Rockville is a very diverse community and as with any large city, there are pockets that are great and other areas that some have referred to. If crime is a concern, check out www.crimereports.com. Walter Johnson is a highly rated school and Richard Montgomery offers the Magnate program as well. For more info on the schools, try www.greatschools.org.

Anonymous wrote:I'm not sure why they do this. I'm an agent, but we're always told to NOT do this because the MLS will pick that up and recalculate your days on market anyway, so people will know it's not old.

Perhaps it proliferates to other sites though and looks new because that Days on Market calculation doesn't follow through to those sites?

If you were a practicing agent, you would know that the MLS system offers a DOMM & DOMP. If a property is relisted, the DOMM will re-set, not the DOMP unless the property is off the market for at least 90 days. I would hope that you would know this. When re-listing a property, it could be done due to a significant price reduction and the agent wants the house to again appear as new. Remember, the listing agent represents the seller! There are reasonable reasons to do it but others simply do it monthly to keep it fresh. There's nothing wrong with it other as all an experienced agent has to do is look at the DOMP (Days on Market- Property)

MLS rules state a property must be available for showings within 24 hours. Don't throw away your representation by telling an agent that you're not working with a Realtor, especially if you are and have signed a broker retainer agreement. Usually, this is because the sellers are still working on the prepping the house and exceptions will be made simply by requesting one from your agent. As stated before "Calling & Asking". The open house will happen no matter what as the agent tries to get the best offer for their client..

This really isn't a huge issue if addressed. I use a company called CSS to schedule showings on my listings. All buyer's agents must set up showings through them. I can simply block out that time from showings and note it in the MLS. I ask for some understanding from my sellers that an exception could be asked for and its up to them. If so, the baby's room is off limits during that showing and I have my client remind the buyers upon arrival.

I understand. If you can't get approved for much under FHA which is pretty liberal, I can't imagine many owners wanting to take that risk. Also, properties under the 250K range are pretty selling quickly.

You need to review your credit report. Go to www.annualcreditreport.com and get your free reports. Review why your score is where it is and work to increase your credit score. Ensure your monthly payments are made timely and work to reduce any balances below 50% of the credit limit. If you have any collections/judgements/tax liens, be sure to get those addressed.

Talk with the neighbors of the area you are considering as well.

As the PP noted, be sure to meet the appraiser and be armed with recent comparable sales if possible. The loan officer is forbidden under the new regulations from speaking with the appraiser. I would also avoid the big banks for this as many process loans outside of our market. Consider trying Bill Rozek with Embrace Home Loans in Rockville at 301-325-6399 and let him know Craig referred you. Explain the situation and discuss your options before spending money on the appraisal.

Realtor here...prices likely to continue to rise. Visit www.RBIINTEL.com for more information. Interest rates are likely to continue the upward trend. They are up .75% over the past six months. As the Fed looks to reduce the purchase of bonds, rates will tick up. Consult a lender for additional thoughts.

It depends upon the risk your willing to take and your understanding of the contract, whether it be the MAR or Regional contract. There are differences. As for those your mentioned:
-Lead- Generally a deal killer- Any pre-1978 home likely has lead. As long as it is not peeling, you are likely okay. Visit www.EPA.gov for more info on Lead, Asbestos, and Radon.

- Home Inspection- You have options and need to discuss with your Realtor. 1) If you can, consider doing it before you submit an offer. Downside is that there's no guarantee you would still get the house and could be out hundreds of dollarrs. 2) Keep the time frame short and clear the inspection quickly. Just make sure you can get it done within the allotted time. 3) Do an informational inspection only where you may not ask for repairs to be completed but could still declare the contract null & void if needed.
- Termite - Don't waive unless needed. It's built into both contracts.
- HOA- CAN NOT be waived regardless of what another agent may tell you. This is MD and VA law. Sorry as I don't know DC law on this.
- Appraisal- Gets tricky- Depends upon the amount of your down payment. Generally can be built into the financing contingency. If it doesn't appraise, it could affect the stated financing in the contract and afford you a means out if needed.

Bottom line. Consult a Realtor who understands these aspects and can protect you if needed.

Good luck!

OP...good question...I know it can be frustrating. I have clients that I can't find any inventory for as well. Try to keep positive. Here are the facts: Interest rates will begin to climb slowly. They have already ticked up about .75% over the past six months. Home values continue to climb year over year. The July stats were released on the 10th. For MoCo, the average sold price was up 5.98%. You can check your area at www.rbiintel.com or email me and I can send you a report based upon your zip code of interest. According to the "gurus", for what it may be worth, this trend is likely to continue for a couple of years due to low inventory and as builders begin to get ramped up again. Try to stay positive as it doesn't appear that interest rates or prices are likely to go back down anytime soon.

Also, why are you looking for owner financing? Is your credit damaged. I have lenders that will work with credit scores down to 580 for FHA and 5% down conventional. If you can go a bit further out and credit scores are good, USDA is offering 100% financing. Depending upon your situation, there may be other programs including those available through the County to assist with down payment and closing costs.

You can look on Craigslist but they rarely come available and only favor the seller. As for Owner financed, consult an attorney before doing so. The advantage of owner financing for the seller is that they can legally begin foreclosure proceedings immediately after a first missed payment where larger lenders will not. BE CAREFUL!!!

I also suggest looking at Lumber Liquidators. For granite, consider GraniteWorks on Taft St in Rockville. There's also a hole in the wall joint on Oakmont (off Shady Grove near Post Office) near the railroad tracks on the right side that I considered when looking for my home.

You can file a complaint through MoCo 311 but it sounds as if there is little that can be done. If they don't mow the grass, the County can fine them but I don't think they get into bush trimming. Sorry.

I would also suggest running the water throughout the house to clear the lines. If the issue is isolated to you, there could be an issue with the lines running to the house. Before it rains, see if you have any wet spots where your lines should be running. You can also consult a plumber that has the technology to run a camera through your outside lines to look for a crack that could be allowing sediment into the lines. Good luck!