If you plan on selling your Maryland real estate fairly soon or in the future, then you’ll probably want to know which home renovation projects are worthwhile for increasing your asking price. In the past, Maryland real estate agents told sellers that buyers were looking for new bathrooms and updated kitchens. However, these renovations were extremely expensive and difficult to gauge. After all, everyone has distinctive tastes, right?

According to local Maryland real estate contractor C. Clary Contracting, the best value for your dollar can be found in these four renovations:

1.      Front Door – Maryland real estate owners will see a 135.5 % return on their $1,098 investment.

2.      Garage Door – Maryland real estate owners will see a 91.6% return on their $1,178 investment.

3.      Siding – Maryland real estate owners will see an 85.4% return on their $13,106 investment.

4.      Windows – Maryland real estate owners will see a 77% return on their investment.

Some Maryland real estate projects you might want to skip include adding a sunroom (where you can only hope to recoup 50.2% of the $70,999 you put in) and remodeling your home office (which only brings in 48.2% of the $27,223 cost).

Siding, windows and doors present a fresh exterior and a great first impression for Maryland real estate being sold.

Maryland real estate

Maryland real estate owners are eligible for energy efficiency upgrades from the Maryland Clean Energy Center, which launched a new program this year. Thanks to economic stimulus funding, the Center has the money to work toward its goal of reducing carbon emissions 20 percent by 2025.

If you own Maryland real estate, you can have an energy assessment drawn up by a certified home energy auditor and then apply for up to $20,000 toward each of your home energy improvements with low interest rates of 6.99 percent. Most of the Maryland real estate upgrades will include improved insulation, plugged air leaks, sealed ducts, new heat pumps, new air conditioners or replaced furnaces, according to the Maryland Energy Administration. Click here to find a contractor!

“This month’s cold spell is a potent reminder of steps to save money by making our primary residences more energy efficient,” said Maryland Clean Energy Center Executive Director Kathy Magruder. These loans will cost Maryland real estate owners initially, but will put money back in their pockets (thanks to utility savings) each season, she adds.

Maryland real estate owners are also eligible for the Maryland Energy Administration’s Home Performance Rebate Program, which gives homeowners:

-          $100 toward an energy audit

-          35% (or $1,500 maximum) toward whole-house air sealing

-           35% (or $1,500 maximum) toward attic insulation

-          35% (or $1,500 maximum) toward duct sealing, replacement or insulation

-          35% (or $1,500 maximum) toward wall insulation

-          35% (or $1,500 maximum) toward basement or crawl space insulation

-          35% (or $1,500 maximum) toward rim joist insulation

Essentially, you can receive up to $3,100 for your Maryland real estate energy efficiency improvements!

Maryland real estate

Trulia lists 234 foreclosures in Laurel Maryland real estate. To buyers, this can be a positive thing. That means there are 234 homes in the Maryland real estate market that are being sold for bargain bin prices. Buyers can expect to get more home for their money and a low interest mortgage loan to boot. You’ll hear Maryland real estate analysts say it time and time again: “It’s a buyer’s market!” You can dream big and live large. I’ve moved many happy buyers into their own piece of dream Maryland real estate that was made affordable to them due to a previous foreclosure.

Unfortunately, foreclosures also spell short-term disaster for current Maryland real estate owners. No one wants to live in a neighborhood full of abandoned properties and rapidly depreciating home values. The General Assembly has been pushing for legislation that would require banks to pay a $75 annual registration fee for each foreclosure property, which would then be placed into a maintenance fund to care for all the area’s neglected homes. In places like Prince George’s County, where there is 1 Maryland real estate foreclosure for every 457 households (the highest rate in the state), the community cannot afford to sit and wait for banks and REO brokers to keep lawns looking presentable. The new changes to the Maryland real estate community take homeowners into consideration, which is a promising sign for buyers too.