Today is #GivingTuesday, celebrated on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving as a global movement that celebrates giving, generosity, and change for people throughout their communities. #GivingTuesday allows us to unite as one and to encourage more small acts of kindness.
Here are a few Nonprofits celebrating #GivingTuesday in our local community today:
Silver Spring Village
Silver Spring Village is using #GivingTuesday to provide continued support for a wide variety of programs and services for seniors in Silver Spring. You have the power to make Silver Spring a model community that takes care of its seniors.
Silver Spring, Maryland
Website
A Wider Circle
A Wider Circle is using #GivingTuesday to help provide long term support to those in poverty.
Silver Spring, Maryland
Website
Arts and Humanities Council of Montgomery County
AHCMC is using #Giving Tuesday to allow continued support for creativity, culture, and community. AHCMC helps put teaching artists back into our classrooms, costumes on our performers, and roofs over the theaters, galleries and education spaces. Keep MoCo creative!
Silver Spring, Maryland
Website
Maryland Youth Ballet
MYB is using #GivingTuesday to support their Music and Motion classes – these classes are therapeutic dance instruction to young children with physical disabilities. Donations will support the purchase of new therapuetic equipment.
is using #GivingTuesday to help support key initiatives like the Healthy Eating Program, because when kids know more about fruits and vegetables, they eat them!
Takoma Park, Maryland
Website
Shepard’s Table
Shepard’s Table
is using #GivingTuesday to expand their food service program that provides those in need with nutritious meals 365 days a year. Join their effort to DOUBLE their impact in the comunity!
Silver Spring, Maryland
Website
Four of our recent clients were in a situation where they originally listed their homes with another brokerage, but after spending time on the market, their properties did not sell. When properties accumulate days on market, many buyers consider that property to be “stale”. After ending their agreement with their first brokerage, these sellers turned to Go Brent Team to market and sell their homes.
Our approach is always to discuss both price and product with sellers. We work with them to make their property most appealing to the widest pool of buyers. While pricing is one factor for discussion, the property must also be reevaluated to ensure its return to the market is noticed by buyers.
We recently took over the following listings with great results.
1502 Red Oak Drive (20910 – Woodside Forest)
Sold in 8 days after 48 days on the market with another broker.
We consulted with the client and decided the kitchen needed a cosmetic facelift. We also chose a clean neutral paint color to replace a dark blue accent wall in the family room; the neutral paint color made the room brighter and accented the cathedral ceiling and skylights. Staging furniture was added, along with décor and rugs to the family room, living room, and bedrooms, to give the home a more polished feel, both in the photos and in person.
9606 Bruce Drive (20901 – North Hills)
Sold in 6 days after 5 months on market with another broker.
Our strategy for selling this home involved ensuring that the home was well presented in on-line photographs and the virtual tour. We assisted the seller to select new interior paint colors, staged several rooms with furniture and décor, and rearranged the seller’s existing furniture so buyers could visualize living in the home.
10108 Grant Avenue (20910 – Capitol View Park)
Sold in 15 days after 2 months on market with another broker.
We worked with the seller to modify the front exterior – a new blue front door, landscaping, and exterior lighting improved the front walkway. We rearranged the seller’s furniture in the bedrooms and living area and also added artwork and rugs throughout the home. The result was a more welcoming feel in person and more appealing on-line photographs.
9412 Woodland Drive (20910 – Woodside Forest)
Sold in 7 days after 3 months on market with another broker.
A new green front door color was chosen to replace the previous red door. We also worked with the photographer to ensure the front exterior photos were taken from different angles to emphasize the home’s curb appeal, which included a beautiful tree, sea grass, and landscaping.
Selling the Unsold | Testimonial
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[wolf_testimonial_slide cite=”Philip & Jill Downs”]We were discouraged when our house wasn’t selling in an otherwise hot market. We called Liz Brent. Liz helped us understand why selling our home had been more challenging than expected. She renewed our appreciation for the many desirable features of our property, and worked with us to tweak staging and develop a results-oriented strategy forward. She produced thoughtful, descriptive language and beautiful photos, which highlighted the many charming aspects of the home. Most importantly, armed with in depth knowledge of real estate in our neighborhood, Liz suggested the correct price to sell. We received two offers, above asking, within the first week back on the market. Settlement was a breeze. We will be forever grateful to Liz and the Go Brent team for delivering us the sellers’ experience we deserved. [/wolf_testimonial_slide][wolf_testimonials_end]
Join Go Brent Team’s Debbie Gerald and Ramez Fahmy, Branch Manager at Caliber Home Loans, for a First-Time Homebuyers Seminar. The seminar is offered on Thursday, October 8 from 6:30-8:00 pm at the Silver Spring Civic Center’s Ellsworth Room 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 a first home, along with 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 team in the DC Metro area, Debbie Gerald specializes in educating first-time homebuyers on the home buying process and the many avenues available when purchasing your first home. Buyers know they can count on Debbie to guide them as they search for the right home. Our agents are experts in the marketplace, highly experienced contract negotiators, and provide clients with superior service. Go Brent Team helped 50 clients purchase homes last year.
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.
The Silver Spring Transit Center will finally open this Sunday, September 20th. Buses will begin using the new facility at 4am on Sunday. Much-delayed and over-budget – there’s no ribbon-cutting planned. “No pomp and circumstance. It will just open,” said Metro spokeswoman Sherri Ly told the Washington Post.
Montgomery County Councilmember Tom Hucker told WTOP, “Bus riders probably ought to allow themselves a little extra time to figure out exactly where to go. I’ve been through a tour of the Transit Center and it’s a very large facility. It’ll take a little while to figure out exactly where to go.”
The transit center will be a major hub connecting local, regional and commuter buses to Metrorail and eventually the Purple Line.
Maker Faire Silver Spring is a free, family-friendly event that brings together Makers of all types for a spectacular display of art, science, technology, craft and engineering. It is being presented by KID Museum, a prototype museum space at the Bethesda Library in Montgomery County which aims to cultivate creativity, curiosity and compassion through exhibits and hands-on learning for children of all ages. Maker Faire will be held at the Silver Spring Civic Center on on Sunday, September 20 from 12:00-5:00pm.
It’s the 38th Annual Takoma Park Folk Festival! Enjoy six stages of music featuring over 50 musical performances, along with food vendors and artisan booths. Relax and take in a day of music, dance, crafts, food and community. TPFF will be held at Takoma Park MS on Sunday September 20, 2015 from 10:30am – 6:30pm.
Everyone homeowner was at one time a Newbie. Change your status from “I want to own a home, to I own a home.” You may have looked at properties online or visited open houses only to ask yourself, now what?
That’s where we come in! Talk with experts Debbie Gerald, Exclusive Buyer’s Agent with Go Brent Team, and Craig Strent, CEO of Apex Home Loans on Tuesday, October 14th in Downtown Silver Spring. Let us help prepare you to buy your dream home!
Get answers to all your questions:
Is now a good time to buy?
What should I do to prepare to buy my first home?
How much can I afford, what type of loan should I get, and how do I choose a lender?
What is a buyer’s agent and why do I need one; who pays the commission?
How do we write an offer on a home?
What are closing costs, mortgage insurance, home inspections and appraisal contingencies? What are escrow and settlement?
How much does this all cost?
How long will all of this take?
Join us for Go Brent Team and Apex Home Loan’s First Time Homebuyer’s Seminar on Tuesday, October 14th at 6:30pm – 8:00pm at the Silver Spring Civic Center at 1 Veteran’s Plaza, Colesville Room in Downtown Silver Spring. The event is free and there’s no obligation. Register here – see you then!
It’s July, for Montgomery County homeowners this means that annual and semi-annual tax bills will be arriving in your mailboxes shortly – the County estimates mailing bills in mid-July (bills will also be available via the County website).
When you receive your bill you should look to see if you are receiving the Homestead Property Tax Credit (you’ll see “County Property Tax Credit”). This tax credit was established to help homeowners deal with large assessment increases on their principal residence. The Homestead Credit limits the increase in taxable assessments each year to a fixed percentage.
To prevent improper granting of this credit, a law was enacted in 2007 that requires all homeowners to submit a one-time application to establish eligibility for the credit. There are several criteria to be met, but the main conditions are that the property is your principal residence and you must have lived in it for at least six months of the year, including July 1 of the year for which the credit is applicable.
If you are not seeing a homestead property tax credit on your tax bill, you should determine the status of your Homestead eligibility by looking up your property on the Real Property Database. Look at the bottom of the page, where it says Homestead Application Status. If it says “No Application,” then you should reapply to capture this credit on future tax bills.
Go Brent Team is proud to list this grand historic property! This urban oasis on a quiet cul-de-sac is an engaging combination of charming architectural detail and modern conveniences. The main level offers generous room sizes and wonderful flow without sacrificing intimacy or character. The front screened porch beckons you inside to a grand living room with cozy reading nook; formal dining room; sunny family room; expansive, renovated eat-in kitchen; convenient mud room and powder room. Ascend the handsome wrap-around staircase to the upper level featuring four bedrooms, three full baths and a balcony overlooking a lovely deep back yard. The home’s crowning glory is a third story loft/office with windows on all four sides and cupola offering majestic sky-high views of the surrounding region.[wolf_flexslider ids=”736,735,733,734,739,737,740,741,730,731,748, 732″]
The landscaping is truly a delight to behold with its many unusual shrubs, mature trees and productive kitchen garden. The generous lot (almost 1/2 acre) provides a venue for large-scale entertaining or quiet afternoons of relaxation and repose.
I was fortunate to have attended Georgetown Visitation Preparatory School. With only 96 girls in my graduating class, we were afforded the opportunity to become personally acquainted with fellow classmates and many strong friendships were forged. With the advent of social media (Facebook and Twitter) some 20+ years later, I have remained connected with my former classmates in a way that is often difficult through more traditional social circles. Through Facebook, I know who has married, moved to a new home, grown a family, and started a business.
MaryAnn Ryan, founder of the Takoma Porch Music Festival, is one such classmate whom I’ve remained connected with through Facebook. I wanted to learn more about this festival and its origins so we met for coffee and I interviewed her for my “Slice of Life” series.
This lovely stone and siding home was built in 1940 by Blanche Kreuzburg, owner of Mrs K’s Toll House Restaurant for her son, Richard. Mrs. K had a passion for antiques and first-rate workmanship, so she hired only the finest craftsmen to assist in the construction. Young Mr. Kreuzburg considered 400 Greenbrier Dr a pastoral refuge and said that this quarter acre site was chosen for its enchanting views of nearby creek and forest land. Note the carved acorns above the living room mantel, signifying the Seven Oaks by which the neighborhood is known.
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This prime location allows you to walk to all of the following: Sligo Creek Park (playgrounds, picnic areas, tennis and basketball courts), and miles of trails, the revitalized Downtown Silver Spring town center (shopping, entertainment and year-round farmers market), the public library, and the local public elementary & middle schools. Enjoy easy access to the Silver Spring Metro station, the MARC Train and the Beltway – all about a mile away.
