Welcome to Central Maryland Real Estate

Updated August 10th - 4+ Year Price History - Nine Counties

Whether you are intending to buy the home of your dreams, to sell your existing residence and relocate, or to lease a rental property, I can help you by delivering the honest, courteous, and professional service that for years has been a hallmark of Long and Foster Real Estate, Inc.  To help you achieve your goals, I've established this web site for you.  The valuable resources and professional advice that are available will help you become an informed client.  By dispelling the myths and focusing on the realities of real estate transactions, I hope to earn your trust and build a life-long relationship with you and your family.

  1st Quarter 2008  Maryland Market Report  
2nd Quarter 2008 Trends in Housing Report

  Featured Listings for September

Art Lane - Associate Broker, Realtor, GRI

As a former Director of Engineering and Network Operations for three major cellular companies in the U.S., Art is no stranger to detail-oriented professions.  After enjoying a successful career spanning over thirty-two years in the wireless industry, where he pioneered the initial launch of the first cellular and PCS networks in the U.S., Art decided to retire in 2003.  Shortly thereafter, he obtained his Maryland Real Estate license, and immediately became affiliated with Long and Foster Real Estate, Inc. in Columbia, Maryland.  Not content with 'just' being a REALTOR^®, in November 2008 Art attained his Maryland Brokers license certification after completing 135 hours of advanced real estate training.  

"I realized that becoming a REALTOR^® - Associate Broker would allow me to channel some of the business skills I acquired during my years in the wireless industry back into the community at large.  At the beginning of each day, I know that I might positively impact the quality of someone's life, and at the end of each day, I feel humbled and rewarded if I did."

"The decision to affiliate with Long and Foster Real Estate, Inc. was immediate. We are the largest, privately owned real estate firm in the United States, and have the necessary resources of both people and technology to market properties successfully.  I've re-discovered the entrepreneurial spirit once again with Long and Foster."

Art is a licensed Broker-member in good standing of the:

• 2008 Long and Foster Silver Team and Executive Club
• Graduate of the Realtors^® Institute, 2007
• 2007 Long and Foster Silver Team
• National Association of Realtors^®
• Maryland Association of Realtors^®
• Howard County Association of Realtors^®
• 2006 Member of Howard County Million Dollar Club

Valuable Resources for You

Each link in the left-hand column is designed to guide you to the particular information you wish to obtain.  For example, if you are looking for home listings, you would click on the link labeled Search the MLS.  You'll connect to our direct MLS feed, and after specifying your property needs, you can easily browse through actively listed properties that meet your criteria.

Search the MLS:  Get your direct connection to our mid-Atlantic MLS.  You can choose from several different search modes and even save properties in your private folder to review them later.  Be sure to also build your search criteria and save it for automatic notification.  That's right!  Whenever a property gets freshly listed on the MLS, you'll receive a notification direct to your inbox.

Kick Start Your Loan:  If you're buying a residence and you have not engaged the services of a local mortgage lender, this is the first step you need to take before you seriously begin looking at homes. You really do need to have your letter of pre-qualification before searching in earnest, because every seller expects to see it in any contract offer.

Mortgage 101:  This online resource offers financial tutorials, ranging from applications to VA loans. Here you can search current rates, compare lenders, use mortgage calculators, and access real estate-related news.  Please spend some time here, because this area is vitally important, if you are to become a wise real estate consumer.

Real Estate 101:  If you're not entirely comfortable with the process of buying or selling real estate, you are encouraged to click on this link and print out the resource information I've collected for you.  After all, an informed customer makes a great client!  

School Ratings:  Here you can access key statistical data for not just Howard County but current school performance rankings throughout all areas of Maryland.

Neighborhood Data:  Research statistics related to neighborhoods in and around your desired area.

Home Services:  Buying or selling a home can be stressful.  Use this handy reference for utility companies and contractors when in need.  Don't know who to contact for transferring or connecting a particular home utility?  Well then, this is your link!

Live RSS Feeds:  A new and exclusive feature that you won't find on many other realty sites is the live, informational feeds embedded into this web site.  Using a pull-down menu, you can select headline, business or ESPN news, the latest real estate news from the Washington Post, local Columbia event information, invaluable advice on taxes, buying or selling a home, and even audio feeds from selected National Public Radio programs like Morning Edition and All Things Considered.

Amazon Home Shop:  We've even included a direct link to selected areas of Amazon.com offering you convenient access to home-related products at substantial savings.