On the market and under contract in less than a week!
Year after year, Go Brent agents are real estate service leaders in the DC metro area. We’ve been the top agents inside the Beltway since 2008 and in the past 3 years, we’ve been the top listing agents in all of Silver Spring. In 2017, we were among the top listing agents in Takoma Park. We are proud to have assisted over 1,000 home buyers and home sellers over the years.
Did you know that as of January 1, 2018 Maryland law requires the replacement of all BATTERY-ONLY operated smoke alarms with tamper resistant units incorporating a silence/hush button and life-long batteries? Read Maryland’s updated law here.
If you are using “old” smoke alarms with 9-volt batteries, you are not in compliance with the new law. The intent of the new Smoke Alarm Law is to transition away from smoke alarms with 9-volt batteries, as these batteries can be easily removed and not replaced resulting in loss of life. The new sealed smoke alarms have long-life batteries and a hush feature allowing you to temporarily silence an alarm due to a non-emergency activation (think cooking!), with the alarm automatically resetting after a few minutes.
new smoke alarm law wants to transition away from 9-volt battery alarms pictured above
[wolf_spacer height=”4″]
The new law also intends to achieve more reliable smoke alarm coverage in older dwellings. Smoke alarm requirements are based on when a house was built and specific statutory and code requirements. Not sure where smoke alarms should be located – check out the handy matrix here.
As real estate agents, we’ve been counseling our property sellers about smoke alarms as they are required by Montgomery County Code to have both working smoke alarms and to be in compliance with the new 2018 law when they sell their home.
That being said to comply with the law and in the interest of safety, all property owners should install the new sealed alarms. You upgrade your phone and other technology – why use outdated fire alarms when new and better technology is now available?
While replacing your existing alarms with the new sealed smoke alarms will cost you out-of-pocket now, you should save money over the expected 10-year life of the device as you no longer need to purchase new batteries each year. And won’t you be happy to not hear the alarm chirping at 3am as you try to find those 9-volt batteries?
Go Brent is proud to list 605 St. Andrews Lane in the Silver Spring neighborhood of North Hills.
The Louis L. Brunett House was originally constructed circa 1864. This unique historic home is on the market for only the second time in 70 years. The original house was substantially remodeled in 1939 in an eclectic Neoclassical Revival design. The Brunett House has local architectural and historical significance and is listed as a Historic Site in the Montgomery County Master Plan for Historic Preservation.
This urban oasis is an engaging combination of charming architectural detail and modern convenience. The front porch with double entry doors beckons you inside to the main level offering rooms of gracious proportions with wonderful flow. There is a grand living room with working fireplace, custom bar room, formal dining room, powder room, and renovated kitchen with granite counters and breakfast room with working fireplace. The family room, at the rear of the home, offers a separate entryway to the driveway and yard. From this room there are stairs to the upper level media room. Two screened porches on either side of the home extend your living space outdoors. Details of note include floor to ceiling windows, period moldings, high ceilings, and hardwood floors on all three above ground levels.
From the main hall, the handsome staircase leads to the second level featuring a Master bedroom and bathroom, three additional large bedrooms, and a full bath located off the center hallway. On the third level, there are two additional bedrooms and another full bathroom.
The home is nestled on a hill above the quiet one-way street on a generous lot featuring mature trees and landscaping and beautiful gardens. The property offers walkways, stone/brick walls, and a spacious stone patio. The crowning jewel is the outdoor kitchen and deck. Inside and out, this home provides a wonderful venue for entertaining.
The location is ideal. You are inside the Beltway and just steps to Sligo Creek Park. Walk a few blocks to downtown Silver Spring and enjoy restaurants, shops, Whole Foods, the year-round FRESHFARM farmers market, and entertainment venues including The Fillmore and AFI Silver Theatre. Commuting is simple – you’re just a mile walk or drive to the Silver Spring Transit Center with Metro and MARC trains. You also have quick access to area buses, the Beltway and major commuter routes.
Photo: 2018 Sold/Under Contract homes for Go Brent buyers
A recent Washington Post article discussed home ownership and how “buyers in the Washington area, accustomed to the lack of available homes and declining affordability in the past few years, are beginning to recognize that widening their scope of potential neighborhoods might be necessary to get a home they want.”
Many times, buyers know what they are looking for and have preconceived notions of where they want to live. Working with an experienced Go Brent agent may help you think outside the box and consider other neighborhoods you aren’t familiar with. Go Brent has recently worked with several buyers who purchased in Riverdale Park, near the Gateway Arts District. One of our recent listings in Wheaton received 10 offers; buyers are just a bit further from downtown Silver Spring but maintained walkability to Metro, access to Sligo Creek Park, and saw a more affordable sales price.
Go Brent agents can also help you determine which home features or neighborhood attributes are most important to you, which may help broaden your search. Looking at your max budget – what is most important to you? Is Metro access a must or is it a home with all bedrooms upstairs? Is walkability a priority or would a more suburban location be ok if you could find a home with certain other attributes?
A free buyer consultation with one of our buyer agents can help you prioritize your wants and needs while considering a variety of locations and neighborhoods. Contact us to set up a consult with one of our expert buyer agents. We look forward to helping you find your first, or next, home!
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.
