Peter & Alex Sell Their Baltimore Home with Jerry Kline!

Peter & Alex do Couto recently sold their home located at 618 Aldershot Road in Baltimore with the help of Jerry Kline, realtor, Keller Williams Flagship of Maryland.

Peter do Couto’s home state of Kentucky was calling him home, and he needed to sell his charming 1930s colonial tucked just inside the Baltimore Beltway. So, he reached out to Jerry Kline, realtor with Keller Williams Flagship of Maryland to help guide him through the process.

This home, located at 618 Aldershot Road in Baltimore, Maryland, was recently sold by Jerry Kline, realtor, Keller Williams Flagship of Maryland.

Jerry had helped Peter & his wife, Alex, purchase the property several years before. With Peter finishing up his career in the Coast Guard and moving back to Lexington, the couple wanted to get the very best price for their property. Jerry sold the home in five days for $364,000, nearly $50,000 more than the couple paid for the home three years before.

The living room of 618 Aldershot Road in Baltimore, Maryland. The home was recently sold by Jerry Kline, realtor, Keller Williams Flagship of Maryland.

The home features: an updated kitchen and baths; a spacious, 2-car, detached garage; a large, maintenance-free deck; and a finished, lower-level family room/rec space. Oozing with character, the home boasts original hardwood flooring, a covered front porch with porch swing, neutral interior paint colors and period architectural details.

The dining room of 618 Aldershot Road in Baltimore, Maryland. The home was recently sold by Jerry Kline, realtor, Keller Williams Flagship of Maryland.

The updated kitchen offers stainless steel appliances, a large, stainless steel sink, engineered hardwood flooring and two butcher-block countertops. The upper-level full bath has newer lighting and plumbing fixtures, ceramic tile flooring and a tub/shower combo with a ceramic-tile tub surround.

The kitchen of 618 Aldershot Road in Baltimore, Maryland. The home was recently sold by Jerry Kline, realtor, Keller Williams Flagship of Maryland.

On the exterior of the home, there’s a fully fenced rear yard and ample parking, with a long, private driveway. All this is located on a quiet street just 5 minutes’ drive from a host of dining, shopping & entertainment options. 

"One of our favorite things to do in this home was sit on the back porch and enjoy the spring and summer blooms around the yard,” owner Alex said. “It was the perfect spot for grilling out and spending time with our family and friends. Even more so, we were incredibly grateful to find a home with a large garage that fits 2 cars and has ample work space. The house is very customizable to your design preferences, and we enjoyed creating a fun space that melds old-house character with modern twists. We’ve enjoyed loving this house, and it has a lot to provide to its next owners."

With 13 years of experience helping clients buy, sell and rent residential real estate in central Maryland, Jerry Kline is the expert you need to seamlessly complete your real estate transaction. Contact him today at (443) 924-7418.

A Look at New-Construction Townhomes in the Fort Meade, Maryland, Area

Nearly a Dozen New Townhome Communities Are Being Built Within Five Minutes of This Key Federal Intelligence Hub

Home buyers searching for new homes in the greater Fort Meade, Maryland, area have a wide array of properties to choose from at the moment. In terms of townhomes in the areas of Odenton, Severn and Hanover, there are nearly a dozen new-home construction communities underway, with several of the big national home builders fighting for market share.

In Severn, just east of Fort Meade and adjacent to the installation’s Rockenbach gate, there are four major new construction townhome communities being built. All are less than a five-minute drive from Fort Meade. They are:

Community

Built by

Price Range

Millstone Village

D.R. Horton

$302K - $404K

Boyer’s Ridge

Lennar

$308K - $404K

Jacob’s Forest

M/I Homes

$289K - $319K

Jacob’s Forest

Beazer

$292K - $334K

Arundel Forest

Toll Brothers

$435K - $500K

In Hanover, just north of Fort Meade, there’s also lots of new construction activity. The building boom there is being fueled by continued job growth at the Fort Meade installation as well as by the recently opened Maryland Live Casino at Hanover’s Arundel Mills Mall. The Hanover new-construction townhome communities include:

Community

Built by

Price Range

Park Side

Ryan Homes

$327K - $402K

Park Side

NV Homes

$399K - $422K

Oxford Square

Lennar

$400K - $461K

Enclave at Arundel Preserve

Toll Brothers

$417K - $447K

Several other new townhome communities also are being built around Fort Meade. Adjacent to Fort Meade to the south is Odenton, a very popular location for military and civilian employees working at the base. The Town Center Commons community, being built by Ryan Homes, is less than a mile from the base and sits on Maryland’s MARC commuter rail line. The Odenton MARC Station provides direct access to the Penn Line, a heavily used commuter line for workers and students travelling to Baltimore and Washington, D.C., each day. The MARC system connects directly to AMTRAK, providing easy train access to the entire northeastern U.S. corridor.

Finally, in Elkridge, Maryland, a few miles northwest of Fort Meade, Ryan Homes is building its Howard Square luxury townhome community. The community is located near the intersections of Interstate 95 (with direct access to Baltimore and Washington), Rt. 1 and Rt. 175. New townhomes in that community range from $309K to $393K.

Given the wide variety of new townhome choices in the greater Fort Meade, Maryland, area, home buyers are best served by a realtor familiar with these specific projects. Jerry Kline of Keller Williams Flagship of Maryland, based in Odenton, has helped many buyers compare and contrast these communities, builders, home models and amenities. Contact him today for more help choosing just the right home near Fort Meade.

Jerry Kline is a Realtor with the Odenton, Md., office of Keller Williams Flagship Realty (1216 Annapolis Rd., Odenton.) For more information on the local real estate market, contact him at (443) 924-7418.

The Cliftons Complete Their Pasadena, Md., Home Purchase

Pasadena Home Sales

Robert and Alicia Clifton completed the purchase of their new Pasadena, Md., home Dec. 22, just in time to move in for Christmas. The Cliftons relocated to the central Maryland area from Georgia to accommodate Robert's new assignment with the Coast Guard.

Avid boating enthusiasts, the Cliftons selected a large single family home with a 3-acre wooded lot, just a stone's throw from the water and a marina. Congratulations on your new home, Robert & Alicia, and thanks for allowing me to help you with the search and purchase!

If you know someone looking to buy or sell a home in the Baltimore/Washington/Annapolis area, call me at 443-924-7418. I'll be glad to help!

Randy Barth Closes the Sale of His 'Flip' Property

Randy Barth has helped flip more than 30 residential properties in the greater Baltimore area over the last few years. After purchasing a 1924 duplex in Baltimore's Forest Park neighborhood for $21,000, he recently completed a massive renovation of the home and sold the property for $125,000. Randy enlisted me to sell the home.

Interestingly, to help boost market exposure of the property, I was able to get the home included in Live Baltimore's "Buying Into Baltimore" program (http://livebaltimore.com/events/details/buying-into-baltimore/#.VHiKv_10z5o). As a result, more than 50 qualified homebuyers were able to tour the home during the program's open-house bus tour on Sept. 27. The buyer found the house during that tour.

Do you have an interest in buying and "flipping" residential investment properties? Are you a first-time homebuyer in need of financial assistance for a Baltimore-area home? Call me, and I'll be glad to help you with your real estate need.

Again, congratulations Randy on your home sale, and thanks for choosing me as your listing agent!

Congratulations David & Isabella on Your New Tanyard Springs Lennar Home!

David and Isabella White and their four young children faced a daunting move from Florida to accommodate David's new job at Ft. Meade, Md. Not knowing where to turn for help, they enlisted me as their buyers agent earlier this year. We spent time visiting a wide variety of properties in the greater Anne Arundel County area. In the end, David and Isabella settled on a Lennar new-construction home in the Glen Burnie community of Tanyard Springs.

We were able to get the Whites a fully upgraded, quick move-in Patriot single-family model for an incredibly low price. Tons of closing help from the builder, too!

If you know someone moving to the central Maryland area and needs help finding a place to live, have them give me a call. I'd be happy to help them, too!

Congratulations Brandon on the Purchase of Your New Investment Property!

Brandon Crawford buys distressed residential properties in Baltimore City, then updates and renovates them. Some he keeps as rental properties and some he re-sells to others. Brandon recently enlisted me to help him with the purchase of 3110 Wolcott Ave. in Baltimore's Forest Park neighborhood. Having just closed the sale a few days ago, Brandon's already hard at work gutting and rebuilding the 90-year-old structure. Thanks, Brandon, for choosing me as your Buyers Agent!

JUST LISTED! Completely Renovated Baltimore City Duplex - $149,000

Looking for a great starter home in Baltimore City? Check out my new listing at 3108 Wolcott Ave. in Forest Park (MLS# BA8396461). Listed for $149,000, it's a 3-bedroom, 1 full-bath, 2 half-bath brick duplex that's been gutted to the studs.

The home features a new kitchen with pass-through, granite counters & stainless steel appliances. Also all new:

* Ceramic baths;

* Roof;

* High-efficiency HVAC system;

* Plumbing system;

* Electrical system;

* Windows;

* Doors;

* Flooring;

* Water heater;

* Recessed lighting;

* Crown moulding; and

* Large finished basement.

Plus that lovingly restored exposed brick wall!

Minutes to downtown Baltimore! Call me for more info (443) 924-7418

Class-Action Lawsuit Against Creig Northrop Real Estate Team Underscores Consumer Protections for Home Buyers, Home Sellers

A large class-action lawsuit recently certified against Maryland’s Creig Northrop Real Estate Team serves as an excellent reminder of the consumer protections afforded to home buyers and home sellers under the federal Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (RESPA).

RESPA, enacted by Congress in 1974, is designed to protect consumers from unscrupulous practices in the real estate industry. Its chief purpose is to help consumers become better shoppers for real estate settlement services and to eliminate kickbacks and referral fees that unnecessarily increase the costs of closing a transaction.

Among other things, the act prohibits kickbacks between lenders and third-party settlement agents in the settlement process.

The lawsuit, filed in 2013, alleges that The Creig Northrop Team P.C. and others received more than $500,000 in illegal kickbacks from Lakeview Title Co. Inc. over a period of years. The class certified by the court in January includes all purchasers who engaged the services of The Creig Northrop Team and a defendant title insurance company from Jan. 1, 2008, until the present.

The number of home buyers and home sellers included in the class of plaintiffs is potentially huge. The Creig Northrop Team P.C. is affiliated with Long & Foster Real Estate Inc., and was ranked second in the country last year and first in 2012 in the amount of real estate transaction volume handled.

Under RESPA, service providers in a real estate transaction must provide a variety of disclosures to their clients. (See http://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/HUD?src=/program_offices/housing/rmra/res/respamor#HD) Certain disclosures must be made at the time of loan application, before settlement occurs, at settlement and after settlement.

Also important for home buyers and home sellers is the Affiliated Business Arrangement Disclosure. This disclosure is required whenever a settlement service provider involved in a RESPA-covered transaction refers the client to a provider with whom the referring party has an ownership or other beneficial interest.

The referring party must give this disclosure to the client at or prior to the time of referral. The disclosure must describe the business arrangement that exists between the two providers and give the borrower an estimate of the second provider's charges.

Except in cases where a lender refers a borrower to an attorney, credit reporting agency or real estate appraiser to represent the lender's interest in the transaction, the referring party may not require the consumer to use the particular provider being referred.

For more information on the case (Patrick Baehr et al. v. The Creig Northrop Team P.C. et al.)), see http://www.inman.com/2014/02/25/top-producing-long-foster-team-facing-class-action-respa-suit-over-alleged-kickbacks-to-title-insurance-agency/

Jerry Kline is a Realtor with the Odenton, Md., office of Keller Williams Flagship Realty (1216 Annapolis Rd., Odenton.) For more information on the local real estate market, contact him at (443) 924-7418.

'Boomerang Buyers' Are Staging a Comeback

Rising rents and the desire to own again now that the economy is more stable are driving many boomerang buyers to re-enter the market. They also want to jump in before interest rates and home prices climb too much higher. 'Boomerang Buyers' Are Staging a Comeback

OPEN HOUSE! Sun. 4/15 Noon-2pm -- 3BR, 2.5 BA Colonial in Pasadena

OPEN HOUSE! Sunday April 15, Noon to 2 pm.

Enjoy the spring weather by touring this lovely 3-bedroom, 2.5-bath Colonial home in the Green Haven section of Pasadena. Convenient to Rt. 100 and I-97.

The home features: *a large front porch; *an updated kitchen; *a large finished basement; *a large fenced yard; *a screened rear deck; * and more!

606 231st St. Pasadena, MD 21122

MLS# AA7785629

Offered at $299,999

For more information, please contact: Jerry Kline, Realtor Keller Williams Flagship of Maryland (443) 924-7418 (cell) (410) 729-7700 (office)