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Real Estate Buying & Selling • August 27, 2026

Who Pays Buyer Agent Fees After the Settlement? Standard Costs, Agreements, and Negotiation Rules

by Reginald Butler, Jr.

We are two years past August 17, 2024, and I still get this question in almost every buyer consultation and half my listing appointments: who actually pays the buyer’s agent now?

The confusion is understandable, because the headlines got it wrong in both directions. One camp said commissions were abolished. The other said nothing changed. Neither is true. Let me walk you through what the rules actually are, what the market is actually paying in 2026, and where the room to negotiate really lives.

What actually changed

Two things. That’s it.

One — buyer agent compensation can no longer be published in the MLS. Not in a compensation field, not in the agent remarks, not anywhere. Bright MLS, which covers Maryland, D.C., Northern Virginia and a good stretch beyond, removed those fields entirely. If a seller wants to contribute toward the buyer’s agent, that has to be negotiated directly between the parties or written into the purchase contract.

Two — buyers must sign a written buyer-broker agreement before touring homes with an MLS-participant agent. That agreement has to spell out what the buyer’s agent gets paid and who is expected to pay it, in a specific and objective amount. Not “whatever the seller offers.” An actual number.

What did not change

Commissions have always been negotiable, and they still are. There is no standard rate, there never legally was one, and any agent who tells you otherwise is out over their skis.

And here’s the one that surprises people most: sellers can still pay the buyer’s agent. That was never prohibited. What’s prohibited is advertising it in the MLS. The money can still flow the same direction it always did — it just has to get there through a different door.

So who pays in 2026? Four paths.

Seller concession. The most common structure by far. The seller agrees to credit the buyer a dollar amount at closing, and the buyer uses that credit to pay their own agent under their buyer-broker agreement. This is negotiated in the offer, appears on the Closing Disclosure, and is functionally what the old system did — just routed through the buyer.

Cooperative compensation negotiated off-MLS. The listing broker and buyer broker agree to a compensation arrangement outside the MLS, typically confirmed in writing before or with the offer. Still legal, still happening, just no longer broadcast.

Buyer pays out of pocket. The buyer writes a check at closing for their agent’s fee. Real, but relatively rare — most buyers are already stretched by down payment and closing costs.

A split. Seller covers part, buyer covers the rest. This is where a lot of negotiations land when a seller won’t go the full number.

The actual numbers

Here’s what the data shows, and it’s not what the reformers predicted.

As of February 2026, the national average total commission was roughly 5.70% — about 2.88% on the listing side and 2.82% on the buyer side. Looking at buyer-side compensation specifically from September 2025 through February 2026, the national average was about 2.60%, with a real-world range running from roughly 1.00% to 4.00%.

And sellers are still contributing. Market surveys in 2026 show sellers offering buyer-agent compensation on somewhere around 75% to 82% of transactions, typically in the 2.0% to 2.5% range. In Las Vegas, one 2026 analysis put it at 78% of sellers offering, averaging 2.4%.

The uncomfortable headline for the people who expected this settlement to crush fees: total commissions went up slightly, not down. More negotiation happened. More agreements got signed. The average number barely moved.

The written buyer agreement — read it carefully

This document is now the single most important piece of paper in the buyer’s file, and most buyers skim it. Don’t.

The fee stated in your buyer-broker agreement is a ceiling, not a floor. If your agreement says 2.5% and the seller offers a 3% concession, your agent cannot collect the extra half point — the overage goes back to you or reduces the price. But if your agreement says 3% and the seller only offers 2%, you are on the hook for the difference. That gap is where buyers get hurt, and it is entirely avoidable with a conversation up front.

Also look hard at the term length, the geographic scope, whether it’s exclusive, and what happens if you want out. A 12-month exclusive agreement covering an entire metro is a very different commitment than a 30-day agreement on a single neighborhood, and both exist in the wild.

The financing rules — this is where deals get won

This is the section most people skip, and it’s the section that decides whether a buyer can actually afford representation.

Conventional loans. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac confirmed that buyer agent commissions paid by the seller do not count against interested party contribution caps. That is enormous. It means a seller can credit the buyer’s agent fee and still contribute the full allowable amount toward the buyer’s other closing costs. For primary residences, those IPC caps run about 3% with less than 10% down, 6% between 10% and 25% down, and 9% above 25% down.

VA loans. In April 2026 the VA made its buyer-broker fee rule permanent. Veterans, active-duty service members, and surviving spouses can now pay their buyer’s agent directly as a legitimate closing cost — something conventional and FHA borrowers could always do. The catch: the fee cannot be rolled into the loan amount. It has to come from the buyer’s own funds at closing or through seller concessions. And seller-paid commissions in many cases don’t count against the VA’s 4% concession cap.

That last point matters enormously in this market. We have a large veteran population across Prince George’s County and the broader DMV, and for two years VA buyers were at a structural disadvantage on this issue. That gap is now closed.

How Bright MLS handles it locally

Since August 2024, Bright has prohibited any mention of buyer-agent compensation anywhere in the system, including free-text remarks. What Bright did add is a concessions field, where a listing can indicate whether the seller is offering concessions and in what amount — including concessions that may be applied toward buyer broker fees.

One important compliance note, because I’ve seen agents get sloppy here: the only items that belong in the final concessions fields are seller credits to the buyer that actually appear on the ALTA statement or Closing Disclosure. It is not a workaround for advertising compensation. Treat it as a reporting field, not a marketing field.

Negotiation strategy — buyers

Interview and negotiate your agent’s fee before you sign anything. It is negotiable, and a professional should be able to tell you exactly what you’re getting for it.

Build the concession ask into your offer from the beginning rather than raising it late. In a competitive situation, understand the arithmetic: a seller comparing a $600,000 offer with a $15,000 concession request against a $590,000 offer with none is looking at $585,000 versus $590,000 — and will usually take the second one. Sometimes the cleaner path is a slightly higher price with the concession built in, which also spreads your agent’s fee across the mortgage rather than draining your cash at the table.

And get pre-approved with a lender who understands these rules. Not all of them do yet.

Negotiation strategy — sellers

Offering a buyer-agent concession is optional. It is also, in most cases, smart. Roughly four out of five sellers are still doing it, and the reason is simple: you expand your buyer pool. A buyer who has to cover their own agent out of pocket has less cash for your price.

The two decisions are now genuinely separate — what you pay your listing agent, and what if anything you offer toward the buyer’s side. Price them independently. And consider making it a flat dollar amount rather than a percentage. It’s cleaner, it’s easier to advertise as a concession, and it doesn’t automatically grow if the price does.

The bottom line

Nobody was abolished and nothing was made free. What the settlement did was force a conversation that used to happen silently — and in a business built on the biggest financial decision most families ever make, having that conversation out loud is not a bad thing.

The fee is negotiable. It always was. The difference now is that both sides have to say the number out loud and put it in writing.

If you’re buying or selling in the DMV and you want a plain-English walk-through of what these numbers look like on your transaction — your price point, your loan type, your timeline — let’s sit down. When are you free this week or next?

This article is general information about industry practice and is not legal or financial advice. Commission rates are negotiable and vary by transaction, brokerage, and market. Consult your lender and, where appropriate, an attorney regarding your specific situation.

Reginald “Reggie” Butler Jr. Broker/Owner, CENTURY 21 ENVISION 240-232-7005 | 240-938-1244 reggiebutler333@gmail.com

Sources

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Real Estate Investing • August 26, 2026

Do NFL Stadiums Increase Nearby Home Values? Property Appreciation, Rental ROI, and Stadium District Data

by Reginald Butler, Jr.

Every few years the question lands on my desk again, and right now it’s landing weekly. A buyer calls and asks whether they should get ahead of the new stadium. A seller wants to know if they should wait. An investor wants to know if game-day rentals are a real strategy or a fantasy.

So let’s get into the numbers — the actual research, the case studies, and what it means for us here in the DMV.

The short answer

A stadium by itself does not make your home appreciate. A stadium district does.

That distinction is the whole ballgame, and it’s the thing most people get wrong. Eighty thousand people showing up eight to ten times a year is an event. Housing, retail, restaurants, offices, jobs, and transit that operate 365 days a year — that’s an economy. The research separates cleanly along that line, and once you see it, you can’t unsee it.

What the research actually says

The academic picture is genuinely mixed, and anyone who tells you otherwise is selling something.

On the optimistic side, a study published in the Journal of Sports Economics found housing values near sports stadiums rose about 4.7% in the U.S. Work associated with the National Bureau of Economic Research found rents on properties within one mile of an NFL stadium can run up to 9% higher — and, in a detail I love, that each additional regular-season win corresponds to roughly a 0.14% bump in home values within that same mile. Winning literally pays the neighbors.

Trulia’s research team looked at all 31 NFL stadium neighborhoods and found that nearly two-thirds had higher average home values than comparable non-stadium neighborhoods in the same metro. Sounds like a win — until you read the next line. The same analysis found that of the five new NFL stadiums that had opened in the prior decade, none produced a noticeable lift in home values within a two-mile radius. Their conclusion was blunt: the determining factor was the neighborhood the stadium landed in, not the stadium itself.

Translation — stadiums tend to get built in places that were already appreciating, or already struggling. The building doesn’t rewrite the block. The block was already writing the story.

Now, the study that matters most to us. In 2005, Charles Tu published research in Land Economics on FedExField in Landover — our backyard. His finding was more encouraging than the activists of the day expected: homes near the site had historically sold at a discount, and after the stadium was completed that discount narrowed. He measured a roughly three-mile impact area. So a stadium didn’t tank Prince George’s County values. It closed a gap. That’s a real result, and it’s a modest one.

The case studies — and what separates them

Inglewood: the outlier everybody quotes

SoFi Stadium is the story people cite when they want to argue stadiums make you rich, and the numbers are loud. Inglewood’s median home price ran from about $382,000 in 2015 to roughly $668,000 by 2020, when the first games were played — north of $720,000 by 2021. Since 2016, Inglewood’s median rose about 37.3% while Los Angeles County overall rose about 18.7%. Prices climbed at least $25,000 every single year after 2016.

But be careful with the lesson. SoFi didn’t arrive alone. It arrived inside Hollywood Park — a 300-acre mixed-use district with housing, retail, offices, and an arena, in a supply-starved Southern California market with an NBA team moving in next door and a Super Bowl and an Olympics on the calendar. And that appreciation came with a cost that got reported honestly: local coverage described a crisis for renters as rents chased prices upward. Appreciation and displacement rode in on the same bus.

Las Vegas: the muted middle

Allegiant Stadium gives us the more typical outcome. Research on the Raiders’ relocation found properties closer to the stadium got a positive bump on the announcement, while properties farther out saw a negative effect — and after the stadium opened, values near it rose and closed the gap. Familiar? That’s the FedExField pattern again.

Beyond that, most neighborhoods around Allegiant appreciated roughly in line with Southern Nevada as a whole. The big movement was in commercial and industrial land, not single-family homes. And there’s a sobering finding in the literature: businesses in the neighborhoods that grew fastest after the announcement were actually more likely to close — early speculation raised costs faster than demand arrived.

The Battery and Titletown: the model that works

Here’s where the data stops being ambiguous. The Battery Atlanta, the Braves’ mixed-use district next to Truist Park, saw taxable property value go from about $5 million in 2014 to $736 million by 2022. The Braves pulled roughly $97 million in real estate revenue in 2025 alone, up 45% year over year. The Packers’ Titletown district next to Lambeau put about 220 residences, offices, retail, and public park space on 45 acres — a place people use in February, not just in September.

Notice what those two have in common, and what Inglewood shares with them: housing and daily-use commercial development integrated into the site. The stadium is the anchor tenant. The district is the product.

Rental ROI: real, but smaller than the hype

Let’s talk honestly about the investor angle, because this is where people lose money by doing napkin math.

The event premiums are real. For Super Bowl LX in Santa Clara, short-term rentals within 10 miles of Levi’s Stadium captured 30–37% rate premiums, while listings 45 miles out in San Francisco managed only 5.6% over baseline. Proximity absolutely prices. But the same market data shows Santa Clara’s median annual short-term rental revenue at about $7,266 — average around $18,296. Those spike weekends do not carry a mortgage by themselves.

Here’s the math nobody wants to run: an NFL team plays eight or nine regular-season home games. Add a preseason game and a playoff game in a good year. That’s maybe ten to eleven premium weekends out of fifty-two. A Super Bowl or a World Cup is a once-in-a-decade windfall, not a business model.

So where’s the actual return? Three places. The long-term rent premium — that up-to-9% figure within a mile is the durable number, because it’s driven by jobs and amenities, not by kickoff. Density upzoning around stadium districts, which is where small multifamily and land plays get made. And the arrival of daily-use retail and transit, which is what makes a neighborhood rentable to people who have never watched a football game in their lives.

And underwrite the friction, always: game-day traffic, parking spillover, noise, and — critically — short-term rental regulation. In our market, D.C.’s STR rules are restrictive and Prince George’s County has its own licensing requirements. Buy a property whose model only works if you can rent it nightly, and a single council vote can erase your thesis.

What this means right here in the DMV

We are living through the exact scenario the research describes, on both ends.

Northwest Stadium in Landover has anchored Prince George’s County since 1997. Tu’s study told us it closed a value gap rather than creating a boom — and the surrounding land never got the integrated district treatment that Inglewood, Atlanta, and Green Bay received. That’s the honest lesson: the site was never allowed to become more than a parking lot with a building in the middle.

The RFK Campus project in D.C. is being designed the other way. The plan calls for a roughly 65,000-seat roofed stadium on an approximately 180-acre campus between the Anacostia River and the Kingman Park and Hill East neighborhoods, with 5,000 to 6,000 new homes — at least 30% of them affordable — as part of the master plan. Groundbreaking is targeted for fall or winter 2026, with the stadium opening in fall 2030. Boosters project 30,000 construction jobs and 2,000 permanent ones.

Whether every projection lands, the structure is the one that historically correlates with appreciation: housing plus retail plus transit, not a stadium standing alone. Hill East, Kingman Park, Carver-Langston, River Terrace, and Deanwood are the blocks I’d be watching, and so are the Blue and Silver Line corridors running back into P.G. County.

For Prince George’s, there’s a second story: what happens to the Landover site once the team is gone. That land, freed up and properly master-planned, may end up being the bigger opportunity for our clients than the stadium ever was. Redevelopment sites with that much acreage and that much transit access don’t come along often.

What to actually do with this

If you’re buying near a proposed stadium, buy the neighborhood, not the announcement. Ask whether the plan includes housing and daily-use retail — if it’s a bowl and a parking lot, expect market-rate appreciation and nothing more. And check the timeline honestly: the RFK stadium opens in 2030. That’s a hold, not a flip.

If you’re selling in an impact zone, know that announcement bumps are usually front-loaded and then flat for years. Don’t wait for a payday that the data says arrives slowly, if at all.

If you’re investing, underwrite on long-term rent and neighborhood fundamentals. Treat game-day and event revenue as upside, never as the base case. And read the STR ordinance before you read the pro forma.

The bottom line

Does an NFL stadium increase nearby home values? Modestly, sometimes, and mostly by closing an existing discount rather than creating a premium. Does a well-designed stadium district — with housing, retail, jobs, and transit — increase them? The data there is much stronger.

The stadium gets the headlines. The district builds the wealth.

If you own near one of these sites, or you’re thinking about buying near one, let’s sit down and look at your specific block, your specific timeline, and your specific numbers. General research is useful. A plan for your property is better.

Reginald “Reggie” Butler Jr. Broker/Owner, CENTURY 21 ENVISION 240-232-7005 | 240-938-1244 reggiebutler333@gmail.com

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Homeownership & Wealth Building • August 21, 2026

The Sourdough Starter Guide to Home Equity: Why Patience, Feeding, and Time Build True Wealth

by Reginald Butler, Jr.

by Reginald Butler, Jr.

Quick answer: Home equity behaves almost exactly like a sourdough starter. It does nothing visible for the first stretch, it responds to consistent small feedings far more than to dramatic intervention, it cannot be rushed by turning up the heat, and it compounds quietly until one day you have something substantial. Most people give up on both for the same reason — they judge it at week two.

Week one: when nothing appears to be happening

Anyone who has started a sourdough culture knows the first several days feel like a failure. You mix flour and water, you wait, and you get nothing. Maybe a little liquid on top. You start wondering if you did it wrong.

The first two or three years of homeownership feel identical. You make a payment every month and watch almost all of it disappear into interest. On a $388,000 loan at around 6.67%, your first payment sends roughly $2,150 to the lender and about $340 to your own balance. That is a discouraging ratio, and it is exactly where people conclude that renting was smarter.

It is not a failure. It is the lag. Amortization is front-loaded by design, and it flips. The principal portion of your payment grows every single month, slowly at first and then noticeably, and by the middle of the loan you are putting more toward the balance than toward interest.

Feeding: small, consistent, unglamorous

A starter does not need a lot of flour. It needs flour on a schedule. Skip a week and it weakens; dump a giant feeding in after neglecting it and you get a sluggish mess, not a recovery.

Equity works the same way. One extra payment a year, or simply rounding your payment up by a couple hundred dollars, does more over a thirty-year loan than an occasional lump sum you had to strain to produce. Consistency beats magnitude because every dollar of early principal reduction removes interest from every remaining month.

The other feeding is maintenance. A house that gets its gutters cleaned, its HVAC serviced, and its small leaks fixed within a week holds value. A house that gets nothing for eight years develops the kind of deferred-maintenance list buyers price aggressively. Maintenance is not an expense against your equity. It is a deposit into it.

You cannot rush it with heat

Every impatient baker tries the same shortcut: put the starter somewhere warm to speed it up. It does speed up, and it also gets sour, unstable, and unpredictable.

The housing equivalent is trying to force appreciation. Over-improving a starter home for a neighborhood that will not support it. Borrowing against equity to fund a renovation with a 40% return. Refinancing repeatedly and resetting the amortization clock each time, so that after fifteen years of payments you are structurally back near the beginning. Each of these feels like acceleration and functions as a reset.

Real appreciation comes from time in the market, the neighborhood improving around you, and your loan balance dropping. Two of those three happen whether you interfere or not.

Discard is part of the process

Every feeding requires discarding part of the starter. New bakers hate this. It feels wasteful. But without discard the culture gets unbalanced and eventually stops performing.

Homeownership has its own discards. Property taxes. Insurance. The roof that had to be replaced two years earlier than you planned. Closing costs when you sell. None of that comes back to you directly, and all of it is the cost of keeping the thing alive. Budget for it, expect it, and stop treating it as evidence the whole enterprise is not working.

The rise you eventually get

Here is the part that makes it worth it. Equity builds from three directions at once, and they stack. Your principal payments grow every month. Appreciation, historically, adds to the value of an asset you control the entirety of while having financed most of it. And your payment is largely fixed while rents in the same neighborhood keep climbing.

Ten years in, most owners are genuinely surprised by the number. Not because anything dramatic happened, but because nothing did, repeatedly, for a long time.

The starter recipe, if you want to actually make one

Day one: mix 50 grams of whole wheat or rye flour with 50 grams of room-temperature filtered water in a clean jar. Stir to a thick paste, cover loosely, and leave it at room temperature.

Days two through four: you may see nothing, or a few bubbles, or a dark liquid on top. All of that is normal. Once a day, discard all but about 50 grams and feed it 50 grams of all-purpose flour and 50 grams of water.

Days five through fourteen: feed twice a day, roughly twelve hours apart, same ratio. The smell will move from unpleasant and acetone-like to tangy and yeasty, which is the sign it is working. It is ready when it reliably doubles in volume within four to six hours of a feeding and a spoonful floats in water. To maintain it, keep it in the refrigerator and feed once a week; before baking, give it two room-temperature feedings.

Most people quit on day four. The ones who do not have a culture they can keep for decades on a few tablespoons of flour a week.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does it take to build meaningful equity? Typically five to seven years before the combination of principal paydown and appreciation clearly exceeds your transaction costs, though this varies significantly by market and by how much you put down.

Should I make extra principal payments? If you have an emergency fund and no higher-interest debt, extra principal early in the loan has an outsized effect because it eliminates interest on every remaining month. Confirm with your servicer that extra payments are applied to principal.

Does refinancing hurt my equity? Refinancing does not reduce your equity directly, but restarting a 30-year term resets amortization to the interest-heavy beginning, and rolled-in closing costs increase your balance. Refinancing into a shorter term avoids most of that.

Is a HELOC a good way to use equity? It can be, for value-adding improvements or higher-interest debt consolidation, but it is secured by your home and typically carries a variable rate. It is a tool, not free money.

Want to see what your equity position actually looks like right now and what your options are?

No pressure — just an honest conversation.

Call Reggie: 240-232-7005

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Home Selling Tips • August 20, 2026

The Open House Simmer Pot: What the Research Actually Says About Scent and Selling

by Reginald Butler, Jr.

by Reginald Butler, Jr.

Quick answer: There is real research on scent and buying behavior, and it says one thing clearly: a single simple scent outperforms a complex blend. In a 2013 field experiment published in the Journal of Retailing, shoppers exposed to a simple orange scent spent about 20% more than those exposed to an orange-basil-green-tea blend, which produced no measurable effect at all. That study was run in a retail store, not a house for sale, and no one has ever replicated it in a for-sale home. So simmer one thing, keep it subtle, and understand that roughly two-thirds of asthmatic visitors report problems with fragranced products — which is a bigger risk than the upside.

What the study actually found

The research people are usually reaching for is Herrmann, Zidansek, Sprott and Spangenberg, “The Power of Simplicity: Processing Fluency and the Effects of Olfactory Cues on Retail Sales,” in the Journal of Retailing in 2013. The researchers ran an 18-weekday field experiment in a home décor store in St. Gallen, Switzerland, with more than 400 shoppers, alternating a simple orange scent against a complex orange-basil-green-tea blend. The simple scent increased spending by roughly 20%. The complex blend did nothing. The proposed mechanism is processing fluency: a scent the brain identifies without effort frees up cognitive resources, and people in that state evaluate their surroundings more favorably.

An earlier study, Spangenberg, Crowley and Henderson in the Journal of Marketing in 1996, found ambient scent improved how shoppers evaluated a store, though effects on actual sales were not statistically significant.

So is there a “science-backed scent formula” for homes?

No, and I want to be direct about that because I see the claim everywhere. You have probably read that lemon, green tea, cedar, pine, vanilla, and basil are the six scents proven to sell homes, often attributed to a study. There is no such study. That list traces back to Professor Spangenberg being quoted in the Wall Street Journal and later on Houzz, extrapolating from his retail research to a housing context. It was an expert’s informed opinion, repeated until it hardened into a statistic.

What survives scrutiny is narrower and more useful: keep it simple, single-note, and faint. The related claim that scent makes buyers linger longer is also weaker than advertised — the 1996 research found scent changed how long shoppers thought they had been in the store, not how long they actually stayed.

The argument for using almost no scent at all

This is the part most articles skip. Anne Steinemann’s 2018 study in Air Quality, Atmosphere & Health surveyed a nationally representative sample of 1,137 Americans. Among people with asthma, 64.3% reported adverse health effects from fragranced products — 43.3% respiratory problems, 28.2% migraines, and 27.9% actual asthma attacks. Forty-one percent of respondents reported problems specifically from air fresheners. Asthmatics were 5.76 times more likely than others to report an adverse effect.

Run the math on an open house with thirty visitors. You are not choosing between a nice smell and a neutral one. You are choosing between a marginal, unreplicated preference effect and a real chance that someone walks out with a headache.

That is why I tell sellers the goal is not to add a smell. It is to remove the bad ones. Deep clean, take out the trash, wash the linens, air the place out, and if you want warmth in the kitchen, use one simple simmering pot on low with the windows cracked — not a plug-in in every room.

Safety, before you put anything on the stove

The National Fire Protection Association identifies cooking as the leading cause of home structure fires, with unattended equipment the leading contributing factor, involved in roughly 37% to 47% of them. A pot simmering dry while you answer questions in the basement is exactly that scenario. Set a timer or use a slow cooker.

If the sellers have pets, be careful. Cinnamon, citrus oils, and pine oils are toxic to cats and dogs, and cats are especially vulnerable because they lack the liver enzyme that metabolizes these compounds and ingest airborne droplets off their fur while grooming. Simmering whole spices in water is far lower-risk than diffusing essential oils, but ventilate, confine the pets, or skip it entirely in a house with cats.

A simple simmer pot

Use a small saucepan. One orange, sliced. Two cinnamon sticks. Four cups of water. That is the whole recipe, and the simplicity is the point — it is the version the research actually supports. Bring to a bare simmer, drop to the lowest setting, add water every thirty to forty minutes, set a timer, and turn it off when the open house ends.

The other thing that warms up a house: a Sunday pot roast

If you are hosting an afternoon open house and want the house to feel lived in, a roast in a slow cooker does more than any candle. It is contained, it does not need watching, and it smells like somebody’s home rather than somebody’s store.

Season a three-pound chuck roast generously with salt and pepper and sear it hard on all sides in a hot pan with a tablespoon of oil, about four minutes a side. Move it to a slow cooker. In the same pan, soften a chopped onion for three minutes, then add three cloves of minced garlic and a tablespoon of tomato paste and cook one more minute. Pour in a cup of beef broth, scrape up everything stuck to the bottom, and pour that over the roast. Add two cups more broth, a pound of quartered baby potatoes, four carrots cut into two-inch pieces, two sprigs of thyme, one of rosemary, and a bay leaf. Cover and cook on low for eight hours, until it shreds with a fork. Pull the herb stems and bay leaf, taste for salt, and serve.

Start it at six in the morning for a one o’clock open house.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does scent really help sell a house? There is no study on for-sale homes. The retail research supports the idea that a simple ambient scent can improve how a space is evaluated, and that a complex one does nothing. Treat it as a small edge, not a strategy.

What is the single most important scent rule? Remove odors before adding any. Pets, smoke, garbage, and damp are the ones that kill deals. No simmer pot covers them.

Are plug-in air fresheners a good substitute? I would avoid them. Forty-one percent of respondents in the 2018 Steinemann study reported adverse effects specifically from air fresheners, and multiple units in one house is exactly the complex-scent scenario the 2013 research found ineffective.

What if the buyer is scent-sensitive? Then you have lost more than you gained. That is the core reason to keep it minimal, ventilate, and lean on cleanliness instead of fragrance.

Getting ready to list and want a walkthrough of what buyers will actually notice in the first ten seconds?

No pressure — just an honest conversation.

Call Reggie: 240-232-7005

Related Articles
Buyer Resources Maryland vs Virginia Property Taxes and Closing Costs: Full Breakdown Maryland vs Virginia Property Taxes and Closing Costs: Full Breakdown By Reggie Butler, REALTOR® Understanding Maryland vs Virginia property taxes and closing costs is critical when structuring your home purchase budget. While both states border Washington, D.C., their statutory rules regarding state transfer taxes, recordation fees, and property assessment schedules differ significantly. Are closing costs […]
Homeownership & Wealth Building The Sourdough Starter Guide to Home Equity: Why Patience, Feeding, and Time Build True Wealth by Reginald Butler, Jr. Quick answer: Home equity behaves almost exactly like a sourdough starter. It does nothing visible for the first stretch, it responds to consistent small feedings far more than to dramatic intervention, it cannot be rushed by turning up the heat, and it compounds quietly until one day you have something substantial. […]
Home Selling Tips Selling Your Starter Home: Low-Cost Upgrades That Actually Return 100%+ ROI by Reginald Butler, Jr. Quick answer: Only a handful of home improvement projects reliably return more than they cost, and according to the 2025 Cost vs. Value Report they are a garage door replacement at 268%, a steel entry door at 216%, manufactured stone veneer at 208%, and a minor kitchen refresh at roughly 113%. None […]
Home Selling Tips • August 19, 2026

Selling Your Starter Home: Low-Cost Upgrades That Actually Return 100%+ ROI

by Reginald Butler, Jr.

by Reginald Butler, Jr.

Quick answer: Only a handful of home improvement projects reliably return more than they cost, and according to the 2025 Cost vs. Value Report they are a garage door replacement at 268%, a steel entry door at 216%, manufactured stone veneer at 208%, and a minor kitchen refresh at roughly 113%. None of them are $50 weekend projects. The honest version of the advice is that a few mid-priced exterior replacements pay for themselves, most big renovations do not, and the cheap cosmetic work is worth doing for a different reason than ROI.

Which projects actually return more than 100%?

The 2025 Cost vs. Value Report from Zonda, now in its 38th year, is the only long-running dataset that tracks project cost against estimated resale value across dozens of markets. Four projects cleared 100% nationally.

A garage door replacement cost about $4,672 and returned an estimated $12,507, or 268%. A steel entry door replacement cost about $2,435 and returned $5,270, or 216%. Manufactured stone veneer cost about $11,702 and returned $24,328, or 208%. A minor midrange kitchen remodel, meaning new fronts on existing cabinet boxes, new hardware, counters, sink, and paint, returned roughly 113%.

The other twenty-six projects in the report averaged around 76%. So the picture is not that improvements pay off. It is that three exterior replacements and one restrained kitchen refresh pay off, and the rest cost you money.

Why do the big kitchen remodels do so badly?

The single most useful number in the whole report is the contrast within the same room. A minor midrange kitchen returned about 113%. A major midrange kitchen returned 44.2%. An upscale major kitchen cost $161,499 and returned an estimated $49,399, or 30.6%.

In the Mid-Atlantic the picture is similar, with major midrange kitchens around 49% and upscale around 34.9%.

If you are selling a starter home, this should end the conversation about gutting the kitchen. Refresh the fronts, the hardware, the counters, and the lighting. Do not move a wall. You will spend a fifth as much and recover more than twice the percentage.

What about all the cheap stuff — paint, hardware, decluttering?

Here is where I have to be straight with you, because the internet is not. There is no controlled study showing a documented ROI on cleaning, decluttering, swapping cabinet pulls, or upgrading light fixtures. You will see numbers like a 107% return on interior paint or a 2,000% return on decluttering. Those figures come from contractor and junk-removal marketing, not research. I am not going to repeat them under my own name.

That does not mean the work is not worth doing. It means the reason is different. Clean, decluttered, well-lit homes photograph better, show better, and sit on the market fewer days. That is a real advantage. It is just not a measured dollar return, and anyone quoting a precise percentage on a $200 job is making it up.

Paint deserves a specific caution. Zillow published color research in 2017 based on actual sale prices, which found things like blue bathrooms selling for about $5,440 more and white bathrooms for about $4,035 less. Zillow published newer color research in 2025, but that one surveyed roughly 4,200 buyers about what they would hypothetically offer. Those are stated preferences, not transactions. Treat them as directional taste data, not as money.

Does landscaping and curb appeal pay?

Partially, and the evidence is softer than it sounds. The 2023 NAR and National Association of Landscape Professionals report estimated a 217% return on standard lawn care service and 104% on landscape maintenance. It also reported that 92% of REALTORS® recommend curb appeal improvements before listing, which is agent opinion rather than a sale-price measurement.

The widely cited Virginia Tech research showing a 5.5% to 12.7% value advantage from landscaping was a study of how people rated photographs. It measures perceived value, not what buyers actually paid.

So mow it, edge it, mulch the beds, and put something alive by the front door. Do not install a $15,000 hardscape and expect it back.

Is staging worth paying for?

NAR’s 2025 staging data puts the median cost at about $1,500 through a staging service, or about $500 when the agent stages. Of the agents surveyed, 29% reported a 1% to 10% increase in offer value, 49% said staging reduced time on market, and 83% of buyer’s agents said it helped their clients visualize the property. All of that is agent-reported rather than measured against a control group, but the time-on-market effect matches what I see in the field.

So what should a starter-home seller actually do?

Replace the front door if it is tired. Replace the garage door if it is dated, because on a modest house it is often the largest single visual element on the facade. Refresh the kitchen surfaces without touching the layout. Then clean, declutter, fix the light fixtures, and paint anything scuffed in a neutral, not because there is a study attached to it, but because it removes the objections that cost you showings.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is there a 2026 Cost vs. Value Report? No. The most recent edition is the 2025 report, released in September 2025. Anything advertised as a 2026 version is recycling those numbers.

Should I renovate the bathroom before selling? NAR’s 2025 Remodeling Impact Report put a bathroom renovation at roughly 50% cost recovery. Fix what is broken, replace the vanity and lighting if they are dated, and stop there.

Do these percentages mean I make money on the project? No. A 268% return means the estimated resale value gain exceeded the project cost. It is an estimate from a survey of agents, not a guarantee, and results vary by market and by how dated the original item was.

What is the single cheapest thing with real evidence behind it? A steel entry door replacement. NAR’s 2025 data put it at 100% cost recovery and Cost vs. Value put it at 216%, at a national average cost of about $2,435.

Want me to walk your house and tell you honestly which of these are worth doing and which ones I would skip?

No pressure — just an honest conversation.

Call Reggie: 240-232-7005

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Buyer Resources Maryland vs Virginia Property Taxes and Closing Costs: Full Breakdown Maryland vs Virginia Property Taxes and Closing Costs: Full Breakdown By Reggie Butler, REALTOR® Understanding Maryland vs Virginia property taxes and closing costs is critical when structuring your home purchase budget. While both states border Washington, D.C., their statutory rules regarding state transfer taxes, recordation fees, and property assessment schedules differ significantly. Are closing costs […]
Homeownership & Wealth Building The Sourdough Starter Guide to Home Equity: Why Patience, Feeding, and Time Build True Wealth by Reginald Butler, Jr. Quick answer: Home equity behaves almost exactly like a sourdough starter. It does nothing visible for the first stretch, it responds to consistent small feedings far more than to dramatic intervention, it cannot be rushed by turning up the heat, and it compounds quietly until one day you have something substantial. […]
Home Selling Tips The Open House Simmer Pot: What the Research Actually Says About Scent and Selling by Reginald Butler, Jr. Quick answer: There is real research on scent and buying behavior, and it says one thing clearly: a single simple scent outperforms a complex blend. In a 2013 field experiment published in the Journal of Retailing, shoppers exposed to a simple orange scent spent about 20% more than those exposed to […]
Maryland Real Estate • August 18, 2026

Co-Buying a House with Friends or Unmarried Partners: Legal Structures & Exit Strategies

by Reginald Butler, Jr.

by Reginald Butler, Jr.

Quick answer: Most co-buyers in Maryland, DC, and Virginia should take title as tenants in common, with a written co-ownership agreement signed at the same time as the deed. Tenancy in common lets you own unequal shares that match unequal down payments, and it lets your share pass to whoever you name rather than automatically to your co-owner. The structure is the easy part. The exit is what you actually need to get right, because the mortgage does not care about your friendship.

Why tenancy in common is usually the right default

Maryland, DC, and Virginia all presume tenancy in common unless the deed expressly says otherwise. DC Code § 42-516 and Virginia Code § 55.1-134 both require survivorship language to be stated in plain terms, and without it you are tenants in common by operation of law.

That default works in your favor. Tenancy in common allows unequal ownership percentages, which matters enormously when one buyer brings $60,000 to the table and the other brings $20,000. Those percentages have to be recited in the deed itself. Do not assume that an unequal down payment automatically creates unequal ownership, because it does not. If the deed is silent, you are presumed equal owners, and the person who put down three times as much has quietly gifted away equity.

Tenancy in common also means your share passes through your will or, if you have none, through intestacy. It does not automatically go to your co-owner. For unmarried partners and friends, that is almost always what you want.

When does joint tenancy with right of survivorship make sense?

Joint tenancy with right of survivorship presumes equal shares and passes your interest directly to the surviving owner at death, overriding whatever your will says. That is a powerful tool for a committed unmarried couple who genuinely intend for the survivor to keep the home, and it avoids probate on that transfer.

But understand what you are giving up. A will does not override survivorship, so changing your will accomplishes nothing. And joint tenancy can generally be severed unilaterally here, meaning your co-owner can convert it to a tenancy in common without your consent.

One DC-specific wrinkle is worth knowing. Tenancy by the entirety is married-only in Maryland and Virginia, but DC Code § 42-516(b) extends it to registered domestic partners. That creditor-protection advantage exists in the District and not across the river.

Should we buy the house through an LLC?

For an owner-occupied home, almost certainly not. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will not buy a loan on a primary residence titled in an LLC, which pushes you into commercial or portfolio financing at worse rates and shorter terms. Transferring an existing property in can trigger the due-on-sale clause and, in Maryland, recordation and transfer tax.

You also lose the Section 121 exclusion. Two unmarried co-owners each get their own $250,000 capital gains exclusion if each has owned and occupied the home for two of the last five years. That is $500,000 of tax-free gain between you, and an LLC throws it away.

What has to be in the co-ownership agreement?

Everything you would rather not discuss. Ownership percentages and how they were calculated. Who pays what share of the mortgage, taxes, insurance, and HOA dues, and what happens when someone is late. A repair-spending threshold, so one owner can approve a $600 water heater but a $9,000 roof requires both signatures. Whether improvements paid by one owner earn a credit at sale. Occupancy rules, including whether a new romantic partner can move in. And a dispute process that goes to mediation before arbitration, so you are not filing suit over a dishwasher.

How do we get out?

Build a buyout mechanism with a real pricing method. The cleanest version: each party hires an appraiser, and if the two values land within a stated percentage of each other you average them; if not, the two appraisers select a third and that number controls. Attach a right of first refusal, so an owner who wants out must offer to the co-owner before listing publicly. Include mandatory sale triggers for events like extended nonpayment.

You may see a “shotgun” clause recommended, where one owner names a price and the other must either buy or sell at it. Be careful. It systematically favors whoever has more cash on hand.

Whatever you write, you cannot contract away the right to file for partition. In Maryland, Real Property § 14-107 governs, and the Maryland Partition of Property Act effective October 1, 2022 added appraisal and cotenant buyout rights that give a co-owner a path to buy out the other before a forced sale. An uncontested partition still runs roughly six to twelve months and $5,000 to $15,000. A contested one runs eighteen months or more and $25,000 to $50,000 and up. Your agreement’s job is to make sure nobody gets there.

What does the mortgage do to all of this?

This is the part that surprises people. Your mortgage liability is joint and several. If your co-owner stops paying, the lender does not collect half from you. It collects all of it, and both credit reports take the damage.

On qualification, Fannie Mae uses the average of the borrowers’ median scores for eligibility but prices the loan off the representative score, which is the lowest one. Your co-buyer’s 640 raises your rate even if your 780 gets you approved.

And a quitclaim deed does not remove anyone from the mortgage. It only moves title. Removing a departing owner from the debt requires a refinance, which means the one staying has to qualify alone, at whatever rates exist that year.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can we own unequal shares of the house? Yes, as tenants in common. The percentages must be stated in the deed. If the deed is silent, you are presumed to own equally regardless of who paid what.

If my co-owner moves out, do they owe me rent? Generally no. A co-tenant in exclusive possession typically owes nothing absent an ouster. If you want a rent obligation, your co-ownership agreement has to create one.

Who deducts the mortgage interest and property taxes? Whoever is both legally liable on the debt and actually paid it. Following Voss v. Commissioner and IRS AOD 2016-02, the Section 163(h)(3) debt limits apply per taxpayer rather than per residence for unmarried co-owners.

Do we really need an attorney? Yes. I can walk you through how these structures work and what questions to ask, but deed language, the co-ownership agreement, and any buyout formula have to be drafted by a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction.

Thinking about buying with a friend or partner and want to talk through how the numbers and the exit should be structured before you write an offer?

No pressure — just an honest conversation.

Call Reggie: 240-232-7005

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Buyer Resources Maryland vs Virginia Property Taxes and Closing Costs: Full Breakdown Maryland vs Virginia Property Taxes and Closing Costs: Full Breakdown By Reggie Butler, REALTOR® Understanding Maryland vs Virginia property taxes and closing costs is critical when structuring your home purchase budget. While both states border Washington, D.C., their statutory rules regarding state transfer taxes, recordation fees, and property assessment schedules differ significantly. Are closing costs […]
Homeownership & Wealth Building The Sourdough Starter Guide to Home Equity: Why Patience, Feeding, and Time Build True Wealth by Reginald Butler, Jr. Quick answer: Home equity behaves almost exactly like a sourdough starter. It does nothing visible for the first stretch, it responds to consistent small feedings far more than to dramatic intervention, it cannot be rushed by turning up the heat, and it compounds quietly until one day you have something substantial. […]
Home Selling Tips The Open House Simmer Pot: What the Research Actually Says About Scent and Selling by Reginald Butler, Jr. Quick answer: There is real research on scent and buying behavior, and it says one thing clearly: a single simple scent outperforms a complex blend. In a 2013 field experiment published in the Journal of Retailing, shoppers exposed to a simple orange scent spent about 20% more than those exposed to […]
Prince George’s County Real Estate • August 17, 2026

True Cost to Close: How Much Cash You Actually Need on a $400K Home

by Reginald Butler, Jr.

by Reginald Butler, Jr.

Quick answer: On a $400,000 home in Prince George’s County with a conventional loan and no discount points, plan on roughly $13,500 to $20,000 in closing costs on top of your down payment. Call it $16,500, or a bit over 4%. At 3% down, that means bringing about $28,500 to the table. At 5% down, about $36,500. Prince George’s is among the most expensive counties in the country to close in, and the reason is transfer and recordation taxes.

Why is Prince George’s County so expensive to close in?

Three separate taxes stack on every transaction. Maryland charges a state transfer tax of 0.5%, which is $2,000 on a $400,000 sale. Prince George’s County charges a county transfer tax of 1.4%, which is $5,600. And the county recordation tax runs $2.75 per $500 of consideration, or 0.55%, which is $2,200.

That is $9,800, or 2.45% of the purchase price, before a single lender or title fee. For comparison, Montgomery and Anne Arundel county transfer taxes are 1.0% and Charles County is 0.5%.

One piece of good news: your purchase mortgage is not taxed again. Under Tax-Property § 12-108(i), a purchase money deed of trust is exempt from recordation tax as long as it recites purchase money and is executed and recorded within thirty days of the deed. So you pay recordation once, on the price.

Under Real Property § 14-104(a), the Maryland default is that buyer and seller split these 50/50 unless the contract says otherwise. So your customary share is about $4,900.

What is the first-time buyer break, and why does it disappear?

This is the single biggest source of surprise at the closing table, and I want you to understand it before you write an offer.

Maryland Tax-Property § 13-203(b) cuts the state transfer tax in half for qualifying first-time buyers, to 0.25%, and requires the seller to pay all of it. That part is statutory. It cannot be negotiated away. You save $1,000.

Real Property § 14-104(c) goes further and defaults the county transfer tax and recordation tax to the seller for first-time buyers — but only, in the words of the statute, “unless there is an express agreement” otherwise. And the Maryland REALTORS® First-Time Homebuyer Addendum, which is used on a great many contracts, routinely shifts it back to a 50/50 split.

So a buyer who reads about the first-time buyer exemption and budgets accordingly can arrive at closing owing nearly $4,000 more than expected, because a checkbox on an addendum moved it. Read that addendum. Ask about it during negotiation, not after.

To qualify you must never have owned residential real property in Maryland as your principal residence, you must occupy the home, and every grantee on the deed has to qualify.

What do the lender fees actually run?

Origination runs from zero to 1% of the loan, up to about $4,000, though many lenders now charge nothing here. Underwriting is typically $300 to $900, processing another $300 to $900, the credit report $35 to $100, and the appraisal $500 to $750. Assuming no discount points, a realistic total is $1,500 to $3,000. If a lender quotes a rate well below everyone else’s, check whether they are charging points to buy it down, because that is cash out of your pocket on closing day.

What about title and settlement?

Maryland is a file-and-use state, so title rates vary between companies and it pays to compare. Expect a lender’s policy of $1,000 to $1,600, an owner’s policy of $1,600 to $2,600, a settlement fee of $600 to $1,200, a title exam of $200 to $400, and recording fees of $150 to $250. Total, $2,500 to $5,500.

The owner’s policy is technically optional. Buy it anyway. It is a one-time premium protecting your equity against a defect in the chain of title.

Prepaids and escrows: the category nobody budgets for

This is where most buyers get caught. At closing you prepay interest from your closing date to the end of the month. At roughly 6.67%, a $388,000 loan accrues about $71 a day, so a mid-month closing costs you about $1,050 in prepaid interest.

That gives you the cheapest lever you actually control. Closing on the 28th instead of the 3rd can save you eight hundred dollars or more of cash at the table.

You will also fund an escrow account, typically three months of property taxes and two to three months of homeowners insurance, and you pay the entire first year of insurance up front. In unincorporated Prince George’s County the FY2026 combined rate is $1.4440 per $100 of assessed value, which is about $5,776 a year on a $400,000 assessment. Inside Bowie city limits the combined rate is $1.7080, or roughly $6,830 a year, so confirm the specific parcel rather than using a county average. Insurance for a $400,000 home in Maryland realistically runs $1,800 to $2,300 a year, since dwelling coverage tracks replacement cost rather than purchase price.

Altogether, prepaids and escrows land between $4,500 and $6,500, and can run higher if you close near a tax due date.

What do I have to pay before closing day?

Some of this money leaves your account weeks earlier. Earnest money in the DMV is typically about 1%, so $4,000, wired within days of ratification. It is credited back at closing, but you need it liquid now. Then inspections: general inspection $400 to $700, radon $100 to $200, termite $75 to $150, sewer scope $150 to $300. Roughly $1,100 to $1,900, and that money is gone whether or not the deal closes.

Can the seller just pay my closing costs?

Within limits, and the limits are the problem. On a conventional loan with less than 10% down, seller concessions are capped at 3%, or $12,000. From 10% to 25% down the cap is 6%, above 25% it is 9%, FHA allows a flat 6%, and investment property is capped at 2%. Notice the trap: the buyer who most needs help is the one putting 3% down, and that buyer is capped at 3%, which does not cover a $16,500 bill. Concessions also cannot fund your down payment or reserves.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the total cash I need at 20% down? About $80,000 down plus roughly $16,500 in closing costs, so approximately $96,500. Your earnest money counts toward that total rather than adding to it.

Is 3% to 5% a reliable rule of thumb for closing costs? It is a reasonable national range, but Prince George’s sits at the top of it, closer to 4% to 5%, because of the county transfer and recordation taxes.

Does Maryland have the highest closing costs in the country? Maryland is consistently among the highest, though published rankings disagree on the exact order and some 2026 analyses put Delaware first. Either way, budget as if you are near the top.

Can I roll closing costs into the loan? Not on a purchase, generally. You can sometimes take a lender credit in exchange for a higher interest rate, which reduces cash at closing and increases your monthly payment.

Want me to build you a line-by-line cash-to-close estimate for a specific price point and neighborhood before you start touring?

No pressure — just an honest conversation.

Call Reggie: 240-232-7005

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Buyer Resources Maryland vs Virginia Property Taxes and Closing Costs: Full Breakdown Maryland vs Virginia Property Taxes and Closing Costs: Full Breakdown By Reggie Butler, REALTOR® Understanding Maryland vs Virginia property taxes and closing costs is critical when structuring your home purchase budget. While both states border Washington, D.C., their statutory rules regarding state transfer taxes, recordation fees, and property assessment schedules differ significantly. Are closing costs […]
Homeownership & Wealth Building The Sourdough Starter Guide to Home Equity: Why Patience, Feeding, and Time Build True Wealth by Reginald Butler, Jr. Quick answer: Home equity behaves almost exactly like a sourdough starter. It does nothing visible for the first stretch, it responds to consistent small feedings far more than to dramatic intervention, it cannot be rushed by turning up the heat, and it compounds quietly until one day you have something substantial. […]
Home Selling Tips The Open House Simmer Pot: What the Research Actually Says About Scent and Selling by Reginald Butler, Jr. Quick answer: There is real research on scent and buying behavior, and it says one thing clearly: a single simple scent outperforms a complex blend. In a 2013 field experiment published in the Journal of Retailing, shoppers exposed to a simple orange scent spent about 20% more than those exposed to […]
Anne Arundel County Real Estate • August 14, 2026

Best Anne Arundel County Neighborhoods for Families in 2026

by Reginald Butler, Jr.

Anne Arundel County is one of Maryland’s most desirable places to raise a family, blending strong schools, waterfront living, and easy access to Baltimore, Annapolis, D.C., and the BWI/Fort Meade job corridor. But the county is big and varied, and the “best” neighborhood really depends on your budget, your commute, and what your family values most. Here is a practical, honest look at some of the top family communities in 2026 and who each one suits.

Severna Park: the premium all-arounder

Severna Park is the county’s marquee family community, and for good reason: top-rated schools, water access on the Severn and Magothy rivers, the B&A Trail running through town, and a real small-town feel. Families who prioritize schools above all else gravitate here first.

The catch is price. Severna Park sits at the higher end of the county market, so buyers on a tighter budget often use it as a benchmark and then explore nearby alternatives that deliver much of the same lifestyle for less.

Arnold: quieter and close to Annapolis

Just south of Severna Park, Arnold offers a similar feel — good schools, wooded lots, and water access — with a slightly quieter, more tucked-away character. It is home to Anne Arundel Community College and sits an easy drive from downtown Annapolis, making it a favorite for families who want proximity to the water and the city without the busiest corridors.

Arnold can be a smart value play for buyers who love the Severna Park lifestyle but want to stretch their budget a little further.

Crofton: planned, walkable, and central

Crofton is a planned community known for its green spaces, walkable pockets, and central location between Annapolis, Baltimore, and D.C. Its schools are well regarded, and the town green and community amenities give it a cohesive, neighborly feel that families appreciate.

For commuters who split time between multiple job centers, Crofton’s central position is a genuine advantage — you are not locked into one direction.

Pasadena: space and value on the water

Pasadena appeals to families who want more house and yard for the money, along with abundant water access on the many peninsulas of the Pasadena area. It has a more laid-back, outdoorsy character and tends to offer better value per square foot than Severna Park or Arnold.

Buyers who prioritize space, boating, and budget over the absolute top school rankings often find Pasadena hits the sweet spot.

Odenton and the Fort Meade corridor: newer homes, short commutes

For families tied to Fort Meade, NSA, or the BWI business corridor, Odenton and the surrounding Piney Orchard area offer newer construction, townhome and single-family options, and short commutes to the region’s biggest employers. MARC train access adds a car-free option toward Baltimore and D.C.

This part of the county tends to attract military and tech-sector families who value convenience and newer housing stock. Inventory here often includes more move-in-ready and new-build options than the older waterfront communities.

So which neighborhood is right for you?

There is no single best answer — the right community is the one that matches your school priorities, your commute, and your budget. A family working at Fort Meade will weigh things very differently from one commuting to Annapolis or one chasing waterfront and top schools at any price.

The most useful next step is to narrow it to two or three neighborhoods and tour them in person. Tell me what matters most to your family, and I will build you a shortlist that fits — with current listings and honest pros and cons for each.

Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best neighborhood in Anne Arundel County for families?

It depends on your priorities. Severna Park leads for schools and waterfront lifestyle, Arnold offers a quieter value alternative nearby, Crofton is central and walkable, Pasadena delivers space and value, and Odenton suits Fort Meade and BWI commuters with newer homes.

Which Anne Arundel neighborhoods have the best schools?

The Severna Park and Arnold clusters are among the most sought-after for schools, and Crofton is also well regarded. Always confirm the exact attendance zone for a specific address, since boundaries don’t always follow neighborhood lines.

Where can families get the most house for the money in Anne Arundel County?

Pasadena and the Odenton/Piney Orchard area generally offer more space and value per square foot than Severna Park or Arnold, making them popular with budget-conscious families who still want good schools and amenities.

What’s the best area for Fort Meade or BWI commuters?

Odenton and the surrounding corridor offer the shortest commutes to Fort Meade, NSA, and the BWI business area, plus newer construction and MARC train access toward Baltimore and D.C.

Not sure which neighborhood fits your family?
Tell me your priorities and budget — I’ll build you a shortlist worth touring.

Call Reggie: 240-232-7005

Reginald “Reggie” Butler Jr.
Broker / Owner  ·  CENTURY 21 Envision
Office & Mobile: 240-232-7005  |  240-938-1244
Email: reggiebutler333@gmail.com
1318 Crain Highway, Bowie, MD 20716
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Buyer Resources Maryland vs Virginia Property Taxes and Closing Costs: Full Breakdown Maryland vs Virginia Property Taxes and Closing Costs: Full Breakdown By Reggie Butler, REALTOR® Understanding Maryland vs Virginia property taxes and closing costs is critical when structuring your home purchase budget. While both states border Washington, D.C., their statutory rules regarding state transfer taxes, recordation fees, and property assessment schedules differ significantly. Are closing costs […]
Homeownership & Wealth Building The Sourdough Starter Guide to Home Equity: Why Patience, Feeding, and Time Build True Wealth by Reginald Butler, Jr. Quick answer: Home equity behaves almost exactly like a sourdough starter. It does nothing visible for the first stretch, it responds to consistent small feedings far more than to dramatic intervention, it cannot be rushed by turning up the heat, and it compounds quietly until one day you have something substantial. […]
Home Selling Tips The Open House Simmer Pot: What the Research Actually Says About Scent and Selling by Reginald Butler, Jr. Quick answer: There is real research on scent and buying behavior, and it says one thing clearly: a single simple scent outperforms a complex blend. In a 2013 field experiment published in the Journal of Retailing, shoppers exposed to a simple orange scent spent about 20% more than those exposed to […]
Severna Park Real Estate • August 14, 2026

Living in Severna Park, MD: Schools, Commute, and What It’s Really Like in 2026

by Reginald Butler, Jr.

Severna Park consistently lands on “best places to live in Maryland” lists, and once you spend a little time here it is easy to see why. Tucked between Baltimore and Annapolis along the Severn and Magothy rivers, this Anne Arundel County community pairs top-rated schools with a genuine small-town feel and easy water access. But what is it actually like to live here day to day? Here is an honest, local look at the schools, the commute, the housing market, and the lifestyle in 2026.

Are the schools in Severna Park really that good?

Yes, schools are the number one reason many families move here. Severna Park feeds into some of Anne Arundel County’s most sought-after public schools, and Severna Park High School has a long reputation for strong academics, athletics, and arts. The elementary and middle schools in the cluster are similarly well regarded, which is a big part of why homes in the area hold their value.

Because school reputation drives demand, homes zoned for the strongest schools tend to sell faster and command a premium. If schools are your priority, it pays to confirm the exact attendance zone for any address before you fall in love with a listing boundaries do not always follow the lines you would expect.

What is the commute like from Severna Park?

Location is one of Severna Park’s biggest selling points. The community sits along the Ritchie Highway (Route 2) corridor with quick access to I-97, putting Annapolis roughly 15 minutes south and Baltimore about 30 to 40 minutes north depending on traffic. Washington, D.C. commuters typically look at 60 to 90 minutes each way, which is why many D.C.-bound professionals lean on telework or hybrid schedules.

For anyone who works in Annapolis, Fort Meade, or the BWI business corridor, Severna Park is especially convenient. The Baltimore & Annapolis Trail also runs right through town, giving walkers, runners, and cyclists a car-free way to move between neighborhoods and local shops.

How much do homes cost in Severna Park in 2026?

Severna Park is one of the pricier markets in Anne Arundel County, a reflection of the schools, the water access, and the limited supply of homes. You will find a range from mid-century ramblers and townhomes to large waterfront properties but expect to pay a premium compared with many neighboring communities.

Because prices sit above the county average, buyers often weigh Severna Park against nearby options like Arnold, Pasadena, or Crownsville to find the right balance of budget and access. If you want a precise, current read on values in a specific neighborhood, that is exactly the kind of hyper-local pricing a local broker can pull for you.

What is there to do around town?

Life here revolves around the water and the outdoors. Residents boat, kayak, and fish the Magothy and Severn rivers, and the B&A Trail is a community hub year-round. Downtown Severna Park and the surrounding shopping areas cover everyday needs, while Annapolis’s restaurants, historic district, and waterfront are a short drive away for a night out.

The town keeps a strong community rhythm with farmers markets, seasonal festivals, youth sports leagues, and active civic and school organizations. It is the kind of place where neighbors know each other and kids grow up with roots.

Who is Severna Park best for?

Severna Park is a natural fit for families who prioritize schools, professionals commuting to Annapolis or the BWI/Fort Meade corridor, and anyone drawn to a waterfront lifestyle without giving up suburban convenience. The trade-off is price: this is a premium market, and buyers should come in with a clear budget and a strategy.

If you are weighing Severna Park against other Anne Arundel communities, the smartest move is to tour a few neighborhoods in person and compare what your money buys. That is where I can help matching your priorities to the right pocket of the market.

Frequently Asked Questions
Is Severna Park a good place to live?

Severna Park is widely regarded as one of the best places to live in Maryland, thanks to top-rated schools, waterfront access, low crime, and a convenient location between Baltimore and Annapolis. The main trade-off is a higher cost of housing than many neighboring communities.

What county is Severna Park in?

Severna Park is in Anne Arundel County, Maryland, situated along the Severn and Magothy rivers between Baltimore and Annapolis.

How far is Severna Park from Annapolis and Baltimore?

Annapolis is roughly 15 minutes south via Route 2 and I-97, and Baltimore is about 30 to 40 minutes north depending on traffic. Washington, D.C. is typically a 60 to 90 minute commute.

Are Severna Park homes expensive?

Severna Park sits above the Anne Arundel County average on price, driven by strong schools and limited waterfront-adjacent supply. Buyers often compare it with nearby Arnold, Pasadena, or Crownsville to balance budget and access.

Curious what your budget buys in Severna Park?
I’ll send you current listings that match what matters most to your family.

Call Reggie: 240-232-7005

Reginald “Reggie” Butler Jr.
Broker / Owner  ·  CENTURY 21 Envision
Office & Mobile: 240-232-7005  |  240-938-1244
Email: reggiebutler333@gmail.com
1318 Crain Highway, Bowie, MD 20716
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Severna Park Community • August 12, 2026

The Boys & Girls Club Near Severna Park: How Local Families Can Get Involved

by Reginald Butler, Jr.

If you live in or around Severna Park and you have been searching for an affordable, safe after-school home for your kids, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Annapolis & Anne Arundel County (BGCAA) is one of the best-kept secrets in the area. Severna Park itself does not have a club location inside town limits, but two full clubhouses sit just minutes away in nearby Severn, and both welcome families from across the county. Here is exactly where they are, what they offer, and how you can get involved as a parent, a volunteer, or a donor.

Where is the nearest Boys & Girls Club to Severna Park?

The closest locations are run by the Boys & Girls Clubs of Annapolis & Anne Arundel County. The Severn Center is at 1160 Reece Road, Severn, MD 21144, reachable at 443-393-9500, and the Meade Village Club is at 1710 Meade Village Circle in Severn. Both are a short drive from Severna Park and serve youth from surrounding communities, not just their immediate neighborhoods.

Because BGCAA operates as a countywide organization, membership is open to families throughout Anne Arundel County. If you are closer to downtown Annapolis, the organization runs additional sites there as well, so it is worth calling to ask which location best fits your commute and your child’s schedule.

What does the club actually offer kids?

Boys & Girls Clubs are built around three priorities: academic success, healthy lifestyles, and good character and citizenship. In practice, that means daily homework help and tutoring, STEM and reading programs, art and music, organized sports and fitness, and structured mentorship from trained staff. For working parents, the club fills the critical gap between the school bell and dinnertime with supervised, productive activity.

Programs are designed to be low-cost so that money is never the reason a child misses out. Annual membership fees are kept intentionally modest, and financial assistance is typically available for families who need it. The goal is simple: give every young person a safe place to go and a caring adult who believes in them.

How much does membership cost, and how do you sign up?

BGCAA keeps annual dues low compared with private after-school care, and scholarships help families for whom even a small fee is a stretch. The fastest way to get current pricing and available slots is to call the Severn Center directly at 443-393-9500 or visit bgcaa.org, where you can find registration details, hours, and the programs offered at each site.

When you call, ask about the age ranges served, transportation options from your child’s school, and any summer programming — camps and summer learning often have separate sign-ups that fill quickly.

How can Severna Park residents help — even without kids in the program?

You do not need a child in the club to make a difference. The clubs rely on volunteers to coach, tutor, mentor, and help run events, and a few hours a month can change a young person’s trajectory. If you have a professional skill — finance, trades, technology, the arts — there is almost certainly a way to share it.

Donations also go a long way. Because the clubs subsidize membership so heavily, community giving directly funds programming, meals, and facility upkeep. Local businesses often sponsor teams, events, or specific programs, which is a meaningful way to put your company’s name behind something that strengthens the whole area.

Why this matters for the Severna Park community

Strong youth programs are one of the quiet forces that keep a community desirable. Families move to Anne Arundel County for its schools, its waterfront, and its sense of neighborliness — and organizations like BGCAA are part of the infrastructure that keeps those things going. When kids have somewhere positive to be, everyone benefits, from the parents who can work with peace of mind to the neighbors who see a safer, more connected community.

As a local broker and a neighbor, I point families toward these resources all the time. Whether you are already here or thinking about a move to the Severna Park area, knowing where the support systems are is part of putting down real roots.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is there a Boys & Girls Club located in Severna Park, MD?

There is no club inside Severna Park town limits, but the Boys & Girls Clubs of Annapolis & Anne Arundel County operate two nearby locations in Severn — the Severn Center at 1160 Reece Road and the Meade Village Club at 1710 Meade Village Circle — both a short drive away and open to families countywide.

What ages does the Boys & Girls Club serve?

Clubs generally serve school-age youth from early elementary through the teen years, with programming grouped by age. Call the Severn Center at 443-393-9500 to confirm the specific age ranges at the location nearest you.

How do I sign my child up?

Call the Severn Center at 443-393-9500 or visit bgcaa.org for registration, hours, and current membership pricing. Ask about scholarships and summer programs, which register separately.

Can I volunteer or donate if I don’t have a child in the program?

Yes. The clubs welcome volunteer coaches, tutors, and mentors, and community donations directly fund low-cost programming. Local business sponsorships are also available. Contact BGCAA through bgcaa.org to get started.

Thinking about a move near Severna Park?

I know the neighborhoods, schools, and community resources that make this area home.

Call Reggie: 240-232-7005

Reginald “Reggie” Butler Jr.

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Homeownership & Wealth Building The Sourdough Starter Guide to Home Equity: Why Patience, Feeding, and Time Build True Wealth by Reginald Butler, Jr. Quick answer: Home equity behaves almost exactly like a sourdough starter. It does nothing visible for the first stretch, it responds to consistent small feedings far more than to dramatic intervention, it cannot be rushed by turning up the heat, and it compounds quietly until one day you have something substantial. […]
Home Selling Tips The Open House Simmer Pot: What the Research Actually Says About Scent and Selling by Reginald Butler, Jr. Quick answer: There is real research on scent and buying behavior, and it says one thing clearly: a single simple scent outperforms a complex blend. In a 2013 field experiment published in the Journal of Retailing, shoppers exposed to a simple orange scent spent about 20% more than those exposed to […]
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