Pre-sale home preparation is one of the most important things you can do to add value in the mind of the buyer. Go Brent‘s home preparation can raise the value of your property by leading the eye to attractive features while minimizing flaws.
We offer advice regarding all phases of property preparation. While some sellers paint, refinish floors, and take on other major projects, some clients do very little. We will advise you on which improvements will add value and, if appropriate, arrange for the work and oversee the contractors.
Even if major improvements to the house are not on your agenda, we can recommend minor changes and inexpensive adjustments that can make a big difference in attracting buyers. Cleaning, small repairs, and landscaping can go a long way in making an appealing visual statement, both in online photos and in person.
Considering selling? Ensure your home makes the best impression when it hits the market. Contact us for a free consultation today!
Hear What Our Clients Have to Say
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[wolf_testimonials_start][wolf_testimonial_slide cite=”Ken Brown & Donna Creedon, sold in Silver Spring after just 5 days on the market”]We dreaded going through the prep work to get ready to sell. The fact that you could arrange for the contractor, mover, hauler, cleaner, and window washer was a huge load off our minds. You really, really surpassed our expectations. We thank you![/wolf_testimonial_slide][wolf_testimonials_end]
We have real estate pricing stats with data through year-end 2017. The stats cover the past ten years of home sales. We have stats available for zip codes in Silver Spring, Takoma Park, and Kensington. Some zip codes show that home prices are near, or exceed, where we were at the top of the market.
We’re happy to share this data with you! Fill out the form below to request your copy.
Join Go Brent’s Debbie Gerald and Caliber Home Loans’ Ramez Fahmy for a free First-Time Homebuyers Seminar.
We’ll discuss the ins and outs of purchasing and financing your first home/condo. If you’ve been thinking about buying this year or in the near future, this is a great opportunity to ask questions and learn about the buying process.
When: Saturday, March 17 from 10:00-11:30AM Where: Silver Spring Civic Center in downtown Silver Spring
There is no cost or obligation, just plenty of information! Can’t attend but want to know more about the home buying process? Contact Debbie for more information.
The number of single-family homes on the market now is quite low. Sellers don’t have a lot of competition and we have many buyers who are eager to buy but are fazed by the lack of inventory.
If selling your home has crossed your mind, now may be an excellent time to sell. We are currently meeting with homeowners to discuss if they should put their home on the market quickly to take advantage of the lack of inventory or prep their home and wait for the spring market.
9309 Glenville Road Long Branch Village
Listed and Under Contract in: 6 days
*Just 70 days from listing to sold
111 Elm Avenue Takoma Park
Listed and Under Contract in: 6 days
*Received multiple offers for more than list price
301 Lexington Drive Woodmoor
Listed and Under Contract in: 5 days
*Previously on market 4+ months with another brokerage
A Go Brent agent can provide you with a free consultation to discuss your property and the current market situation.
As a buyer, competition can be stiff — we are seeing multiple offers and escalation clauses on many properties. As seasoned full-time agents, we’ve navigated competitive markets before and can best assist you with your home purchase. We know how to prepare a strong offer, best leverage your position, and minimize your risk. Also, Go Brent agents are in constant communication with area agents and often learn of new listings before they hit the market. A free consult with a Go Brent agent will be advantageous as you begin or continue your search for a home.
If you are interested in a free consultation or would like to hear about new listings that are “Coming Soon” – please contact us!
1. We are Realists: We know any agent can list your home in the multiple listing system or open doors for buyer showings. We know we need to earn your business.
2. We are Present: We work with people in all situations and with varying timelines. You don’t have to be a buyer or a seller to talk with us.
3. We Listen: We really want to hear everything that’s on your mind. Knowing your ultimate goal is important of course, but to advise you in the most complete way possible, we want to know much more. We know you will have many questions about the process and we are here to assist you figure out the answers.
4. We Connect: Prior to and throughout the transaction, you’ll need knowledgeable, caring professionals. With over twenty years of experience in the community, we’ve built relationships with partners you can trust to serve you well: hauler, cleaner, plumber, mover, window washer, general contractors, locksmith, landscaper, structural engineer, radon remediator. You name it, we got it.
5. We Dig In: We know how to prepare our clients to maximize every market opportunity. This means guiding you to be the most prepared, educated, and savvy buyer. It also means how we handle the presentation of a home for sale. We are well known for shaping the best product on the market which includes the option of having your home staged at no initial charge and no monthly rental fee.
6. We Leverage: We are confident, knowledgeable, and tenacious in negotiation. We have a firm grasp on the sales contract and we understand how to use every bit of leverage possible to our clients’ advantage.
7. We Communicate: We are easy to find and easy to reach. Our team members all live locally and work from our office in downtown Silver Spring. Our office staff is experienced, cross-trained, and dedicated.
8. We Guide: We’ve vetted the local industry leaders for you including lenders, home inspectors, and settlement companies/attorneys.
9. We Protect: If ever there is a time that you need advice that we cannot provide, we’ll refer you to a professional that can help you.
10. We Know: Every client and every situation is unique. We know there really is no standard buyer, seller, property, or transaction. We work with you in the way that is most effective for you.
Let us know how we can assist you — contact us to schedule a free consultation and let’s get started!
There’s little inventory now but as you know the DC-area market typically explodes come Spring. If you intend to buy or sell in 2018, now is the perfect time to meet with an agent to ensure you have a strategy in place and don’t miss out.
Go Brent agents are full-time Realtors who have an unrivaled command of the local market. In 2017, we successfully assisted our clients to buy and sell 131 homes.
Recognized as real estate service leaders in the DC Metro area, Go Brent agents are consistently listed as top Realtors inside the Beltway. For the past 3 years, we’ve been ranked as the top listing agents in all of Silver Spring and in 2017, we were among the top listing agents in Takoma Park.
For over 20 years now, we’ve partnered with buyers and sellers to achieve their real estate goals. Go Brent agents have assisted over 1,000 home buyers and sellers through attentive communication, skillful negotiation, and proactive problem-solving.
Repeat clients and client referrals account for over 80% of our business. We consider this to be our true measure of success.
Liz Brent is also the Founder of Silver Spring Cares, a local not-for-profit that works to strengthen the Silver Spring community through the power of connection.
You’ve seen them around – maybe lined up in an organized row in downtown Silver Spring, maybe in a heap of a pile blocking a sidewalk or a bus stop. They come in all different colors! Green, Yellow, Orange, Red! Two things are for sure, they are making their way around the community and there are lots of opinions.
How do these bikes work? Generally, you download the app for the appropriate bike rental company – LimeBike for example, put in your information, create and account, etc. Then when you are interested in riding – you scan a bike, and it gets unlocked releasing the wheel. After your ride, you scan it again to lock it up and complete your ride. You don’t have to leave it in the same place as where you picked it up. For the rider looking for a quick trip from work to an appointment, or a ride to the bus stop from home these bikes seem like the perfect solution.
But of course there couldn’t be convenience without a dissenting inconvenience.
There have been bikes reported as being in the middle of sidewalks, fallen over, blocking a path for pedestrians, people with strollers or those in wheelchairs. Other bikes seem to have been left in more off the track places making them less apt to be ridden and often stay there for quite some time. WTOP just this weekend reported people parking bikes on the frozen C&O Canal. WHAT IS GOING ON?!
Dockless bikes aren’t for everyone it seems. There is a percentage of people that generally can’t use the bikes, those that travel and are responsible for young kids can’t easily run errands on dockless bikes. There’s also a risk that you get stranded and someone picks up the bike you left for your way back home. An argument also is that those that are avid bikers likely own bikes already.
Vicki King Taitano, a Silver Spring resident, is frustrated that a bike has been in her yard for over two weeks. The burden then falls on her to call the company and have them remove it. She mentions that she thought about putting in her narrow street but is afraid of causing an accident. “It sort of illustrates the point that this company expects me to participate in its business whether I want to or not. I don’t have the app and no one in my family rode the bike to my house, yet there it is unless I do something about it,” Taitano states.
After riding dockless bikes several times from her home to run errands in downtown Silver Spring, Liz Brent started a Facebook group called “Silver Spring’s Battle of the Bikes.” In this group, members frequently comment on both the positive and negative impact of these bikes. The pictures of kids riding the bikes and the convince of getting around downtown Silver Spring has been highlighted and lauded. It seems to be getting people to ride a bit more than normal. The environmental benefits also do not go unnoticed. Downtown Silver Spring is notorious for being frustrating to navigate in a car, especially during rush hour. By adding an easy bike option, many can get around without polluting or contributing to traffic.
Furthermore, it’s been noted that just because there are complaints and frustrations with the way that some of the companies handle the bikes being strewn about or where they are located, that doesn’t automatically translate into disliking the dockless bike programs as a whole. A general sentiment is that it’s a cool program but has lots of kinks to work out. Hopefully, the business model will only improve and expand to address needs and concerns.
“I think it’s odd that the rollout for the dockless bikes was in October, just as things would be getting cold here. On the other hand, on average our winters are usually so much milder than this, and the companies may have been counting on that,” notes Sandra Schmidt, a new rider and downtown Silver Spring resident. One would think that anyone familiar with the DC area knows how unpredictable the weather can be and how could it can become, deterring the casual bike rider.
As of now, there are many unanswered questions that we look forward to figuring out in the coming months as the weather warms, and bikers are more inclined to ride again. Will there be more bike accidents as drivers and riders get used to one another? Will a lack of helmet-wearers impact this? Will there be a more mainstream plan to move disruptively located bikes?
What do you think about the influx of dockless bikes in our community? Do you have a success story or an interesting anecdote? Let us know! If you’re interested in learning more about the different types (yes, there are plenty!) take a peek at their websites for more information. Montgomery County is open to questions or comments regarding the Dockless Bikeshare Program; residents can contact MC311 or email Commuter Services at mcdot.commuterservices@montgomerycountymd.gov.
Join Debbie Gerald with Go Brent Team of Keller Williams Capital Properties and Ramez Fahmy, Branch Manager at Caliber Home Loans for an informative seminar on how to purchase your first home. The seminar is offered on Saturday, January 27 from 10-11:30am at the Silver Spring Civic Center in downtown Silver Spring. There is no cost or obligation, just plenty of information! Please register in advance.
Homebuyers are invited to come discuss the ins and outs of purchasing and financing your first home. You’ll also have the opportunity to ask questions and learn how to start the home buying process.
A little more about your hosts:
As a member of Go Brent Team, a top-ranked DC Metro area team helping 40 clients to buy homes last year, Debbie Gerald specializes in educating first-time homebuyers on the home buying process and the many avenues available when purchasing your first home. Debbie is an expert in the marketplace and an experienced contract negotiator; she also provides clients with superior service. Buyers know they can count on Debbie to guide them as they search for the right home.
Caliber Home Loans Branch Manager Ramez Fahmy offers buyers 20-years experience in mortgage lending. Ramez is dedicated to providing superior service and expert guidance to first-time buyers throughout the home financing process. Caliber Home Loans offers competitive rates and fees along with innovative mortgage solutions to first-time homebuyers. Last year Ramez helped over 100 clients finance their home purchase. (NMLS#: 476394)
Can’t attend but want more information about home buying process? Email Debbie or call 301.873.0422.
