You’ve seen them and laughed – horrible real estate photos. Those really outlandish property photos will be featured on blogs and lists, but what about those photos that just look dark, are taken from the wrong angle, or look as if the real estate agent just didn’t care?
Bad Photography Examples
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Photographer in the Photo
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Bad Angle Photo
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Sad Living Room Photo
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According to the National Association of Realtor, 95% of all buyers actively looking to buy a home search via websites and almost 90% of all buyers use photos and virtual tours to gather information about homes in which they have interest.
So that means photos and virtual tours are extremely important. In most cases, they are the buyers FIRST IMPRESSION!
That’s why Go Brent Team agents walk with sellers through their own home to discuss how to prepare for photographs and ensure the house is photo and web ready. From de-personalizing to de-cluttering to furniture placement, our agents work to present your home at it’s very best – both for online and in-person visitors.
We work with professional photographers to draw floor plans, photograph rooms, and produce virtual tours. Sure, iPhones take great photos but we’re real estate agents, so we leave photography to the experts. We also accompany the photographers during the photo shoot to ensure they capture your home’s best features.
Check out our recent listings and you’ll see how amazing our clients’ homes look!
Thinking of selling and interested in talking to us about our marketing strategy, which includes top-notch photos? Contact us today!
With Halloween gone and passed, the Holiday season is approaching us fast! This month, we’ve gathered together some of our favorite community events in the area from local craft markets to the Annual Montgomery County Thanksgiving Parade. We’re ready to get into the spirit and we hope you are too.
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Silver Spring Craft Market
When: Sunday, 11/5 Where: Denizen’s Brewing Company Address: 1115 East-West Hwy, Silver Spring Time: 12pm – 4pm Cost: FREE
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Crafts and Drafts pop-up artisan market in the beer garden. Pop-up craft market of local artisans selling jewelry, ceramics, candles, children’s décor, home accessories.
[wolf_spacer height=”10″] Join us on Saturday, November 11th from 6-9pm as we unveil and light this season’s exciting, one of a kind, holiday tree display on the Fountain Plaza.
The streets are being overrun with turkeys, dinosaurs, penguins, and reindeer! No, the zoo hasn’t opened their gates – it is the Annual Montgomery County Thanksgiving Parade! With marching bands an Latin dancing groups, floats, giant characters and balloons, and over 120 units, the Montgomery County Thanksgiving Parade is the only Thanksgiving Parade in the metro DC area.
Held in downtown Silver Spring, the exciting parade traditionally heralds the start of the holiday season. The parade steps off from Ellsworth Drive and Fenton Street and proceeds south on Georgia Avenue, ending at Silver Spring Avenue. It also is televised live on News Channel 8 and rerun on Thanksgiving Day.
Step into a magical winter wonderland illuminated with more than one million dazzling colorful lights shaped into hand-crafted, original art forms of flowers, animals and other natural elements. Stroll from garden to garden enjoying twinkling tree forms, sparkling fountains, and whimsical winter scenes. The Garden of Lights celebrates its 19th season as a Baltimore/Washington, DC area family holiday tradition.
The night wouldn’t be complete without a visit inside the Conservatory to enjoy watching G-Scale model trains wind through a seasonal landscape. Afterward, warm up inside the Visitors Center while you sip hot cocoa and listen to one of the nightly musical performances.
When: Saturday, 11/25 Time: 12pm – 6:30pm Where: Montgomery Blair High School Address: 51 University Boulevard East
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This Nov 25, we want to share Small Business Saturday® with you! It’s a holiday shopping tradition that celebrates small businesses. And it wouldn’t be a celebration without customers like you joining us to Shop Small.
So mark your calendars for Nov 25 – the Saturday after Thanksgiving – for the Silver Spring Small Business Saturday Community Fair and get ready to Shop Small® with us. Grab a friend (or two) or the whole family and join us for shopping and family fun between 12 noon and 6:30 pm on the big day.
You can help get the word out and celebrate Small Business Saturday by sharing this event using the hashtag #SHOPSMALL with your friends and family on Facebook and all of your social networks.
This year we’ll be featuring more than 40 small business owners, FREE face painting (1 pm – 4 pm), a children’s craft center, holiday gift wrapping station, food, music, FREE professional headshots for small business owners and lots of family fun. This event is FREE to the public. Eventbrite tickets are not required but highly recommended! Register on Eventbrite to receive a free Shop Small tote at the event full of awesome swag from small businesses around the area (while supplies last).
The weather is starting to turn and we just had our first frost! Finally, it’s time to turn over our winter closets! Should you find yourself with items you no longer need, consider donating to our first Annual Winter Clothing Drive to benefit Linkages to Learning at JoAnne Leleck Elementary at Broad Acres!
Linkages to Learning is a school-based collaboration among the Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services, the Montgomery County Public Schools and a community-based service providers. YMCA Youth & Family Services is the proud provider of the Linkages to Learning program at JoAnn Leleck at BAES. The program provides accessible services to at-risk children and their families to improve adjustment to and performance in school, home, and community. Prevention and early intervention services include health, mental health, social services and educational support.
Items accepted: Winter Coats, Jackets, Hats, Gloves, Scarves, Boots, Sweatshirts, Sweaters, Pajamas, Pants, Fleece, Socks, etc! Basically, if it’s warm and in great condition, it’ll happily find a new home this winter! Please only consider donating items that are in great to excellent condition. Please do not donate items that missing buttons, have stains or tears. Our neighbors deserve the best too. Afterall, we’re a good looking community if you ask me!
Silver Spring Cares will be hitting the streets to collect your donations. Simply place your clean and gently used donations in a bag and place on your porch for pick up. Sign up here when you’re ready for pick up. You’ll receive a confirmation email once your pick up is on our schedule.
Thank you for helping to ensure all Silver Spring residents have a warm and healthy winter season!
Fall is finally here! And if there’s one thing we love about our community, it’s the abundance of all the fun and festive Fall events. We’ve gathered a few of our favorites in Silver Spring, Takoma Park, and Kensington that are all free and open to the public! Get your costumes on, get the cider ready, and we’ll see you at the fair!
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Kensington Fall Festival
When: Sunday, 10/15 Where: Historic Old Town Kensington Address: 10417 Armory Ave. Kensington Time: 11am – 4pm Cost: FREE
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Come to historic Old Town Kensington and join us for the third annual Kensington Fall Festival! Experience the streets come alive with music, kid’s entertainment, handcrafted vendors, food trucks and more. Sunday October 15 from 11am-4pm.
When: Saturday, 10/22 Where: Veteran’s Plaza Address: 1 Veteran’s Plaza, Silver Spring Time: 1pm – 6pm Cost: FREE
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Come out to the Arts & Crafts Fair at Veteran’s Plaza in Silver Spring. This event brings you almost 40 Arts & Crafts vendors to help you ease the holiday stress and get you ahead of the game with shopping for your loved ones. Music and entertainment will also be present. This is a family friendly, free admission event!
When: Saturday, 10/28 Where: Warner Circle Park Address: 10231 Carroll Pl., Kensington Time: 12pm – 4pm Cost: FREE
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Join us for the 2017 Pumpkin Rock N’ Roll! Warner Circle Park in Kensington, MD will be transformed into a full-blown Halloween extravaganza. Participate in a costume parade and enjoy family-friendly attractions including live musical performances, food trucks, in flatable rides and slides, and a hay maze. Don’t miss the main event: The Pumpkin Roll, a derby race of Halloween pumpkins-turned-boxcars.
Calling all Silver Spring Zombies! The 2017 Zombie Walk will kick off at Denizens at 6 PM with Halloween tunes from DJ Kenny Megan, candy, costume contests, and more. The walk will start at 9 PM, when folks can head to AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center for a showing of Night of the Living Dead. Denizens will have happy hour prices on beer starting at 9 PM until close for those who are not walking or who want to hang out after the walk / movie.
When: Saturday, 10/28 Time: 1pm – 6pm Where: TPSS Co-op & Old Town Takoma Park Address: 201 Ethan Allen Avenue, Takoma Park Cost: FREE
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This annual event kicks off with games and music in the public parking lot next to the TPSS Co-op located at 201 Ethan Allen Avenue. Games and music are followed by the costume parade and contest down Carroll Avenue, judging will occur on the parade route. The festivities will end with the costume award ceremony and celebration in Old Town, at the intersection of Carroll and Laurel Avenues.
When: Sunday, 10/29 Time: 1pm – 6pm Where: Veteran’s Plaza Address: 1 Veterans Pl, Silver Spring Cost: FREE
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Just in time for kids’ candies celebration, join us for a delectable excursion in the world of sweets and desserts! Veterans Plaza in Silver Spring, MD will be hosting its first dessert fair this fall, on Sunday, October 29th from 1pm-6pm. As Halloween is around the corner, there will also be a KIDS’ COSTUME PARADE with BEST COSTUME prize from 2:00pm – 2:30pm. Other fun activities include pumpkin decorating, storytelling, and much more. Admission is free!
As a homebuyer, Go Brent Team offers you value. We are all full-time agents who have an unrivaled command of the local market.
We will:
Provide you with a free consultation to get a clear picture of your ideal home.
Help you choose an experienced lender.
Offer on-going updates of properties in your target neighborhoods, schedule appointments, and assist you to compare homes.
Advise you on offer terms, prepare an offer, and negotiate on your behalf.
Assist you with vendor selections and coordinate services.
Coordinate preparation for settlement and complete the transaction.
Serve as an on-going resource.
As your buyer agent, we’ll work to ensure you are aware of the best properties available in your desired area, price range, and location. We can also suggest other neighborhoods that you may have overlooked but might want to consider. Often times, we also learn of new listings before they actually hit the market which can offer you an advantage.
Recently Sold To Go Brent Team Buyers!
We assisted our buyers with the purchase of these homes.
We negotiated the sale of these homes for our buyers before they hit the market.
Thinking of buying a new home?
Please contact us to schedule a free consultation! Our team is licensed in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C. and our buyer agents, Tammy Thomas, Debbie Gerald, and Cari Jordan, look forward to working with you.
WANT MORE INSIGHTS FROM GO BRENT TEAM? SIGN UP FOR OUR NEWSLETTER BELOW.
Can you believe we’re more than halfway through 2017? Our real estate pricing stats are updated through mid-year 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.
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 Team’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!
“We dreaded going through the prep work to get ready to sell. The fact that Go Brent Team 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!”
— Ken Brown & Donna Creedon, sold in Silver Spring after just 5 days on the market
WANT MORE INSIGHTS FROM GO BRENT TEAM? SIGN UP FOR OUR NEWSLETTER BELOW.
Tax Bills are Here – Ensure You’re Receiving Tax Credits! Homestead Property Tax Credits and New Mo Co Tax Credits for Elderly & Military Retirees
It’s July, for Montgomery County homeowners this means that 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).
Homestead Property Tax Credits
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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.
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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.
For more info, check out frequently asked questions about Homestead Property Tax Credit, or contact the Homestead unit directly at 1-866-650-8783 or visit their website.
Tax Credits for Elderly & Military Retirees
Earlier this year the Montgomery County Council also enacted new legislation granting property tax credits for elderly individuals and for military retirees. Owners who are 65 or over and who has owned and lived in the dwelling for at least 40 consecutive years or those who are 65 or over and a military retiree may qualify depending on the assessed value of the home.
For 2017 taxes only, applications will be accepted until September 1, 2017. If you wish to receive a credit for your 2017 taxes, you must apply by September 1, 2017. For all other tax years, you must apply by April 1. This tax credit will not be issued on the July property tax bill; instead it will be calculated and issued on a subsequent revision of your tax bill, with the tax credit appearing as a line item deduction on the bill.
You can read more about the new tax credit and how to apply here.
WANT MORE INSIGHTS FROM GO BRENT TEAM? SIGN UP FOR OUR NEWSLETTER BELOW.
Go Brent Team routinely offers complimentary staging – our staging strategy has been honed over the last 15+ years and focuses on transforming a property into a welcoming, enticing space to attract the largest pool of potential buyers thereby resulting in a quicker sale for the highest possible price for our sellers!
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Over the past decade, we’ve built a substantial inventory of furniture, rugs, books and general décor to lend to clients. Years of experience arranging furniture in all types of homes, plus a retail background in home furnishings and décor merchandising, gives a strong base of knowledge. Our complimentary service includes furniture, décor as well as the labor! This represents a significant cost savings for sellers.
We also assist our clients with a plan to declutter and depersonalize the home to ensure that photos showcase the home rather than possessions.
photo via Tom Merton/iStock; hobo_018/iStock; pamspix;iStock
We recently came across this article from realtor.com that digs into the current housing market for both baby boomers and millennials.
“Younger and older generations alike are gravitating toward smaller dwellings in more urban, walkable suburbs and cities, with restaurants and coffee shops around the corner.” – Realtor.com article
“This is spot on,” per Liz Brent. “The outer zip codes of Silver Spring have not recovered from the crash in 2008 and unless there is significant development other than housing and transportation fixes, they likely will not recover. Meanwhile, what we are seeing the innermost zip codes, in Takoma Park (20912) and Silver Spring (20910, 20901, and parts of 20902), is that very few houses stay on the market for any length of time and we continue to see multiple offers, particularly on renovated houses.”
