All Forum Posts by: Mark Moyer

nice work so far!  I lived just a few blocks away from that property.  It's fun to see what people do with the alley homes on Calender, Otterbein, Parkin and such.  Wyeth Street has the most high-end renovations for any of those tight alley homes.  It's good inspiration for future renovations.  

I lived in Pigtown for 7 years and own 4 homes there now.  We only moved a few months ago...it's personally been a good experience for us and I'm still quite involved in the neighborhood.  In 2017, I helped friends buy their first rental on Nanticoke street and then also sold two properties for clients.  One on James Street and one on Scott Street.  

Be sure to check out the upcoming Pigtown Festival to get a positive vibe for the neighborhood.  It's happening October 14th.  It should be a good chance to talk with neighbors and community leaders about life in the city.

If you're wanting to catch lunch/dinner, @Andy O'Neal's recommendation of Nick's Rotissere is excellent soul food!  Just be aware they only take cash.  My other favorite is Ebenezer's Ethiopian restaurant just down the street.  So good.  If you want superb pizza, head up to Hollins Market and check out Zella's.  

If anyone has any neighborhood questions, feel free to private message me.  

Hello Steven, 

I live in that neighborhood and understand it very well.  I hold 4 rental properties very close by.  Private message me and I can show you around.

@kevin I knew which properties you were referencing before you even mentioned the specific neighborhood!  It could really change that entire block to see a new landlord there that improved the properties rather than do the bare minimum.  I lived just a few blocks away from that area for the last 7 years.  

Here's a listing (not mine--I'm in no way connected to it) that just came online:  http://20512.listinginfo.co/

It's another tiny alley house (510 Parkin St.) like the ones you were referencing.  Pretty cool to see what they did with the space.  Hope it sells at a good price.  

that sounds good Sebastian.  Those neighborhoods are worth keeping on your radar.  Sometimes the best deal will make itself clear when the time comes.  There's other places with large homes that could be a good fit as well.  

That was a pretty good summary @Sebastian E..  Baltimore doesn't have the giant incomes that DC has so it will develop more slowly.  The city is geographically very large so it's easier to talk specifics about neighborhoods rather than the area as a whole.  There are certainly pockets of wealth and then areas of intense poverty.  The areas of highest speculation in 2006 are some of the areas that are still % down today.  It's a sign of how unrealistic some of that speculation was.  Other neighborhoods have exceeded prior levels to reach new growth patterns.  

@Cody L. I don't think I can legally disclose what he takes...but it's a pretty normal rate for commissions.  Which is a lot of money I'm losing out on!  

So you wouldn't want other agents working under your license?  Why not?

Hey @Account Closed  --I'd take that referral as well.  Can you private message me?  I just got one of your mailers recently too :)  

The sdat records are often full of errors anyway.  They assign crazy assessments on properties in the city. 

I've seen homes that have the taxable square footage off by as much as 50%.  

Always appeal them if possible.

Pigtown is a good microcosm for Baltimore as a whole.  It's very diverse in every sense (ethnicity, income, education, etc).  You can buy a home in east Pigtown for 375k or you can buy a shell 3 blocks further west for 28k.  

Crime statistics are hard to comprehend.  In a transitioning neighborhood like Pigtown, there will be more crime reporting than in a severely depressed area like Harlem Park.  In some Baltimore neighborhoods, people don't call the cops when bad things happen.  It's the same with 311 calls and complaints about garbage.  So statistics wise, an area like Pigtown could look like a very rough area but in reality it may be a more desirable place than other neighborhoods. 

Do your homework.  Talk to the locals.  I lived in the neighborhood for 7 years so I know it well!