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CURRENT LISTINGS 5212 45th St Enjoy chic city living in luxury just two blocks from Friendship Heights Metro. Exquisitely renovated with no detail left undone, this enchanting residence enjoys a private English garden and attached garage parking in a peaceful setting. Stunning, new top-of-the line kitchen, with maple CWP cabinets, stainless steel Jenn-Air appliances, black granite counters & marble backsplash. New 1st floor half bath with pocket door, marble floors and Toto fixtures. Renovated 2nd floor full bath with new pedestal sink, medicine cabinet, Toto toilet Beautifully refinished hardwood floors on 1st and 2nd floor. New carpet on stairs and in lower level. Lovely landscaped garden with new cedar privacy fencing. Freshly painted in designer colors throughout. www.onmetro4saledc.com 3405 Kayson Street, Silver Spring, MD 20906 Professional Property Management Do you need professional, hands-on, residential management and want to rent your single family home, condo, or multi-unit building? Contact Robin Loew, principal broker/owner of Transitions Realty LLC. Robin offers you experience, knowledge, and individualized care of your property. Call 202-244-9300 or 202-365-0170, or e-mail her at; robinloew@mris.com for a list of services and fees.

The Value of Successful Home Staging What is home staging? Think of staging like detailing a car. A smart auto seller would detail a car before selling it to add value. That's precisely what staging can do for a house. As a realtor, I think that staging helps; it make the property stand out. In turn, good staging can determine which properties sell fast and which do not. It is no longer a market where staging helps the property sell for more. In today's market, it enables the property to have more potential of sellling at all. It's a buyer's market, so make your home stand out by creating a sophisticated ambiance. While some sellers may be hesitant to spend more money on staging in a down market, this is the winning way to get a property sold; and often for a higher asking price. Professional stagers can see your house as buyers will, and they'll set the scene so that buyers can imagine living there. They're likely to simplify or streamline the furniture in a room for better traffic flow and enhance it spaciousness. They may neutralize a too-personal color scheme or add touches of color or accessories where needed. In vacant homes that feel cold and lack visual landmarks, stagers often bring in rental furniture to create warmth. This helps Buyers mentally move in and feel that when it's time for them to move in, they will be able to kick back and relax. Realtors and sellers can hire stagers by the hour or the room. Homeowners typically pay from $200 to $3,000 depending on the level of service required. But the pay-off in time saved and higher sales price can be nice. Buying a house is largely an emotional decision because people are not just purchasing a home; they are buying a dream... a lifestyle. If you can help them with their vision so they don't have to rely completely on their imagination, you positively impact how they feel in the home, which will be reflected in the sales price and number of offers you receive. All human beings want comfort, excitement, prestige and love, and all these are at work in the psychology of the home purchase. Effective staging maximizes those feelings, creating an atmosphere that makes people want to linger and imagine themselves living in the space. THE LOEWDOWN WHY FHA? Did you know.... NEW LOAN LIMITS: $729,750 (1-Family); $934,200 (2-Family); $1,129,250 (3-Family); $1,403,400 (4-Family) Only 3% down payment required (may be a gift) 6% Seller contribution allowed 100% Financing with seller-funded down payment (The Nehemiah Program) 560 minimum credit score Unsecured loan from a family member can be used for down payment, closing costs and/or prepaid items 95% cash-out refinance available Borrower can own other real estate as long as the current loan is not another high ratio FHA loan FHA loans are assumable after satisfactory credit review of the purchaser assuming the loan Increased Ratios Available in programs such as the Energy Efficient Mortgage and applicant may be able to finance energy-efficient improvements WHATS ON THE WEB Homesdatabase.com/steveloew - Most helpful search engine in finding a home in the DC-Metropolitan area Remax.com - Remax International Doneinaday.com - Property Stagging Company Schoolmatch.com - Find a school in your area Thingstododc.com - What to do in DC www.bankrate.com - For all of your financial needs Doityourself.com - Do it yourself home repairs www.ashi.com - American Society of Home Inspectors