Ramblings of a Baltimore Area Realtor

Friday, August 24, 2012

11 Best Days of Summer - The Maryland State Fair

The 11 Best Days of Summer at The Maryland State Fair Starts Today

The 11 best days of summer at the Maryland State Fair begins today. The fair opened this morning at 10 am and will run through September 3, 2012 (Labor Day).
Friday August 24 - Comptroller Day - Open 10 am to 10 pm - Ride Special $22 pay one price ride from open to close (sold noon to 6pm) $17 with $5 off Food Lion Coupon.
Saturday, August 25 - Department of Natural Resources Day, MD Pork Day at Maryland Foods Pavillion - Open 10am - 10pm
Sunday, August 26 - Governor's Volunteer Day, M & T Bank Day - Open 8am for RH Competitions to 10 pm
Monday, August 27 - 9 am for competitions - buildings open at Noon until 8pm
Tuesday, August 28 - Open 8:30 for competitions, Most buildings open Noon to 8pm. Ride Special $22 pay one price ride from open to close (sold noon to 6pm) $17 with $5 off Food Lion Coupon.
Wednesday, August 29 - MD Fruit & Veggie Day - Maryland Foods Pavillion, M & T Bank Dollar Day Open 9:00 am for competitions, buildings open noon to 8pm. Ride Special $22 pay one price ride from open to close (sold noon to 6pm) $17 with $5 off Food Lion Coupon.
Thursday, August 30 - Governor's Day/MD Agriculture Day, MD Million Day - Open 9:00 am for competitions, buildings open noon to 8pm. Ride Special $22 pay one price ride from open to close (sold noon to 6pm) $17 with $5 off Food Lion Coupon.
Friday, August 31 - Toyota Day, Baltimore County Day, MD Lamb Day - Maryland Foods Pavillion - Open 9:00 am for competitions, buildings open 10 am to 10 pm -
Saturday, September 1 - Maryland Lottery Day, Handy International World Record Crab Cake Day - Open 10 am to 10 pm
Sunday, September 2 - Open 8:30am for competitions, buildings open at 10 am until 8pm, some exhibits until 10pm.
Monday, September 3 - Open 8:30 for competitions, buildings open 10 am to 8pm. Ride Special - $22 Pay one price 10am to 10pm.
Come out and support exhibitors from all over Maryland and take a look at what people have been making, painting, baking over the last year. It's a great time!!

If you are thinking of buying or selling an home in Maryland give me a call at 410-292-0100 or start your search here and we'll talk about the market conditions and what your home could possibly be worth in today's market place if you are thinking of selling. If you are considering buying a home, there is no better time than now to buy. The tax savings and wealth building alone is worth the plunge into todays market. Century 21 New Millennium is part of the largest nationwide relocation company and can assist with your move here in Maryland or anywhere in the United States or abroad. Ask me how.

In keeping with saluting our heroes, during 2012 I am waving flat fees for active duty military, retired military and the families of fallen military, as well as policemen, firemen and emt's. If you enter into a contract by the New Year's eve I will waive the flat fee at settlement. This is a $395 savings. If you are thinking about buying or selling a home give me a call and receive full service real estate assistance from an experienced agent. Our office is open 7 days a week and we can be reached at 410-730-8888 or I can be reached directly at 410-292-0100.

June Piper-Brandon ~ Associate Broker, CDPE, CIAS, ePro

Century 21 New Millennium

Monday, August 20, 2012

How-To: Help Your Kids with Their Homework

How-To: Help Your Kids with Their Homework

It has been decades since you tackled some of the topics your kids are bringing home from school—but that doesn’t mean you can’t help them with their homework. And, some of it, I'm sure might as well be written in some obscure foreign language that you've never seen. But, statistics so that students who do their homework consistently tend to have better grades. It's not always easy to get them to do their homework, especially after a busy day, but these tips can help:

Talk to your children about their homework. It's important that your kids understand why it's important to do their homework and the positive impact it has on grades. Homework helps them practice what they've learned as well as prepare them for upcoming classes. Plus, by doing their homework they develop the discipline and skills they need to be successful throughout their school years and beyond.

Talk to the teachers. Different teachers might expect different things from parents, so be sure to talk to them to figure out what your role will be. For example, some teachers prefer parents review their kids' homework; others prefer parents make sure kids do their homework. Teachers can also tell you how much time your child should spend doing homework and what to do if the homework is too easy or too difficult.

Select a fixed time to do homework. The best time to do homework is the one that works best for your child and you. It can be before or after playing, watching television or dinnertime. What's important is that homework time is consistent. Avoid leaving it for the end of the day, when your child is tired and sleepy. For my son, when he gets home from school he has a snack and then sits down at the dining room table, we go through his planner and set out his books and the tools he'll need to complete his homework and we turn off all distractions until he is finished his homework.
Pick a quiet area and eliminate distractions. To help your children focus on homework, pick a place in the house where there's plenty of light and no distractions. It doesn't have to be fancy. It can be the kitchen table or a desk. Make sure the TV is off and put away electronic devices, unless they're essential to doing homework.

Get them the resources they need. You don't have to be an expert in all subjects to help your kids with homework. However, you need to make sure they have the tools they need to succeed. If you need expert help, you can always take them to the library or help them with their search online. You can also visit kids.gov to find information on homework topics. The Department of Education also has several resources to help your child with homework in different areas, including math, reading and writing. My partner is a whiz at math and science and I'm not and Skip is often here when Liam gets home from school and I'm not so we plan our day I do the morning and Skip does the homework and after school. This works for us, it might not work for you but figure out what works and stick with it.

Resource: GobiernoUSA.gov and USA.gov

Sunday, August 19, 2012

Orange You Glad It's Back To School?

Orange you Glad It's Back to School?

I was out shopping with my son, Liam this afternoon to get a few last minute things for back to school.
School's all across the country are preparing to go back and parent's are stressed with the endless lists of supplies that seem to increase in size every year. And, for those parents preparing to send their kids off to school for the first time - it will be ok, your children will be fine.
Here are a few things I've learned over the years and 5 children later:
Get into a routine now so your kids will be ready when they start back and they'll be able to get up in time for school.
Breakfast IS the most important meal of the day. If your kids don't like breakfast, breakfast drinks are often a great way to get those nutrients in their bodies. I make a great breakfast shake: 1/2 banana, 1 scoop of whey protein powder, 1/3 c. low fat vanilla yogurt, 1/3 c. cranberry juice, 1/3 c. frozen blueberries, 4 ice cubes - put all ingredients into the blender and blend until smooth. I am not a big breakfast person but this is delicious and keeps me going until lunch time.

My son just graduated from middle school and is off to high school in a week. He prefers to bring his own lunch rather than buy the one at school. Let your child help choose what they'll eat for lunch. We get our bread from the H & S Bread Store in Fells Point. It's a great place and helps save money. We get potato bread and he chooses two or three lunch meats for his sandwich. Cheese doesn't travel well so he doesn't have cheese on it. Then we buy Utz Potato Chips in a variety pack and he takes one bag. Sometimes he has cookies, baby carrots are popular. We got a cooler lunch bag that has space for an ice pack. Liam says that it takes too long to stand in line and wait for lunch and it doesn't given him enough time to eat it that's why he wants to bring his lunch.
Kids grow really fast. Goodwill Stores often have great deals and great prices on children's clothing. In Maryland we have Value Village stores too. Both will from time to time have brand new clothes with the tags still on them. If your parents live nearby and are over 60 on Wednesdays Value Village has 50% off all clothing in the store. When my older kids were still in school I used to go with my neighbor and she'd help me buy back to school clothes. I would come home with a large black garbage bag full for about $50 with Levi's, Banana Republic, GAP and other brand name clothes for the kids, and with the tags still on them.

Starting in June Staples has a Back to School Savings Pass that gives 15% off school supplies from June 10 until September 15. The pass excludes technology, ink and toner, flash drives, calculators, case paper and furniture. Also starting in June/July Staples has special weekly sales that offer special items for very cheap prices. I check back weekly and pick up only the items offered for sale. Last week they had refill paper for 1 cent per package, limit 5 with a $10 purchase. Starting today they have spiral bound note books for 1 cent each and Timberland Back Packs are 50% off. Over the years I have purchase 9 TI 83 calculators. The cheapeast place I have found them is on Amazon.com, I wish I would have kept my middle sons calculator but that was 8 years ago and I thought the technology would have changed but it hasn't.
For the first week of school walk your kids to the bus stop. Caution them about talking to strangers, taking rides to school (even from people they know) and to keep their eyes open and watch for people driving who might not be paying attention for children going back to school.

June Piper-Brandon ~ Associate Broker, CDPE, CIAS, ePro

Century 21 New Millennium

Friday, June 8, 2012

Spring Showers Bring Beautiful, Lush Lawns

Spring Showers Bring Beautiful, Lush Lawns

Season after season and year after year, you do everything you can to get your lawn looking lush and vibrant. You know, just like your neighbor's lawn. You've done it all - from dedicating weekends to covering your lawn in fertilizer to inspecting every inch of your lawn on all fours. But despite your greatest efforts, you still have somehow managed not to achieve the awe worthy lawn you want. If getting that picture perfect lawn feels like a feat that will never come to fruition then perhaps there are still some steps you've missed in your lawn care routine.

Lawn aeration and over-seeding are not only essential steps to your lawn care routine, but can also be the answer you've been looking for. Over the previous summer, your lawn will have been subjected to a lot of traffic that can cause soil compaction, which if not alleviated can lead to a variety of problems. Lawn aeration doesn't just loosen the soil, it increases oxygen flow, water and nutrients absorption, and helps eliminates thatch. Following up with over-seeding promotes new growth, ensuring your lawn stays thick and dense making it much harder for weeds to come along and call your lawn home.

When it comes to lawn care, timing is everything, and could be the difference between achieving that picture perfect lawn and not. That's why kick starting your lawn care routine in early spring is the best thing you can do. Since that is when your lawn is awakening from the winter thaw and actively growing, allowing it to recover from the lawn aeration quickly and grow more lushly from the over-seeding.

Source: GreenLawn.

Is Facebook the Anti-Social Network? Tips for Overcoming Tech Disconnection and Anxiety

Is Facebook the Anti-Social Network? Tips for Overcoming Tech Disconnection and Anxiety

Social media sites like Facebook connect users with old friends, new acquaintances and everyone in between. However, studies are revealing an inverse link with online connections and deeper, face-to-face relationships.

Norwegian researchers recently developed a test for networking sites, called the Bergen Facebook Addiction Scale, which likens inordinate amounts of time spent on the networking site to drug and alcohol abuse. The test measures how often people use the site, if they do so to forget their problems and how using the site negatively affects their personal and working lives.

Researchers found the following groups of people most at risk for Facebook addiction:
• Women, who are more social than men,
• Young people, who are more tech savvy than older people
• Anxious or socially insecure people

“Social media, and the new emphasis on the importance of ‘multitasking,’ have helped drive a wedge between family members,” says psychologist Gregory L. Jantz, author of #Hooked: The Pitfalls of Media, Technology and Social Networking (www.drgregoryjantz.com).

Ironically, people become less social the more time they spend on social sites, and they tend to get less done while multitasking because they do not focus on completing one task at a time, he says.

“When people abuse drugs and alcohol, they are trying to feel better, yet they are worsening their situation. We’re finding this is also true for those who spend excessive amounts of time on social networking sites,” he says. “Perhaps the hardest hit from social media addiction is the family unit.”

Parents should monitor their own time online to ensure it’s not further limiting the already shrinking amount of time available with their children, Jantz says. And they need to safeguard their children by monitoring their time, as well. Jantz suggests these questions for parents to ask themselves in gauging their kids’ media usage:

• How much time do your kids spend with various forms of media? There are plenty of distractions from homework. Estimate how much time your child spends with the television, Internet, social networking sites, cell phone, Blu-rays and game systems. The more time spent with media, the lower a child’s academic performance, according to a Kaiser Family Foundation study.

• How much time do your kids spend with you versus online media? Remember, simply being in the same room isn’t necessarily interacting. The less the scales tip in favor of human-to-human interaction, the more likely there may be a problem.

• Do you know how each device works and how it can be used? Familiarity with your children’s gadgets gives you a better perspective of what their habits may be like.

• What are the consequences of their tech habits, and what should be changed? Make a list of the good and the bad consequences of your family’s technology use. After comparing the two lists, consider changes that can turn negatives into positives.

“Technology continues at its accelerating pace, and we are in unchartered territory,” Jantz says. “Increasingly, social networking infiltrates our personal lives, but we need to remember that it is created to serve us, and not the other way around.”

Gregory Jantz has more than 25 years experience in mental health counseling and is the founder of The Center for Counseling and Health Resources, near Seattle, Wash. Visit http://www.aplaceofhope.com/ for more information.

Wednesday, June 6, 2012

Honfest 2012 - June 9 and 10, 2012

Honfest 2012 - June 9-10, 2012

Honfest Pagent 2009

It's that time of year when people all over venture to Baltimore's Hampden neighborhood.  Folks arrive costumed in an assorted grab bag of Sixties-era garb, making the entire event into one hugely entertaining costume party. Women of all ages and sizes wear vintage spandex pants, heavily applied blue eye shadow, cat eye glasses and any item of clothing or accessory that has a leopard print and, most importantly, outrageous beehive hairdos that are teased as high as the sky and supported with volumes of hair spray.

The event came to be in 1994 as a celebration of all things "Bawlmer"!!

This festival covers four city blocks on 36th Street (The Avenue) in the neighborhood of Hampden. Hampden is a revered old-style Baltimore neighborhood, filled with quirky shops, quaint restaurants and friendly residents. HonFest gives local storeowners the opportunity to spill-out onto the sidewalk and showcase their wares. HonFest is a favorite destination for young and old, tourist and resident and starts at 11 am on Saturday until 10pm and Noon until 6pm on Sunday.

For more information visit the official website.   You definitely won't want to miss a great time.

June Piper-Brandon ~ Associate Broker, CDPE, CIAS, ePro

Century 21 New Millennium

Friday, May 11, 2012

Out of the Box Ideas That Take the Stress out of Saving for a Down Payment

Out of the Box Ideas That Take the Stress Out of Saving for a Down Payment

For those dreaming of owning a home, the thought of coming up with money for a down payment is enough to scare many perspective buyers away. However, even if you don’t have the necessary funds for a down payment in the bank, there are other options that you should take into consideration to come up with the money you need to put a down payment on your dream home.

The easiest way to get a down payment for a home is to borrow against one’s retirement account. Many people have been investing in a 401(k) plan or traditional IRA for years, and first-time homebuyers may borrow up to $10,000 for their down payment without incurring a penalty. For those who are self-employed—or if your employer allows it—you can also borrow up to $50,000 from your current 401(k) and pay yourself back over five years at a low interest rate.

In addition, you can do some research and look for down payment assistance grants. Down payment assistance and community redevelopment programs offer affordable housing opportunities to first-time homebuyers, low-income and moderate-income individuals and families who wish to achieve homeownership.

Family is another option that you may want to take into consideration when it comes to securing funds for a down payment. Sure, you may be too proud to want to ask for money, but if your family can help you and your family move into your dream home, isn’t it worth it? If you do get help from a family member, the lender will ask you to sign a form called a gift letter, attesting to the relationship. The lender may also require your parents to explain where they got the money and prove that they are financially able to make such a gift.

If you’re still not finding the money to put together for a down payment, there’s always the creative lease/purchase agreement. Homeowners who can’t sell their homes in this market will be more amenable to cutting a deal with buyers and may be willing to take part in a lease/purchase agreement, where you rent the home you want to buy and a percentage of your rent is applied toward the down payment. If you go this route, make sure you get a contract outlining all the details so both parties are safe.

Adding a down payment option to your wedding registry is gaining popularity among those just starting out in life together. Several mortgage companies allow those getting married to set up a down payment registry. What a great way to celebrate the joining of two people in holy matrimony than to help them buy a house.

If none of these things will work for your specific situation, there’s always the old fashioned “saving for a rainy day” tactic. Try putting aside 10 percent of your paycheck each week and make an effort to bring a lunch to work instead of going out. If you’re married, use the money you would spend on birthday, anniversary and Christmas presents and put that toward your down payment. You might also need to forget that vacation this year. It may seem like a lot, but the sacrifice will be well worth it when you’re living in your new home.

For more tips on how to save for a down payment, contact our office today.

By Keith Loria

If you are thinking of buying or selling an home in Maryland give me a call at 410-292-0100 or start your search here and we'll talk about the market conditions and what your home could possibly be worth in today's market place if you are thinking of selling. If you are considering buying a home, there is no better time than now to buy. The tax savings and wealth building alone is worth the plunge into todays market. Century 21 New Millennium is part of the largest nationwide relocation company and can assist with your move here in Maryland or anywhere in the United States or abroad. Ask me how.

June Piper-Brandon ~ Associate Broker, CDPE, CIAS, ePro

Century 21 New Millennium