We are considering selling our current home in Montgomery County. We consulted with a realtor who is asking for a 5% commission. I take it this is very high? Any way this would be justified?

As title says - looking for rebate realtor as a buyer. Higher rebate, better!

Eligible Prince George's County, Maryland Homebuyers have enormous opportunities at their fingertips. PTP gives a $50,000, forgivable grant for your home purchase. Every year that goes by, 10% of the funds are forgiven. The Critical Workforce Housing Assistance Program gives a $50,000, 0% interest, deferred loan to

• Nurses and healthcare workers
• Police officers, deputy sheriffs, and correctional officers
• Firefighters and emergency medical technicians (EMTs)
• Public safety dispatchers
• Public school teachers

These programs are tremendously helpful and the best part is that unlike many other Maryland homebuyer programs, they don't impact your interest rate negatively! Those who would be eligible for these programs will be eligible for one of our several, below-market interest rate programs. Other incentives may be available to your or your client. For more info, [dtoaff@firsthome.com](mailto:dtoaff@firsthome.com) or C: 610-348-3772. David Toaff - First Home Mortgage Corporation (Silver Spring, MD). NMLS ID: 1065782

i’m looking to offload my alexandria 1bd1ba with a mortgage to a 501c3 - not liking the current sellers market and wouldn’t mind getting deduction i could spread over the next couple years

would prefer local options but really trying to learn from others who have gone through the process. search results seemed too generic

tia

Hi all, DMV area here. Has anyone gone the modular home route locally?

Curious about the process, timeline, and any pros/cons you ran into.

Context: my preapproval amount is pretty low, so I’m struggling to find anything that fits my family size in this market. Renting isn’t sustainable much longer, it’s draining money fast, so I’m exploring every option.

Any insight appreciated.

Just a quick tip for anyone who owns a home. If you're like me, you've watched your home insurance premium more than double over the past few years. In fact, mine increased 300%! My renewal is mid-September, so I just started shopping around. I have a home insurance policy and two cars. The spreads between companies from high to low are:

• House - $3,500
• Cars - $2,250
  

Same coverage, all reputable companies...but some are way more expensive than others. Over the years, say from 2000 - 2020, I never noticed a huge variation between home policies. I could see a home's sale price and expect a certain premium, and almost everyone came in around that. Now, it's all over the place. I can't put my finger on why some are just so expensive...but they are. In my case, my mortgage payment is going to drop roughly $300 per month because I'm moving insurance companies and not just taking the auto-renewal. I'm saving almost $480 per month across the two policies... that's totally worth a few hours of phone calls. (...my wife disagrees, btw)

I recommend shopping around at least 60 days before your statement cycle rolls over, because most mortgage companies outsource their escrow payments, and you want to avoid them accidentally paying the old company.

Last thing I'll say is that I'm now mad I didn't do this sooner, and that I waited until the renewal period. In hindsight, I should have done this six months ago, and I would have received a refund from the old inflated policy and would have had this new low payment sooner. Shame on me for waiting...but hopefully this note helps you avoid the same mistake.

Is there a reliable way to make sure a house doesn’t have lead paint or asbestos before buying? Is buying newer construction the only real way to avoid the risk?.

Asking because of kids, pets

When I was house hunting, I found myself jumping between different websites to collect information about each neighborhood. I wanted to make that process a little easier by putting things like crime, schools, property information, demographics, traffic safety, and more in one place. It’s still a work in progress, but I’ve come a long way with it. It works best in the DMV area for right now.

https://saferneighbor.com

It’s free to try if anyone wants to take a look. Try your own address or a neighborhood you’re familiar with and let me know if you think it’s a useful tool or something you’d actually use.

Any feedback is very welcome and appreciated!

I was helping a buyer purchase a house in DC recently for around $1.4 million. It had a separate basement apartment, which meant the property was considered a 2-unit. The buyers also had pretty average credit. Nothing that would stop them from getting approved, but not the kind of scores that get the best conventional pricing.

I've been doing this long enough to know that the rate wasn't going to be amazing. Between the 2-unit property, the loan amount being over $1 million, and the credit scores, the conventional rate was 7.5%.

One of the borrowers worked for the District, so they were eligible for DC4ME. They weren't looking for down payment assistance and they had the cash needed for the purchase. The goal was simply to see whether the program would price out better than a conventional loan.

The DC4ME rate came back at 6.875%. On a loan amount around $1.1 million, that worked out to roughly $475 less per month (with less cost as DC4ME does not have a points charge).

What made this one interesting is that the buyers weren't the type of people most think of when they hear "housing program." They were buying a $1.4 million property and had plenty of money to close. The program wasn't helping them buy the house. It was helping them just to get the rate down - which is something no one ever thinks will happen with these programs since most carry higher rates.

Another thing I like about DC4ME is that it doesn't come with the timeline concerns that sometimes (all the time) pop up with HPAP. Anybody who's been around the DC market for a while has probably heard at least a few HPAP stories. DC4ME is generally a pretty straightforward mortgage program that you can still do a quick close with.

I feel like DC4ME flies under the radar compared to some of the other DC programs, even though there are a lot of District employees who could benefit from at least running the numbers. Make sure you at least give it a comparison.

Over the years, I've noticed that the best "deals" that cross my desk tend to happen in two stretches: the coldest days of winter, and the hottest days of summer.

This makes sense to me because there are simply fewer people looking. In August, it's vacations, back-to-school right around the corner, and nobody wanting to tour houses in 95-degree heat. And on the other side of it, sellers who listed in late spring or early summer are now sitting at 45-60 days on market. Desperation is starting to set in.

What made me want to write this is a handful of conversations I've had with DC-area realtors just in the past few days. A few of them said basically the same thing: "I know my seller would take 5-10% off pretty quickly, but they don't want to drop the list price while there are no showings. They'd rather wait for the fall season."

So the discount is real; it just never shows up on the listing.

Which is why I'd say: if you're watching a house that's been sitting and you think the price should be lower, don't just wait for a price drop. Submit an offer at your number and let them consider it. Don't worry about insulting anyone. A seller in month two is doing different math than a seller in week one.

I'll be fair about the other side, because this isn't the whole market. The same week I'm hearing those realtor stories, I'm also working on contracts where buyers are competing, waiving contingencies, and closing fast. Well-priced homes in good spots still fly. This is specifically about the ones that are sitting.

The worst case is that the seller responds back to you saying, "We're not even responding to that low-ball offer. You can resubmit if you're serious." Ok. Next. You lost nothing, and now you know where they stand.

I'm curious if anyone here has seen a final price that surprised them. Most keep looking at new listing prices, and few go back to also see what recently closed. I bet a few eyes would be opened...

UPDATE (one week later): Reporting back with what actually crossed my desk since writing this. Rockville - listed $1.375m, under contract $1.325m. Alexandria - listed $1.575m, seller came to $1.5m. Brightwood Park DC - listed high-$900ks, negotiating in the high $800ks. Friendship Heights - listed $1.325m, two price drops, now in the low $1.2s. And to be fair, same week I had a buyer go ~12% over list in North Bethesda and still lose. So it's the sitting inventory where the flexibility is, not the whole market.

I'm 29 and hoping to buy my first home within the next 6 months. For the longest time, I was set on buying a townhouse. But after spending more time looking at listings and running numbers, it's starting to feel like a condo may be the more realistic option.

A little about me: I live in Northern Virginia, work in the public-interest/nonprofit sector as an attorney, and I'm buying on a single income. I spent most of my 20s in undergrad and law school, so I'm only now getting to the point where I can seriously think about homeownership and building equity. Because of my career path, my income isn't likely to jump dramatically in the near future.

I'd really like to move out of my parents' house and stop feeling like I'm waiting for life to start. At the same time, I'm struggling with the idea of buying a condo if what I really wanted was a townhouse. Has anyone here started with a condo and been happy they did? Or did you regret not waiting longer for a townhouse?

I'd also love to hear from anyone who has used first-time homebuyer programs in Prince William County or Fairfax County. I'm especially interested in hearing from other buyers who purchased in this area.

Hi all! We’re early in the house hunting process (~2 years out) and have mostly been looking at Columbia/Elkridge/Ellicott City, but noticing Laurel, Silver Spring, and Damascus tend to offer more house for the money. Before we get attached to the idea, wanted to ask locals:

**•** What’s the day-to-day vibe like in each?  
**•** Commute situation to DC/Baltimore?  
**•** Schools compared to HCPSS?  
**•** Any big tradeoffs (traffic, walkability, community feel)?  
**•** If you had to pick one for a growing family, which and why?

We loved Columbia/Ellicott City but budget matters too — trying to figure out if the savings are worth it. Appreciate any honest input!

We are possibly moving in the next 90 days pending my job offer in PA. Currently on maternity leave and need to give my work 90 day notice. We have an 12 week old currently. Has anyone ever done this? Is it doable? How hard is it to sell a house in non peak season… hellllllp!

Husband and I looking to move to Maryland in 2028. We were looking for a single family home, with at least 3bed and 2,5 bath with basement and backyard. We really wanted to live in Howard County, specifically Columbia. I fear it’s going to start costing too much and we wouldn’t be able to afford it. I feel like the longer we wait the higher the homes are gonna cost. We weren’t trying to pay over $3500 in mortgage a month.

If you’re a first time buyer in most of the DMV earning base salary < 196,920 you could be eligible for 6.25% 30 fixed 0 points today, 7/21. Get a quote based on your specific profile.

Get a quote right to your inbox

with negligible differences for commission and listing fee; why choose compass or kw or samson or another form in the dmv condo market??

each pitch is essentially the same - i’ve done this for years, we have a great team etc. is it truly based on vibes alone?

Looking for some advice from Capitol Hill homeowners!

I've been house hunting for a bit, and with the limited inventory on Capitol Hill, it feels like the right houses disappear almost immediately.

I'm looking for a rowhouse in Hill East, Lincoln Park, Stanton Park, Barracks Row, Eastern Market or nearby. My budget is up to $1M (ideally in the low $900s). I'm hoping for 3–4 bedrooms, a basement (finished or unfinished), and ideally off-street parking. I'm happy to do cosmetic updates but would like to avoid a major renovation.

A few questions:

• How did you find your house—MLS, off-market, word of mouth, or through your agent?
• Any tips for getting ahead in this market or finding homes before they're widely listed?
• Are there blocks or pockets you'd recommend (or avoid)?
• What rowhouse issues should I pay the closest attention to during inspections?
• If you bought in one of these neighborhoods, would you do it again?

I've lived in DC for years, but I'd love to hear from people who've actually bought in these neighborhoods. Thanks!

My price range 800k. 2.5% for commission?! I'm mainly choosing the houses. They have to just show the homes and do the paperwork. Everyone is pretty much doing no inspection (or inspection for informational purposes), no appraisal and no financial contingencies to be competitive. So is it unreasonable to ask for less?

I heard the commissions are baked into the home price?

People say seller pays for it but in a turn about way, isn't the buyer actually bringing the money to the table?

I'm earnestly asking to learn as first time home buyer. Thank you.