Tuesday, April 25, 2023
A recent USA Today article, discusses changes that will go into effect May 1, 2023- relating to upfront costs when acquiring loans backed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
Updates to the rates are because of changes in the Loan Level Price Adjustments (LLPAs) which are based in part on downpayment amounts and credit scores.
The following tables provide a summary of the difference in the current rates (LLPA Matrix) versus rates that will go into effect on May 1, 2023.
For more on the current LLPA Matrix see this PDF link. The discussion on the upcoming changes to the
LLPA Matrix are found at this PDF link. More discussion on these updates can be found at
this link.
Thursday, August 11, 2022
In today's marketplace, home valuations take into consideration many factors. One of these factors is the law of increasing returns, as related to the money spent for improvements on a property.
Surprisingly, not all home improvements are considered added value projects (law of diminishing returns).
That said, let's start with some that are considered, more often than not, added value home improvement projects:
- Kitchen
- Bathrooms
- Garage Doors
- Siding
- Refinishing Basement
- Upgrade Flooring
- Add on or Home Office Conversion
- Windows
Home improvements that may not add value to a property's value include:
- Swimming Pool
- Extensive Landscaping
- Expensive Lighting & Fixtures
- Solar Panels
Staying ahead of market trends and making safe decisions about home improvements is always a good idea.
Post References
- Dotdash Meredith Creative (28 June 2022). "Three Home Improvements That Actually Add Value—and Three to Skip", TheBalance.com (9 June 2022).
- Valerie Kalfrin, Christopher Rogacz (31 January 2022). "What Upgrades Increase Home Value? 25 High-ROI Improvements Buyers Love", Homelight.com (31 January 2022).
- Ginera Benedetti (15 December 2020). "8 home improvements that won't add value – what to avoid when renovating", Homes & Gardens (15 December 2020)
Monday, June 20, 2022
Provided below, current Maryland real estate statistics as provided by the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (FRED). Click on each chart to learn more about the information provided.
| Maryland Homeownership Rate | Active Listing Count in Maryland | Average Listing Price in Maryland |
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Tuesday, April 19, 2022
Professional Summary
After graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics (student internship NASA), Ms. Thomas began her professional career with Boeing as a defense contractor [systems analyst]. A short stint with General Electric followed and then 10 years with Rockwell International. Ms. Thomas started her consulting career in 1995 and opened her software consulting firm, QiSoftware in 2004. Ms. Thomas has held Top Secret and Secret clearances, with a life style polygraph. Clearance, currently inactive. In 2022, Ms. Thomas became a Maryland licensed real estate salesperson.
Professional Experience Detailed Summary
- Microsoft Office Suite Power User (Latest 365 Pro Release & Office Pro 2000)
- Including, Access, Excel, Word, PowerPoint & Publisher
- Graphical User Interface [GUI] Software Developer
- Internet Web Developer/Designer
- Full Stack Developer
- Java, Servlets, JDBC, XML, SQL, MySQL, LAMP, Netbeans, API, PHP, Curl, Postman, jQuery, AJAX, JavaScript
- Blog Template Development: WordPress, Thingamablog
- Proficient [Quick Study] Commercial Software Programs
- Satisfied Maryland Real Estate Salesperson License Requirements (Education, Exam)
- Familiar with DotLoop & Similar Real Estate Management Software
- Corporate Office Manner & Appearance
Experience
| Software Consultant /Business Owner QiSoftware | 2000 - Present Columbia, MD |
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| Social Media | 2008 - Present |
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| Member Technical Staff Rockwell International | 1985 - 1995 Arlington, VA |
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| Systems Analyst General Electric | 1984 - 1985 Reston, VA |
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| Systems Analyst Boeing Computer Services | 1981 - 1984 Vienna, VA/Pentagon |
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| Part Time Cashier Circuit City | 1978 - 1981 Beltsville, MD |
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| Student Internship NASA Goddard Space Flight Center | 1980 Summer Greenbelt, MD |
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| Education | |
| 1981 |
| 2021 |
| 2022 |
