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To: Ms. Shimmer, Realtor

From: Susan Sample

Date: November 2nd, 2021

Subject: 8067 Oaktree Lane is Highly Recommended Based on Sanchez Family Criteria

As asked, we evaluated multiple homes based on the criteria provided by our clients, the Sanchez family. Based on our research, we have three excellent options: 8067 Oaktree Lane in Columbia, 9010 Philip Dorsey Way in Columbia, and 8469 Hill Street in Ellicott City. We recommend that the family purchase 8067 Oaktree Lane as it meets all of their requirements: location, size, price, comparables, schools, and local amenities.

8067 Oaktree Lane Perfect in Terms of Location, Size, and Price

We believe the perfect home for the Sanchez family is located at 8067 Oaktree Lane in Columbia, Maryland. Shown in Figure 1., the home meets all the requirements that the family desires. Not only is the home gorgeous contemporary style, but we believe our clients will appreciate the location, size, price, and comparable value.

Figure 1. 8067 Oak Tree Lane. Note. Image adapted from http://www.zillow.com/8067/Oaktree21044

Well within a 30-minute commute. 8067 Oaktree Lane, Columbia, Maryland is within an ideal commuting distance for Mr. and Mrs. Sanchez. Location was the most important requirement for the Sanchez’s, with no more than 30-minute commute time for the couple. The home is 27-minutes from Mr. Sanchez’s office in Silver Spring, Maryland, and 18-minutes from Woodlawn, Maryland; the location is well within the couple’s requirements (Google, 2021a). To determine this result, we calculated the average commute times based on rush traffic on RT. 29—the main highway leading to Fulton.

Spacious home with lots of acreage. The home has more than enough room for the Sanchez family to live and play. The family wanted a home with a minimum of 4 bedrooms on a quarter-acre lot. The home is situated on a nearly half acre lot (.47 acres) with 2/3 of acreage being in the front yard (Zillow, 2021a). The home itself is 2800 square feet with four bedrooms and 3.5 baths (Zillow, 2021a). Not only does this home meet the size requirements, but the surrounding acreage is more than double the requirement, which means the family will have ample space for outdoor activities on the property. All the homes in the development are comparably sized and offer larger lots than other nearby developments (Zillow, 2021d, 2021e).

Falls nearly $900 monthly under budget. Not only is the home in a desirable area, but the price is ideal for our clients. Our clients wanted a home that fits their monthly budget of $4000 per month or roughly 30% of their take-home pay. The total of $515,000 mortgage with $110,000 down of this home translates to $2350 per month, including $3250 per year in property taxes and $720 per year in HOA fees. The home falls well under budget, saving our clients $900 per month. The savings associated with the home can be attributed to its older construction–the home has been on the market for over 240 days with a considerable price reduction–our clients can use the additional savings to remodel the house using a HUD redevelopment loan (Zillow, 2021a).

Comparably priced and a tremendous value. Comparable homes within the area ensure a substantial resale value, should the Sanchez family decide to sell in the future. As standard practice, we want to ensure that comparable homes were with 10%-20% of the home value of 8067 Oaktree Lane. Homes in the area averaged $207 per square foot, with a total home price between $530,000 and $570,000 (Zillow, 2021e; 2021f). The home was well within the 10%-20% range, meaning homes in the area are comparably valued. All of the homes within the development were built by Ryan Homes in 1993 with little variance in both home size and lot size (Zillow, 2021a; 2021e; 2021f).

Local schools are nationally ranked. With some of the best schools in the area, the Sanchez family can be confident in providing a quality education for their three children. This home is located within the Howard County school district, which ranks #1 in the State of Maryland and #12 in the United States (U.S. News & World Report, 2021). Nearby schools include Centennial High School, Centennial Middle School, and Centennial Lane Elementary School, all of which rank within the top 10% of schools within the State of Maryland. We understand that the Sanchezes required their home to be in a school district within the top 20% of the state. Not only do the schools meet this standard, but they are consistently known as top-performing schools within an exceptional school district. Howard Country schools have been ranked in the top 10% of school districts in the country for the last 30 years (U.S. News & World Report, 2021).

Columbia, Maryland offers lots of recreational and shopping amenities. In terms of amenities, 8067 Oaktree Lane has plenty of outdoor recreation and shopping nearby. The home is within walking distance to Centennial Park, which sits on 337 acres with a 2.2-mile walking trail (Howard Country Parks, 2021a). Other local parks include Lake Kittamaqundi Wilde Lake, and Lake Elkhorn, all within a 5–10-minute drive (Google, 2021b). In addition to outdoor recreation, the home is located near the Mall in Columbia, which offers over 150 shops along with Macy’s and Lord & Taylor department stores. Additionally, the Mall offers a movie theater and over 20 restaurants. More, downtown Columbia, Maryland, includes even more opportunities for recreation and shopping with Merriweather Post Pavilion and Whole Foods. Columbia, Maryland, is a nationally recognized planned community, dubbed the “New City” with expansion plans well into the 30 years (Columbia Association, 2021).

Alternatives Give the Family Exceptional Options

While we believe that 8067 Oaktree Lane is the perfect home for the Sanchez family, we also researched two outstanding alternatives for the family to consider—9010 Phillip Dorsey Way in Columbia and 8469 Hill Street in Ellicott City. Both of these homes stand out in terms of style, price, and location.

Alterative 1 features excellent value and lots of amenities. Shown in Figure 3., 9010 Phillip Dorsey Way in Columbia also fulfills all of what the Sanchez family has shown they require.

Figure 2. 9010 Phillip Dorsey Way. Note. Image adapted from http://www.zillow.com/9010/PhilipDorsey21044

This home is newer, so if the clients prefer the architectural style, this might benefit them. Within walking distance of a snowball stand and only a mile away from the Blandair Park playground. The biggest trade-off of this property over the Morningview Court one is that of price and school districts. At $585,000, which is $50,000 less, the Sanchez family can expect to be paying about $2,900 a month in expenses instead (Redfin 2021d). The schools in the area range from the top 18%-25%, which is quite a bit below the school district that the Morningview house sits in, but still better than most in the state (Schooldigger 2021d; 2021e; 2021f). Should the Sanchezes value the lower mortgage payment and newer home over the excellent schools available to the residences on Morningview Court, Phillip Dorsey way could be their new home.

Alternative 2 is a historic home that is priced to move. Shown in Figure 3., 8469 Hill Street meets the clients’ criteria while offering a unique atmosphere.

Figure 3. 8469 Hill Street. Note. Image adapted from http://www.zillow.com/9010/PhilipDorsey21044

This house is in the historic district and sits less than a mile from downtown Ellicott City. At nearly 200 years old with recent interior updating, this home is nothing short of gorgeous. If the Sanchez family has a heart for historic homes, this could be the one for them. This home is priced at $540,000, which makes it the cheapest of all the options while being by far the most unique. A master bedroom with a fireplace, brick and stone walls accenting rooms through the house, and a garden path that leads to a historic downtown are things unfound in today’s real estate market (Redfin, 2021f). If the Sanchezes are looking for a unique home, Hill Street might be their gem.

Our Recommendation is 8067 Oaktree Lane in Columbia, Maryland

8067 Oaktree Lane is an ideal selection for the Sanchez family, and we strongly recommend its purchase. The home is well within a 30-minute commute for both Mr. and Mrs. Sanchez, situated within the Centennial region of Howard County, Maryland, within the city limits Columbia. Howard Country, Maryland, is known for its top-ranked schools and the city of Columbia offers ample outdoor recreation with dozens of public parks, including nearby Centennial Park along with nearly endless shopping, dining, and entertainment options within and near the Mall in Columbia. Beyond amenities, the home is comparably priced and well within the family’s budget. The home sits on a large lot and the home itself is 2800 square feet with 4-bedrooms and 3.5 baths. With these wonderful features, we are confident that the Sanchez family will absolutely love the home and area—8067 Oaktree Lane is an excellent buy that comes with our highest recommendation.

Towson University, Spring 2022

BUSX301 – Business Communication

Writing Assignment #2 – Evaluative Report – Real Estate Analysis

Scenario

As a newly minted intern at Century 21, your manager, Mr. Christopher Thacker, wants to test your ability to evaluate properties for potential clients—a large part of the support role you will be accepting as an intern. For this task, Mr. Thacker has provided you with a client profile; using this profile along with readily available online resources, you are to recommend an ideal home for the client, while also providing a summary of (1) alternative that MUST meet the same criteria. You will then draft an evaluative memo and prepare a 3-minute pitch for the selection you have made.

Client Profile – The Tanner Family

The Tanner Family is currently planning on moving from their home in Odenton, Maryland due to a new job opportunity for Mr. Daniel Tanner at Raytheon Systems at the U.S. Army Aberdeen Proving Ground in APG, Maryland. Ideally, Mr. and Mrs. Tanner want to move to a new home within 30 minutes of commuting between their jobs. Additionally, they hope to find a minimum 4-bedroom home that cannot exceed 30% of their monthly take-home pay (after taxes) of $13, 680 per month ($4, 100). Other considerations are school rankings and additional amenities such as recreation and shopping. The family is very active, and they expressed a preference for outdoor activities that are appropriate for the whole family.

Table 1. Client Profile

Name	Age	Occupation	Income
Mr. Daniel Tanner	42	Engineer, Raytheon Systems, Aberdeen Proving Ground	$112,000
Mrs. Kimberly Tanner	38	Contractor/Consultant, Northrop Grumman – Mission Systems – Baltimore, Maryland	$126,000
DJ Tanner	16	Student	N/A
Stephanie Tanner	14	Student	N/A
Michelle Tanner	2	In Daycare	N/A

Criteria for Selection

For your selection process, Mr. Thacker is requiring you to use the following standard criteria—

· Location – Must be within a 30-minute commute for both Daniel and Kimberly; and within in a suburban community (preferably in a neighborhood that has families with school aged children).

· Size – A comfortably sized house with a minimum 4-bedrooms, 2.5 bath. The home size should average 675 sq ft. per person. The home should be on a minimum 1/3 acre lot. Additionally, both Daniel and Kimberly enjoy having a home office to work from on the occasions that they need to work from home; they’d love to have a play space for the kids, and they also entertain their large extended family for holidays and summer barbeques.

· Price – Monthly mortgage (including real estate taxes, homeowner’s insurance, and HOA if applicable) cannot exceed 30% of take-home per month or $4100. In your calculation, assume that the family currently has $140,000 in equity to use as a down payment on their new home, and they will qualify for a 30- year fixed 3.25% interest rate on the mortgage.

· Comparable Properties – Similar homes within the neighborhood must be priced within 10-20% of the home’s value. (The recommended home price must be in-line with comparable properties).

· Schools—Public schools ideally should be in the top 20% of rankings or in the top 80+ percentile. Well ranked schools are very important for this family. Student should review the National Association of Realtors (NAR) guidance in Appendix to determine what types of educational information and recommendations are allowed.

· Additional Amenities—recreation, shopping, etc.

To Make a Valid Claim You Must Evaluate Evidence Using a Warrant

To make an argument, you must—

1. Address the Issue

2. Make a Valid Claim Based on the Issue

3. Provide Credible Evidence

4. Interpret the Evidence Using a Warrant

Address the Issue

The issue for the assignment is that your boss wants you to recommend a home based on the client profile that she provided, while also providing 2-3 alternates.

Make a Valid Claim Based on the Issue

Once you have analyzed (evaluated) your choices, you are to recommend an ideal home based on the criteria provided in the client profile.

Provide Credible Evidence

To prove that your claim is valid, you will need to provide evidence (data). Hence, you will be required to conduct some research. As such, you will need to research homes using readily available real estate databases, e.g. Zillow, Redfin, Trulia, etc. Additionally, you will need to also have to use other resources to evaluate home price, schools, and amenities.

Interpret the Evidence Using a Warrant

To evaluate your evidence, you will first need to understand the warrant that you will be using for interpretation—you are defining how the data supports the claim. In this case, the warrant uses a criterion as grounding (also known as a standard). A standard tells us how things ought to be. In other words, it defines what ought to be.

Location of the home must be within a 30-minute commute. Your home selection must be within an average of a 30-minute commute. You will need to provide an estimation and a rationale for how you determined that the home falls within this criterion.

Size of the home must average 675 sq ft per person. For the size of the home, must average 675 sq feet per person (3300 square feet). More, the family hopes to have a minimum of four-bed rooms. Additionally, the home should be on a minimum 1/3 acre lot within a suburban community.

Price of the home cannot exceed 30% of take-home. In terms of price, the mortgage payment cannot exceed 30% of take-home pay per-month. The family income is $13,680 net, which leaves them with a budget of $4100 per month. You will need to research the price of the home along with the monthly mortgage rates, property tax rates (by county), and insurance to determine if you meet the standard. Additionally, assume that the family currently has $140,000 in equity to use as a down payment on their new home. For this assignment, you are to provide an estimate based on the available resources. There are multiple tax and insurance calculators available online—with your estimate, please describe all assumptions that you have made in your calculation.

Value of the home must fall within comparable prices. Compare the size and price of the home along with upgrades that add value. Select two (2) homes within one (1) mile of the home to compare prices. For comparable, you are trying to determine the best value for the price. To provide an apt comparison, research the price per square foot of each home.

Schools must be highly ranked. Education is especially important to your clients. Ideally, the schools near the home that you selected must be within the top-third in the county. To research this criterion, review ranking sites such as Smarter, GreatSchools, etc. When evaluating schools using these tools, try to ensure that that they are in the top twenty percent by score or percentile.

Amenities must include recreation and shopping. For this criterion, you will need to review amenities—use your best judgement. The family is very active with a preference for outdoor activities, so you will need to review local parks, pavilions, campgrounds, ballfields, and trails.

Write an Evaluative Memo

For the first part of your project, you will draft a memo that adheres to the basic principles of business writing:

· Use proper memorandum format.

· Provide a proper addressee.

· Provide attribution (citation) for your sources. 

· Include an introductory statement that foreshadows or “sells” the main idea.

· Use deductive structure.

· Condense information using a minimum of one table, chart, graph, and/or image.

· Use well-developed headings.

· Use chunked paragraphs.

· Use error-free prose.

Instructions:

This evaluative report must be type-written and comply with these requirements–

· File Format: Electronically using a Microsoft Word compatible file. (No .pdf)

· General Formatting: See Rubric.

· Font: Times New Roman, 11-point (text); Arial, 13-point for headings.

· Spacing Single

· Documentation and Style: APA Publication Manuel 7th Ed.

· Use File Naming Convention: LastName_FirstName_RealEstateMemo

Develop a Three Minute Pitch Presentation

For the second part of your project, you will give a three-minute pitch based on your recommendation to your boss. You must provide nine (9) PowerPoint slides as visual aids (plus an introductory and reference slide). You must identify the wants and needs of your audience (see. Assignment Scenario). For your presentation, you will be evaluated by several criteria:

· Content focused on the process of making your selection

· Organization of information

· Relationship between content and visual aids

· Professional demeanor

· General public speaking skills

APPENDIX

National Association of Realtors Guidance on Steering

https://www.nar.realtor/fair-housing-corner/steer-clear-of-steering

Working with Buyers, Fair Housing, Fair Housing Act – July 10th, 2020

“Steering” is the practice of influencing a buyer’s choice of communities based upon one of the protected characteristics under the Fair Housing Act, which are race, color, religion, gender, disability, familial status, or national origin. Steering occurs, for example, when real estate agents do not tell buyers about available properties that meet their criteria, or express views about communities, with the purpose of directing buyers away from or towards certain neighborhoods due to their race or other protected characteristic. If a client requests a “nice,” “good,” or “safe” neighborhood, a real estate professional could unintentionally steer a client by excluding certain areas based on his or her own perceptions of what those terms means.

The following best practices will help you steer clear of steering:

· Provide clients with listings based on their objective criteria alone.

· When a client uses vague terms such as “nice,” “good,” or “safe,” ask impartial questions to clarify their criteria, such as property features and price point.

· Only communicate objective information about neighborhoods and direct clients to third-party sources with neighborhood-specific information.

· Learn to pay attention to your unconscious biases. When evaluating what a client objectively wants, ask yourself why you have eliminated certain areas, if you have.