(RE/MAX Blog)- Every year in the U.S., more than 50,000 kids are rushed to the emergency room for home playground equipment-related injuries, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. To keep kids safe, remember the following tips when it comes to creating and maintaining play space in your yard.

1. Soften the fall
If you have a play set in your yard, consider upgrading the ground around and below it, as kids will inevitably be landing on it from a tall height or at high speeds. About 60 percent of all playground injuries are caused by falls to the ground, and a more shock-absorbent surface can reduce the risk of serious injury. Consider sand, wood chips, pea gravel or shredded rubber.

2. Keep a safety zone
If you install equipment like swings or a trampoline, be sure to place them a safe distance from fences, trees or your house in case kids accidentally (or not!) launch themselves in that direction.

3. Go with a pro
While it's great to have friends or family members offer to help assemble and secure your backyard play equipment, it can pay to invest in professional installation. This will help ensure the fort doesn't collapse during your kid's birthday party or the jungle gym doesn't go sailing the next time the wind kicks up.

4. Inspect your equipment regularly
Standing up against the weather – and kids – can take its toll, even on the highest quality play equipment. Check the hardware and wood to make sure bolts and screws remain secure and rot (or splinter-causing flaking) doesn't begin.

5. Beware of lawn treatments
Know what's in any lawn treatment to make sure it's safe for kids and pets to roll around in.

Wondering how much value your backyard adds to your home's potential sale price? Begin the process to finding out what your home is worth.

(RE/MAX Blog)- Busting clutter is almost always the first recommendation from professional stagers. Why not have a yard sale to clear out the things you no longer use while earning some cash for your move? Follow these tips to help things go smoothly and maximize your profits.

1. Get the online word out
List your sale on the "Garage Sale" section of Craigslist and on any neighborhood Facebook page groups. Include photos of your more interesting items to attract shoppers.

2. Sign up
Hit the dollar store for some neon poster board and thick markers. Then make big, legible signs to post at intersections near your home.

3. The more the merrier
Ask neighbors and friends if they want to sell their things too. Everybody has things they need to get rid of. People are more likely to stop and shop if they see a variety of items for sale.

4. Sell drinks
Enlist your cute kid (or your neighbor's) to learn about economics with a lemonade or coffee stand. A hot or cold drink for a few cents can help lure people to stop and shop while they sip.

5. Plug in
If you're selling appliances, have access to an outlet or an extension cord so people can test them out. Make sure to have some batteries on hand so shoppers can see if battery-operated items work as well.

6. Make it easy to find prices
The bigger the item, the bigger the price tag. Don't make shoppers hunt around for tiny stickers on your couch or lawn mower.

7. Prep for checkout
Have lots of change and small bills on hand, as well as plastic bags shoppers can use to carry home their new treasures.

Selling your home? Click here to find more tips for home sellers.

The Prigal Brothers and Associates, the top team at RE/MAX Realty Group in Gaithersburg, Maryland, were welcomed into the RE/MAX Network’s most exclusive group known as the RE/MAX Circle of Legends in August 2016. 

Entrance to the prestigious group is truly an accomplishment, with just 388 out of 100,000 RE/MAX agents worldwide are in the circle. Just two other Realty Group agents and one RE/MAX Realty Group agent have received this honor from the RE/MAX Network in the past. 

Take a look at our full list of RE/MAX Realty Group and RE/MAX Realty Group Agents who have been admitted to the RE/MAX Circle of Legends to find out who. 

RE/MAX Realty Group & RE/MAX Realty Group Agents in the RE/MAX Circle of Legends

RE/MAX Realty Group Real Estate Agents Ava Kennedy and Theresa Davis,and RE/MAX Realty Group Real Estate Agent Suzanne Scharf have earned the RE/MAX 2016 Lifetime Achievement Award. Kennedy, Davis and Scharf were awarded the honor in August 2016 for their commitment to their career and dedication to the RE/MAX Network.

The achievement award signifies a commitment of seven years with the RE/MAX Network and the attainment of a major milestone in the volume of business conducted throughout an agent’s career. 

A combined total of forty-eight Real Estate Agents with RE/MAX Realty Group and RE/MAX 100 have received the RE/MAX Lifetime Achievement Award since 1994. 

Here is our complete list of RE/MAX Lifetime Achievement Award winners with RE/MAX Realty Group and RE/MAX Realty Group. 

RE/MAX Realty Group & RE/MAX Realty Group  Lifetime Achievement Award winners

(RE/MAX Blog)- Nothing lasts forever – including the "vintage" stove that came with your adorable fixer-upper or the washing machine your parents gave you when they decided to downgrade. When it's time to replace the appliances in your home, here are four considerations to keep in mind.

1. Repairing vs. replacing
Sometimes an appliance is so far gone (smoke is often a sign) that repairing it is not an option. And if the estimate for a repair is more than half the price of a new (or great, used) machine, Consumer Reports says you're better off buying.

2. Classified ads
There are several reasons someone may be selling a perfectly good appliance. They may be moving to a smaller home. They may need a bigger, more powerful version. They may no longer be able to resist the lure of a fridge with a smart panel that tells their phone when they're out of eggs. Appliance repair pros tell Angie's List that newer appliances tend to have about half the life span of past models, so just because a machine is a few years old, it doesn't mean it's time for it to go.

3. New, but not perfect
Ads may insist Labor Day weekend (and then Veteran's Day, and then the next holiday, etc.) is the very best time to find deals on appliances, but if you don't mind a cosmetic blemish or two, you can find deals year-round. Many big box and furniture stores and outlets have "scratch-and-dent" sections where you can find significant discounts.

4. Refurbished shops
Some stores specialize in repaired appliances. They often come with delivery and service offers. If you can, bring a pro (or at least a handy person) with you when you shop to take a look. If the store doesn't know a machine's age, you can look it up by serial number here: http://www.appliance411.com/.

Is it time to upgrade your home as well as appliances? Let us help you with your search for your next dream home.

(MONTGOMERY COUNTY)- RE/MAX Realty Group and RE/MAX Realty Group is hosting a Team Summit on Thursday, October 20, from 9:30 AM to 4:30 PM, at the College Park Marriott Hotel and Conference Center in Hyattsville, MD 20783. 

The Summit will address information beneficial to real estate agents who want to start a team or hire an assistant and agents who are already part of a team and want to take their team to the next level.

Presenters include:

- Judy LaDeur, Real Estate Recruiting Coach and Speaker

- Marti Hampton, #1 RE/MAX Realty Residential Team Leader in the United States

- Caleb Pearson, Mount Pleasant Magazine's voted Best Realtor and Real Estate Team

- The Prigal Brothers and Associates, the top team at RE/MAX Realty Group in Gaithersburg, Maryland

This is a free event you will not want to miss! Lunch will be provided. All agents are welcome regardless of affiliation. 

Register today at eventbrite. Seats are filling up quickly. 

(RE/MAX Blog)- Millennials are now major players in the home buying arena, according to the recent Home Buyer and Generational Trends report released by the National Association of Realtors:

1. Millennials accounted for 35% of buyers in 2015. This is up from 32% in 2014, and is the third year in a row Millennials have composed the largest group of recent buyers.

2. In 2015, the number of Millennials purchasing in an urban or central city area decreased to 17% from 21% in 2014. Suburbia-phobe? Perhaps not.

3. They have help getting their foot in the door. Twenty-three percent of Millennials used a financial gift for (or toward) their down payment.

4. An online search was the first step for 56% of Millennials, whether they were looking for properties or searching for information about the home buying process.

5. Almost 90% worked with a Realtor to buy their home.

Source: "National Association of Realtors Home Buyer and Generational Trends Report 2016," based on a July 2015 survey of 6,406 recent home buyers who purchased a primary residence between July 2014 and June 2015.

(RE/MAX Blog)- What does your dream home look like? Is it French provincial, colonial or Greek Revival? Is it a 3-bedroom abode with wainscot paneling and coffered ceilings? Or a 3-bedroom abode with wainscot paneling BUT arched ceilings? The choices are endless and that can make it hard to describe it to a Realtor.

Luckily, RE/MAX can help you picture your dream home, literally.

Use the new collection of boards on the RE/MAX Pinterest page to build your dream home one pin at a time. Pick and pin granite kitchen countertops, a master wine cellar, a hidden pantry behind the staircase, the ultimate man cave (or she shed) or whatever else you've always wanted. When you're done, share your own Pinterest board with your local agent, and they'll help you find a house that feels like home.

HOW IT WORKS

Step 1: Visit the RE/MAX Pinterest page (www.pinterest.com/remax) and browse different boards. You might want to start with Home Styles, Dream Kitchen, Interior Details, Outdoor Features and Extra Touches.

Step 2: Pin the details, styles and features you love to your own board.

Step 3: Share your dream-home board with your agent, and let the home shopping begin!

MONTGOMERY COUNTY- The Prigal Brothers and Associates, the top team at RE/MAX Realty Group in Gaithersburg, Maryland, have joined the RE/MAX Network’s most exclusive group known as the RE/MAX Circle of Legends. The team, which consists of real estate agents Richard Prigal, Larry Prigal, Kate Snyder and Beth Borenstein, was admitted into the elite group and awarded a trophy in August 2016 for its commitment to the RE/MAX Network and continued success in the real estate industry.

Entrance to the prestigious RE/MAX Circle of Legends is truly an accomplishment, with just 388 RE/MAX agents in the circle. The RE/MAX Network has over 100, 000 agents worldwide. Entry to the group represents a commitment of at least 10 years with the RE/MAX Network and the attainment of a major milestone in the volume of business conducted throughout an agent’s career. The Prigal Brothers and Associates’ admittance to the group was an honor the team did not expect to receive.

“This honor was truly unexpected,” said RE/MAX Realty Group Agent Richard Prigal. “We owe this recognition to our clients. Their loyalty and commitment to our team, and their referrals are what have allowed us to have such a successful career. We have been fortunate. Not only because of all the amazing clients we have had, most of which we now call friends, but also because of all the opportunities RE/MAX has given us.”

Richard and Larry Prigal, who have been with RE/MAX Realty Group for nearly 20 years, are recognized for their commitment to their clients and have continued to yield high production, year after year. 

(Char Melvin, Trish Nicely, Ken Crowley, Tonia Parent and members of the St. Mary's County Chamber of Commerce)

ST. MARY'S COUNTY, MD- Agents gathered on Thursday, September 22, 2016 for the grand opening of our new RE/MAX 100 Pax River office location in Southern Maryland. Broker/Owner Ken Crowley and manager Tonia Parent hosted the celebration from 4 PM to 7 PM at the new facility located at 22326 Exploration Park Drive in Lexington Park, Maryland. The event included a ribbon cutting ceremony facilitated by the St. Mary’s County Chamber of Commerce, hors d’oeuvres, and beverages. There were also numerous drawings for various prizes, including tickets to see the Washington Capitals.

The new RE/MAX Realty Group facility offers various benefits to RE/MAX Realty Group and RE/MAX 100 agents, including a more accessible location and more visibility. It has a modern environment with a spacious layout, multiple conference rooms, a huge training room and large workroom. The office location, which is just two blocks from the entrance to Patuxent Naval Air Station, is in a high traffic area. Impressive signage also makes it easy for agents and clients to find.

The new RE/MAX 100 Pax River office is one of eight office locations owned by Broker/Owner Ken Crowley. Ken Crowley, who opened his first RE/MAX Realty Group office in 1986, acquired RE/MAX Realty Group, its six offices and 275 agents in 2015. This brought the total for his company to eight offices, 400-plus agents and nearly $1.5 billion in sales. The acquisition also made RE/MAX Realty Group and RE/MAX Realty Group one of 120 largest brokerages in the United States and the seventh largest brokerage in the Washington Metropolitan area.