meals. That number has doubled, and its growing. What can you do? Get involved. Check on your neighbors. Donate your time or money to local charities. There has never been a greater need in time, than there is now, to become a good Samaritan.

We do not know if the remainder of 2020 will bring us aliens or super volcanos, and certainly a second wave of COVID could make recovery that much more difficult. But, there is a family in your neighborhood that needs help, or will need help that is one thing we can count on. If we are “All in this together”, then TOGETHER we will get out of “this”.

If you would like to donate grocery items, please call 301-870-1717

Don DeHanas, Broker and Owner of DeHanas Real Estate in Waldorf, recently announced the affiliation of Pamela McClam to the Brokerages Waldorf office.

Ms. McClam retired in January 2017 after 39 years of Federal Service in Small Business contracting. She served as FEMA’s Small Business Specialist providing comprehensive procurement training, small business acquisition management, technical and policy support to timely implement FEMA’s Small Business Program within the Agency’s disaster and non-disaster multi-billion dollar procurements and projected contract actions.  

As a subject matter expert in small business prime and subcontracting programs, policies, and procedures, Pamela is well versed in small business procurement programs such as the 8(a) program, Service-Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business program, the Women-Owned Small Business program, and the HuBZone program. During her tenure as a Procurement Analyst and Small Business Specialist, she provided business development guidance to small businesses to include critical and strategic thinking for accessing the federal procurement marketplace, and faith-based community development to include critical outreach methodologies for faith-based community organizations.

Pamela is a resident of Charles County Maryland and an active member of Westphalia UMC, in Upper Marlboro, MD. She has earned an Associate’s Degree from Bryant and Stratton Business Institute, a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration from Strayer University and a Master of Arts Degree from Wesley Theological Seminary.

DeHanas Real Estate Services is family owned and operated, serving all of Southern Maryland, Norhtern Virginia and Washington DC.  DeHanas Specializes in residential real estate, investment properties, Property Management, Bank-owned sales, Short Sales, Estate Sales, first time, and luxury home buyers and water-front property sales.  Call 301-870-1717 for any of your real estate needs.

The 2018 Real Estate Market is likely to see the continued pace that we saw in 2017, with a few changes. We have already begun to see an increase, locally, of inventory in the over $400k price range, and the National Association of Realtors has stated they are projecting to see a continued increase of inventory over $350k this Fall, which has not happened since 2015. Unfortunately, there will still be significant demand for starter homes as the first-time home market continues to recover.

The growth rate is also expected to slow, to 3.2% in 2018 from a rate of 5.5% in 2017. As we have seen this past year, the entry level home price rates have risen faster than the higher priced homes. This will continue as the market sees an increase in inventory over $350k.

Millennials will continue to drive the market in 2018. Realtor.com predicts 43% of homes sold in 2018 will be to this group of buyers, up from 40% in 2017. Many of these buyers have already gotten into the entry level tier, and will begin to move up.

Investors are likely to continue to see strong competition for foreclosures, as the numbers of Bank-owned homes continues to dwindle, however, it should be noted that The University Financial Associates (UFA) Default Risk Index, which measures the risk of defaults on newly originated non-prime mortgages, climbed seven points between Q4 2017 and Q1 2018, hitting 108. This means the default of home mortgages is expected to be about 8% higher than those seen in the 1990s. And the January Performance Mortgage data from Black Knight Inc shows Mortgage delinquency rates 1.6% higher than in January 2017, and followed up by pointing out the 2017 hurricane season as a reason for the increase in delinquency with the top 5 states in terms of 90+ days delinquent percentage being Florida (3.96 percent), Mississippi (3.37 percent), Louisiana (2.68 percent), Texas (2.33 percent), and Alabama (2.13 percent).

And finally, the wild card; Tax Reform. While the State of Maryland will not see full benefits to some of the tax savings, due to Maryland being a high tax State, there is still enough benefit to buying a home as compared to renting the same home, to make it beneficial to home buyers, particularly in Southern Maryland where buying a home could save a home buyer thousands of dollars a year compared to renting. And there is still the mortgage interest deduction keeping that prospect attractive.

If you or someone you know is considering buying a home, please call DeHanas Real Estate Services at 301-870-1717. DeHanas Real Estate Services offers free buyer consultations, and can even help point you in the right direction for credit repair and understanding the financial preparations in buying a home. DeHanas Real Estate Services is locally owned and operated, licensed in Maryland, Washington DC and Virginia.

Yogi Berra said he’d give his right arm to be ambidextrous. While most first-time home buyers are not going to that extreme, it is interesting to see what sacrifices are being made according to the National Association of REALTORS® 2016 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers.

• 43% - cut spending on luxury or non-essential items

• 34% - cut spending on entertainment

• 27% - cut spending on clothes

• 14% - canceled vacation plans

• 9% - earned extra income through a second job

• 7% - sold or decided not to purchase a vehicle

• 44% - did not need to make any sacrifices

Forty-percent of first-time buyers experienced some difficulty during the mortgage application and approval process. Single, male buyers expressed a higher incidence of difficulty than single females and married or unmarried couples. Pre-approval from a qualified mortgage lender before the home search process begins is still considered the best advice for all buyers who will purchase with a mortgage. Your real estate professional can make recommendations for a loan officer that could help you avoid unnecessary aggravations. 

There seems to have been an accepted progression for homeowners going from starter home, to gradually moving into one’s dream home, then, downsizing after becoming an empty nester and finally, into a retirement home. However, Marianne Cusato’s 2016 Aging-in-Place Report indicates that many older Americans don’t plan on following that pattern.

61% of homeowners above the age of 55 intend on staying in their homes indefinitely. 2/3 of them believe that the home’s layout will serve their needs without having to make aging-related improvements. Some of the reasons being cited for staying in place are:

66% say their home is conveniently located

38% say they live close to their family

68% say they feel independent in their home

54% say they are familiar with their neighborhood

66% say the feel safe in their home Typical renovations that might be considered for their current home are things like grab bars in the tub or shower, shower seats, taller toilets, handheld showerheads and additional handrails on stairways.

It seems that the report’s conclusion is that regardless of a homeowner’s age, they want to thrive in their home. The same emotional reasons that causes a person to want to buy a home are the things that cause them to hold onto them if is practical.

Don DeHanas, Broker/owner of DeHanas Real Estate Services in Waldorf, recently announced the affiliation of Tonga Turner to the team. "Tonga is highly enthusiastic and detail oriented making her the perfect well-rounded real estate professional" says DeHanas. "We are excited she has joined our family team"!

Integrity, honesty and partnership are the three major foundations on which Tonga Turner’s real estate career has been built on. "Real estate is more than just, renting, selling or buying a home, it’s an important decision. Even if you are a seasoned homebuyer or seller, or looking to make your very first purchase", says Turner, who adds, "and I'll be here to guide you every step of the way".

From working with 3 major fortune 500 companies as a top business executive, to brokering major corporate deals in the private sector, Tonga’s job has always been to put the client first. If you are looking for a seasoned negotiator that is always working to achieve the best possible result for you and your family, then give Tonga Turner a call. Providing superior, quality real estate concierge services for today’s professionals.  Tonga truely is working to make real estate dreams come true.

DeHanas Real Estate Services is locally owned and operated, specializing in residential property sales, Bank-owned home sales, short sales, investment property and Property Management.

DeHanas Real Estate Announces the affiliation of Holly Huseman!

Holly has been a Charles County Native for 32+ years! Seventeen of those years have been in Real Estate exclusively Property Management and as a Realtor with Southern Maryland Association of Realtors (SMAR). Before arriving with the DeHanas Team, she helped expand and grow another Real Estate Company. Now she looks forward to this new adventure approaching! Aside from work, Holly is a mother of two, a fifteen year old daughter and an eleven year old son. "I look forward to helping my County, your families and working with my new family at DeHanas Real Estate!" says Holly.

DeHanas Real Estate is locally owned and operated specializing in all aspects of residential home sales and Property Management. Their office is conveniently located in St Charles Town Plaza in Waldorf. 

The DeHanas Team of Southern Maryland has just embarked on a new technology sweeping the real estate industry, and making the on-line home buying process that much more convenient!  With 3 Dimensional technology, a potential home buyer can completely view the home from the comfort of their home! Imagine buying a house without ever having to physically be there! The innovative tours, dubbed the Ultimate Virtual Tour, by DeHanas Real Estate Services, makes all of that possible!

Viewers will experience the virtual environment of the home, with the sharpest quality of image, and clarity. Don DeHanas, Broker/Owner of DeHanas Real Estate Services in Waldorf, MD says "The quality is amazing! The tour has incredible detail, allowing the viewer to investigate every nook and cranny of the house".  From desk-top to mobile device, the 3-D Virtual Tour allows the viewer to meander through the entire home as if they are actually walking through it. Home sellers are finding this techonology extremly benificial due to the amount of on-line buyer traffic it attracts, which is then reflected in actual showings or even offers without showings ever taking place.

Contact DeHanas Real Estate Services to inquire about listing your home and including the ultimate 3 D Virtual Tour at 301-870-1717301-870-1717.

Sample virtual tours can be viewed at DEHANAS ULTIMATE VIRTUAL TOURS.

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Don DeHanas, Broker/Owner of DeHanas Real Estate Services in Waldorf recently announced the affiliation of Bradley Putzier as the newest member of the team.  "Bradley comes to the DeHanas Team with a high caliber of skills that is sure to help homebuyers and sellers during the home sale process, acheive a smoother transaction, making him a perfect addition to our family," says DeHanas.

A dedicated member of DeHanas Real Estate Services, Bradley strives to maintaina high standard of customer service. He understands and appreciates the unique qualities and needs of each of his clients. Bradley exhibits a strong sense of team work, a commitment to excellence, and prides himself on being a highly detailed and organized individual.

Prior to joining DeHanas, Mr. Putzier had a successful 17 year career in the floral industry, both as a designer and show commentator. He then spent 18 years in the transportation industry, beginning his career in Idaho as a school bus driver, eventually working his way up the corporate ladder. This led to a position as General Manager of 2 years in Wisconsin and most recently as the Assistant General Manager of the Alexandria Transit Company for 11 years. As a member of the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) and the Virginia Transit Association, Bradley was active in many state-wide events, both as an attendee as well as host and organizer. In addition, he was an active committee member of the Virginia State Bus Roadeo, promoting customer service skills and saftey as a lifestyle.

Born, rainsed and educated in Idaho --a through-and-through "country boy"--Bradley learned to appreciate and value all that the mountains, lakes and rivers have to offer. He was brought up to be a strong, independent, and open-minded person with a passion for life. Instilled with a strong work ethic and family values, Bradley is also the proud father of two grown children and grandfather of eight grandchildren.

Bradleys unique blend of expertise, creative service, and attnetion to detail will offer seamless assistance in every detail of your home purchase or sale. He is very pleased to be a part of a very successful real estate sales team.

DeHanas Real Estate Services specializes in residential real estate sales and Property Management, & Bank-owned homes.

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