Local hosts of the show “The American Dream TV: Across The Country” are showcasing what Baltimore, Annapolis, and other parts of Maryland have to offer in the way of real estate and amenities.The nationally syndicated show airs in half-hour episodes, comprising shorter segments about various locales, on HGTV, The Travel Channel, YouTube, and other platforms.Baltimore host Chevelle Welsh was eager to highlight the city’s iconic sights, like the Inner Harbor waterfront and Domino Sugar sign. She also featured neighborhood bars and restaurants, like Shotti’s in Riverside and Octobar in South Baltimore, as well as some of Baltimore’s unique characteristics like “stooping.”“In Locust Point, people still stoop,” she said. “They sit on their steps in the summertime and it’s a great camaraderie. It’s a great strengthening of the neighborhoods when people do that.”Welsh, who is a Baltimore-area real estate agent with Monument Sotheby’s International Realty, also featured parts of Baltimore County, like Middle River. In addition to the amenities within the city, Baltimore is also located just hours aways from many other areas people want to visit, Welsh said, whether it’s Ocean City and other beaches on the Eastern Shore or bigger cities like Philadelphia and New York.Rather than living in Washington, D.C., where property values are more expensive, many workers opt for Baltimore’s more affordable living and commute to jobs in the District on one of the MARC train lines, Welsh added.The greater Annapolis market also got its turn in the limelight with local host Carol Snyder, also a real estate agent with Monument Sotheby’s International Realty.For people looking for a wide range of places to visit and things to do, Maryland is a great option, Snyder said.“Maryland in particular is such a great state, because we have everything,” she said. “We do have a ski resort, we do have beaches, we do have rivers, we do have great cities and culture and restaurants…. It’s such a small state that you can get to everything pretty easily.”In her episodes, Snyder wanted to feature some Annapolis traditions, like Midnight Madness during which downtown shops stay open until midnight, serve hot chocolate and drinks, and offer discounts; Parade of Lights, with a range of sailboats to power boats lit up and decorated for Christmas; and Ego Alley, where people can pull up their boat in the heart of downtown Annapolis and eat along the waterfront. “It’s really an opportunity, not only for me to show the world the beautiful parts of the Annapolis market area, but also for local businesses to be able to highlight what they bring to the market area,” Snyder said, “And [for them to] be able to show tourists and people that consider potentially moving here the different amazing things that they’re offering at their companies.”She added, “Sailors will come here for a boat show and then they never leave because they just love the culture of the town.”Carol Snyder stands aboard a boat in Ego Alley along the Annapolis waterfront as she films a segment for the the show “The American Dream TV: Across The Country.” Snyder is an Annapolis-area real estate agent with Monument Sotheby’s International Realty. Screenshot from video courtesy Carol Snyder.When interest rates were at record lows a few years ago, houses could have multiple offers within hours of showings. Now that interest rates have climbed and the buyer pool is smaller, properties are staying on the market for 30 to 60 days on average, Welsh said.“Buyers are getting to really tour some properties and make good decisions,” she said. “Sellers are willing to give concessions now, either to help buy down the interest rate or help with repairs.”Snyder said “the Annapolis housing market is still reasonably strong,” with listings still receiving multiple offers. However, instead of 10 or 12 offers, sellers are now seeing two to seven offers, she estimated.Homeowners who purchased their house a few years ago are reluctant to give up their low interest rates. But eventually, people who want or need to move will wade back into the market, Welsh said.“Ultimately, people always move,” she said. “People need more space or people need less space. Or people have to move for work reasons or for education reasons. So we’re always seeing people that are moving, no matter what time of year it is and what kind of market it is.” Welsh expects more inventory to come on the market in springtime.“Hopefully, it will be a more manageable and even market for both buyers and sellers,” she said.For buyers looking for a home now, Snyder said it is important to work with a knowledgeable agent who can get the “inside scoop” on properties before they even hit the market.Your agent should also be well-connected with other agents in the marketplace, Snyder said.“The 8020 rule definitely applies to real estate, where 80% of the business is done by 20% of the agents,” she said. “So making sure that you are with an agent that knows the other agents in the marketplace and can make you aware of properties and help smooth over negotiations [is important].”On the seller’s side, Snyder said “condition is king.”“Ever since HGTV and all of these shows eight to 10 years ago, the buyer pool has this expectation of condition,” she said. “And on top of that, with the interest rates being so high, buyers have less buying power.”Buyers are already encountering higher interest rates; they don’t want the added expense of major updates to the house, Snyder said.“Even though inventory is low and values for the most part are either holding steady or still slowly going up, the affordability has gone down because the interest rates are high,” she said. “A property that is not in a strong condition is going to have a lot less buyers interested, because it’s already so expensive for them to buy.” Snyder and her team stage each property they are selling so that buyers can envision themselves living in the space.“We have two on-staff designers and we stage every listing that we put on the market because that’s really where you create that emotional connection for buyers,” she said.As “American Dream” episodes have aired, Welsh said she has been pleased by the response from community members.“I was very surprised by how many people would stop me, whether I was at dinner or out walking or any anywhere, and they’re like, ‘Oh, you’re the girl that does the show for Baltimore!’”Overall, Welsh said her mission of shining a positive light on Baltimore has been greeted warmly by viewers.“They were very nice to me about how much I was trying to do some positive media, a good spin for Baltimore,” she said. “They were appreciative of what I was doing, and I felt that that was a good thing. That made me happy.”Viewers can watch episodes on American Dream TV‘s YouTube channel, television channels such as HGTV and The Travel Channel, and various streaming platforms. You can also view Welsh‘s and Snyder‘s individual segments on their respective YouTube channels.