Maryland Archives - The Hersh Group

Do low inventory woes mean big wins for sellers?

by Ira Hersh· September 12, 2019· in Real Estate Predictions, Real Estate Report, Selling· 0 comments tags: DC Real Estate, DC To The Sea, Delaware beach real estate, DMV, DMV Real Estate, Market update, Maryland, Seller's market, Selling strategies, Selling the DMV, The Hersh Group, VA real estate, Washington DC Real Estate

No matter where you look across the DMV, inventory shortages are driving the real estate market. With fewer properties for sale, home prices have grown higher while sales periods have tightened. These conditions present tremendous opportunities for sellers, with escalated prices, short settlement periods, and far fewer contract contingencies. It can also be worrying, however, for those sellers who also need to buy a new property after selling. Thankfully, those worries can be overcome through preparation, planning, and working with professionals like us! Here are just a few ways that home sellers can become successful buyers, too. Begin your new home search before listing your current house. With homes in the DMV selling quickly—sometimes in less than a week, depending on your neighborhood—you’ll want to make sure you have a head-start on your next home search before yours goes up for sale. Take advantage of declining mortgage rates. Rates were expected to rise above 5% this year, but we’ve seen the opposite occur, with mortgage rates hitting their lowest point since November 2016. Talk to your mortgage consultant now to lock in the best rates. We’re happy to refer you to our team at Prosperity Home Mortgage, LLC, for assistance, […]
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Save the Date! 5th Annual Dog Adoption Event on May 18th

by Ira Hersh· April 11, 2019· in Giving Back, Local Events, Things To Do· 0 comments tags: Bethesda, Bethesda real estate, dog adoption, Giving Back, Local Events, Maryland, MD real estate, PetConnect Rescue, Puppy Love, The Hersh Group, Westwood Pet Center

“Happiness is a warm puppy.” —Charles M. Schulz (cartoonist, Peanuts) Spring is truly here, and it’s the perfect time to welcome a new furry family member into your heart and your home! Please join Lisa Levine and The Hersh Group, your Bethesda neighborhood experts, at our fifth annual adoption event in Bethesda with PetConnect Rescue. We’re thrilled to be sponsoring this event again and helping to provide these wonderful dogs with a new family and loving home. As one of Long & Foster’s top teams in the DC Metro area, our goal is to help people find the right house for their needs. What better way to complete a home than adopt a pet? We are pleased to partner again with PetConnect Rescue and the Westwood Pet Center to host this dog adoption event so that more of our neighbors can find the newest additions to their families and give these pets the loving homes they deserve. Please join us: Saturday, May 18th, 2019 11am – 1pm Westwood Pet Center 5428 Westbard Ave Bethesda, MD For more information, call Lisa at (301) 332-5721 or email us at thehershgroupllc@gmail.com. Check back here or ‘like’ our Facebook event to receive updates, and […]
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It’s Tax Time! (And there are important changes you should know about…)

by Ira Hersh· March 05, 2019· in Taxes· 0 comments tags: DC Real Estate, Delaware beach real estate, DMV, Maryland, Tax Tips, The Hersh Group, VA real estate, Washington DC Real Estate

It’s tax time again, with the day filing deadline just over a month away, and the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act is now in effect, which means there are new requirements for homeowners. The media covered the changes in much detail in early 2018, and we wanted to share a few housing-related highlights with you as you get ready to file your 2018 tax returns. As you may know, the number of income tax brackets remains the same, but they include lower tax rates. Several itemized deductions, including moving expenses except with military households, interest on home equity loans unless used for home improvements, and more, have also been reduced or eliminated. Here are a few other important changes to keep in mind: Mortgage interest deductions are limited to a combined $750,000 of debt for both primary residences and second homes for any loans taken out after December 14, 2017. Current homeowners with loans made before that date are grandfathered into the previous deduction, allowing a combined debt limit up to $1 million. State and local tax deductions are capped at a combined $10,000 – this includes state and local property, income and sales taxes. Previously, these were fully tax […]
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Jam with us (again!) at the 8th Annual Bannockburn Music Festival

by Ira Hersh· September 16, 2018· in Uncategorized· 0 comments tags: Bannockburn, Bannockburn Music Festival, Bethesda, Bethesda real estate, DMV, Giving Back, Local Events, Maryland, MD real estate, Real estate, The Hersh Group, Washington DC Real Estate

This September, Lisa Levine and the Hersh Group are proud to again sponsor the Bannockburn Music Festival 2018! The annual event showcases local musical talent in the Bannockburn neighborhood of Bethesda, MD, while raising funds for the maintenance of the historic Bannockburn community clubhouse. Lisa and her family are longtime neighbors and enthusiastic supporters of this great event, and we’re delighted to join them. It’s a great way to celebrate the Bannockburn community, local musicians and vendors, and a fun fall weekend, with a terrific lineup of local bands and artists each day. When Saturday, September 22nd, 2pm to 10pm Where Bannockburn Community Clubhouse 6314 Bannockburn Drive Bethesda, MD Festival Schedule* 2:00 – 3:00 pm Combo Skillet (jazz) 3:15 – 4:15 pm Bob Marley Workshop (reggae) 4:30 – 5:30 pm The Truck Farmers (country) 5:45 – 6:45 pm MyKey and Colin Kelly (original pop) 7:00 – 8:20 pm The Montgomery Warlocks (Grateful Dead) 8:40 – 10:00 pm The Allman Others (Allman Bros.) *at least one Bannockburnian in every group! Vendors Ted’s Woodworking Shop, Kathy Bryant’s Mustards & Condiments, Snow Cabin Pottery, Runaway Silver (Jewelry), Kathryn Bird Glassware, and Blugnu Products. Silent Auction Live Jazz Party, […]
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Save the Date! 4th Annual Dog Adoption Event on May 19th “Happiness is a warm puppy.” —Charles M. Schulz (cartoonist, Peanuts) Spring is the perfect time to welcome a new furry family member into your heart and your home! Please join Lisa Levine and The Hersh Group, your Bethesda neighborhood experts, at their fourth annual adoption event in Bethesda with PetConnect Rescue. We are thrilled to be hosting this event again and helping to provide these wonderful dogs with a new family and loving home. As one of Long & Foster’s top teams in the DC Metro area, our goal is to help people find the right house for their needs. What better way to complete a home than adopt a pet? As the saying goes, a house is not a home without that furry friend. We are pleased to partner again with PetConnect Rescue and the Westwood Pet Center to host this dog adoption event so that more of our neighbors can find the newest additions to their families and give these pets the loving homes they deserve. Please join us: Saturday, May 19th, 2018 11am – 1pm Westwood Pet Center 5428 Westbard Ave, Bethesda, MD For more information, call […]
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New Maryland smoke alarm takes effect January 1st, 2018

by Ira Hersh· January 05, 2018· in Local Law Updates· 0 comments tags: Bethesda, Local Laws, Maryland, The Hersh Group, Washington DC Real Estate

Have you checked your smoke detectors recently? It’s always a good idea to check your alarm batteries at the start of a New Year, but for Maryland residents, this January 1st has a more important meaning – it’s the deadline to comply with the new Maryland smoke alarm law aimed at reducing home fire deaths. This law requires that homeowners replace any battery-only smoke alarms that are more than 10 years old with new alarms with a sealed-in batteries with 10-year life spans. According to NBC Washington’s report, “Officials said nationally, two thirds of all home fire deaths occur when there is no smoke alarm or a smoke alarm with missing or disconnected batteries. By requiring a sealed unit, it becomes tamper resistant, and residents don’t have to try to remember to change the batteries.” Here are the law’s key points:
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Puppy Love recap: Adoption success!

by Ira Hersh· June 22, 2017· in Events, Giving Back, Local Events· 0 comments tags: Bethesda, DC Real Estate, Maryland, PetConnect Rescue, The Hersh Group, Washington DC Real Estate, Westwood Pet Center

We had a fantastic time last Saturday when we co-sponsored our Puppy Love dog adoption event in Bethesda with PetConnect Rescue, thanks to the tireless efforts of our teammate, Lisa Levine. Lisa’s third event with our partners at Westwood Pet Center and PetConnect was a tremendous success, with many of the dogs finding new families and their forever homes on Saturday. Please enjoy some photos from this fun and heart-warming event, and stay tuned for announcements of our next event! Our Partners PetConnect Rescue P.O. Box 60714 Potomac, MD 20859 (877) 838-9171 info@petconnectrescue.org PetConnect Rescue was founded in 2005 and has evolved into a vibrant animal rescue organization. Their mission is to save the lives of abandoned dogs & cats and place them in loving and permanent homes. A registered 501(c)(3) non-profit, they also provide training, education and ongoing support, demonstrate courtesy and professionalism and are committed to the highest standard of excellence. Westwood Pet Center Westbard Shopping Center 5428 Westbard Ave Bethesda, MD 20816 (301) 654-0604
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